Why did Mike Tyson bite Evander Holyfield? Former heavyweight champion recalls the infamous incident
On June 28th, 1997 Mike Tyson was disqualified for biting Evander Holyfield's ear in their much-anticipated rematch. Holyfield had been dominating Tyson for three rounds which led to Mike Tyson being frustrated and hence taking the shocking step to bite Holyfield. Mike Tyson infamously removed a chunk of Holyfield’s ear in the process.
The moment, while memorable, is considered as one of the darkest days in the sport of professional boxing.
While the two boxers have since reconciled, they are far from being the best of friends.
Mike Tyson had lost his WBA heavyweight title to Holyfield in the November of 1996. ‘The real deal’ utilized his boxing acumen and took advantage of a visibly deteriorating Mike Tyson to win via TKO in the 11th round of a scheduled 12.
Therefore, the rematch was seen as an opportunity for ‘Iron’ Mike to get his belt back.
Tyson had only lost to Buster Douglas before facing Holyfield and therefore the fight result came as a huge upset for many analysts.
Evander Holyfield had already seen three losses in his professional boxing career before squaring off against Tyson.
Mike Tyson recently made his return to the boxing ring against Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition match with special rules. He looked sharp and while there was no official winner announced, boxing fans across the world were of the consensus that Mike Tyson would have won the fight if there was to be a winner.
What’s next for Mike Tyson?
After the success of his bout against Jones Jr., Mike Tyson stated that he plans on continuing to fight in exhibition bouts.
His long time nemesis Evander Holyfield is one of many who have shown interest in fighting Mike Tyson.
Roy Jones Jr. too expressed an interest in a rematch. Youtuber Jake Paul is another name associated with Mike Tyson's next boxing outing. Incidentally, Jake’s brother Logan is scheduled to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. in February of 2021.
Jake Paul also served as the co-main eventer for Mike Tyson’s return bout. He took on former NBA star Nate Robinson and won the fight via a vicious KO in the second round.
Irrespective of who his next opponent is, Mike Tyson will surely attract eyeballs and continue making record PPV sales.
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