RELIVING BITE NIGHT

June 28, 1997. 

Almost three decades ago, boxing witnessed one of its most infamous moments.

Bite Night.

This was the night Mike Tyson shocked the world by biting off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear. What was supposed to be the second chapter of a potential Tyson-Holyfield trilogy instead became a spectacle that cast Tyson as the villain, the desperate man grasping at anything as the fight slipped away.

Tyson was disgraced, banned from boxing in the U.S. for over a year, and branded by many as a washed-up fighter. Critics claimed he was looking for an exit, clearly outclassed by Holyfield. Tyson’s camp, however, argued that the bites were a reaction to repeated headbutts—ones referee Mills Lane allegedly ignored.

I remember watching it on Philippine free TV. It was that era when heavyweight bouts dominated the Sunday 10 AM to 2 PM timeslot, back when boxing still had that grand, almost mythical feel. I can’t recall if it aired on RPN-9 or ABS-CBN, but I do know Solar Sports handled the broadcast rights back then, and RPN was their usual home.

That moment marked the beginning of the end for heavyweight boxing’s golden era. As the giants lost their luster, the smaller weight classes—particularly the welterweights—began stealing the spotlight. The heavyweights were known for their raw knockout power, but when matches dragged on without a decisive blow, the thrill often fizzled out. Meanwhile, guys like Manny Pacquiao were redefining action. He’d wear down his opponents with relentless punches, delivering edge-of-your-seat intensity from opening bell to final round. It was no longer just about power—it was about pace, stamina, and heart.

Tyson and Holyfield were among the last of the heavyweight superstars who could truly electrify a crowd.

If there was any silver lining to the chaos of Bite Night, it was Tyson’s unexpected detour into WWE. With his boxing license revoked, Tyson embraced sports entertainment. He initially aligned himself with Shawn Michaels and D-Generation X—but later turned on them to back Stone Cold Steve Austin. That twist became a watershed moment for WWE. Suddenly, Austin 3:16 went mainstream, and the WWE began clawing back the ratings lost during WCW’s nWo dominance.

So yeah, Bite Night was a disaster in the ring—but in a strange way, it helped set the stage for another kind of combat sport to rise.