SUMMARY
- Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield 2 took place in June 1997.
- In the notorious clash, Tyson bit off Holyfield's ear.
Mike Tyson is one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. One of boxing’s most chaotic and controversial figures, Mike captivated audiences with his deeds inside and outside the squared ring. As such, it has produced some moments that are still talked about to this day.
For those unaware, ‘Iron Mike’ is deemed as one of the most dangerous men on the planet owing to his furious knockouts over innumerable opponents. Despite standing at 5 feet 10 in, Mike Tyson was one of the most intimidating forces inside a boxing ring, especially during his heyday. Notably, he also reigned as an undisputed champion from 1987 to 1990, which gave way to his moniker, “The Baddest Man on the Planet”.
That said, during his professional career with 50 wins, 6 losses, and 2 no contests, Mike Tyson had some wild encounters. Among them was his showdown with Evander Holyfield. With Tyson suffering a shock loss in their first meeting, the second fight was marred with controversial actions from both fighters. However, it was Tyson’s moment of madness that has gone down in the history books.
Mike Tyson’s controversial move overshadowed Evander Holyfield’s alleged illegal punches
Previously, Mike Tyson put his WBA heavyweight title on the line against 34-year-old Evander Holyfield on Nov 9, 1996. With many, including the commentators siding with the younger Tyson for the fight, it was an upset for the ages when Holyfield handed him his second career loss, owing to a TKO in Round 11. Naturally, Mike wanted an immediate rematch and got his wish in June of 1997.
Following the first fight, Tyson and his camp complained of Holyfield headbutting throughout the fight. However, when he tried to do the same in the second fight, Mike Tyson chose to fight on. Seeing that Mike would need to get on the inside to do damage, Evander Holyfield would often charge out with his head at Tyson. Notably, this also resulted in a massive cut near his eye. Not only that but the older Holyfield was also guilty of innumerous low blows.
Despite being the bigger man, Evander Holyfield kept punching down, despite the referee’s calls. After a certain point, Mike Tyson took matters into his own hands and bit on Holyfield’s ears. Eventually, Mike took one bite too many, spitting out a sizeable chunk of his opponent’s ear on the canvas. Immediately, he was disqualified and handed the loss. Looking back, many people have since sided with Iron Mike, understanding what drove him to take such serious action.
Mike Tyson has since Apologized to Evander Holyfield for biting his ear
For the most part, Mike Tyson harbored a lot of ill will against Evander Holyfield owing to how things transpired between them. Despite Holyfield’s actions, it was Tyson who was publicly scrutinized and disgraced for his actions. Eventually, however, he was able to move forward with his career and continued on his onslaught of every heavyweight in his path.
Over the years, Mike Tyson was able to genuinely find it in himself to apologies to Holyfield for his actions. Over the years, the two appeared alongside each other for numerous interviews as well. Speaking in an interview on Oprah Winfrey’s show, Mike said:
“This is a beautiful guy, me and this guy both come from basically the sewer. We watched each other grow to become established and esteemed fighters you know what I mean? And I just want you to know it’s been a pleasure passing through life being acquainted with you.”
Following an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. in 2021, the possibility of a fight against his former foe was explored. However, due to Holyfield suffering a brutal loss to Vitor Belfort, the fight never transpired.
That said, in 2022, the two boxers decided to use the moment that bound their names together and teamed up to release new cannabis edibles, called ‘Holy Ears’. Stating that he would never have bitten Holyfield’s ear off if he was on cannabis, Mike Tyson utilized the incident in a way that benefited both of them. Thus, despite their rivalry, all’s well that ends well.