How a shocking moment in a pool hall convinced boxing legend that Evander Holyfield would BEAT Mike Tyson – as the fighters’ furious first clash is revealed
- Journalist Ron Borges was one of a select few who felt Mike Tyson was beatable
- Tyson first fought Evander Holyfield in 1996, then again lost to ‘Real Deal’ in 1997
- Back at 1984 training camp, Holyfield showed Tyson he wasn’t easily intimidated
- Both fighters went onto carve out 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 a portion of Holyfield’s ear mid-bout in Las Vegas
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Globally respected boxing journalist Ron Borges has revealed the moment he knew rank outsider Evander Holyfield would stun ‘Iron Mike’ Tyson ahead of their first bout in 1996.
The two eventual greats in the ring also had history dating back to when Holyfield was 21 and Tyson was a teenager.
Speaking on the Boxing Life Stories podcast, US scribe Borges, who was inducted in the International Boxing Hall of Fame this year, pointed to an incident he was made aware of in 1984 which swayed his mindset.
Holyfield and Tyson were both in a training camp ahead of the Olympics in LA, and at the time were both amateur fighters.
‘One night they were all playing pool at the Olympic Training Centre and it was one of those deals where if you lost, you gave up the table,’ Borges recalled.
Plenty of boxing experts felt Mike Tyson was unbeatable ahead of his 1996 bout versus Evander Holyfield – they were wrong
Holyfield was a huge outsider, but stunned Tyson to win in the 11th round, shocking the boxing world
‘Tyson lost and it was Holyfield’s turn to play. Tyson tried to bully him…Holyfield walked up to Tyson, didn’t say a word and took the cue stick from him.
‘Tyson left the room and nobody saw him for the rest of the night.
‘I always had it in the back of my mind that Tyson knew if there was one guy he couldn’t intimidate, it was Evander Holyfield.’
Holyfield went onto finish with a bronze medal in the light-heavyweight division at the LA Games, with a youthful Tyson not qualifying after losing to eventual gold medallist Henry Tillman.
Dubbed the ‘Real Deal’, Holyfield turned professional at the age of 21, moving up to cruiserweight division in 1985.
He claimed his first world championship a year later, but is probably best known for his second bout against Tyson in 1997.
Hall of Fame boxing reporter Ron Borges was one of a select few who felt Holyfield would have Tyson’s measure in the ring back in 1996 – it followed a story dating back to 1984 involving both fighters at a training camp
Tyson had a chance to avenge his defeat in 1997 – but was disqualified after biting the ear of Holyfield (pictured)
The two sporting warriors squared 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.
One chomp saw Holyfield’s helix damaged, with an out of control Tyson spitting the flesh onto the canvas.
Tyson later claimed he was frustrated that Holyfield’s unchecked headbutts were being ignored during the bout.
Holyfield enjoyed a decorated career – he was the first boxer to hold world titles in three different decades – the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s – before finally retiring in 2014.
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