Recently, Mike Tyson sat down with ESPN Radio Las Vegas and offered some deep insight into his mental state over the past few years. Aside from discussing his drug problems, he also delved into his dedication, success and subsequent failure as both a celebrity and boxer. One of the most heartfelt parts of the interview, however, was him discussing losing his four-year-old daughter last year.
Here are some of the more interesting bits of his interview:
Regarding losing 150 pounds:
“I became a Vegan. Vegan is where no animal products. No livestock products. Nothing. I just did a lot of training and try to become more faithful in life. I wanted a different life. I felt like I was dying. I had an incident in life where I lost my four year old daughter in a tragic accident at home. I don’t know. I didn’t want to live anymore. So I said, that in order to go there, I had to change my life. I am going to change everything I dislike about myself. I changed everything that I was as a human being. I started that journey in October or November… I don’t smoke anymore. I wanted to give up everything. I had to change my life. I didn’t have a problem with drugs or nothing. I had a problem with thinking. My thinking was broken. That was the solution of my broken thinking using drugs and living crazy. It was just the way I was thinking.”
On his past:
“It was everything goes. Just being out there, being Mike, not realizing who I am. The next thing I know I got people saying, ‘Yo man when are you going to pay for these girls?’ I said, ‘Well you know. What’s the problem? I ain’t got the money. I can’t pay you.’ And he said, ‘Well I got to pay somebody.’ And I said, ‘Tell the guy you got to pay to come talk to me.’ Listen, I’m Mike Tyson, international superstar, and I’m robbing a drug dealer. What happened? What happened to my life? I’m an international star and now I’m shaking down a drug dealer. I’ve really came a long way, huh? I’ve really came a long way… My personal life is so isolated right now. I don’t go anywhere unless I’m invited. If I don’t have a reason being there, I’m not going to go. I enjoy being with my children and my wife now. That’s the only the that keeps me grounded’
On doing “The Hangover” for drug loot:
“I was doing that to supply my drug habit. I’m sorry I’m coming at you guys like this… I said, ‘Wow, This is going to be really good. We’re going to sell this stuff on 42nd street on bootleg and make a lot of money.’ This is my best thinking on drugs… It wasn’t that way. It was an international success.
On whether he would ever fight again:
“I wouldn’t consider nothing to do with boxing. I couldn’t do that no more. I’d be petrified now. That’s not who I am anymore.”
You can find the entire interview HERE.