Mike Tyson may not regret biting Evander Holyfield’s ear as much as people once thought.
On June 28, 1997, Tyson battled Holyfield in a rematch from the year before, where Holyfield knocked out “Iron Mike” to become WBA Heavyweight champion.
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The rematch was highly anticipated, but nobody could have expected that Tyson would bite the ear of Holyfield in the third round, getting disqualified in the process.
That act of violence is one of the most shocking things ever to occur in a boxing ring, although Tyson has admitted that he’d do it again if he could.
Mike Tyson admitted he would ‘probably’ still bite Evander Holyfield if he could redo their fight
While Tyson has apologised profusely for chomping down on Holyfield in their infamous fight, he admitted in a 2017 interview that he’d likely still bite him if they redid the fight.
Speaking with Steiner Sports on the 20th anniversary of the bout, Tyson revealed that Holyfield was “bumping my head” and “kicking my a–” so much that he could do nothing but bite him.
He did apologise to the crowd after making the statement, who laughed at the former champion’s honesty.
“Yeah, I’d probably do the same thing, ’cause he was really kicking my a–. Bumping my head and stuff.
“So yeah, I think I will do the thing. Yeah, I will. I’m sorry, guys, but I am kind of redeeming myself.”
The bite cost Mike Tyson the biggest fine in boxing history
The bite has gone down in history for a multitude of reasons, including Tyson’s punishment for the barbaric act.
The all-time great Heavyweight champion had his boxing licence revoked indefinitely, which saw him kept out of the ring for less than two years.
Mike Tyson paid 10 percent of his fight earnings, the maximum allowed
However, Tyson was also fined $3 million for biting Holyfield’s ear, just days after the event.
Nevada State Athletic Commission ordered Tyson to pay 10% of his $30 million earnings for the fight, the most they were legally allowed to pay according to the Los Angeles Times.
This was significantly higher than Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s $900,000 fine in 2012 and remains the biggest fine in boxing history.
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