At a press conference on Friday, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson spoke about his new career as a boxing promoter, but also revealed his current battles with substance abuse and having suicidal thoughts.
“I haven’t drank or took drugs in six days, and for me that’s a miracle. I’ve been lying to everybody else that think I was sober, but I’m not,” Tyson stated at Turning Stone Resort in New York.
Tyson also discussed his attempts to reconcile with his former trainer, Teddy Atlas, who currently works as an ESPN announcer. The two had a falling out in the early 1980s, when Atlas shot at then 15-year-old Tyson who was allegedly attacking a young girl. “I did a lot of bad things, and I want to be forgiven,” Tyson told reporters. “So in order for me to be forgiven, I hope they can forgive me. I wanna change my life, I wanna live a different life now. I wanna live my sober life. I don’t wanna die. I’m on the verge of dying, because I’m a vicious alcoholic.”
In his first interview since the press conference, Tyson spoke with Matt Lauer on the Today Show and talked more about his battle with staying sober. “When I start drinking and I relapse, I think of dying,” Tyson said. “I’m in a real dark mood, I think of dying. And I don’t know if I want to be around no more.”
He admitted he has been sober for 12 days, but it has been difficult for him. “It’s a real challenge because…I don’t know if I like this sober guy.” Tyson stated. “It’s hard for me to live normal. Straight is hard. Livin’ straight life is hard.”
Lauer asked Tyson about the 1991 incident where he allegedly raped Desiree Washington and received a three-year sentence in prison. “I’ve done nothing,” Tyson said. “I really didn’t do anything to her. I didn’t rape her, I didn’t beat her, I didn’t do anything to her. I’m not going to make amends.”
The former boxing star has many upcoming projects. He has a docu-series called Being: Mike Tyson launching on Fox Sports 1 and a television special called Undisputed Truth being aired on HBO. In addition, he’s currently writing a memoir.
