Photo credit: MARCA
In a whirlwind of social media activity, Ryan Garcia declared his intention to channel Mike Tyson's aggressive fighting style in the upcoming bout against Devin Haney on April 20. Drawing parallels to Tyson's infamous bouts against Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis, Garcia sparked a storm of reactions.
"I might bite Haney ears. Mike bit one. Ima bite both. I'm hungry," Garcia noted, with Holyfield responding to this comment with the startled-eyes emoji.
The famous Tyson vs Holyfield fight
Holyfield himself responded to Garcia's reference to the 1997 fight where Tyson infamously bit Holyfield's ear, expressing surprise at Garcia's intent.
The 1997 rematch between Holyfield and Tyson saw the latter disqualified for biting Holyfield's ear, a moment etched in boxing history. Despite the incident, Holyfield forgave Tyson.
"I was so quick to forgive because I realized when somebody got you, you're not winning, and all you just want is [to] get out, you bite," Holyfield told Vlad TV.
"Life is really all about forgiving."
Garcia's reference to the Tyson-Lewis bout in 2002 added another layer to the drama, where police officers intervened due to the intense animosity between the fighters.
"Yall thought Tyson needed Police for the Lewis fight you will need the army ima attack haney it isn't a fight to me," Garcia wrote on social media.
"I don't think I will. Stop hitting him if he's down. I'm not even capping."
