Evander Holyfield, TCM's guest programmer for March, has bobbed and weaved his way into boxing history, becoming the only four-time Heavyweight Champion of the World. Also known as "The Real Deal" and "The Warrior," Holyfield was born in Alabama and grew up in Atlanta. He won a silver medal in the 1983 Pan American Games before becoming a National Golden Gloves Champion and a bronze-medal winner in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.

He made his debut as a professional boxer in 1985 and has since competed in some of the most exciting – and controversial – boxing matches in history opposite such opponents as Mike Tyson, John Ruiz, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe and Buster Douglas. The younger brother of actor-dancer Bernard Holyfield, Evander is active in children's causes through his Holyfield Foundation.

In explaining his programming picks to host Robert Osborne, Holyfield says that Cooley High (TCM premiere, 1975), a study of high school friends who live on the Near North Side of Chicago, is important to him because it was the first film he saw about black youth and the challenges they face. He admires True Grit (1969) and The Shootist (1976) because he's a big fan of John Wayne and the way his characters never show fear – an important attitude for a boxer! And of course "The Warrior" likes movies with strong action heroes such as Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984).

by Roger Fristoe