Mike Tyson’s one-man show opens on Broadway

Mike Tyson is delivering an one-two punch on Broadway with his new one-man play, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth.

The former boxing champ officially opened his show on Thursday and called the opening night experience daunting.

“I’ve never dealt with acting at that degree, so it was pretty intimidating, but I was just willing to be a happy participant,” said Tyson.

Famed film director Spike Lee is making his Broadway debut with the production and said working with his friend took their friendship to a new level.

“Mike and I have known each other since ‘86 but we’ve never spent as much time together as we have — this past three    weeks have been very intimate, I bet he’s learned things about me and I’ve learned about him that we didn’t know. But I just think it’s a great story,” said Lee.

Tyson, who in 1986 became the youngest world heavyweight champion at age 20, touches on everything from his childhood, drug addictions and his storied boxing career. Backstage after the show he said some topics are still difficult to relive.

“You know certain things I won’t say, you know, certain things I know not to ad lib and stuff. Right now if you told me — if I start talking about something I couldn’t do it, I wouldn’t be able to do it, I’ll probably stat sniffling up. But on stage I know there is a job to be done and even know it’s real it’s not real, it’s an illusion,” said Tyson

The red carpet was packed with celebrities from the sports world, and longtime Tyson fans like Donald Trump, Galye King and Tony Danza. Yankees baseball player C.C. Sabathia said his admiration for Tyson goes back to his childhood.

“I’ve followed his career, you know, when I was a young kid. And I just remember a lot of the parties that we had. He was the first real pay-per-view draw so, I’m excited to see what he has to say,” Sabathia told Reuters.  

His teammate Derek Jeter spoke about his anticipation for the show.

“It will be interesting. Spike invited me to it a few weeks ago and as soon as Spike asked I said it would be my pleasure to come here. And I know a lot of people have been talking about it — a lot of people looking forward to it. I’m real interested to see how Mike does,” said Jeter.

Television host Gayle King talked about the fighter’s rarely seen softer side.

“The first time I meet him in person I was surprised that he is so gentle, I’m surprised that he is so gentle because he gets in the ring and he turns into a totally different person. And you know, he has had some knocks in his life, he’s done some things in his life that I know he’s not proud of, but I’m really, really curious to see how he tells his story tonight,” King explained.

Tyson was undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion in the 1980s but in 1992 he was convicted of raping teenage beauty queen Desiree Washington in Indiana and served three years in prison.

He added to his notoriety later in the decade when he bit rival Evander Holyfield on both ears in a 1997 bout, for which he was disqualified and temporarily suspended from boxing. Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003 and retired from professional boxing in 2006.

Since his retirement from boxing, Tyson has appeared in the TV shows Entourage and Brothers and had a cameo role in the 2009 hit comedy movie The Hangover.

Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth will run for only 12 shows, ending on Sunday, Aug. 12.