Evander Holyfield is a former professional boxer, nicknamed ‘The Real Deal’. He held the undisputed world championship in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, and contested the infamous ‘Bite Fight’ with Mike Tyson in 1997.
Next week, the American is exhibiting at ICE and LAC to promote www.RealDealBet.co.uk, and we caught up with him to discuss his work with the sports betting site, review its success in 2015 and look ahead to plans for this year and beyond.
SBC: Hi Evander, we understand you will be exhibiting at ICE and LAC in February this year. Are you looking forward to it?
EH: Yes, very much so. It will be exciting to return to ICE for the second time, withe SBTech. It’s an amazing conference, there is a crazy energy and the SBTech team is amazing. This will be my first LAC, but I am really looking forward to it and meeting all the affiliates who have helped RealDealBet grow over this past year.
SBC: The site uses your ring moniker, ‘Real Deal’; as a brand ambassador, how important is the success of RealDealBet to you personally?
EH: The success of RealDealBet is of high priority to me. I want to be the very best in everything that I do and I won’t settle for anything less. This is why I am very involved and work closely with the RealDealBet team. I know that we will be one of the strongest brands out there!
SBC: As a five time heavyweight champion you are used to enjoying success; how successful a year was 2015 for RealDealBet?
EH: It has been such an amazing and highly successful year for the brand. We have seen and experienced growth and we continue to grow each day with new players. The response to the brand has been overwhelming – people seem to love what we have to offer and they enjoy being in the Champ’s corner.
SBC: ICE and LAC are often used as a platform for new product announcements; are there any new additions or innovations to RealDealBet that will be announced for 2016?
EH: Our biggest announcement for 2016 is our entry into the UK market. We plan to dominate this market in both Sports and Casino, it will for sure be Glory to Glory!
SBC: Finally, on the Friday at LAC, RealDealBet will hold a competition to find the strongest punchers on a boxing simulator machine. Does the man with the strongest punch tend to win in the ring? Does this also apply to business?
EH: All because you are the strongest in the ring doesn’t mean you will always win, you have to know how to use your strength mentally as well and the same applies to business. You might have all the money in the world but it doesn’t guarantee that you will succeed, unless you utilize all your tools and work hard. There is no room for laziness in the ring or in business. Work hard and you will always reach your goals. I always say, ‘A champion shows who he is by what he does.’