The ear bite didn't tarnish Mike Tyson's legacy, says Evander Holyfield
The two bouts that Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield engaged in were among the most lucrative and well-attended in boxing history. Before the showdown took place for the first time in 1996, much had been written about it.
The fight had been building since the late 1980s when Holyfield moved up to heavyweight after winning the cruiserweight title. In 1990, Tyson suffered an illustrious defeat to James 'Buster' Douglas.
'Iron' Mike, the undisputed heavyweight king, lost three of his belts due to the shocking outcome. While this was going on, 'Warrior' maneuvered quickly and was able to engage Douglas and beat him via knockout.
After losing to Holyfield in 1996 via TKO, Tyson was disqualified from the rematch in 1997 for biting a part of Holyfield's ear off. Holyfield later spoke with World Boxing News about the incident and Tyson's legacy.
"Not at all, it [the bite] didn't tarnish his legacy. When you talk about Tyson, you have to talk about how good he was, the incredible things he did. He was the youngest heavyweight champion then and he still is. He was the youngest heavyweight champion at 20 years old and I was 28 years old, and I had an apprenticeship," Holyfield said.
"Mike and I were in the same group trying to make the Olympic team [in 1984]. I made it, but he didn't. We have someone who could have quit, but he stuck with what he wanted to do and became amazing in the 1980s," he said.
Response from Mike Tyson after biting Evander Holyfield
When Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear during their second match for the WBA World Heavyweight title in 1997, it became one of the most contentious moments in boxing history. Tyson admitted that he bit Holyfield's ear in a recent interview with Jim Gray on Fox News because, in the heat of the moment, he "wanted to kill him."
"I bit him because I wanted to kill him. I was really mad about my head being bumped and everything," Tyson said. "I really lost consciousness of the whole fight. It took me out of my fight plan and everything."
Mike Tyson was irritated by Holyfield's dominance in the opening rounds of the fight and his potential victory if the contest went the distance. When Tyson first bit into Holyfield's ear, he was only docked two points. But a short while later, Tyson bit Holyfield on the other ear and was penalized for it. This allowed the referee to call out the match.
Gray also questioned Mike Tyson about his intentions to never repeat such a despicable deed.