Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield are edging closer to a shock trilogy exhibition bout that will see the two former heavyweights revisit an old rivalry. Following a controversial end to the first meeting that saw Iron Mike win by TKO, the pair went head-to-head once again in 1997 in a rematch billed as “the Sound and the Fury”.
Yet that would soon change after the contest which erupted into chaos and saw Tyson disqualified for biting Holyfield’s ear.
Tensions boiled in the second when Holyfield ducked under a right hand from Tyson and accidentally head-butted his opponent.
The Baddest Man on the Planet was cut from the clash just above his right eye as Tyson saw red.
He was already furious with Holyfield’s physical approach from the first fight, where he filed complaints to the referee about the use of his head.
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In the third as the two fighters were embracing, Tyson bit down on Holyfield’s ear and spat it out onto the canvas.
Holyfield was rightfully aggrieved and in clear pain, as the referee called time out to piece together what had just occurred.
Referee Mills Lane was ready to immediately disqualify Tyson but decided to allow the fight to continue before a second bite later ended the contest.
Tyson then went on a rampage towards Holyfield and his corner as security were forced to step in and intervene.
Once Tyson had finally calmed down, when Holyfield had left the ring, he then gave one of the craziest interviews the sport has ever seen…
“He butted me in the first round, but then he butted me again in the second round.
“As soon as he butted me I watched him, he looked right at me and he kept going for it, coming down and coming up and charging into me.
“Nobody warned him or took any points away from him, what am I to do? This is my career, I ain’t gunna keep on getting butted like that.
“I got chilled in the ring, this guy keeps butting me and trying to cut me and I gotta retaliate.”
When asked what he told the referee, Tyson added: “I don’t remember what I said at the time but I told him ‘he butt me’.
“I complained about it in the first fight. Listen, Holyfield isn’t the tough warrior that he says he is!
“I got one eye! He’s not impaired, he’s got ears. I got one eye, if he takes one I got another one. I was ready to fight, he didn’t wanna fight but I’m ready to fight right now.
When asked to justify the bite, Tyson became triggered: “Regardless of what I did, he’s been head-butting me for two fights.
“I addressed it in the ring. Look at me (gesturing towards the cut above his eye) I gotta go home to my kid who’s gonna be scared of me look at me man.”
Tyson was then led away by promoter Don King…
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