Mike (2022–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Monster - full transcript

This is all about immortality,

about your name being known
till the end of time.

We have to wait for our moment
like crocodiles in the mud.

No one knows
when the drought will come.

And the animals will have
to migrate across the Sahara.

But we will be waiting.

Months. Years.

And the gazelles
and the wildebeests

will cross the water.

And when they come,
we will bite them.

You hear me, son?



We will bite them so hard
that when they scream,

the whole world
is gonna hear them.

You will supersede everyone.

You are a giant.

You are a colossus amongst men.

If you listen...

you will one day reign
like the gods.

I didn't know what the fuck
a gazelle was.

But I never heard anyone
say anything good about me.

I wanted to hear more.

Boxing is entertainment.

So to be successful,
a fighter must not only win,

but he must win
in an exciting manner.

He must throw punches
with bad intentions.



You hear me, Mike?

With the speed of the devil.

Your mind is not your friend.

I hope you know that, Mike.

You have to fight your mind.
Control it.

Block your feelings.

Fatigue is 90% psychological.

- Three, four, five.
- To be a great fighter,

you have to get out
of your head.

Keep your emotions shut off.

A gladiator.

A gladiator
focuses on his objective

and blocks everything else out.

Mind control shit?
I didn't care.

I never had anyone
interested in me before.

I ate that shit up.

I'm the best fighter
in the world.

I'd train with Cus
three times a week

and go back to Try on at night.

Best fighter in the world.
No one can beat me.

We gotta talk about Mike.

For crying out loud, Teddy.

He didn't steal your money.

He did steal my money.

That's not
what we gotta talk about.

It wasn't Mike.

He's gonna be paroled soon.

It was me.

So? That's a good thing.

Back to Brooklyn, where he'll
go do something stupid

and get killed,
get locked up again.

Shit.

My mother always said you go
to a person's house

for the first time...

you bring a gift.

Those are
some cheap-ass chocolates.

No, thank you.

You wanna take him?

Not take.

You'll see him anytime.

You think
that you'll do a better job

than me?

He know right from wrong,
but he don't care.

I'll see he stays
out of trouble.

I don't know how many times
they come to me

telling me he's arrested.

I gotta take care of three kids

without no help from anybody.

Lorna Mae,

Mike's got a potential.

He's got a real serious talent.

I know I could bring it out
in him.

And what's in it for you?

I've been doing this
all my life.

Believe me when I tell you
he could go the distance.

If he can't box no more,

you still keep him?

That's what I thought.

What's in it for you,
motherfucker?

Well, I'll be his manager.

You rather go live with him?

Yeah.

Take him.

He only gonna disappoint you.

You forgot
your fucking chocolates.

I don't know why you think

that extra gravy's
so necessary, Mike.

You're gonna spend all morning
tomorrow running it off.

Cus, this is
the best cheese I ever had.

What kind of cheese is this?

What the fuck?

You're eating butter.

All right, all right.

It was round.

I never seen round butter.

- It's European.
- Camille likes it.

When people hear my accent...

they know I'm a guy
from the streets.

They underestimate me.

They'll underestimate you, too,
'cause you're Black.

Let 'em.

We'll use it to our advantage.

Here's the plan.

Junior Olympics, a warm-up.

Then real Olympic gold at 18.

Then we turn pro,

and we go for the title
and we grab it.

The world championship.

Why do you think I can be that?

Because you can.

Don't you wanna change
your life?

You don't even know
what European butter is.

Aww!

At this point,
Cus was kind of down and out

in his career.

All his hopes were on me.

He really needed a win.

It's kind of a lot
for a 13-year-old.

These two messed-up guys met,
and they made history.

Now, Cus was kind of a...
He was kind of a quirky

kind of a character
kind of guy, right?

All his coat pockets
were sewn shut

so nobody could plant drugs
on him.

He wouldn't drink in public
because he assumed

someone would slip him a Mickey.

And his room?
Off-limits.

Every day, he'd slip matches
in the door

to see if anyone
had been inside.

He was a progressive.

Loved Martin Luther King
and Che Guevara.

If you wanted to get
a rise out of him,

all you would have to say is...

I don't see how socialism
could work.

Money's useless

unless you're helping people
with it.

And don't get him
started on Ronald Reagan.

Bum, liar, snake, phony!

He refused to pay taxes
to Republican administrations.

Instead he declared bankruptcy.

And this is the guy
I had to put all my faith in.

Except I didn't know how

to believe what Cus saw in me.

I'd still go back to see my mom.

But I started to feel like
I didn't belong there either.

Yo, man, what they
teaching you upstate?

You need to share that shit.

Michael.

Sh...

You smoking drugs in my house?

Just Barkim is.

Mm-hmm.

Give me that shit.

I send you away to do better

and come back doing drugs?

Don't do drugs.

I keep talking,
but you ain't listening.

- I didn't do anything.
- We didn't do anything.

I raised my kids
better than that.

All except you.

Drugs are bullshit.

I don't want you to end up

a pimp like your father.

Maybe I'll end up
a deacon like my father.

My father was a pimp
and a deacon.

You ain't never gonna be

no deacon, Mike.

Never be no deacon.

What are those people
you living with like?

Your family take you back,
you know.

I just gotta be
with that old guy.

Mm-hmm.

Punchers are born, not made.

And you got power
in both fists, son.

I'm not telling you
to make you believe

you're something you're not.

This is what you were born
to do.

I wanna get him into a smoker.

You can't put a boy in a smoker.

What he needs is experience.

No one's gonna fight a kid
who just turned 14.

I mean, you're not gonna find
an opponent.

Of course
I'm not gonna find an opponent.

You are.
That's your fucking job.

Anyway, look at him.

Who's gonna believe he's 14?

Cus, he's a kid.

I'll get arrested.

Get the fuck out of here, Teddy.

You gonna look me in the eye
and tell me

that this guy is 14?

Hand to God.

Where do you get the balls?

What do you want me to say?

The kid just turned 14.

Nah, get out of my gym.

Fine.

He's 18.

There it is.

You know something, Teddy?

Sometimes I think you lie worse
than we do.

How you doing, Mike?

I was a baby.

What I wanted to say was,
"Get me out of here.

I'm a fucking kid."

Instead I said...

I'm gonna get something
from the grocery store

down the street.

Hurry back.

People went after Cus
for exposing a young kid

to a place like that
and making him fight.

But that filthy place...
It represented hope.

It was my way out.

It made me become
who I needed to become.

Oh, and I knocked
that motherfucker out.

Yes, Michael!

I won my very first fight.

Knocked that motherfucker
out cold.

Whoo!

Yeah!

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

Whoo!

Yeah!
Yes, yes, whoo!

That's when the legend
of Mike Tyson began.

Yes!
Whoo!

The path is clear, son.

Junior Olympics.

A warm-up.

Then real Olympic gold at 18.

Uh, then we go pro...

and grab the title.

But I don't want you acting

so excited when you win a fight.

I want you arrogant.

You act like
you're surprised you won.

You crying?

What's wrong with you?

I won't ever get bullied
no more.

No.

Your superiority is...

undeniable.

They'll love you
as much as they fear you.

But the fight starts
before you enter the ring.

You gotta be the meanest fighter

God ever created.

No more crying.

Intimidation.

You need to embrace
your villainy.

Junior Olympics,
I won every fight

by knockouts in the first round.

I got gold in eight seconds.

I was this local hero
with a gold medal at 14,

and half my friends back home
were already dead.

I loved Cus so much, if he
would've told me I could fly,

I would've believed him.

Only I kept going back
to Brownsville,

getting fucked up and shit.

Oh, you guys are gonna see me
really fucked up in this show.

You know, um...

back then, I was living
in two worlds at the same time.

Or I was trying to.

I've been doing that
my whole life.

It's the gold medal.

Read this.

You Muhammad Ali now?

I'm gonna be the youngest
heavyweight champion

in the world.

Me.

I am that someone.

I'm used to you smelling
like drink and reefer.

Look at you now.

You better keep on winning.

'Cause the second you lose,

that man's throwing
your ass out.

He don't love you.

He's using you.

He's got his own reasons
for teaching you.

He's teaching me to be somebody.

Opposite of what you ever did.

I'm going to Barkim's.

Don't rob any houses, now,
you hear?

I don't do that shit no more.

Look at me!

Look.

I am disciplined now.

I'm not that piece of shit
you said I was anymore.

I have pride.

Aah, come on, come on.

Hurry up, bitch,
before somebody sees you.

Shit.

TV!

Then my boy Calvin
start yelling like,

"Yo, this is Mike."

"He on the TV!"

So I'm thinking I'm 'bout
to see police drag your ass off

or some shit.

Instead, you in there
fucking some white boy up.

And you got fucking
white people cheering for you.

Shit.

I'm thinking like, "Damn."

"Am I high already?"

'Cause I know
that shit ain't right, man.

That's crazy, right?

That's some motherfucking
Twilight Zone shit

right there, Mike.

See, that's what the fuck it is.

Fuck is you doing here with me,
man?

What you doing robbing people
and shit like that for, man?

You got
motherfucking white people

that love your ass, Mike.

Shit.

I wish I had white people
that knew my Black ass.

I'ma die here, man.

You hear me?

You hear me, man?

That ain't your life.

Look around.

Ain't nothing here for you.

Shit.

You gotta get
the fuck outta here

so I can tell people one day,
like, "Yo,

I used to hang
with that motherfucker, man."

Shit.

I didn't hang with him no more.

That night was the last time
I saw him.

Three months later...

Oh, man.
That kind of pain?

That shit doesn't know
how to express itself.

It hits hard.

My mom died
around that time too.

Cancer.

It was a one-two punch.

Well... shit.

When my father died,
I remember him moaning.

Maybe in pain.

Maybe anger.

I'll never know.

Worst part was, there was
nothing I could do.

- Yeah.
- I should've done better.

She was never proud of me.

She thought
I was a piece of shit.

Mothers can be wrong.

I can never fix it now.

This is just gonna be my story.

No.

This is one tiny part of...

of a great big story.

You might've done bad things,

but you got a good heart.

I know your heart, Mike.

I know that.

I'll tell you a secret
that maybe I shouldn't.

Ever since I met you,

my biggest fear has been
that someday,

someone'd come along,
give you money,

and you'd leave me.

Fighters have done that to me
all my life.

But I know you're not goin'.

We're family.

The fact that you work so hard,

listen, believe in me,

it gives me motivation
to stay alive.

I don't know
what I'd do without you.

I promise I won't leave
until I see you succeed.

You hear me?

Hey, let's make this official.

Camille,

get the adoption papers done.

Be a family.

Hey, what do you think
of your new son here, Camille?

And they said
I didn't have it in me.

After that,
Cus became my family.

I lived at their house
with he and Camille.

And then every day,

I'd train with Cus at that gym.

That was my life
for the next three years.

I wanted him to love me.

But I was terrified
of disappointing him.

The reason I knocked
everyone out so fast

in those early fights
was because I was so terrified

of disappointing Cus.

If I wasn't winning,
what good was I to him?

- All right.
- Nice, Mike, nice.

We were ready
to shock the world.

Except it didn't happen
that way.

Fucking judges.

I let Cus down.

All that time he put into me.

The dream was over.

I knew Cus wouldn't love me
no more.

And I couldn't take it.

You know, honestly,
I'd rather kill myself

than have Cus not love me
no more.

- Cus...
- Don't say anything.

Take it like a man.

A gold would've greased
the wheels,

but we don't need it.

We're turning pro sooner,
that's all.

They thought
we were murderous before?

You're gonna be a demon, Mike.

I want them afraid
for their lives

when they face us.

Revenge'll be sweet, son.

They stole our Olympic glory.

We're gonna make them
fucking pay.

We should be thanking them
for this decision,

them cocksuckers.

Just like that,
Iron Mike was born.

I won every single fight
for the next six years.

As soon as I started winning
in the ring...

All right.
Cus set me up with

two of the best managers
in the business...

I think our next move
is television.

- Jimmy Jacobs...
- But we gotta talk about

the image we wanna project.

So try these on.

And Bill Cayton.

This is what Bill Cosby
wears on his show,

and everyone feels safe
with Bill Cosby.

But Cus was still in charge.

- Hold on.
- Fuck safe.

I want his opponents to take
the shit of their life

when they see Mike coming.

Cus, you hired us
to promote his image.

Audiences have
to feel comfortable with Mike.

Bullshit.

You're not turning him
into Gorgeous George.

He's not gonna look like
Gorgeous George,

for Christ's sake.

He's a scourge, a monster.

That's what I made him.

Over my dead body.
Come on, Mike.

I thought I looked fly.

Come on, come on. Jesus.

- He called all the shots.
- Cus.

Your hips.

Relax your hips.

He even took me to a hypnotist.

Relax your legs.

Relax your feet.

You have a wonderful right hand.

You haven't really
believed in it.

But you will now.

I actually think it helped.

Oh, man.

I was starting to get known.

I was 18, and I was sitting
at the same table as De Niro,

David Bowie, Joe Piscopo.

But with women, man, I...

I just... honestly,
I had no game at all.

Hi. You wanna fuck?

Yeah, no?

See? No game.

Oh, man.

Cus never taught me about women.

He only ever taught me
about boxing.

He was always there for me

- with the boxing...
- That's right!

No matter what.

Until one day...

You messing with the nurses?

Well, bless your heart
for thinking that's...

even an option.

Siddown.

How long you gotta be in here?

You're getting better.

Fuckin' pneumonia.

I want you to do me a favor.

Look after Camille for me.

Listen to me.

You are going to be
champion of the world.

I don't give a shit about
any of it without you, Cus.

Can't do without you.

Will you promise me...

you'll look after Camille?

- You promised.
- I know.

It's all fucked up.

But you'll still get there
without me.

- No.
- Listen to me.

You succeed
when you become champion.

I only succeed
when you don't need me anymore.

I do need you, Cus.

I do.
I love you, Cus.

You...

You were always, always

easy to love, Mike.

So I finally get a dad, right?

And I have to bury him.

To me, it was like
I lost my whole life.

I just kept saying to myself,

"I don't have my friend
no more."

He never told me
that he wouldn't be there.

Then Cus' friends came
to get a piece of me.

Not even a week
after the funeral,

they had me back in the ring.

A Tyson fight is a ticking bomb.

This guy is a barbarian.

12 fights.
12 knockouts.

And consider this:
He's just 19

and knocked out the last six
in the first round.

And when they go down,
they don't ask for a rematch.

Tyson is fighting, on
the average, every two weeks.

Isn't that a lot?

Cus D'Amato, who died recently,

uh, he was Mike's mentor,
teacher, legal guardian,

and... and Cus felt that
to be a good fighter,

you have to fight frequently
and often.

And so we have Mike fight
as often as is safe.

Mike Tyson is the terror

of the heavyweight division,
an animal.

With his record now 20 and 0
with 19 knockouts,

Tyson is considered one
of the hardest punchers

in the division.

His manager, Jimmy Jacobs.

Tyson is one
of the hardest hitters

- in his division.
- What's that?

- Tyson, he hits damn hard.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He... he... he punches everybody

like they stole something
from him.

His post-fight interviews
last longer than the fights.

I miss Cus terribly.

I'm always looking for someone
who's not there.

I have intelligence, discipline,

extremely honed skills,

but people just see an animal.

They call me a savage.

Now, how many knockouts
do you have?

Well, Joan, out of 27 fights,

27 wins, I got 25 knockouts.

Unbelievable.

Were you a... a rough kid?

Yeah.

A lot of people think
I was a rough kid,

got in a lot of fights
growing up,

beat up a lot of people,
but it's not true.

I got beat up all the time.

- Oh!
- I can't believe it.

- Please.
- Would I lie to you?

All right,
you're just 20 years old.

If you win the fight
with Trevor Berbick...

- When I win, yeah.
- Okay.

So... so when you win,

do you, like, have
an Adrian, like in Rocky?

No, not at all.

Oh, so no girlfriend?

When you're in training,
do you give up sex?

No.

See, 'cause my husband's
always telling me

he's in training, so...

All right, November 22nd.

Championship fight.

- Yeah.
- You wanna pick a round?

Well, no, I'm not gonna predict,

but it's a pretty exciting
moment for me.

Will you come back after
and we'll talk about

- how you won?
- Yeah.

Would you invite me back?

Oh, November 23rd.

Listen, what a pleasure.

May I just say,
good luck to you.

- God be with you.
- Thank you.

We'll be right back.

Night of the fight,

I knew Berbick wasn't gonna die
for the belt, and I was.

'Cause I was doing it for Cus.

After he died,
I was always looking

to get back in the ring
to be the monster

that Cus wanted me to be.

You've been training
for this moment

since you were 13.

This guy is a tomato can,

a bum.

You can do this
with your eyes closed.

Everyone's talking

Tyson this, Tyson that.

Trevor Berbick's the champion.

No one's talking about that.

People are viewing this event
as more of a coronation

than a contest.

How good is Mike Tyson really?

Oh, Tyson's punches
even sound different

than other heavyweights.

Ooh, Berbick is rocked.

He's in trouble here,

and it's still the first round.

Berbick is just trying
to get through the first round.

He's hurt, no question.

Big shot by Tyson.

He's laying into him,
right, left.

Berbick looks hurt.

He stumbles.

And a big first round
for Mike Tyson.

Busting his game.

He's weak.
Put his ass on the floor.

You fuck him up.

Just dodge those hits, man.

Tyson was everything people

could've hoped for
in that first round,

But Berbick has got to...

Another big shot by Tyson.

Berbick's
in a heap of trouble here.

And he goes down!

Big right hand, and Berbick's
in trouble again.

Right to the body.

Uppercut.

Left hook.

Berbick goes down!

And it's over.

That's all.

And a new era in boxing
has begun.

Not everyone can become
world champion at 22.

20.

You have an opportunity

to take control of your destiny.

Any of you ladies ever take
a champagne bath before?

I'm Robin.

You may kiss the bride.

I can't imagine that anyone
could live with Mike Tyson,

the one that I know...

And not see
that there's a problem.

I'm Desiree Washington.

He is in the fight of his life,

and I support him 1,000%.

Where's my fucking money?

You take
into the ring a lot of rage.

Does it work for you
or against you?

There he is, Iron Mike Tyson!

Loved by few, hated by many,

but respected by all!