He could of been the greatest there ever was.  That’s what my father used to tell me.  Some of my most vivid memories growing up in the city are of lying belly-down on the hardwood floor of our upper west side apartment watching Tyson fights with my dad.

My father had three main vices.  One was watching the Yankees.  The other was watching the Knicks.  The third was setting down with a cold one to watch Mike Tyson pummel an opponent senseless.  Whenever I could, mostly when my mother wasn’t around, I took my customary spot by the leg of the couch to watch the beast go to work.  Today I look back on clips of old fights and still find myself sitting back in awe of perhaps one of the most talented, ferocious boxers to ever set foot on the canvas.  His hand speed, coordination, vicious combinations, and sheer power made him one of the most feared fighters in the ring.  To this day I think to myself, what happened to Mike Tyson?

Was it the nasty dirvorce?  Was it the rape trials?  Was it the death of Cus D’Amato, the man who first took Tyson under his wing and showed him the path to greatness?  Was the firing of Kevin Rooney, longtime trainer of the fighter, the beginning of the end?

For the first time after the notorious Holyfield-Tyson II fight (does ear bite ring a bell?), after the conspicuous tattoo and bankruptcy, Iron Mike sits down to tell you how the story progressed from his perspective.  Official selection of the Sundance Film Festival, winner of the Knockout Prize – Uncertain Regard in Cannes, screenwriter/director James Toback brings you Tyson, a no-holds-barred documentary that received a standing ovation when it debuted in France.

Unfortunately I missed this film during my last visit to Sundance, but most of what I’ve been hearing about the documentary has been positive.  One of the most peculiar characters of our generation, Tyson very existence has been a twisted battlefield of confusion, glory, lust, disappointment, victory, and controversy.  He’s been to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, a killer (figuratively speaking) with the voice of a child, a superstar who lost everything.  Tyson is a rare glimpse into the champions mind as he looks back bares his soul.  He covers his gritty beginnings, becomes emotional over his relationship with the late D’Amato, and reveals his feelings against infamous promoter Don King.  I think this may be an interesting film about a undeniably special man that could be worth watching.

Was he a villain or a victim?  Is he misunderstood or truly insane?  I’m still trying to figure it out.  My father just shakes his head.  He could have been the greatest.  But he threw it all away.

View the trailer here.