10 Facts about the Tyson – Holyfield Rivalry

Tyson was defeated by Holyfield photo sourced from Wikimedia commons

10 Facts about the Tyson – Holyfield Rivalry

Fans of heavyweight boxing will never forget the international attention-grabbing rivalry between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson. The seasoned boxers clashed twice, creating several thrilling moments. However, the rivalry came to an unfortunate end because the second battle was declared void.

However, Tyson and Holyfield have reconciled their disputes and are now regarded as close friends. Rocky Marciano’s record for the straightest victories by KO/TKO to begin a career was broken by Tyson with 19, and a few other fighters have since surpassed it.

Their feud led to one of the most interesting rivalries to have ever happened in boxing history. Here are the top 10 facts about the Tyson – Holyfield rivalry.

1. Tyson and Holyfield met while training for the 1984 Summer Olympics

Mike Tyson at the Heavyweight Exhibit at Boxing Hall of Fame photo by Steve Lott – Wikimedia commons

Mike Tyson and Holyfield met while training for the 1984 Summer Olympics when they were both on the “losing squad,” or second-ranked substitutes for their far more highly regarded No. 1 counterparts. However, Holyfield defeated Ricky Womack twice to qualify for the Olympic team, whereas Tyson did not, losing on points to Henry Tillman.

Tyson was 17 years old in 1984, hoping to qualify for the Olympics later that year. Holyfield was 21 years old and had the same ambition as his soon-to-be adversary, but at a slightly lower weight.

2. The pair first clashed in front of just a handful of people

Evander Holyfield vs. Lou Savarese, El Paso, Texas photo by Shelka04 – Wikimedia commons

Before the blockbuster fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield in the late 1990s, where they shared two historic fights, the duo first met in front of only a few spectators. On most occasions, Tyson and Holyfield got along well and even formed an early friendship before their iconic rivalry began in the pro ranks.

However, before the glamorous contests, the pair were involved in two historic occurrences that have now become boxing history. The first was a sparring session, which was cut short in the first round. Because they were competing in different weight classes, they had not shared rounds up until this time.

Nonetheless, the furious young Tyson had floored several partners, so he was in short supply. The two climbed into the ring together, put on their head guards and 16-ounce gloves, and got to work. The session continued to build up until it burst violently and ended abruptly.

3. Holyfield Vs Tyson was postponed twice before they finally met in 1996

Tyson and Holyfield agreed to fight in 1990, but Tyson’s defeat to Buster Douglas disrupted those plans. It was one of the most shocking upsets in sports history.

They agreed to fight again in 1991, but Tyson’s rape conviction in 1992 put the bout on hold indefinitely. After being released from prison in 1995, Tyson went on to win his first four fights before meeting Holyfield in November 1996.

4. Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield was billed as ‘ Finally’

On November 9, 1996, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield battled it out in a professional boxing contest dubbed “Finally” for the WBA heavyweight title.

In this fight, Tyson made his first attempt to retain the WBA championship he had defeated Bruce Seldon for on September 7 of that year.

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5. The first fight between the two was stopped in the 11th round

Tyson had established an undefeated run of eight fights before fighting Evander Holyfield in 1996, having recovered from his first professional setback.

‘Iron’ had also staked his WBA belt and appeared to be the favourite against Holyfield. However, ‘The Real Deal’ defeated his opponent and shattered the odds. The 12-round main event continued until the 11th round when Holyfield stopped Mike Tyson with a TKO and won the WBA title.

Tyson’s defeat was humiliating, and he received a lot of flak for it. But he got back up and challenged Holyfield for his lost title just a few months later.

6. Tyson and Holyfield faced each other twice in one year

Photo by Johann Walter Bantz on Unsplash

On Nov. 9, 1996, boxers Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield pounded each other with punches for the first time in a battle marketed with the tagline “Finally” during its marketing. It was a fight that had been planned since 1990.

And after Holyfield pulled off one of the sport’s most shocking upsets, a rematch was inevitable. The rematch took place on June 28, 1997.

7. Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear in their rematch

The rematch appeared much more heinous, as it ended abruptly owing to some unforeseen activities. Following a major defeat, Tyson entered the ring with zeal and spent no time unleashing all of his rages.

It may have been a competitive battle, but Tyson quickly began breaching rules. He bit off Holyfield’s ear and, despite being warned, did the same thing in a far worse fashion. Tyson bit off a portion of Holyfield’s ear in round 3, and the fight was called a draw for Evander The Real Deal Holyfield.

The iconic ‘ear-bite’ fight went down in history as one of the sport’s most talked-about incidents.

8. Holyfield-Tyson II was the highest-grossing PPV in 1997

Holyfield-Tyson II was the highest-grossing PPV (1.99 million buys) and the first to exceed the $100 million revenue threshold in 1997. Holyfield was one of three competitors Tyson would meet many times, the others being Donovan Ruddock and Frank Bruno.

Tyson won 2-0 against Bruno and Ruddock but lost 0-2 to Holyfield. Holyfield vs. Tyson 2 was booked as the “Sound and the Fury” for May 3, 1997, but Tyson suffered a cut over his left eye in training that postponed the fight until June 28 that year.

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9. Ring Magazine called the 1997 rematch “Event of the Year”

Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II billed as the Sound and Fury and afterwards dubbed “The Bite Fight,” was a professional boxing match held on June 28, 1997, between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson for the WBA Heavyweight Championship.

After Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield’s ear, the battle became known as one of the wildest in boxing history. The 1997 rematch was selected “Event of the Year” by Ring Magazine.

10. Tyson and Holyfield were set out for a trilogy in 2021

Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield 3, the highly anticipated trilogy match, was set for May 29, 2021, in Miami. However, Holyfield’s management claims that they attempted to broker a deal in which Tyson would receive a guaranteed $25 million for the fight, but Mike turned it down, bringing the trilogy to a halt.