Mike Tyson reveals he earned over £300m during three years in prison
Mike Tyson has revealed promoter Don King helped him earn millions of dollars during the three years the boxer spent in prison after he was convicted of rape in 1992
by Matthew Cooper · The MirrorMike Tyson has revealed he earned hundreds of millions of dollars while he was in prison.
Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison after he was convicted of rape in 1992, with the boxer released in 1995 after serving almost three years of his sentence. And Tyson has now revealed that he earned up to $400million (£309m) while he was incarcerated due to his promoter Don King bringing him deals to sign.
"When I went to prison I had $15m, when I came out I must have had $300-400m," he said while speaking to fellow former world champion boxer Andre Ward on The Art of Ward. "I'm signing contracts in prison."
Reflecting on his time in prison, Tyson added: "They [other inmates] were showing me respect but I was a jerk. I had to realise after going in the hole and fighting with the guards that there has to be a better way.
"It added more time to my sentence and I said 'there has to be a better way'. So I learned how to move and respect everybody because they wanted to be king to me, but I wasn't accepting their kindness.
"I was too bitter and so I learned how to give respect and get respect. It was brilliant after that." Tyson staged a comeback after he was released from prison, going on to have memorable fights against the likes of Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.
Tyson is now set to return to the ring once again at the age of 58 when he takes on YouTube star turned boxer Jake Paul in an exhibition fight on November 15. The fight will take place live on Netflix.
Many have expressed concerns about Tyson fighting an opponent who is more than 30 years younger than him, but he has insisted there is nothing to be worried about. "I don't think I'm 58. Do you think I feel 58 when I'm fighting these young n****** in the gym, and they're bashing me them big strong mother*******, and I'm bashing them back," he said.
"He's supposed to be the young guy, I'm supposed to be the old man. He's a younger man, he should be able to handle punches from an old withering man like me. Listen, you can't compare me with other people my age because other people my age haven't been training as long, consistently as me.
"I'm just a different species of human being, I think because I'm very active in what I do. I don't sit around and do nothing. It's going to be a wonderful evening, the city of Dallas is going to be entertained."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package
£46 (was £56)
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.