Like everyone else on earth, I grew up with a serious admiration for Iron Mike Tyson. He was the baddest man on the planet, perhaps the baddest in history. My second cousin and greatest hero was always Muhammad Ali, but I never felt that he could whip Tyson face-to-face. Mike had it all, and threw it all away. One would expect that a person with so much money and power would have access to the very best psychiatrists or perhaps medication to make him at least normal enough to get something out of his $300 million career, but that was not the case.

What was most frustrating about Mike was that every time I thought he was getting it together, he would lose it again. When he was released from prison, I really thought he was ready to resume his rightful place at the top of the boxing world. Then came the ear biting incident which disappointed all of those who'd come to hope, wish and pray that Mike Tyson had finally matured.

Things haven't changed much for Mike. The poor man is still as confused as he was at the age of 20, trying to find himself like the character "Jenny" in the film, "Forrest Gump." He still sounds like a philosopher who never finished philosophy class, using words that don't quite belong together, but seem impressive enough to make you wonder if he memorizes the dictionary in his spare time. Like many other black athletes and boxers before him, Tyson found himself physically and financially exhausted. The great Joe Louis died owing a great deal of money to the IRS, and Muhammad Ali was destitute before his wife Loni did an amazing job of rebranding him.


Tyson recently did an interview with Details Magazine in which he described his life as a forty-something, and how he's coping with the fact that he gave it all up. I truly believe that Mike isn't all that concerned with what he has lost. It seems that he is most concerned with finding the internal peace that has evaded him for so long. I sincerely hope he's staying away from drugs and alcohol since that's only going to deepen his confusion and psychosis.

The interview details Tyson's perspective on life and family. He claims that he's become a vegan, which is likely good for both his body and spirit. I can't imagine the health problems Tyson has, given that he's probably slept with hundreds of women, used all kinds of drugs, and had his head/body regularly beaten to a pulp in the ring. He says that he never expected to make it past the age of 25, let alone 40. I admit that I am surprised also. He reminds me of an uncle I have, who seemed to do everything in his power to make sure his life didn't last long enough for him to suffer the consequences for his personal choices. But only the higher power has the ability to tell us when our clock will stop ticking, so Iron Mike may be around for several more decades.


What I also found interesting about the interview with Tyson is his self perception. Tyson comes off as a man who doesn't seem to believe that he deserves the oxygen he is consuming. In Tyson's words, "I have this uncanny ability to look at myself in the mirror and say, "This is a pig. You are a f*cking piece of sh*t."

Quotes like the last one are stark reminders to me that Tyson may still not be quite right in the head. His self-image reflects that of the same man who was on a 25-year suicide mission. He doesn't seem to love himself, which makes me wonder if he has anything to live for. The death of his beautiful daughter Exodus last year was a shocking and sad hit to Tyson's psyche, and even he doesn't deserve to endure such a horrible tragedy.

I hope for the best with Tyson, and I expect that he will continue to be confused. The release of his successful film last year was a great opportunity for him to redeem his image and I seriously hope he continues to pursue similar opportunities. My advice to Mike Tyson is quite simple:


1) Stay away from drugs and alcohol. The vegan thing sounds good, so I suggest you stick with it.
2) if you have a good woman in your life, be nice to her and keep her around.
3) Keep your therapist on speed dial. This is the only time I agree that it's OK to use drugs (the legal ones, of course).
4) Find a reason to live and be happy.





Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.