Who does not remember the gruesome fight that went down between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield in 1997? Yes, Holyfield defeated Tyson for the second time that night. But that was not the headline that was over the news the next day. A furious Tyson bit off Holyfield’s right ear, prompting the fight to stop midway. Today, we bring you another such incident. However, the goriness of this ear story supersedes that of Tyson-Holyfield.
Durham-based street fighter, Alex Etherington, had a part of his ear torn away. And now he stores it in an alcohol solution-filled beaker in his kitchen. The fighter lost his ear when he fought Bachir “Bash” Fakhouri last year. In a documentary titled, ‘UNTOLD: The Secret World of Fight Clubs’ his shocking story found a place.
“Ear-tini”: Radio Jockey explains the “ear in a jar” fiasco
In a recent conversation on the 98 Rock Baltimore show, co-hosts Kirk & Marianne explored the spine-chilling incident that resulted in Alex losing his ear. While the Untold documentary showed the story in a rather chilling tone, Marianne spoke of it in pure astonishment. She broke the ice by saying, “One man that they featured showed that he keeps his own ear in a jar after it got bitten off.” Kirk was shocked. However, she continued. She explained, “So it’s the edge, think of a lemon rind that you twist in a martini. It’s about that size. It’s like a strip of cartilage.”
The RJ tried to channel some levity into the story. She joked, “He can make an ear-Tini.” Alex might have lost a part of his ear that night, but what about the fight? He went home victorious. After his opponent bit his ear off, Alex attempted to eye-gouge Bash. ‘Welder’ Alex usually fought in Swedish-style street fights. His jabs were powerful enough to earn him the moniker ‘King of Streets.’ Usually, no rules bind such fights. They go down purely via fighter instincts.
To The Sun, Alex noted, “I felt lucky to get on King Of The Streets. It’s quite sought after. I only got on it because my friend vouched for me.” Speaking about losing his ear, the fighter said, “He was desperate for a win as he’d come off a few losses. Ten seconds in, he bit my ear off. I didn’t know it had come off at first. Blood was trickling down my face.” At the hospital, he was told that his ear could not be reattached.
While Alex encountered a life-altering injury that night, he also went home significantly richer. While he did not deduce as to how much the fight got him, reports suggest that the fighter earned £2,000. Today, he continues to undertake street fights.
