Holyfield Evander - The bite fight : Tyson, Holyfield, and the night that changed boxing forever

To my wife, Teresa, thank you for your love and support.
To my daughter, Taylor, you are the joy of my life.

A boxing match is like a cowboy movie. Theres got to be good guys and theres got to be bad guys. And thats what people pay forto see the bad guys get beat.

Sonny Liston

Contents

Foreword by Mike Tyson

T o have come from where I was on June 28, 1997 , to where I am now, I am only here because of the love and support I had from family and friends, in spite of believing I deserved it. There are many things I am grateful for. However, there are many things that I look back on with regret. The notorious ear-biting incident that would become the pun of my life is one of those moments. I am sincerely appreciative that I had an opportunity to make amends for my actions and that Evander Holyfield was gracious enough to forgive me. I have a great deal of respect for him and am glad our legacy as human beings doesnt have to be defined by this one disastrous moment.

When I look back on my second fight with Evander, I still cant believe that I bit his ear. I mean, what was I thinking?

I wasnt. I just reactedand badly at that. The world would never look at me the same.

When people called me the Baddest Man on the Planet it was a role I embraced that I thought I deserved because I worked hard to portray that image. I was taught by Cus to believe I was the Baddest Man on the Planet. My every waking moment was focused on being the best and believing I was the best. A lot of people didnt like my persona. They thought I was arrogant. I mastered the art of manipulation and intimidation. This is what being Mike Tyson was all about. I was the greatest actor to ever enter the ring.

The first time I met Evander Holyfield had to have been about 1983 when we were in the amateurs. We heard about somebody beating Ricky Womack. We thought that was incredible because Ricky Womack was a great fighter. We wondered, Who is this Evander Holyfield guy?

Then when we met him he was such a country guy. But you could tell he was a good man. Bible-belt type of guy.

If we could have fought earlier in our careers as professionals, I think I would have done better. The first fight in 1990 got canceled. But to be honest, my mind was so messed up I dont think I really would have done well. I was dealing with a great deal of emotional turmoil, and at that time I didnt have the tools or maturity to handle lifes blows constructively.

When I learned about the death of Hector Macho Camacho I thought that could easily be me if I had not made some life-changing decisions. Im very blessed that I now have the opportunity to have another chance at a decent life. I am a happily married man, striving every day to be a better father and a better person all around. I have an amazing support team of people around me now and I try to circumvent negative outcomes by staying away from dark people and places. Im working on not allowing my past to define me as the person I am today. Some days are harder than others, but I am constantly working on myself and working towards being the kind of person that makes my family prouda good guy doing good things.

Doing my one-man show, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, has been a great blessing. I have allowed myself to open up about the ups and downs in my life and have given people an impactful look into what they thought they knew about me. My story is about victories and triumphs, mistakes and heartbreak. Its about owning up to what you do and never accepting being labeled something youre not. Through this journey into self-analysis, I am learning. I like who I am these days and because of it I believe it makes me more likeable to others.

My continuous life assignment now is remembering gratitude and to live my life with dignity and being a good role model to my children. I am now in a place in my life where I recognize my mortality quickly approaching and want to be of service. I want to help underprivileged children and give them hope.

Thats why I am dedicated to building my foundation, Mike Tyson Cares. Its something Ive embarked on because I believe that everyone should have hope, even if their situation appears hopeless. I owe these kids an opportunity because someone gave me one and Id be nowhere if someone didnt believe in me. Cus DAmato believed in me when I didnt believe in myself and he made me believe that I had a purpose and could live out my dream. If only he had told me to be careful what I wished for. But, I realize, I am not defined by my mistakes. My legacy doesnt have to be defined by them either. I choose to continue growing as a human being and helping make childrens lives better.

Mike Tyson

www.MikeTysonCares.org

1. Third Times the Charm

I ts the fans that make a big fight. They hype it up with their words and finance it with their dollars; they make it glitter with their wardrobes and their own unique style. They debate who will win and they defend their reasons why. They are passionate almost to a fault, understanding the ultimate thrill is to see their warrior render his opponent unconscious. Blood and bruises are expected, if not applauded. That is the essence of the Sweet Science.

It doesnt matter if youre filthy rich or weekend rich, being part of a highly anticipated boxing event can be an orgasmic experience, especially when the coveted world heavyweight championship is on the line.

The Grand Garden Arena at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas has become the premiere destination for such events. Since opening on December , 1993 , it has been host to concerts, award shows, tractor pulls, and beauty pageants. But in terms of sheer anticipation, excitement, and energy, nothing had come close to the excitement that filled the building on November 9, 1996.

Close to 17,000 peoplesome covered in jewels, some wearing jeanswere all out of their seats standing and cheering as Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield traded punches in the center of a boxing ring. For nine intense rounds, Holyfield, a huge underdog despite being a former heavyweight champion, more than held his own against the heavily favored Tyson, who was defending his WBA heavyweight championship. Tyson thought Holyfield would be easy work, but he was proving to be exactly what his nickname suggested: the Real Deal.

The harder Tyson punched, the harder Holyfield punched back. Thats why the crowd was standing. The roars that filled the arena were deafening.

At this point in his life, Tyson had already earned a fortune, lost a fortune, and was now in the process of doing it all over again with little concern about who he faced in the ring. Holyfield was supposed to be another quick payday, a means to collect more cash to spend on houses, cars, women, and jewels. Im going to make $30 million Saturday night and sign for another $30 million on Monday, Tyson boasted during the press conference days before the fight.

This first fight between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson had been years in the making. It had been six years since their first fight was canceled and 12 years since they had turned pro. Tyson was originally a 25:1 favorite when the fight was announced, but only a 6:1 favorite when the bell rang to open the first round. Holyfield, a two-time heavyweight champion, was viewed as washed up after three wars with Riddick Bowe and a lackluster showing against the former cruiserweight champion, Bobby Czyz.

But instead of dominating Holyfield as many thought, Tyson was getting battered by the underdog. By the end of the ninth round, Tyson was cut over his left eye and his body and ego were being badly bruised by the determined Holyfield, who was expertly executing a simple game plan. When he hits me, Im going to hit him back, Holyfield had said.