Published 13:31 IST, February 5th 2021
Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield will collide in a $200m trilogy fight in Dubai: Report
Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield: Boxing legends Tyson and Holyfield are in talks over a trilogy that could take place later this year in Dubai.
Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield may have a combined age of 112 years, but they still boast the calibre to fill arenas and sell record PPVs. The two boxing legends had one of the greatest rivalries in sports history, facing each other twice. Now the 54-year-old and 58-year-old are in talks over a trilogy that could take place later this year. According to various reports, the dream bout will take place in Dubai, with The Sun estimating that the total prize purse would be valued at around $200 million.
As far as the trilogy goes, Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield has the power to become the most iconic bout. The two legends first collided in 1996 for the prestigious WBA heavyweight title, were The Real Deal came out on top after a brutal slugfest. As for their rematch in 1997, it ended up becoming the most infamous bout in history as Tyson disqualified himself by biting Holyfield’s ear off.
Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield ready to collide for the third time
Though Holyfield eventually forgave Tyson after their retirement, the two have been open to fighting each other for the third time. Speaking to The Sun last month, Holyfield said that he knows the Tyson fight will happen sometime in the future, and he has already started preparations about the same. “What I can tell you is that my team is talking to Mike's management, so I'm waiting for a decision. They are communicating right now. The thing is I'm still training for this, I know it will be someday this deal will happen and I'm ready for him. I'm doing OK,” he added.
Holyfield last fought Brian Nielsen in 2011 where he won by a 10th round stoppage. Mike Tyson, on the other hand, recently made his high-anticipated return to the sport in November 2020, where he fought fellow legend Roy Jones Jr to a draw. According to reports, Tyson was rumoured to make his return against Holyfield, but after the two parties failed to come to an agreement, Tyson decided to fight Roy Jones Jr instead.
While talking about the trilogy on his Hotboxin' podcast, ‘Iron’ Mike stated that he would love to fight Evander Holyfield again if fans demand it. “That's always something that we can do if the people want it, if it's pragmatic enough, I'd love to do it,” he added.
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Image Source: Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield/ Instagram
Updated 13:31 IST, February 5th 2021