There has been buzz about legendary boxer Mike Tyson’s biopic. Many believe that Jamie Foxx would be fit to portray such a role. When the news was first announced circa 2014, it was received with widespread praise and fan support.
In an utter shock to the senses when a sudden turn of events not only made it impossible for Foxx to be a part of the project but tainted the entire saga with such negativity that it was imperative for Tyson to release several statements explaining his stance on the subject of Foxx’s removal from the biopic.
The boxing legend has been very involved in the decision-making process of who would be casted to play his character in a biopic and for the longest time, fans believed it was Jamie Foxx who held the coveted and unchallenged position.
Tyson, however, gave an explanation for removing Foxx in a poor attempt to pacify the masses by claiming during an episode of his podcast, Hotboxin’:
“No, he was one of the actors that we considered because he was very familiar with me but there were other guys that were in contention.”
Despite the filmmakers associated with the project, Tyson’s biopic was already going through seven rungs of hell for the longest time as it faced delays upon delays with the most controversial episode centering around the replacement of Jamie Foxx who had allegedly spent nearly a decade preparing for the role. Speaking about his decision on the matter, a source close to Tyson claimed:
“Mike has been telling people Jamie is no longer going to be playing him. They are friends apparently, but somehow the whole proposal of Jamie starting off as 20-something Mike is not going to work. They are scouring casting agencies for an athlete who can act. It is such a shame as Jamie has been telling people for years about playing Mike. Not only does he have his voice and body gestures down perfectly, but his body was in tremendous shape.”
