Mike Tyson - On The Comeback Trail—again

Mike Tyson's first stop after being released was a mosque, where he prayed with Muhammad Ali. Some speculated that it was a sign that things were changing. But one aspect remained the same. On the day he was released Don King negotiated a deal with Showtime on behalf of "his" champ. Tyson's first post-prison bout was with Peter McNeely, who looked good on paper with a 36-1 record. But the 36 victories were against habitual losers, and the loss was to McNeely's only opponent with a winning record. McNeely's manager threw in the towel 85 seconds into his match with Tyson. A broken thumb postponed his next match, but on December 16, Tyson knocked out Buster Mathis in the third round. In March of 1996, he likewise dispatched Frank Bruno in the third. After three easy victories, and not incidentally, $65 million richer, Tyson was feeling on top again. On September 7, 1996, he met Bruce Seldon, who was on the mat in 109 seconds. Some fans said they did not actually see a punch, and wondered if the fight was fixed. Seldon's manager speculated that his client had actually suffered a nervous breakdown in the face of Tyson—and, in fact, Seldon has not fought another boxing match since then.

Finally, boxing fans could look forward to a long-delayed match-up, when Evander Holyfield agreed to fight Tyson in November of 1996 for the heavyweight championship. Against all odds the 34-year-old Holyfield ended what Sports Illustrated's Richard Hoffer called Tyson's "machinery of menace," when he won a technical knockout in the eleventh round. It was a huge upset, defying all expectations. In fact, pay-per-view channels had offered a per-round price, so customers would not blame them when Tyson felled Holyfield in the first round. Boxing officials had forced Holyfield to undergo a battery of tests, fearing he might actually lose his life. It was a stunning result, but nothing could prepare the boxing world for the shock they were about to get.

The Holyfield-Tyson rematch, held was one of the most anticipated in history. The MGM Grand sold out on the first day, all 16,000 tickets. Millions tuned in on pay-per-view, anticipating a spectacle. They got one. The fight was brutal from the start, with Holyfield at one point head butting Tyson in the second round. Then in the third, Tyson chomped down on Holyfield's left ear. The referee deducted two points from Tyson, but then let the fight go on. Again the fighters met in the center, and again Tyson spat out his mouthpiece and chomped down, on Holyfield's right ear. And this time he bit a piece off, spitting it out. This time the referee called the fight, disqualifying Tyson.

It was bizarre. It was savage. And for many it was the last straw. Tyson had nearly proved himself too brutal for boxing—not an easy feat. The Nevada State Commission withheld his paycheck and suspended his license. Outrage poured in from all sides, with even the White House weighing in. Tyson became constant fodder for late night comedy, and the Hollywood Wax Museum moved his image from sports to the Chamber of Horrors. But in the end, Tyson escaped. He was banned for a year, and fined $3 million, but ultimately, boxing decided to let Tyson keep doing the only thing he was really good at: hitting people until they fell down.