Mike Tyson (L), promoter Don King and Evander Holyfield (R) pose before a fight (AP)Former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield are continuing to take advantage of their notorious history together, turning it into a marketing opportunity.
In 1997, in perhaps the most heavily hyped rematch of all time, Tyson lost his composure and bit off part of Holyfield's ear. At the time, that earned Tyson a $3 million fine and a ban from boxing.
Nowadays, the one-time superstars have turned it into a marketing opportunity.
Holyfield with a Tyson shirtOn Monday, Holyfield tweeted a photo of himself wearing a T-shirt bearing the image of Tyson's facial tattoo. He wrote:
@MikeTyson bit my ear and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.
Tyson is selling the T-shirt as part of the Mike Tyson Collection.
That followed on the heels of a Twitter exchange between them in June, in which Tyson helped Holyfield sell his Real Deal Barbecue sauce.
It's good that they can joke about it now -- Tyson apologized to Holyfield on "The Oprah Show" in 2009 -- but it was hardly a joking matter the night of the fight. After Tyson bit Holyfield in retaliation for what he said was intentional head butting, rioting broke out in and around the MGM Grand casino.
It's a lot better for all concerned to see them friendly and joking with each other than the way they were back in 1997.
(Thanks to Larry Brown Sports for the tip on the tweet).
Mike Tyson was enraged after biting Evander Holyfield (AP)
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