Evander Holyfield was one of the greatest fighters that the sport of boxing has ever produced. In the 80’s and the 90’s he dominated the professional boxing scene, becoming the undisputed champion in the “three belt era” in two weight classes — cruiserweight and heavyweight. The four-time world heavyweight champion had faced the likes of elite champions like George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Buster Douglas, and Mike Tyson, with only Bowe and Lewis being the only greats to have defeated “The Real Deal” in his prime.

Safe to say, he never shied away from a challenge and was willing to fight anybody worth their salt in the sport. Having a fearless boxer like him in the business nowadays is very rare. He epitomized boxing prowess along with immense courage at a time when the heavyweight division was teeming with absolute killers. One man who is particularly fond of Evander Holyfield is the Hollywood star and former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. In an Instagram reel that Holyfield shared, the bodybuilding great could be seen dishing praise on the ‘The Real Deal’.

Schwarzenegger was in conversation with Viktor Orbán, the Prime Minister of Hungary, whom he met during his visit to Hungary last week. During the visit, Schwarzenegger gifted Orbán a signed boxing glove worn by Evander Holyfield. Waxing lyrical on the retired boxer, the Terminator star explained, “He was one of the greatest fighters.” He quickly received a reply from Orbán, “He was here to see me,” referencing Holyfield’s visit to Hungary in May this year. But Arnold still on his story continued, “Because he beat Tyson.” Holyfield, clearly impressed by this comment, added a clip of him pummeling Mike Tyson during their 1996 fight, before sharing it on his Instagram for his fans.

It was Mike Tyson’s first fight with Holyfield on November 9, 1996, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Tyson, the wrecking ball of the heavyweight division, in his absolute prime, was made to look second-best in the fight. The reel captured the moment when Tyson failed to respond to the barrage of punches thrown by Holyfield in the eleventh round, eventually leading to a stoppage. Evander Holyfield, basking in the glory of being validated by Arnold Schwarzenegger, captioned the post, “@schwarzenegger said it I’m one of the best.”

But the first fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield wasn’t the end of their rivalry. In the rematch, Tyson had to pay an even bigger price.

The ramifications of the infamous bite fight!

Holyfield and Tyson met again for the WBA heavyweight championship on June 28, 1997, at the same arena where their first fight took place. Holyfield dominated the first two rounds, catching Tyson with some big shots. Angered by a headbutt that opened a cut above his eye in the second round, Tyson came out in the third round like a man possessed, launching a furious attack on Holyfield. With forty seconds remaining in the round, Holyfield got Tyson in a clinch, and then the unthinkable happened. Tyson, in a rage, bit off a portion of Holyfield’s ear. He was disqualified moments after and chaos ensued in the squared circle.

“I was just enraged and I wanted to inflict so much pain on him,” Tyson stated years later while recalling the incident to former talk show host Oprah Winfrey. However, in the aftermath, the repercussions were severe as Tyson’s boxing license was temporarily suspended, and the  Nevada State Athletic Commission fined him $3 million plus legal fees. It took more than a year before Tyson was allowed to return to the ring against Frans Botha in 1999.

However, both retired fighters have put the incident behind them, and the due are now good friends and business partners, launching an edible cannabis product in the shape of Holyfield’s ear known as ‘Holy Ears’, using the ‘Bite Fight’ as a marketing tool for their joint business venture.

Nevertheless, what do you think about the rivalry between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield in the 90s? Let us know in the comment section below.