Mike Tyson can say he got knockout out a lot but now he’s been humbled by an influencer. Tyson has never been shy about discussing his shortcomings or being undisputedly truthful.
Tyson admits he got taken out a lot before he became the powerhouse youngest-ever heavyweight champion he did in the early part of his career.
However, in an interview with Tennis star Nick Kyrgios, Tyson discussed his regrets as he prepared to face Jake Paul in a money-making exercise.
‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ continued his controversial career at 58 when many before him would not.
Asked by Kyrgios about regrets, Tyson responded, “Of course you have regrets. But without those regrets, without those failures, you will never be able to succeed in sports.
“You know, a lot of people hold their regrets with them from sport. I just hold my regrets from life. Because of sports and everything else in life, when God said, ‘Let there be life, let there be light,’ it was already written.
“This was written trillions of years ago. My belief in life is that everything has already been written. Our meeting each other, my daughter being born, these people make us engage and look, never seeing each other again. We have, and this has all been established.”
On learning from his failures, Tyson revealed he had to take his lumps before he could begin his journey to the top at 20.
“I wasn’t born Mike Tyson. I got my a** kicked, and I got knocked out a lot. But I had to learn the rules and I had to learn the game. I had to learn to be disciplined and never give up.
“It’s okay if you get knocked out a hundred times. Never give up. And that’s what life is about. I wanted to be up more than anybody in the world wanted me to be down. So, I didn’t care about anything. I knew I was going to be the best.”
Tyson was the best for around five years, from his professional debut until 1990. Only a refereeing error against Buster Douglas ended one of the most destructive runs in top division history.
Sadly for Mike, the next 34 years haven’t gone his way, and he’s no longer a force to be reckoned with. Paul knew this, hence the fight offer coupled with an attempt to call himself a real boxer.
The Netflix special at the AT&T Stadium in Texas did little for any of the participants. Tyson had two rounds and then his gas tank emptied.
The evidence that Tyson could not sustain a round at his age was evident when Evander Holyfield couldn’t do it at 58 and was in much better shape than Mike.
The fact that Tyson was knocked out in his last two professional fights two decades ago had most knowledgeable fans expecting the worst.
It happened.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.