Mike Tyson describes his experiences in prison

Former heavyweight champion of the world and one of the scariest boxers on the planet Mike Tyson opens up about his problems with prison guards during his time in jail in a candid interview.

Mike Tyson’s childhood wasn’t exactly rosy

Mike Tyson was a man who experienced life’s ups and downs to the fullest. Although he lived a life that most people on the globe dream of during the peak of his career, there were times when he experienced absolute lows.

Even at a young age, Mike lived a life that was far from luxurious. A boy from a single-parent family, growing up on the streets, he flew from one trouble to the next. By the age of 13, he had been arrested 38 times before he entered the world of boxing. “Fighting on the streets, mugging, stealing, that was my daily bread,” Mike Tyson recalled of his childhood on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay.

Cus D’Amato and boxing changed his life

A boy with an uninspiring family background didn’t know his own father. His stepfather was a street loafer and gambler, his mother an alcoholic. His future was not bright. At least until he met boxing trainer Cus D’Amato, who became his guardian after the death of both parents.

With his trainer, they reached boxing’s pinnacle and Tyson became the youngest heavyweight boxing champion of the world at the age of 20. Although he defended his title several times and became one of the best heavyweight boxers in history, the young man still faced his demons.

Tyson describes his problems in prison

But success took its toll. In 1990, he lost his title when he lost to Buster Douglas. Alcohol, drugs and a wild life full of money caught up with him and in 1991 he was sentenced to six years in prison for the rape of 18-year-old Desiree Washington.

In an interview with Shannon Sharpe, he described his unpleasant experiences in prison. Although he was in a cell with other inmates, because of his frightening reputation, fellow inmates stayed away. “I was more of a troublemaker,” he outlined his problems with the guards.

“I respect that they are in a position of authority, but even a person like that can give his orders with respect, and that often didn’t happen,” the former world champion recounted. “There is a difference between saying ‘you have to go now ‘ or ‘get out , pick up your p..el’,” he said, describing situations that often got him into trouble because of his explosive nature.

In 1995, he was released after serving less than three years of his sentence. He then resumed his boxing career and won the heavyweight title of the world again. He thus joined the ranks of legends such as Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali who managed to regain the title after losing it.

However, he was never the same fearsome boxer after returning from prison and in 2005, after a string of losses, he decided to retire from professional boxing. Although his career was plagued by many scandals, ‘Iron Mike’ was undoubtedly one of the most significant figures in boxing history and left a huge impact on the sport.

Source: YouTube channel Club Shay Shay, Wikipedia