You remember Kevin McBride don't you ? No ? Well you've heard of Mike Tyson ? You know just about the most overrated World Heavyweight boxing champion the world has ever seen who despite having lightening hand speed and a lot of power punches was fortunate enough to fight in an era where most heavyweights in the 1980s wee past their sell by date . Tyson's reputation went before him and most opponents were terrified of him long before they stepped in to the ring . A joke doing the rounds was not only were his opponents carried out of the ring but also had to get carried in to it too . One tasteless joke was that the woman Tyson raped put up a better fight than most of his opponents . As soon as Tyson got to meet a courageous boxer such as Holyfield or Lewis he would be put to the sword . Despite this the Tyson camp still billed him as " The meanest man on the planet " when with a fight record of 50 wins with 44 KOs' , and 6 losses Tyson met Kevin McBride with a fight record of 34 wins with 28 KOs' , 4 losses and 1 draw . Tyson was expected to make short work of McBride . Except he didn't and after weathering an early storm McBride caused Tyson to retire on his stool exposing Tyson for the coward he was and McBride had the world at his feet . Except he didn't because due to boxing politics and Don King McBride might have hit Tyson but not the big time
Despite being released in 2013 this documentary short is set in 2011 , six years after the Tyson fight where McBride's career is in freefall . What the documentary doesn't do very well is point out that soon after the Tyson fight McBride started to suffer a string of defeats against journeyman fighters with little money made from these fights and was no longer a contender for a massive payday against one of the Klitschko brothers . Worse still it's very obvious that the courage in the ring and his love of boxing has left him rather punch drunk . Kevin slurs his words giving the impression he's had a couple of litres of wine for breakfast > Why go on ? For a short documentary what it does very well is illustrate the attraction of boxing , of walking in to a frenzied arena and being cheered from the rafters . Even if you've no interest in the sport you can understand this need for adulation which is probably more addictive than any opiate and one can't imagine what sort of empty life awaits a former professional boxer who had a sharp taste of fame but who didn't hit the limelight long enough or make enough money for millionaire status , so sadly Kevin McBride will only be known as the man who beat Tyson in Tyson's last ever professional fight . That said anyone who gives a beating to a convicted rapist is all right in my book