Evander Holyfield's wife alleges beating over church tithes

Rony Henderson reports:

On February 11 Evander Holyfield's wife claimed that the boxing great hit her several times after an argument about her payments to their church.

Candi Holyfield, the boxer's third wife, said her 47-year-old husband hit her in the face, the back of the head and her back on the night of Feb. 1 after she refused to show him check stubs of her giving to the church. Evander Holyfield who has gone on record saying that he pays his tithe before paying his mortgage was, concerned she was not giving to the church.

"He said that I was being disrespectful," Candi Holyfield, 30, said in the Feb. 3 court filing. "He started telling me that I needed to start putting God first in my life."

The argument started in the middle of the night, and when the boxer turned on the light and saw her face, she said he apologised, A magistrate judge signed a temporary order Feb. 3 banning Evander Holyfield from being within 500 yards of his wife and their two children. A hearing was scheduled for Feb. 18

Evander Holyfield has in recent times experienced financial troubles including the near foreclosure of his 109 room mansion in Atlanta was surprised when Candi filed the order against whilst he was out of town.
In the protective order Candi Holyfield had said that the abuse against her began about six months after they were married July 1, 2003, and started again when she was pregnant with their first child. She said at first it was "mainly emotional" abuse but physical incidents have escalated since 2008.

She claimed her husband choked her in front of their daughter and housekeeper in 2008, and that last year he hit and grabbed her in front of their children. A few weeks ago, she said, he threw a bottle of water at her. It seems that all is now forgiven as on Feb 15 Candi asked for the restraining order to be withdrawn.

When normal couples have a problem, they see a marriage counsellor. But when a celebrity or Christian celebrity couples have a problem, they apparently go on TV with Dr. Phil. The couple are reportedly in talks to appear on Dr. Phil's show to discuss their fractured marriage. Holyfield may soon travel to Haiti with Dr Phil to help out earthquake survivors.

"It's true Evander is in talks with Dr. Phil to appear with his wife on the show next week," Holyfield spokesman Dwayne Corbitt confirmed . "We are also discussing for both Dr. Phil and Evander to go and visit Haiti also in a bid to help the people out there."

The Atlanta based boxer, 47, would also donate roughly $40,000 worth of his nutritional products and some bottled water to the ravaged locals