Tyson 2.0 Archives - Green Market Report

From competitors to colleagues, these heavyweight champs once fought each other and now they are working together. Boxing champ Mike Tyson had already taken the cannabis industry by storm with his Tyson 2.0 company. Then he shook things up with his somewhat polarizing product Mike Bites – an infused gummy shaped like an ear. 

The ear shape was based on the infamous bout where Tyson found himself challenged in the ring by Evander Holyfield, a 4-time World Heavyweight Champion of the World. Tyson, who was used to winning matches quickly, reacted in an unusual way. He bit Holyfield’s ear. It was massively controversial at the time, but the two managed to get past any bad feelings about the incident.

Some in the industry were amused by the ear-shaped gummies, pushing the product to be quite popular, while others saw no humor in the violent act. Either way, the person who supplied the ear, wasn’t sharing in the success of Mike Bites. That has changed.

Holyfield, who has never been a big cannabis consumer, is joining the Tyson 2.0 family of brands under a new title called Carma Holdings. They created TYSON 2.0 ‘Holy Ears’ THC and Delta 8 infused edibles which were launched in November. Plus Holyfield will have his own cannabis line in 2023 that will focus more on health and wellness.  ‘Holy Ears’ are all natural, vegan and gluten free; and will be offered in THC, Delta 8 and other hemp-cannabinoid varieties. 

Holyfield told Green Market Report that Tyson had given him a heads-up about the original ear product and continued to reach out about becoming more involved in creating a new product. While Tyson is an avid cannabis consumer, Holyfield says he prefers using cannabis as a sleep aid and typically is a low-dosage kind of consumer. 

“Mike and I have a long history of competition and respect for one another. And that night changed both of our lives. Back then, we didn’t realize that even as power athletes, we were also in a lot of pain,” said Evander Holyfield. “Now, nearly 20 years later, we have the opportunity to share the medicine we really needed throughout our careers. I’m honored to join the Carma family and partner with Mike and the TYSON 2.0 team to launch Holy Ears, and soon my own line of cannabis products.”

Starting this November, Holy Ears THC edibles will be available through Verano retailers in Arizona, Illinois, Nevada and New Jersey. In partnership with LGNDS LLC., Delta 8 ‘Holy Ears’ edibles will be available for presale starting November 14th through the newly launched TYSON 2.0 global online marketplace TYSON20Global.com.

 “Mike and Holyfield are an iconic matchup and both are equally dedicated to building the ultimate celebrity cannabis brand that best serves their fan bases,” said Chad Bronstein, Carma Holdings Chairman, TYSON 2.0 Co-Founder and President. “Our new partnership marks the development of Carma Holding’s third celebrity brand, further upholding our mission to provide accessible and high quality cannabis products for every type of consumer.”

Bronstein added that both Tyson and Holyfield will be avidly supporting the product. “Some celebrities just put their name on a product and then you never hear from them,” he said. “These guys are really involved and happy to meet with the public to show that they believe in these products.” 

Bronstein also said that he felt the “bites” brought some fun back into cannabis. “Some of these brands are so serious. It’s cannabis. Let’s lighten up and bring back the fun,” he said. 

The merriment continues as the two fighters teamed up for a hilarious holiday themed video. 

Carma is apparently a happy b**ch.

Cannabis advocate and former boxer  Mike Tyson’s cannabis brand Tyson 2.0 announced the close of its oversubscribed $9 Million Series A round led by JW Asset Management. Additional investors in the round include K2, Ambria Capital, Tress Capital, and Patrick Carroll. The company said that the new funds will be used to acquire more celebrity intellectual property, scale marketing efforts, accelerate distribution, and further invest in the development of Tyson 2.0’s house of brands strategy.

Tyson 2.0 Co-founder, President and Chairman, Chad Bronstein said, “Mike Tyson and our team believed early on that building high-quality cannabis brands and products backed by A-list celebrities would be a winning combination. Our model has shown early validation with robust sales and expansion of the brand to more than 20 states including several of the world’s leading operators. The next step in our journey will require us to put more capital to work, and I couldn’t think of a better set of partners than the group of investors we have assembled, highlighted by Jason Wild and the team at JW Asset Management.”

In addition to raising the capital, Tyson 2.0 announced the appointment of Nicole Cosby as its Chief Legal and Licensing Officer. Cosby also served as Chief Data and Compliance Officer of Fyllo Group and prior to this, held the position of Senior Vice President of Standards at Publicis Group. Cosby is an attorney by trade and has a background in digital advertising/data policy and brand strategy/licensing.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with and knowing Chad and Adam for many years. I am impressed with how quickly they have scaled the business becoming one of the leading national cannabis brands on the market today. With the ability to develop additional products from celebrities like Mike Tyson, Ric Flair, and more to come, I am confident the strong momentum can continue,” said Jason Wild, President and Chief Investment Officer, JW Asset Management.

Bronstein concluded, “This is just the beginning, Tyson 2.0 is being sought out by some of the hottest pop culture icons who are cannabis advocates and users, and want the opportunity to share their love of the plant with their fans.”

Washington

Earlier this month, Tyson 2.0 said that a collaboration with Mammoth Labs has resulted in its cannabis products being available at sixteen dispensaries across the state of Washington. Tyson 2.0 products will be in dispensaries including Cannabis & Glass, Herbery, Zips, The FireHouse and The Station locations starting June 2. Through its production partnership with Washington-based Mammoth Labs, Tyson 2.0 premium products offered will include eighths (3.5g) jars of flower in Desert Toad, Southern Toad, Tiger Mintz and Dynamite Cookie; and exclusive concentrates: diamonds and sauce in Viper Cookies, Orange Punch, Cake Crasher; and badder in Southern Toad.

“Tyson 2.0 x Mammoth Labs products will pack twice the punch for Washington cannabis consumers with our high THC strains and superior terpene profiles,” said Mike Tyson, Chief Brand Officer and Co-Founder of Tyson 2.0. “Cannabis of this craft can truly elevate the mind and spirit. I look forward to sharing my cannabis healing journey with fans across Washington.”