This would be an intriguing framing device if it wasn’t borrowed from Tyson’s own one-man show “Undisputed Truth,” which premiered on Broadway in 2012 in a production directed by Spike Lee. “Mike” is presented largely as an exercise in self-examination, opening with Tyson as he prepares to step on stage and narrate the events of his own tumultuous life, from his rise to fame as a boxing prodigy straight out of juvenile detention, to his dramatic pivot to convicted rapist at the height of his career. This sheer power, coupled with a steadfast dedication to the art of boxing is what made him the youngest heavyweight champion of the world, in 1986, at just 20 years old, catapulting him into history and pop culture stardom. Hulu’s limited series, helmed by Steven Rogers and Craig Gillespie (the writer and director behind “I, Tonya,” respectively), slows these moments down, intent on displaying the physical impact of Tyson’s superhuman strength on the body. One after another, they’re hit with his explosive left hook, their cheeks ricocheting off their jaws before they topple dramatically to the ground. In “ Mike,” blood, sweat, and probably a few tears splatter off the faces of Mike Tyson’s opponents in the ring.
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