Internet sensation Funny Marco’s rise in the comedy world has been meteoric even as the Kansas City native’s fans and guests are never completely sure when he is being serious or messing around.
His “Open Thoughts” show on YouTube features million-view interviews with celebrities who sit next to him as he asks them silly questions that are designed to get them upset, often resulting in them storming off. From Nicki Minaj to Kevin Hart, Chris Brown to DaBaby, the comedian and talk show host has a knack for getting under people’s skin and making his viewers crack up in the process.
This is why Netflix tagged him to do a special promotion for the upcoming Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight airing live on the streaming service today at 8 p.m.
The little over a minute interstitial was placed on the platform’s “Still Watching Netflix” channel on YouTube on Wednesday, Nov. 13. It placed the 31-year-old Marco and Tyson sitting on a couch talking to each other.
The interviewer has a boom mic across his lap, and the Pride of Brownsville is relaxing with all black on with a fluorescent green logo that says “LF * Go… Energy in a Pouch.”
“So, do you feel like for a million dollars, I could take a punch, or would I go to sleep?” Marco asks the former heavyweight champ.
“I don’t know. I have no idea,” Tyson says calmly.
A few moments go by, and Marco looks nervously around and says, “Mmmh … I am a little scared.”
He then asks Tyson about the pigeon that Paul gave him as the two sat face to face for an interview with rapper-turned-podcaster Cam’Ron.
“You gonna explain to us about the pigeons?” Marco asked.
“What do you want to know about them?” Tyson replied.
“How, when he sent you the pigeons, was it a good gift?”
Without hesitation, Tyson replied, “It was a beautiful gift, but the pigeon was probably disease-infested.”
The next question was about what the first thing Tyson wanted to do after winning the brawl, and the former World Boxing Association champ said eat “ice cream.”
As the quick interview clip ended, Marco asked, “After the fight, is it OK if I give you a hug?”
Not too excited about that, Tyson said, “Maybe. I’ll pass on that.” Marco then joked about being a good fighter himself and said, “If you need any tips from me, I’m 11 and 0, or I lost two fights. … Is there anything you want to ask me?”
Tyson abruptly said, “No. it’s a pleasure to meet you,” and extended his hand to shake. After a few shakes, he says, “Take care.”
The handshake went on for a little long, and then Tyson said, “Let my hand go, please.”
Nervously, Marco says, “OK,” but doesn’t seem to know the interview is over. Tyson then says, “Please get up,” to which Marco says, “OK,” and gets up.
When Morning Juicebox TV shared a clip from the interview, many followers joined in with jokes, laughing at how Tyson seemed to punk him at the end.
“Stop playing with that man before you end up beaten and bruised,” one person wrote. Another person said, “Old Tyson would’ve punched his glasses off”
Third comment read, “You can’t play with everyone. That’s one person I would not play it with.”
“I have never seen a person get up so fast,” someone else joked.
One comment read, “You can’t do that w a straight up killer bro, dangerous work.”
Most viewers didn’t realize it was just the usual format of Funny Marco’s interviews.
One person added, “It’s staged yall.”
The playful skit was also promoted on both Funny Marco and Netflix’s Instagram accounts.
While Tyson is scary in the ring, over the years, he has shown that he has a funny side, often playing up his tough guy persona with comedians.
The boxer shocked people when he took his story to the Great White way. Broadway show “Undisputed Truth,” was a hit not just for its raw honesty but for Tyson’s unexpected comedic timing as he shared wild, unfiltered stories from his life.
Then he was able to get a new audience when he had his own podcast, “Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson,” on which he’s known for cracking up both guests and listeners with his blunt observations and unpredictable comments, often turning heavy topics into moments of laughter.
Tyson’s even had an animated series on the Cartoon Network called “Mike Tyson Mysteries” that ran for four seasons, softening his image and finding ways to have the audience cracking up as he and his pigeons jumped into various Scooby Doo-like capers.
One of the places where Tyson can be seen is rare hilarity is on his appearances on “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
As the fighter shared amusing anecdotes, viewers got to see him both relatable and entertaining. Despite his tough-guy image, Tyson’s humor has allowed fans to connect with him in new ways, showcasing his unexpected wit and charm.
Which could be why so many people are rooting for him to win over Paul.
