Hulu is gearing up for the release of its Mike Tyson miniseries Mike, and while there are a lot of people eager to see the series based on it being about one of the world’s most polarizing celebrities to ever throw a punch, there’s one very important person upset about it. Tyson actually went on a tear on social media recently about Hulu for the series, and it’s clear he’s not a fan of the project after stating “Heads will roll” for its existence.
As Hulu gears up to release Mike on Thursday, August 25, Mike Tyson is sounding off on Instagram and speaking out against the upcoming show. In short, he’s not wanting anyone with a Hulu subscription to tune in, especially since Hulu reportedly didn’t pay him to tell the story:
Strong words from Iron Mike, and not the only platform where he blasted Hulu for Mike. On Twitter, he noted that Hulu allegedly approached UFC President Dana White with an offer to promote the series on upcoming events for the sport. Tyson noted that White turned down the offer, and thanked him for doing so:
…I'll never forget what Hulu stole from me. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/kZKkY4hX5KAugust 6, 2022
Mike Tyson continued further on Twitter and alleged some things about the upcoming series that might be seen as shady. Tyson shared a post from WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, who alleged producers for Mike misled him and the WBC about Tyson’s involvement in the project:
Someone should get fired from Hulu. Producers were lying to my friends saying I supported the unauthorized series about my life. https://t.co/KukFMNDkCbAugust 6, 2022
As enticing as the trailer for Mike looked, it’s certainly concerning to see the statements made by Mike Tyson and others about the show. Clearly, Tyson believes he’s owed something for the project, which was made without his involvement. That might detract fans who feel like the series should’ve cut the athlete in on using his story. At the same time, Tyson's online rants might make some curious as to why the show went without a green light from Tyson. This is especially true when he’s making threats on social media, and claiming “Heads will roll” for this:
Hulu stole my story. They’re Goliath and I’m David. Heads will roll for this.August 6, 2022
One thing worth bringing up in this drama is that Mike Tyson is currently involved with another project about his life. Tyson teamed up with actor Jamie Foxx (who got absolutely jacked for the role) and director Antoine Fuqua for that project, which started out as a movie and has since evolved into a television miniseries. Obviously, Hulu's upcoming Mike presents some obvious competition to the still-in-development project, which Tyson spoke about in the past to THR. This might also be why the former boxer is referring to the unauthorized Mike series as “tone-deaf cultural misappropriation.”
It’s clear that Mike Tyson isn’t a fan of the upcoming Mike series, but whether or not that’ll impact the success of the series remains to be seen. Unauthorized shows and projects can often have appeal with audiences, as the subject isn’t directly involved to influence creative decisions or stories told. Mike Tyson has plenty of public stories about his life, both good and bad (I especially like the one about sleeping with tigers), so there’s no telling what this upcoming show will highlight outside of his illustrious boxing career, though I’d also love to hear more about his experiences with toad venom.
Mike streams on Hulu starting on Thursday, August 25th. With the premiere date still a ways away, it’s possible more drama might surface, but we’ll just have to wait and see how far this goes.
