Never out of the limelight, for better or worse, former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, once again, has become the prime target for a TV series. Of course, a new TV series based around Tyson isn’t actually anything new. In 1995, the biopic movie, 'Tyson', starring Michael Jai White, didn’t go down too well. Most recently, there was the
2022 unauthorised miniseries put out by Hulu. However, like 'Tyson', ‘Mike’ also failed to pack a punch despite starring Trevante Rhodes.
Now, there’s another one on the way. Depending on how far back you want to track, this rendition of a dramatised telling of Mike Tyson’s life has been in the works for ten or four years. It was back in 2014 that the project was announced. It later pivoted to a limited series, and was delayed a couple of years back. Now, the star of the project, Jamie Foxx, looks to be on the promo trail for ‘Finding Mike,’ which could come out in 2025 as a limited series.
From the Streets of Brooklyn to Sin City
Born in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, it was the discovery of Mike Tyson’s boxing talents that allowed him to make his way out of Brownsville and to the national spotlight. From there, in 1985, he surged through the heavyweight boxing scene, winning all 18 of his opening professional bouts within his first 12 months. On 22 November 1986, he was boxing for the WBC World heavyweight title against Trevor Berbick, who he defeated in two rounds to become the
youngest-ever champion, aged 20.
As his fame grew and people flocked to see the still-young star’s incredibly knockout power, Tyson would earn a reputation for being outspoken, gaudy, and synonymous with Las Vegas. It’s these elements that should be as interwoven with a TV series as the boxing side as they are huge parts of his legend. After all, he had three pet tigers, and he still boasts a swanky $4.5 million mansion near Sin City.
A way that many films have utilised Las Vegas in the past has been through the lens of the little guys getting one up on the big guys. This is very much Mike Tyson’s story, and nowhere is it better showcased than in blackjack. ‘Iron’ Mike himself is known to have been a big blackjack player in the past, and strategies in the game of 21 that end up with him winning could reflect both his journey to the top and his in-ring strategies.
One of the best-known blackjack strategies is the
212 blackjack strategy. In this one, the focus is on reaping increased rewards on a hot streak while limiting substantial losses. An adaptation of the famed d’Alembert, the 212 has you reduce your bet after the first win and then increasing it as more wins come in. You revert to your starting bet on a loss, and go again. It’s a reserved-yet-attacking form of blackjack strategy.
Showing the character of Tyson deploying a similar strategy at a Las Vegas blackjack table could tap into the other side of his boxing. The strategy is all about capitalising on hot streaks while also protecting previous wins. In the ring, Mike Tyson may be remembered for his offensive might, but it wasn’t all about just punching. He was deft, used great footwork and a power-generating squatting move to slip up on the inside to deal maximum damage.
When it landed, he’d keep on pushing in this way until he hit the jackpot. The 212 blackjack strategy is very similar. You keep on putting on the pressure while you’re up, only recoiling if the opponent gets one in. You then reset and try to find that angle again, upping the bet as you increase your advantage or streak. Showing this as a way Tyson thought about games like blackjack as well as in the ring would offer a unique angle on his greatness as a boxer even amidst his reputation and antics.
As noted, a different angle that showcases the brilliance of Tyson, as opposed to just his powerful punch and crazy antics, would be welcomed and novel. We might just be getting that, given that Mike Tyson has trusted his long-time friend, Jamie Foxx, with playing him in the show. It was way back in 2021 that the limited series was announced for Foxx, with Antoine Fuqua and Martin Scorsese reportedly on board.
Since then, it has been slow to develop, to say the least. However, we did learn that it’ll aim to span Tyson’s whole life, from his troubled youth all the way to the top of the boxing world and then some. As a part of that promo trail, Foxx sat in an interview with LAD on 18 January 2025.
The star of
2020 superhero film Project Power opened with an anecdote of how he met Tyson at one of his stand-up gigs having teed up a joke about ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ while he was in the audience. Foxx went on to confirm the upcoming miniseries is on its way and that it took a lot of time to adapt his story into a movie.
Expected to arrive in 2025, or perhaps early 2026, it’ll be interesting to see what parts of the Mike Tyson story ‘Finding Mike’ will focus on with his friend taking the lead.
