ESPN: One Night in Vegas - Tyson & Tupac

[prodigy]

ESPN 30 for 30 series : One Night in Vegas:
https://30for30.espn.com/film/one-night-in-vegas.html

On the evening of Sept. 7, 1996, Mike Tyson, the WBC heavyweight champion, attempted to take Bruce Seldon’s WBA title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. At this point in his career, Tyson’s fights had become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, where the ever present hype of the professional boxing scene would come face to face with the worlds of big business, Hollywood, and hip hop. Sitting ringside was controversial rapper Tupac Shakur. Shakur and Tyson were friends, a feeling of kinship linked them as each rose to stardom from poverty only to be thrown in prison. Following Tyson’s victory, Shakur and “Iron Mike” were to celebrate at an after party, but the rap star never arrived. Shakur was brutally gunned down later that night, and the scene in Las Vegas quickly turned from would-be celebratory revelry to ill fated and inopportune tragedy. Director Reggie Bythewood, with the full cooperation of Mike Tyson, will tell not only the story of that infamous night but of the remarkable friendship between Tyson and Tupac.

anyone else watch this?

 

[C l u t c H 385]

I caught parts of it...I wish it would have been more about them rather than just "white people suck." Got old.

I'm sure that racist dude VINYLONE would enjoy it.

 

[Dtol17]

I watched. I was unaware of the timeline of how all of this fell together considering I was only six at the time. I never really appreciated the situation for what it was. Man it's a messed up world out there. It was really intense listenting to some of those testimonials but those stupid rap/preach/BS pieces kind of killed the mood. Overall it was a great watch.

 

[sirkickyass]

The Poetry Slam segments were utterly moronic, particulary the segment comparing the boxing ring to a slave auction block and the faux-meaningful line "why do you think they call it boxing."

Look, I'm hardly a boxing aficionado but even I knew that was completely ridiculous on face and the scantest amount of research pretty thoroughly debunks the claim.

An interesting connection completely ruined by sub-mediocre production and direction.

 

[C l u t c H 385]

The Poetry Slam segments were utterly moronic, particulary the segment comparing the boxing ring to a slave auction block and the faux-meaningful line "why do you think they call it boxing."

That's the part that made me turn it off.

 

[prodigy]

yeh those poetry segments were poorly done, they should've gotten a real artist like nas to do it. but i still enjoyed the show overall. was interesting to hear the story from the guy who took the famous picture of pac & suge knight in the car.

 

[sirkickyass]

Although I will say that every segment involving Mickey Rourke was among the weirdest television I've ever seen.