WATCH: When Mike Tyson Bit-Off Evander Holyfield’s Ear in One of the Most Shocking Moments in Sports History

If one has heard anything about boxing, one knows who Mike Tyson is. The former undisputed Heavyweight champion of the world is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers in history.

Every boxer was wary of the sheer obliteration that lay in his wake if he made even one mistake while facing Mike Tyson. ‘Iron’ Mike packed the credibility of a super-strong man with a will to fight to the death, and the desire to achieve it all.

However, that is not the only thing that Mike is famous for. In his prime, Mike displayed quite an aggressive persona. One event that highlighted this behavioral aspect of Mike was his rematch with Evander Holyfield.

The Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield saga

Mike Tyson returned from prison in August 1995. In his comeback fight, he defeated Peter McNeeley to re-establish himself as the ‘baddest man on the planet. he then worked his way up to a fight for the WBC title and beat Frank Bruno to gain the same. Subsequently, he also gained the WBA title after defeating Bruce Seldon in September 1996.

On the other side of the coin, former WBA champion Evander Holyfield was on a comeback trail of his own. The two met an agreement to fight for the WBA title.

Dubbed ‘Finally’, the bout took place in November 1996. Holyfield became the second person at the time to defeat Mike Tyson. After a grueling war, the referee called the bout to a halt in the 11th round, declaring Holyfield the victor via TKO.

However, Tyson’s team opposed the referee’s decision and alleged that Holyfield employed repeated head-butts. The referee stated that the head-butts were accidental, which was something that did not sit well with an angry Mike Tyson.

Tyson vs Holyfield 2- The faithful event

The two met in a rematch on Jun 28, 1997. Tyson came in with the aim to avenge his previous loss at the hands of Holyfield.

Yet, vengeance made him take an ugly turn. Nearing the end of round 3, the referee called a halt to the fight as Mike bit Holyfield’s ear while in a clinch. He deducted two points from his corner, and the fight continued. Nevertheless, Mike had caused significant damage as he bit off a chunk of Holyfield’s ear.

Even though the referee allowed the fight to continue, Mike refused to mend his ways under the influence of the raging fury he felt. He bit at Holyfield’s ear a second time, after which the referee called the fight to a halt. After the fight, the piece of Holyfield’s ear was recovered.

[Source: BoxingNews on YouTube]

The match became the first title fight in heavyweight history to end in disqualification.

And thus, fans witnessed one of the most controversial events in sporting history. Years later, Mike apologized to Holyfield to settle and bury any grudges from the past.

Also read: Will the ‘Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield 3’ Dream Finally Come True?