The Vampire Bites Back

Luis Suarez is not the first athlete to bare his incisors, nor it is the first time he has done that. Asheesh Sharma puts together a short history of athletes who have been accused of biting.

Luis Suarez is not the first athlete to bare his incisors, nor is it the first time he has done that. Here’s a short history of athletes who have been accused of biting.



Mike Tyson

One of the most ferocious pugilists in the world, he bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear in 1997 and spat it out. Iron Mike expressed no regret, reportedly saying, "I’d do it again".



Sushil Kumar

Accused of biting his Kazakh opponent Akzhurek Tanatarov’s ear during the London Olympics in 2010. "I’m vegetarian!" he retorted when faced with the allegation.

Luis Suarez

Playing for Ajax in 2010, Suarez leaned into Otmal Bakal’s shoulder and bit him, vampire-style. After being banned for seven games, his bizarre excuse: "This week I had to travel a lot."



Jermain Defoe

Tottenham striker, accused of biting West Ham’s Javier Mascherano during a match in 2006, got away with it unpunished.



Francisco Gallardo

In 2001, playing for Sevilla in the La Liga, the footballer nibbled at Jose Antonio Reyes’s penis. Gallardo was suspended but the player said he didn’t think he had offended anyone.



From HT Brunch, July 6



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