(Tyson, family and director Toback)

Fighter, film receive standing ovation.


May 19, 2008
Link

For years he’s been called a “loose-cannon,” “abuser,” “winner,” “loser,” “inspiration,” “nut-case”— but over the weekend, former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was a film star.

Tyson’s documentary Tyson debuted over the weekend at the Cannes film festival. Directed by the boxer’s long-time associate James Toback, Tyson documents the boxer’s tumultuous rise to prominence as one of the most feared and celebrated boxers of all-time, and his storied collapse.

Tyson includes the revealing details that even diehard fans never knew about the boxer like his losing $300 million over the last few decades, the AP reports. It also sheds light into his romantic life- rife with sexual details- about how Tyson sought to capture and possess the women in his life.

"Jim, he just elicited all this stuff out of me, I don't know how he did it," Tyson said. As for his now-famous marriage to actress Robin Givens, a seeming fairytale turned nightmare after Givens accused Tyson of physical abuse, Tyson looks at the situation in hindsight. “We were just kids," he says.

During the standing ovation, the 239-pound, 41-year-old ex champion let his sensitive side slip. “I've never experienced anything like this in my whole career,” he admitted. "I'm an athlete and this is totally out of my field here - it's kind of intimidating."

In 1986, at 20-years-old Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in the world. He was an undisputed champion from 1987 until 1990.

I want to see this.

Mike Tyson's knock-out of Michael Spinks is still the most amazing thing I've seen in sports.

RodeoSchro said:

Reminiscent of my first sexual experience in terms of buildup & disappointment.

But yeah, pretty damn impressive on his part!

NDRU said:

LMFAO.

My Dad, brother, bro-in-law and me went to watch a satellite broadcast of it at the Summitt in Houston. There must have been 10,000 - 15,000 people there (unlike your first sexual encounter, I hope!).

Michael Spinks was an under-sized heavyweight champion who had never been knocked DOWN, much less out. (Update: Wikipedia says Spinks had been floored once, in a fight against Dwight Muhammed Qawi).

At any rate, you're right - the build-up was fuckining AWESOME. I couldn't believe it when Tyson floored him the first time. When he knocked Spinks out a minute later, I was in absolute shock.

RodeoSchro said:

He's delivered a lot of shocks!

The greatest one for me (I didn't see him bite Evander until after I'd already heard about it) was seeing him jet knocked out by Buster Douglas. He seemed totally unbeatable at that time, and that was just incomprehensible to see some unknown guy knock him out.

Of course, later you find out he'd spent that entire trip having sex w/Japanese women.

I am really looking forward to this as well.

For all his faults, and some are absolutely reprehensible, I always felt he was a bit of a lost soul being manipulated by so many others.

I hope the film includes everything, including his flaws. Sounds like it does.
[Edited 5/19/08 20:26pm]

Mars23 said:

I remember seeing a documentary on him years ago...when he was really young, before all his really crazy behaviour and thinking the exact same thing.

JustErin said:

I agree totally.

Two words for you: "Don King".

Mars23 said:

Definitely, here's a guy who was manipulated from a young age for his obvious talent, and learned that the way he got ahead was to beat people up. Once any responsible guidance was gone from his life, it's no surprise what happened to him.

Doesn't excuse it, but it's understandable to some extent.