Jun 1, 2021
Mike Tyson, the former heavyweight champion, is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. Unfortunately, he is just as famous for his exploits outside of the ring as he is for his many knockouts.
The new docuseries Mike Tyson: The Knockout is currently streaming on ABC and Hulu. Senior Executive Producer for original non-fiction content at ABC News, Roxanna Sherwood, joins us to discuss the film.
Roxanna shares how she collaborated with the Oscar-winning screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher and Grammy-winning composer Terence Blanchard to create a new approach to Mike Tyson's story. She explains what it was like for Mike growing up, how he ended up in so many scandals, and why this story is relevant now more than ever.
“We are prone these days to shuffle things under the black and white. The grey has disappeared, but the truth is in the middle, the truth is grey.” - Roxanna Sherwood
Time Stamps:
00:14 - The trailer for Mike
Tyson: The Knockout.
05:21 - The new context the
documentary gives to Mike’s life.
08:54 - What it was like for Mike
growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
11:26 - First clip showing
Brownsville in the 1970s and '80s.
13:40 - The difficulties Mike Tyson
had as a boy.
16:48 - Second clip revealing the
fortune Mike gained in a short period of time.
19:34 - The misguided trust Mike
had in Robin Givens.
25:22 - Third clip looking at how
Mike's lavish lifestyle turned self-destructive.
28:29 - Which knockout the title
refers to.
30:43 - The rape committed by Mike
Tyson and the subsequent trial.
37:36 - The importance of
understanding unconscious bias and racism.
44:43 - Why this documentary is so
relevant at the moment.
47:14 - How Geoffrey Fletcher and
Terence Blanchard became involved with the film.
50:53 - The type of content ABC
News will be making in the future.
53:30 - How to be a successful
documentary filmmaker.
55:18 - What’s next for
Roxanna.