Mike Tyson trilogy fight would be a ‘win-win-win’, says old rival Evander Holyfield

Holyfield hopes to fight Tyson for a third time

Evander Holyfield has described a potential trilogy fight with Mike Tyson as a “win-win-win”.

Holyfield, the only four-time world heavyweight champion, announced last week that he is making a boxing comeback at the age of 57 in exhibition matches for charity.

That followed a video of Tyson, his famous rival, demonstrating his fitness in a training video, with the 53-year-old saying he was also open to the idea of returning to the sport.

“I don’t know, you would have to ask him,” Holyfield said when asked by Sky Sports News whether he would fight Tyson again.

“I wouldn’t ask nobody to do anything they don’t want to do. But it’s for charity. If we can work something out that works for everybody then it’s a win-win-win.”

Holyfield reacts in the pair’s infamous 1997 rematch (REX)

Holyfield and Tyson famously fought twice in the late nineties.

In November 1996, Holyfield stopped overwhelming pre-fight favourite Tyson in the eleventh round to win the WBA world heavyweight title.

And the pair met again in 1997, in one of the most infamous fights in boxing history. Tyson was disqualified for twice biting Holyfield’s ear, spitting a part of it out onto the ring canvas before being bundled out of the ring.

But Holyfield has said there is no bad blood between the pair and that he counts Tyson as a friend.

“When people look at me, I know they are looking at my ear,” Holyfield added. “People think I got the whole ear bit off.

“People don’t understand the relationship I have with Tyson.

“Tyson and I were both on the losing squad trying to make the Olympic team in 1984, that tells you how tough amateur boxing was in my day.

“When Tyson became heavyweight champion of the world, it made me realise that I could do it.

“Tyson and I had sparred and he was a tough guy even back then, when he was 17 and I was 21.”