Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield II – the story behind the ‘Bite Fight’ 25 years on

Twenty-five years ago Mike Tyson was struggling to come to terms with the fact his self-styled reputation as ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ was in grave jeopardy.

Tyson’s career revival, following his shocking first career defeat to underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas and his subsequent imprisonment for rape, was wrecked by Evander Holyfield in their first meeting in November 1996.

As he approached the rematch eight months later, the 30-year-old Tyson knew his fearsome aura would be banished for good if he failed to beat Holyfield at the second attempt.

The extraordinary pressures he faced both in and out of the ring would manifest in one of the most shocking events in sporting history, and one which served to re-establish Tyson’s notoriety for all the wrong reasons.

Tyson’s second coming had been a relatively facile affair, with inconsequential wins over Peter McNeely and Buster Mathis Jr. leading up to a third-round stoppage of Frank Bruno to reclaim the WBC title.

Such was the aura surrounding Tyson that it was enough to make him the overwhelming favourite for his first fight with Holyfield, who had previously retired with a heart condition and for whom the build-up to the bout was punctuated by serious concerns for his health.

Holyfield responded by delivering a masterful performance to quell Tyson’s rage and force referee Mitch Halpern’s intervention with Tyson out on his feet in the 11th round. It made a rematch both inevitable and lucrative.

From the outset of their second bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, it was apparent that Holyfield was well-placed to repeat the feat and potentially deal Tyson’s championship career a terminal blow.

Tyson appeared to grow increasingly frustrated by Holyfield’s use of his head,