Boxing legend Mike Tyson has had a long history of getting into altercations with media members and paparazzi. However, during the 1990s, technology was not as advanced as today, which made Tyson’s life a lot more private.

This might be one of the reasons why ‘Iron Mike’ gets into more trouble with photographers nowadays than in the past. In addition, he revealed why he started ‘attacking’ photographers as technology swept him right off his foot.

Mike Tyson reveals why he started ‘attacking’ photographers

On his podcast, Hotboxin’, Tyson along with guest actor Bill Bellamy were discussing how times were different back in their day. Bellamy claimed that privacy was a lot more respected back then with technology not being as relevant as today. Moreover, he added that artists could live more freely without the fear of getting photographed.

Tyson would then attest to this, stating that the reason he started attacking photographers was that his privacy was now exposed. According to ‘Iron Mike’ pointing a cell phone at him was the same as someone pointing a gun at him. “That’s why we started attacking photographers because we weren’t accustomed to that. So for guys like us right, the camera is like somebody putting a gun to someone else’s head,” he said.

Read More: Paparazzi Screams in Terror as a Young, Angry Mike Tyson Strikes Him Down

Tyson grew up during a time when cell phones were not prevalent as today. Moreover, he lived in an environment where he had to always be cautious about his surroundings. This might explain why Tyson often got into fights with photographers.

The times Tyson got into altercations with paparazzi

Back in 2009, The ‘Baddest Man On The Planet’ was detained by the police for allegedly hitting a photographer. According to The Guardian, the paparazzo claimed that he was struck by Tyson. However, one of Iron Mike’s representatives touted it as an act of self-defense.

This was not the only time Tyson got into a notable feud with a reporter. In a TMZ video, he is seen chasing the reporter down after being followed by him to the airport. While Tyson has never had a good relationship with media reports, his altercations have certainly gone up since cell phones were made more accessible.

What did you think about Tyson’s confession? Let us know in the comments.

Watch Out for More: Famous boxers who lost millions in divorce settlements