Twice Bitten: The Untold Story of Holyfield–Tyson II

by George Willis

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 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.

Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2013

Reviews

[Akhlaq · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of the characters – from the fighters, promoters, referees, judges, TV network officials – are not spared from being discussed in this exhaustive overview of one of the most infamous fights in boxing history. The book captures many of the similar stories of both men of their lives whilst noting, quite importantly, that the death of Jimmy Jacobs was by far the most disruptive part of Tyson’s life and not what was commonly believed, the death of Cus D'Amto. Holyfield’s inner resolve has potentially proved to be his downfall and overshadow his peak as a fighter towards the end of his career. It juxtaposes the stories of Tyson-Holyfield's upbringing and it's surprising of some of the similarities they had in their lives. The book's spacing and order is nicely done as it starts off from the second fight before delving into the background of everyone involved and finishing on a positive note for one fighter and a slightly more concerning for another. People might be surprised to read which fighter headed for a more optimistic life post-boxing.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember watching Tyson v Holyfield I when I was young and being hooked on boxing ever since. I watched the rematch with the anticipation of seeing a classic fight and was shock and disappointed at what happened.

I found Twice Bitten was most interesting when it explored the background and lead up to the bite fight. I was already vaguely familiar with Tyson's story but this filled in some blanks. Holyfield I knew less about. Willis does a great job of revealing the origins of this rivalry and the events leading up to their inevitable clash for the heavyweight title.

This is a good read for sports as it chronicles one of the most bizarre and infamous events in recent sports history. I've always found Tyson to be an intriguing and complex figure, though one of the many Iron Mike bios might make for better reading on this subject. Overall I found this to be a well researched and written book.

[Mark Stitt]

A decent yarn, and quite an enjoyable read, but it is littered with typos and inaccuracies (particularly in terms of dates) which spoil it a bit.

[Patrick Mugumya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice book. Very informative. Author had lots of behind the scene happenings. If you like the game of boxing, you must read this, weather Mike Tyson is your man or not