Hardcore Kung Fu movie fans must have gobbled up the entire filmography of IP Man movies. Some might even go on to mention this series as their favourite. Being an iconic film series, it has birthed countless iconic scenes. One of the Ip Man movies dedicated Facebook community of Wing Chun aficionados brought out some behind-the-scenes clips from the movie Ip Man 3. That particular scene was probably one of the iconic ones in the combat sports movies, where Ip man fought Mike Tyson on screen. The scene created ripples among fans, leaving a lot concerned about the actor portraying Ip Man on screen. However, the actor, Donnie Yen laid all the concerns to rest, applauding Tyson.
Mike Tyson broke Donnie Yen’s finger on set, accidentally!
Making an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Donnie Yen showered compliments on the former heavyweight boxing champion for his professionalism. He did not deny that Tyson’s punches struck fear into his soul. In fact, he was taken aback by the intensity of those power-packed punches, even while shooting. As seen in the video, Yen explained that Tyson wanted to keep it real so that the scenes felt more organic and impactful. Tyson trained Yen accordingly on set. Which later on led to a fractured pinky finger of his, which, admittedly, was an accident.
The team choreographing the fight agreed with Tyson as his message resonated with their ideals. They wanted to place Wing Chun and the intricacies of boxing on the same pedestal. Which is why they were inclined toward making the scene as realistic as possible. Yen complied with that, so did Tyson.
How did fans react to the rehearsal video of Tyson and Donnie Yen?
Yen’s explanation had the fans intrigued, some even concerned. One fan, going by the name Duane Royster, raised the question, “Is that when he got his finger broken?” On the other hand, fans were appreciative of Tyson. Many of them labeled him as “The real-life GOAT.” Fans took this as an opportunity to praise Tyson for his blazing-fast hands and footwork. Some even called him the hardest-hitting boxer they had ever seen.
While Tyson got a load of praise, Yen was hailed by his fans as one of the greats of martial arts movies. Yen truly has taken martial arts movies to new heights, by dint of his four Ip Man movies. He showed his prowess in John Wick: Chapter 4 by playing the role of a blind assassin as well.
Who do you think will win in a street brawl between Mike Tyson and Donnie Yen? Let us know in the comments.
