In what was originally billed as “Holyfield vs. Tyson II”, the 1997 bout between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield for the WBA heavyweight championship was a rematch of the November 1996 bout in which Holyfield upset Tyson with a 11th round TKO. The fight took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and was officiated by Mills Lane – a late replacement due to the protests of the Tyson camp for the original selection of the first fight referee Mitch Halpern. The fight turned out to have one of the most memorable scenes in boxing history.

The rematch began basically as a continuation of the first fight with Holyfield dominating Tyson, with Holyfield winning the first three rounds. In the second round at about 32 seconds, Holyfield evaded a right from Tyson, but inadvertently head-butted Tyson, which opened up a large cut over Tyson’s right eye. Tyson had previously complained about Holyfield’s head-butts, but Lane determined that they were unintentional and not punishable. When the third round began, Tyson came out without his mouthpiece and was ordered by Lane to go back to his corner to put it in. Tyson then came out with a fury and in one sequence, Holyfield got Tyson in a clinch. Tyson then leaned over Holyfield’s right shoulder and bit Holyfield’s right ear, removing approximately one-inch piece of cartilage. Lane temporarily stopped the fight and recommended that Tyson be disqualified. However, the ringside doctor determined that Holyfield was fit to continue and Lane deducted two points from Tyson as a result. When the third round continued, Holyfield and Tyson were clinched again and this time, Tyson bit Holyfield’s left ear. The fight wasn’t initially stopped as the round was allowed to finish out. After the bell rang, Lane saw the second bite and then disqualified Tyson – setting off a brawl that ensued in the ring.

Offered here is the corner jacket worn by Holyfield cornerman Jim Strickland during this fight. This jacket is made of satin and is a combination of white and purple. The majority of the jacket is purple, covering most of the torse area and lower sleeves, while the shoulders, sleeve ends and waistline are white. The front has a pull-down zipper and Holyfield’s “HW” shield with wings logo patches are sewn on the upper right and left chest areas. The back has the same logo embroidered on with “HOLYFIELD” and “WARRIOR” embroidered above and below the logo. The front also has four pockets, two on each side. The jacket displays moderate use with some soil and blood stains, likely from the ear bleeding and comes with a letter of provenance from Scott Kennedy who states in his letter that he sourced this jacket personally from the family of Jim Strickland in Chicago.

Blood Stain from fight