If there’s anything that lives rent-free in Evander Holyfield’s memory, it is the moment his right ear was bit off by his former nemesis, Mike Tyson. More than 25 years later, Holyfield keeps the fiasco alive in his conversations. Sometimes explaining what happened on the night and sometimes talking about what happened after. But now, in a candid interview, he went on to mimic how his former rival bit out his ear.
It was June 28, 1997, and a fuming Mike Tyson entered the ring for the second time against Holyfield. It was the former’s only opportunity to redeem himself from the scathing loss he was given by Holyfield a year ago. While Holyfield maintained his demeanor throughout the night, Tyson’s rage for his opponent was reflected in the rampant fouls he kept throwing. However, the crescendo of the night dawned in the third round when Mike sunk into Holyfield’s right ear, tore a piece of its cartilage, and spit it out in the ring. Instantly, the fight was stopped, and Tyson was disqualified, pushing Holyfield as the victor. Years later, rather than remaining salty about the incident, Holyfield has learned to embrace it with a pinch of salt.
Evander Holyfield takes on the Ear-Biting Fiasco
In a recent conversation with DJ Vlad, ‘The Real Deal’ in his cheeky attitude mimicked the fateful 1997 incident. When the host of the show started describing the incident, the former Heavyweight fighter did not hold himself back. He immediately replicated the way Mike tore a bit of his ear out, and spat it with all the vengeance he had accumulated against Holyfield.
When the host called Tyson’s actions “barbaric and brutal,” Holyfield chimed in. He said, “You know my whole thing is that you know I personally understand that in anything to when it come down to mental stuff or when you trying to get out something, I’m like you know I’m that see that’s the whole big thing is that everybody kind of know a way to get out because somebody already don’t them say you me. I’ll say you don’t do that again you’re out of here.”
In the initial rounds of the fight, ‘Iron Mike’ bit Holyfield’s left ear but caused not much damage. When looked back it seemed like an attempt to intimidate his opponent. But when Holyfield did not budge much, he did what he threatened to do. Decades in the wake of the fiasco, water seems to be under the bridge for both fighters. Today, the two run a business banking on their ‘ear-biting’ episode.
‘Bites’- From Controversy to Business
In 2022, Mike Tyson reunited with his former rival, Holyfield. This unison saw them embark on a business partnership that banked brilliantly on the incident that marked their relationship for years. At that point, Tyson already had a line of his cannabis-infused product called ‘Mike Bites.’ These were edibles shaped like ears with bite marks. However, to mark the 25th anniversary of the eventful night, the two launched the ‘Holy Ears.’
The Tyson-Holyfield bite fiasco goes down in history as one of the most eventful nights for boxing. That night saw the wrath of Mike Tyson and the calm of Evander Holyfield. But today, we see the two collectively moving forward with respect for each other. But deep down, in true boxing enthusiasm, there is always a question that lingers. If Mike Tyson had not bit off Holyfield’s ear that night, and the fight had taken its course, who’d have won? What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.
