Mike Tyson's TOP KNOCKOUTS... as a cameo star - From Eminem & The Hangover to Wrestlemania & referees
Mike Tyson became the youngest ever world heavyweight champion over three decades ago, but 'Iron Mike' has proven he still has that knockout power when he was filmed flooring rap god Eminem in his video for new track ‘Godzilla’.
The former ‘baddest man on the planet’ made a knockout comeback by sucker punching ‘Slim Shady’ in the new video, released in full on Monday.
Tyson became a global superstar on account of his bludgeoning rise up the heavyweight ranks as a teenage terror before winning the WBC World Heavyweight title aged 20, the youngest man ever to get his hands on boxing’s biggest crown.
In his later years Tyson became an iconic figure of chaos and prodigality, living a lavish lifestyle of fast cars, wild parties and women before revealing a more mellow side as he embraced the entertainment world.
As a tribute to Tyson’s throwback cameo with Eminem, RT Sport looks at Iron Mike’s best cameo KOs inside and outside of the ring.
1. Tyson vs Eminem
Tyson can be seen laying out the hip hop star, real name Marshall Mathers, in the vidoe ‘Godzilla’ as Em tries to make a getaway from an ensuing crowd in his dystopian clip. Tyson is instantly regretful, and begs for forgiveness, putting it down to a case of mistaken identity.
Later Tyson tries to make amends by helping in the emergency room during Eminem’s subsequent trip to hospital to receive treatment from Dr Dre, showing empathy rarely afforded to opponents in his ring heyday.
The after effect of taking a hook from one of boxing’s biggest punchers square on the jaw for Eminem is his mouth popping off, caught by a distraught Tyson.
Mike Tyson punching Alan in the hangover. They stole his tiger. #WhatStayedInVegaspic.twitter.com/MwjGEvW8OV
— Michael Williams (@Biggydawg315) December 19, 2019
The incident is reminiscent of the former undisputed champ’s ill-fated 1997 rematch with Evander Holyfield in which Tyson was disqualified for biting off his opponent’s ear.
Nevertheless the hip hop phenomenon took a sock from Tyson extremely well who, at the age of 53, still retains his invincible aura even in music videos.
Iron Mike rating: 7/10
2. Tyson v Zach Galifianakis
After hanging up his gloves in the mid 2000s, Tyson forayed into the world of showbiz, including providing an ephemeral but unforgettable cameo role in sleeper hit comedy movie ‘The Hangover’.
Playing a caricatured version of himself, Tyson accuses Galifianakis’ heavily hungover character Alan of stealing his pet lion while inebriated.
Ruling as judge, jury and executioner on the matter, Tyson dishes out just short of capital punishment with a zinging straight right to Alan’s mouth in time with the crescendo of Phil Collins’ ‘In The Air Tonight’.
Mike Tyson punching Alan in the hangover. They stole his tiger. #WhatStayedInVegaspic.twitter.com/MwjGEvW8OV
— Michael Williams (@Biggydawg315) December 19, 2019
Tyson’s smash hit within the 2009 smash hit became one of the most iconic comedy moments of that genre and catapulted Tyson back into superstardom, perhaps more important at that stage of his life than any one punch thrown in his 20-year fight career.
Iron Mike rating: 8/10
3. Tyson vs Referee
During part of his comeback tour at the turn of the century, Tyson undertook a two-fight deal in the United Kingdom. After thumping overmatched lump Julius Francis in Manchester, Tyson traveled north of the border to Scotland to face Italian-American palooka Lou Savarese in Glasgow.
The fight was one of the shortest of Tyson’s career, qualifying for the term cameo by virtue of lasting a mere 38 seconds, having dropped Savarese just eight seconds into the fight. Tyson proceeded to pummel Savarese so bad referee John Coyle was forced to step in and stop the action, or at least attempt.
A fired up Tyson, frustrated at his opponent’s lack of ability to withstand even a basic combination, bounced around Coyle as he tried to save Savarese from further punishment and unleashed a wild left hand that caught the British referee around the face and sent him crumpling to the canvas.
Luckily for Tyson, Coyle had more resolve in his legs than Savarese and sprung up from the blow to prise Tyson away from his badly wounded opponent, screaming his orders in the New Yorker’s face as he did so.
While it wasn’t a vintage Mike Tyson fighting in Scotland that night, Coyle still withstood being blindsided by one of the world’s most feared fighters and lived to tell the tale.
Iron Mike rating: 6.5/10
4. Tyson vs Shawn Michaels
In the late 1990s Tyson made several guest appearances in the World Wrestling Federation, most notably joining up as a member of D-Generation X.
Following a spat with legend Steve Austin in which Tyson pushed ‘Stone Cold’ to the floor after being flipped the bird, Tyson double-crossed his D-X stable mates in Austin's match against fellow member Shawn Michaels.
Acting as guest referee, Tyson counted out Michaels and revealed his treachery by holding Austin’s hand aloft and declaring him the victor, to which Michaels reacted incredulously.
After a heated argument, Michaels swung for Tyson, who countered with a brutal shot to the throat, flooring ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ with one punch.
Although within the confines of sports entertainment, Tyson’s pantomime punch was one of the less-believable, even when compared to his cameos in rap videos and movies, and therefore one of the more forgettable of his career inside or outside the ring.
Iron Mike rating: 5/10
