Evander Holyfield Vs Mike Tyson Recap – Boxing Lines

Although Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson fought just two times, their rivalry will go down as one of the most important in boxing history. By the time Holyfield and Tyson fought, the year was 1996. To understand how important the Holyfield versus Tyson rivalry was, it’s important to know why the rivalry came about. Check out what led up to the two fighters providing fireworks in and out of the ring so you can keep on making your bets against their Mike Tyson Odds.

Evander Holyfield Vs Mike Tyson Rivalry

The 1984 Olympics – Holyfield wins bronze while Iron Mike doesn’t make the team

The rivalry began in the 1984 Olympics. Both men believed that beating the other would be a defining moment in their careers. They knew each other during the 1984 Olympics as both fought on the second team with Holyfield managing to beat Ricky Womack two times to qualify for the first team.

Tyson lost to Henry Tillman during qualifying. Mike knocked Tillman down in the first round of their three round amateur battle, but Henry won the second and third rounds. Tyson felt he got robbed from fighting at the 1984 Olympics because of the first-round knockdown. 

When both fighters had immediate success in their professional careers, they became instant rivals. Holyfield had won the cruiserweight championship over tough Muhammed Qawi. Mike Tyson dominated the heavyweight division. 

Holyfield knew that to become one of the greats, he had to move up in class to heavyweight. He also knew that he had to beat the Baddest Man on the Planet.

Tyson Vs Holyfield – I

Holyfield moved up to heavyweight 1988. The Real Deal fought well enough to became the number one ranked contender. Tyson scheduled a tune-up bout against Buster Douglas for 1990 with the goal to fight Evander later that year. 

Iron Mike was going to beat Douglas in February and then take on Holyfield that october. Evander attended the bout in hopes of an interview about how was excited to fight Tyson next. Douglas knocked Tyson out, though, in one of the greatest upsets in sports history. 

That ended any talk of a Tyson – Holyfield fight in 1990. Instead, Douglas fought Holyfield on October 1990. After easily beating Buster, Evander turned his sights on Tyson. Mike and Holyfield signed a deal to fight on November 18, 1991.

Before the fight happened, Mike got injured and had to spend time in jail. In 1994, after his prison release, Tyson worked his way back into the heavyweight rankings. He beat Oliver McCall, who had bested Lennox Lewis, and then destroyed Frank Bruno for the WBA Heavyweight Championship.

Although Evander was just the #2 ranked contender, Tyson gave Holyfield the match. It happened on November 6, 1996.

Iron Mike looked good early, but the Real Deal took the fight over in the middle rounds. By the tenth, Tyson was beat. After a couple of devastating rights, Tyson fell backward and against the ropes. Referee Richard Halpern ended the fight after Holyfield started teeing off on Iron Mike, landing power punch after power punch.

Tyson Vs Holyfield II

Most everyone knows what happened in the second fight. Tyson believed Holyfield led with his head. After watching a replay of the bout, it’s difficult to argue against Mike. In the second round, Holyfield ducked and moved in with his head. That caused a small cut under Tyson’s left eye.

After continually complaining to referee Mills Lane, Tyson took matters into his own hands. He bit a piece of Evander’s ear off in the fourth-round. Lane disqualified Tyson. 

The Aftermath

Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield fought 20 times after the Tyson biting incident. Evander won 10, lost 7 times, had a couple of draws, and a no-contest in those 20 fights. Holyfield’s last bout was on May 7, 2011. The Real Deal beat Brian Nielsen via 10th round TKO.  

After the ear incident, Iron Mike fought 10 more times. He had 5 wins, 3 losses, and 2 no-contests. Tyson battles Roy Jones Jr. in an eighth round exhibition fight on Nov. 28. That’s the first time Tyson has stepped into the ring since a loss to Kevin McBride on June 11, 2005.

Iron Mike is a much different person than he was when he bit off part of Evander’s ear. On Nov. 28, expect Tyson to fight hard, but to put on more of a show than try to actually win the fight. Vampire Tyson figures to take a backward step to former Boxing Greate Tyson.

Mike Tyson Vs Roy Jones Jr. – Frontline Battle Stats

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