Yahoo News The gloves are off in the gripping new trailer for the Mike Tyson Hulu miniseries Mike
Mike Tyson is getting the TV treatment in a new limited series that promises to explore the literal and figurative wounds the boxer has both received and inflicted.
The gripping official trailer for Hulu's Mike shows us the man behind the controversial fighting champion, portrayed by Trevante Rhodes.
"People just see an animal. They call me a savage. I'm the most vicious, ruthless champion there's ever been. No one can match me," says Rhodes' Tyson. "My style's impetuous. I'm ferocious. I want your heart. I want to eat your children. Praise be to Allah."
Then, in a prison uniform, he turns to the camera and asks, "Is that who I am?"
Hulu Trevante Rhodes as Mike Tyson in 'Mike'
The story follows Tyson's life in and out of the ring, from his troubled childhood to his long list of criminal offenses, some of which landed him behind bars. It also highlights his marriage to Robin Givens (Laura Harrier), a relationship that would expose Tyson as a domestic abuser.
When it comes to how these aspects of Tyson's life are portrayed, series producer Karin Gist told EW last month that Mike doesn't pull any punches.
"We were never trying to say that Mike Tyson is a hero or Mike Tyson is a villain," Gist said. "Our goal was to take a very complicated and controversial figure and try to get under the hood of what he was praised and vilified for while staying true to our North Star of 'no one person is one thing.'"
"The show is not supposed to be a love letter or an indictment," Gist added, "which is why we had to include all the good, the bad, and the complexities of both."
Gist also serves as the showrunner of the series, which was created by Steven Rogers, a writer who penned I, Tonya, the 2017 film about Tonya Harding, another headline-making athlete from the '90s.
The production will not only shed light on Tyson's relationship with Givens, who later accused him of domestic violence, but also on the now infamous moment he bit off part of Evander Holyfield's right ear during a heavyweight match in 1997 — a move that got Tyson temporarily banned from the sport.
Hulu Hulu's 'Mike'
Tyson's tumultuous history also includes his 1992 conviction of raping 18-year-old beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington. He was found guilty by an Indiana jury and received a 10-year prison sentence, with four years suspended. The boxer maintained the act was consensual.
While Tyson, now 56, hung up his gloves in 2005, he re-entered the boxing arena in 2020 for an eight-round match against Roy Jones Jr.
In addition to Rhodes and Harrier, Mike stars Russell Hornsby, Harvey Keitel, and Li Eubanks.
Mike premieres Aug. 25 on Hulu. Watch the official trailer above.
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