Bitten-off flesh salvaged

As Libonati learned, he didn’t swallow it. Libonati, an MGM Grand employee who tidies up the ring, found the piece of ear on the canvas when the fight was over.

He carefully wrapped it up in a spare latex glove and hustled it back to the dressing room, where another fighter, Michael Grant, opened the door. “I said, `I have his ear,’ he was kind of puzzled,” The 28-year-old Libonati said.

Libonati went through one nerve-wracking moment when he couldn’t find the piece, which he described as “like rubber, there was no squash to it” in the folds of the glove.

Eventually, however, he found it, and plastic surgeons were to try to reattatch it.

KING DEFENDS TYSON: Promoter Don King referring to the mayhem put it best when he said Tyson’s action “goes beyond reason.” King was trying to make excuses for Tyson, who said he was retaliating for a head butt.

* Tyson rattles Holyfield with the first punch — a right to the head. Holyfield retaliates with two blows to the head. Round one to Holyfield.

* Tyson cut at the corner of the right eye adjudged accidental head butt. Holyfield enjoys edge again. Second round marked by holding and mauling.

n Tyson wrests control with short punches to the head, then bites Holyfield on the ear. The champion jumps up and down in anger and turns away. Bout suspended for four minutes as doctor attends to Holyfield. Referee Mills Lane threatens Tyson with disqualification.

* Bout resumes. Tyson bites Holyfield this time on the left ear. Wild, angry punches follow. Third round ends. Lane announces Tyson disqualification as bedlam overcomes arena. Tyson attempts to reach Holyfield’s corner, hits policeman instead.

* Chunk of Holyfield’s right ear discovered missing at post-fight interview.

* Tyson’s $30 million purse witheld pending hearing.

* Piece of Holyfield’s ear found in ring. Reattachment by plastic surgeons planned.