EVANDER HOLYFIELD revealed he wanted to bite Mike Tyson’s cheek in retaliation to having a chunk of his ear ripped off during their 1997 rematch.
Holyfield outboxed and stopped Iron Mike in 1996 to win the WBA title but their second fight a year later was remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Evander Holyfield revealed he wanted to bite Mike Tyson’s cheek in retaliation to having a chunk of his ear ripped off during their 1997 rematch
The rematch is infamously known as the ‘Bite Fight’ after Tyson was disqualified for twice biting the champion’s ear in just three rounds.
And now Holyfield has admitted he wanted to bite back, but the words of his coaches and grandmother prevented him from doing so – which he believes saved boxing’s integrity.
He told DAZN: “I remember just how mad and upset I was. I realised that I was going to bite him back.
“But though a part of me knew I wanted to bite him back, my corner guy, Tim Hallmark, his papa had told us in the match, ‘This guy’s going to do something to you’ and for me not to lose my cool and all that.
“I told my trainer Tim Hallmark to remind me if that does happen.
“He kept telling me, ‘Keep your mind on the Lord’ but I wanted to bite him back.
“All of a sudden it came across my mind what my grandmother said – ‘They always catch the person that do it the second time’ – and so I decided not to bite him back and he bit me again!
“Then we stop the fight and all that, but when all is said and done I did the right thing. I actually think it saved boxing.
“I truly believe if I did what I wanted to do because I wanted to bite him right in the face like this [pointing to his cheek].
“I told Mike that and he said ‘You really was?’ I said: ‘I was!’
“But I thought about it and then I thought about what would happen to the game of boxing, with the two best fighters biting each other, goring each other; the game might be over, we wouldn’t be talking about the game now.”
Tyson, 53, and Holyfield, 57, have since made up, even starring in a commercial together while they also sat ringside with each other in February as Tyson Fury beat Deontay Wilder.
But they could be on the verge of completing a remarkable trilogy after the heavyweight legends announced plans to make comebacks to raise money for charity.
Both have returned to training, as Tyson said his opponent could be revealed this week with contract negotiations nearing completion.
Holyfield and Tyson have remained friends since they two fights
Mike Tyson shows off shredded physique aged 53 in gym workout with MMA legend Vitor Belfort ahead of boxing return
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
