Mike Tyson has been a celebrity unlike any other when it
comes to the world of boxing. Certainly the most famous boxer in history has
been Mohammed Ali. His life had its share of ups and downs but not near as many
downs as that of Tyson. Unfortunately most of those down times were brought on
by Tyson himself, his attitudes and the demons that ate at him while he was on
top and as he slid down.
MIKE TYSON: UNDISPUTED
TRUTH is a captured performance of Tyson's one man live stage show. In it Tyson
prowls the stage like the boxer he is offering stories of where he came from
and what formed him into the person he is today. He came up in the hard streets
of Brownsville, a tough kid who more than likely would have turned to a life of
crime had it not been for someone who saw something in him. That someone was
Cus D'Amato.
D'Amato was a manager and boxing trainer who saw in Tyson
the makings of a champion. Taking in the young boxer in training he worked with
him and eventually did get him to the hallowed halls of being the best boxer in
the world. But there is a price to pay for achieving greatness at a young age
and being told by everyone how wonderful you are. Tyson's slide into drug
addiction is rivaled only by that of his addiction to celebrity, something that
you gather still plagues him to this day.
Tyson discusses everything, laying it all on the table. He
discusses his marriage to Robin Givens. He discusses his feud with Mitch Green.
He talks about his trial for rape. He talks about Don King being someone who
promised the world and took it all for himself. Through it all he talks about
the one person he knows better than anyone, Mike Tyson.
His performance here is better than one would expect. He speaks
intelligently and clearly, not at all influenced by any of the demons of his
past. He displays quiet humor many times throughout the show. He talks openly
about the mistakes he's made. And yet when all is said and done you have to
wonder if he will learn from his many mistakes or simply repeat them once he
gets back on his feet again.
Not only that but there are times in the show when he makes
a joke at the wrong moment or at the expense of the reputation of someone else
who isn't there to defend themselves. It's one thing to deny a rape charge,
another to reply to that person face to face. Some of the jokes lend themselves
to making you wonder just how sincere his denial is. But that's something that
only the two people in the room will ever know the honest answer to.
In the end the DVD offers
a good look at the man who is Mike Tyson. You might walk away thinking
differently of him. For myself I found him to be a much more complicated person
than I thought he was when I pushed play. He's still troubled, he still is
seeking fame and he still has his demons to contend with. As the curtain falls
and he ends the show I found myself wishing the best for him. All we can do is
wait and see.
Click here to order.
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