HOLLYWOOD star Jamie Foxx has been confirmed as the man who will play Mike Tyson in the upcoming TV series about the boxing legend’s career.
Tyson, 54, has hit the headlines this past year after his impressive in-ring comeback in an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr.
The icon, who runs a successful cannabis empire, pocketed a fortune from the latest chapter in the heavyweight’s illustrious and remarkable life.
Foxx, 53 – who won an Oscar in 2005 for his portrayal of blind musician Ray Charles – will now share his story after admitting production for the biopic is well underway.
And award-winning Martin Scorsese has been confirmed as executive producer for the highly-anticipated show, which was originally believed to be a movie.
Foxx said previously: “Doing biographies is a tough thing. Sometimes it takes 20 years to get them done, but we officially got the real ball rolling.
“I met Mike Tyson in the weirdest way, I was on stage doing stand-up years ago [when I was 22]. I get to my Mike Tyson joke and nobody claps, nobody laughs. You know why? Because Mike Tyson was watching.
“So I started hanging out with Mike Tyson so I got to see Mike in two different ways, two different lives.
“I saw him at the height of his career and then when things got bad, things got bumpy, I also saw him as well, so what I’m excited about the movie is to show those moments of the different Mike. That’s the person we want to show.”
Iron Mike announced himself to the world at the age of 20 when he became the youngest ever heavyweight champion.
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He would later cement his reputation as one of the world’s greatest by becoming the undisputed champion.
His life has also been marred by controversy including biting off the ear of old foe Evander Holyfield.
Out of the ring he spiralled out of control with a history of drug and alcohol addiction and depression.
He also allegedly hit his first wife, with Robin Givens describing life with Tyson as ‘torture, pure hell, worse than anything I could possibly imagine’.
In 1992 he was convicted of the rape of then 18-year-old Desiree Washington and jailed for six years.
Foxx will need to ensure he hits the gym to play the part after Tyson’s extraordinary body transformation.
The boxer, who ballooned to a whopping 27 stone after retiring in 2005, has shed ten stone to get back into fighting shape.
But Foxx has no doubt he’ll be able to match his strength and added: “I guarantee you, people will run up on me in the street and ask for an autograph and think that I’m Mike.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
