"It Means Absolutely Nothing...I'mma Die...Who The Fuck Cares About Me When I'm Gone?" - Mike Tyson, Who Completely Sold Me On His Fight Against Jake Paul By Perfectly Answering A Kid's Question About Legacy
Did Iron Mike do it again or did Iron Mike do it again? I'm old enough to remember seeing Mike Tyson become the Baddest Man on the Planet by knocking professional boxers out in mere seconds, which admittedly was a little terrifying for a 6-year-old or whatever I was to see. I also obviously remember him becoming champion, dropping the belt to Buster Douglas, then returning to the ring after his jail stint in what we will politely call an uneven comeback.
The one common thread between all those fights after jail was I watched every single one of those fights live because you never knew what you were getting from a Mike Tyson fight, which obviously culminated in Mike Tyson biting off Evander Holyfield's ear. You would also get the post-fight tirades where he would threaten to eat children or God knows what else, which made every PPV worth the price, no matter how much it was. At least until he started losing at the end, which just got depressing.
But I still bought the hell out of every single one of those fights, hoping for glimmers of the old Tyson or at the very least some crazy ass shit.
Which is why a video of Iron Mike telling a kid that life doesn't really matter and we are all gonna turn to dust has me ready to tune into his fight once again despite being damn near 60 years old. To be honest, I was gonna watch tomorrow's fight because I truly would love to see Tyson smash Jake Paul's face into dust, I didn't have any plans on Friday night because I am a parent with two young kids, and I already pay for Netflix. But knowing that Mike Tyson is in this state of mind and can say anything when a microphone is put in front of his face has me dreaming of the glory days of the 90s all over again, even if every boxing analyst tells me he is going to get killed.
So I am giving A++++++'s all around for Mike crushing the response/inadvertent promoa nd the kid reporter brushing off learning of life's essential meaninglessness that I have only just started realizing once I crossed the threshold of 40 years old.
Also for what it's worth, Tyson's legacy is clearly one of the most feared boxers ever first and foremost. But being the headliner of Punch Out has to be a close second since it is not only on my Mount Rushmore but my kids are now obsessed with it after I played it last week, making it a truly timeless game. Plus, he is one of the few people that Portnoy hasn't been able to take down on camera ever since he started Barstool.