Mike Tyson poised to grow ‘Mike Bites’ cannabis brand that recalls ear-biting incident

Mike Tyson seems intent on building a brand around one of the most infamous moments of his career—when he took a bite of Evander Holyfield’s ear in a boxing match 25 years ago. Tyson’s cannabis brand recently came out with ear-shaped marijuana edibles, called Mike Bites. And now a trademark filing indicates the boxing legend wants to expand the brand into a range of products, including keychains, pillows, rolling papers, vape pens and more. Trademark attorney Josh Gerben spotted the filing: Mike Tyson has filed a trademark application for "MIKE BITES."The filing indicates that @MikeTyson intends to sell "MIKE BITES"-branded:1. Pillows2. Clothing3. Toys 4. Rolling papers ...and more 👇Tyson already sells cannabis gummies using the name.#MikeTyson pic.twitter.com/PIS2018JZA— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) May 4, 2022 In what has become known as the “Bite Fight,” Tyson in the third round of a 1997 heavyweight bout with Holyfield spit out his mouthpiece and took a bite out of his opponent's ear. He was disqualified from the match and suspended from boxing. The incident remains etched in the memories of sports fans of a certain age, including Gen Xers and Boomers. Iron Mike now seems to want to turn into a marketing opportunity under his cannabis brand, called Tyson 2.0, which is listed on the trademark filing. The gummy edibles debuted in March, generating plenty of headlines from NBC News and others—valuable exposure in the fractured and competitive cannabis market. The gummies, which sell for $16 a bag, come in black raspberry, watermelon and sour apple, and appear to have a piece missing right where Tyson bit Holyfield. “We promise they’ll taste better than the real thing…. or at least that’s what Mike tells us,” the brand states on its website. Lisa Weser, founder and CEO of cannabis marketing agency Trailblaze, says the ear gummies have generated buzz inside the cannabis industry—both good and bad. “From a marketing perspective I do think it’s clever,” said Weser, whose clients have included Matha Stewart’s CBD line. “It’s very memorable. Even though it’s controversial, that sparks conversation. I think that is what they want, it gets attention.” “However, it’s brought up a lot of conversation, especially among women in the industry, about his rape conviction [and] his past abuse of his wife,” she added. Tyson in 1992 was found guilty of raping an 18-year-old beauty contestant. His first wife, Robin Givens, accused him of abuse. More recently, Tyson drew headlines for getting involved in a scuffle with a fellow airline passenger in April. The gummy brand is “causing people to look back into his past and talk about whether he is an appropriate person to be tying your brand to,” Weser said. “And also whether he is somebody we even want [in the cannabis industry] that we are trying to build a better reputation for, trying to destigmatize,” she added, noting that “I think the industry is a little bit split on this.” Tyson’s past has not stopped other mainstream brands from using him in marketing. Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer last year put Tyson at the center of an ad campaign that played off the fact the aging boxer and new hard seltzer share a name. Brand owner Mark Anthony Brands put heavyweight money behind the campaign, investing more than $35 million in media. Register for upcoming Ad Age events Ad Age Next: Multicultural Marketing on May 9 Ad Age In-Depth: TV Pivot on May 24 and 25

Mike Tyson poised to grow ‘Mike Bites’ cannabis brand that recalls ear-biting incident

Featured Stories