Champion stunned by Tyson tactics

      Mike Tyson might have figured he would send Evander Holyfield out of the MGM Grand Garden in an ambulance, but nobody could have predicted the sorry script that unfolded Saturday night.
      Tyson bit the World Boxing Association champion twice, once on each ear, and was disqualified by referee Mills Lane at the end of the third round. Holyfield was taken by ambulance to Valley Hospital to have his right ear repaired.
      After the disqualification, several skirmishes broke out in the ring, and Holyfield handler Tim Hallmark was kicked by Tyson.
      "I had a lot of respect for Mike Tyson as a great athlete before," Holyfield trainer Tommy Brooks said. "No more. I can't believe what I saw."
      Not many could. And Brooks said if he had any respect for Tyson left after the bites, all of it was gone after Tyson charged across the ring as if he were trying to get at Holyfield.
      "That's a typical bully move," Brooks said. "He had Evander in the ring, one-on-one, man-to-man, and he didn't do anything. Then, when all those people were in there, then he wants him? Come on. That's nothing but bully stuff."
      Donald Turner, Holyfield's lead trainer, was irate and said he would not approve a rematch.
      He called Tyson's tactics "despicable" and said Tyson bit Holyfield as a means to avoid getting pummeled.
      "He was looking for a way to get out of there," Turner said. "What's the easiest way to do that? By getting disqualified."
      Holyfield landed the much stronger punches and controlled the action through the first two rounds. The best punch was a strong right that rocked Tyson in the first. But the fight was very physical, and Lane was having great difficulty keeping them separated.
      Lane said he warned both fighters several times to calm down.
      "They're both real strong guys, and they were doing a lot of wrestling," Lane said. "I told them to knock it off, or I would have to do something."
      Tyson was head-butted -- unintentionally, Lane ruled -- by Holyfield in the second round, opening a severe gash above his right eye. Tyson immediately turned to Lane to complain, but Lane allowed the fight to continue.
      Before the start of the third round, Holyfield motioned to Lane that Tyson had spit out his mouthpiece. He put it back in, but then bit Holyfield twice. The first caused Holyfield to jump up and down in pain, grimacing.
      Turner said a chunk of flesh was taken from the ear, and plastic surgery will be needed. Lane brought in ringside physician Dr. Flip Homansky, who allowed the bout to continue. Lane deducted two points from Tyson at that stage, one for a push and one for a bite.
      "When he bit me the first time, I couldn't believe it," Holyfield said before leaving for the hospital. "They have rules and regulations for this. After he bit me the first time, I went back to my corner, and they told me to breathe deep and concentrate."
      Shortly after the fight resumed, Tyson bit Holyfield on the other ear, causing Lane to disqualify Tyson.
      Lane said he had no alternative but to stop the bout.
      "One bite, maybe, it's bad enough, but two bites, that's the end of the search," Lane said.
      Judges Jerry Roth, Chuck Giampa and Duane Ford gave each of the first two rounds to Holyfield. They scored the third for Tyson, but Holyfield got a 9-8 edge on the 10-point must system when the two points were deducted.
      Brooks said he was disappointed that Tyson resorted to such low tactics.
      "Things like this happen in the street, maybe, but they have no place here," Brooks said. "It's just disgusting, is all. It's completely disgusting."