LOS ANGELES - Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has claimed he is on the verge of dying from ongoing drug and alcohol problems but that he is trying to turn his life around.
"I want to live my sober life. I don't want to die. I'm on the verge of dying because I'm a vicious alcoholic," Tyson said.
Tyson, now a promoter, told a news conference: "I'm a bad guy sometimes. I did a lot of bad things, and I want to be forgiven. I want to change my life. I want to live a different life now."
Tyson admitted to being a continual substance abuser but was hopeful he was finally becoming clean.
"I haven't drank or taken drugs in six days and for me that's a miracle," he revealed.
"I've been lying to everybody else who thought I was sober, but I'm not. This is my sixth day. I'm never going to use again."
Tyson, 47, is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles at 20 years, four months, and 22 days old.
He won his first 19 professional bouts by knockout, 12 of them in the first round. He won the WBC title in 1986 after defeating Trevor Berbick by a TKO in the second round. In 1987, Tyson added the WBA and IBF titles after defeating James Smith and Tony Tucker. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, and the only heavyweight to successively unify them.
Tyson defended the world heavyweight championship nine times, including victories over Larry Holmes and Frank Bruno. In 1990, he lost his titles to underdog James Douglas, by a knockout in round 10.
In 1992, Tyson was convicted of raping Desiree Washington and sentenced to six years in prison but was released after serving three years. In 1996, he won the WBC and WBA titles after defeating Bruno and Bruce Seldon by knockout. After being stripped of the WBC title, Tyson lost his WBA crown to Evander Holyfield in November 1996 by an 11th round TKO. Their 1997 rematch ended when Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield's ear. He retired in 2006. With his ferocious style, he is considered one of the best heavyweights of all time.
Tyson in fight to beat the bottle
LOS ANGELES - Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has claimed he is on the verge of dying from ongoing drug and alcohol problems but that he is trying to turn his life around.
"I want to live my sober life. I don't want to die. I'm on the verge of dying because I'm a vicious alcoholic," Tyson said.
Tyson, now a promoter, told a news conference: "I'm a bad guy sometimes. I did a lot of bad things, and I want to be forgiven. I want to change my life. I want to live a different life now."
Tyson admitted to being a continual substance abuser but was hopeful he was finally becoming clean.
"I haven't drank or taken drugs in six days and for me that's a miracle," he revealed.
"I've been lying to everybody else who thought I was sober, but I'm not. This is my sixth day. I'm never going to use again."
Tyson, 47, is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles at 20 years, four months, and 22 days old.
He won his first 19 professional bouts by knockout, 12 of them in the first round. He won the WBC title in 1986 after defeating Trevor Berbick by a TKO in the second round. In 1987, Tyson added the WBA and IBF titles after defeating James Smith and Tony Tucker. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, and the only heavyweight to successively unify them.
Tyson defended the world heavyweight championship nine times, including victories over Larry Holmes and Frank Bruno. In 1990, he lost his titles to underdog James Douglas, by a knockout in round 10.
In 1992, Tyson was convicted of raping Desiree Washington and sentenced to six years in prison but was released after serving three years. In 1996, he won the WBC and WBA titles after defeating Bruno and Bruce Seldon by knockout. After being stripped of the WBC title, Tyson lost his WBA crown to Evander Holyfield in November 1996 by an 11th round TKO. Their 1997 rematch ended when Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield's ear. He retired in 2006. With his ferocious style, he is considered one of the best heavyweights of all time.
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