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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Adam Hamdani

Mike Tyson opens up on his past of paying for orgies and throwing raucous parties: 'I was so sick'

Mike Tyson has revealed that he regularly held raucous parties and paid for orgies during his time as one of the best boxers in the world, admitting that his past behaviour was “sick”.

Tyson, 53, is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of boxing.

He became the first heavyweight to hold the WBA, WBC and IBF belts and later became the lineal champion.

However, he has a controversial past and in 1992, he was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison. He was eventually released on parole after serving three years.

And, speaking on his popular Hotboxin’ podcast, Tyson has revealed how his life began to spiral out of control while he was still at the peak of his professional boxing career.

Mike Tyson posing with two police officers, in 1989 (Rex Features)

“Giving people money like f*** everybody, party with everybody and f*** their mothers, their sisters and their cousins... orgies. I was crazy,” Tyson said.

“I was so sick and I had no idea I was so sick.

“I bought a lot of cars for girls too.”

Tyson has been in a reflective mood recently and last week concerned his fans by admitting that he is “looking forward” to his own death.

“From my experience, from what I believe, the more I know about not existing, the more willing I am to die,” he told The Sportsman.

“Yeah [I look forward to it], I don’t fear it. Living might be more complicated than dying to me... because living takes a lot of courage.

“Without the courage, you can’t handle living. Living is a journey; living is a struggle. People have everything and they still can’t do it, they struggle.

“We take ourselves too seriously; we think we’re somebody. Who the f***, we’re nothing! We come from s***; we think we’re special [but] fame is s***.

“You find out you’re not [special]. You’re capable of going to jail, you’re capable of dying, you’re capable of being mistreated.

“I don’t really expect bad things to happen to me, but when they do happen to me, I understand it and I’m able to handle it. I’ve handled bad stuff before, that’s been my life. I don’t trip over bad things, I know s*** happens. When bad things happen, I will be still striving to do something. I won’t be discouraged.”

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