Evander Holyfield claims he offered to fight Mike Tyson in an exhibition bout before he decided to take on Roy Jones Jr; Holyfield: "No more excuses. This is the fight that must happen for both our legacies. The world is waiting and it's on you now. I'm ready."
Tuesday 1 December 2020 19:54, UK
Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has called out Mike Tyson for a trilogy fight following his eight-round exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr on Saturday.
Fifty-eight-year-old Holyfield, who has not fought since 2011, claims he offered to fight Tyson in an exhibition bout before Jones Jr was announced as his opponent.
Holyfield accused Tyson of using Saturday's fight against Jones Jr at the Staples Center in Los Angeles as a tune-up ahead of their potential trilogy bout.
Tyson and Jones Jr went the distance over eight rounds lasting two minutes each, with the fight declared a draw despite Tyson's apparent dominance.
"My side tried to make the fight happen and we got nothing but excuses," Holyfield said in a statement. "Now I can see why he wanted a tune-up fight before thinking about fighting me.
"Roy Jones was a good local opponent for Mike, but a fight with me would be a global event and the only fight that anyone wants to see is a fight between us. There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't make it happen."
"No more excuses. This is the fight that must happen for both our legacies. Saturday night you said you were ready to fight me, so sign the contract and get in the ring, Tyson. The world is waiting and it's on you now. I'm ready."
Holyfield stopped Tyson out in the 11th round of their first meeting in 1995, despite going into the fight as a significant underdog following a period out of the sport.
The pair fought for a second time in 1997 in a bizarre fight largely remembered for Tyson biting off part of Holyfield's ear. Tyson was disqualified from the match and lost his boxing license, though it was later reinstated.
