By Red Mattos:
Roots of Fight has released a teaser trailer for their short film on Iron Mike Tyson, and the early stages of his pugilistic pursuits. This was back when the closest thing to an MMA fighter was Ryu from “Street Fighter”. The trailer has snippets of some of Tysons earlier fights interspersed with renowned MMA stars.

Forrest Griffin – currently slated to face Tito Ortiz for a third, and God willing last, time at UFC 148 – talked about growing up and watching the legend: “Tyson was just, you know, the legend, the myth. People today- they don’t get it, but if you were alive in that era and you saw the fights and you heard about it… everybody talked about it. It was a big deal. He was an icon.”

Stephan Bonner- last seen getting a decision over Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 139- marveled at his seemingly limitless power. “Mike Tyson had tremendous power, and he could knock you out with anything, man. The hook, the uppercut, the overhand, going to the body…”

Randy Couture –last seen as an Expendable – mentioned enjoying trips down memory lane: “It’s fun now, to watch those old Tyson fights. Just how dang explosive he was and, I mean, it’s just like, guys didn’t have a chance.”

Urijah Faber – currently coaching on TUF, opposite Dominic Cruz – recalls being mesmerized by Tyson’s near super human indestructability: “Mike Tyson, when I was a kid, was the first guy that you’d feel like, ‘that guy is invincible’.”

Tyson truly was a larger than life character in the boxing world and his actions (inside the ring) surely inspired many a fighter and terrified the rest. The short film is coming soon.

comments