LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It's been 26 years since a championship fight on the Las Vegas Strip was interrupted by a man and his powered paraglider.
Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe went toe-to-toe outside Caesars Palace on November 6, 1993.
Seven rounds in, Henderson resident James "Fan Man" Miller flew into the ring and began his 15 minutes of fame.
Las #Vegas History: #OTD 26 years ago, Nov. 6, 1993, one of the craziest moments ever in sports. "Fan Man" James Miller crashes the Riddick Bowe-Evander Holyfield fight @CaesarsPalace.@HistoryNevada recaps the wild night: https://t.co/ULx0CyWW7y.
— Clark County Nevada (@ClarkCountyNV) November 6, 2019
Video: https://t.co/YXJsbAae4B pic.twitter.com/0r4YIskXX9
Boxing analyst Jon Saraceno was ringside.
In 2015, Saraceno told 13 Action News, "We could see 'Fan Man' coming in from the sky probably miles away."
The parachute on Millers' paraglider became caught in lights. He slammed into the ropes and was met with a beatdown.
"Rock Newman, the manager of Bowe, and the rest of the Bowe entourage, they thought it was a terrorism act," Saraceno said. "They immediately started beating him senseless with their walkie-talkies."
"Fan Man" was knocked unconscious and rushed to the hospital. The heavyweight title fight was delayed several minutes.
"That was a very dramatic fight between Bowe and Holyfield," Saraceno said. "There's no telling what would have happened had 'Fan Man' not sailed into those ring ropes."
Holyfield would win the fight.
"Fan Man" recovered and was booked into Clark County Detention Center. He was released after posting $200 bail.
"Fan Man" staged similar stunts at sporting events in the United States and United Kingdom, but health problems eventually prevented him from flying.
He moved to Alaska in 1996 and killed himself in 2002.
