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For the longest time, sports figures have crossed over to professional wrestling, whether it's WWE, WCW, or any other promotion. Boxers and MMA fighters have especially made appearances in professional wrestling, as they've even gone out of their way to perform in the ring. For instance, one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, Evander Holyfield, made an appearance at Saturday Night's Main Event in 2007. In a match that many probably forgot about, Evander Holyfield went one-on-one with Matt Hardy in a boxing match.

Related: Matt Hardy Wishes Hardy Boyz' Last Match Could Be Against Edge And Christian

Matt Hardy And MVP's Feud Goes To The Next Level

In 2007, MVP was rising in the ranks of the SmackDown brand. He captured the United States Championship at the Judgment Day PPV, less than a year after making his WWE debut. MVP's quick rise in the company as a heel made him one of the most prominently featured performers on the SmackDown brand during the late half of the Ruthless Aggression era.

Matt Hardy and MVP as tag champs

As Matt Hardy was thriving as a babyface on SmackDown, it was only a matter before he and MVP crossed paths. Not only did the two engage in a feud, but their intense rivalry lasted almost a year. Starting in mid-2007, Matt Hardy and MVP engaged in a series of matches, but things got creative as their rivalry progressed.

Because their rivalry continued for many months, WWE had other plans for Matt Hardy and MVP in terms of creativity. For instance, as MVP's persona is known for showing, he and Matt Hardy were involved in different contests to see who'd get the best of each other. Also, while MVP was the United States Champion, he and Matt Hardy teamed up to defeat Duece 'n Domino for the WWE Tag Team Championships on an August 2007 episode of SmackDown.

MVP WWE

Throughout the unusual creative ideas that WWE had for MVP and Matt Hardy, a special celebrity also got involved and appeared at Saturday Night's Main Event 2007. At the event, Matt Hardy had to face former boxing world champion Evander Holyfield in a boxing match with MVP in his corner.

Related: Brock Lesnar Vs Jeff & Matt Hardy: Revisiting The First WWE Feud Of The Beast Incarnate's Career

Matt Hardy Takes On Evander Holyfield In A Boxing Match

Before the two teamed up to win the WWE Tag Team Championship, the animosity between Matt Hardy and MVP was off the charts. Because of the bad blood between the two, MVP and Matt Hardy were scheduled for a boxing match at Saturday Night's Main Event 2007. However, as MVP claimed he couldn't compete due to heart related problems, Evander Holyfield took his place.

Although he couldn't compete, MVP took the opportunity to cheer on Evander Holyfield at ringside in his match against Matt Hardy. For him, getting the chance to witness a multiple World Champion like Evander Holyfield pummel Matt Hardy in his own game was a way to get the last laugh.

Evander Holyfield boxing in a WWE ring was an interesting turn of events considering one would barely ever see a simulated boxing match on WWE TV, let alone on Saturday Night's Main Event. There have been many match stipulations in WWE, but a boxing match is among the rare stipulations throughout the company's existence.

MVP Loses The Boxing Match Between Matt Hardy And Evander Holyfield

When Matt Hardy and Evander Holyfield finally stood face-to-face in the middle of the ring, Matt Hardy was sporting headgear for the anticipated boxing match while Evander Holyfield was in his usual boxing gear. As the bell rang for the first round, Evander Holyfield quickly dominated the inexperienced Matt Hardy, landing many punches and knocking him down multiple times.

matt-hardy-microphone

In the opening two minutes of the first round, Matt Hardy may have taken a lot of shots from Evander Holyfield, but he continued to put up a fight against the former World Champion, showing his resilience. As the second round began, it appeared that Matt Hardy was barely able to stand on his two feet, as Evander Holyfield wanted the ref to end the fight. Because of this, MVP got in the ring and tried to motivate Evander Holyfield to continue fighting a beaten up Matt Hardy.

However, MVP made a big mistake when putting his hands on Evander Holyfield to hype him up, which caused Evander Holyfield to react in anger and give him the knockout punch he deserved. As the ref called the match following MVP getting knocked out, Evander Holyfield went over to Matt Hardy to show his respect, raising his hand in the air while MVP was down and out.