With former Heavyweight Champion of the World, Mike Tyson, in town for his one man show, "Undisputed Truth", we got the chance to stop by and talk with the boxing legend. It's a rare opportunity to get to sit down and talk to a sports legend with the level of notoriety and fame that Tyson has, so we did our due diligence to cover everything from his thoughts on the Simpsons character Drederick Tatum, to which NHL enforcer he'd least like to fight.
Although, as much as we tried to stick to the game plan, you know what Tyson says. "Everybody's got a plan until they get punched in the face." Without further delay, here's our interview with the soft spoken and warm boxing great.
BD: Hey Mike, how are things going?
TYSON: I'm good, thanks for asking.
BD: You've mentioned before that you've met quite a few political leaders in the past, Silvio Berlusconi, Mikhail Gorbachev, the late Nelson Mandela, which world leader made for the most memorable encounter?
TYSON: Oh, I met the president of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, and that was a really memorable experience for me. When I went there it was, so antiquated. It was just so two-hundred years in time. The women still cleaned, with their feet out there in the open. They were going through a war at that particular time, they were still going through the war, and that ah was just an experience for me. Seeing a war torn city, where the war was still in progress, and at any moment a missile, or something could've hit us. We were hiding out in the mountains, at their bunker, hiding in the mountains. But you could see the city of Grozny, and Grozny in Russia means terrible, you know what I mean? Ivan the Terrible, Ivan of Grozny that was his name, and it was just interesting how…reckless I am with my life (laughs).
Although, as much as we tried to stick to the game plan, you know what Tyson says. "Everybody's got a plan until they get punched in the face." Without further delay, here's our interview with the soft spoken and warm boxing great.
BD: Hey Mike, how are things going?
TYSON: I'm good, thanks for asking.
BD: You've mentioned before that you've met quite a few political leaders in the past, Silvio Berlusconi, Mikhail Gorbachev, the late Nelson Mandela, which world leader made for the most memorable encounter?
TYSON: Oh, I met the president of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, and that was a really memorable experience for me. When I went there it was, so antiquated. It was just so two-hundred years in time. The women still cleaned, with their feet out there in the open. They were going through a war at that particular time, they were still going through the war, and that ah was just an experience for me. Seeing a war torn city, where the war was still in progress, and at any moment a missile, or something could've hit us. We were hiding out in the mountains, at their bunker, hiding in the mountains. But you could see the city of Grozny, and Grozny in Russia means terrible, you know what I mean? Ivan the Terrible, Ivan of Grozny that was his name, and it was just interesting how…reckless I am with my life (laughs).
BD: While I was traveling in Poland, I came across an energy drink featuring you on the can. What's the craziest product you've ever come across with your face on it?
TYSON: Ah man, I don't even know, I've seen my face put on a dog, put on some animals, put on some Tyrannosaurus Rex
BD: A T-Rex??
TYSON: Yeah, yeah, I get put on some pretty interesting stuff.
BD: With you being one of the greatest boxers of all-time, your physical dominance has been referenced in quite a few rap songs. Biggie's 'Victory' , Nas' Aint hard to tell, Jay Z listing of the the 3 Michaels and of course Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff's "I think I can beat Mike Tyson". Out of the references that you've heard, which one has been your favourite?
TYSON: Remember that beat it up video? What was his name again, Mingo? Migos? Some awesome stuff. Beat it up with the left, beat it up with the right, beat up like Mike.
BD: Is that one of your favourite ones, out of what you've heard?
TYSON: No, Lil Wayne did an interesting song, I like that song…American Dream. I'm always flattered and stuff. Sometimes I wish they'd rap about something more political.
BD: A few traits that hockey players are known for is their grit and toughness. Which one of these pictured players would you least want to fight just based on the pictures alone?
TYSON: Well listen alright, even though he's 6'9 I don't see him fighting, this is probably the least guy, cause I see him in action (Ray), so he's probably the least guy, these other guys, they're just looking tough, this guys in the process of beating someone up.
BD: (laughs) Yeah he's just tearing that jersey off.
TYSON: (laughs) yeah, and he looks like he's beating up this guy! (Parros).
Q: (laughs) Nah, just the same team, Montreal.
TYSON: (laugh) yeah, same team, same team.
BD: As you're definitely well aware, the Simpsons made a parody character around you named "Drederick Tatum." Have you ever watched the whole episode featuring Homer taking on Tatum?
TYSON: Well, no. But I've seen it before, the episode with me and he's talking with my lisp.
BD: (laughs) how did you find their depiction of you?
TYSON: (smiles) Man, I thought it was pretty cool, pretty cool.
BD: Without the assistance of an EA Sports Fight Night game we'll never really get to see you take on some of the other greatest heavyweight fighters of all time, but if you could face any boxer in history during their prime, and of course you're in your prime as well, who would you chose?
TYSON: Nobody, I've fought everybody I need to fight.
BD: Obviously you were featured in both Punch Out and the Fight Night series. Do you ever play those games much?
TYSON: (smiles) Nah, only if I do a show, sometime they have it and they let me play, and I always lose, suck at it.
(skip to 8:12 for Tyson boss battle)
BD: Did you know that former Ottawa Senators goalie Ray Emery had you featured on his mask?
TYSON: Woah! Wow! That's great.
BD: If you were a goalie, who would you feature on your mask? (Shows picture)
TYSON: Me? If I had a goalie mask. I'd probably have Alexander the great.
BD: Yeah I guess that's the same reasoning with Emery's, a display of strength.
TYSON: See I don't look at myself with the same eyes that other people look at me with, I just don't look at it the same. That's why I get overwhelmed that people would do something like that. You know? I just don't look at myself like that, I know my flaws, I know I'm frightening kids sometimes still. But it doesn't project that way, because I'm frightening to kids, I always view the image that I'm not because I am.
BD: And for our final question, have you ever gone BarDown?
TYSON: (laughs) What's that?
BD: So if you're scoring a goal in hockey, or soccer, and have the shot bounce off the crossbar and down into the net.
TYSON: I've never done that. But I was a goalie before, and I had the pads and stuff on, and it was just so exhausting, I had to just stay on the floor, sit down on the floor, it was just so hard. It was hard to even skate.
BD: (laughs) Oh yeah, it can be tough!
TYSON: You know Jeremy Roenick? So one day he said something like, so you think you can beat Mike Tyson? And he said I can beat Mike Tyson on skates, but he'll probably beat me off skates, and my arrogance, I said "you can't even beat me on skates!" Then I tried it, then I was like, woah, he would kick my ass on skates! He would've killed me, woah, ah man, I was just so exhausted after a minute.
BD: (laughs) It's tough, nah it is, and you feel it afterward, as well.
TYSON: Aw man, it's tough, it's tough.
Mike Tyson will be performing his one man show, "the Undisputed Truth", Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. For more info on the show, as well as where to get tickets, visit the ACC website here.
TYSON: Ah man, I don't even know, I've seen my face put on a dog, put on some animals, put on some Tyrannosaurus Rex
BD: A T-Rex??
TYSON: Yeah, yeah, I get put on some pretty interesting stuff.
BD: With you being one of the greatest boxers of all-time, your physical dominance has been referenced in quite a few rap songs. Biggie's 'Victory' , Nas' Aint hard to tell, Jay Z listing of the the 3 Michaels and of course Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff's "I think I can beat Mike Tyson". Out of the references that you've heard, which one has been your favourite?
TYSON: Remember that beat it up video? What was his name again, Mingo? Migos? Some awesome stuff. Beat it up with the left, beat it up with the right, beat up like Mike.
BD: Is that one of your favourite ones, out of what you've heard?
TYSON: No, Lil Wayne did an interesting song, I like that song…American Dream. I'm always flattered and stuff. Sometimes I wish they'd rap about something more political.
BD: A few traits that hockey players are known for is their grit and toughness. Which one of these pictured players would you least want to fight just based on the pictures alone?
TYSON: Well listen alright, even though he's 6'9 I don't see him fighting, this is probably the least guy, cause I see him in action (Ray), so he's probably the least guy, these other guys, they're just looking tough, this guys in the process of beating someone up.
BD: (laughs) Yeah he's just tearing that jersey off.
TYSON: (laughs) yeah, and he looks like he's beating up this guy! (Parros).
Q: (laughs) Nah, just the same team, Montreal.
TYSON: (laugh) yeah, same team, same team.
BD: As you're definitely well aware, the Simpsons made a parody character around you named "Drederick Tatum." Have you ever watched the whole episode featuring Homer taking on Tatum?
TYSON: Well, no. But I've seen it before, the episode with me and he's talking with my lisp.
BD: (laughs) how did you find their depiction of you?
TYSON: (smiles) Man, I thought it was pretty cool, pretty cool.
BD: Without the assistance of an EA Sports Fight Night game we'll never really get to see you take on some of the other greatest heavyweight fighters of all time, but if you could face any boxer in history during their prime, and of course you're in your prime as well, who would you chose?
TYSON: Nobody, I've fought everybody I need to fight.
BD: Obviously you were featured in both Punch Out and the Fight Night series. Do you ever play those games much?
TYSON: (smiles) Nah, only if I do a show, sometime they have it and they let me play, and I always lose, suck at it.
(skip to 8:12 for Tyson boss battle)
BD: Did you know that former Ottawa Senators goalie Ray Emery had you featured on his mask?
TYSON: Woah! Wow! That's great.
BD: If you were a goalie, who would you feature on your mask? (Shows picture)
TYSON: Me? If I had a goalie mask. I'd probably have Alexander the great.
BD: Yeah I guess that's the same reasoning with Emery's, a display of strength.
TYSON: See I don't look at myself with the same eyes that other people look at me with, I just don't look at it the same. That's why I get overwhelmed that people would do something like that. You know? I just don't look at myself like that, I know my flaws, I know I'm frightening kids sometimes still. But it doesn't project that way, because I'm frightening to kids, I always view the image that I'm not because I am.
BD: And for our final question, have you ever gone BarDown?
TYSON: (laughs) What's that?
BD: So if you're scoring a goal in hockey, or soccer, and have the shot bounce off the crossbar and down into the net.
TYSON: I've never done that. But I was a goalie before, and I had the pads and stuff on, and it was just so exhausting, I had to just stay on the floor, sit down on the floor, it was just so hard. It was hard to even skate.
BD: (laughs) Oh yeah, it can be tough!
TYSON: You know Jeremy Roenick? So one day he said something like, so you think you can beat Mike Tyson? And he said I can beat Mike Tyson on skates, but he'll probably beat me off skates, and my arrogance, I said "you can't even beat me on skates!" Then I tried it, then I was like, woah, he would kick my ass on skates! He would've killed me, woah, ah man, I was just so exhausted after a minute.
BD: (laughs) It's tough, nah it is, and you feel it afterward, as well.
TYSON: Aw man, it's tough, it's tough.
Mike Tyson will be performing his one man show, "the Undisputed Truth", Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. For more info on the show, as well as where to get tickets, visit the ACC website here.
