On 28 July 1997, in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield engaged in what would become the most infamous fight in boxing history. After the third round of a heavyweight championship match, Tyson was disqualified for biting each of Holyfield’s ears in what is now commonly called ‘the Bite Fight’.
But what drives a man to viciously bite another man? Was it a mental breakdown? Was it fear? Was it retaliation? In Twice Bitten, renowned sports columnist George Willis not only details what triggered Tyson to explode into a rage that led to him biting off and spitting out a chunk of Holyfield’s ear but also exposes the panic that engulfed MGM’s corridors in the aftermath.
It also reveals the answers to the following questions: what happened to the piece of ear that Tyson chewed off and spit out? Why didn’t Holyfield reattach it? And was it popping champagne bottles or gunshots that caused a near-riot in the MGM corridors and casinos that night?
Twice Bitten will enlighten readers on how that night has affected both boxers as they reach middle age. Fifteen years later, the Bite Fight still leaves its marks.
