Tyson Bites Holyfield: Boxing Chaos Erupts

Mike Tyson leaned into a clinch and bit a chunk out of Evander Holyfield’s right ear on live television, producing the most bizarre moment in boxing history and ending his own career as a credible heavyweight contender. The incident occurred during the third round of their WBA Heavyweight Championship rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on June 28, 1997, with more than 16,000 spectators and a pay-per-view audience of nearly two million watching in disbelief. Tyson entered the fight desperate to avenge his loss to Holyfield seven months earlier, a match that had been stopped in the eleventh round after Holyfield dominated with superior boxing skills and relentless head movement. Tyson’s camp had complained that Holyfield used deliberate headbutts throughout the first fight without penalty, and Tyson appeared to stew over the perceived injustice for months. When the rematch began, Holyfield again employed aggressive tactics that kept Tyson off balance. The first bite came two minutes into the third round. After a clinch, Tyson spat out his mouthpiece and bit down on Holyfield’s right ear, tearing off a piece of cartilage roughly one inch long and spitting it onto the canvas. Referee Mills Lane deducted two points but allowed the fight to continue, a decision he later called the biggest mistake of his career. Seconds later, Tyson bit Holyfield’s left ear. Lane stopped the fight and disqualified Tyson, who had to be restrained by security as a near-riot erupted in the arena. The Nevada State Athletic Commission revoked Tyson’s boxing license and fined him $3 million, the maximum allowed. His license was restored after fifteen months, but Tyson never recaptured the devastating form that had made him the youngest heavyweight champion in history at age 20. He fought for another eight years, losing to Lennox Lewis and Danny Williams before retiring in 2005. The ear-biting incident became the defining image of his career’s decline, eclipsing a record that included 44 knockouts in 50 victories.