Olivia Dunne's New 'Security' Guard Is a Heavyweight Boxing Legend
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Olivia Dunne has been keeping herself busy lately. The LSU gymnast is the highest-paid female college athlete in the country, pulling in seven figures in name, image, and likeness (NIL) endorsement deals. And as one of the most prominent faces in collegiate sports, Dunne was a welcome guest at the 2023 ESPYs at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre.
The former Team USA gymnast rubbed elbows with some of the biggest athletes in the world at the event, including retired legends and young prodigies. One of those celebs was none other than boxer-turned-businessman Mike Tyson.
Dunne shared photos from her award show moment on Instagram, including one where she joked that Tyson was her new “security.” She threw up a peace sign while Tyson smiled; the retired pugilist, who was a presenter at the July 12 ceremony, held an ESPYs envelope while posing for the pic.
Dunne responded to a few comments, including one remark from her mother Kat. “Just don’t steal his tiger,” her mom wrote with a tiger emoji. She’s referring to Tyson owning three Bengal tigers in the '90s and '00s, including his close relationship with one of them where they even slept in the same bed. That tiger eventually ripped someone’s arm off after a woman snuck onto Tyson’s property to play with the big cat. “Good one, mom,” Livvy quipped back at her mom’s comment.
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When she’s not dazzling on red carpets, Dunne is advocating for her fellow LSU female athletes to receive greater compensation for NIL deals. Her new endeavor, The Livvy Fund, seeks to level the playing field.
“I just want to fight for equal NIL opportunities,” the gymnast told SI Swimsuit. "It’s very important to help educate other student athletes here at LSU on how to be a savvy businesswoman and how to partner with brands.”
She might not partner with Mike Tyson to promote his cannabis business, but maybe she’ll stop by his popular Hotboxin’ podcast to talk about all things sports.