Interview: Mike Tyson on Fury-Joshua, his dream matchups, wild stories
2 hrs ago
8 min read
Mike Tyson is still on a mission to revive amateur boxing.
The second edition of the Mike Tyson Invitational and amateur boxing tournament is set to take place Saturday at the Sahara Las Vegas. The event will stream live on the Mike Tyson YouTube channel, and tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
Tyson debuted the special showcase event in March, which is designed to host promising United States amateur boxers and Olympic hopefuls. The heavyweight icon has also been front and center by mentoring fighters as well as offering an unusual platform for them to gain experience and exposure.
Tyson has been vocal about rebuilding amateur boxing across America, going as far as telling The Ring in March that developing stateside talent is in desperate straits.
The Ring caught up with Tyson to see how he plans to continue spearheading change across amateur boxing and to discuss other happenings in his life.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
It's always a pleasure catching up with you, Mike. First things first, how's life? How's your health? How's the family doing?
Everything is beautiful. Thank you for asking.
Now that you've rolled up your sleeves and are in the trenches rebuilding amateur boxing, what are your overall impressions, and are you already seeing signs of improvement?
I have a great group of fighters. They are constantly getting better. Eventually we are going to challenge other countries, like Mexico and France. We're trying to get fighters like Roberto Duran, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Canelo Alvarez involved so we can battle their teams. It will give these amateur fighters great experience and a good time in life. That's what they deserve. And most importantly, nothing is coming out of their pockets. We are taking care of everything. We're getting ready. I'm very much looking forward to it. I'm grateful.
These amateur boxing tournaments certainly seem like a great way for you to relive your youth, all while giving back to the next generation. How rewarding has this entire experience been for you?
I agree with that. It keeps me busy. It's all about the kids and building their history. That's what it's all about. Taking care of the kids and making sure nothing comes out of their pockets. The best fighters in the world often don't have the resources to travel. God willing, this thing will keep growing and growing. That's the plan. We eventually even want to go the pro route. But first things first. It's about the kids and making sure they don't get taken advantage of. There was no one to protect me, but I can make sure these guys don't get taken advantage of. I'm less selfish now.
You've been very vocal and brutally honest that boxing is dying, and the Mike Tyson Invitational is certainly playing its part in reviving the sport in America. If you were the global president of boxing, what's the first change you'd make?
They were getting ready to take boxing out of the Olympics. Now, they are going to forget about trying to do that. We're going to try and make it the most popular sport in the Olympics. In 1984, it was. … The first change I would make is to mandate more competitive fights, and fighters competing more often, like four fights a year, definitely. I had 15 fights in one year when I turned pro in 1985. Can you believe that?
When you were coming up early on in your career, you were known as Kid Dynamite. But you eventually became the Baddest Man on the Planet. Is there a specific fight – or a specific night in your life – when you realized you were indeed the Baddest Man on the Planet?
It was the night I knocked out Trevor Berbick in the second round to become the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history. It was on November 22, 1986. I was 20 years old and the king of the world.
You turned 60 years old last month, but you still have some bad intentions, because you're planning on facing Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition. What's the latest update you can share? Is the Mayweather exhibition going to happen?
Yes, I want to fight him. I'm just waiting to see what happens. My hand is feeling perfect. I can use the paycheck.
It appears Mayweather is going through tough times financially, something you've also dealt with. What's your advice to Floyd, and to athletes in general, on how they can be better with their money?
If Floyd only has $100 million left, that's bankrupt to him. ... My advice to everyone is find good lawyers. The only thing a fighter needs is a trainer and lawyer, and nothing else.
You've made hundreds of millions. Mayweather made over a billion dollars during his career. For those wondering, please tell everyone how easy it is to burn through that kind of money. What are some of your most lavish expenses?
You burn through it, and people steal some, too. I gave away much of my money, and that's the real deal. I'm keeping it real with you. You work for everything you have, but you never have everything you worked for.
Who could forget the story of you bribing the cops and getting out of trouble by giving away your Rolls-Royce?
I gave away a lot of s---! No one would ever say that to me – you got me! And here I am trying to blame people! (Heartily laughs.)
But the way you reinvented yourself is certainly a great example for the current generation of fighters. Speaking of which, current heavyweights Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally appear ready to rumble. How do you see that fight going?
If Fury comes in right and avoids Joshua's punches, it will be interesting. Joshua is a fast puncher. We'll see. I love Tyson Fury, though. He was named after me. I can never go against him. I don't care who it is he's fighting.
Let's also talk about some of the other cool happenings in your life. You recently attended the World Cup final and wore a Lionel Messi jersey. You also had a relationship with Diego Maradona and even had that cool moment cradling him that one time. It's only fitting to ask a GOAT like yourself: Who's the GOAT? Messi? Or Maradona?
I'm going to be a Maradona GOAT guy all the time. But just because he's the GOAT, it doesn't mean Messi is not a GOAT. I know Maradona. I don't know Messi. I respect him and love him. But I don't know him like I knew Maradona. He was such a beautiful guy. He was my brother. Messi understands.
It looks like you're big on soccer, but not so much on baseball. Because during the ESPY Awards this month in that viral clip, it sounded like you didn't know much about baseball GOAT Shohei Ohtani – you thought he was a woman. Have you had a chance to catch up on some Ohtani highlights yet?
Shohei Ohtani sounded like a woman's name – I had no idea! I thought it was an exotic chick or something! I had no idea he was a baseball player.
World Cup, ESPY Awards, Mike Tyson Invitational – you're everywhere these days, including my favorite place in the world, in my Motherland of Armenia. What took you out there last month, and what was the experience like visiting Yerevan?
Armenia was such a beautiful place, man. I'll go out there anytime, just tell me. There were so many beautiful people – you know it, man. And no one was judgmental, just beautiful people. I loved going there.
Speaking of Armenians, let's quickly take a trip down memory lane for when the late great Armenian billionaire Kirk Kerkorian – then the owner of MGM Resorts – won a huge bidding war to host your comeback fights at the MGM Grand in the 1990s. "Rifle Right" Kerkorian was an amateur boxing champion back in his day and a huge boxing fan as well. But he always stayed away from the cameras. There is a cool picture of you two together, however. What are your favorite memories of Kirk Kerkorian during the Tyson-MGM era?
Did you know he arranged so many marriages in the Armenian community? That was my man. Kirk Kerkorian didn't take any s---, either. One time I got into some legal trouble when I attacked a guy who came after me in the bathroom with a camera. So I attacked him. I was going to get arrested, so Kirk gave me his plane so I wouldn't get arrested, and I just took off. The plane was as big as two houses, but he sent it for me and my family. He used to fly planes, too, and that's how he met Bugsy Siegel and later started building casinos in Las Vegas.
Your fights in Vegas created an economy of its own. It's not quite the same anymore, but Canelo-Crawford had Las Vegas buzzing last year. Let's have you play matchmaker for a moment. What is the one fight you'd like to see that would have Las Vegas and the sports world talking?
How about Gervonta Davis vs. Shakur Stevenson? Or Gervonta Davis vs. Keyshawn Davis? The Mexican Monster David Benavidez and Oleksandr Usyk would be beautiful. Benavidez should move to heavyweight. Usyk is not a big heavyweight. He's a cruiserweight who's fast and smooth. Usyk has fast hands, just like Benavidez. I think Benavidez throws more punches and combinations than Usyk. I love Benavidez. I will never go against him.
Usyk appears to have one more fight before retiring. He beat Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois twice each. How would you assess his resume at the moment among the all-time heavyweight greats?
He's a badass, no doubt about it.
There is no doubt you're a badass in your own right, and now you're passing the torch to others with the Mike Tyson Invitational. Good luck with everything, and hoping it's a knockout night for you and everyone else involved.
Thank you. We're going to take amateur boxing to the next level.
Interview
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