Mike Tyson has had an illustrious boxing career. One of the most infamous instances in his professional career was when he bit off Evander Holyfield‘s ear. The incident took place on June 28, 1997, during their rematch. In the first bout, Holyfield handed Tyson his second defeat during the 11th round of their contest. And in the second fight, Holyfield remained the victor but in a distinct fashion.
The rematch, “The Sound and the Fury,” involved stakes of the highest level. During the bout, Holyfield seemingly and reportedly landed several accidental head butts on Tyson. However, the same went unnoticed by the referee, Mills Lane. After a few head butts, Tyson lost his temper and took the unprecedented action of biting his opponent’s ear off. Decades later, this moment remains a fond moment in many people’s minds. In a resurfaced clip, the fans take a look back at the incident and Tyson’s admission of his actions.
Mike Tyson justified biting off Evander Holyfield’s ear during their bout
After Tyson bit off Holyfield’s ear, referee, Mills Lane deducted 2 points from Tyson. However, the debacle took place after Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear again, but in the second instance, Lane rather than deducting any points, called the fight and Holyfield was announced the victor via disqualification. Post the bout and brawl that transpired, Tyson was furious and not apologetic. Instead, he justified biting Holyfield’s ear after taking several head butts.
The resurfaced interview was posted by @miketyson.motivation on Instagram. In the interview, Tyson justifies by stating, “He’s been butting me for 2 fights. I did address it. No I did address it, I addressed it in the ring.”
While pointing at his injury from the head butts, he adds, “Look at me, I gotta go home and my kids are gonna be scared of me.” This instance captivated the public for decades and even 25 years later including Holyfield. In an interview, Holyfield revealed an unknown “secret” about his fight with Tyson.
Did Evander forgive Tyson for etching a mark on his ear?
Despite being rivals and igniting a brawl after one of their bouts— both combatants share mutual respect.
In an interview, Holyfield revealed that he shares a friendly bond with the ‘Baddest Man On The Plant.” He stated, “They always ask me, I say look man, Mike and I have always been friends. I said I don’t know why boxing had to make y’all feel like y’all had to be enemy. I said I never been his enemy. I said he’s always been good to me.”