Mike Tyson earned a fortune from his time as a professional boxer. The former heavyweight champion was one of the highest-earning boxers of his time. And when one looks at his performances inside the boxing ring, the compensation for the same only makes sense. His exceptional fights made Tyson one of the highest-paid and one of the most successful athletes of his time. But, it seems like money was not always something Tyson was after. It was his love for the sport and the affection he had for fighting and using his anger for something fruitful. And, the monetary compensation was just the after-effect of the fact that ‘Iron’ Mike was just doing the thing he loves.

In a recent episode of his Hotboxin’ podcast, the 56-year-old made a startling confession about his time as a professional boxer. And this revelation from Tyson even shocked the others on the podcast.

Mike Tyson could not understand why he was getting paid

In the latest episode of Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson. American rapper Tony Yayo joined the former champ and his co-host, Dj Whoo Kid. His co-host had a very surprising question for Tyson. Giving an example of legendary rapper Eminem, Whoo Kid asked Tyson if he ever had issues looking at the value of money just like Eminem did.

To this, Tyson responded, “No value because I believe what I was doing; why am I getting paid for doing this really. This is not working to me. I enjoy doing this. I’d do this for free.” Despite earning millions of dollars during his career, Tyson still could not understand why he used to get paid for doing something he truly loves and does not even seem like work to him.

This response from Tyson silenced the other two present on the podcast. The humbleness Tyson has developed as he got older is something that has become an integral part of his personality. And he has always been open about the struggles he faced as a boxer.

How rich was Mike Tyson during his prime?

If there’s, one another thing Tyson was famous for besides his tremendous knockouts was the outrageous amounts of money he earned during his prime. His net worth was as high as $685 million at one point, as reported by Parade. But, he was a victim of his own habits and ended up losing most of his wealth as a result of reckless spending and unthoughtful money habits. As per various sources, at present, Tyson is worth $10-20 million.

Read More: “I Was a Puppet”: Mike Tyson Explains How Promoters Exploited Him

What do you think about Mike Tyson’s fame during his prime? Let us know in the comments below.

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