Boxing legend Mike Tyson expressed his disdain for the new Hulu biopic series titled, Mike, based on his life. According to sources, the former professional heavyweight boxer said that the OTT platform “stole” his life story. Mike shared his thoughts about the new series on Instagram in two posts. Reports added that the boxer called the series a “slave master take over story” about his life.
In the first post, Mike commends Dana White, the standing president of the premier mixed martial arts organization Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Mike alleged that Hulu attempted to pay Dana, and potentially UFC, to promote the show, but Dana declined.
“Hulu tried to desperately pay my brother Dana White millions without offering me a dollar to promote their slave master take over story about my life. He turned it down because he honours friendship and treating people with dignity. I'll never forget what he did for me just like I'll never forget what Hulu stole from me (sic).” Tyson shared on Instagram.
In the second post, Mike wrote, “Don't let Hulu fool you. I don't support their story about my life. It's not 1822. It's 2022. They stole my life story and didn't pay me. To Hulu executives, I'm just a n***** they can sell on the auction block (sic).”
Reports state that this isn't the first time that Mike has criticized the production. In February 2021, Tyson voiced his disapproval shortly after the series was greenlit by Hulu.“This announcement on the heels of social disparities in our country is a prime example of how Hulu's corporate greed led to this tone-deaf cultural misappropriation of the Tyson life story (sic),” Tyson was quoted as saying at the time.
Mike stars Trevante Rhodes in the lead role, tracking the figure's life from adolescence to his prominent run as a professional boxer to a series of scandals that unfolded following his athletic retirement.
The show has been created by Steven Rogers (I, Tonya) and Karin Gist serves as showrunner and executive producer of the show, under her The Gist of It banner along with Claire Brown. Hulu will premiere the first two episodes of the series' eight-episode season on August 25, according to media sources.
Reports stated that in the months after Mike was greenlit by Hulu, Mike (Tyson) signed on as an executive producer on a separate limited series about his life, with Jamie Foxx attached to star as the boxer. However, the production has not found a network, stalling development in recent months.