EVANDER HOLYFIELD SAYS HE FORGIVES MIKE TYSON FOR BITING A PIECE OF HIS EAR OFF!

Former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield forgave his boxing rival Mike Tyson Friday for biting his ear in their 1997 title fight.
"The most important thing is to forgive, and I forgive him," Holyfield said as he and Tyson shook hands on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Asked if he was still missing part of his ear, Holyfield pointed to the spot and said, "Just a little bit."

A smiling Tyson poured on the praise for the fighter he disfigured.

"This is a beautiful guy," he said, affectionately holding Holyfield's arm. "I just want you to know it's been a pleasure passing through life, being acquainted with you."

Tyson horrified the boxing world on June 28, 1997, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas when he twice bit Holyfield on the ear - and was disqualified.

At the time, a seemingly repentant Tyson said he "snapped" when he bit Holyfield and made an extraordinary public apology to his fans and his bloodied rival.

The Brooklyn native, who dominated boxing for more than a decade, even said he would seek professional help to understand what happened.

Tyson told Winfrey he wasn't really being sincere when he made that apology a dozen years ago, but he stopped short of offering Holyfield a fresh mea culpa Friday.

Holyfield didn't appear to notice - or care. He said he wanted to be with Tyson on TV to show kids caught up in violence that reconciliation is possible.

"We can come together," he said. "We know you can come together."

It's the second time this month that Tyson has been on Oprah's show. In the previous appearance, Tyson discussed the freak accident that killed his 4-year-old daughter, Exodus.