EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: "IRON" MIKE TYSON
By G. Leon
In this must read exclusive interview that can only be found on Boxingtalk.com, former undisputed heavyweight champion "Iron" Mike Tyson breaks his silence and answers all of the questions boxing fans want answers to. We were surprised to learn that Tyson will likely return to the ring later this year, as he expressed great interest in a third fight with former four time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. Tyson was in rare form and you definitely don't want to miss what he had to say!
GL: My phone's been ringing with a couple of people asking me about you possibly fighting Evander Holyfield later this year. I didn't believe when I heard it, but now that I'm privileged enough to have you on the horn, can you tell us if that's something you're interested in?
Mike Tyson: "Sometimes I say yeah it is and sometimes I say it isn't. I'm in one of those up in the air moments. It's something I want to do it all depends on how many tickets (or millions*) are involved." Editors Note: Tickets are slang for millions of dollars.
GL: You've been talking to me about getting your personal life back together, you're about to get your house situated in Vegas. Can you describe the place your are mentally following all of the BS that has been going on the last couple of months?
Mike Tyson: "Greg I'm pretty down man. Everybody else thinks I'm on the uphill, but I'm feeling pretty down."
GL: Why?
Mike Tyson: "I don't know. I guess don't feel good. People look at materialism and think that's what makes people happy in life, you know?"
GL: What does it take to make you happy then? Obviously it's not material items.
Mike Tyson: "Having my shit fully together, my happines, getting all of my kids functioning together and having a relationship with all of them. You couldn't even imagine what it would be like to not have a relationship with all of your kids."
GL: I'm going to my own problems, but I'm sure you've got enough of your own that you don't need to hear about mine right about now.
Mike Tyson: "I do brother, so you know what I mean then, right?"
GL: I feel you with both hands on that one. But you know Mike, you don't really have to get back into the ring to make serious money. You could do a book, a movie...
Mike Tyson: (cutting in) "I'm doing all of that now though Greg, but listen Greg, can I tell you something? All of that stuff is good and there might be good money and stuff, but it ain't the same thing Greg."
GL: It ain't the same thing how?
Mike Tyson: "It's not the same as far as, and I know everybody is going to say don't do that again Mike, but it's not the same thing as thumping and rumbling and all of that shit."
GL: If you're at a point where one minute you want to fight and the next day you don't, it would appear that you are uncertain about stepping through those ropes again...
Mike Tyson: (cutting in) "Not really. Not really. My life is kind of steadfast. If I'm making money with an autobiography, or making money with a movie, all of that shit is slow compared to the fight business."
GL: Do you think you have the love for boxing to give the fight business a serious go?
Mike Tyson: "I can. I think I'm going to go at it hard one more time. To be honest Greg, I want to just get in the gym for three months and then see how I feel about it."
GL: Would you really entertain Holyfield Mike?
Mike Tyson: "It depends on the ticket."
GL: For those unaware of the vernacular of the ticket, a ticket is $1M. So it just comes down to the dollars and cents.
Mike Tyson: "Exactly."
GL: Anytime you put the names Tyson and Holyfield on a banner it's going to be a huge event, but based on Holyfield's last fight and your absence, don't you think a preliminary round that would feature you and Evander on the same card in winnable fights would make the fight bigger?
Mike Tyson: "Probably so, but I wouldn't want to do that, I want to go straight at him."
GL: Will you be able to deal with his rough house tactics? You know he's not going to change the way he fights.
Mike Tyson: "That's ok. I might change the way I fight."
GL: Is Holyfield the kind of guy that can get you up for a fight?
Mike Tyson: "He's the guy for me to fight and I could always get up to fight him. He's the kind of fight that could make me have an affair with boxing again. I don't know if I can fall back in love with boxing, but I'm ready to have a love affair for a few months."
GL: Do you have any thoughts the legal stuff you've gone through over the past couple of months?
Mike Tyson: "I don't think about that stuff. I needed the day off to get away from everybody."
GL: Have you been keeping your temple clean?
Mike Tyson: "I'm as clean as the board of health. "
GL: Has that had a positive impact on your mental state?
Mike Tyson: "I don't know, I'm more irritable, I noticed that."
GL: Now that you're as clean as the board of health, are you interested in pursuing commentating gigs?
Mike Tyson: "Nobody is interested in me in that field. I haven't seen any red carpets come out for me. I don't think anybody is looking for me in that perspective."
GL: Is that something you'd entertain if the red carpet were rolled out?
Mike Tyson: "It's not going to happen Greg, they don't feel me like that."
GL: Do you knock Holyfield out in the third fight?
Mike Tyson: "That would be my goal. If I get in there with him I'd just be looking to knock him out."
GL: Do you really think you can find what you once described as that shit that made you want to leave the ring a bloody mess with your opponents mother crying and screaming about their baby from ringside?
Mike Tyson: "I guess the best way to answer that is, I'm sorry madam. It looks like I'm going to have to."
GL: What kind of shape are you in now?
Mike Tyson: "Oh horrible."
GL: How long would it take for you to get in shape?
Mike Tyson: "Like I said, three months."
By G. Leon
In this must read exclusive interview that can only be found on Boxingtalk.com, former undisputed heavyweight champion "Iron" Mike Tyson breaks his silence and answers all of the questions boxing fans want answers to. We were surprised to learn that Tyson will likely return to the ring later this year, as he expressed great interest in a third fight with former four time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. Tyson was in rare form and you definitely don't want to miss what he had to say!
GL: My phone's been ringing with a couple of people asking me about you possibly fighting Evander Holyfield later this year. I didn't believe when I heard it, but now that I'm privileged enough to have you on the horn, can you tell us if that's something you're interested in?
Mike Tyson: "Sometimes I say yeah it is and sometimes I say it isn't. I'm in one of those up in the air moments. It's something I want to do it all depends on how many tickets (or millions*) are involved." Editors Note: Tickets are slang for millions of dollars.
GL: You've been talking to me about getting your personal life back together, you're about to get your house situated in Vegas. Can you describe the place your are mentally following all of the BS that has been going on the last couple of months?
Mike Tyson: "Greg I'm pretty down man. Everybody else thinks I'm on the uphill, but I'm feeling pretty down."
GL: Why?
Mike Tyson: "I don't know. I guess don't feel good. People look at materialism and think that's what makes people happy in life, you know?"
GL: What does it take to make you happy then? Obviously it's not material items.
Mike Tyson: "Having my shit fully together, my happines, getting all of my kids functioning together and having a relationship with all of them. You couldn't even imagine what it would be like to not have a relationship with all of your kids."
GL: I'm going to my own problems, but I'm sure you've got enough of your own that you don't need to hear about mine right about now.
Mike Tyson: "I do brother, so you know what I mean then, right?"
GL: I feel you with both hands on that one. But you know Mike, you don't really have to get back into the ring to make serious money. You could do a book, a movie...
Mike Tyson: (cutting in) "I'm doing all of that now though Greg, but listen Greg, can I tell you something? All of that stuff is good and there might be good money and stuff, but it ain't the same thing Greg."
GL: It ain't the same thing how?
Mike Tyson: "It's not the same as far as, and I know everybody is going to say don't do that again Mike, but it's not the same thing as thumping and rumbling and all of that shit."
GL: If you're at a point where one minute you want to fight and the next day you don't, it would appear that you are uncertain about stepping through those ropes again...
Mike Tyson: (cutting in) "Not really. Not really. My life is kind of steadfast. If I'm making money with an autobiography, or making money with a movie, all of that shit is slow compared to the fight business."
GL: Do you think you have the love for boxing to give the fight business a serious go?
Mike Tyson: "I can. I think I'm going to go at it hard one more time. To be honest Greg, I want to just get in the gym for three months and then see how I feel about it."
GL: Would you really entertain Holyfield Mike?
Mike Tyson: "It depends on the ticket."
GL: For those unaware of the vernacular of the ticket, a ticket is $1M. So it just comes down to the dollars and cents.
Mike Tyson: "Exactly."
GL: Anytime you put the names Tyson and Holyfield on a banner it's going to be a huge event, but based on Holyfield's last fight and your absence, don't you think a preliminary round that would feature you and Evander on the same card in winnable fights would make the fight bigger?
Mike Tyson: "Probably so, but I wouldn't want to do that, I want to go straight at him."
GL: Will you be able to deal with his rough house tactics? You know he's not going to change the way he fights.
Mike Tyson: "That's ok. I might change the way I fight."
GL: Is Holyfield the kind of guy that can get you up for a fight?
Mike Tyson: "He's the guy for me to fight and I could always get up to fight him. He's the kind of fight that could make me have an affair with boxing again. I don't know if I can fall back in love with boxing, but I'm ready to have a love affair for a few months."
GL: Do you have any thoughts the legal stuff you've gone through over the past couple of months?
Mike Tyson: "I don't think about that stuff. I needed the day off to get away from everybody."
GL: Have you been keeping your temple clean?
Mike Tyson: "I'm as clean as the board of health. "
GL: Has that had a positive impact on your mental state?
Mike Tyson: "I don't know, I'm more irritable, I noticed that."
GL: Now that you're as clean as the board of health, are you interested in pursuing commentating gigs?
Mike Tyson: "Nobody is interested in me in that field. I haven't seen any red carpets come out for me. I don't think anybody is looking for me in that perspective."
GL: Is that something you'd entertain if the red carpet were rolled out?
Mike Tyson: "It's not going to happen Greg, they don't feel me like that."
GL: Do you knock Holyfield out in the third fight?
Mike Tyson: "That would be my goal. If I get in there with him I'd just be looking to knock him out."
GL: Do you really think you can find what you once described as that shit that made you want to leave the ring a bloody mess with your opponents mother crying and screaming about their baby from ringside?
Mike Tyson: "I guess the best way to answer that is, I'm sorry madam. It looks like I'm going to have to."
GL: What kind of shape are you in now?
Mike Tyson: "Oh horrible."
GL: How long would it take for you to get in shape?
Mike Tyson: "Like I said, three months."
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