Key Takeaways

• “TYSON” is Netflix’s four-part documentary series about Mike Tyson, directed by Floyd Russ.
• Netflix’s official announcement describes the project as 60-minute episodes.
• The trailer frames the series around Tyson’s rise, personal turmoil, addiction and identity.

Mike Tyson is looking back at the triumphs and turmoil that have defined his life in the first official trailer for Netflix’s upcoming documentary series “TYSON.”

The four-part project, directed by Floyd Russ, will premiere Oct. 13 and trace the Hall of Famer's journey from a difficult childhood in Brooklyn to becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history. But the trailer makes clear that his accomplishments inside the ring are only part of the story. “I lived like a rat in the street all my life, and the next thing you know, I'm the biggest s**t in the world,” he says as the clip begins.

That rapid rise also left Tyson trying to process a level of success few people experience so young: “Can you imagine being a high school dropout, 20 years old, and you're the champion of the world?”

Archival footage revisits both sides of that success, from Tyson dominating opponents to the controversies, substance addiction and destructive behavior that followed him outside the ring. The former champion has previously spoken publicly about his struggles with drugs, including using substances during his boxing career. “I was a nut back then, huh?” he admits in the trailer before older footage shows a much different version of him declaring, “I don't care about living or dying. I'm a dysfunctional motherf**ker.”

Mike Tyson gets emotional while confronting his past in trailer for Netflix documentary series “TYSON”

The documentary appears to go beyond retelling the Fort Greene native’s most publicized moments by asking him to examine the person he became amid the fame and chaos. “This is the dark side of me. That's just who I became… addicted to chaos,” he says.

When asked why, Tyson struggles to find an answer: “Because it was. Why? I don't know. You're making it difficult for me now.” As he grows emotional, Tyson continues, “The liberation, the scrutiny. Why'd I put myself through this bulls**t?” Later, the father of seven offers another reflection on identity: “It's hard to navigate with ya true self when you really don't know who the f**k you are.”

Netflix is also extending the 60-year-old's story beyond the documentary. “Mike Tyson: Return of the Mike,” his first one-man show since 2013’s “Undisputed Truth,” premieres Nov. 3 and tackles addiction, mental health and his life through comedy.

Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather fight pushed to fall 2026

Tyson’s next chapter could also include another trip to the ring. As REVOLT reported in September 2025, he and the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. agreed to meet in an exhibition bout originally planned for spring 2026.

USA TODAY reported in May that the matchup was moved to the fall as Tyson recovered from a broken hand suffered during training. A new date and venue had not been announced at the time of the report.

For someone whose life has repeatedly moved between victory, controversy and reinvention, “TYSON” now gives the boxing icon a chance to tell that story from his own perspective.