Mike Tyson’s 3-Word Shohei Ohtani Question at ESPYs Raises Eyebrows

Mike Tyson had one job when the winner of the ESPY award for best single-game performance was revealed on Wednesday night.

Tyson spat out Shohei Ohtani's name well enough for a native English speaker. What he said immediately after that — perhaps thinking the microphones couldn't pick up his voice — got the most attention.

“Shohei’s a guy?” Tyson asked, turning to fighter Jake Paul, who was standing next to him on the Lincoln Center stage.

"Shohei's a guy?"

Mike Tyson awarded Shohei Ohtani the ESPY for best single-game performance, but had one very important question afterwards pic.twitter.com/sdDZFW0dwS
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 16, 2026

The widely circulated video raised the distinct possibility that Tyson had never heard of Ohtani before Wednesday. At best, that made the 60-year-old boxer a curious choice to open that particular envelope.

Ohtani was also nominated for the ESPY award for Best Athlete in Men's Sports, which could have narrowed things down for Tyson. That award went to New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson instead.

For those who live inside the bubble of baseball news — Dodgers news in particular — Tyson's question certainly raised eyebrows.

Ohtani was won the award on the strength of his performance in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Dodgers won the first three games of the best-of-seven series to push the Brewers to the brink. Ohtani wasn't really a factor until the clinching game at Dodger Stadium, his only pitching appearance in the series.

Ohtani threw six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and three walks while striking out 10. At the plate, he went 3-for-3 with three home runs and a walk. The Dodgers won the game, 5-1.

The performance included many firsts.

Ohtani's solo home run in the first inning against Brewers starter Jose Quintana was the first-ever postseason home run by a Dodgers pitcher. No major league pitcher had ever led off a game with a home run before.

After drawing a walk in his second plate appearance, Ohtani hit his second home run of the game in the fifth inning. The 469-foot blast cleared the right field pavilion at Dodger Stadium — something only two hitters (Kyle Schwarber and Willie Stargell) had ever done in the park’s history.

No pitcher had ever hit two home runs in a postseason game before. Ohtani hit his third home run of the game in the seventh inning.

It was arguably the best individual performance by any player in an MLB postseason game. It's a shame Tyson didn't see it, or at least didn't remember it, before he presented Ohtani with an award Wednesday.

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