Mike Tyson Still Doesn't Regret That Face Tattoo
The former heavyweight talks about his crippling neuroses and his new cartoon, "Mike Tyson Mysteries"
By Corey Levitan
Mike Tyson Mysteries seems like a hallucination one might have experienced following an uppercut from the former world champion 20 years ago. Oh, look, there's Iron Mike, tooling around in a "Scooby-Doo" van, solving mysteries with the help of a ghost, a teenage Korean girl, and an alcoholic, masturbating pigeon with Norm Macdonald's voice.
So when is it time for me to wake up face down in some boxing ring?
The animated series of 10 quarter-hour episodes—which premieres October 27th at 10:30pm ET on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim—is only the latest insane step in a rehab process that's slowly transforming Tyson's public image from monster to funny retired sports hero. Basically, Tyson has pulled a nearly complete reverse O.J. Simpson.
"Whoa!" Tyson, 48, said during a phone interview. "I don't know. That's pretty interesting that you said that, but this is what I know—it's because I put forth the effort, but it has a lot to do with a lot of other people, too, being patient with me and having the confidence and belief in me."
Tyson's knockout from grace involved a rape conviction, making ear sushi out of Evander Holyfield, and a whole bunch of other stuff we invite you to read about yourself on Wikipedia.
The Hangover was how it all started coming back around. In the 2009 comedy hit, Tyson—who later admitted to taking the part to fuel a coke habit—played up his negative image to tremendous comedic effect.
"People told me I was funny—the executives," Tyson said. "I never in all the years thought that I was."
Tyson said comedy is not so dissimilar from his old job: "You have to feel the timing, just like fighting. It's not about the rehearsing. It's about feeling it and going in precise time, just like punches."
The Hangover led to a standup comedy act, which HBO filmed for a 2013 special, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, and now Mike Tyson Mysteries.
"Some executives came to me," Tyson said. "I didn't think it would be a good idea, the writers didn't think it would be a good idea. So we went in the studio, and it turned out pretty good."
Tyson said his character on the show shares his real-life love for pigeons, his poor driving skills, and his crippling neuroses.
"I'm a worry wart," Tyson said. "My head is driving me nuts. I'm always thinking about something that's not true, that's going to happen but never happens.
"Man, it's really weird," he said. "But it's good stuff."
When asked who he thought was more insane deep inside, Norm Macdonald or himself, Tyson had a surprising answer: He has never met his co-star and has no idea who the former Saturday Night Live news anchor is. (They recorded their parts separately and Macdonald blew off the show's Television Critics Association press conference.)
"Man, I don't know Norm from a can of paint," Tyson said. "I met the guy that did the ghost and I always thought that was Norman. What I do know about Norman is that he's very famous. Around 100 people already in the street asked me, 'Hey, you're working with Norm Macdonald?'"
Tyson said he has few regrets about his past. "I understand the game now," he said. "It's about just being grateful for what you have now and not to really dwell on the past. There's no future in my past. My future's in my future."
So, not even a regret about the face tattoo? "This is a good thing," he said.
If you don't want to wait till next week, you can watch the series premiere of 'Mike Tyson Mysteries' right now. Thanks, Internet!
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