Evander Holyfield wants a trilogy fight with Mike Tyson
Evander Holyfield has issued a press release aiming for a rematch with Mike Tyson. The former undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight boxing champion fought Tyson twice in the nineties, having won both bouts.
Tyson made an exhibition bout with also retired multiple-champion Roy Jones Jr last Saturday in California. Even though they are both in their fifties, the two boxing legends displayed impressive form and skills during the fight, which concluded as a draw.
Tyson's return to the ring seems to have sparked comeback wishes among retired athletes of all different sports worldwide. Tyson has developed a business model to provide older elite athletes with a place to compete, called Legends Only League.
Holyfield, however, says he tried fighting Tyson even before the legend met Jones Jr.
"My side tried to make the fight happen, and we got nothing but excuses," said Holyfield. "Now, I can see why he wanted a tune-up fight before thinking about fighting me."
In his press release, 'The Real Deal' Holyfield says the idea of an exhibition bout was his. The statement also asserts that Holyfield, 58-years-old, is still in 'supreme' physical condition and training in the gym regularly.
Although most analysts considered Tyson the winner of the bout with Jones Jr, Holyfield was not impressed. 'The Real Deal' believes Jones Jr was a mere warm-up exercise for Tyson, who should take on a real opponent like Holyfield himself.
"Roy Jones was a good local opponent for Mike," said the unimpressed Holyfield. "But a fight with me would be a global event, and the only fight that anyone wants to see is a fight between us. There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't make it happen."
To this day, Holyfield remains the only boxer in history to win the undisputed championship in two different weight classes.
What happened in the last two fights between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield?
Billed as 'Finally', Tyson vs. Holyfield was one of the most anticipated boxing bouts ever. The fight was Tyson's first defense of his recently collected WBA title and finished at the eleventh round with a Holyfield TKO win.
While the first bout is considered one of Holyfield's finest performances, the rematch made the rivalry between Mike Tyson and 'The Real Deal' Holyfield infamous.
Publicized as 'the Sound and the Fury', the second fight between the sport's icons happened in 1997, less than a year after their first encounter. The bout would be noted down as one of the most bizarre events in sports history, after Tyson bit off part of Holyfield's ear.
For that act, Tyson was disqualified from the fight and lost his boxing license for a year, besides being fined three million dollars. It was the first time in over 50 years that a fighter was disqualified in a boxing title bout.
Naturally, the apprehension for a possible third duel is immense. Even more so to Holyfield, who feels he has unfinished business with Tyson since that shameful fight in 1997.
"No more excuses. This is the fight that must happen for both our legacies," said Holyfield. "Saturday night, you said you were ready to fight me, so sign the contract and get in the ring, Tyson. The world is waiting, and it's on you now. I'm ready."