What is with the biting? Are Boxers that tasty?

Question

Boxer disqualified for biting Olympic opponent

BEIJING (AP)—A light heavyweight boxer from Tajikistan was disqualified for biting his opponent on the shoulder during their Olympic quarterfinal bout Tuesday night.

Dzhakhon Kurbanov’s bout with Kazakhstan’s Yerkebulan Shynaliyev was stopped with 17 seconds left in the third round when Kurbanov apparently bit Shynaliyev during a clinch.

Shynaliyev, who angrily showed the blood on his shoulder to the referee, led 12-6 at the time. Kurbanov had been warned multiple times for shoving and holding his opponent.

Kurbanov is a 22-year-old fighter who got off to an auspicious start in Beijing last week, beating world champion Abbos Atoev in his first bout. He won the 2005 Asian championships as a middleweight, and was competing in his first Olympics.

Oddly enough, the evening card at Workers’ Gymnasium was watched by EVANDER HOLYFIELD, who was infamously bitten on the ear by Mike Tyson on June 28, 1997.

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/boxing/news;_ylt=AojVMoeDnJm1vUFEL_luXVIGqZp4?slug=ap-box-fightbite&prov=ap&type=lgns

Answer 1

I dont think 2 isolated incidents means there is something wrong with boxers.  One could ask why do football players spit at eachother so often (TO spit on Deangelo hall and Sean Taylor spit on someone a few years ago)

Answer 2

2 words: Mike Tyson!

Answer 3

just because in 2 incidents (that were 11 years apart) boxers were caught biting doesn't mean all boxers do.  If you've ever been held in a clinch you'd know how close you get to another fighter and its reasonable to believe that while trying to push him off or hold on if might happen.