The statue was designed by sculptor Brian Hanlon and unveiled in front of State Farm Arena on June 25, 2021.

In a press release issued that day, Reed said that the work, a 9-foot (2.7 m) tall bronze statue designed by sculptor Brian Hanlon, would be located in front of the Flatiron Building in Downtown Atlanta and would "remind viewers of his contributions to the sport of boxing and the City of Atlanta’s proud legacy of athletic achievement.

[3] Holyfield was raised in Atlanta's Bowen Homes housing project and began boxing at a young age.

[2] Despite this expected installation date, an April 2019 article published by Curbed Atlanta pointed out that the statue had not yet been erected, with Hanlon claiming that the sculpture was being held in storage by the city government.

[6] Finally, in early 2021, Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin offered a location in front of State Farm Arena.