'I am broke and I am poor'

Iron Mike is dead. After talking about how the death of his four year-old daughter changed him on the Ellen DeGeneres show, and kissing a pigeon on a giant Hollywood billboard while promoting a vegan lifestyle, 'Iron' Mike Tyson holds forth on why that sobriquet isn't the best way to describe him anymore


Pic/AFp photo

Iron Mike and pigeons?
Iron Mike is dead. I am a different person today. I have loved pigeons since I was nine years old. They were my escape. I was fat and ugly. Kids teased me all the time. The only joy I had was pigeons.

How have you turned your life around?
After my daughter died, I had two choices. One was to go out and kill some people, and the other was to start a new life. My daughter today continues to live through me.

Are you a good father?
I have eight children. I don't think I was ever a good father. I was living in a fog. I don't recognise the boxer Mike Tyson anymore. I am better today. But I need to prove myself every day.

What do you regret?
I want to regret things I did, I really do. But I can't because I need to grow as a human being. With that comes the acknowledgement that I need to live with my mistakes. Life does not give you a free ride. Sometimes you need to go through hell. I went through hell -- and survived.

What does happiness mean to you?
Screaming children running through the house. Or being with my pigeons. We need to learn to let go. The essence of happiness is to let go. Nothing is
forever.

You used to make millions of dollars. Are you still a rich man?
No, I am broke and I am poor. My wife manages me now. She brings in jobs. I need to work.

What qualities does a champ need to have?
Self-confidence, belief and force. And you need to understand what it means to lose. You need to be flexible. You need to be able to adapt. You need to bend but not break.

When you look in a mirror today, what do you see?
I see a joke, a sad figure, somebody who was pretty stupid. I never used to be able to see this. I had to go through life pretending to be macho. I had no feelings for others; I had no compassion for others. I was trained to be that way. I was empty.

Did you learn this in therapy?
Yes, I did. You only have this one life. You need to endure it. If you can't do that you are finished. I am in God's hands. I have learned to be insignificant. We all are. We're just dust in the
universe.

What else have you learned over the last couple years?
That I was insecure and jealous. I had very little self confidence, but a big ego. And I have learned that it's the action, not just the talk, that will take you forward in life.

What were the darkest moments in your life?
The loss of my daughter and my cocaine addiction. I don't want to be a father who can't get out of bed in the morning because he is hungover. I want to break the cycle.

Who was the best boxer of all time?
Probably Ali, but what does that mean, really? For some people Hitler was the best, right? It doesn't really mean anything. It's just a description.

Do you think you could ever dream of a comeback?
I have difficulties getting off the toilet these days. I can't imagine being back in the ring. Maybe as a coach, but that's it.

There are rumours that Hollywood will make a Mike Tyson movie. Who do you think should play you?
I see someone like Jamie Foxx. That would be cool.

You don't eat meat anymore, right?
That's right. I am a vegan now. I didn't want anything to do with this guy who I once was, anymore. I didn't want to be a sex addict, a drug addict and I didn't want to be a meat eater. I am a different person today.

What's left of the old Mike Tyson?
If you push me into a corner, I will bite you. I am working on my temper. I am working on getting better. But I still have a long way to go.

Phil Thompson / The Interview People