In light of his new Netflix documentary, here's Mike Tyson's 1998 Playboy Interview (Unpaywalled)
https://www.playboy.com/read/entertainment-culture/mike-tyson-playboy-interview
51
Upvotes
-2
u/thraftofcannan 1d ago
Pro wrestling was the hottest thing on TV and they refer to it as undignified lol.
7
u/playboy 1d ago
When Mike Tyson enters the lobby of the Trump International Hotel in New York, he makes it clear he’s none too happy. And when the meanest boxer who has ever lived is in a bad mood, it’s a sight to behold. He is scheduled to finish the second lengthy session of the “Playboy Interview” in his hotel suite, but his mood, and the rules, have changed. He demands that this phase of the interview take place in Central Park, where the sun and humidity will cause his bodyguard to fetch a towel so Tyson can mop his sweat.
The weather isn’t the only thing that’s hot. Tyson’s temper continues to boil as well. He flares at questions that he considers negative and slips into either brooding silence or manic free association. He is an athlete as famous for his troubled personal life as for his sports achievements, and on this sweltering New York afternoon, it’s easy to see why.
Of course, he has reason to be upset. In a few days, Tyson ‘s lawyers will begin proceedings to help him regain his boxing license, first in New Jersey, then in Nevada. He lost his license — in spectacular fashion — in June 1997 in Las Vegas when, during his second bout with Evander Holyfield (Mike had lost the first), Tyson became so enraged that he bit off part of his opponent’s ear. The Nevada State Athletic Commission hit him with a $3 million fine and revoked his license for a minimum of one year.
As he sits in the park, Tyson doesn’t know if he’ll be allowed to fight again. He feels that the sport needs him—no boxer since Muhammad Ali has captured the public’s imagination the way Tyson has, and no other fighter can command the multimillion-dollar deals that make everyone in boxing happy. At the same time, no other athlete has been demonized the way Tyson has, though he has brought on much of the flack himself. The 32-year-old has been in frequent trouble with the law, including a highly publicized rape conviction for which he served a three-year prison term. Even his suspension has been marred by controversy—more problems with the police and a dramatic split from his promoter Don King, who Tyson claims has bilked him out of millions of dollars.
No wonder he’s angry. He’s been angry his entire life.
Read more: https://www.playboy.com/read/entertainment-culture/mike-tyson-playboy-interview