ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Daily News Staff Writer

A crazed man bites off a portion of your ear and spits it out in front of millions of people.

Now that's grounds for bitterness. For revenge. For a lawsuit. Your ill will is the least such a scoundrel deserves after such a barbaric act. He removed part of your body without your permission, for God's sake.

Evander Holyfield's reaction after Mike Tyson turned animal in June? Forgive and forget.

``In that type of fight, things happen,'' said Holyfield, who faces Michael Moorer in a title-unification bout tonight in Las Vegas.

``You have to forgive and move on. . . . There's no reason to hold it against him. If we held everything against people, we couldn't come together even for a day.''

Those who know Holyfield, particularly those close to him, aren't surprised at his response.

Nothing gets to this guy, they agreed, nothing.

Not two hard-fought, epic losses to Riddick Bowe that might have finished the typical fighter; not a third defeat, to Moorer in 1994; not the startling announcement after the Moorer fight that his career was in jeopardy because of a defective heart; and not the debacle in June.

Call it character, call it mental toughness, call it faith. Whatever it is, it has enabled him to survive the setbacks in his career only to come back better than ever at a time when most observers believed it was time for him to retire.

``If Mike had bitten someone else, this might've been completely different,'' said Tim Hallmark, Holyfield's fitness trainer and one of his best friends. ``Both corners might've caused a big ruckus, there might've been lawsuits, who knows what could've happened. Even now, even months later, there could've been repercussion.

``As it is, it was Evander who he bit. And it's over. It goes to show you can't stereotype anybody, fighters, pro athletes, trainers, promoters. There's good and bad in everything.''

The aftermath of the first Moorer fight was the most significant challenge of Holyfield's career.

The loss itself was trying but digestible. Holyfield claims he injured his left shoulder in the second round, which rendered him a one-armed fighter for the remainder of the 12-round fight. He believed he could win even with the handicap but ultimately lost a close decision.

Afterward, he congratulated Moorer and began to consider his options. Then came the news: A preliminary diagnosis suggested he had a heart defect and he lost his boxing license.

Holyfield, at 31, had contemplated retirement before the announcement. He was already a two-time world champion. He had just come off the second loss of his career. How many more hours did he want to spend in the gym and away from his family?

However, the diagnosis shook him up. No one was going to tell Evander Holyfield he couldn't fight. He felt fine, he felt strong. Nothing was wrong and he was going to prove it.

Alas, not only was he cleared to fight after exhaustive tests proved the original diagnosis was bogus, doctors were amazed at what they discovered: This was one super-human physical specimen.

After a year away from boxing, the comeback was under way.

``You saying you don't want to fight anymore and someone else saying you can't fight anymore are two different things,'' Hallmark said.

``He was like, `Wait. I want my license back, I want to fight again.' He didn't care what went wrong (with the original diagnosis), he just wanted to fight, to move on, not to dwell on the past.''

Holyfield's subsequent fights gave rise to the sentiment that he was through, perhaps even ``shot,'' that damning term boxers dread most.

He had a tough time outpointing Ray Mercer in May of 1995, was knocked out by Bowe - the only time in his career he's been stopped - and had inexplicable difficulty with cruiserweight Bobby Czyz in May of last year, a fight he should have won easily.

His response? One of the greatest performances in the history of boxing.

Tyson had regained an aura of invincibility even though he lost to Buster Douglas in 1990. No one was going to beat him, certainly not Holyfield, an old man at 34 who was a 25-1 underdog to the great Iron Mike at one point.

Holyfield not only did the impossible, he did it with utter devastation. He gave Tyson an old-fashioned whipping, one from which most experts believe the conquered will never fully recover.

The losses, the unexpectedly tough fights, the misdiagnosis, the loss of his license, the public doubt. It all added up to nothing. Holyfield knew what he could do - he had known since their amateur days he could beat Tyson - and did it.

``He and I talked before,'' said Jim Thomas, Holyfield's adviser. ``We talked about how the world would change for him after (Nov. 9) because we were absolutely convinced we knew what the outcome would be. We were prepared for it.

Holyfield could never have expected what would happen on June 28. And neither could the world.

Ironically, Holyfield's celebrity had reached a peak as a direct result of Tyson's vile behavior, which cost Tyson his license. Thomas said he and the champion have received countless expressions of support from around the world, to a degree not even the first Tyson fight engendered.

And, it follows, Holyfield's marketability has soared. Thomas said he and his client are sifting through myriad endorsement offers and expect to announce more than one deal within six months.

At the moment, his focus is on tonight's fight. He said without hesitation that he'll knockout Moorer, not with an air of cockiness but with absolute certainty. After that, his next challenge: Lennox Lewis and the opportunity to be the undisputed heavyweight champion once again, if the fight can be arranged.

All the while, he fields incessant questions about Tyson with typical grace and compassion.

``We all fall short,'' he said. ``What happens when a person falls short? You ask yourself, `Are you able to get yourself up to the right standard?'

``All I know is he's trying to get himself together so he can be reinstated and resume his career.''

Again, no surprise there.

Now, the public knows what those closest to Holyfield have known all along.

``I think all this has enhanced the public's ability to believe he's as good as seems to be,'' Thomas said. ``People might believe he sounds one way in sound bites but under pressure might be a different way. In this case, Evander showed under pressure what kind of person he is.

``It was consistent with everything he's ever done. It makes people realize there are true heroes in our midst. And he's one of them.''

WBA / IBF HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Evander Holyfield vs. Michael Moorer

Card starts at 6 p.m.

HOLYFIELD VS. MOORER

Who: WBA heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield faces IBF champ Michael Moorer in a title-unification bout.

Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas.

TV: Pay-per-view, first televised bout 6 p.m.

Records: Holyfield 33-3, 24 KOs; Moorer 39-1, 31 KOs.

Weights: Holyfield 214, Moorer 223.

The first fight: Moorer narrowly outpointed Holyfield to take Holyfield's WBA and IBF titles in April, 1994. Holyfield says he injured his left shoulder in the second round and fought with one arm the rest of the fight. Moorer says baloney.

Keys: The big question is this: Was Holyfield actually hurt in the first fight? If he was, Moorer could be trouble. Both plan to be very aggressive. Hollyfield hasn't been aggressive since he fought as a light heavyweight.

Also fighting: Nate Miller defends his WBA cruiserweight title against Fabrice Tiozzo; WBA featherweight champ Wilfredo Vasquez defends against Genaro Rios; and Uriah Grant defends his IBF cruiserweight championship against Imamu Mayfield.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

PHOTO (color) Evander Holyfield, shown singing at a church revival meeting this week, has recovered from numerous setbacks in his boxing career.

Al Bello / Allsport

BOX: HOLLYFIELD VS. MOORER (see text)