Netflix’s four-part TYSON documentary frames Mike Tyson’s familiar boxing history through the perspective of an older, more self-critical Tyson. One of its most unusual sequences has Tyson and the director taking DMT on camera, placing his present-day reflections alongside the story of one of boxing’s most turbulent careers.
The series begins with Tyson’s difficult childhood, including repeated arrests while he was young, before moving to his partnership with trainer Cus D’Amato. That relationship helped launch Tyson into the heavyweight elite; by age 20, he had become one of the sport’s most feared figures.
Tyson stood about 1.78 meters tall and weighed roughly 97 kilograms, an unconventional build for a heavyweight in an era associated with much taller, heavier fighters. His speed and explosiveness defined his rise, with many fights ending in the first or second round and some in well under two minutes.
TYSON does not avoid the controversies that followed. It covers the excesses of his early fame, his three-year prison sentence after a rape conviction, and the incidents that became inseparable from his public image, including biting Evander Holyfield’s ear twice during their 1997 fight. The documentary also recounts Tyson biting Lennox Lewis on the leg at a pre-fight press conference.
The more personal passages focus on Tyson’s grief over the loss of D’Amato and the death of his daughter, presenting a visibly emotional subject rather than only the intimidating champion known as “Iron Mike.” Tyson also discusses bipolar disorder, addiction and suicidal thoughts, while portraying himself as someone attempting to confront past behavior and move forward.
The documentary places Tyson’s account alongside contributions from people who knew him or faced him in the ring.
- Boxing journalists offer context on Tyson’s rise and legacy.
- Donald Trump appears among the documentary’s interviewees.
- Former manager Rory Holloway discusses Tyson’s career.
- Lennox Lewis contributes as a former rival.
- Buster Douglas, the first boxer to defeat Tyson, also appears.
Tyson’s current business and media presence provides the documentary’s final contrast with his earlier years. After losing hundreds of millions of dollars through associates, addiction and poor purchases, he has returned to high-profile bouts involving YouTubers and has marketed cannabis gummies shaped like a bitten ear. The last episode centers most clearly on the gap between the boxer’s destructive public past and the rehabilitated figure Tyson now presents.
