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How a shocking moment in a billiard hall convinced boxing legend Evander Holyfield would BEAT Mike Tyson – as the fighters’ furious first showdown is revealed
- Journalist Ron Borges was one of the few who thought Mike Tyson could be beaten
- Tyson first fought Evander Holyfield in 1996 and then lost to ‘Real Deal’ again in 1997
- Back in 1984 training camp, Holyfield Tyson showed he wasn’t easy to intimidate
- Both fighters went on to build elite careers as respected Hall of Fame boxers
- Tyson v Holyfield fight in 1997 known as ‘Bite Fight’ after ‘Iron Mike’ lost his cool
- In chaotic scenes, Tyson bit off part of Holyfield’s ear mid-fight in Las Vegas
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Globally respected boxing journalist Ron Borges has revealed the moment he knew outsider Evander Holyfield was good enough to stun “Iron Mike” Tyson ahead of their first highly anticipated fight in 1996.
The two eventual greats in the ring also had histories stretching back to when Holyfield was 21 and Tyson a teenager.
Speaking on the Boxing Life Stories podcast, American writer Borges, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame this year, pointed out an incident he was aware of in 1984 that influenced his thinking.
Holyfield and Tyson were both in training camp for the LA Olympics, and were both amateur fighters at the time.
“One night they were all playing pool at the Olympic Training Center and it was one of those deals where you gave up the table if you lost,” Borges recalls.
Many boxing experts thought Mike Tyson was unbeatable prior to his 1996 fight against Evander Holyfield – they were wrong
Holyfield was a huge outsider but stunned Tyson to win in the 11th round, which shocked the boxing world
Tyson lost and it was Holyfield’s turn to play. Tyson tried to bully him… Holyfield walked over to Tyson, didn’t say a word and took the cue from him.
“Tyson left the room and no one saw him for the rest of the night.
“I always kept in mind that Tyson knew that if there was one man he couldn’t intimidate, it was Evander Holyfield.”
Holyfield ended with a bronze medal in the light-heavyweight division at the LA Games, with a youthful Tyson failing to qualify after losing to eventual gold medalist Henry Tillman.
Known as the ‘Real Deal’, Holyfield turned pro at age 21 and was promoted to the cruiserweight division in 1985.
He claimed his first world championship a year later, but is probably best known for his second fight against Tyson in 1997.
Hall of Fame boxing reporter Ron Borges was one of the few who thought Holyfield would have Tyson’s buddy in the ring in 1996 – it followed a story dating back to 1984 that involved both fighters in a training camp
Tyson had a chance to avenge his defeat in 1997 but was disqualified after biting Holyfield’s ear (pictured)
The two sporting warriors faced off in Las Vegas, in what is now commonly referred to as “Bite Fight.”
In chaotic scenes, Tyson was disqualified after biting both of Holyfield’s ears.
A chomp saw Holyfield’s helix get damaged, while a runaway Tyson spat the flesh onto the canvas.
Tyson later claimed he was frustrated that Holyfield’s uncontrolled headbutts were ignored during the fight.
Holyfield enjoyed an award-winning career – he was the first boxer to win world titles in three different decades – the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s – before finally retiring in 2014.