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A ‘Miracle’ to Be Alive: Mike Tyson, Who Was Recently Seen in Poor Health, Once Admitted He Should Have Been Dead a Long Time Ago

Published 09/24/2022, 2:00 PM EDT

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The boxing world was left shocked after Mike Tyson was spotted in a wheelchair at the Miami airport. The 56-year-old boxing legend was seen in a frail and weak condition needing the support of a wheelchair to move. It was later revealed that this was due to a sciatica flare-up in his lower back which had been a recurring problem for him.

This left fans wondering if age had finally caught up to ‘Iron Mike’. However, according to Tyson, it looked impossible that he would survive past the age of 40. In a hard-hitting interview granted just before he traveled to the Cannes film festival to promote a documentary about his life back in 2008, Tyson revealed that he did not expect to live past 40 years old due to his extreme substance abuse. He also stated that he was involved in a lot of physical altercations that could have gotten him killed.

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I’ve lived a wild and a strange life,’ he said, I’ve used drugs, I’ve had physical altercations with dangerous people… I’ve slept with guys’ wives and they wanted to kill me,” he said. Tyson then claimed that he was happy just to be alive and that not getting killed was nothing short of a miracle.” I’m just happy to be here. It’s just a miracle.” he added

‘I Never Did It. I Wish I Did’: Mike Tyson, Who Recently Came Clean on His Debilitating Illness, Once Revealed His Deepest Regret

Although Tyson has always encountered different challenges throughout his life, he was able to overcome them like the champion he is. Moreover, this was on full display after he looked in great condition for a photoshoot after his health scare.

The shadow of drugs looming over Mike Tyson

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The former heavyweight champion has not had the best history with recreational substances. Iron Mike was exposed to drugs from a very young age as he was raised by a single mother and lacked the supervision to keep him away from them. This would follow Tyson even through his boxing career after his mentor Cus D’Amato’s death. Tyson claimed that he used drugs like c***ine on a regular basis to the point his body refused to function properly.

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However, Iron Mike would realize the dangers of these drugs and work to quit them. The former heavyweight champ has now claimed that he is working towards recovering from his addictions and making a positive change in his life.

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What did you think about Tyson’s take on his life? Let us know in the comments.

Watch This Story: Five Infamous Altercations of Mike Tyson outside the Ring

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Written by:

Sahil Sood

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Sahil Sood is a Boxing writer at EssentiallySports. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication, and holds a keen interest in the 'sweet science'. His journey towards following boxing began when he first saw the highlights of Mike Tyson as a teenager, and then closely followed the rise of Floyd Mayweather.
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