Current:Home > ContactMike Tyson explains why he's given up sex and marijuana before Jake Paul bout on July 20 -TrueNorth Capital Hub
Mike Tyson explains why he's given up sex and marijuana before Jake Paul bout on July 20
View
Date:2025-04-17 01:48:04
Mike Tyson says he’s given up more than marijuana while preparing for his fight against Jake Paul.
The former heavyweight champion also said he’s given up sex.
"Two and a half weeks I haven’t smoked," Tyson said during an interview on The Damon Elliott Show. "And I haven’t had sex for 2½ weeks."
A video of the undated interview was posted on YouTube on Saturday.
In an videotaped interview with Forbes Life, Tyson said it'd been even longer – “probably for six weeks I haven’t gotten high or had sex."
Tyson, 57, told Forbes his giving up marijuana and sex is connected with discipline as he prepares to face Paul, 27, in a bout scheduled for July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
"I’m living my life disciplined now, so I’m going to have to fight disciplined now," he said.
Tyson, during a 2018 TV interview, said he’d abstained from sex for about five years, apparently because he believed it would make him a better boxer.
"I'm an idiot, you know," he told Graham Bensinger during the interview back then. "… I just went by what people told me."
Tyson’s publicist told USA TODAY Sports the boxer was giving up marijuana to comply with rules in the fight with Paul. Marijuana is on the list of banned substances enforced by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees combat sports in Texas.
Mike Tyson disrobes – from waist up
During his professional boxing career, Tyson was well known for wearing black trunks. More recently, he’s gaining attention for what he's not wearing.
In March, a week after his fight with Paul was announced, Tyson was shirtless and hurling a medicine ball against the ground in a video posted on his Instagram account. Earlier this month, photos of Tyson shirtless at a memorabilia show were posted on his Instagram account.
The caption on one of those photos read: "Yes I did go shirtless, to show you what you’re betting on."
The phenomenon continued during his interview on The Damon Elliott Show. This time Tyson blamed the lack of air conditioning as he took off his shirt – and took pride in his physique.
"It’s just an unbelievable situation at this particular moment," the boxer said with a smile. "Mike Tyson at 58 looks like an Adonis superstar."
Tyson will turn 58 on June 30.
Mike Tyson says friends, family a problem
The interview with Damon Elliott took an unexpected turn when Tyson was asked if preparing for the fight is nerve-wracking.
"No," Tyson replied, "I said, 'Wow, how many friends am I going to lose or family members are going to turn on me now?'"
Because they all want the freebies, Elliott asked.
"No, they get them anyway, but they’re still going to hate me anyway," Tyson said. "I’m going to give them everything and they’re still going to say, '(expletive) you. I hate you.'"
"I can handle my enemies," Tyson continued. "But, God, please protect me from my family and friends. I can handle my enemies. Enemies are no problem. I just got my family and my friends that are just kinda a small complication."
Tyson suggested the problem stemmed from his being in the spotlight.
"It’s always been shining on me," he said. "The darker I was, the more it shined."
veryGood! (5)
Related
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Locked out of town hall, 1st Black mayor of a small Alabama town returns to office
- Watch: Trail cam captures bear cubs wrestling, playing in California pond
- Taylor Swift's BFF Abigail Anderson Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Charles Berard
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Former Uvalde school police officer pleads not guilty to child endangerment in shooting
- Booties. Indoor dog parks. And following the vet’s orders. How to keep pets cool this summer
- Taylor Swift Reveals She's the Godmother of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' Kids
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Missouri judges have overturned 2 murder convictions in recent weeks. Why did the AG fight freedom?
Ranking
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- 'It's just a miracle': Man found alive after 14 days in the Kentucky wilderness
- Nebraska Legislature convenes for a special session to ease property taxes, but with no solid plan
- OpenAI tests ChatGPT-powered search engine that could compete with Google
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- Prosecutors urge judge not to toss out Trump’s hush money conviction, pushing back on immunity claim
- Crews search for missing worker after Phoenix, Arizona warehouse partial roof collapse
- Paula Radcliffe sorry for wishing convicted rapist 'best of luck' at Olympics
Recommendation
Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
She's a basketball star. She wears a hijab. So she's barred from France's Olympics team
USA vs. France takeaways: What Americans' loss in Paris Olympics opener taught us
USA Basketball players are not staying at Paris Olympic Village — and that's nothing new
Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
Biden signs bill strengthening oversight of crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons
Gaza war protesters hold a ‘die-in’ near the White House as Netanyahu meets with Biden, Harris
10 to watch: Why Olympian Jahmal Harvey gives USA Boxing hope to end gold-medal drought