On a mission to spread love, four-time world heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield said on Friday he had forgiven Mike Tyson for biting his ear in an infamous 1997 bout and would even forgive terrorist leader Osama bin Laden for the September 11 2001 attack on the United States.
In the southern Indian city of Hyderabad to visit a home for 3 000 children run by American Christian evangelist AK Paul, the former champ told reporters he was on a mission of ”spreading love, knowledge and forgiveness, because knowledge and forgiveness bring power”.
Holyfield said he regretted that most boxers today are fighting for the love of money rather than the love of sport, saying, ”If you have to be great in any thing. Love has to be there.”
Referring to the June 1997 title fight in which Tyson earned a ban from boxing after biting off a part of his ear, Holyfield said lawyers had advised him to sue his opponent for a vast amount of money.
”But I refused, telling them that I have responded to him by forgiving him,” he said.
Asked by reporters whether, as an American, he would forgive Bin Laden for the September 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington, Holyfield said, ”Surely, because if you do not forgive, the same thing will happen again.” — Sapa-AP