Mike Tyson, once boxing's most feared heavyweight, has taken a swipe at Evander Holyfield's tough-guy image. In a past interview, Tyson questioned the warrior spirit of his former rival, bringing up their infamous fights.
Tyson burst onto the boxing scene in 1985 and quickly made his mark. He grabbed his first world title in 1986, knocking out Trevor Berbick in the second round to become WBC heavyweight champion at just 20 years old. By 21, he'd unified the WBC, WBA, and IBF belts, cementing his place as the undisputed heavyweight king.
But Tyson's reign hit a major snag when he faced Evander Holyfield. The two-weight undisputed champ proved to be Tyson's kryptonite, beating him twice. Their first clash in 1996 saw Holyfield stop Tyson in the penultimate round, snatching away his WBA heavyweight title.
Their rematch in 1997 turned into one of boxing's most notorious moments. In the third round, Tyson appeared to bite Holyfield's ear, leading referee Mills Lane to disqualify him. This incident earned the fight its infamous nickname: "The Bite Fight."
In a past interview, Tyson shared his side of the story:
"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."
Tyson didn't stop there. He went on to question Holyfield's toughness:
"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."
These comments show Tyson's lingering frustration over the fights, even years later. He seems to suggest that Holyfield exaggerated the impact of the bite, implying he wasn't as tough as his reputation suggests.
The "Bite Fight" remains one of boxing's most talked-about moments, a stark contrast to the technical brilliance that made both men champions. Tyson's comments add another layer to this complex rivalry, showing that even decades later, the emotions from those fights still run deep.
