The Polar Bear Journals, Ch. 14, Famous Fights deja vu

 Background:

 November, 9, 1996, MGM Grand, Las Vegas


Holyfield is a considerable underdog in this comeback fight.  The odds against him beating Tyson are 25-1.   Tyson is one of the most unpredictable, fearsome heavyweights to ever enter the boxing ring.

Holyfield on the left; Tyson on the right.

The taller Holyfield, with a 7 inch reach advantage over Tyson, dominates the fight.  He floors Tyson for only the second time in Iron Mike's career, and wins almost every round.

Against those tremendous 25-1 odds, Holyfield wins by a TKO in the 11th round, when Referee Mitch Halpern stops the fight.  Tyson's camp complains bitterly about Holyfield's head-butting. 

Holyfield wins the heavyweight championship belt for the third time.

Seven months later.

June 28, 1997.


The MGM Grand in Las Vegas is filled to capacity and millions more around the world watch on closed circuit and pay TV.  

My living room is filled with friends, all of whom contributed to the pay per view match on TV that is billed as "The Sound and the Fury." 

Holyfield  made himself heard seven months prior when he and Iron Mike Tyson met.  Referee Mitch Halpern stopped that fight in the 11th round, giving Holyfield a TKO.    Holyfield, at 6 ft. 1 inch towers over the 5 foot 10 inch Tyson.

Round One :

(according to the Las Vegas Sun and other sources):

"The Sound and the Fury;"

On the left at 6'1" is Holyfield who made himself heard 'round the world by beating Tyson seven months prior, in the face of  25 to 1 odds against him.  Tyson is 5'10" of fury and revenge.

 The waiting is over, the talking is done, the re-match is here! Tyson lands a straight jab and is moving around. 

Holyfield wrestles Tyson to his chest. Both fighters are intense. Tyson will not back away. 

Holyfield is coming in low and picking his spots. Holyfield with a left hook and jab, then a great hook. Holyfield with a combination that hurts Tyson. 

Tyson responds with a left, but Holyfield manages to hurt Tyson a little. 

 At 2:19 of the first round, an overhand right from Holyfield stuns Tyson, but Tyson fights back immediately,  pushing Holyfield backwards.

The crowd is chanting "Holyfield, Holyfield," as Holyfield wins an action packed round.

Round 2: 

At 0:32 of round two, Holyfield ducks under a right from Tyson, in so doing head butts Tyson and opens a large cut over his right eye. 

Tyson has repeatedly complained about head-butting in the first bout between the two.

Tyson with a left hook. Tyson is showing more movement than in the previous fight. Tyson's right eye is bleeding, not the same eye that postponed the fight date.  

Holyfield is digging in with upper cuts to the body.

Cut over Tyson's eye is pretty deep. 

 
Tyson lands a nice right hand, but can't land the combination. Tyson looks frustrated.

ROUND 3:

As the third round is about to begin, Tyson comes out of his corner without his mouthpiece.

Lane orders Tyson back to his corner to insert it. Tyson inserts his mouthpiece, gets back into position, and the match resumes

 Tyson  charges Holyfield and lands several blows. Crowd is excited. 

Fighters tie up.

Holyfield throwing right after right trying to punish Tyson.  

Tyson with a straight right to the head of Holyfield that hurts him.


Tyson bites the ear of Holyfield and Holyfield's ear is bloody. 

After Mills Lane breaks the two up...

Tyson charges Holyfield and pushes him in the back.

One point is taken away from Tyson. Commissioner comes in and says, "He bit his ear, he is out." 

The doctor overrules the decision.

The fight continues with Tyson having a two point deduction.

The Holyfield camp is complaining.

Tyson bites Holyfield on the other ear.  Holyfield throws his hands around to get out of the clinch and jumps back. 

 Lane does not stop the fight.  

The two continue fighting until time expires.

The men walk back to their respective corners.

Mills Lane stops the fight.

An unbelievable occurrance of events that leaves Holyfield and his camp in shock. 

The crowd boos Tyson. 

 Lane ends the fight and disqualifies Tyson. Now a fight breaks out in the ring with Tyson trying to charge Holyfield. 

Security is holding Tyson.

  Crowd is chanting in anger. 

 Again, two sharp bites from Tyson in the ears of Holyfield ends the fight. Holyfield wins by disqualification.

Cheering crowd goes wild.

(Note:  The commentary is from that actual fight, so the photos had to fit the commentary, not the reverse.)

To enlarge photos:  Clicking on a photo brings up a line of thumbnails.  The photo you clicked on should enlarge.  Then, right click on that enlargement and click on "view image."  It will appear larger.  Left click on it again for full screen.