The story of Mike Tyson. From his early days as a 12 year old amateur with a powerful punch, to the undisputed title of "Heavyweight Champion of the World", and ultimately to his conviction ... Read allThe story of Mike Tyson. From his early days as a 12 year old amateur with a powerful punch, to the undisputed title of "Heavyweight Champion of the World", and ultimately to his conviction for rape. The story of his turbulent life moves quickly, never focusing for long on anythi... Read allThe story of Mike Tyson. From his early days as a 12 year old amateur with a powerful punch, to the undisputed title of "Heavyweight Champion of the World", and ultimately to his conviction for rape. The story of his turbulent life moves quickly, never focusing for long on anything in particular.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
- Young Rodney Tyson
- (as Mane Andrew)
- Young Teenage Girl
- (as Marta Kuame Boyett)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFormer Boxing Referee Mills Lane has a quick cameo as himself in this movie. He was the same referee that worked the fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Hollyfield. The same fight that was made famous when Tyson bit off a portion of Hollyfield's ear during the fight.
- GoofsWhen Cus D'Amato admonishes his live-in tenant trainees for eating his ice cream, a Nutrition Facts label is visible on the side of the box. These were used by the the U.S.D.A. and F.D.A. after 1993, but this was still in the 1980s.
- Quotes
Cus D'Amato: What's the difference between the hero and the coward? There ain't no difference. They both feel exactly the same on the inside: they both fear dying and getting hurt. It's what the hero does that makes him a hero. And what the other doesn't do, makes him a coward.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Brendan Fraser/D.B. Sweeney/Patrice O'Neal (1997)
To be fair this HBO bio-pic doesn't sugar coat the boxer as much as I remember . It does point out that Tyson the child was disturbingly street wise and was heavily involved in crime " Forty convictions ? Not even Al Capone had forty convictions ! " . It also makes a point that even in his teen years Tyson had a run in over a girl and that he contracted venereal disease . Not much of a role model is he ? but at least it doesn't paint him as a victim - well until later . Enter Paul Winfield who gives an all too realistic performance as Don King , a man so greedy and exploitative that he's a walking advert for Stalinism .Winfield has a lot of fun in the role and while you might say the performance is a little too obvious it'd be impossible to play King in a subtle manner as he's one of the most flamboyant , larger than life
characters in the world today . He goes out of his way to grasp the milk cow of Tyson in his talons . This is where things start falling apart to a degree . King exploits Tyson when he's at his most vulnerable but remember Tyson is a street smart thug who one would expect to know all about King . Heck I was a skinny Scottish teenager in the 1980s living on an obscure Island and I knew all about Don King so why not Tyson ? Total greed on Tyson's part wouldn't have everything to do with it ? No of course not . . It also insinuates that Tyson fell in love with the wrong woman - Robin Givens - and this contributed to his downfall . Well if you beat up your wife you can't blame her for walking out on you . Interesting this domestic abuse seems to be played down . Oh don't tell me she was just interested in Tyson's money . None of us are privy to the marriage between Givens and Tyson but if she was after Tyson's money wouldn't she have signed a pre nuptial agreement ? The amount of negative press against Givens from this period was disgraceful and it's not like Tyson had a glittering reputation where violence outside the ring was concerned .
Disgracefully when the rape case was done and dusted there were those commentators who were quite happy to fling more innuendo about the rape victim crying rape due to Tyson's wealth etc . The bio-pic does seem to suggest that we're supposed to make up our own mind if Tyson was guilty or not but the fact that a jury who sat in court all day everyday and listened to all the evidence from all sides found Tyson guilty of rape so there's no ambiguity involved - Tyson is a rapist and to suggest otherwise is a disgrace to both the victim and the rule of law
- Theo Robertson
- Mar 19, 2014
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