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At Wednesday night’s ESPY Awards in New York City, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani took home a pair of awards.
Ohtani won Best MLB Player and Best Single-Game Performance, neither of which should be much of a surprise to even casual fans of baseball.
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Jun 24, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on before delivering a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
After all, striking out 10 batters in six scoreless innings on the mound while blasting three home runs at the plate in the deciding game of a National League Championship Series is something we may never see again.
When announcing that Ohtani had won the Best Single-Game Performance ESPY, though, a legendary boxer said something that indicates he doesn’t know who Ohtani is.
A strange award presentation
Legendary boxer Mike Tyson, boxer and internet personality Jake Paul, and record producer DJ Khaled jointly presented the award, which was given to Ohtani in absentia, as he’s both trying to heal from some nagging injuries and is preparing for a big series with the New York Yankees starting Friday.
Tyson was given the honor of announcing Ohtani’s win, and he seemed proud to correctly pronounce Shotime’s name, leading into it with a “check this out” and soaking in some of the crowd’s applause for himself.
As Paul noted that “Shohei could not be here tonight; he sends his gratitude and appreciation to ESPN and everyone who voted for him,” Tyson appeared a bit confused.
Then, Tyson turned to Paul and asked “Shohei’s a guy?” in a moment captured pretty clearly on the televison presentation.
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Jun 29, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) jogs onto the field before the start of a game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
The applause and music then began to get louder, though it appears Paul confirmed to Tyson that “he’s a guy, yeah.”
It’s surprising that a former athlete wouldn’t be familiar with a player of Ohtani’s stature.
He’s the face of the sport, one of the top earning athletes around the world.
Demand for his memorabilia is pushing prices to eye-popping amounts, and his influence on Los Angeles is captured in countless murals.
Hopefully Tyson will use this moment as a chance to get more acquainted with the greatest baseball player of all time.
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