A teen journalist is being praised for how she handled an unexpectedly bleak interview answer from boxing legend Mike Tyson.
When 14-year-old Jazlyn "Jazzy" Guerra, the young journalist who posts videos under the moniker Jazzys World TV, asked Tyson what he wishes his future legacy will be, she could not have expected the former heavyweight champion to expound on the finality of death.
"I don’t believe in the word ‘legacy.’ I just think that’s another word for ego. Legacy doesn’t mean nothing. That’s just some word everybody grabbed on to," Tyson says in a video Guerra posted Nov. 14.
“It means absolutely nothing to me. I’m just passing through. I’m gonna die and it’s gonna be over," continued Tyson, glancing at Guerrra. "Who cares about legacy after that?”
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
“So I’m gonna die. I want people to think that I’m this, I’m great?” he continued as Guerra nodded. “No, we’re nothing. We’re just dead. We’re dust. We’re absolutely nothing. Our legacy is nothing.”
After an awkward pause, Guerra found her composure. "Well, thank you so much for sharing that," she said, glancing up at Tyson. "That is something I've not heard before, someone saying that as an answer."
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
But Tyson hadn't finished his existential rant.
“Can you really imagine somebody saying, ‘I want my legacy to be this way?’ You’re dead! Who the f--- cares about me when I’m gone? My kids, maybe, or grandkids?” he said, now smiling at Guerra.
"True," Guerra responded, shrugging. "And, again, thank you so much for sharing that."
Guerra's chat with Tyson came a day before his scheduled match against boxer and YouTube star Jake Paul, which streams live Nov. 15 on Netflix.
Guerra captioned her video, "@miketyson ain’t worried about legacy. He is definitely locked in for his battle Nov. 15th with @jakepaul. What are your thoughts on legacy?"
Guerra's followers praised her for keeping her cool as Tyson rambled about death.
"First off, the way you handled this unexpected response is top tier! That would’ve thrown so many seasoned journalists off," wrote one.
"Jazzy, you are AMAZING! That answer came from left field & you handled it well," added another.
Still, many of Guerra's viewers couldn't help but joke about the morbid nature of her and Tyson's bizarre on-camera exchange, like comedian Godfrey, who commented, "Reporting from Hell, Back to you Brad in the studio.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
