Movies - TV
Donnie Yen Couldn't Afford Any Mistakes During Mike Tyson's Ip Man 3 Scenes
By JOE ROBERTS
In “Ip Man 3,” Donnie Yen’s Ip Man and Mike Tyson’s Frank come to blows in a three-minute fight that is as notable for its fast pace as it is for Tyson's attempts to speak Cantonese. Unsurprisingly, it seems the 165-pound Yen was slightly nervous to take on the roughly 230-pound boxer — and feared the power of Tyson’s notorious swing.
Talking to the South China Morning Post, Yen said, “I am a fan who watched his boxing matches until 4 or 5 am on TV in Hong Kong when I was a child ... I was worried that he might not hold back in using force as he is not an actor. I had to be very cautious. I saw it as a life-and-death boxing match. Just a little carelessness and it could be fatal."
While promoting “Ip Man 3,” Yen revealed the worries he had, sharing, “’What if [Tyson] doesn't remember the choreography? What if he comes in and instead of 1, 2, 3 he goes 2, 3, 1?’ So it was enjoyable but at the same time it was truly life-threatening." It was actually Tyson, however, who got hurt, stating in an interview post-shooting that he "broke [his] finger."