The appetite for Mike Tyson content appears to be growing.
On Monday, ABC News announced an upcoming two-part, four-hour documentary on the legendary boxer titled Mike Tyson: The Knockout. The first part of the documentary will premiere Tuesday, May 25 at 8 p.m. ET. Part two will air the following week on June 1. Each part will available for streaming the following day on Hulu.
The release from ABC News says The Knockout will cover Tyson’s career and life from its humble beginnings to boxing success and global fame. Of course, the fighter’s infamous downfall with personal struggles, losing the heavyweight championship, being convicted of rape in 1992, and serving three years in prison is also part of the story. Additionally, his path back to mainstream acceptance and popularity will be covered.
Among those interviewed for the film, based on the trailer, are ESPN’s Jeremy Schapp, Fox Sports’ Skip Bayless, actor Rosie Perez, and former HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg (who was a crucial figure in boxing, airing several of Tyson’s fights on the network, and an executive producer on the 1995 dramatic film, Tyson). Past opponents including Michael Spinks, Buster Douglas are also featured.
It’s worth noting that the documentary is being produced by ABC News, not the network’s sports division — which is ESPN. This isn’t an ESPN Films production or a 30 For 30 film.
According to ABC, Part 1 of The Knockout will chronicle Tyson being helped from a difficult childhood by trainers Cus D’Amato and his emergence as a young boxing star. The documentary will follow Tyson’s fame and subsequent decadent lifestyle, along with his marriage to and divorce from actor Robin Givens, which included allegations of domestic abuse, and his stunning 1990 loss to Douglas in Tokyo.
Part 2 follows Tyson’s rape conviction and prison sentence, looking back on the 1992 trial. His return to boxing and infamous fights with Evander Holyfield — one of which included Tyson biting Holyfield’s ear in 1997 — are also part of the story. Perhaps the highlight of the documentary’s second part will be a new interview with ABC News’ Byron Pitts, in which Tyson, now 54, looks back on the events chronicled in the preceding narrative.
ABC’s Tyson documentary follows news of two other dramatic projects. Hulu is developing Iron Mike, a limited series by the filmmakers behind the Tonya Harding biopic I, Tonya. Tyson made it clear, however, that Hulu’s series wasn’t authorized by him and he soon announced his own limited series starring Jamie Foxx as the boxer, directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali) and executive-produced by Martin Scorsese.
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Mike Tyson: The Knockout will premiere on ABC Tuesday, May 25 at 8 p.m. ET. Part 2 will air the following week on June 1, also at 8 p.m. ET. Each part will be available for streaming on Hulu the next day.
About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.