In his return to boxing as a promoter, Mike Tyson made startling revelations about his ongoing battles with addiction during a press conference on Friday.
« 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 told reporters at Turning Stone Resort in New York, where he was promoting his first fight card with Iron Mike Productions. « This is my sixth day. I’m never gonna use again. »
The 47-year-old former heavyweight champion opened up about his continued struggles with substance abuse while discussing his encounter with Teddy Atlas, his former trainer. Atlas was at the event in New York in his role as an analyst with ESPN. In recounting his preparations to make peace with his estranged former trainer, Tyson spoke of a recent AA meeting as the press conference took a confessional turn.
« I’m a motherfucker. I’m a bad guy sometimes, » Tyson told reporters. « I did a lot of bad things, and I want to be forgiven. 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. Wow. God, this is some interesting stuff. »
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