Mike Tyson Names Former Rival As Greatest Boxer He’s Ever Shared the Ring With

Mike Tyson Names Former Rival As Greatest Boxer He’s Ever Shared the Ring With

Byron Pillay
updated at October 17, 2023 at 12:18 PM
  • Mike Tyson has named former rival Evander Holyfield as the greatest boxer he has ever faced
  • Holyfield and Tyson fought twice with Tyson biting his opponent's ear during the second fight
  • Tyson has won 50 fights in his career and will go down as one of the greatest boxers in history

Mike Tyson will go down as one of the all-time boxing greats, but he has also fought some equally great opponents who challenged him.

A veteran of over 50 fights, Iron Mike recently revealed who the greatest fighter he shared the ring with was.

Mike Tyson during a boxing match.
Mike Tyson has named Evander Holyfield as the greatest boxer he's ever faced in the ring. Image: Focus on Sport.
Source: Getty Images

As noted by Boxing Social, Tyson named Evander Holyfield as his most formidable foe.

"Holyfield. He was a great champion: chin, heart, determination, work ethic, demeanour," Tyson said. "He threw terrific shots with both hands and with bad intentions."

Holyfield beat Tyson twice

The legends of the sport first met in November 1996 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

As noted by the New York Daily News, Holyfield walked away with Tyson’s WBA Heavyweight title after securing a TKO victory in round 11. The duo met again in 1997 in a bout which became known as ‘The Bite Fight.’

Tyson was disqualified during that fight after he bit Holyfield’s ear. He had his boxing license revoked, and he was fined $3 million dollars as well.

The two heavyweight greats have since put that moment behind them and are now friends. While Tyson never got the better of Holyfield, his recent comments show he has deep respect for his former rival.

Holyfield’s record compared to Tyson

While Tyson never beat Holyfield in the ring, he does boast a superior record.

As noted by BoxRec, The Real Deal finished with 44 wins and 10 losses, while Iron Mike ended his career with 50 wins and six losses.

Holyfield names fighter more dangerous than Tyson

As Sports Brief also reported, Holyfield spoke on a more menacing fighter he had met than Mike Tyson.

Holyfield engaged in two notable bouts with Tyson in the 1990s, with the latter losing on both occasions.

While Holyfield recognises Tyson’s danger, he has now spoken about a fighter who poses more of a threat.

Authors
Byron Pillay photo
Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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