# Tyson bites Holyfield’s ear

> A boxing foul led to disqualification, a $3 million fine and decades of ear jokes.

- Owner: null
- Kind: Moment
- Sector: Sports
- Seed date: 1997-06-28
- Milestone date: 1997-07-09
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.
- Spread Score: 43 (Notable, provisional), v1.3
- Mechanics: Transgression, Real-world spectacle, Controversy, Platform jump

## Summary

Tyson’s televised bites ended the rematch by disqualification. News replays, Usenet and late-night television carried it beyond boxing. Chocolate ears, a Foot Locker ad and a joint cannabis product later reused the incident.

## Timeline

- 1997-06-23 — Broadcasting & Cable (TV) — Broadcasting & Cable reported Showtime’s planned rematch promotion budget of over $25 million.
- 1997-06-28 — Mike Tyson / Evander Holyfield (TV) — Tyson bit both of Holyfield’s ears during their televised rematch and lost by disqualification.
- 1997-06-30 — Mike Tyson (Press) — Tyson publicly apologized for biting Holyfield.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/tyson-holyfield-ear-bite

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Tyson bites Holyfield’s ear.” Case HIS-01440. Spread Score v1.3: 43/100. Updated 2026-10-23. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01440