Mike Tyson put a shark to sleep. (Source: Twitter/Sharkweek)
Mike Tyson appeared on Discovery Channel’s Tyson vs. Jaws: Rumble on the Reef, where the former heavyweight boxing champion was “pitted” against sharks in a three-round format.
UFC President Dana White was also present as he set the stage in Bahamas, and it did not go unnoticed that Tyson—who famously bit Evander Holyfield’s ear in a boxing match—said “someone’s going to get bit” in a promotional video.
“I’m scared to death,” you can hear Tyson say in the first round where he took a cage dive with lemon sharks.
I can’t tell you how many times I asked myself this question during this dive. #SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/9dES3GlfhH
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) August 10, 2020
Over 30 sharks are racing to get a glimpse of Iron @MikeTyson in the cage right now. #SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/AQ81EQGjsh
— Shark Week (@SharkWeek) August 10, 2020
In round two, in an open ocean dive Tyson seemed at ease as he was seen pushing the sharks away whenever they got too close.
A gorgeous shark sanctuary in the Bahamas. #SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/qZ96QdvcSE
— Shark Week (@SharkWeek) August 10, 2020
It all built toward the third round, which asked Tyson to seemingly put the shark to sleep with his bare hands. While tonic immobility, which causes a temporary state of inactivity in the shark, is not exactly a knockout in the ring, it was still quite the task.
The tension was all the more clear when he threw up before diving nearly 50 feet underwater without a cage, but he eventually pulled it off and prevailed against the shark.
TONIC IMMOBILITY ACHIEVED. @MikeTyson is the champion! 🏅 #SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/kX6wRguugV
— Shark Week (@SharkWeek) August 10, 2020
Tyson is not the first notable athlete to go up against a shark as part of Shark Week, as Olympic legend Michael Phelps lost a virtual race to a great white shark in 2017.