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Lem’s latest: Tyson, Holyfield and ‘The Bite Fight’

Fighters Network
29
May

In The Bite Fight: Tyson, Holyfield and the Night that Changed Boxing Forever, New York Post sports columnist George Willis takes a walk down boxing’s memory lane.

To some, the walk may be considered a horrific one.

The Bite Fight recounts the June 1997 rematch between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, over the course of which Tyson bit both of Holyfield’s ears, even spitting a chunk of flesh onto the canvas as fans watched.

In his book, Willis takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Holyfield-Tyson II through the eyes of many of those involved, including ringside interviewer Jim Gray.



Willis explains how then-executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission Marc Ratner and referee Mills Lane arrived at the decision to disqualify Tyson after three rounds, and also delves into the havoc the incident spawned outside of the ring.

Follow this link to read a review of the book by Yahoo!Sports.

 

JESSIE MAGDALENO RETURNS TO ACTION ON JUNE 8 AGAINST HENRY MALDONADO


Junior featherweight prospect Jessie Magdaleno (14-0, 10 KOs), a 21-year-old resident of Las Vegas, has been cranking it up in training with sparring partners Sal Lopez Jr. and Donte Strayhorn in advance of his June 8 bout with Nicaragua’s Henry Maldonado (16-2, 11 KOs). The fight is slated for Top Rank’s Solo Boxeo Tecate card at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

“Jessie is having a great camp, working very hard,” said Magdaleno’s manager and trainer, Pat Barry. “Jessie is showing more skill, discipline and displaying great work ethic. My biggest job is keeping Jessie from over-working, as he always wants to keep at it.”

Magdaleno is coming off a third-round stoppage of Carlos Fulgencio in March.

In another bout on the card, hard-hitting welterweight Michael Finney (11-0, 9 KOs), of Pahrump, Nev., will pursue his third straight stoppage win against Raul Tovar (10-6-1, 4 KOs), of Mission, Texas.

Finney, 21, is trained by former champion Richie Sandoval at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas. Reigning Trainer of The Year Robert Garcia also has worked with Finney, who is managed by Cameron Dunkin.

“Cameron was the first to talk to me. It was very exciting for me, a kid from Alabama. The key thing for me now is training,” said Finney. “I want to do well, and I know what kind of work it takes to get where I want to go — to the big fights.”

 

JAMES DEGALE RETURNS TO THE RING ON JUNE 8

Super middleweight James DeGale (15-1, 10 KOs), a 2008 Olympic gold medalist for Great Britain, will face Slovenia’s Stjepan Bozic (26-6, 17 KOs) on June 8 at The Glow in Bluewater, Greenhithe, Kent, United Kingdom, according to The Daily Mail of London.

DeGale, 27, is after his sixth straight victory and his third knockout during that run since falling by majority decision to unbeaten countryman George Groves in May of 2011. DeGale is coming off a second-round stoppage victory on May 17.

Bozic, 38, will be after his third consecutive knockout victory against DeGale.

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]

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