Evander Holyfield said recently that he would be willing to fight Mike Tyson again if Tyson’s representatives reached out, but Holyfield is now the one that is trying to make the bout happen.
Holyfield’s representatives issued a press release on Tuesday in which the former heavyweight champion called out Tyson. Holyfield says he was confused when Tyson chose to fight Roy Jones Jr., but he now believes Tyson was using the Jones fight as a “tune-up fight before thinking about fighting me.”
“My side tried to make the fight happen and we got nothing but excuses. … Roy Jones was a good local opponent for Mike,” Holyfield said. “But a fight with me would be a global event and the only fight that anyone wants to see is a fight between us. There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t make it happen.”
Most people agree that Tyson dominated Jones Jr. on Saturday night, though the 8-round exhibition technically ended in a draw. Tyson said he was fine with the results, and there was talk about a rematch immediately after the bout.
Holyfield says he should be next.
“No more excuses. This is the fight that must happen for both our legacies,” Holyfield said. “Saturday night you said you were ready to fight me, so sign the contract and get in the ring, Tyson. The world is waiting and it’s on you now. I’m ready.”
Holyfield and Tyson fought twice in a pair of infamous bouts during the ’90s. Holyfield won the first fight via 11th-round TKO. He won the second fight after Tyson was disqualified for biting Tyson’s ear.
There has been talk of Holyfield and Tyson fighting a third time for over a decade. One potential obstacle could be that Holyfield recently attached a massive price tag to the fight, though that may simply be a negotiating tactic.
