30 FOR 30: ONE NIGHT IN VEGAS (TV)
Summary
One in this series of sports documentaries presented by ESPN about important figures and events in athletic history. This program explores the friendship between famed boxer Mike Tyson and rapper/actor Tupac Shakur. Tyson, who became the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history at age twenty, describes his admiration of boxing legends Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis. Al Sharpton notes that Tyson was viewed as an "under-class" black man, not unlike many hip-hop artists, including Shakur. Film director Ernest R. Dickerson recalls casting the inexperienced Shakur in the film "Juice" (1992) because of his raw talent and emotional similarity to his character, and music journalist Joan Morgan comments on Shakur's insightful rap lyrics, which often referenced social and racial issues. Senator Eric Adams discusses the type of arrogant confidence required for success in both athletic and artistic fields, and actor Mickey Rourke recalls an incident of near-violence with his friend Tyson. Poet Maya Angelou describes an emotional encounter with a hotheaded Shakur on the set of "Poetic Justice" (1993), and Rourke adds that pride and ambition often have their downsides.
In 1992, Tyson was charged with raping Desiree Washington and served three years in prison, and journalist Sonja Steptoe comments on the strongly-divided reactions of Tyson's supporters and dissenters. Angelou recalls visiting Tyson in prison and discussing literature, and Tyson explains that Shakur wrote to him in jail and that their friendship blossomed from there. Tyson advised Shakur to "calm down" and avoid legal troubles, though Shakur too was accused of sexual assault in November 1993 and survived a shooting at a recording studio during the trial process. He stated that he was innocent of the charges, citing his lifelong respect for women, though he acknowledged that he should have "walked away" from the criminal situation. Record producer and friend Marion "Suge" Knight paid for Shakur's appeal, leading to his release in October 1995 after serving nine months. Tyson was released around the same time and reentered the boxing world, where he quickly won several fights with Shakur's support. Bruce Seldon, however, became the new heavyweight champion in 1995, and Tyson sought to reclaim the title.
On September 6, 1996, Tyson headed for the weigh-in as Shakur visited a recording studio and wrote a song, intended to be played during the fight, in mere minutes. Seldon and Tyson recall their nervousness and high energy before the fight, and Tyson easily won by technical knockout in the first round. "Hyped" from the speedy fight, Shakur and Knight then had an altercation with rival Orlando Anderson in the casino lobby before heading out to a party at Club 662, though Shakur fatefully urged his fiancée Kidada Jones to ride in a separate car, possibly worried about a violent encounter. Fan Leonard Jefferson describes spotting Shakur and Knight in the car on the boulevard and snapping a soon-to-be famous photograph before hearing a sudden volley of gunshots. Shakur was hit several times, and brother Mopreme Shakur describes seeing him at the hospital in critical condition. Several friends and family members recall their shock at hearing of the shooting and Shakur's death six days later, noting that no one has ever been formally charged with the crime despite the close range at which it occurred. Tyson notes his own sense of guilt at his friend's death, and the film concludes by stating that he lost the title to Evander Holyfield two months later and never again became champion. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ESPN
- DATE: September 7, 2010 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:53:45
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 114723
- GENRE: Sports
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Sports; Sports; Boxers
- SERIES RUN: ESPN - TV series, 2009-
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Bank of America
- TV - Commercials - Cadillac automobiles
CREDITS
- Keith Clinkscales … Executive Producer
- John Dahl … Executive Producer
- Joan Lynch … Executive Producer
- Connor Schell … Executive Producer
- Bill Simmons … Executive Producer
- John Skipper … Executive Producer
- John Walsh … Executive Producer
- Reggie Rock Bythewood … Executive Producer, Director
- Damon Bingham … Producer
- Mitch Wright … Producer
- Harlan Werner … Producer
- Deirdre Fenton … Associate Producer
- Solange Morales … Associate Producer
- Michael Tollin … Consulting Producer
- Preston Holmes … Line Producer
- Camara Kambon … Music by
- Joshua Brandon Bennett … Performer, Spoken Word Artist
- Rahleek "B. Yung" Johnson … Performer, Spoken Word Artist
- Steve "Flameboy" Beaumont … Illustrations by
- Mike Tyson … Interviewee
- Al Sharpton … Interviewee
- Ernest R. Dickerson … Interviewee
- Joan Morgan … Interviewee
- Eric Adams … Interviewee
- Mickey Rourke … Interviewee
- Maya Angelou … Interviewee
- Sonja Steptoe … Interviewee
- Marion "Suge" Knight … Interviewee
- Bruce Seldon … Interviewee
- Leonard Jefferson … Interviewee
- Mopreme Shakur … Interviewee
- Kidada Jones
- Tupac Shakur
- Desiree Washington