Cuban Boxer Suspended for Biting

HAVANA TIMES —Cuban boxer Giorbis Barthelemy, a US resident, was suspended for 10 years and fined up to $10,000 for biting the neck of his opponent during a fight on  August 4 in Atlanta.

According to the website of the RT network, Barthelemy was disqualified in the fifth round in the bout against US boxer Grady Brewer for the middleweight title of the IBO. The Cuban-born athlete was said to have cornered his opponent against the ropes, where he bit him repeatedly.

In statements to The Sweet Science boxing forum, the US athlete attributed Barthelemy’s action to frustration. “I think he was frustrated and felt he couldn’t beat me without biting. He wasn’t getting anywhere. He was frustrated, so he bit me,” said Brewer.