By Tim Smith

The promoters of the match between former four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield (41-8-2, 27 KOs) and Lou Savarese (46-6, 38 KOs) in El Paso on Saturday night have optimistically titled the match “The Road to the Championship.’’

It is that kind of optimism that kept Juan Ponce de Leon searching for the fountain of youth. At 44 years old, Holyfield’s search for another undisputed heavyweight championship is about as fruitless as Ponce de Leon’s quest. Fortunately for Holyfield he probably won’t get shot in the shoulder with a poison arrow and die like Ponce de Leon.

But this is boxing, so you never know.

Holyfield is almost three-years removed from his suspension from boxing by Ron Scott Stevens, the chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission. Stevens suspended Holyfield after his pathetic performance against Larry Donald at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 13, 2004. Holyfield was on the shelf for two years, even though he passed the medical exams by the N.Y.S.A.C. During that period of inactivity, Holyfield said he was able to heal from two shoulder surgeries that had made it nearly impossible for him to throw his jab.

Since returning last August, Holyfield has fought once every four months. And with each fight, the cries for him to go away have gotten softer and softer. Even Stevens was forced to lift the administrative medical suspension that he had imposed on Holyfield after Holyfield’s match against Fres Oquendo last Nov. 10. He has worn down the opposition with his persistence.

No longer is Holyfield “The Real Deal.’’ He is Evander “Can’t Be Killed’’ Holyfield.

“He is where he was when he was moving up from cruiserweight to heavyweight,’’ said Ronnie Shields, Holyfield’s trainer. “He wants to prove you guys (the media and his critics) wrong. He has always been the underdog. And that’s really sad considering the kind of career he’s had.

“I remember that Carlos De Leon fight when he started to go up to heavyweight and everybody was saying he’s too small to be a heavyweight. This and that. And he proved everybody wrong.’’

With the backing of Main Events as his promoters, Holyfield can probably line up a heavyweight championship before the year is out as long as he keeps his present pace and he keeps winning. Donald Tremblay, the crack public relations man for Main Events, asked how many of the current heavyweight champions would you give Holyfield absolutely no chance of beating. Only one and that is Wladimir Klitschko because he is too big and too strong.  The rest I make even fights.

The problem with Holyfield is that he is chasing his own legacy as a warrior.

“He can’t fight like he is the warrior anymore,’’ Shields said. “That gets him in trouble, especially early.’’

Shields has cautioned Holyfield from falling into that pattern against Savarese, a 41-year-old journeyman who has his own unfulfilled heavyweight title dreams. Shields knows that at 6-5, 245-pounds Savarese can do a lot of damage to Holyfield if he can consistently land in the first few rounds.

“Because Lou is a big guy, Evander has to box this guy,’’ Shields said. “He can’t go toe-to-toe, although I know he is going to want to. He’s got to work the body and then work his way up top and knock him out.’’

Knock him out?

“I think he can,’’ Shields said. “Evander still has good hand speed and good power. It’s going to be an exciting fight. Lou is determined and Evander is determined.’’

Shields said he saw Holyfield turn the corner in his last fight – a third round TKO over Vinny Maddalone on March 17.

“A lot of people didn’t like the fight, but I saw improvements in Evander in that fight,’’ Shields said. “He was actually doing the things that we had worked on in the gym.’’

Shields said that Holyfield is in camp for six weeks for his fights and they spend the time primarily working on a strategy for the upcoming opponent.

“The guy is in great shape when he comes to camp so I don’t have to spend three weeks trying to get him shape so we can work on boxing,’’ Shields said. “I usually spend the time working on the things that he does best.’’

The premium cable networks haven’t gotten on board. They don’t believe that Holyfield is still “The Real Deal.’’ His match against Savarese, like his last three fights, are on pay per view ($29.95 and check your local cable). He may not be “The Real Deal.’’ But he certainly “Can’t Be Killed.’’