Four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield is looking to make a return to the boxing ring, and he has his sights set on a particular opponent and former nemesis.
The 57-year-old has plans to compete in an exhibition match to raise money for his charity, Unite 4 Our Fight, and what better opponent would there be for him than Mike Tyson.
Holyfield revealed his idea with Boxing Scene during a recent interview and explained that he is looking to have a little more fun with it than his previous two encounters with the boxing legend. Holyfield stopped Tyson in the 11th round of their 1996 showdown and won a rematch by disqualification when Tyson infamously bit a part of his ear off in their June 1997 encounter.
The idea is for Holyfield-Tyson to be more entertainment-based and perhaps scripted out in advance like a pro wrestling match.
“I’ve already done what I wanted to do in my career and have been the best that I could be. If it wasn’t for charity, I wouldn’t fight Tyson,” Holyfield said. “I don’t look at it as being a winner in this fight. This is a charity event helping our foundations. The thing is knowing what you’re doing it for.”
The news arises shortly after Tyson posted a video of himself hitting the pads, which got the attention of the entire boxing world and sent social media into a frenzy.
The post led many to speculate whether or not Tyson was truly mulling over the idea of boxing again or if it was done simply to cause a stir. The video followed the 53-year-old mentioning that he would consider competing in four-round exhibition matches.
“I’m not afraid of [Tyson] or anything like that, as long as it works for both of us [financially],” Holyfield said. “I wouldn’t ask for him to do it if he didn’t want to. He’d have to ask me. It’s like being the bully, I already beat him twice.”
Tyson and Holyfield buried the hatchet in the years following the incident and have become good friends. Shortly after Tyson posted his video, Holyfield shared a video of his own with the caption “Are you ready?” The moment you’ve all been waiting for … The Champ is back.”
An exhibition bout between Tyson and Holyfield would draw incredible interest that would rival the biggest fights that could be made in boxing today but isn't the only offer on the table.
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship extended an offer for Tyson to compete in a bare-knuckle fight, and others have prodded to see how serious Tyson is. Tyson has yet to respond, but it’s clear that there are plenty of options should he decide to step back inside the ring.