Why Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear

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Full episode: Mike Tyson puts boxing to shame

It may be the most infamous boxing match of all time, if not one of the most infamous moments in sports. In this full episode of LiveNOW & Then, we look back at how the media covered Mike Tyson before and after he took a bite out of Evander Holyfield’s ear in 1997.

One of the most anticipated fights in boxing, featuring two of the biggest names in the sport, became one of the most infamous moments in the ring.

Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield fought on June 28, 1997 in Las Vegas, a rematch of their fight a year earlier when Holyfield defeated Tyson to win the WBA heavyweight title in 11 rounds.

Tyson tried to avenge his loss to Holyfield in 1996, but during the third round of the rematch, Tyson bit part of Holyfield’s ear, spat it out and bit his ear again.

RELATED: The Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight has been rescheduled for November 15

The fight was stopped and referee Mills Lane disqualified Tyson. A melee ensued in the ring as police tried to separate the two fighters and members of their camps.

Holyfield was taken to an area hospital for treatment. The shocking moment became one of the most controversial incidents in sports history.

What led to the ear-biting incident?

File: Referee Mills Lane stops the fight in the third round as Evander Holyfield (R) holds his ear as Mike Tyson (L) looks on June 28, 1997 during their WBA heavyweight championship fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (JEFF HAYNES

In the early rounds of the fight, Mike Tyson complained about several head blows from Evander Holyfield, which were judged haphazardly by Lane.

Holyfield headbutted Tyson again in the second round of the fight, but the referee Mill Lane also convicted the contact for an accident.

Tyson came out for the third round without his mouthpiece, but Lane ordered him to put it back on. Moments later, Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear.

“What am I going to do? This is my career. I can’t keep getting stabbed like that. I have kids to raise and this guy keeps “hitting me and trying to cut me. I have to retaliate,” Tyson said in a post-fight interview.

Was Tyson punished for ear biting?

In the aftermath of the fight, the Nevada Boxing Commission held a hearing and fined Mike Tyson $3 million and imposed a one-year ban and forfeited his boxing license, which was eventually reinstated. Tyson later apologized to Holyfield for the incident.

What did Holyfield say about the bite?

Speaking about the controversial moment in the ring, Holyfield later told a reporter: “Well, I accepted his apology, but when you look at it, is the person sincere? Only time will tell, too. But I don’t think so, whether a person apologizes or not, the (Nevada Boxing) Commission still has to do their job.”

Years after the ear-splitting incident, Tyson and Holyfield made amends and even went into business together selling cannabis edibles commemorating their 1997 fight.

From 2022: Mike Tyson talks about the latest cannabis product

Boxing icon Mike Tyson and Adam Wilks, CEO of Tyson 2.0, talk to Chris Williams of FOX Television Stations about their latest product: ear-shaped cannabis gummies.

The two champions launched “Holy ears,” a THC and Delta-8 THC infused edible shaped like bitten ears launched in November 2022 through “TYSON 2.0”, the boxer’s cannabis company.

Mike Tyson – Jake Paul fight

The 58-year-old former heavyweight champion returns to the ring to fight Jake Paul next Friday, Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in a match that airs on Netflix.

RELATED: Mike Tyson on age concerns ahead of Jake Paul fight: ‘I’m a different species’

Jake Paul-Mike Tyson on the upcoming fight

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson face each other in the ring on Friday in Arlington. FOX 4’s Mike Doocy and Sam Gannon got a chance to chat with both fighters about the fight, their age difference and what to expect.

Tyson is 31 years older than Paul, but told that FOX 4 in Dallas in October, don’t compare him to others his age.

“Other people my age haven’t trained as long as me, been as consistent as me, and I’m just a different kind of person,” Tyson told FOX 4 reporter Mike Doocy.