I don’t think I’ve done a wrestling related post in quite a while, and I had NO idea until recently they actually cut a video for this alternate theme.
If you didn’t know the ‘why’ this was put together, I still think this is a damn good rap-rock hybrid (from the Kings of the from, but still…)
And yes, I’ll be bringing this back as an entrance theme when I step into the Mike Tyson honorary special guest referee role in a WrestleMania somewhere down the line…
Enjoy!
If you’ve been keeping up with (sports) news lately, you know there’s been quite a bit of juicy news off the field as of late. Former superstar quarterback Michael Vick was finally released from prison. On top of most likely ruining his football career, his finances are in complete ruin. Tens of millions of dollars gone, through bad investments (obviously), legal fees, and living a liquid lifestyle (cars, clothes, things that don’t appreciate in value). A common element of Vick’s financial and legal problems was he kept on taking the advice of the wrong people. In both circumstances, his ‘boys’ weren’t looking out for his best interest.
Then there’s the sordid story of Dirk Nowitski’s personal life. The story first broke when the Mavs were still playing: ‘Woman arrested at Nowitski’s home.’ Well…OK. Now a few weeks later, the ‘facts’ of the case are this woman is still in jail, she’s had at least eight other aliases, and Dirk’s not the first pro athlete (QB Tony Banks) that she’s targeted. She claims to be his fiancee and carrying Dirk’s baby; time will tell if either or both of those are true. As was the case with Dikembe Mutombo, in the long run it’s for the best that he backed out before he reached a point of no return but there’s still a little bit of a sense of ‘how did you get in so deep?’
Finally and most tragically, there’s the latest chapter in the life of Mike Tyson. As you’ve probably heard, his youngest daughter died earlier today after a tragic accident at home. I’ve previously expressed my feelings for Mike on this blog; we all agree the man was no saint, but at what point do you stop paying for your sins? Especially if you no longer live your life in that fashion?
My overall point in mentioning the lives of Dirk, Vick, and Tyson is to take a step back and look at how important making good judgment is in all our lives. Not something we ever learn in school. Good or bad, it usually starts with how our parents taught us (or didn’t). When we leave home, it’s represented in who we bring into our lives as friends. And we come full circle when we pick our mates and bring our own kids in this world.
I honestly don’t have a nice, tidy conclusion to this one. I still feel really bad for Tyson (I wouldn’t wish the death of a child on my worst enemy), and I’m constantly questioning my own ability to judge people (I’ve been very lucky at the right times, I won’t deny that’s a big part of it.)
Anyway, food for thought.
The first time I recall scaring my mother I was still in elementary school. I was straight A student, running for class president, pegged as ‘one of the good ones’ by church and family. Anyway, I remember making a comment along the lines of “being on top of the world and still having nothing.” All of us experience loneliness, and we all learn to handle it and cope with it in different ways. James Toback’s new film Tyson isn’t a great documentary, a great sports movie, or a great biography. If you have had any interest in Mike Tyson in the past 20 years, I don’t think there’s anything here you haven’t seen or heard before. But what this movie does a GREAT job of doing is, through Mike’s telling of his own story, get you to understand that this man has always been lonely. Not just now that he’s broke, not just from his time in prison. When he was the Champ, when he was married, when he was running through God only knows how many women over the years, Mike has always been lonely. It’s something I picked up many years ago; being surrounded by people isn’t automatically the same thing as being part of a group.
Every sports fan definitely knows Mike’s story, but it’s hard for me to simplify what he symbolized to kids of my generation. We didn’t really grow up with Ali, so Mike was our Superman. To see him shadowbox at 19, it was still scary but exciting how fast and powerful he was. When Buster Douglas knocked him out, I relived the heartbreak I felt that night. As the movie went on, I was making a mental checklist of some of the young brothers I looked up to as a kid: Michael Jackson became Wacko Jacko, Magic got HIV and had to quit the NBA, 2Pac got killed, Biggie got killed, and Mike Tyson went to prison. As far as brothers my age goes, Kobe had his rape trial, Mike Vick went to prison…I’ve had other guys I looked up to of course, but I think you see my point. It’s the dirty little joke I have with some of my Hollywood buddies; if I become big-time, how are they going to destroy me? How will I destroy myself?
At the end of the film, reliving his own ups and downs, Mike comes off as spiritually happy as he’s ever been. At 40, there’s a decent chance he may not have lived half his life yet. Tyson will be the first one to tell you he’s not anybody’s hero, but he talks about looking forward to living the rest of his days as a decent father and human being.
We should all be so lucky.
