Episode 5 - Mike Tyson | The Katie Miller Podcast

0:00What's been the hardest moment of parenting? Just not listening to me. Sometimes my boys, they're bigger than me, so they push them. They get antsy a little, yeah. One of your kids taking the great Mike Tyson on. Oh, they'll definitely want to try me. No doubt about it. There's no doubt they will do that. They're bigger than me. They're real big, and yeah, they think they will try that, yeah. Yeah, I don't play that stuff. Some big boat that's hugging on me like I'm a little kid. No.

0:39hi i'm katie miller this is my podcast and you might be wondering what i'm doing here sitting next to mike tyson but this conversation is meant to be the interesting questions the stuff that in his long very famous very interesting career he's never been asked he's done more interviews probably than I've ever been alive. So I want to hear from Mike Tyson about all of the things that makes him tick. Okay. And what his family and friends know and love about him. So the world knows you as Iron Mike, the goat of heavyweight boxers, but I hear you're also a history buff. I don't know about that. I know a little bit about a little bit.

1:22What's your favorite period of history? Merovincian times. I don't know. 400 AD. Do you see any parallels between the way Alexander the Great conquered the world and the way you dominated boxing? We both did it at 20. Who would win in a fight, Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar? It depends on what age, because Julius Caesar was a lot older when he was in control. So Alexander was just still a kid when he was king. You know, he was too old. If they were the same age, you'd have to pick Alexander. Is that like you and Jake Paul in the fight? No, it's different. It's different than that because he was born to be a fighter.

2:06Ward, Caesar wasn't born for that stuff. What's your favorite recent TV show about history that you find to either be funny and good-hearted or historically accurate? You know, history is funny because we really don't know what's accurate. We just know what we read and what insight that we looked into. So I haven't seen any history shows that I like. Not the Tudors? Oh, you're talking about those shows? Yeah, I like both B.C. Alexander the Great Time, Cyrus the Great, that kind of era. Henry VIII? He's pretty interesting too, yeah. Which wife was your favorite? Neither one of them. He had, what, eight of them?

2:50Yes. How many did he behead? Divorce beheaded died. Divorce beheaded survived. Me and my wife was just watching the movie about the one that survived, weren't we, baby? Weren't we watching the movie about Henry's wife that survived? Yeah. Yeah, we were watching it a couple of months ago, right? President Trump recently had the greatest political comeback of all time. I would argue you've also had some great comebacks in your career. you're in the middle of what is another incredible comeback. What advice would you have for other people who have been knocked down and getting back up? You know, it's very difficult, you know, to say that I can give somebody advice because it's really in you.

3:35You just want to win more than anybody wants you to lose. You have to have it in you. And I believe sometimes you can hear something from somebody that can ignite your enthusiasm as well. But people have to have merit. Things that matter, things that are said have to have merit and it has to matter to someone. When you're in the gym working out, you know, everyone has the motivation. They say to themselves, like, come on, go harder. Just two more calories on the bike. Just 100 more meters on the rowing machine. What is the pump up speech you give to yourself to keep going? Oh, wow, I beat myself up.

4:10You don't want to hear that. Please, I can't say that until I look good. Is it like, come on, just a little bit stronger? Are you like cursing yourself out? This curse is bad stuff, yeah. It's really bad stuff. Because you work out harder, I would imagine, in the gym than just the average person spending more time. This is true, but I have a tendency. It's a tendency to be lazy. So that's why I beat myself up. What would you consider lazy? Just not doing what I should be doing. Anything that I'm not doing what I should be doing, that's lazy. So what's the workout routine right now? You know, during the day, I don't do this one workout, it's over, but just during the whole process of the day.

4:53I may leave here and do legs. Because I already did arms this morning, back, so I'm going to do legs when I leave here. So in your typical day, I've heard you're a pretty scheduled, routine-oriented guy. Pretty much so, yeah. So when you wake up in the morning, what are you doing for breakfast? Eggs and what else? Maybe eggs and chicken breast. For lunch? For lunch. It could be that Mexican salad stuff. And I might skip dinner. Skip dinner? Yeah. Do you do dessert? Yeah. What do you do? Periodically I do, what was the custard pie? Lemon custard pie. Ooh, lemon? Yeah. So you like a little bit of sour?

5:33Yeah. No drinking? No, no kind of alcohol. And so who is going shopping for you at the supermarket? Are you going for yourself? If I'm able to go, my wife doesn't allow me to go with her. Why doesn't she allow you to go? Too many people talk to me and stuff. And she just hates that. So it adds an extra 10, 15 minutes when you go? Might be an hour. So what's it like? So you walk in. So you're walking into Whole Foods. You're walking into Whole Foods or Publix. And you're going through the line. And how many people will stop? Do people come up to you every time? Because you're one of the world's most recognizable figures.

6:11I'm sure people turn around and you're like, and you know that they're looking to you. From experience, I learned how to handle it, but it could be overwhelming sometimes. You know, you have to be like an experienced individual to really know how to handle that because it could be irritable. And sometimes you could strike out at somebody because it's very, it's uncommon. People that you don't know are very familiar to you. They feel like they've known you and grown up with you. And you're like, I don't know who you are. Because I'm numb, too. I was like, when I was younger, I'd say, hey, hey, he looked at me.

6:40He saw me. Guy's probably looking at the lights. I said, he looked at me. He looked at me. It's a jerk. So I understand people that does that. You mentioned your wife. What's in her role in your life? You guys have been married for 16 years. Yeah. Yeah. What's her role in my life? Yeah. I don't know. Ask her. Ask her what's not her role in my life. In your comeback story and how she's been able to be there for you, what would you say is the best trait in how she's been able to help you? I don't look at my life as a comeback story. It was somebody that was doing bad for a moment and he got himself together.

7:21You know, it was not really a comeback. It's just somebody that realized what he was doing was a waste of time and he just cleaned his life up. You know, it's so cliche, you know, like, what's this stuff, comeback and legacy. These words are so, they're used so much. It's just tired of hearing them. They don't even exist. What I care about is legacy. I'm dead. But when you pass, the people who will remember you, obviously it's for your legacy and everything you've done. But it's also your family. My family. It's your family. My family, you know, some of them may not have anything to say, but they're my family.

8:00It only didn't matter what they say. So you have six kids. Seven. Seven kids. Yes. Sorry. What is the best part about being a father to them? Wow. Just being a father. Just being dear for them, even though some of them are difficult. I have some difficult kids. But I still love them and we have different relationships than some of my other kids. But everyone knows it's love. What do you consider difficult? Huh? What do you consider difficult? Not listening to me. That. That's difficult. What's been the hardest moment of parenting? Just not listening to me. Sometimes my boys, they're bigger than me, so they push, you know, they get antsy a little, yeah.

8:45Do they get physical altercations with you? No, but I know when they start hugging me, roughly, if you have tough fight, but I can't tell them, I can't say I'm talking to them when I tell them, but I say, can you please let me go? Yeah, I don't play that stuff to big. both got hugging on me like I'm a little kid. No. One of your kids taking the great Mike Tyson on. They'll definitely want to try me. No doubt about it. There's no doubt they will do that. They're bigger than real big. Yeah, they will try that, yeah. What's the best family vacation you've taken with them? Oh, man, where did we go, baby?

9:20Tecos, well, Turks and Caicos with the whole family. It used to be crazy. He just went out there. And so listen, I got to tell you a tragic moment in that trip.

9:35I don't know what happened. They got lost. My brother-in-law and I think my nephew, they got lost in the water. And we couldn't see them, so we thought they drowned for something. And the water that we thought they drowned in, because it was in the middle of the ocean, the water was only this deep. And I'm saying, how can it be that deep in the middle of the ocean? and I don't know, but they just walked back to us. But we thought they were dead. We were crying and everything. We couldn't find them. For how long? I don't know. How long was it, baby? Yeah, I mean, we all lived. And where were they?

10:09On one side that we couldn't see them, but then they started walking. We thought they were walking on the water, but the water was like this deep. Did you see the story about the Disney cruise where the kid, the three-year-old, had gone over the railing? Never heard of it. And then the dad jumps in after the three-year-old, and there's the story about how the dad then treads water for 20 minutes, you know, with the three-year-olds while they're waiting for, like, the rescue ship to come pick them up or the rescue boat. And so now my husband keeps being like, I don't know if I could tread water for 20 minutes.

10:37Well, try it for two minutes. Yeah. It's very complex. It's hard to do. Well, I guess you could do anything if your baby's involved. Yeah, that's true. So how old are your kids now? Wow. The youngest one is, what, 14, 16? and then from 16 I got, how old is Miguel?

11:0125, Miguel's 24, and Amir's what, 29? I have, yeah, nobody's 40 yet, close. What's your favorite parenting age? If you remember when your kids were little to now, what's been the favorite age? Right now, right now I'm the best now. Why? I don't judge them anymore. Before I used to judge them, you should be doing this, you know, you know who you are, just love each other. Do you have grandkids yet? I want them, you know, that's why I'm angry at my kids right now, because they're lazy. Not really lazy, but they're selfish. That's the word, selfish. Because they're not lazy, that's one thing, they're not lazy, but they're selfish.

11:41You don't want to give me any grandkids. I just can't understand, because I would be the best grandfather in the world. And I just don't understand why wouldn't they do that. I would think, I was young, I couldn't wait to have children, you know, but these guys, they don't want to do that stuff. I have one of my daughters, Gina, she's trying. You know, she's gonna get all the money. I'm sorry to say that, but she's gonna get all the loot. I would drop that kid. When you started boxing, you were how old? 13. And why'd you pick boxing, say over basketball, football, soccer? So when I was boxing, I was probably 5 '6".

12:25I started boxing, so that wasn't going to be good for basketball or anything. And I never went to school, so that wouldn't have been good. I wouldn't have went to college. So I became a fighter. And the boxer found me. And I met a gentleman by the name of Bobby Stewart who was working there with the staff. And he started teaching me how to box. And I became, I learned to became better. They took me to Customato, to take me to the next level. And so you grew up in Brooklyn? Yes, yes. Brownsville, Brooklyn. And then you eventually moved, and that's where you started? I moved upstate New York. My mother signed the release paper to allow Customato to be my legal guardian.

13:10And what was that transition like? Wow. It was two different worlds. I come from a totally 100 % black world. Anything I know as white is the police, the judge, the lawyers, social workers and stuff. And I guess from that, boom, total 100 % white world. And it was complex, it was really strange because these people loved me too. I had to absorb that as well. How do you think that shaped who you are today, going from living in a predominantly black community to living in a predominantly white community? I'm just - And seeing the love everywhere. I just have love for all the world. It's just, everything's good, man.

13:57I don't believe in, you know, there's no religion, there's no business, all it has to do with good people and bad people. That's all it's about. Are there people from those days that you still keep in touch with? Absolutely, yeah. What's that like? Nothing. We just hang out like every day. We hang out every other day or else when I come see them. They still live here where you are? New York. Some in Florida, too. And is it different the people you've met at that stage of your life before you were the great Mike Tyson to today? Well, yeah, they don't look at me as this great Mike Tyson. They've seen my flaws.

14:29They've seen us destitute. We stole and robbed together. We understand each other. We don't judge each other. What's the craziest crime you committed that no one ever knew? Wow, why would you ask me that? Come on, Harley's statute of limitations run out. I don't know. I just robbed something. Maybe I snatched a pocketbook or something. You don't have any good memories? No, I have bad memories. I have bad memories. Oh, God. So, I mentioned that you've been with your wife, Kiki, for 16 years. Yeah. What's the secret to a long-lasting marriage? Bad memory. I've been married for five. Bad memory. Bad memories?

15:07Yeah. What do you mean? Yeah, just forget things that are bad. Oh, just gloss on over it, keep moving? Yeah, good. Bad memory is the best way to keep a good relationship. Is just forgetting and moving on? Waking up new each day? Every day, finding new with our family at, we have a special family. Okay, we're gonna play a game now. Mm-hmm. Are you ready? Yeah. Okay, would you rather? Would you rather, what would you rather? I think I'm sitting down with my daughter because she plays these games. Would he rather die this way or die that way? Yeah, exactly. Go ahead, go ahead, let's go. Okay. Would you rather give up for a year?

15:44Marijuana, your pigeons, or your phone? My phone. Yeah, because I couldn't survive enough to get off the other two. I have to get my phone up. It sucks, but I have to give it up. I'll use my wife's phone. Who would suffer the most when you give up? Who would suffer the most when you give up your phone? No one, because my wife lives with me. I have my kids, so it wouldn't matter. Would you rather dress like Alan from The Hangover on the red carpet or be a guest on The View? Dress like Alan on the red carpet. That's a good choice. I did The View already. Oh, you did? Yeah. Who was the friendliest host?

16:23The young lady. What's her name? With the red hair. What's her name? So does Joy Behar. Joy Behar? Yeah, I think I liked her. Her father and uncle flew pigeons, too. Really? Yeah. What would you rather get leaked to the media? Spicy text messages with your wife or your browser history? What's my browser history? When you search for on the internet. That's cool. I can do my browser history. Okay. Would you rather do psychedelics with a tiger or meditate in silence for a month? Yeah, I have to meditate for a month. That's really tricky with the psychedelics and the tiger, yeah. Your tigers don't sleep in bed with you?

17:05I don't know, but on the psychedelics, she may think that I'm trying to steal me from her and kill me or something like that. It's just, I don't know what she's gonna think. I wouldn't do that, no. Because you know, they get jealous. The tigers do? They get jealous. You can't, he can't come over and hug you. So have you ever had a scary experience with a tiger? Yeah. What's the scariest? Well, my friend's coming out. He wanted to play, he wanted to come near me and he wanted the guy to come near me. And my wife too, he wanted my wife to come near me. Not Kiki, but I was like this. Did the tiger jump?

17:41He was about to. And like the chain held him back? They get, no I hold them. They get only attached to one people, the tiger, it's one people. Of course anybody else, it gets tricky. I don't know why, but it gets tricky after other people get involved. So do you have one tiger at a time or two? I had two tigers in a line. And are they like free roam or no? Yeah. I had the property to do it, so I let them go. Is this when you live next to Wayne Newton? Yes. And what would happen with his horses? No, they look over there, but they're not going nowhere. Those tigers didn't want to eat his horses?

18:19Yeah, they would eat his horses, but they wouldn't do that. They listen. Okay, back to the game. Would you rather be forced to watch The Notebook every Friday night Or never be able to watch sports again. I want to watch The Notebook. I love The Notebook. That's one of my best movies. You just lost right there, baby. You lost. You lost big time. We talk about The Notebook all the time when we express this and we talk about that movie. It's his favorite movie is The Notebook? Wow, it's one of my big time movies. You thought you were going to get me, huh? So romantic comedies are your preferred genre?

19:00That one. That one. Would you rather have your family arguments narrated by Morgan Freeman or acted out by puppets? You're good, huh? You're real good. I could do Morgan Freeman. Would you rather have control over the thermostat or the remote? The remote. Would you rather your kids grow up with your physical strength? No, no, I want the thermostat. I'm sorry. I forgot about when I get cold. No, I want the thermostat. I didn't know what you said. I said, the thermostat? Okay. I'm not really thinking it's cold. Okay. Would you rather your kids grow up with your physical strength or your mental strength?

19:43Mental. Yeah. They'd be able to handle adversity. You know, kids nowadays, this generation, I hate to say, but it's just, they give in under the slightest struggle, you know? Yeah. Now we're gonna change over to your marijuana company, Tyson 2.0. Oh, that's the way to go. Yes, yes. We're joined here by Burke, who's the president and COO of Tyson 2.0. Great to be here. And so Mike, what was your first experience with cannabis? Wow, it had to have been when I was young and I was crying, acting bizarre. My mother's friend said, smoke on this. And I don't know what happened. I must have went to sleep or something.

20:27So how old were you? I don't know, probably 10 or nine, something like that. And when did you realize that it can be part of your healing journey and help you in such a profound way? I've learned late in life. You know, I was one of the typical kids, a typical person I used to abuse. They just wanted to feel it constantly. I wanted to stay that feeling just simultaneously. And as I got older, I learned about the spiritual aspect of it. And it's not meant to be abused. You're not supposed to use it every second of the day. And I become more of a, I don't know, what do you call it? A beginner in learning, a neophyte, so to speak, a marijuana business.

21:10Then I started learning and becoming more experienced. And I wanted to save the business. I wanted to be a part of it. Marijuana is a bit, or any drug, I should say, is a bit of a taboo subject. No, it's not a drug. It's medicine. That's what makes it taboo, because people, when you think of it, you say drug. Versus changing the lexicon around marijuana. It's just saying that it's just, I mean, but I would consider antibiotic a drug in the same way that you're, you know, hoping to, I think, reschedule marijuana. Well, that's a man-made drug, pretty much. Everybody in the whole world, these big politicians, these big judges are afraid of a little flower.

21:46It's a little flower that someone's afraid of that's going to make you fall asleep if you overdose it. A little flower, why is it such a big thing? Why is this schedule at the level, what's it, level three? Why is this schedule so hard? It's never hurt anybody in your life. The worst thing that could ever happen to you from this little planet, you'll fall asleep. Excuse me if you allow me to say it. It's in the same level, I guess, what is that stuff called? Not kidding me. Stuff that's killing everybody. Fentanyl. Yeah, can you imagine marijuana and fentanyl being in the same category? Well, technically speaking, it's still not even in the same category, right?

22:26Like, fentanyl is lower on the schedule. Well, I was just giving it a benefit of the doubt, you know, but I guess there's no benefit in the doubt. And the administration is doing a great job of battling, you know, fentanyl, et cetera. But to take it a step further, you know, it's it's our mission to give cannabis justice, which is rescheduling and hopefully eventually get to the point of descheduling and federal legalization. So Tyson 2.0 obviously is operating in the legal capacity. Correct. And you'd hope to get this legalized at the federal level and not just the state level. What would you hope to have done regulatory and the regulatory perspective for cannabis?

23:04Yeah, I think if there's a, you know, synonymous rulebook that everyone can follow and it's not on a state by state basis, whether that be testing, age, etc. You know, that's a great place to start the same way that there's synonymous rules with alcohol, tobacco, etc. etc. And, you know, I think the biggest thing that is stigmatized right now, you know, when people think of federal legalization of cannabis is, you know, the streets are going to be packed with smoke and everyone's going to be walking around high and their kids are going to be getting high. It's silly. It's a part of that reefer madness that Mike referred to earlier.

23:43You know, the same way you're not able to, in most places, spark up a cigarette inside and, you know, ruin someone's day, we would expect the same thing to happen for cannabis. This is for responsible adults looking for a healthy lifestyle that, you know, gives them the ability to take the edge off and, you know, really have a good life. So I'd say from a compliance basis, you know, what we would aim to achieve is really getting an understanding of, you know, what sort of roadblocks would prevent this from becoming normalized. That's the biggest goal. And what about kids? You know, you mentioned about ensuring kids can't just light up on the street.

24:26Yeah. What do you say to the parents who would hope that, you know, their kids, while they're at least around their house, are not smoking or they have some control over that? 21 and up, babe. Yeah, this all comes back to education. And again, the ability to actually conduct research trials on the plant without these groups feeling like they can't because it's federally legal. The ability to study it is something that I think needs to be done. And within that, based off of what we find there, it'll give us a compass of how to write that legislation, make sure people know the rules. Have you had any conversations with the president or people in the administration about this?

25:06No, but it's the administration. I've talked to many people in the administration. And I'm looking forward to good news. Where do you think you are in terms of the path ahead and fight forward? Please. No, you're pleased. Yeah, I think the ability to, you know, make these meaningful changes by utilizing Mike's platform, his voice, everyone listens to him, respects him for everything that he says. it's showing that the ability to have that platform and be able to open up the education around the plant that has been so misguided over so many decades, that's the first tranche. And then the second tranche is, again, using all of that new education to invoke meaningful policy change.