Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield proved they have well and truly buried the hatchet as they posed for a photo together on Tuesday, 27 years on from their infamous heavyweight rematch.
Holyfield upset the odds to stop Tyson in the 11th round of their first fight in Las Vegas in 1996, but ‘Iron Mike’ was given the chance for revenge a year later at the same venue.
After becoming frustrated following repeated head clashes, Tyson shockingly bit Holyfield’s ear but was initially docked two points rather than being thrown out by referee Mills Lane. However, when Tyson chewed his opponent’s ear again, he was immediately disqualified, leading to ugly scenes in the ring as both fighters’ teams jumped into the ring to get involved.
The heavyweight pair – widely regarded as two of the best fighters to ever grace boxing’s blue-riband division – have met up over the years to make peace with one another, and their unlikely friendship is still going strong.
Tyson took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a picture of himself sat next to Holyfield as they both smiled for the camera, and he added the caption: ‘We’ve come a long way since the bite fight’.
Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield posed for a picture together, which Tyson posted on Instagram
The pair have well and truly buried the hatchet after Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield’s ear back in 1997
Holyfield complained to referee Mills Lane, who called the fight off following the shocking bite
Tyson had his boxing license revoked by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and was fined $3m plus legal fees following the disqualification.
He subsequently won an appeal for his license to be reinstated, but went over 18 months without a fight after his disqualification loss.
The two-time heavyweight champion never won a version of the title again before announcing his retirement after a stoppage defeat to Irishman Kevin McBride in 2005.
He stepped back into the ring in 2020 for an exhibition bout with Roy Jones Jr in 2020, with judges scoring the eight-round contest a split draw.
The 57-year-old has remained involved in the sport in recent years as he worked with Francis Ngannou ahead of his crossover clash with Tyson Fury in October.
The former UFC champion nearly pulled off a huge shock with Tyson in his corner, as he floored Fury before losing a razor-thin decision on the scorecards.
Tyson is now reportedly in talks to get back into the squared circle himself to face MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko in Saudi Arabia later this year.
Meanwhile, Holyfield is the only four-time heavyweight titlist in history, and did not hang his gloves up until he turned 48 in 2011.
He almost became the oldest heavyweight champion ever when he fought Russian giant Nikolai Valuev as a 46-year-old in 2008, but he lost via majority decision.