It is almost fight night. For now, Mike Tyson is talking.
In the Toyota Music Factory in Irving, TX, a group of seven journalists, including AllHipHop, are sequestered away from the rest of the doting audience. They are in an alternate room for a sit down with boxing legend Mike Tyson to discuss his uncanny, somewhat unexpected return to the ring. In fact, all the fighters pass through the room, but the icon is without question the man of the moment.
In this interview, filmed by Netflix, Tyson speaks about the journey back to the sport that made him – after nearly two decades. He discusses his perspectives on legacy, and the motivation that continues to drive him. He speaks honestly why he maintains ties to Brownsville as well as why his rival Jake Paul is a “manufactured” fighter. Through it all, Tyson offers a reflective, yet fierce take on his storied career and his next chapter in the ring.
Tyson – and boxing – has changed considerably since his heyday. But he talks about this iteration of his life and what it means to be fighting at this stage. He appears to have a version thousand-yard war stare, but his is one full of focus and vision, not trauma and shock.
Here is the interview that includes journalists like AHH’s Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur, ESPN’s Andreas Hale and author/journalist Gareth A. Davies, among others.
AllHipHop: Hey Mike, you went back to Brownsville, as depicted in the Netflix series. How was that experience for you, to be among your people, the people you grew up with? Some of them, like Shannon Briggs, were there.
Mike Tyson: I do that… I do that frequently. It’s not like I go there every 10 years or something. Very frequently. Let me explain that. I try to explain this to others. There are people I know from another part of my life who ask, “How do you go there?” I try to explain, but they don’t understand. Those are my roots. You’re not a person, you’re not a human being if you can’t go back to your roots. You’re not a man if you can’t go back to your roots after you’re, quote, successful. What kind of person are you?
AllHipHop: Right, right. I interviewed Jake Paul a couple of years ago, and he expressed that you guys were friends and also that he would never get in the ring with you. He explicitly said that, and now here you are. How will it be getting in there with him, knowing that he was or is your friend?
Mike Tyson: Hey, my mother taught me to be very careful. She said to have no feelings attached. That’s just what it is—no feelings attached.
Journalist: Hi Mike. It’s been 19 years since you fought in Washington. You’ve had exhibitions since, but this is more like the real thing. Did you think 19 years ago that you’d be back in this situation again?
Mike Tyson: I don’t know what I thought 19 years ago, but I didn’t think I would self-destruct. I knew something special would happen, but nothing like this.
Journalist: What’s the biggest draw of coming back for you in boxing terms? What’s the biggest draw?
Mike Tyson: How to answer that question… from a humble perspective.
Journalist: Is there any part of you that feels you need to prove something, that you left something behind all those years ago?
Mike Tyson: I don’t believe I have anything to prove. I think… I just don’t want to say… yeah.
Journalist: Hey Mike, you’ve been at the top of boxing for so long, one of the most famous fighters ever, and now we’re in 2024. You have all the fans out here today. You’re filling AT&T Stadium for another fight. What does it mean to you to still have so much love and admiration from the fans?
Mike Tyson: Very humbling. It crushes my ego. It’s very humbling. I don’t get the chance. I’m big and bad… humble.
Journalist: Mike, are you planning on fighting again, or is this your last dance?
Mike Tyson: Hey, sky’s the limit, and anything’s possible. I didn’t think I’d be fighting this fight. Didn’t think I would have to fight with Roy, too. I had no idea I’d do that. I’ve been through so many ups and downs since my last fight. Rehab, prison, been up and down for many years. I didn’t believe I’d be doing this.
Journalist: And if we had a fight between you, Rocky, and Drago, who would win?
Mike Tyson: Rocky’s pretty good.
Journalist: So you and Rocky in the finals?
Mike Tyson: Yeah.
Journalist: Who would win?
Mike Tyson: I think… well, we know the answer.
Journalist: Mike, how are you doing?
Mike Tyson: I’m good, very well. Lovely to see you.
Journalist: Thank you, same. First of all, thank you. No one’s really thanked you. You’ve been away a long time, and you’re putting yourself on the line here in many ways. I know you give everything in this process. Part of your identity is fighting. I know it’s not all of your identity anymore, but I think as a boxing industry, as a people, we thank you for coming back and putting yourself on the line, because you are putting yourself on the line. You must have felt that during this process at some point.
Mike Tyson: Well, like I said earlier, when I first agreed to the fight, I thought, “Yeah, let’s fight,” and then I started going through the process. The process is something else. So, the process is over now. It’s the fight. The fight is the party; the training is the process. The process is tough, but the party… the party is the party.
Journalist: I’ve said to you a few times that you’ve probably found something in yourself for this fight, and you’re giving it off already. That vibe is back in you. We can feel it. Are you bringing darkness on Friday night?
Mike Tyson: Well, even better than that. I’m bringing the Devil himself.
Journalist: Are you going to knock him out?
Mike Tyson: Yeah. That’s what the whole process is about.
Journalist: Knockout. Thank you. Mike, you described Jake as a “manufactured killer” and yourself as a “natural killer” in the Netflix documentary. Could you elaborate a bit more on what you meant by that?
Mike Tyson: Well, it speaks for itself. What did he do, and what did I do? The knockouts, the belts… I took the belts from real fighters. This guy, he made a name off YouTube, like Superman is manufactured. I’m not manufactured.
Journalist: And also, I know you’re known for your tactics inside and outside the ring, striking fear in people with just your presence. Do you have any tactics to make Jake Paul feel uncomfortable on Friday night?
Mike Tyson: Yeah… 58 years of it.
Journalist: Hey Mike, I have a question. We got to see your daughter on the stream, and she never got a chance to see you fight during your active career. What’s it going to be like for her to see her dad do something she’s only heard about? She’ll get to see it live for the first time.
Mike Tyson: Well, she’s seen me on TV with Roy [Jones, Jr.], but she’s never seen anything of this magnitude in her life. Like I said earlier, my kids don’t think of me the way other people out here think of me. People see me as “the baddest man,” but they don’t see that. To them, I’m just “Dad. Dad, sit your old ass down.” But after November 15, they’re going to have a different opinion of me.
Journalist: You’ve been doing a lot of media, and I saw you sit down and talk to Andre Ward about the hoverboard. It seems like you’ve had more fun doing interviews this time around. Are you enjoying the process?
Mike Tyson: Yeah, I’ll say something I said earlier: that old Mike Tyson, the one who was all savage… he doesn’t serve a purpose in my life anymore. That guy who’d say, “F##k you” and all that… he has no purpose in my life.
Journalist: My last question: when you fought in “War Zones,” a lot of people hadn’t seen you fight, and everyone praised that performance. How did you feel that night, and how much does that have to do with you taking this fight?
Mike Tyson: It has everything to do with me taking this fight. I didn’t think I’d do as well as I did. A few years later, I stayed in shape, and it gave me confidence to do it again. I’m trying to put this into words—I don’t see myself as an “animal” or a “savage” anymore. I see myself as a businessman, a productive businessman with determination, goals, and drive. It’s the same drive I had back then; I just express it differently.
Journalist: Wise, as you said. Please enjoy it. It’s lovely to see you.
