By all accounts Mike Tyson has gone back drinking alcohol to excess again after some success in recent years but this is rich from Tyson.
The former heavy hitting champion from America is still the youngest champion in the heavies in professional boxing in history.
He said contenders need to be mentally stronger than their opponents to separate contenders from champions in professional boxing in today’s times.
He often and still even over the age of sixty at this point does not apply that in life, some notes on this;
- Tyson lost to huge underdog Buster Douglas when his mental game completely collapsed
- He bit Holyfield’s ear in a fit of rage, showing zero composure under pressure
- He served three years in prison for rape, proving a total lack of self-discipline outside the ring
- He admitted he used to get nervous before every fight and doubted he could handle boxing life
- His career spiralled into cocaine, bankruptcy and street brawls once Cus D’Amato died
- He quit on his stool against Kevin McBride, admitting he had no heart left to fight
- He fired his trainer Rooney and fell under Don King’s sway, driven by ego not focus
- He confessed his career was mentally “over since 1990” long before his body stopped
- He struggled with suicidal thoughts, depression and severe anxiety throughout his reign
- His own path proves that without mental discipline, even the greatest talent can unravel completely
Tyson talks the talk but could not get that Floyd exhibition fight going at all this year in the end.
Maybe due to Floyd’s part more than his, for balance.
But if he is back drinking and so on and the man is over the age of sixty at this point, the above advise for young fighters is not that apt, really, is it, coming from him.
Mike Tyson, an exciting fighter in his day, in his young days, but got beat by anyone tough he fought — Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield and so on.
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