Mike Tyson is currently making headlines for his newly released docuseries TYSON. For the uninitiated, the four-part documentary TYSON premiered on Netflix on October 13, 2026. According to reports, the former professional boxer revisited his troubled past in Netflix’s four-part documentary. In a recent interview, Mike Tyson opened up about past struggles with drugs, alcoholism, and self-esteem.
Mike Tyson opens up about his troubled past
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Mike Tyson admitted that he lived a dark life. He grew up surrounded by poverty, drugs, and violence. While he became the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history and earned millions of dollars, his life also included drug addiction, allegations of domestic violence, and a rape conviction. He lost his four-year-old daughter, Exodus, in an accident in 2009. He said:
“I lived a dark life. I say dark things.”
In the same interview, the former world heavyweight champion proudly said it has been 10 years since he last took cocaine or drank alcohol. He has partly credited an experience involving a psychedelic substance derived from the secretion of the Sonoran Desert toad, commonly called toad venom.
Some people have become interested in using this substance because they believe it may help them to deal with mental health issues or addiction. He admitted to using the substance and described the experience as feeling like being reborn or meeting God. He said:
“Any time I have to make a big decision about anything, I take the toad. It has been probably over a year since I last did it. This is the longest time I went without. I used to do it every day for a while, but I think that I need to start again.”
One of the most uncomfortable parts of the docuseries TYSON was the rape case against the former professional boxer. For the unversed, in 1991, Tyson met 18-year-old student Desiree Washington at a Miss Black America pageant rehearsal in Indianapolis. Later, he was accused of raping her. However, Tyson denied the allegation. According to Tyson, the encounter was consensual.
Mike was convicted of rape and criminal deviate conduct and sentenced to six years in prison. He was released after serving three years. When TYSON’s director Floyd Russ asked Mike about the rape case, he became uncomfortable and said that he does not want to discuss that period of his life.
Further, in the interview, Tyson shared that he struggled with self-esteem during his childhood. He revealed that he was bullied in school for wearing dirty clothes and for not acting tough. He said:
“I’m totally a different person. It took so much violence in my life to make me the person that I am now. So when I see my old self, whoa, it takes me back.”
More about the docuseries TYSON
According to reports, the Netflix docuseries TYSON explores Mike Tyson’s journey from a troubled childhood to becoming one of the most famous heavyweight boxers in history. It also features the controversies and personal struggles he experienced, including his time in prison, financial problems, substance abuse, and incidents inside and outside the boxing ring. The documentary is rated TV-MA.
The docuseries also revisits the two infamous incidents involving Tyson and other boxers. For those unaware, during his 1997 rematch with Evander Holyfield, Tyson bit part of Holyfield’s ear. In another incident in 2002, Tyson appeared to bite the leg of opponent Lennox Lewis. Tyson admitted that he was a spoiled brat and took full responsibility for what he did.
However, to everyone’s surprise, when Tyson was asked whether he had regrets for the 1997 incident, he said ‘no.’ The former professional boxer explained that if he could erase that incident from his past, he might not have the life he has today. He accepted that even his worst decisions became part of his journey.
What are your thoughts on the Netflix docuseries TYSON? Let us know.
Pic credit: Mike Tyson/IG
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