- The former heavyweight champion will meet Jake Paul in in Texas in November
- Tyson suffered a medical scare in May which derailed the initial showdown
- The 58-year-old has previously opened up on his prolific substance years
Mike Tyson has called himself a ‘junkie’ and claimed that he was born an addict just two months ahead of his controversial fight with Jake Paul.
The former heavyweight champion was set to face the Youtuber-turned-boxer earlier this summer before an inflamed ulcer forced the showdown to be rescheduled for November 15.
The bout has been criticised in many quarters for pitting the 58-year-old against his countryman, 31 years his junior. Tyson has not fought professionally since his 2005 loss against Kevin McBride, though he did contest an exhibition against fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Jr in 2020.
With only eight weeks until the showdown he has opened up further on his substance use as he prepares for the clash at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
‘I smoked weed all my life. Listen, I was born an addict. I was born that way. I’m a junkie. So, that’s just how I was born.’ He said on the Come And Talk 2 Me podcast.
‘I don’t know what to do. I don’t get high now, but that’s who I am. I switch my addiction to something else, but I’m a junkie.’
He added: ‘I was smoking not too long ago. I’m cool now, probably two weeks or so without smoking. I did a little mushrooms before I came here though.’
Tyson has given marijuana up while training to fight Paul because it is on the list of banned substances used by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
According to a report from World Boxing News earlier this month, the fight’s regulators will not assess Tyson until the day before the fight. Therefore, there is a high risk that the bout could be cancelled just 24 hours before Iron Mike is set to step back into the ring.
The result of the assessment could see the fight be downgraded from a professional one to an exhibition or even cancelled.
However, Tyson is confident the bout will go ahead as planned and insists he is ready to dismantle Paul despite suffering a medical emergency during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles earlier this year.
Tyson became nauseous and dizzy, forcing flight staff to ask passengers if there was a doctor on board to provide assistance.
Paramedics boarded the plane, which had already been delayed by two hours in Miami because of the heat, once it touched down in Los Angeles to give treatment.
When asked if he would beat Paul, he replied: ‘Very badly.
‘On my fight with Roy Jones, I allowed him to fight on the card. I decided I started him and I’m gonna finish him.’
