Mike Tyson: From Street Fights to World Champion | E168

Summary

Podcast Summary: In Search Of Excellence Episode: Mike Tyson: From Street Fights to World Champion | E168
Release Date: July 22, 2025
Host: Randall Kaplan
Guest: Mike Tyson

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Introduction

In episode E168 of "In Search Of Excellence," host Randall Kaplan sits down with Mike Tyson, the legendary heavyweight boxing champion. Tyson shares an unfiltered narrative of his tumultuous rise from a challenging childhood in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood to becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history. The conversation delves deep into his early struggles, the influences that shaped his resilience, his meteoric career, and the personal battles he faced outside the ring.

Early Life and Childhood

Mike Tyson opens up about his formative years, marked by instability and hardship. Growing up in a neighborhood rife with crime and drugs, Tyson describes his parents' struggles, including his father's involvement in the sex industry and his mother's battle with addiction. Reflecting on his childhood, Tyson states:

"I had a really a middle class life when I was five years old... I remember us living in the brownstone, and we had a decent life until my mother made a bad business decision with a man and lost all of her money" ([02:25]).

This financial downturn forced the family to relocate to Brownsville, significantly increasing the struggles Tyson faced.

Experiences with Bullying

Tyson's early experiences with bullying profoundly impacted his psyche and future path. As a child, he was frequently targeted for his physical appearance—standing out with glasses, a lisp, and acne. Tyson recounts:

"When I was bullied, I said, I don't want to be bullied anymore and I'm going to make it in life. It helped motivate me to be successful in life" ([04:02]).

However, initially, he attempted to avoid confrontations, believing that ignoring bullies would make the problem go away. This changed as he realized that confrontation was inevitable.

Turning Point: From Bully to Fighter

By age 13, Tyson had transitioned from being a victim to becoming a bully himself, a common cycle among those who experience prolonged victimization. He explains:

"By the time I was 13, I'm never bullied again. Everybody's tough guys became my buddies, and we all robbed together" ([05:28]).

This lifestyle was the norm in his environment, where involvement in petty crimes and robbery was a means of survival and gaining respect. Tyson details his first encounters with crime, including pickpocketing and frequent arrests—having been detained over 37 times by age 13 ([15:26]).

Discovery of Boxing and Mentorship

A pivotal moment in Tyson's life occurred during his time in the Spoffit Juvenile Facility in the Bronx. Inspired by a screening of the Muhammad Ali biopic, Tyson expressed a desire to emulate Ali’s greatness. This aspiration was realized when he met Bobby Stewart, a local boxing trainer, who recognized Tyson's potential. Stewart's rigorous training pushed Tyson to his limits, eventually leading to Tyson breaking Stewart’s nose—a testament to his growing prowess and determination ([21:16]).

Tyson further explains the significance of this mentorship:

"He taught me how to fight. He kicked the crap out of me most of the times... He gave me this big ego, ego now. I wanted to be the next heavyweight champ for him" ([22:05]).

Stewart’s belief in Tyson instilled a relentless drive to excel, transforming him from a troubled youth into a disciplined athlete.

Rise to World Champion

Tyson's dedication culminated in a successful amateur career, marked by multiple Junior Olympic titles. By 16, he was already a national champion, demonstrating his exceptional talent and work ethic. Tyson describes his training regimen:

"Every day, five hours a day... shadow boxing. It's pain. Basically. You work out most of the day" ([24:48]).

His commitment paid off when he turned professional, quickly ascending the ranks with a series of knockout victories. At 20 years old, Tyson shattered records by becoming the youngest heavyweight champion ever, simultaneously holding the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles. His aggressive fighting style and formidable presence made him a dominant force in boxing.

Struggles with Fame and Finances

Despite his success in the ring, Tyson faced significant personal challenges. His meteoric rise brought immense wealth and fame, but managing this newfound fortune proved difficult. He reflects on his financial downfall:

"I got in that condition by being really careless and reckless... I thought I was never going to live that long, so I just lived the life of a royalty" ([36:15]).

Tyson admits to a lack of financial literacy and surrounded himself with people who took advantage of his generosity. This led to multiple instances of bankruptcy, despite having amassed substantial earnings during his boxing career.

Personal Battles and Lessons Learned

Tyson candidly discusses the emotional and psychological toll of his lifestyle choices. He highlights the absence of a stable support system and the internal conflicts that arose from his actions:

"I have no self-love for myself. I feel like... I didn't believe I deserved everything I had" ([37:45]).

Through his experiences, Tyson emphasizes the importance of struggle and resilience:

"Without any struggle, there's no progress. We have to struggle. We have to be involved with the outcome, what happens in life" ([28:00]).

He underscores that life's challenges are integral to personal growth and that overcoming obstacles is essential for achieving true excellence.

Redemption and Philanthropy

In the latter part of the conversation, Tyson touches upon his journey toward redemption. After his release from prison, he focused on rebuilding his life through sports, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy. He founded Tyson 2.0 and established the Mike Tyson Cares foundation, supporting various charities, including the Make a Wish Foundation and the Special Olympics. Tyson acknowledges the support system that has helped him transform his life:

"I'm just very fortunate, I was very fortunate and very grateful for the way my life turned out" ([38:09]).

Conclusion

Mike Tyson's story, as shared in this episode of "In Search Of Excellence," is a testament to the power of perseverance and the ability to overcome adversity. From a bullied child in a high-crime neighborhood to a world champion and philanthropist, Tyson’s journey underscores that success is not merely defined by accomplishments but by the resilience and growth experienced along the way. His candid reflections offer invaluable insights into the complexities of fame, the importance of mentorship, and the enduring impact of personal struggles on the path to excellence.

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Notable Quotes:

• Mike Tyson ([00:00]): "Success comes in many forms. Success is not drinking, not cheating on your wife. Success has so many different perspectives."

• Mike Tyson ([04:02]): "I used to do that. I thought that I'm going to try to avoid these guys all my life. I. They don't go anywhere. You can't escape these guys unless you confront them."

• Mike Tyson ([15:50]): "I've been rich and broke more than anybody I know. And so I'm just grateful that I have a great support system now."

• Mike Tyson ([28:00]): "Life is not about just having a good time all day, not about sunny days. It's about enjoying those sunny moments and dealing with the world as it is, on life terms."

• Mike Tyson ([36:15]): "I'm really extreme person. You can learn hard work, diligence and all that stuff. But there's no, that's a blueprint for success. There's no blueprint for managing money."

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of Mike Tyson's interview on "In Search Of Excellence," providing listeners with a deep understanding of his life's journey, challenges, and the lessons he imparted during the conversation.

Transcript

[Mike Tyson]

Whoever believes a lot of fame and money is going to make them happy, they never had any fame or money. Whenever you prepare to be the best in the world or anything, you have to be prepared for disappointment because you're going to be disappointed. You're going to be discouraged. You have to prepare. That's going to happen and not to give up. Never give up. Fight to your last breath. Never, never, never give up. Success comes in many forms. Success is not drinking, not cheating on your wife. Success has so many different perspectives.

[Host]

What's your advice to all the successful people out there who don't spend enough time with their kids?

[Mike Tyson]

Whatever you do with your kid is going to pay off. If you spend a lot of time with dividends, that good stuff is going to happen to you. You know, it's just about what you want to put that time in and what you want to get out of from that time. You don't have to win all your fights, but you got to fight them all. That's what I like. You don't have to win them all, but you do have to fight them all. Listen, this is what I learned from Rodney. Without no test, there's no testimony. You can't talk about your life. You never lived it.

[Host]

My guest today is Mike Tyson. Mike is the former heavyweight boxing champion of the world, one of the greatest boxers of all time, and one of the most recognized sports personalities in the world. When he was 20 years old, 4 months and 22 days old, he became the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title and he was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles. He finished his professional career with a 56 record with a knockout to win percentage of 88% and is a member of the International Boxing hall of Fame. In addition to his incredible boxing career, Mike has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows and is the creator and actor of the one man hit Broadway show the Undisputed Truth and is the author of a best selling book of the same name. Mike is also a successful entrepreneur. He's the founder of two companies including Tyson 2.0. And he is a dedicated philanthropist through his Mike Tyson Cares foundation and his support of other charities including the Make a Wish foundation and the Special Olympics. Mike, it's an incredible pleasure to have you on my show. Welcome to In Search of Excellence.

[Mike Tyson]

Pleasure to be here, my friend.

[Host]

I always start my podcast with family because our family helps shape our personality, our values and the preparation for our future. You had a crazy life.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah, could be crazy. Yeah.

[Host]

So you had a crazy childhood growing up. Your dad was a pimp.

[Mike Tyson]

Yes.

[Host]

And your mother was a drug addict and help with him in the sex industry. And when you were one year old, your parents use alcohol and drugs sometimes to put you to sleep.

[Mike Tyson]

Absolutely. So marijuana.

[Host]

Marijuana at 1 years old. So take us through the first five years of your life. I think a lot of us remember what we were like in kindergarten. We're going to get into your later childhood right after that. But through five years old, did you realize what kind of life you were living?

[Mike Tyson]

I had a really a middle class life when I was five years old. You know, my life comes across like I started in the pits of Brownsville, but that maybe I let people want to believe that, but that's really not. That's not what happened. I remember us living in the brownstone and we had. His name was Arthur. He was a landlord. He lived there. Jewish, older man. And I had a really decent life until I. I guess my mother, she made a bad business decision with a man and lost all of her money and stuff. And then I think that's when we moved to Brownsville. And then life became so much challenging then.

[Host]

It was a high crime neighborhood, big time.

[Mike Tyson]

High crime, high drugs, high everything. It's everything. It's just a city in Brooklyn even now. But you just don't want to be there if you don't know anyone.

[Host]

When you were younger, you were bullied big time.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah, big time.

[Host]

You had a lisp.

[Mike Tyson]

Yes.

[Host]

You had bad acne.

[Mike Tyson]

Yes.

[Host]

You have a high pitched voice and you were chubby.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah.

[Host]

So tell us.

[Mike Tyson]

And I wore glasses.

[Host]

And you wore glasses.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah.

[Host]

So an unattractive kid. And that's the kind of kid that people bully. So how did being bullied influence your future? What were you thinking at the time? A lot of bullies. And this happened to me when I was bullied. I said, I don't want to be bullied anymore and I'm going to make it in life. It helped motivate me to be successful in life.

[Mike Tyson]

I used to do that. I thought that I'm going to try to avoid these guys all my life. I. They don't go anywhere. You can't escape these guys unless you confront them. And I learned at a young age you can't run from them. You got to confront them.

[Host]

How old were you when you were bullying for the first time?

[Mike Tyson]

As early I could meet as conscious. I mean, as far as intermingling with people and going. Seeing people at schools. Yeah, probably eight years old. I Started getting involved with school, going to school. They always picked on me in school, kicked the shit out of me.

[Host]

It's hard to believe that someone kicked the shit out of you.

[Mike Tyson]

No, listen. When I see these mean, bad, savage guys in the streets, I understand, I get it. I get something happen and returning to those people.

[Host]

And at that point, would you come home crying to your mom all the time? What would your mom tell you?

[Mike Tyson]

Don't worry, he's gonna stop. You don't have to fight him back now. You can do this. My mother just was nonviolent. She didn't believe in fighting and stuff. She believed in taking care, make sure the kids avoid with reality life. But it wasn't like that. You had to confront your demons, right?

[Host]

20% of kids in high school between the ages of 13 and 18 are bullied. It's a national pandemic.

[Mike Tyson]

By the time I'm 13, I'm never bullied again. Everybody's. All the tough guys are my buddies, they want to be my friends. And by the time I was 13, I knew all the gangst guys, everybody knew me. We all robbed together. And that's just how the life was, right? It was like a bizario world. Like all. All the bad was really good and all the good was really bad. The respectable people were bad and the criminal guys were good. And that's how it was in that world. If you weren't involved with crime, you weren't our friend. You're the enemy. And that's how it was.

[Narrator]

You're listening to part one of my incredible interview with Mike Tyson, the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. Be sure to check out part two next week. Now, without further ado, here's part one.

[Host]

Of my incredible interview with Mike. At some point, you're 10 years old.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah.

[Host]

And you love pigeons. You were an unhappy kid. Pigeon was the first thing that you loved in life.

[Mike Tyson]

100%. Listen, I. I've gotten involved with pigeons from being bullied. I'm walking, you know, in my school, you have lunch and you have breakfast. So I go and I eat breakfast and then I leave the school, walk around the school, kill time until lunchtime comes, which is probably 11 to 12 o'. Clock. So I go there, I eat lunch and then I wait to school, then I can go back home. One time I had eaten lunch and after that process, eating lunch, I was walking around the school as I normally does, and I saw three guys and then they started to sell me and say, hey, you have any money? No. And he said, if I Find any money, I'm going to kick you. You know what? And I let them check me. And he said, yo, you want to fly with us? And I had no idea what flying meant. And so he said. I said, yeah, I was scared. And so I climbed this fence and he said, give me those milk crates. I'm throwing them milk crates. I don't know why he wants these milk crates. This tough kind of street guy. We're taking these milk crates in this abandoned building. I'm getting really nervous. I don't know these guys, and they're trying to get me in this abandoned building. I said, get up there. And I was scared. I went up the stairs, second, third floor. And I climbed to the roof. And they went up first. And then I started passing in the crate. Then I went up there and I saw this little Koopa box with a little fence net. Fence. I saw birds. I was like, wow, these guys like birds? I thought these guys. Well, they were horrible, but I thought these guys like birds. These kind of guys like birds. And I was impressed with those kind of guys because nobody messed with those guys. Their brothers were tough, and they always got respect in the street. And so I was there. I don't know. They go for. Go to store for me, give me some tea, give me some food, give me some cake, milk, this. The birds were. I didn't know at the time, but the birds they had. Was really out of condition. So they fly for like 10 minutes in Atlanta. Somebody go over there short and scare the birds on the roof. I'm gonna fly the birds. They come on the roof, you scare them off. And so that's the stuff I did for them. And so after they kept me captured and school was over, they let me go home. And I definitely, you know, that whole. That whole day, I was just thinking about these birds and these guys. And so the next day come. I don't. I go eat breakfast, and I go to the coop that they had me at. As soon as I come to the coop, they see me from the roof and they start throwing bricks at me, trying to steal our birds, Mother F. And this and that. And I said, no, I just came by to know if any of you guys need me to do anything. Go to the store for you or something. And from that day on, I was stuck with birds.

[Host]

But then you had a neighbor and a bully, and he did something really bad to the bird.

[Mike Tyson]

No, no. Once I started getting involved. This is a year now. A year has passed. Now I am robbing people for the money. To buy birds and bird feed. And I had my birds hidden in an abandoned building. That happened. My family happened to live in. And I showed somebody the birds that I bought with the money that I had stolen. And he went back and told those guys I had a bunch of birds. And they came. He set me up to get robbed by the birds. And so those guys came in the room and tried to snatch my birds. And my mother came up, hey, Austin, what y' all doing? And they ran. But one guy ran before he ran, he took a bird and put it under his shirt and took off. Ran between my mother. And I was chasing him. I don't know why I was chasing him. I knew. I don't know why. He started, hey, please give me my bird. And he stopped and said, oh, the words he said, I can't even tell you. He said to me. But he said, you want this bird? You're fat. Mama, Mama. And he took the bird. He hit me with the bird's body, then hit with the head. And one of the guys that used to bully me, too, he didn't. He always bullied me, too. But he said, you better fight him. He was mad. Even though that was his friend that did that. He was. He was. He felt a little bit of being assaulted by me. Ripping. They love birds, too. I took the. He took the bird, hit me with the body, hit me with the head. Called me fat and stupid and all that stuff. And I fought him.

[Host]

And there's blood. There's blood on your shirt because. Just splattered all over the place.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah. When he hit. He took the head. The blood is shooting and hit. I mean, and hit with the bird.

[Host]

It's traumatic even to see it, and then it pisses you off.

[Mike Tyson]

That's the first time I ever saw that. I never saw nobody snatch the bird head off of. Because that's my first time. And so my friend told me to fight him, and it was sloppy, but I started fighting him, and I. And I kind of dropped him. And when he fell on the floor, not necessarily in the face, but slipped, it looked like I hit him. And the guys that came in to rob my birthday all started applauding, clapping, laughing.

[Host]

The guy was bigger than you.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah, he's like. He was like 14, 13.

[Host]

And you were 10, probably.

[Mike Tyson]

10, 11. Yeah.

[Host]

And what was the feeling when you hit a guy for the first time?

[Mike Tyson]

I couldn't wait to go home and tell people that, you know, I had a fight. But they knew. They seen the fight. People started coming around, and everybody started Talking. Wow, man, you did this, you did that, man. You kicked such and such. And then I used to start watching my friends box, playing around. And that's when I wanted to be like that kind of tough guy. I know how to fight the kind of guy in the streets. Nobody messed with me. I could wear my jewelry, my fancy clothes, no one to take them from me.

[Host]

Did the bullying stop after that first fight? Because everyone knew?

[Mike Tyson]

Absolutely. But then the bullying started with me. I started bullying people. That was the norm.

[Host]

You became. You were bullied and then you became a bully.

[Mike Tyson]

That's what happened to bullied people. Hurt people, hurt people.

[Host]

And so at that point you started getting in more fights and beating people up.

[Mike Tyson]

Tons of fights, man. I must have had three fights a day.

[Host]

You would start them, huh? You would start the fight.

[Mike Tyson]

If I'm on the bus and I'm trying to pickpocket you and you, and I don't know, you have a friend with you on the bus or a. And the family member sees me, but you don't. And the family man just comes up and hits you. Boom, he's in your pocket. He explains to his partner, he's in your pocket. And so I'm fighting on the bus. I'm getting my butt kicked on the bus because they jumped me and they kicked me. I'm only like 12, 13, but I'm a big kid. I'm probably, I look like this at 13, and if I'm fighting both of them. And so I get off the bus, but I snatch his chain before I get off the bus, stuff like that. And we were just very notorious. So we would get on a bus or something and the conductor would say, the bus driver, hey, everyone. Some young people got on the bus and their jostled their pickpockets. Watch your pockets. And we get on the bus. He said that. So we get off the bus and it was just a struggle. Every day, sometimes I go out with three friends, four friends, early in the morning, start robbing and stealing. Some of them might get killed. We all don't come home together. That's just our life. For the really poor kids in New.

[Host]

York City, what was the first time you committed a crime? You said you were pickpocketing people and what made you do it?

[Mike Tyson]

Because that was the norm for everyone. I was hanging around these kids, they live in these low income houses, but they dress, you think these guys from prep school, they got the glasses, they got the cardigans, they got the diamond watches and they, they was up on all the fashion designs of the day. They wore clothes, Jordache and all that stuff. They just, that soon they were just into the dressing scene. And I wanted to be like that because one day I went hanging out with them because I'm flying the birds, I'm on the roof of them birds and you get, you get bird on you because you cleaning the bird coop. You get tar on you because you're trying to tar the cooper. No rain, snow would get involved and you look like a mess. You look, you know, shitting on your face. And they say, come on, we're going to the center of the jam. And I never, I was too young. I didn't understand you had to wash first, go home and wash and do all that stuff, then come out. I used to be stayed dirty funky all day because everybody liked them. When we was on the roof and we were looking dirty, people would come by all hugging me, hey, we're going out tonight. I didn't know you had to go home, change, get fly. And that's. I went to the center. I went to the center where they were jamming and they saw me and they all started laughing at me and I started crying. I didn't know. But I had to take showers and dress and get the feathers out my hair and all. I had no idea about that kind of lifestyle hygiene. And after that, that never happened again. I always went shopping, bought the best clothes and I was just so. What was that? I was so self conscious about my parents.

[Narrator]

I hope you're enjoying this video so far, but before we jump back in, I want to know if you've ever thought about what you need to do to reach the next level of success in your life. Over the last 25 years, I've been an advisor to more than 50 companies. I've invested nearly 100, including Google, lift and Seagate. And I also co founded a company that today is worth more than $15 billion. I've been incredibly blessed in my journey and at this stage in my life. I want to give back. I want to share the lessons I've learned so you can reach incredible success way faster than I did in my own journey. I've learned that having the right mentor is a massive advantage to achieving our goals. I'm hugely passionate about mentoring others. I'm looking for a few hungry entrepreneurs who are excited to take action on their journey to incredible future success. So if that's you, I've got an opportunity. In the description of this video, there's a link where you can apply to work with me, all you need to do is answer a few simple questions. And if you're a good fit, my team will reach out so we can build a game plan together. All right, now let's get back to the video.

[Host]

So how old were you the first time you, you robbed somebody and then did the, did the crime scene?

[Mike Tyson]

Probably 11. 11, yeah, but I got away. I got arrested a lot, but I got away a lot too. A lot of people say the kid let him go, right?

[Host]

So by the time you're 13 years old, you were arrested 37 times, probably more.

[Mike Tyson]

I just put 37 out there when I was looking, probably more. So I would get arrested a lot, but they would let me go. The cops too.

[Host]

Why, why would they let you go?

[Mike Tyson]

Well, I was a kid, you know what I mean? First they thought I was a tough guy because I was big, and then they saw my age, I'm playing 12, and they would let me go. It's not like it is now. Then you can get 10 year old cops gonna lock you up, might kill you, and it's a whole different story.

[Host]

But.

[Mike Tyson]

And they, and sometimes they bring me to my mother. My mother would just assault me right in front of them. And they would just laugh. The cops just laugh. Watching my mother kick my butt.

[Host]

I mean, I was wondering about your mom. What would she say when you came home with the jewelry that she knows you didn't earn or pay for?

[Mike Tyson]

She wanted some too. And I would come with their money. I was getting money because I would steal money from her friends too, in the house. I used to really, I don't know, encourageable young kid, had no respect for anybody. I was stealing anybody's money. Nobody's, nobody's paying, meant it anything to me because that's what I'm. I've learned in the streets. Everybody else means nothing if it doesn't have anything to do with your survival.

[Host]

So most parents, when they come home, they know their kid, their kids, a crime, they're.

[Mike Tyson]

I say, we say we cut off welfare. We have no way of getting any kind of money.

[Host]

Right.

[Mike Tyson]

You know, I mean, if you sell your bodies and. But maybe you get too old to do that too. So you could, you have no money, you're not on welfare because you got men in your house. And everybody watch these men come in and out of your house. And Your son, he's 12 years old, but he comes home with $5,000 or 1500 bucks, something like that, and you're not going to take any money. When he said, hey ma, look at this. Or something like this. And when my mother took some of the money and I would come back later and say, hey, mom, you owe me what, 500 bucks, 200 bucks or whatever like that, said, yeah, you owe me your life. You're not going to get nothing back. And I understood that back then, you know, didn't. That's just the way it is. I never understood family. I used to. Everybody was just criminals. That's the world I come from. Everybody is trying to hustle.

[Host]

No one had a nice family that you said, one day I want to be like that or emulate. I wish I had what they had.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah, but they have. They haven't received everything they had from crime. So how was it going to get that? By the only means I'm known. By watching the people that have what I want, receive that. Does that make sense?

[Host]

Yes.

[Mike Tyson]

And so that's what I wanted to do. How they get in. Because people, when they knew they were criminal, but people used to always love them, hug them. The bigger criminal you were, the more respect that you were. And that's what we wanted to in the neighborhood, respect. And if you weren't wearing these fancy clothes and fancy shoes and driving your moped or your motorbike or your car even, you're not going to give any respect.

[Host]

So what were your goals at that point? Was it to become a professional criminal and just be a.

[Mike Tyson]

That's all I wanted to do is Robinsteel.

[Host]

That was it. And did you ever think that at some point it's going to come to an end and you may spend your life in prison or you didn't care?

[Mike Tyson]

Well, that's what my friends were doing. We were all doing it. That's what we were doing. Spending all my life. I had friends just recently come out of jail. 40 years, 38 years they've been locked up. When they were locked up with me when I was 12, 13 years old, they were locked up with me. But they stayed on the path of crime and I went on the path of sports and redeeming myself in that perspective.

[Host]

So you were sent to a juvie home when you're 13?

[Mike Tyson]

No, no. This is when it gets interesting. I'm in the holding facility in the Bronx called Spoffit Juvenile Facility. And so one day we come to the auditorium. Alternative, bigger than us. But we come here and they turn the lights on. They played the movie, the Greatest. The Story of Muhammad Ali movie was over. They turned off the lights and Muhammad Ali comes in. Everybody goes berserk. I say, Right off the bat, I say I want to be like him in my mind subconsciously. So a month or so go by, I get transferred to try on school for Boys. And so I get transferred there and I get in trouble. And I don't know, probably a month or two months while I'm there, I get in trouble, fights. I don't know, I don't want to say stabbing, but just fights. And so I went from that dorm, which was a nice dorm, and then I go to Blairwood, I guess Elmwood. I go to Elmwood College. Elmwood College is from. For the guys that have to be escorted all the time. They're really violent and they may be there for murder, juveniles. And so they call it the lockup cottage. Because when you leave the cottage, you always have to have your handcuffs. It wasn't like the other ones. You can go free, go walk around. We always had to have supervision and handcuffs, you know. And so I went there and I met this gentleman named Bobby Stewart. So I was saying, wow, I hear Bobby Stewart with a boxer. Everybody talks about him. And then he came to my door and knocked on the door. I heard, you want to see me? What do you want? How do you know who I am? And he was just a rough guy, you know, I'm like, why? I thought he was going to be nice because I wanted the kids. But he wasn't nice. He wasn't nice as I want to be a fighter. He said, everybody wants to be a fighter. Show me you want to be a fighter and show some respect to people. Because I wasn't that kind of. I was disrespectful to everyone. I went to school and I took my reading level for like a fourth grade reading level to like a seventh grade reading level within a couple of months or so. And so he thought that was great. And I got. So I went on this stage from school graduation or whatever it was, and I received this diploma and certificates and all that stuff. And he was impressed with that. And it wasn't like he was a big jump, but to come from fourth to seventh in a couple months, he thought that was great. And so he started training me and he taught me how to fight. He kicked the crap out of me most of the times.

[Host]

Then you broke his nose?

[Mike Tyson]

Yes, I did that.

[Host]

How long was it before he kicked the shit out of you? Before you broke his nose?

[Mike Tyson]

Well, it was quick though. Yeah, it was quick. I learned quick. He taught me well. And then he said, my wife don't want me to box you. No More because I have to know. But I'm gonna take you somewhere where these guys will take you to the next level.

[Host]

Right.

[Mike Tyson]

And that's when I met my mentor. Customato. I was. I was 13.

[Host]

Right. And he became your mentor and like a father figure to you.

[Mike Tyson]

He adopted me when I was 16.

[Host]

Right. When your mom passed away. So tell us about your relationship with him and his wife Camille and how.

[Mike Tyson]

Common law wife. Yeah, they weren't married.

[Host]

And what lessons they imparted on you back then that you still carry forward today.

[Mike Tyson]

Wow, that's really interesting. When I go through my life and there's certain conduct that I'm involved with and it always reminds me of Cusp. Always when it comes to standing up for myself. Well, I'm the kind of guy. Listen, just for meeting Cus, I'm the kind of guy that fights better with my backs against the wall. But I don't like to be my back against the wide with my back against the wall. I'm just insane. And that's what it's about with custom models, about never giving up. We just don't give up.

[Host]

That was the main lesson he taught you?

[Mike Tyson]

Oh, absolutely.

[Host]

So you had an unusual relationship with him. He was your father, became your father. And was probably the first time I.

[Mike Tyson]

Understood the concept of love.

[Host]

I was just gonna say, was that the first person who loved you for the first time? How good did that feel coming from the kind of home you came from to living and having a dad?

[Mike Tyson]

That's very interesting too, because once I felt that feeling, I wanted to do anything I could for him. He wanted me to be a heavyweight champ. I wanted to do that for him. For him.

[Host]

Not for yourself?

[Mike Tyson]

No, that too, but for me. Getting the courage and the confidence from this guy, you know, to be able to do what I did. Yeah, I wanted to do it for him.

[Host]

How old were you when he said, hey, Mike, you've got some special skills?

[Mike Tyson]

First day he met me, just like that.

[Host]

Yeah, but Bobby told him already, hey, you're. This guy's got some skills.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah, but the first thing he saw me box, Bobby kicked the shit out of me.

[Host]

Yeah, but then you broke his nose.

[Mike Tyson]

No, that's after. That's before. That's way before.

[Host]

Okay.

[Mike Tyson]

He kicked the shit out of me because I saw something. He said, this is gonna be the next heavyweight champ in the world. First day he saw me box, just like that. He said I was very aggressive, very. I came across very malevolent, mean, you know, I was just. Yeah, he enjoyed that. He Liked aggressive, violent, hungry guys that won't give up. Real mean.

[Host]

Had you ever aspired to be the champion before?

[Mike Tyson]

Cussing criminal? All my life. That's all I knew was crying.

[Host]

But now you had a love for boxing, you were good at it. But at some point you say, hey, I'm going to be a good boxer, make a little money. Or at some point you say, I.

[Mike Tyson]

Want to be the best guy, the greatest fighter since the beginning of eternity to now. I want this. And cuz made me believe I was God.

[Host]

When you were 16?

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah, when I was 16, I was already what? World amateur champ, national champion. I was already established fighter in the world.

[Host]

You were knocking everybody out.

[Mike Tyson]

Yes, I would have to lie. But my age, of course, the fight in the Real Good tournament, the real good fighters.

[Host]

Because you had to be 18.

[Mike Tyson]

No, I had to. I had to be 16. 16 or 18. I think 6. No, I think it's 16 to be open fighter. 16.

[Host]

At this point you're not making any money, you're an amateur. And how often are you in the gym? Every day at 16 years old.

[Mike Tyson]

Every day, five hours a day, listen, three hours, probably two hours. But then I'm working early in the morning, I'm getting up running, I'm doing my exercise. I'm shadow boxing. It's pain. Basically. You work out most of the day. Most of the day consists of you working out.

[Host]

Were you in school at all?

[Mike Tyson]

Yes, I was. This is really cool too, that you brought that up. And I was never interested in what they had to teach me in school. Only thought about being a champ of the world all day in school, daydreaming, how I'm gonna defend my title and do this and I'm gonna have a beautiful house. And that's what I normally thought about. I wasn't really interested in what they were teaching me in school. So I used to always try to get kicked out of school school. So one day I had a teacher that I had a physical altercation with and I was.

[Host]

A physical altercation.

[Mike Tyson]

So I was saying, hey, this is good.

[Host]

Do you. You beat up a teacher?

[Mike Tyson]

Kind of. I stay away from that. I was 16, but I said, well, good, I don't have to go to that school no more. So my, my mental custody. Amanda, he's Italian, the school principal, Lee Burnett Burdock, he's Italian. Next thing you know, these guys get up there, start talking this Italian stuff. We, this is where I know I was in trouble. When Cus said, where your family from? And the guy said something Cus said, whoa, really? I'm from. And next thing you know, I'm back in school again. I didn't want to be in school. I wanted to get kicked out of school. And so these Italian guys are talking and I knew I wasn't going to come back in school. I had to fight with the teacher. How could I do that? And next thing I know, I'm back in class, I'm back in the home that I couldn't get kicked out.

[Host]

But was cus telling you, hey, Mike, you need an education big time. And you're not boxing if you're not. If you're not studying big time. But you're saying to Gus, hey, man, I just don't want any part of it.

[Mike Tyson]

I say, I don't know how to do this. How do you. How you put this number? You put a. It's just no way I'm gonna do this because it's not gonna work. Let's just go fight. Please, Please. But he was very disappointed I didn't finish school.

[Host]

He was disappointed or you're disappointed?

[Mike Tyson]

He was disappointed. I was happy I didn't finish. I was really ecstatic. I think I went out with some friends that ate Big Macs and Dairy Queens after that.

[Host]

What about now? Do you regret not going and not graduating?

[Mike Tyson]

Well, listen, the best thing that happened to me is that I stopped school. I had time to put 100% into my craft for my kids can go to schools I never went to in my life and never would be able to go to. And that's pretty much what happened. My kids, listen, oh, you gotta hear this. My kids are so brilliant, but they bust my chops a lot. We might be around having a talk, and I might talk like I'm a big shot and my son might say, say that again, dad. He's 12 years old, Dad. I never knew you were illiterate. You can't even say these words, spell this word. Then they start busting my chops. I say, hey, the reason why I'm not. I didn't go to school because I worked so hard for your guys to go to school for the way they tease you like you guys tease me. But they don't understand the concept because they always been. I don't want to say spoiled, but they always been in that position of where they never would wanted anything pretty much if probably from being selfish, but other than it's really needing something to exist. No, they don't have to live like that. They can do whatever they want from a living perspective. But they just have to know that life is about struggle. Without any struggle, there's no process. You know what I mean? You get no progress, no progress. Without any, without no struggle. And that's what I believe, because they did, oh, they did a research study with some rats and they took these rats and they put them in an environment probably bigger than this, but they have all the food they want, they have all the sex they want. They have everything they want. The next thing, the first thing that happened, they start breaking up in groups. And then they have the groups of the ones that just want to stay beautiful, clean themselves all day. Then they have these guys over here that are aggressive, aggressive. They want to attack them, beat them up, rape, just do bad things. And then they have these groups over here that don't associate with the other. And so eventually know what happened. They, they stop having sex, they start fighting, it becomes chaotic, and then they all die off. And so that, that explained to me, without any struggle, there's no progress. Because people, we have to be active. You know, they weren't active. They did nothing, they didn't win. They died away. So we have to struggle. We have to be involved with the outcome, what happens in life. And we have to struggle. And that's just what life is about. Life is not about just having a good time all day, not about sunny days. It's about. About enjoying those sunny moments and deal with the world as it is, on life, on life terms.

[Host]

I hope you're enjoying this video so.

[Narrator]

Far, but before we jump back in, I want to know if you've ever thought about what you need to do to reach the next level of success in your life. Over the last 25 years, I've been an advisor to more than 50 companies. I've invested nearly 100, including Google, lift and Seagate. And I also co founded a company that today is worth more than $15 billion. I've been incredibly blessed in my journey and at this stage in my life. I want to give back. I want to share the lessons I've learned so you can reach incredible success way faster than I did in my own journey. I've learned that having the right mentor is a massive advantage to achieving our goals. I'm hugely passionate about mentoring others. I'm looking for a few hungry entrepreneurs who are excited to take action on their journey to incredible future success. So if that's you, I've got an opportunity. In the description of this video, there's a link where you can apply to work with me. All you need to do is answer a few supporters questions and if you're a good fit, my team will reach out so we can build a game plan together. All right, now let's get back to the video.

[Host]

Let's go back to your first professional fight.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah, Hector, Mercedes.

[Host]

Who was it with Hector?

[Mike Tyson]

Mercedes.

[Host]

Hector, Mercedes. And how old was Hector?

[Mike Tyson]

I don't know, he wasn't much older than me, I was 18. But he couldn't have been much older. Probably 20, 21.

[Host]

So take us to the exact moment where you're in the locker room. You got your shorts on, Cus is there. Are you afraid you're going to lose or do you say I'm going to destroy this?

[Mike Tyson]

I'm never afraid I'm going to lose. What's worse than losing to me is looking bad. You could, you can look good losing which it's looking bad, losing, it's not good. I don't want to look bad losing. So that's what I thought about the story. I might look sloppy, might look bad. Even though I looked at him, he looked a short, you know, fatty guy, in my mind he was a monster. So I beat him in one round and I had a bunch of one round knockouts in my first fight. I went to distance with, I think was James, what was his name? James Tillis. Cowboy Tillis. I went ten rounds. Cowboy, yeah, black guy, Cowboy. Cowboy Tillis.

[Host]

Did he come out and cut my boots as he's walking down? He had the hat too.

[Mike Tyson]

He had the hat. That was my first 10 rounds and after I went 10 rounds I knew I could go 10 rounds and so I went on another streak of knockout. I won the title at 20 years old. I'm the youngest heavyweight champ ever. I made around 10 defenses. I lost my title in 1990 and I started to come back. I had four fights in 1991. I got in trouble legally and then after I got in my trouble legally on my sex case, I went to prison for three years.

[Host]

Right before we go there, I, I want to go back to your dream. Your dream was to become the heavyweight champion.

[Mike Tyson]

Absolutely. That's what I thought of.

[Host]

Did the dream consume you on a daily basis? Consumed me 24 hours a day.

[Mike Tyson]

Turned me totally out. Oh, I'm talking about turntable. That's all I thought about was fighters. That's all I thought about was fighting matches. Go in the room, start putting match, you know, fights of old fighters together.

[Host]

Watching, couldn't wait for the next one till you got your shot.

[Mike Tyson]

I listen, I had 15 fights in one year of course, I couldn't wait.

[Host]

And you had never been hurt before?

[Mike Tyson]

Well, no, not in the boxing.

[Host]

And so take us to the actual locker room. You know, I've talked to friends who play in the super bowl, and, you know, they got the nerves. Or out there on the field. You're not out there on the field warming up. You're in a room and you're warming.

[Mike Tyson]

Up in the back.

[Host]

Yeah, warming up in the back. But what. What were you feeling the second you stepped into that ring and said, if I win this fight, this moment, whether it's 10 seconds later or going the full distance, what were you thinking? And then what was your exact reaction when you raised your hands afterward and you had won?

[Mike Tyson]

Well, the first thing I'm thinking is that, of course I'm really nervous. And I say, you know, you know, this is my moment. This is my time. I'm not gonna. They're gonna have to carry me out. I'm gonna get that belt. That was my main object. I'm gonna get this belt, and I'm gonna get it any. At any cost. I'm a. Ooh, I'm a visitor. I'm gonna tear his soul apart. That's what goes on in my mind. I have to think really. I have to think really violent stuff when I fight. I'm relaxed by. I think violently.

[Host]

Thinking back to your childhood.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah.

[Host]

Thinking back to those. Those crazy moments.

[Mike Tyson]

Pickle me again. That had a lot to my fighting career.

[Host]

Right. So. So you became the youngest champ ever.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah.

[Host]

And then you were the first person to hold all three.

[Mike Tyson]

Yes.

[Host]

Title at the same time. Your mom never knew you as a successful person.

[Mike Tyson]

I had won the Junior Olympics twice. Right. And so it was in a local paper in Cascio, the town that I am from. At that moment. I take the paper home, newspaper. I show it to my mother. She's cooking me food, and I'm telling my mother, I'm gonna be champ of the World Watchman. No man could beat me. Wait till I get older. This and that and all this and that'll make millions of dollars. My body houses all over the country. And she's looking at me, and I know she's saying, what do these white people do with my son? Why is he talking so crazy and so grand? And she said this. Well, don't forget what happened to Joe Lewis, because she was born in 1927, so Joe Lewis was the hero.

[Host]

And I'm from Detroit, so we love Joe Lewis.

[Mike Tyson]

Absolutely.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Mike Tyson]

So she said, remember Joe Lewis, Max, Marlon, there's always Somebody better. And when she said that, I went to a Cus because he gave me this big ego, ego now. And I said, listen ma, the guy that you talking about right now, who's better than somebody, that's me. I'm always better than that guy. That's me. I'm the guy that. There's always somebody better, mom. And after that she looked at me and gave me. The paper has walked away. And I know she's my mother. She was just really never been with a guy to just brag and talk. I'm gonna be the greatest ever. Because you had to give yourself affirmation.

[Host]

And you never got it from her.

[Mike Tyson]

No. Cus taught me affirmations and.

[Host]

But when you.

[Mike Tyson]

My mother just taught me how to be a kind, respectable kid. Don't go out there and fight people. You would never believe my mother and the woman. No, I couldn't believe you knew my mother. She was a really nice lady. She was just alive and out there.

[Host]

But you regret that she didn't see you as the champ and all the tremendous.

[Mike Tyson]

100%. 100%.

[Host]

You talked about making millions of dollars. You were gonna buy her all this stuff.

[Mike Tyson]

Yeah.

[Host]

At one point you were the highest paid athlete in the world.

[Mike Tyson]

Yes.

[Host]

And you started making a million dollars and you're getting purses of 10, 20, $30 million. You're setting pay per view records all over the world for all your fights. At some point you've made $400 million, reportedly in the ring, which inflation adjusted is $700 million today. And in my world, in the corporate world, a lot of my friends talk about having a goal. Right. First you want to make a million dollars and as you get a little older, it's now 5 million. And if you live in expensive places like LA or New York, the 5 million isn't really. I mean a nice house cost more than 5 million New York or whatever. And then there's a concept it keeps going up. People talk about fuck you money and fuck you money is. I don't have to worry about money. I can do whatever I want. But you had made fuck you money, a lot of it, and then you lost it. So you went bankrupt. How did you go? And so many people I know, by the way, who are many millionaires sent to millionaires have gone bankrupt as well. How did that happen and what's the lessons that you took from that?

[Mike Tyson]

I got in that condition by being really careless and reckless. Not that I thought the money was never going to end. I thought I was never going to Live that long. And so I just lived the life of a rally, I guess, right. I did whatever I want, when I went with whoever I wanted, wherever I wanted to do it at. And that was just my life of access.

[Host]

But that's a lot of access. It's hard to spend that much money.

[Mike Tyson]

No, people steal a little from you. Here you give a little away. Here you do a little investment, you really small amount of it. And people, you can learn how to be successful, right? You can learn hard work, diligence and all that stuff. And you can become successful. But there's no, that's a blue, a blueprint for success. There's no blueprint for managing money, you know, I mean, no one tells you, hey, you gotta manage your money you're doing. Especially when you never did it before, right. You know, you just a street kid. And then listen, I used to read about these old guys, especially the old Jewish guys at the turn of the century and stuff. The majority of them like Florence, those guys.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Mike Tyson]

And when they were trying to explain to him about investing your money and doing your money in this and calls for you, he said, I'm not giving the banks my money. I'm not putting my money in the bank. And for some reason I said, hey, I don't blame him. Anybody could take your money. You have all your money in this bank and all. Next thing you know, hey, the bank crashed. And so I always think, hey, that's ridiculous. I'm going to have my money underneath my bed pretty much, you know, and that's just how I live my life. And it had a lot to do with my personality. I'm really extreme person.

[Host]

You didn't have. There wasn't someone near you who said. Who you trusted and said, hey Mike, I'm going to manage your money and kind of rain you in and say.

[Mike Tyson]

Once he said that he wasn't hanging around me no more.

[Host]

You just said, too bad, I'm doing what I want to do. Planes, trains, jewelry.

[Mike Tyson]

And I'm just, I gave a lot of that stuff away.

[Host]

You're known to be very generous guy. Were people taking advantage of you at the point?

[Mike Tyson]

Absolutely. But at that moment you become Stockholm syndrome. You, you have to be. That's. Listen, you always had this money. You have no self love for yourself. You feel like you. And I didn't believe I deserved everything I had. And so I never had it before. I never knew all these people. Everybody's my friend, everybody's kissing. I'll die for you. I love you. This and that. That's pretty distracting, you know. And then you say to yourself, I don't love me. How do they love me? And then you start questioning yourself. You start questioning your existence. You start questioning if anybody's my. If anybody's. If anybody loves me then who hates me? You know, I must be an enemy to myself if anybody's my friend. And I have no enemy. Only enemy has to be me. So I started looking at myself in a different perspective. And it wasn't good. I didn't have a good self esteem, so I didn't feel the money meant nothing. Money meant nothing to me. But this is what I found out in life. If I did it once before, I can do it again. And I did that. And then I lost my money again. But I did it again and I lost my money again. But I've been rich and broke more than anybody I know. And so I'm just grateful that I have a great support system now and I'm living my life different high yield accounts. And I'm just very fortunate it. I was very fortunate and very grateful for my. The way my life turned out.