Tyson-Holyfield Debacle Is Lasting for Ratner

It may be years before Marc Ratner can get through a day without thinking of the night of the bite. Especially the moments immediately after the bite.

When Mike Tyson chomped down on the right ear of the heavyweight boxing champion, Evander Holyfield, in that fateful third round June 28 in Las Vegas, Ratner’s role as executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission immediately took on new dimensions. He was thrust into a world spotlight, and his words as official spokesman affected both his sport and the image of sports in general.

But less high profile--and probably equally important--was the role he played in the decision-making seconds after Tyson’s first bite, something Ratner brought into focus here Tuesday during a speech at the annual convention of the National Assn. of Sports Officials.

“I feel good about the decisions that were made, and I give all the credit to Mills Lane [the ring referee]” Ratner said. “Because of that night, he has probably become the most recognizable sports official in the world.”

But Lane got some quick help from three areas in the seconds just after the bite. The first was from Ratner.

“I didn’t know what happened,” Ratner said. “I just saw Evander jumping up and down in the ring. I thought he got kneed or something.

“I saw Mills send both fighters to their corners and motion for me. I went to the ring apron and he said, ‘He bit him. I’m going to disqualify him.’ ”

Ratner said that everything was happening so fast that all he had to go on were instincts, and his turned out to be those of a longtime football referee.

“I know how serious it is to toss somebody,” he said. “When one of my crew comes to me and says a player should be thrown out, I slow it down, ask some more questions, because you know that means lots of serious things, like the player probably missing the next game too.

“So that’s all I wanted from Mills at that moment, to slow it down. So I asked him a simple question: ‘Are you sure?’ ”

Quickly, the next help jumped in. Dr. Edwin “Flip” Homansky advised Lane that Holyfield could go on fighting if Lane wanted that, and Holyfield and his corner were demanding to go on.

Ratner said that at that time, he was not thinking about money or angry sponsors or disgruntled TV types or the tons of negative press about to descend on the sport. He just wanted a careful, well-thought decision.

And what if Tyson had not bitten Holyfield on the other ear minutes later, forcing the disqualification by Lane, and had instead gone on to win the fight?

Ratner replied, “Mills Lane made the perfect decision, because he allowed Mike Tyson to disqualify himself.”