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Mike Tyson Reveals How He Made Back $3 Million Fine From Biting Evander Holyfield's Ear

Mike Tyson Reveals How He Made Back $3 Million Fine From Biting Evander Holyfield's Ear

Tyson has no regrets of the shocking incident in 1997...

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

Mike Tyson has no regrets over biting Evander Holyfield's ear in 1997 and says he made back the $3 million fee by taking pictures with fans.

In what was their second bout, Tyson chomped at part of his opponent's ear on two occasions before he was disqualified by the referee during their heavyweight clash at the MGM Grand Arena.

It was one of the most shocking moments in the history of boxing and saw Tyson hit with a hefty fine and suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission as a result.

But it didn't appear to affect Tyson financially. Years later, he told NBA legend Dennis Rodman that he made the money back through various meet and greets with fans.

"I never even think about it," Tyson said in conversation with Rodman on his Hotboxin' podcast.

"However, I think about how much money that I made from taking pictures of biting people that it supersedes the $3m that I lost.

"That's what it makes it funny for me. Yes, I bit his ear but I made that back from taking pictures.

"So I can never beat myself up about it.

"I always say to my children: 'Damn we're born, we've got this amount of time before we die - what are we gonna do?"

Tyson recently revealed that he was planning to bite Holyfield's ear going into the fight but 'The Real Deal' was able to forgive 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' - with the pair sitting down to discuss the controversial incident on Tyson's podcast back in November.

Holyfield revealed he too had bit someone in a fight but it wasn't on TV and so it didn't receive much coverage.

Per TMZ, Holyfield said: "People keep asking, 'How are you gonna forgive somebody?'"

"I say, everything that ever happened, at some point in time, I did it. Mike bit me, I say I bit somebody too ... it just wasn't on TV.

"I bit a guy in his shoulder. He dropped me, and I didn't know when you had a concussion, you'll bite too."

Now in their 50's, both Holyfield and Tyson have been training for a return to the ring in the form of charity fights and it's fuelled speculation of a potential trilogy bout.

Holyfield has already won the first two but appears to be keen on mixing it up with his old rival again.

Image: PA
Image: PA

"I've already done what I wanted to do in my career and have been the best that I could be. If it wasn't for charity, I wouldn't fight Tyson," Holyfield told Boxing Scene.

"I don't look at it as being a winner in this fight. This is a charity event helping our foundations. The thing is knowing what you're doing it for

"I'm not afraid of [Tyson] or anything like that, as long as it works for both of us [financially].

"I wouldn't ask for him to do it if he didn't want to. He'd have to ask me. It's like being the bully, I already beat him twice."

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Topics: Mike Tyson, Boxing News, Boxing