In an unexpected turn of events, Evander Holyfield’s rushed return to the boxing ring in 2021 ended in a worrying defeat for the former heavyweight champion.
Clearly unprepared and seemingly unfit, Holyfield, who was LITERALLY pushing 60, was stopped by the referee within just one round of his comeback fight against 44-year-old former UFC Champion Vitor Belfort, which had been arranged on short notice.
And yes, Evander nearly fell through the ropes after wildly missing the first powershot he unleashed.
While Holyfield’s performance was a disappointment, the evening had a surprising winner in the form of former President of the United States, Donald Trump. Known for his post-presidency involvement in various events, Trump was hired to be the host of the fight and also provided live in-person commentary during the festivities held on September 11, 2021.
And while he bragged the promotional company, Triller, was paying him an “obscene” amount of money to call the 2021 fight between Evander Holyfield and former UFC champion Vitor Belfort, he certainly wasn’t kidding.
Despite the fight being short-lived, Trump’s involvement proved to be very lucrative for him. According to a report by USA Today Sports, he was paid a staggering $2.5 million for his role as a color commentator for the Holyfield fight circus-like sideshow.
It’s worth noting that this was a unique and perhaps unconventional move, given Trump’s background in politics and his transition to other areas of public appearances and engagements. Nonetheless, it appears to have been a financially successful endeavor for the former president.
According to Trump’s filing, which was made public earlier this month, it reveals that he has earned around $1 billion since leaving office. The majority of this income came from speaking engagements, public appearances, and foreign business dealings.
One significant source of income appears to be his involvement with Triller, a company that heavily invested in boxing promotion. Triller poured considerable financial resources into its boxing events. However, approximately a year later, in September 2022, the company decided to shut down its boxing promotion venture.
And Triller’s demise is not surprising given how much they paid Trump to commentate.
The filing sheds light on Trump’s post-presidency financial activities and provides insight into the substantial sums he has earned from various ventures, including his involvement with Triller’s boxing promotions.