Tyson 'retaliates' for Holyfield head butts

      This week, Mike Tyson sat on a sofa at Don King's house and chastised a mass of reporters.
      "I've been abused all my life," Tyson said. "I've been abused. I've been dehumanized. I've been humiliated."
      That was Monday. Five days later, Mike Tyson was disqualified from a heavyweight boxing match for gnawing on a man's ears.
      You make the call.
      In a spectacle that made Tyson's controversial disqualification victory over Peter McNeeley seem dignified by comparison, Tyson was disqualified after three rounds for biting both of Evander Holyfield's ears.
      Thus, Holyfield retained his World Boxing Association championship before an angry and confused capacity crowd at the 16,331-seat MGM Grand Garden and millions of pay-per-view customers worldwide.
      "I'm disappointed, (but) boxing is an unpredictable sport," promoter Don King said. "Things can happen. ... I don't know why they stopped it. I have to see replays before I comment further."
      Soon after the fight, Dr. Elias Ghanem, chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, announced that Tyson had been temporarily suspended and his $30 million purse is being held, pending an emergency disciplinary meeting set for Tuesday at Las Vegas City Hall.
      Tyson could be in deeper trouble. Videotape of the post-fight scene appeared to show him flinging punches at Las Vegas Metro police officers.
      The much-anticipated rematch of Holyfield's title victory in November 1996 unraveled into theatre of the bizarre late in the third round. Tyson, bleeding from what referee Mills Lane ruled an accidental head butt in the second round, clinched with Holyfield.
      Then, shockingly, he took a chomp out of Holyfield's right ear. Holyfield grabbed at his ear, which bled heavily, and turned away from Tyson. Tyson charged in and pushed Holyfield from behind.
      "He hit me with a good shot and bit my ear and spit it out," said Holyfield, whose right ear sported a bite-sized wound. "... It goes to show you have no courage when you try and foul to get out of a fight."
      After a lengthy delay to determine what had unfolded, Lane deducted two points from Tyson -- one for the bite and one for the push -- and action resumed. But with 20 seconds left in the third round, Tyson did it again, biting Holyfield's left ear and again drawing blood.
      The round ended, and so did the fight. Lane said he told Tyson trainer Richie Giachetti to "knock it off" after the first bite and wouldn't tolerate a second. Lane said he thought for a few moments after the third round before disqualifying Tyson.
      "Disqualification is the biggest penalty in boxing, and I thought it over," Lane said. "I did what was right and let the chips fall where they may."
      After fleeing a skirmish-marred ringside scene that seemed about to boil over to a riot, an embittered Tyson was summoned from his locker room by Showtime announcer Jim Gray to explain his actions.
      Tyson said he was angry about what he perceived to be intentional butts from Holyfield.
      "He butted me in the first round and in the second round again," Tyson said. "What's a man to do? This is my career. I've got children to raise, and I have to retaliate. I complained in the first round, and nothing was done."
      Tyson said it was Holyfield who instigated the dirty tactics.
      "He's not the warrior everyone says he is. He's not rough," said Tyson, whose right eye was opened by the second-round clash of heads. "Look at me. I have one eye. I'm ready to fight him right now, (but) he didn't want to fight."
      Before its outlandish conclusion, the third round was Tyson's best. He opened the round with an effective three-punch flurry and, just before the first bite, hit Holyfield with a quick left-right combination.