Showing glimpses of the old "Real Deal", 39-year-old Evander Holyfield rebounded from three dismal showings against John Ruiz to defeat Hasim Rahman at the Boardwalk Convention Center in Atlantic City on Saturday night.

But when it was over, it was a hollow victory, an eight round split technical decision that left little settled between the two. And it left the futures of both up in the air.

"I don't feel Holyfield beat me," said Rahman, who was unable to continue after a seventh round headbutt raised a grotesque, baseball-sized knot over his left eye. "I'd like to set the record straight."

Maybe in a nod to the naysayers who doubted him, Holyfield started fast, working Rahman's body and establishing control on the inside. "The Rock" wasn't far behind though, being selective but accurate with his shots, an obvious nod to the influence of new trainer Bouie Fisher.

After looking old against WBA champ Ruiz, Holyfield (38-5-2, 25 KOs) showed that he still had some zip in his punches, throwing some quick combinations that got Rahman's attention.

Both had solid moments during the middle rounds, before Holyfield jumped on Rahman in the eighth. He landed a strong combination that stunned "The Rock", who had gone into a defensive shell after the seventh round.

Soon after, referee Tony Orlando halted the bout to have the ringside physician examine the injury. The physician told Rahman that the swelling was "not dangerous" but advised that the fight should be stopped if it was affecting his vision. Rahman, hurt on a number of occasions by an array of rights, lefts, and heads, admitted that his vision was being blurred, and the bout was sent to the scorecards at the 1:40 mark of the eighth.

Admittedly, Holyfield did look better than he has in a while, and at the time of the stoppage, the "Real Deal" seemed to be coming on for a possibly legitimate late-round stoppage.

"I felt very comfortable," said Holyfield. "He put himself in a position where I could hit him with shots. I was able to get my hands loose."

But is his goal of another undisputed heavyweight championship realistic?

The IBF and WBA were reportedly going to place the winner of this bout in a strong position for a title shot, but if they want to do the right thing, they should mandate a rematch between Holyfield and Rahman before anything is determined.

But wait, this is boxing. And there's no guarantee the right thing will ever get done.