If you know Mike Tyson, you know you don’t want him biting you anywhere. But this bold and brave comedian gave him that opportunity when poked the sleeping bear. It was the early 1990s. Sketch comedy shows were popular and raking the best ratings on television. One particularly groundbreaking show, In Living Color, had especially made a name for itself among viewers. And that’s where this story begins. 

You see, the show was breaking boundaries with its willingness to satire high-profile figures like Mike Tyson, which made it even more popular. However, the thing is the creators of the show, Keenen Wayans and Damon Wayans, had specially taken to using ‘Iron’ Mike’s portrayal in their sketches, mocking and poking fun at the ferocious boxing legend.

Naturally, Tyson wasn’t a big fan of it, as the show portrayed Tyson in several of their sketches. One notable example would be the show’s pilot episode. Keenen played Tyson in a spoof of Love Connection, alongside Kim Coles as Tyson’s then-wife, Robin Givens. It made fun of Tyson’s tumultuous personal life and his distinctive voice and demeanor.

After watching several such sketches, one fateful day, Tyson caught up with one of the Wayans brothers, Damon Wayans, in a jewelry store. While appearing in the Club Shay Shay podcast recently, the 64-year-old recalled the terrifying encounter and how eventually Tyson fell in love with his family. “Mike Tyson rolled up on me in a jewelry store,” Wayans recounted to Shannon Sharpe when asked if he had ever faced backlash for their portrayal of several famous celebrities on their show.

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“You talking about scared. I wanted to show him my foot. ‘I got club foot, Mike. Please, Mike,’” he recalled. “It was like he was playing, but he’s so strong, he grabbed me and he bit me on my neck… It was before Evander.” Tyson famously bit off Evander Holyfield’s ear during their rematch in 1997 after being frustrated by Holyfield’s constant headbutts.

Regardless, Wayans continued, “I still remember, I could feel his hot… But he was playing.” Despite their interaction, Wayans claimed that Tyson actually loved his family, but not because of him. He recalled Tyson was attending some event and had met the Wayans’ mother.

How did Mike Tyson fall in love with Damon Wayans’ family?

According to Wayans, Tyson told his mother, “Oh, your kids, I don’t like they mockerize me. They’re always making jokes.” His mother responded, suggesting that his sons would only make fun of him because they “love you.” Wayans recalled later meeting Tyson, and the heavyweight legend told him, “I fell in love with your family right there. If anything ever happened with you and your family, I’m going to eat through people.” 

As for why things turned out like that, Wayans believes his mother “felt like a mother to him.” Wayans revealed that Tyson could not overcome his mother’s warmth, stating, “He said, ‘I could have knocked your mom out. But she just reprimanded me’.” As most Tyson fans know, he grew up in a tough neighborhood, and his mother, Lorna Mae Smith Tyson, passed away from cancer in 1982. Perhaps Tyson saw a reflection of his own mother in Wayans’—a moment of empathy that ultimately spared them from a beating.

That said, Keenen Wayans and Damon Wayans were quite possibly saved from Mike Tyson because of their mother. But did they deserve the mercy? What are your thoughts on the matter?