Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield 2021: Is the trilogy fight happening?

'Iron' Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield 3 was arguably the grandest boxing match expected to go down this year.

However, a monetary dispute between the two parties derailed negotiations. Unless some drastic developments take place, the possibility of watching Mike Tyson duke it out with Evander Holyfield for a third time seems slim.

24 years ago, we lived through one of the most unexpected moments in boxing history. June 27, 1997. Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield II. pic.twitter.com/HTMLYOobOL

— World Boxing Council (@WBCBoxing) June 28, 2021

Tyson and Holyfield were initially slated to clash again in the ring on May 29, as per Mike Tyson.

The fight would have marked the final edition of their trilogy saga. However, the boxing behemoths would not have fought on a professional stage. The fight would have been yet another addition to the ever-growing list of exhibition fights.

Why did the Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield trilogy fall through?

Fans were looking forward to another fight between two of the biggest names in heavyweight boxing. But if Evander Holyfield's camp is to be believed, Mike Tyson and his camp can be blamed for the fight never seeing the light of day.

In a conversation over the phone, both Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson apparently had agreed upon a 50/50 split of the profits from the mega-event.

However, the Holyfield camp subsequently maintained that Team Tyson had gone back on their agreement and were demanding a higher cut.

"Team Holyfield sincerely believed a deal was imminent, especially after the Hard Rock threw its support behind the project, and there were multiple other offers conveyed to Team Tyson. However, Team Tyson’s demands recently became untenable, and not what Mike Tyson had originally agreed on in direct conversations with Holyfield," Holyfield's camp declared in a statement

While we as fans are gutted at the prospect of missing out on a cracker of a fight, this does not mean that a fight between the stars is completely off the table.

Either party could concede to the demands of the other to set up this highly anticipated clash. Fingers crossed!