Live TV is a beast. You can rehearse every line, check every light, and mic up every corner of the room, but things still go sideways. Usually, it's a technical glitch or a teleprompter failing. On November 15, 2024, it was Mike Tyson's backside.
Millions of people were tuned into Netflix, waiting for the massive clash between Iron Mike and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. The hype was unreal. This was Netflix’s big swing into live combat sports, and the tension at AT&T Stadium in Arlington was thick enough to cut with a dull knife. Then, it happened. The Mike Tyson interview butt moment that essentially broke the internet before a single punch was even thrown.
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The Moment the Camera Caught Too Much
It was supposed to be a standard pre-fight "check-in." Tyson was in his locker room, looking focused and—honestly—pretty terrifying for a 58-year-old. His son, Amir Tyson, was the one holding the mic. It was actually a sweet father-son moment. Amir asked his dad for a final prediction. Tyson, true to form, didn't give some long-winded speech. He just looked into the lens and said two words: "Vicious win."
Short. To the point. Classic Mike.
Then he turned around to walk away. The camera operator, probably trying to get a cinematic shot of the legend heading toward the ring, followed him. But Tyson was wearing his official fight gear, which included a very high-cut, backless jockstrap underneath his trunks—or, more accurately, instead of traditional trunks in that moment. As he walked, the garment shifted.
For a solid few seconds, Netflix viewers got a full, high-definition view of Mike Tyson’s bare butt.
Why Was the Mike Tyson Interview Butt Incident Such a Big Deal?
Look, it sounds silly. It's just a body part. But in the context of a global broadcast with over 60 million households watching, it was a total "did that just happen?" moment. People weren't just surprised; they were confused. Was it a wardrobe malfunction? Was it a power move? Or was Mike just being Mike, totally indifferent to who saw what?
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Social media didn't wait for an answer. Within minutes, X (formerly Twitter) was flooded with memes. Even the official Netflix account leaned into the chaos, posting the clip with the caption: "Mike Tyson’s pre-fight interview got real cheeky."
It’s kind of ironic when you think about it. People spent the whole night complaining about the stream buffering—Netflix’s servers were clearly struggling with the massive traffic—but the one thing everyone saw in crystal-clear 4K was Mike's rear end. As one fan joked online, "Of course the one time it's not buffering we see Mike Tyson's ass."
The Jake Paul Reaction
If you think the fans were stunned, you should have seen Jake Paul. Behind-the-scenes footage later showed "The Problem Child" watching the interview on a monitor while he was getting his hands wrapped. When Tyson turned around and the "reveal" happened, Paul’s face was a mix of genuine shock and a "what the heck" smirk.
He literally said, "What the f***," out loud.
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It’s a weird way to prepare for a fight. You're about to go eight rounds with one of the most dangerous men to ever live, and suddenly you're staring at his bare cheeks on a screen. Most people would lose their focus, but Paul seemed to just find it hilarious.
The Reality of the "Backless" Wardrobe
So, why was he dressed like that? It wasn't a mistake. In professional boxing, many fighters use specific supportive gear that allows for maximum leg movement. Tyson has always been a fan of the old-school look, but this particular jockstrap was clearly designed for function over modesty.
He’s 58. He’s lived a thousand lives. Honestly, Mike Tyson probably didn't care. He’s been in the public eye since he was a teenager, and at this stage in his career, he has "zero F's" left to give. He was there to fight, not to model.
What This Says About the Fight Itself
The interview was the high point of the night for a lot of people, which says something about the actual match. When the bell finally rang, the fight was... well, it was a 58-year-old man fighting a 27-year-old. Tyson started strong, showing flashes of that old "Iron Mike" head movement, but he gassed out pretty quickly.
Paul won by unanimous decision. It wasn't the "vicious win" Tyson predicted. In fact, after the fight, Tyson admitted he "blanked out" during most of it. He barely remembered the rounds. It was a somber reminder that Father Time is undefeated, even if your spirit is still willing to get into the ring and show the world everything—literally.
Lessons from the "Cheeky" Incident
If you’re a content creator or a brand, there’s actually something to learn here about "viral" moments.
- Authenticity beats polish: The interview wasn't scripted to be funny. It was a raw, awkward moment that felt real. That's why it traveled further than any of the pre-produced hype packages.
- Lean into the mistake: Netflix didn't apologize or try to scrub the internet. They joked about it. By owning the "cheeky" moment, they took the sting out of what could have been an embarrassing production fail.
- Humanity sells: Seeing Tyson with his son, then seeing him just being a guy in a locker room, reminded people that behind the "Baddest Man on the Planet" persona, there's just a human being who sometimes forgets to check his angles.
The Mike Tyson interview butt moment will probably go down in history alongside the ear-biting incident and the "I want to eat his children" quote. It’s just another chapter in the wild, unpredictable, and occasionally too-revealing book of Mike Tyson.
If you’re looking to revisit the fight or the surrounding drama, you can still find the full event on Netflix. Just maybe don't watch the pre-fight interviews with the kids in the room if you’re easily flustered.
Next Steps:
To get the full context of that night, you should look into the technical challenges Netflix faced during the broadcast. While the "cheeky" moment was a funny distraction, the real story for the tech world was how the streaming giant handled 60 million concurrent viewers and what that means for the future of live sports on digital platforms.