'Tyson vs Jaws: Rumble on the Reef': Release date, plot, cast and all you need to know about the Discovery Channel special for Shark Week
Discovery Channel's 'Shark Week' has been a highly anticipated summer television event for over three decades. Just like any other year, this year is going to be a potpourri of new discoveries, new technology and new co-stars for the series of shark documentary specials. The pop-culture episode will dive deeper into the world of sharks and will be a fiesta of shark-related stuff. But the special treat here is that this year legendary heavy-weight champ, Mike Tyson will kick off the week by taking on a new challenge in 'Tyson vs Jaws: Rumble on the Reef'. Here is everything you need to know about the special.
Release date
'Tyson vs Jaws: Rumble on the Reef' airs on Sunday, August 9 at 8 pm ET/PT and continues through Sunday, August 16 on Discovery Channel
Plot
'Shark Week' is reportedly Discovery Channel's must-watch annual shark-programming. The 2020 weekly edition opens with boxer and entrepreneur Mike Tyson, gearing up to go toe-to-fin with the apex oceanic predator. Iron Mike will feature in 'Tyson vs Jaws: Rumble on the Reef', alongside famed ring announcer, Michael Buffer who will be calling the shots. It is still unclear as to how Tyson and the shark will be interacting, but the boxing legend said that he agreed to appear on the show to overcome his fears of making his official comeback to the ring.
Tyson, 54, has been busy training to take part in the four-round exhibition fights for charity. One of these fights are against his former opponent, Evander Holyfield, 57, but the rumor is yet to be confirmed. "I took on this challenge to overcome fears I still deal with in life," Tyson said, per Entertainment Weekly. "I equate this with overcoming my fear of getting back into the ring at 54 years old." He added: "I learned from this experience doing Shark Week that whatever intimidates me, I am still able to step up to the challenge of overcoming anything that would prevent me from accomplishing my life's mission of reaching my highest potential in life and bringing me closer to God."
'Shark Week' 2020 will feature more than 20 hours of new documented material to commemorate its 32nd anniversary. Will the two heavyweight champs square off in an epic battle, where Tyson one-ups his finned opponent? You would have to watch to find out. But one thing we can be certain of is that no sharks were harmed, bitten or TKO-ed in the making of this episode.
Cast
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson is a former professional boxer, who reigned as an undisputed heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990. He competed from 1985 to 2005 and was the first heavyweight boxer to hold simultaneous World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation titles as well as the only heavyweight champ to unify them. He also holds the record of the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title for claiming his first belt at just 20 years old. In 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison, where he also converted his religious faith into Islam. He was released on parole after three years. After his release, he engaged in a series of comeback fights. Tyson was stripped of his WBC title in 1995 and lost his WBA title to Evander Holyfield by an eleventh round stoppage.
At the age of 35, Tyson fought for the world heavyweight title again in 2002, by lost by a knockout to Lennox Lewis. He retired from professional boxing in 2006, after being repeatedly knocked out in consecutive matches. He declared bankruptcy in 2003, although he had received over $30M for several fights and $300 throughout his career. Tyson was known for his ferocious and intimidating boxing style, but his reputation was blemished by controversial behavior inside and outside the ring. He was nicknamed 'Iron' and 'Kid Dynamite' early on his career and later came to be known as 'The Baddest Man on the Planet'.
Trailer
We will update this space with the official trailer for 'Tyson vs Jaws: Rumble on the Reef' soon. In the meantime, watch the teaser here.
With famed ring announcer Michael Buffer calling the shots, these two heavyweights will square off underwater, where Mike Tyson will try to score a TKO over the massive shark
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