Mike Tyson came out of retirement and fought Roy Jones Jr. in a highly acclaimed boxing match on Saturday night (Nov. 28). After 15 years away from the ring, the fight ended in a draw and social media declared him the winner, all accomplishments he made while being high. The Brooklyn boxer revealed he smoked marijuana before the battle during an interview following the historic event.
“Absolutely yes… Listen, I can’t stop smoking,” Tyson told reporters when asked if he indulged in weed before his match with Jones. “I smoked during fights. I just have to smoke, I’m sorry. I’m a smoker … I smoke everyday. I never stopped smoking. It’s just who I am.”
The boxer — who records his “HotBoxin” podcast in a studio full of smoke — continued, declaring his daily habit prevents him from being affected negatively. “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,” he said.
Since the fight, footage has surfaced on social media of the match’s most memorable moments and Snoop Dogg’s comedic commentary. In a hilarious clip of a post-fight press conference, Tyson interrupted a reporter who questioned whether Jones Jr. was fearful of getting hurt during the battle.
“I was afraid I might get hurt!” Tyson interjected. “I didn’t fight in 20 years, he only stopped fighting for three years… why’d nobody care about my ass?! I didn’t fight in 15 years, he stopped fighting three years ago – and everybody worried about his ass.” The reporter replied, “Nobody thinks a giant is going to fall,” to which Tyson retorted, “I haven’t done this in 15, 16 years! I’m not a giant – I’m a beginner.”
Tyson reportedly made as much as $10 million at the end of the showdown.