Mike Tyson

August 25, 2022 7:15 a.m.. Episode still of Evander Holyfield (Johnny Alexander) fighting Mike Tyson (Trevante Rhodes) The eight-episode production ...

Or perhaps, the trap of having Washington’s story begin in the run-up to being raped by Tyson and end with her interview post-conviction,” says Luther, who is also a co-host of “ [Jessica Luther,](https://education.utexas.edu/student/jessica_luther) an investigative journalist who has written extensively on the intersection of sports and gendered violence and is the author of [Unsportsmanlike Conduct: College Football and the Politics of Rape](http://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/unsportsmanlike-conduct/). As recently as a [2021 FightHype interview](https://youtu.be/eaGcDLGjkc8?t=292), he crassly said, “I’m not above violating a woman, but I didn’t violate that woman.” The clip has 106,000 views. “In the 1980s, boxing was starting to go out of fashion, not like today, but it was waning and Mike showed up and breathed a lot of life into the sport,” says Layden. This isn’t the pseudo-realism of the original Rocky or Creed, or the recreated chaos of [Raging Bull](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tYaznG6i_w). Called “a crazy white dude” in the memoir version of Tyson’s Undisputed Truth, D’Amato utilized techniques like taking the future champ to a Manhattan hypnotherapist who read the boxing lifer’s exhortations that “this is what you were actually born to do.” The show has a lot of fun with D’Amato’s eccentricities, but it also accepts the conventional narrative wisdom that good ole’ Cus adopted and trained his son primarily out of altruism. “There is a quote in the SI story from a boxing analyst of that era basically saying Mike wasn’t a great technician but his power and speed were so incredible, you didn’t want to miss it. If you did, the fight might be over, like in the infamous [“30-second execution”](https://www.ringtv.com/624672-mike-tyson-marvis-frazier-a-30-second-execution-35-years-later/) of [Marvis Frazier,](https://twitter.com/BoxingWorldUk/status/1526975714368573441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1526975714368573441%7Ctwgr%5Edbe226986547509fe4eabc314e1cdad9ca941ba7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.givemesport.com%2F88010186-mike-tyson-marvis-frazier-boxing) son of the all-time great Smokin’ [Joe Frazier](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joe-Frazier). Throughout the nearly four decades of Tyson’s presence in the public sphere, he has been alternatively an athletic superstar, a [video game legend](https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3729473), a tabloid stalwart, a convicted rapist, a C-list celebrity, a [Broadway actor](https://playbill.com/production/mike-tyson-undisputed-truth-longacre-theatre-vault-0000013966), a [marijuana entrepreneur](https://tyson20.com/) and much more. Suffice to say, [he is none too happy about the project](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/08/media/mike-tyson-hulu-series/index.html). [I, Tonya](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZbTLdDHRvs) (another dramatization of a notorious ’90s athlete, figure skater [Tonya Harding](https://olympics.com/en/athletes/tonya-harding)). The idea of “Iron Mike” being cut down in his world-beating prime by anyone, let alone a

In 1992, he was convicted of raping Desiree Washington, an 18-year-old contestant in the Miss Black America pageant, and spent three years in prison. By the ...

He has changed his life for the better and he also has a long way to go toward reckoning with his past. We see that Tyson first developed a taste for violence in order to ward off the bullies picking on him in But through its first five episodes, at least, the details of Tyson’s story exist on an even plane, and it’s up to you to decide how you want to weigh them. Avoiding the shiny robes, colorful trunks, and bombastic entrances of his rivals, he strolled to the ring in plain black shorts, no towel, no walkout music, just He cries when his mom dies of cancer, cries when his first trainer wants to hand him off to a more experienced trainer, cries when he realizes his fighting skills ensure he “won’t ever get bullied no more,” cries when an article in Playboy states that the “best punch he ever threw” was at Robin Givens. The target of the show’s core critique doesn’t seem to be Tyson; it’s you and me, the viewers. In the 2008 documentary, he says he was “falsely accused of raping that wretched swine of a woman Desiree Washington.” In his Broadway show, he accuses Givens of using his fame to try to elevate hers, tells stories about her sexual exploits, makes fun of her hair, and denigrates her career. Mike serves as a critical reminder that leaving the stories of powerful people in their own hands appeases their interests at the expense of neutrality. I had that dichotomy in mind when I watched the five episodes provided to critics of Hulu’s new miniseries about his life, Mike, a dramatized biography that Tyson wasn’t involved in producing. Over the first four episodes we bounce between his contemporary performance and flashbacks to the past, all presented through his perspective, a distinctly sympathetic framing that highlights the steep obstacles he had to overcome on the road to fame and fortune. The quote I knew best was when he said of Lennox Lewis in 2000, “I want to eat his children.” I knew him as a legitimate danger to society, uncontrollable, impulsive, angry, the last person you’d want to get into an elevator with, a cold-blooded fighting machine who couldn’t seem to turn off his aggression when he stepped outside the ring. He [denied](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/10/15/tyson-strikes-back/6a165f82-7186-4cdb-8937-84e99904a4b8/) the allegations, claiming that she was trying to destroy his credibility to secure more money from the divorce.

The "I, Tonya" team delivers an unconvincing exercise in self-examination in "Mike," a boxing biopic that's more recycled than revelatory.

The shows title and tagline — “You may know Tyson, but do you know Mike?” — seem to hint at the desire to strip its subject of his notoriety, giving us a picture of someone who isn’t perfect, but who isn’t a monster, either. It’s a worthwhile experiment, one that Tyson himself has been engaged in for the later part of his career as he tries to get people to see through his notoriety, arrests, and ear-biting to the reflective man himself. While impressive from a visual standpoint, they miss out on any realistic portrayal of the sport and the thrill of seeing a fight play out in real time. [Mike](https://www.indiewire.com/t/mike/),” blood, sweat, and probably a few tears splatter off the faces of [Mike Tyson](https://www.indiewire.com/t/mike-tyson/)’s opponents in the ring. You might, however, choose to see it as an invitation to strip him of his power and see him as a mere mortal: just some guy named Mike. Cus molds Tyson into the fighter that would go on to become heavyweight champ, encouraging him to withhold his emotions both in and out of the ring. Even when he loses his first fight in a major upset to Buster Douglas in Tokyo, the circumstances are identical to, if not more tame than, Tyson’s explanation of why he was unfocused. [Trevante Rhodes](https://www.indiewire.com/t/trevante-rhodes/) (“Moonlight”) delivers an admirable performance as the adult Tyson, fully embodying both the fighter’s physical presentation and hyper-specific mannerisms as he addresses the crowd, from his soft voice to his surprisingly delicate on-stage gesticulations. Li Eubanks gives a stand-out performance as Desirée, a fresh-faced and intelligent high school senior from Coventry, Rhode Island competing in the Miss Black America pageant in Indianapolis. It’s hard to imagine what Tyson would take issue with in the show’s first four episodes, which depict him exactly as he’s described himself in his own words. [Hulu](https://www.indiewire.com/t/hulu/)’s limited series, helmed by Steven Rogers and Craig Gillespie (the writer and director behind “I, Tonya,” respectively), slows these moments down, intent on displaying the physical impact of Tyson’s superhuman strength on the body. This would be an intriguing framing device if it wasn’t borrowed from Tyson’s own one-man show “Undisputed Truth,” which premiered on Broadway in 2012 in a production directed by Spike Lee.

Actor Russell Hornsby defended Hulu's Mike Tyson biopic, "Mike," after the famous boxer slammed the series and claimed they "stole" his life story.

“Is [King] going to be looked at positively in what he has done with putting a lot of money in a lot of fighters pockets, and making money for a lot of people in this country … “Hulu did not look to just denigrate Tyson, but this story is out there — so let’s have a conversation about what was being presented. I don’t think his problem is with me [it’s] with others,” he said. “This announcement on the heels of social disparities in our country is a prime example of how Hulu’s corporate greed led to this tone-deaf cultural misappropriation of the Tyson life story,” he wrote then. “This is a no-holds-barred look at Tyson and his life and you have to take the crooked with the straight. “I think what we had intended to do was tell his story.”

It's been almost 20 years since Mike Tyson last stepped into the ring as a professional boxer. While the former heavyweight champion ended his boxing career ...

While it's unclear exactly what part Tyson's character has to play in the overarching narrative, his brief appearance in [the trailer for "Liger"](https://youtu.be/koYN8qSk_Us) seems to pit Henderson as some sort of antagonist to the central players. release date for the film has been announced, but given Mike Tyson's presence alone, some sort of Stateside run seems more a matter of "when," instead of "if." If you've yet to hear anything about "Liger," the film is set largely in the world of India's mixed martial arts scene, and it follows the titular fighter's (Vijay Deverakonda) rise to the top. Over the years, the former champ has delivered memorable performances in the likes of ["The Hangover,"](https://www.looper.com/817517/the-surprising-lesson-mike-tyson-had-to-learn-for-the-hangover/) "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Entourage," and "The Last O.G.," and even voiced himself the gonzo Adult Swim animated series "Mike Tyson Mysteries." And every step of the journey seems to be leading Liger to the U.S. Tyson's legacy outside of the ring is just as complicated, with [troubling issues](https://nypost.com/article/mike-tyson-worst-moments-scandals/) regularly dogging the prizefighter's personal life.

Iron Mike was the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in the world, but he describes his life as 'insane' and filled with 'sick' orgies - but not a penny ...

He was married to actress Robin Givens, but just a year after they wed the relationship had crumbled. Tyson admitted he also borrowed money from a man in China to buy a mansion after moving out of his house in Las Vegas. I bought a lot of cars for girls too." "I have a big deep hole in me, but I had to have everything, all of it. He was out cold, convulsing on the floor." I had enough money left like two million dollars and I bought a house in Phoenix. He then rose to fame and was soon the most successful boxer in the world, but he then became known as 'The Baddest Man on the Planet'. In his autobiography, Mike wrote: "I was petrified when I was alone with him. "I then got locked up someplace as a kid and met some guy who used to be a fighter. That was the first fight ever in my life because of a pigeon. "I was fighting the kid, then fighting their fathers. He bounced from one rough area to the next and it has been reported that Mike had been arrested over 30 times before he turned 13.

Hulu's newest limited series, Mike, tackles the mythology behind boxer Mike Tyson.

There are certain checklists of life events when it comes to Mike Tyson and a biopic, and Mike does an excellent job of tediously covering its tracks in that department. Audience members watching this kind of show are most likely already familiar with the logistics and timeline of Mike’s life—now it is time to make it come alive in a way that is different than what they are expecting. Is it a hero’s story that he has created for him, to be performed in front of an audience like he is right now? He stops going to school and turns to a life of fighting, and the sweet child he once was, caring for birds in his free time, is replaced with seeking out moments of violence. Rhodes does a wonderful job as Tyson, truly embodying him down to the lisp, and so does the actor portraying him in childhood. Even in his opening speech in front of the crowd, there is a lot to unpack already, and the audience, if they know anything about Tyson, has a lot to work with already. “If you listen,” he concludes, “you will one day reign like the gods.” Tyson breaks out into a smile, saying that this has been one of the only times that anyone has ever said anything nice about him. This particular decision, in addition to the voiceover, adds a specific thread that casts doubt on what the viewer is being told. The fourth wall is broken, and the footage rewinds through time to land in a singular moment: just Tyson along in a dressing room, throwing punches in front of an illuminated mirror. It is Mike Tyson as the world knows him, in the ring during a fight. His opponent is Evander Holyfield, it is the second round at the MGM Grand in 1997, and then one of the most notorious moments of his career happens: he bites off a portion of Holyfield’s ear. He would rise to become known as the world heavyweight champion—albeit unofficially—and was the youngest boxer to even take home a heavyweight title.

"Mike," the controversial Hulu drama about boxing legend Mike Tyson, details his over-the-top lifestyle with pet tigers and pigeons. How much is true?

[really did tell off a reporter](https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/mike-tyson-curses-reporter-live-tv-rape-conviction-article-1.1935289) on live TV, although the actual context was quite different. [told rapper Fat Joe](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pINZruq-I48) during an Instagram Live chat in 2020. At the tail end of his three-year prison stint for a 1992 rape conviction, Tyson learned through a well-connected friend that he could exchange his luxury vehicles for tigers. In the first few minutes of Episode 1, Mike tells the audience how he once ordered pet tigers during a prison phone call with his car dealer. ](https://twitter.com/miketyson/status/401926907505025024?lang=en) Not only did the incident plant a seed for his future boxing career, but it also sheds light on his lifelong obsession with fowl: At one point, Tyson owned [as many as 2,500 birds](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-miketyson/tv-show-reveals-mike-tyson-pigeon-racer-idUSTRE7223CR20110303) in various locations, according to Reuters. [slammed](https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/mike-tyson-slams-hulu-streaming-series-1393845/#:~:text=Daniel%20Kreps,-Professor%20John%20Legend&text=Mike%20Tyson%20pulled%20no%20punches,Tyson%20wrote%20on%20Instagram%20Saturday.) the drama, writing on Instagram earlier this month that Hulu "stole my life story." Mike proceeds to curse him out before the journalist cuts the conversation short. Before the hotly anticipated showdown, Mike sits for an interview with talk show host Joan Rivers (Coley Campany), who playfully probes him on his sex and dating life. [real-life conversation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du_r2rP0pQg) is recreated almost verbatim in the series. He even starred in the Animal Planet docuseries "Taking on Tyson" in 2011, which followed his 300 competitive racing pigeons. Enraged, Mike beats up the boy and discovers his knack for fighting. Told over eight half-hour episodes that frequently break the fourth wall by addressing viewers, the miniseries tracks Tyson’s meteoric rise and wild, turbulent life outside the ring.

Tyson's life story is being brought to the small screen via Hulu and Disney+'s "Mike," with Trevante Rhodes taking on the role of the fighter.

He touched the lives of so many people and helped them become a better version of themselves. Tyson was born in Brooklyn, New York. He had been discovered by Bobby Stewart, a juvenile detention center counselor and former boxer, who trained Tyson and later introduced him to D'Amato. Mike Tyson was not officially adopted as a teenager. Tyson wrote: "I don't really understand how it all happened. Newsweek has everything you need to know about the boxer's early years.

What is Mike Tyson's net worth right now? · What was the highest net worth for Mike Tyson? · Who is the richest boxer of all time? · How much money does Don King ...

However, it is not known how much money Mike Tyson made from the series. [Tyson believes he could earn](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxing/mike-tysons-100million-reason-wanting-25282625) as much as $100 million from this match. [Desiree Washington](https://www.thetealmango.com/featured/desiree-washington-story/) is a former Miss Black Rhode Island and model who accused Mike Tyson of raping her back in 1991 when she was 18 years old. [According to sources](https://www.bardown.com/here-s-why-mike-tyson-was-only-paid-50-000-to-star-in-nintendo-s-punch-out-1.801950#:~:text=%23BarDown-,Here's%20why%20Mike%20Tyson%20was%20only%20paid%20%2450%2C000,in%20Nintendo's%20'Punch%2DOut'&text=At%20the%20height%20of%20his,ring%20dominance%20through%20endorsement%20deals.), Mike Tyson was only paid $50,000 to star in the 1987 Nintendo video game Punch Out. [It is said Mike Tyson](https://www.essentiallysports.com/boxing-news-mike-tysons-salary-how-much-money-did-he-make-per-fight/) has earned around $375 million through his fight purse earnings during his boxing career. In total, [it is said Tyson has earned](https://www.essentiallysports.com/boxing-news-mike-tysons-salary-how-much-money-did-he-make-per-fight/) $375 million through his fight purses alone. [Mike Tyson was once worth as much as $300 million](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-athletes/richest-boxers/mike-tyson-net-worth/). For this fight, [Tyson received a cool $10 million](https://en.as.com/en/2020/11/29/other_sports/1606635175_513429.html). [Mike Tyson has said](https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19980405&slug=2743499) that boxing promoter Don King and his two co-managers took over $100 million from him. [The richest boxer of all time](https://www.celebritynetworth.com/list/top-50-richest-boxers/) is currently Floyd Mayweather with a net worth of $450 million. However, this is a far cry from the amount of money Iron Mike was worth during his boxing heyday—though it’s still nothing to sneeze at! From movie cameos to championship titles and even prison time, Tyson has lived quite the life.