Appetite for Destruction: When Athletes Bite
Luis Suarez sinks his teeth into the competition.
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Luis Suarez Takes Bite Out of Competition - He already walked into the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament sporting the nickname "The Cannibal." So when Uruguay's Luis Suarez sparked international headlines Tuesday for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini's shoulder in the 80th minute of their World Cup match, he was further enforcing the point that he enjoys taking a bite out of the competition...literally. Suarez, one of the best soccer players in the world, first bit an opponent in 2010 playing in the Dutch league. He did it again last year against Chelsea, and now Tuesday on the world's greatest stage. The third incident created such a stir that the most famous victim of a sports bite, Evander Holyfield, even tweeted, "I guess any part of the body is up for eating." Suarez, who FIFA may suspend, may be sports' most repeat biting offender, but he's not...
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Mike Tyson Bites Evander Holyfield's Ear - Suffice to say, Mike Tyson biting the ear of Evander Holyfield during their June 1997 heavyweight fight remains the most notorious biting incident in sports history. Seeking revenge for a loss to Holyfield just eight months prior, Tyson lost his temper and infamously chomped down on both of Holyfield's ears, taking a chunk out of his right one. Holyfield writhed in pain as Tyson was disqualified in the third round in what was easily one of the most bizarre events that boxing has ever seen. They don't call it the "Bite Fight" for nothing. (Photo: Steve Marcus /Landov/Reuters)
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Evander Holyfield Bites Opponent as Amateur - Evander Holyfield remains the most notable victim of a sports bite. However, the acclaimed boxer was once guilty of the same crime. Coming up as a boxing amateur, a teenage Holyfield once bit the shoulder of opponent Jakey Winters during the Georgia Golden Gloves tournament. Evander let his incisors do the talking once he was knocked down to the canvas in the second round of that fight. Maybe this explains why he forgave Tyson. And that's "Real Deal" Holyfield.poses for a picture. (Photo: Allsport /Allsport/Getty Images)
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Dodgers Prospect Miguel Olivo Bites Teammate's Ear - Just last month, Miguel Olivo of the Albuquerque Isotopes — a Class AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers — bit teammate Alex Guerrero's ear during an in-game altercation. Olivo chomped down so hard that Guerrero needed plastic surgery to repair the damage. The Dodgers suspended Olivo, before releasing him. Bites doesn't it? (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
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Tree Bites Man - Don't ever bark up the wrong tree. Danny Ainge learned that the hard way. In a scuffle instigated by Ainge during the 1983 first-round NBA playoff series between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks, big man Tree Rollins almost bit off Ainge's finger. The wound needed two stitches to close. (Photo: Brian Tietz/Getty Images)
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Derian Hatcher Allegedly Bites New Jersey Devil - Derian Hatcher built a reputation as a goon through his nearly 20 years in the NHL. So perhaps it was fitting that just before Hatcher retired in 2008, the then-Philadelphia Flyers' player allegedly bit Travis Zajac of the New Jersey Devils. According to a report, then-Devils coach Brent Sutter said it was "like a dog on a bone." Hatcher responded, "If he's cut, good, but I didn't bite him." (Photo: George Bridges/MCT /Landov)
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Jarkko Ruutu Goes Biting Mad - Ottawa Senators Jarkko Ruutu tried to sink his choppers through the hand of Buffalo Sabres forward Andrew Peters during a January 2009 match up. Peters winced as he needed immediate medical attention, while the NHL didn't waste time slapping Ruutu with a two-game suspension without pay. Doesn't pay to go biting mad. (Photo: Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)