A year later, in one of the toughest and most unusual fights of his career, Holyfield reclaimed the title from Bowe even after a parachuter – now known as The Fan Man – landed in the ring behind Bowe in the seventh round, causing a 21-minute delay in the bout. This victory enabled Holyfield to become the fourth fighter in history to regain the heavyweight title of the world. He became the third fighter —joining the ranks of Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson – to regain the title in a rematch.

But in 1994, Holyfield lost his titles in a bout against Michael Moorer in a narrow 3-2 decision. Directly after the fight, Holyfield was rushed to a hospital where it was determined that he was going into heart failure. After days of tests, he was told that he had heart problems which were not life-threatening, but were career-ending. Doctors recommended that he retire from the ring. He heeded their advice, even as he prayed for healing.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength

His faith in the healing power of God proved stronger than his medical prognosis. Holyfield returned to his doctor and was told he was getting better. A second follow-up visit to his physician indicated more improvement in his condition. A third visit revealed that his heart was healed.

Boxing officials weren't convinced. They wanted him to undergo and pass a battery of physicals before any state commission would license him to fight again. They sent him to the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for a thorough check-up. After intense testing, his heart was pronounced healthy and he was medically cleared for a comeback.

Renewed in 1995, convinced that his heart had been healed by God, he returned to the ring to fight Ray Mercer, the 1988 Seoul Olympics gold medalist. On May 20th, Holyfield dropped Mercer in the eighth round, proving to the world that his heart and his spirit were both strong.

In November of that same year, Holyfield suffered the first knockout of his career in a non-title bout against Riddick Bowe.

Instead of giving up and bowing out of boxing, he continued to push himself.

The following year was a bittersweet one, marked by pain and triumph. Annie Laura Holyfield, who her son describes as his hero and his inspiration, passed away. Then Holyfield fought on the third card of a triple-header, completely dominating Bobby Czyz, a former middleweight champion.

Also, in the summer of 1996, Holyfield's Olympic experience came full circle when he carried the torch at the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, held in Atlanta.