Story: Olympic and Commonwealth games

Kevin Barry versus Evander Holyfield, Los Angeles, 1984

Kevin Barry versus Evander Holyfield, Los Angeles, 1984

At the 1984 Olympics the light-heavyweight boxing semi-final between New Zealand's Kevin Barry and American Evander Holyfield ended in controversy. Barry was clearly outboxed by Holyfield, but when Holyfield knocked Barry out at the end of round two, the referee disqualified him for hitting after the break. This outraged the mostly American audience and made headlines around the world.

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New Zealand Olympic Museum – He Pataka Taumahekeheke, New Zealand Olympic Committee

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How to cite this page:

Joseph Romanos, 'Olympic and Commonwealth games - On the water – the 1980s at the Olympics', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/37908/kevin-barry-versus-evander-holyfield-los-angeles-1984 (accessed 28 March 2024)

Story by Joseph Romanos, published 5 Sep 2013, updated 1 Jun 2023