Mike Tyson UNDISPUTED TRUTH – One Man Show Review – BOXING NEWS

By Geno McGahee

In the 1980s, I began to watch boxing, on and off. I became addicted when I saw “Iron” Mike Tyson make his way up the heavyweight ranks and eventually to the title. He brought excitement and would plow over his competition with relative ease. One of the first fights I saw was his 30 second destruction of Marvis Frazier and Tyson looked angry that it was over so quickly. Mike Tyson, in his prime, would beat nearly anyone, but personal problems, lack of dedication and abuse to his body stopped what may have been the best boxing career of all time.

HBO recently aired MIKE TYSON: UNDISPUTED TRUTH, a one man show where Tyson comes out and speaks to the audience and viewers at home about his life, both personal and professional, in a very frank way. The light-hearted side of Tyson comes out and he is genuinely funny at times. When this show was first announced, I expected to see an awkward speaker struggle with the show, but Iron Mike came out like a champion just like he did in the ring.

Mike tells the story of growing up in poverty with his mother distant and his father a pimp. He would turn to a life of crime, being arrested multiple times before finding boxing, which would change his life. Tyson would meet trainer, Cus D’Amato and history would be made. Tyson would become the youngest heavyweight champion of the world, the most feared man on the planet and the biggest name in boxing. He was everywhere, but with fame came a price.

Tyson goes into his relationships with Don King, Robin Givens, the rape case, the death of his daughter, his drug problems, his weight problems, and the bite heard around the world with Evander Holyfield. Tyson pulls no punches, speaks his mind and gives his perspective on things. His stories about Mitch Green were hilarious and when he apologized about the ear-biting, he asked the audience to please by Holyfield’s barbeque sauce. It was very funny stuff.

Mike comes off as very genuine and likable. I found myself laughing throughout the entire program. Being a huge Mike Tyson fan, I have read every book about his life and career, and I was familiar with a lot of it, but it was his delivery that mattered. One story about Robin Givens and Brad Pitt was also very funny, where Mike noted that he didn’t know if he wanted to beat up or screw Pitt because he was so beautiful and then proceeded to pretend to beat up then screw him on stage.

When Mike opened the show, he noted that he was known for “knocking mother fuckers out in 30 seconds,” and then said that if things got out of control, he would knock a mother fucker out that night. He then laughed and so did the crowd. It set the tone for the entire show. We all grew up watching Tyson and this show sheds new light on the man. He was the unstoppable beast turned villain and now he is seen as he is. He is a flawed person, a recovering addict with plenty of skeletons in his closet, but he is trying to be a better man. Who doesn’t love a story with a happy ending? MIKE TYSON: UNDISPUTED TRUTH gives hope to the future for the former baddest man on the planet and provides much entertainment and insight. I highly recommend this.