The 49 year-old, who is still keen on returning to the ring as he approaches his landmark 50th birthday, spoke about the incident in a documentary about him entitled ‘Legends’ and held nothing back when asked how he felt when Tyson gnawed at him in 1997.
“I was ticked off. Anything that I could have done, I was getting ready to do it,” said Holyfield in the interview.
“My first thought was ‘I am getting ready to chew his ear off!’ because I actually thought he was going to headbutt me or throw an elbow as this is what Tyson does.
“When this happened and he bit me on my ear, I jumped up and I turned around and he pushed me, then I could see that he feels like this is the only way he could win. That I will run in there and he could catch me with a shot. But I am going to come back and be calm, cool and collected and still get him.
“I stood off though and caught him with more shots and then he bit my other ear and then I got mad and was getting ready to kick him right in the balls. I got my feet back ready to do it and something said ‘don’t do that’ and in my head I knew I had to forgive him.”
The two warriors have since become friends since the shocking act earned Tyson a disqualification from the MGM Grand bout and were pictured at the WBC convention last year sharing a joke.
Four-time world heavyweight champion Holyfield, is still training to return to the ring after a thirteen month absence and is awaiting the call to fight for the 58th time in glittering career spanning an amazing 28 years.
