Mike Tyson : Compelling interview from Jan 2013

[Quixall]

This is an interview with Mike Tyson done in January 2013 to promoted his "undisputed truth" tour.

It's a really compelling interview. Tyson doesn't seem in the best of moods when it starts and progessively gets more agitated as time goes on. The interview focuses on Tyson's new media friendly persona and by the end of the interview you can clearly see that the old Mike is still lurking in the shadows, depsite his best attempts to remain calm and composed.

If you haven't seen it, you will really enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUQUs4JUbkA

[JamesH]

I took my man crush to meet Tyson on a uk tour and he was fascinating. Whether or not I was a fan (which I was) there were insights into a complicated character that would have made it interesting for anyone. He did the same thing as on the interview, talked nicely about peace and change before something of the past hooked him and he had that angry look in his face. I mean, he went from talking about his family and the visit back to where he grew up without any hint of malice, yet as soon as women were brought up he said they were all prostitutes (and that he just hadn't met the right prostitute). He actually picked the mic up, moved to front of stage (with the same body language he used while fronting the Lewis press conference) and commented on how we all friends now so could trust each other, and then the mask worn up to that point well and truly slipped. The most truthful and poignant moment of when the mask was on was when a muslim asked him if Islam had brought him peace. He gave a long answer about the virtues of the religion, before he gave a moving description of his acceptance that he will never have peace. Questions are always the same, but I'm still not bored of watching.

[Quixall]

Imagine having to tell the same stories day in day out to entertain people who either have some weird man-crush on you, or who are looking at you like rubberneckers do at a car accident, just to earn a few quid. There's little wonder he's angry.

That doesn't add up, because i can also post up recent videos of Tyson, where he is all happy and smiling, joking around in studio interviews being asked the same questions this guy was asking. Also, if it is going to make him angry, then don't it !! He is the one who is doing this "undisputed truth" tour, he is the one who is appearing on these shows " telling his story a million times ", he is the one who wants to promote it by talking to this guy. One minute he is all jokey and friendly, the next is full of resentment and anger at people asking relatively simple and unoffensive questions. It's Tyson who has the problem, not the interviewer.

[Quixall]

I took my man crush to meet Tyson on a uk tour and he was fascinating. Whether or not I was a fan (which I was) there were insights into a complicated character that would have made it interesting for anyone. He did the same thing as on the interview, talked nicely about peace and change before something of the past hooked him and he had that angry look in his face. I mean, he went from talking about his family and the visit back to where he grew up without any hint of malice, yet as soon as women were brought up he said they were all prostitutes (and that he just hadn't met the right prostitute). He actually picked the mic up, moved to front of stage (with the same body language he used while fronting the Lewis press conference) and commented on how we all friends now so could trust each other, and then the mask worn up to that point well and truly slipped. The most truthful and poignant moment of when the mask was on was when a muslim asked him if Islam had brought him peace. He gave a long answer about the virtues of the religion, before he gave a moving description of his acceptance that he will never have peace. Questions are always the same, but I'm still not bored of watching.

That is what i found interesting, his almost autistic way of answering questions. You could see that he wasn't comfortable being the "new" Mike around certain people or in particular sitiations. Having watched a few videos, he seems to be fine doing the new Mike impression when the atmosphere is cool and jokey, but when it becomes more gritty, he just reverts to snarling Mike. I found it very disturbing and wouldn't want to be in the guys company for very long.

[Quixall]

It doesn't add up because you can't count. I didn't even mention the interviewer and Tyson does have to do what he's doing, more or less, like it or not.

"It doesn't add up because i can't count...." lol, what sort fo a dumb ass statement is that

Iv'e seen your posts before. Your one of those smart ass posters who lives to have conflict on internet forums. We all have choices and no, Tyson doesn't need to do what he is doing. He will be making a good living of the various media projects he is involved with at the moment, including this latest tour. He needs to promote it, so he goes on shows like the one in the video. I have watched three or four other videos made at the same time, promoting the same thing. He is jokey and smiling on the others, so it's little do with telling his story a million times. Besides, he says that this tour "gives people the background story to what was happenning in my life", so it's supposed to be things he hasn't spoken about before. The guy was verging on being rude and needlessly aggessive, his language was appalling and he was doing the show for self promotion. Like i say, stop doing shows if it's going to make you insecure and unpredictable.

[Andypittcov]

Weight of his own and others expectations seems to be taking its toll, he's only human.

[TopGun]

Still hard as nails when you see him talk......that stare he can give could produce men to tears

[Quixall]

Still hard as nails when you see him talk......that stare he can give could produce men to tears

It's almost on a par with Hopkins' "Prison stare" lol

[chiggsy]

Still hard as nails when you see him talk......that stare he can give could produce men to tears

It's almost on a par with Hopkins' "Prison stare" lol

Or ''soapy'' as bernard was known in the can.

[ALI]

Still hard as nails when you see him talk......that stare he can give could produce men to tears

It's almost on a par with Hopkins' "Prison stare" lol

Or ''soapy'' as bernard was known in the can.

Arse, bang, wollop!

Never heard that one before, anythings possible but probably just a malicious romour started by some internet troll...... i hope

Anyone else heard Hopkins was an arse banger in the can?

[chiggsy]

It's almost on a par whith Hopkins' "Prison stare" lol[/quote]
Or ''soapy'' as bernard was known in the can. [/quote]

Arse, bang, wollop!

Never heard that one before, anythings possible but probably just a malicious romour started by some internet troll...... i hope

Anyone else heard Hopkins was an arse banger in the can?[/quote]

I can remember reading an article about it on the net years ago.

Sounded like a load of bollocks to be fair but i haven't seen hopkins denying it but then i imagine he's got more important things to do......like being world champ.....or being a partner in goldenboy......or clipping his toe nails.....

[n1ebf]

Steve Bunce should have asked him, just slipped it into conversation deadpan as you like, only he wouldn't be here now if he had lol.

What could Mike Tyson do for a living, rock up at McDonald's? He's an intelligent character but his convictions would make a lot of jobs inaccessible to him for a start off. In some ways it's probably a help to talk things off his chest but I can understand people who say it must be a drag going on about yourself a lot. I wonder how much the IRS still take off him, good luck to the guy anyway, he came from pure crap by the sounds of it in terms of childhood/ stability, that stuff shapes you for a long time.
It must be a living hell having lost his young daughter not long ago and he already had a lot to deal with before that.
I found his comments about Cus D interesting, even saying he was a borderline coward when he met him..

[SAPFO]

He is what he is, and like he said, he's trying..

[Andypittcov]

I've got nothing but respect for him, I really admire the effort he's made since the death of his daughter.

[handsofstone]

When you watch the old clips of Mike Tyson on Raw and Uncut,after his fights he seems very swiched on and articulate and had a very wise idea where he wanted to be and what was the correct way to do it,mostly leaving Cus and Jim Jacobs to worry about that side of things but he seemed very clever and level headed and that was before all the media training he no doubt recieved,he just seems to have deteriated as he,s getting older,even if he says he,s in a good place,you can tell just by listening to him even when in a good mood he,s quite troubled,shame to watch,quite simalar to Frank Bruno

[Eddy]

I'm bored of him now. One min he's happy, the next depressed.