Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield II - Full Fight - 6-28-1997

Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield II - Full Fight - 6-28-1997

Bout Summary:

Tyson was rocked in the first round by a right. In the second round, Tyson threw a right as Holyfield was starting to throw a left hook. As Tyson leaned into the punch and Holyfield ducked it, their heads came together and opened a cut over Tyson's right eye. Referee Mills Lane called time and informed ringside officials that the cut was caused by a headbutt. After losing the first two rounds on all three official scorecards, Tyson was doing better in the third, catching Holyfield with a couple of good rights. But in the final minute of the round, while the two were tied up, Tyson bit a chunk out of Holyfield's right ear. Holyfield stepped back and jumped in the air, twirling around. Tyson then walked up behind Holyfield and pushed him into the ropes. Lane stopped the action and deducted two points from Tyson, who told Lane that the damage to Holyfield's ear was caused by a punch. "Bullshit!" Lane replied. When the action resumed, Tyson bit Holyfield's left ear. At the end of the round, when Lane saw the bite mark on Holyfield's left ear, he disqualified Tyson. In a post-fight interview with Jim Gray, Tyson claimed that the headbutts were intentional by Holyfield, and the bites were retaliation.

Match Date: Jume 28, 1996

[thebigbroeyjoey]

Half a dozen headbutts and just as many low blows in 3 rounds. If that happened to me without a ref doing anything about it I might bite an ear too

[the_bro_show]

Out of all things I get from this mills lane class act

[treyj]

I was 7 years old and this shit was incredible

[chriscastillo]

I get Tysons frustration, the first bite came after yet another head butt. Evander turned into what Hopkins did most of his career, relied on ramming his head upside his opponents during any clinch. Shame Mike didn’t have better trainer, someone like Floyd Sr who taught his kid to combat that by (also illegal, but allowed a lot) using his elbows against his opponents face anytime they tried pulling the clinch inward to hit w/their heads and shoulders (another one of Hopkins go-to)

[stacblocjosh]

Oh he didn’t forget his mouthpiece cuz he was anxious..

[marxsparrow]

Headbutt and hugging tactics will really pissed your opponent.

[AUTHENTIKL]

Had me thinking my dawg Tyson was crazy for biting 😂😂he was just fighting 🔥 with 🔥

[simonphoenix]

damn so many low blows and the ref didn't say a word... kind of explains why he bit his ear.

[ChristopherHedum-jseg]

Legend has it Tyson is still biting Holyfields ear...

[kcdydsq]

Man I will and always have supported mike Tyson he's an absolute giant of the sport 2nd greatest behind Muhammad Ali

[AtiCrossfireX]

Not only Mike bit Evander's ear but. then he pushes him lol.

[SelfRighteousNewAgeLightWorker]

I was almost 17 when this fight happened. 😄 I had a friend who had this fight poster on his bedroom wall… he was so disappointed in what happened that he promised to tear it down. 🤭

Evander used his own set of dirty tricks, though. His low blows and sneaky headbutts weren't cool. It's all in the past now, and I'm glad that they've become friends. 🤩

[FendiGarcon]

DAMN SHAME bc Mike was winning the 3rd!! Cmon Mike!! 😔😩

[FendiGarcon]

He needed that jab in his arsenal so bad.

[maryhough]

Dude, I’m all for flawed hero’s, but the Tyson apologists in the comments have me confused. Number one, Tyson was a wild boy, everyone knows this. Second, headbutting and low blows (from what I’ve heard) were let go a lot by a ton of refs. So much so that they had tactics on how to use your elbows to get out of that very situation. Teeth is taking it to the next level, that’s not tactical it’s straight vicious violence. I don’t think it was a mistake that Mike forgot his mouth guard, but that’s just speculation. The ref even let it go the first time! Yeah he was pointed for it, but if Mike was such a good fighter, he woulda been able to fight his way back up. Maybe don’t take it out on the ref and just be mad that Mike let his emotions get the best of him that day.

[tazzjamal]

in the first 30 secs a headbutt and low blow

[m.scottreeder]

Tyson was fined $3, 000, 000 for this ear-nibbling incident, and the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended his right to box in that state.
Meaning: No future big-money fights in Las Vegas.

[anibalbarca]

Man I would have bit his ear as well, so fucking frustrating the constant clinching and punches in between. Also wtf with the referee, was he blind? why he didn't say anything to Evander? Idk why do they allow the hugging, even nowadays. For me it makes boxing unwatchable tbh

[AnthonyTucker-slzj]

Understand Mike Tyson was locked in a CAGE for FOUR years, unable to properly train, and had only fought a few ROUNDS in the ring before their first bout!! Yeah Ali was out of boxing for four years also, but he wasn't prohibited from TRAINING!! Simpletons ASSUME Mike was allowed to train while UNJUSTLY incarcerated, but Mike said:"Look, I was the neighborhood community center;I wasn't ALLOWED to properly train!!" Mike was"rusty"as hell, in their first fight, but he was close to knocking Evander OUT in this match, before he was forced to bite his ear, in retaliation for relentless head-butts!!

[dindunuphenwong]

"disgusting tactics by Mike Tyson" lol I'm not even a fan of violent sports but I could clearly see the obviously ignored low blows and headbutts by Holyfield multiple times