Something for your weekend viewing pleasure, should you have the time…

If you’re not a subscriber to Mike Tyson’s YouTube channel, you should be. The prolific publisher of content has shared (and continues to share) a nice range (although mostly within the world of boxing) of quite fascinating video content that both boxing fans and non-fans will appreciate. Some of it is revealingly personal, and others, like this Tyson-moderated 44-minute compilation of the HBO series he hosted (“Ringside with Young Mike Tyson”) on boxing history, going back to the late 1800s, which he shared this morning, are wonderfully informative, giving viewers an education on the vicious sport – the early days, the controversies, the personal stories of each fighter (life before and after boxing), the upsets, the comebacks, the “main events,” the big paydays, and much, much more – all peppered with Tyson’s own insightful commentary on each one.

Tyson demonstrates a scholarly passion for boxing history in the series, which was produced by HBO in the early 1990s when Tyson was a seemingly invincible champion, and his observations in the series about some of history’s greatest fights, add a credibility to them that he brings.

Most of the 20th centuries popular fighters (as well as their most famous, or infamous fights) are covered, and as someone who’s not exactly a boxing expert, I appreciated both the history and Tyson’s own input. But it’s a dated piece – as you’ll see, Tyson is much younger here – so it doesn’t cover any boxers or fights beyond the mid-1980s. Meaning, pre-Tyson era. It’s still, however, an edutaining 44 minutes (Tyson’s contributions as host definitely help).

Watch it in full below:

Ringside With Mike Tyson

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week