Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is taking on a new fight, as his past battles motivate him to deliver a special message for the youth. You see, ‘Iron’ Mike was a special guest at the third annual ‘Boxing for a Cause’ charity amateur boxing event held at JFK Elementary School. According to sources, boxers from ages 10-20 participated in three-round fights. 

The event was reportedly held by Palm Beach Boxing & MMA to benefit the Sincere 2000 Foundation and Tyson’s own Tyson Foundation for raising mental health awareness and suicide prevention among teens and young adults. Alongside Tyson, legendary Muhammad Ali’s first wife, Dr. Khalilah Camacho Ali, was also in attendance for the event. 

Regardless, Tyson took this opportunity to spread a message to young people everywhere from his presence at the event. After the event came to a close, Tyson hopped on his Instagram account to share glimpses from the event, where he spent some time with his fans and children, giving out autographs and memorabilia. 

He captioned the post, noting, “Very grateful to support Sincere2000 Foundation’s Amateur Boxing event hosted by @palmbeachboxing supporting mental health.” Notably, Tyson is no stranger to depression, anger management issues, and low self-esteem, which encompass his personal battle in life during the prime of his life. 

A 1998 psychiatric evaluation by the Nevada Athletic Commission documented Tyson’s admission on the matter. Tyson was described as suffering from self-criticism, irritability, anger, individualism, and difficulty in interpersonal relationships in the evaluation conducted by Dr. David Medoff. 

Tyson had a traumatic childhood, which included parental neglect and a history of juvenile delinquency, contributing to his aggressive behavior and emotional instability. Despite all the setbacks in his early life, Tyson eventually found a way to manage his mental health, even though it might not be suitable for everyone. 

Mike Tyson reveals what changed his life after his partnership to treat TBI

The former heavyweight champion, once plagued by suicidal thoughts and inner chaos, credits psi****bin mus****ms for his transformation. “Everyone thought I was crazy, I bit this guy’s ear off,” Tyson told Reuters in May 2021, referencing his infamous 1997 fight. “Once I got introduced to the s****ms… my whole life changed.”

Now 58, Tyson has set up a successful ca***bis business among others, and even fought YouTube star Jake Paul last year. “To think where I was–almost suicidal–to this now. Isn’t life a trip, man?” he said. The boxing legend partnered with Wesana Health, a company researching psi****bin’s potential to treat traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in athletes. 

He believes psy****elics promote healing and empathy. “Put 10 people in a room who don’t like each other and give them some psy****elics, [and] they’ll be taking pictures with each other.” Tyson says, “I believe this is good for the world… It needs to be open to the world.”

That said, it appears Mike Tyson is succeeding in his new fight against mental health issues, having fought such personal battles himself. What do you think about Tyson’s message to the youth?