In Tyson, the former heavyweight champion looks at his own life in and out of the ring with a candour and eloquence that is by turns shocking, funny, hair-raising and never less than brutally honest. In other words, Tyson explores…Tyson. James Toback's (Fingers, The Pick-Up Artist) film portrait ranges from Tyson's earliest memories of growing up on the meanest streets of Brooklyn through his entry into the world of boxing under the stewardship of his beloved trainer Cus D'Amato. It also covers his misadventures with Don King and his tortured marriage to Robin Givens, his rollercoaster ride through the funhouse of worldwide fame, his fortunes won and lost.

Through a deft mixture of original interviews and archival footage and photographs, a complex, fully-rounded human being emerges - a legendary and uniquely controversial international athletic icon.