Their Hulu mini series began streaming on Thursday as it showed that notorious ear chomping incident involving Mike Tyson in slow motion.
And Trevante Rhodes and Russell Hornsby were seen taking a bite out of the promotional campaign later that day.
Trevante, 32, and Russell, 48, were seen heading for an interview on Good Morning America to promote Mike which is a biographical mini series on the life of boxing great Mike Tyson.
Hunks: Trevante Rhodes, 32, (left) and Russell Hornsby, 48, were seen heading for an interview on Good Morning America to promote Mike which is a biographical mini series on the life of boxing great Mike Tyson
Ouch: It is a six episode look into the wild, tragic and controversial life and career of the former heavyweight champion, who is considered one of the most polarizing figures in sports culture
It is a six episode look into the wild, tragic and controversial life and career of the former heavyweight champion, who is considered one of the most polarizing figures in sports culture.
One of the most infamous incidents Mike was involved in was when he bought the ear off of fellow champion boxer Evander Holyfield in a match which took place on June 28, 1997.
The Hulu portrayal starts off with a bang as they showed the ugly event in slow motion at the very beginning which many viewers have already found to be very gruesome.
True to life? One of the most infamous incidents Mike was involved in was when he bought the ear off of fellow champion boxer Evander Holyfield in a match which took place on June 28, 1997 (pictured left)
Interesting: Evander (played by Johnny Alexander) looks up at Mike during the fight
Ouch: The Hulu portrayal starts off with a bang as they showed the ugly event in slow motion at the very beginning which many viewers have already found to be very gruesome
Trevante, who plays Mike in the project, looked handsome in a long-sleeve d black and white top with black trousers, and black Nike LeBron James 15 sneakers.
He accessorized with headphones, grey baker boy cap, and sunglasses.
Russell – who plays infamous boxing promoter Don King in the series – showed off his buff physique in a bright yellow polo with black trousers and white sneakers.
On the chat/news show, Trevante talked about his training regimen to become ‘Iron Mike’ as he praised his trainer and former champion boxer Ann Wolfe who recently was inducted into the Boxing Hall Of Fame.
Leading man: Trevante, who plays Mike in the project, looked handsome in a long-sleeve d black and white top with black trousers, and black Nike LeBron James 15 sneakers
Rhodes is seen in the ring in a clip from the series; Tyson was seen ahead of a bout in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1986
He said: ‘Spending time with her, getting an understanding of how to move like Mike, getting to understand the mentality, understand the spirit of being a fighter, just everything around. Spending time really got me into a space.’
The talented actor went on to say the good part about playing a heavyweight fighter was that he got to indulge in ice cream and different sweets as he trained every day.
The star-studded series also includes Harvey Keitel as Cus D’Amato and Laura Harrier as Robin Givens.
Showrunner Karin Gist told Entertainment Weekly that the series ‘is not meant to glorify his life’ but rather ‘dig deeper’ into the life of the athlete ‘that everyone thinks they know.
‘We were never trying to say that Mike Tyson is a hero or Mike Tyson is a villain. Our goal was to take a very complicated and controversial figure and try to get under the hood of what he was praised and vilified for while staying true to our North Star of ”no one person is one thing.”’
Only in America: Russell is shown portraying infamous boxing promoter Don King in the series (left), as the real life King is shown in September 1996
Fit: The actor showed off his buff physique in a bright yellow polo with black trousers and white sneakers
Beaming: He was certainly all smiles
Gist told the outlet that ‘the show is not supposed to be a love letter or an indictment, which is why we had to include all the good, the bad, and the complexities of both,’ and that the contemporary cultural atmosphere allows for a candid looks into all aspects of Tyson’s life.
‘Fortunately, as a global society, we are all talking more and more about things that were once taboo or only whispered about among friends – rape, sexual assault, consent to name a few,’ Gist said. ‘Putting stories like this in the spotlight and pulling them out of the shadows is crucial to moving forward and getting the conversation to the next level.
‘The goal was not to shy away from the scary or uncomfortable parts of the story just because they are scary and uncomfortable.’
Creator Steven Rogers described Tyson’s life story to the outlet as ‘so compelling, contradictory, and complex,’ and ‘a cautionary tale of the American Dream.’
Bonded: Russell and Trevante are seen at a screening in New York on Wednesday
Rogers said in Tyson’s life, ‘You can find the roots of a lot of issues we’re grappling with today like #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, prison reform, mental health issues in it.’
Gist said that the series will depict ‘all sides of [Tyson’s] life and the lives of the people around him,’ adding, ‘No one is just one thing,’ and ‘there’s more behind a sound bite or a headline or gossip.’
Gist said that in making the series, ‘We wanted people to see Mike’s own culpability in his life and society’s culpability as well’ and ‘to let our audience decide what they think and feel.’
Tyson in February condemned the upcoming series after it was announced in a statement on Instagram.
‘Hulu’s announcement to do an unauthorized mini-series of the Tyson story without compensation, although unfortunate, isn’t surprising,’ he said. ‘This announcement on the heels of social disparities in our country is a prime example of how Hulu’s corporate greed led to this tone-deaf cultural misappropriation of the Tyson life story.’
Hulu said in a statement that the series ‘explores the tumultuous ups and downs of Tyson’s boxing career and personal life – from being a beloved global athlete to a pariah and back again.
‘Focusing the lens on Mike Tyson, the series examines class in America, race in America, fame and the power of media, misogyny, the wealth divide, the promise of the American Dream and ultimately our own role in shaping Mike’s story.’
Mike is streaming on Hulu now.
Highly-anticipated: Mike is streaming on Hulu now