“I’m going to make you my girlfriend,” Mike Tyson said before his 1999 fight against Francois Botha. While there are crazier statements from ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ etched in the history of the sport, it should give you a clear picture of Tyson’s tyranny over the heavyweight division in his prime. However, at 58, things have changed. 

Once a ferocious and unpredictable fighter, Tyson has adopted a much calmer and peaceful lifestyle. However, he might have to tap into his past self again, as he steps into the ring with social media boxer Jake Paul on November 15th at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. But before that, he appeared in his ‘Behind The Mike’ series with sports commentator Jim Gray. 

Speaking to ‘Iron’ Mike, Gray derived a hard-hitting confession from Tyson about his crazy past as he expressed his gratitude for his achievements. Gray pressed Tyson, asking what he had proven to himself by stepping into the ring with former world champion Roy Jones Jr. in their 2020 exhibition fight, which ended in a split decision draw.

“I didn’t prove anything,” Tyson said. “What I proved [was] that I did my medicine, the goat medicine, my DMT, my toad.” Tyson is known for his unconventional approach to health, incorporating a range of unique treatments. His regimen includes testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), protein derived from placental and umbilical sources, cellular therapy, electrostimulation, and even sessions in a hyperbaric chamber, among other methods.

“And it told me I was a better person and should fight. That’s what it did,” Tyson continued, as he reflected on his exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. This led Gray to question Tyson about the impressive viewership the fight generated, noting that despite taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic, it attracted numbers high enough to rank among the top 10 combat sports events.

Interestingly, the exhibition generated 1.6 million pay-per-view buys, priced at $49.49 apiece, which translates to $80 million in pay-per-view revenue. Despite the impressive numbers, Tyson claimed, “I am just very grateful. Because of that, I don’t look at myself as I am better than those guys.”

“Everybody has a different era,” Tyson told Jim Gray. “I am fortunate enough that different generations are aware of who I am and most of it is because of my crazy acting out.” While Tyson regrets his actions in the past, he acknowledged that it was his very “crazy” actions that made him such a big deal. 

“But still, I’m very grateful for that too, because it drew the fans. This is just a new era of Mike Tyson,” he concluded. While on the subject of the Tyson vs. Jones fight, ‘Captain Hook’ has predicted what would happen in fight night. 

Roy Jones Jr. shares verdict on Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson

Sharing his thoughts on the upcoming blockbuster, Roy Jones Jr. asserted that the shortened two-minute rounds in the fight will only benefit Mike Tyson. Interestingly, the rules of the Paul fight dictate, that it will be eight-two-minute rounds, with both fighters wearing 14-ounce gloves. “When I boxed him four years ago it was only two-minute rounds but surprisingly he didn’t decline, he stayed the same the whole fight,” Jones told talkSport. 

His confidence in the boxing icon was so great that he immediately backed Tyson in the fight. “Well, I like Mike, probably by decision,” Jones added. “But if he chooses to go out and take him out, I think he can.” Jones even claimed that he is not worried about Tyson, noting, “I don’t fear for Mike and how old he is. Mike is still hard to hit and Mike still hits hard as hell.”

That said, Mike Tyson is clearly grateful for where he is in life today, having left his “crazy” past where it belongs—in the past. However, he may have to tap into it to win his upcoming fight against Jake Paul. What do you think about Tyson’s career? Do you think he can win the Paul fight?