Boxing legend Mike Tyson is heading back to the stage to perform his latest one-man show, “Return of the Mike,” exclusively at four Hard Rock Live venues across the United States beginning in November, representatives for Tyson and Hard Rock International told ESPN on Monday.
News of Tyson’s return to the stage comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that the 59-year-old former heavyweight champion will take on Floyd Mayweather Jr., 48, in an exhibition fight next spring. Tyson’s new show will mark the first time that Tyson has performed on stage since his 36-city, three-month national tour for “Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth” in 2013. Like “The Undisputed Truth,” his new show will be broadcast on a “major global streaming platform” in 2026, according to Tyson and Hard Rock International representatives, with the taping for that show taking place on Dec. 14 in Hollywood, Florida.
“A lot has happened since the last time I did a one-man show,” Tyson told ESPN. “I get to tell you guys about all of my new lawsuits that you don’t know about and some other pretty exciting stuff that has happened in my life. It’ll be very exciting, pretty riveting, a few sad stories and a totally different insight on the things that you may have already known about.”
Tyson revealed that he has been writing alongside his wife, Lakiha “Kiki” Tyson, the past few years and calls his latest show a “no-filter self-analyzation” that will delve into his battles with addiction and mental health along with candid personal stories and reflections about his celebrated boxing career. He also told ESPN that he would talk in depth about his recent record-breaking boxing match with Jake Paul and his health issues heading into the fight, including an ulcer flare-up aboard an airplane that delayed the fight from July to November.
“There are so many things I’m going to talk about with that fight,” Tyson said. “I didn’t know how dangerous an ulcer was. I thought it was going to calm down in an hour or two, but I passed out on the plane. I was just bleeding everywhere. There was so much blood. They had to stop the flight and take me to the hospital.”
Tyson said that he had to practically beg doctors to clear him to fight Paul, but his health wasn’t a concern the night of the fight. He was scared of something else entirely.
“It was scary [walking to the ring that night], because I hadn’t walked out for a professional fight [in front of a crowd] in 20 years and I wasn’t prepared for all the love the fans gave me that night. It overwhelmed me,” said Tyson, whose 2020 exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. at the Staples Center in Los Angeles had no audience because of Covid-19 restrictions. “But in all actuality, that fight should have never taken place. The doctors didn’t want the fight to happen [after the ulcer flared up].”
The four-city tour kicks off on Nov. 9 at Hard Rock Casino in Rockford, Illinois. Tyson will then head to Cincinnati for his second show on Nov. 23. He will perform at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, on Dec. 14 for a special taping in front of a live audience before making his final stop at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Jan. 23, 2026. While preparing for his latest show, Tyson will also have to get in shape for his fight with Mayweather. He admitted that training for a fight as he approaches his 60th birthday is difficult, but preparing to perform on stage by himself is also a daunting task.
“[Preparing for the stage and preparing for a fight] are dead even,” Tyson said of the work that goes into his show. “But what I found out is that athletes like myself and entertainers are able to perform because we like the pressure. So being on stage, talking and acting is nothing.”
Presale ticket sales begin Tuesday, and general sale tickets will be available beginning Friday.
“As the proud host of ‘Return of the Mike,’ this show will add to Hard Rock’s legacy as a curator of one-of-a-kind experiences,” Keith Sheldon, president of entertainment and brand at Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming, said in a statement to ESPN. “We’re excited to give Mike Tyson fans exclusive access to one of the greatest athletes in history, in his most honest and entertaining form.”
