What’s the most epic possible way you could imagine kicking off Shark Week?
Shark Week is probably among the most beloved American holidays. A hallowed celebration of sharks, Shark Week typically runs in late July or early August and informs viewers about shark conservation. Plus it showcases some excellent shark-themed entertainment like Sharknado and Megalodon: The New Evidence. Shark Week has had more than a few gimmicks over the years — including a race between Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and a great white shark — but now there’s a new sheriff in town (the town in this analogy is Shark Week-themed programming.) Mike Tyson will kick off 2020’s Shark Week by fighting a great white shark.
“With famed ring announcer Michael Buffer calling the shots, these two heavyweights will square off underwater, where Mike Tyson will try to score a TKO over the massive shark,” reads the official Discovery mission statement on the event.
“I took on this challenger to overcome fears I still deal with in life,” Tyson shared with Discovery Channel about his decision to take on a great white shark underwater…whatever intimidates me, I am still able to step up to the challenge of overcoming anything that would prevent me from accomplishing my life’s mission of reaching my highest potential in life and bringing me closer to God.”
Will Tyson return to the ring at 54 years old after fighting a great white shark in its natural domain? It’s unlikely and very unclear at this time, but one thing’s for sure, this is an epic event that’s not to be missed. Discovery Channel has not released many of the details of the fight, but did share a few teasers with fans over Twitter:
Who you got in @MikeTyson vs. Jaws?
The heavyweight champ joins #SharkWeek August 9 on @Discovery. pic.twitter.com/Ffq6IkRlY9
— Shark Week (@SharkWeek) July 15, 2020
Mike Tyson himself had only one comment to make about the upcoming fight in the promo. “Shark Week is hard, man.”
Too true. Who’s to say what Shark Week will look like ten years, or twenty? After thirty years on the air they seem to be willing to incorporate just about anyone into their shark-themed programming. We would love to see Ronnie Coleman get into the water with some sharks and see how that match-up plays out.
What do you think? Is having Mike Tyson fight a shark on Shark Week a little bit too ridiculous? Or do you think it’s just the right amount of ridiculous for Shark Week? Who else would you want to see fight a shark?
*All images and media courtesy of Twitter and Instagram.
