Two legendary fighters-turned-entrepreneurs have joined forces in the North American cannabis sector via a takeover deal.
Former boxer Mike Tyson’s cannabis firm Tyson 2.0 has snapped up a majority stake in 16-time World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Ric Flair’s firm, Ric Flair Drip.
Tyson 2.0’s strategic alliance with Ric Flair enables the company to assume control of Ric Flair’s trademarks and intellectual properties to launch cannabis flower and edible products under the Ric Flair brand name.
Tyson co-founded his cannabis business last October with chairman Chad Bronstein, founder and CEO of cannatech company, Fyllo, and co-founder of psychedelics company, Wesana. Also on board is CEO Adam Wilks, who is also a chief exec at Captor Capital Corp, a Canadian cannabis firm listed on the Canadian, Frankfurt and Börse Stuttgart exchanges.
The company’s deal with Ric Flair is part of its strategy to build a “celebrity cannabis brand powerhouse”.
Currently its products are available across dispensaries and retail locations in five states, with plans to expand nationally and internationally.
Chad Bronstein said: “For the last fifty years, Ric has been synonymous with high impact, high energy experiences.
“Similar to how we rolled out Tyson 2.0, Ric Flair cannabis products will reach nationwide distribution through our robust network of industry partners. With flower strains named after Ric’s iconic sayings like ‘limousine riding’ and ‘jet-flying’, we aim to honour Ric’s energy and share it with his fans.
“Tyson 2.0 is establishing itself as a cannabis marketing and celebrity licensing powerhouse. Our aim is to bring more celebrity brands to market in the coming months.”
Ric Flair said: “Thanks to Mike Tyson and Tyson 2.0, I’ve become a true cannabis advocate and enthusiast. I am thrilled to partner with a long time friend and fellow warrior whom I greatly admire and respect.
“There are a lot of synergies between me and Mike – we’ve both had many ups and downs, but we keep going at life. With Mike’s passion for cannabis, Chad and Adam’s industry knowledge, I look forward to creating cannabis products that will appeal to my national fanbase.”
