There have been sadder stories in the sports world than Mike Tyson.
However, yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of his loss to Buster Douglas, in what is still considered an all-time upset.
I can’t think of a more interesting sports figure than Tyson, and not just because of his once unmatched punching speed and power or his barbaric aggression in the ring. In his prime, he may have been the most intimidating sports figure of all time.
Tyson, the one-time Phoenix resident, is an incredibly complex human being with a fascinating life story.
One of the best movies I’ve seen the last five years is the 2008 documentary “Tyson.”
It’s essentially a Tyson narrative — a high-quality production that pries deeply into the real, unedited Tyson.
It hit me pretty hard. You will laugh and cry.
His appearances in an Italian dance TV show and cameo in “The Hangover” are demeaning ways of earning a living.
Watch the film and you will understand.
Tyson is an ear-biter, a cheater, a womanizer and an epithet-hurling wild man who has displayed a disturbed psychology throughout his time in the spotlight.
He’s also amazingly humble and profoundly intelligent, considering the blows his brain has endured and a caring and compassionate father and friend.
He’s an easy man to judge, but he deserves more. You’ve got to hear his life perspective.
