Mike Tyson may have returned to the ring for the first time since 2005, but that didn’t stop him from getting high right before making the walk.
Tyson fought Roy Jones Jr. to a draw in their eight-round exhibition boxing match headliner last night in a fight that exceeded expectations for many.
Tyson, in particular, was impressive as he didn’t tire to the level of Jones and showed impressive head movement and technical ability even at the age of 54. That was despite “Iron Mike” revealing he smoked marijuana right before the fight.
“Absolutely, yes,” he said in the post-fight press conference (via MMA Junkie).
In fact, Tyson smoked right after the fight as well before speaking to the media.
“Listen, I can’t stop smoking,” he added. “I smoked during fights. I just have to smoke. I’m sorry. I’m a smoker. … I smoke every day. I never stopped smoking.”
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to most, however.
Tyson has been smoking marijuana for years and notably owns a successful cannabis company named Tyson Ranch. Not to mention, his podcast “Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson” involves him chatting with guests in a studio full of smoke.
“It’s just who I am,” he said. “It has no effect on me from a negative standpoint. It’s just what I do and how I am and how I’m going to die. There’s no explanation. There’s no beginning. There’s no end.”
That said, marijuana doesn’t help him numb any pain he received at the hands of Jones.
“No, it just numbs me,” he added. “It doesn’t numb the pain.”
What do you think of Tyson smoking before fighting Jones?