Tyson Begs Critics To Lend Him An Ear Ex-Champ Wants To Surmount Stigma Of Assault On Holyfield

Mike Tyson has begun training for a possible rematch with Evander Holyfield, saying he doesn’t want to go down in boxing history just as a fighter who bit off a chunk of the champion’s ear.

“As long as I live I will regret what happened that night,” Tyson told The Express on Sunday in his most extensive interview since the June fight. “But I cannot change anything; I can only start again and hope that I get another chance.”

Tyson was stripped of his license but is eligible to regain it in July. He said promoter Don King is working on a strategy to persuade Nevada boxing officials to lift the suspension.

Holyfield has said he would not rule out a third fight against Tyson, who became the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1986 before his career went into a tailspin with a loss to Buster Douglas and a rape conviction.

Tyson told the London tabloid that he became temporarily crazed when he bit Holyfield.

“I’ve spent so much of my life admiring the great fighters and striving to be one of them, so think about it: Do I want to be remembered for something so bizarre?” Tyson said.

Tyson says he has deep respect for Holyfield, calling him a “great warrior.”

“It would hurt me terribly, more than anything, if the only thing people remembered about our fights was that I bit his ears,” he said.