Mike Tyson Admits To Punching Fans When They Asked For His Autograph
Mike Tyson was an unstoppable fighter during the 1990s, however, apparently, it wasn’t only his opponents in the ring that he was striking in the face.
During an interview with Yahoo Finance, Tyson admitted to punching fans in the face if they asked him for his autograph during the height of his boxing career.
“My life was just miserable, I was out of control,” the 53-year-old told the outlet. “I was fighting with everybody. If someone asked me for an autograph, I’d punch them in the face. I was just a mess.”
During his turbulent career Tyson had numerous brushes with the law, including being charged with battery, sexual battery, misdemeanor assault, and assault with a deadly weapon. He also spent three years in prison after being found guilty on one count of rape and two counts of deviate sexual conduct in 1992.
Tyson says he’s been able to calm down thanks to smoking marijuana.
“After I retired, I started smoking,” Tyson said. “What a mistake that was — I should have smoked my whole career. I should have smoked when I was fighting because it put me in this different state of mind. I’m very relaxed and the more relaxed you are, the better fighter you are, at least in my case.”
Tyson also noted that he took psychedelics before his fight against Roy Jones Jr. in November.
“I think of it as an enhancer,” he said. “It makes me better, even in the ring. The punches don’t hurt as much, it has a lot to do with my comeback, the psychedelics.”