Mike Tyson will go down as one of the greatest boxers of all time. His antics and words during his career earned him the moniker ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet.’ However, on the show ‘Safe Distance with Mike Tyson’ the former two-time heavyweight champion made an admission to Kenan Thompson. It is something that will absolutely shock boxing fans.

Mike Tyson says he could never handle being a fighter 

“I never thought I could handle being a fighter. It just was and it happened. I’ve never been able to handle it.” 

‘Iron’ went on to reveal that he never got over the feeling of nervousness before every fight. 

“You always get nervous. I’m nervous now. That’s just part of living life. I believe from my experience that the feeling of being scared or nervous is some form of natural defense mechanism. Only two things happen when you have that feeling.  You rise to the occasion or you freeze. You learn to deal with that.” 

‘Iron Mike’ certainly rose to the occasion. In 1986 at the age of 20, he became the youngest heavyweight champion after beating Trevor Berbick via KO. Later he added the WBA and IBF titles to his WBC title. He was the first to hold all 3 belts at the same time. 

Twelve of his first nineteen fights came in the form of Knockouts. Perhaps this was an example of him channeling his nervous energy to finish off the opponent as quickly as possible. 

‘Iron’ went on to share how he spends his time in quarantine.

“Everyday I’m working out. I’m getting up every day. I do an hour on my bike, then I do an hour on my treadmill, then I do some light weights. I try to get some running in.” 

Furthermore, he said that he’s getting ready to start hitting the bag in “another week or two.” We are pretty sure he can still deliver a mean punch even at 53 years of age.

What is your most memorable Mike Tyson moment? 

WATCH: “I want to Eat His Children!”- When Mike Tyson Made a Shocking Comment After a 38 Second Knockout