Boxing
Why did Mike Tyson keep biting his glove in his fight against Jake Paul?
Tyson’s glove biting during his bout with Paul evoked memories of his infamous 1997 contest against Evander Holyfield.
If there’s one thing Mike Tyson will forever be remembered for, it’s biting off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear in their infamous 1997 fight. “The Baddest Man on the Planet” tore eight centimetres of cartilage from the top of his opponent’s ear in the middle of the contest, which immediate made it one of the most iconic in boxing history.
17 years later, in his in-ring comeback against YouTuber turned professional boxer Jake Paul, Tyson, who lost by unanimous decision, was seen biting his own glove on several occasions, evoking memories of his clash with Holyfield.
Mike Tyson explains glove biting in Jake Paul bout
In the immediate aftermath of the defeat to Paul, journalist Ariel Helwani addressed Tyson’s ‘habit’: “The broadcast team was debating what you were doing with your glove. Was it a mouthpiece issue or were you just biting on your glove?”
“I have a habit of biting my glove when I fight, yes,” the former undisputed world heavyweight champion jovially responded: “I have a biting fixation”. Helwani’s “I’ve heard about that” reaction generated laughter from the crowd.
Despite the incident almost two decades ago, Holyfield was in attendance at AT&T Stadium to show his support for Tyson, as was Lennox Lewis, another of his contemporaries.
Will Mike Tyson ever fight again?
Although Paul ended up being the deserved winner, “Iron Mike” showed glimpses of his former self in the first couple of rounds before fading.
Afterwards, Tyson refused to rule out stepping back into the ring in the future, despite his 58 years. In May, he even hinted at a possible rematch between the pair, saying, “Hey, this has been pretty fun. Maybe we’ll do it again, yeah.”
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