Years After Addiction Almost Took His Life, “Junkie” Mike Tyson Comes to Terms With God’s Mercy in Final Hotboxin’ Episode

Mike Tyson is indeed a changed man! From going to prison to biting Evander Holyfield’s ear off, the things that the former champion has gone through over the years have shaped the person he has become. However, he hasn’t fully recovered from all the trauma of his past, something that became very clear in the latest and the last episode of Hotboxin with Mike Tyson.

In 2013, Tyson revealed, “I don’t want to die. I’m on the verge of dying because I’m a vicious alcoholic.” Since then, the former heavyweight champion has changed his life drastically, even though some past habits still linger. However, Tyson is well aware of that and thankful for god’s mercy, as he came to terms with the same in his podcast shared on YouTube recently. 

Mike Tyson isn’t the only one who overcame his demons

During the podcast, Tyson’s guest Nicky Jam recollected the time he was moving to Colombia when he came across a small church on the way! “I saw the guy preaching, and I felt that I had to go inside,” said Jam. The musician claimed that the priest knew why he was there, so he went in and started praying, which changed his life. 

“I got [on] my knees, and I started crying. I cried for everything that happened to me in all my past. I cried [for] like almost 30 minutes, just getting all those demons out, and it felt really good,” said Jam. To this, Tyson interrupted Jam and corrected him about what he perceived as his past demons were actually his trauma. 

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“[It’s really] not demons, its trauma… It made you the great person that you [are] believe that. Believe that pain made you,” said Tyson. However, when Jam claimed he was still battling his trauma, Tyson came to terms with the mercy god showed him over the years. He said, “Some people’s flaws are their billions. I’m a junkie, too. But it made me… I don’t know! Maybe god had mercy on me.” What’s more, this isn’t the first time Tyson has spoken about his addiction to drugs. 

Tyson claims he is a relapse specialist

Even though ‘Iron’ Mike successfully vanquished his opponents inside the ring, he often lost the battle to drugs outside. It has also landed him in trouble several times in the past. Following his retirement in 2007, the former champion was arrested for drug possession and driving while intoxicated. So, during one of his appearances in an interview with Patrick Bet David, Tyson opened up about his battle with drugs. 

“I was a coke addict and an alcoholic, too,” Mike Tyson told David. He revealed even though he was able to stay sober for seven years. It didn’t take him long to relapse. “For seven years, I didn’t get high, didn’t drink liquor, and listen, you couldn’t…I was a relapse specialist. Man, I would relapse before the guard got the news,” said Mike.

Even though Mike Tyson struggled with addiction for years, his statement during his latest podcast reveals how thankful he is to god for helping him overcome the trauma of his addiction. It just goes to show how Tyson is not just a champion in the ring but also outside of it.

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