Tyson, Holyfield to meet again — on Oprah
Last Updated: Friday, October 16, 2009 | 11:36 AM ET
CBC Sports
Mike Tyson was on Oprah Winfrey's show earlier in the week. (George Burns, Harpo Productions/Associated Press)Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield will meet face-to-face on Friday on The Oprah Winfrey Show, the host's production company announced.
Harpo Productions announced the pairing of the former heavyweight boxing champions late Thursday.
It will be the first television interview with the fighters since Tyson bit off a chunk of Holyfield's ear in their infamous June 28, 1997 bout.
Tyson was featured on Winfrey's show on Monday, an episode taped last month. He spoke about the highs and lows of his boxing career, life in prison after his 1992 conviction for rape, and the recent death of his four-year-old daughter in a freak accident in the summer.
He also spoke to Winfrey about the biting incident. Tyson left his corner for the third round without a mouthpiece and would bite Holyfield twice in the round.
"I was angry that he was butting my head," said Tyson. "He kept butting me and he cut my head the first fight with head butts and he did it again. I was just enraged. It doesn't make no excuse for what happened but I was just enraged and I wanted to inflict so much pain on him."
Tyson also admitted that the apology he gave in the aftermath of the controversial fight wasn't sincere.
The bites occurred in a rematch of a bout the previous year in which Holyfield pounded Tyson en route to an upset 11th-round stoppage.
Tyson was disqualified and suspended for his actions in the second Holyfield bout, resulting in nearly two years away from the ring. His last significant fight was a one-sided loss to Canadian Lennox Lewis for the heavyweight title in 2002.
He last fought in 2005, when he was stopped by journeyman Kevin McBride.
Tyson, 43, was recently the subject of a feature documentary and had a cameo in The Hangover. He has been trying to straighten out his life after a 2007 conviction for felony cocaine possession.
Holyfield, 46, would have the piece of ear reattached and went on to have several more high-profile fights.
Holyfield still clings to hopes of capturing a heavyweight belt. He hasn't fought since a Dec. 20, 2008 decision loss to World Boxing Association champion Nikolai Valuev. Many boxing observers felt the American defeated the seven-foot Russian giant.
