How much are Evander Holyfield’s ‘bite fight’ boxing gloves selling for at auction?
Who could forget that night, when Tyson bit off what he could chew to the horror of Holyfield and the fans alike?
Boxing fans will get a kick out of this one. The question is, just how much will someone be willing to pay for the gloves that the former heavyweight world champion wore on that fateful night.
Evander Holyfield’s ‘bite fight’ gloves go to auction
Remember that time Mike Tyson bit off piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear? No? Well, let us remind you. It was during their now extremely infamous fight on June 28th in 1997 when Tyson quite literally took a chunk out of Holyfield’s lobe. With that said, the gloves that Holyfield wore on the night are now being sold at an auction that will conclude on the 17th of September. Controlled by Lelands, the bidding started at the small sum of $10,000. Interestingly, this is not the first time that these specific gloves have sold at an auction. They were previously consigned by Holyfield himself along with a number of other personal pieces.
Regarding the details of the gloves in question, the item lot reads “These crisp, red Everlast gloves were worn by The Real Deal in that landmark contest, with Everlast logo sewn on each cuff, and a screened logo in white. Each has written on the cuff logo in black marker, “Holyfield #1.” Light but definite use shown, not surprising as the bout lasted just those three rounds. A remarkable piece of pugilistic history.”
Tyson vs Holyfield was gloriously disappointing
Given the background to the fight - Tyson lost to Holyfield in November 1996 - the anticipation surrounding their second meeting in the summer of 1997, was intense to say the least. With both still relatively in their prime and Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena the stage, one couldn’t have asked for a better fight.
Yet, what we got was a bizarrely grotesque shock in the third round which has since been immortalized in sports During a huddle, Tyson bit both of Holyfield’s ears and was disqualified due to the fact that his second bite took a portion of Holyfield’s ear off. Ultimately, the two would reconcile albeit after many years of feuding. Most recently, the pair were rumored to be set for a rematch in 2021, however, nothing came of it when reports alleged that Tyson had opted out of the $25 million fight proposal.