Piers Morgan Uncensored - Mike Tyson on Fighting Floyd, Jake Paul Defeat, Tyson vs AJ & Donald Trump

Episode Date: October 8, 2026

Mike Tyson has lived one of the most extraordinary and turbulent lives in sports history. Crowned world heavyweight champion at just 20, Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion ever and quickly established himself as one of the most feared and formidable fighters on the planet. But behind the knockouts and global fame came a life marked by controversy, personal struggles, triumph, and tragedy. Now, Netflix is bringing Tyson’s remarkable story to the screen in a big-budget four-part docu-series. Piers Morgan is joined by Tyson, who reflects on his life from becoming the king of the ring - to confronting the events that shaped his life beyond boxing. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:02:32) Tyson on his his mentor Cus D’Amato (00:09:02) The feeling of being in the ring (00:12:00) Marriage to Kiki (00:13:22) Wanting to fight Floyd Mayweather (00:15:25) Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’s upcoming fight (00:17:00) Eddie Hearn, Dana White and Don King (00:17:37) Donald Trump  (00:20:51) Is Mike Tyson the best boxer that’s ever lived? (00:25:45) Celebrities who visited Mike when he was in prison  (00:26:47) Mike Tyson on life, death and religion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you watched it yourself, did you think at the end, how the hell am I still here? Wow, I wonder why was it so important? I think massive success follows me. What is that feeling like when the bell goes and you're getting into a fight with somebody? It's almost orgasmic. Is it really?

Do you think you'll ever be tempted back in the ring or not? I like to fight Floyd, though. Would you? Mm-hmm. If you didn't know who Donald Trump was, And you didn't know his name, you would think he's black. He's not a pussy president. It looks to me like you're quite emotional, just thinking about that.

Being me, being the greatest of dumb shit. I'm Mike Tyson has led an explosive life of both triumph and tragedy. A world heavyweight champion at just 20 years old. He was the king of the ring and the most feared man on planet Earth. I wasn't surprised to discover that Netflix has turned his extraordinary story into a big budget docus series. I'm just not sure how they fitted it into just four episodes. Well, Mike Tyson joins me live and uncensored.

Mike, how are you? Hey, man, a long time, long time. I've seen you, beard. Do you know what? I've interviewed you a number of times, as you know, and we got to know each other pretty well. And I found a picture, which I have on my dressing room wall. I don't know if you can see this, Mike,

but it's you and I, the last time we physically met, it was in California. and it's a picture that you had framed in your office there. And it's a Frank Sinatra quote, the best revenge is massive success. And you had that framed and signed by the great man Sinatra. And when I watch your Netflix series, that was my overarching thing,

is that for all the difficult stuff you've been through, actually, you've always come through it and your best revenge has always been massive success. Do you see that about your life? You know, I think massive success follows me. I just think it does. I don't think it does it for a good reason or a bad reason. It's just what it is, is what I always wanted. You know, my mentor, Cuthu, it told me, be careful what you wish for.

You might get it. Yeah. Well, he comes through in the series, obviously, is a highly significant figure in your life. What I was going to ask you about Cuss was, how often do you think about him in your normal life? Do you think about him a lot? I think about him every day. Yeah. What do you think when you think about him? I would like to ask him, how did I do?

What do you think he'd say? I wasn't perfect. He always says I wasn't perfect. He said I'm close, but you're not perfect. Would he be, do you think, I mean, I would imagine, I never knew him sadly, but I would imagine he'd be incredibly proud of the person you've become. I would like to believe that as well. I would love to him to met my children.

Yeah. For those who didn't know Cuss, Mike, what kind of man was he? Wow, it was hard to explain him. He's everything you want, pretty much at life. He's what I really needed, though. I need somebody to really kick my butt. Because you were, what, 15 when you first met him? No, 12, 13, 13, 13.

Incredibly young guy. You've talked about him being a father figure, a mentor. But he also understood, I think, in you, and this comes through in the series, that he understood you had the potential to be the most ferocious, unbeatable fighter in the world. He saw that in you. How important was that for you in terms of getting there?

Yeah, that was extremely important. I needed that behind me. I needed somebody to believe in me. He, I want to play, actually, to team this up, I want to play a little bit from the trailer because it's a great trailer. Obviously, no one's seen this series yet. Let's watch the trailer,

and I've got a question off the back of it. I was a nut back then, huh? You think I give a damn about you and in, y'all on there? I don't care about living or dying. I'm a dysfunctional mother. I don't trust anybody in general. I don't like people to know me at all. The things that he's gone through,

most people would have just been dead. This is the dark side of me. That's just who I became. Addicted to chaos. Why? Because it was. Why? I don't know. You're making this difficult for me now.

The liberation is screwing me. Why, I put myself to this bullshit. It's a fantastic trailer. And if you actually watch the series, as I've done, it's a fantastic life. I mean, it's a hell of a roller coaster ride. When you watched it yourself, did you think at the end,

how the hell am I still here? I just, why? I wonder, why was it so important for that title? Why was that shit so important back then? What do you mean, Mike? Being me, being the greatest of dumb shit. Have you had a chance to think about why it was so important to you? Well, I don't know, I think, because I had nothing else.

How's that sound? It looks to me like you're quite emotional just thinking about that. Yeah, what the hell was so important for? I mean, I don't want to answer for you, but could it be that you had such a tough upbringing? so traumatic in many ways, so tough in many ways, that actually reaching the pinnacle of boxing, being the greatest in the world, at the time felt like a validation for you.

It was all ego. It was all ego. Could you have got there, Mike, without the ego? No way, no way. When you think about young Mike Tyson, I met you, we've discussed this before, but I met you at a concert in Albany, It was an MC Hammer concert. Oh, wow, really?

Yeah, and it was the first time I met you. And it was, I had a nice chat with you for about five, ten minutes, backstage, actually. And I just remember at the time, although you were very nice to me and very charming and very decent to give me a bit of time, and the first time I interviewed you, but there was around you an aura, a menace, a sort of intimidatory vibe,

which you exuded, which I think you enjoyed because you wanted to scare people, right? You wanted to be, as Cuss called you, the baddest man on the planet. That was how you were going to get to the top. Listen, I didn't want to fear people, make people afraid of me. I wanted them to respect me.

Yeah. There's a moment, Mike, when, to me, the absolute defining moment of your career. You might totally disdeme. disagree. But the moment of your boxing career that I always look at is the moment when you fight Michael Spinks, and he's also a heavyweight champion of the world at the time, he was unbeaten. He'd never lost to fight. And as you walk together at the start before the bell goes, he just, you can see, shrinks away it with nerves. He does not want to fight you. And you just

look at him in a way that it just sinks him on arrival. the fight is all over in two minutes, you destroy him. He never fights again. It's an extraordinary moment. How pivotal was that to you, do you think, in your career? It was pretty big. It was a moment in my career. It was a really big moment in my career.

You know, it's just, I'm one of those guys that have, I have to be the best all the time because I have such a low self-esteem, so I have to be the best. Was that the best win of your country? career? No, I don't think so. Maybe as far as status is concerned, yes, but I don't think so. I think razor rudder. Raise a rudder. Yeah. And for those who've never been in a rig, Mike, and you have many, many times, what is that feeling like when the bell goes and you're getting

into a fight with somebody? What is the actual feeling you experience? I can say this on, I could say on this television. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. All right. It's almost orgasmic. Is it really? Yeah. Go on, explain in more detail. You know, when the bell goes ding, it just explodes. There's an explosion before the contact.

Is it a good experience? Does it feel good, or does it feel... I think it's very serious. Yeah. Could it feel good? It's just, what I want to say, it's just objective. It doesn't have a feeling. What was the, I know how hard you've hit people,

but what was the hardest you got hit in your career? Who hit your heart? Listen, I've been hit the hardest by everybody. I can't judge the pain. Painless pain. Who would you least want to be punched by again? Shit, I don't want to get hit by Ruddick. I don't want to get hit by nobody.

I don't want to get by nobody. Was there one who stood out? It's just thinking, just thinking about my head. start hurting. I can't even know. I've only been hit about three times in my life, and it bloody hurt. So I'm just, but there wasn't one when you look back where you think, wow, that guy, he hit me.

Listen, they hit hard. Lennox, they all hit hard. Trust me. Yeah. Once they hit you, once they hit you, you never figure out who's the hardest. I mean, you famously said everyone's got a plan until they get punched in the face. It's an immortal quote of yours. Do you think that that is the test, really, of anyone?

that you never really know who's going to win a fight until those first punches go in. Exactly. Then you know, then sometimes the guy that lost that fight turned out to become a world champion. So you really think, human beings think they know,

they think we have experience, but they don't. I can remember before Roberto Durant said no mask, right? Yeah. If you quit, nobody talked to you again, you never came back in boxing, you're finished. And Durant came back and won two titles.

Yeah. So that, so that, for that, for that. that superstition in boxing is not true now. If you quit, you're a loser. That's not true. Thanks to the thread. Right. Because he was an astonishingly courageous fighter

and everyone was stunned. But he did no monster. He was ruined. And then he came back and won two titles. Didn't he beat Davy Moore. And then he'd be David Moore's friend too. Yeah. In the series, Mike,

one of the more significant people in your life is your wife, Kiki, who I've had a pleasure of meeting several times. And you've been together a long time now. How important has she been to getting you to perhaps to a calmer place in life? That's interesting. We're a partner, we're a team, you know, we're together. I guess maybe I'm not calm. I'm just who I am.

You know, we're a team fighting together in this world. Do you feel karma as you've turned 60? I'm 61. I probably feel a bit calmer. I'm honest. No, I got more vigor in fire. But is it a different kind of fire? In other words, it's not a violent fire now. Can you channel the energy better?

You know, both ways, I try both ways. You know what I mean? If it's not violent, it can't block that fire. Sometimes you have to deal with the thought of violence without reacting to violence. As you go about your normal life, Mike, I've always been curious about this. Do people just try and goad you into fighting them?

Is that just a staple part of your existence? Not as much now, not as much now. Does it ever happen? When I was younger, where I was younger. Yeah. How did you deal with that? I attacked them. I didn't do well.

What would happen if someone did that now? No, listen, I'm not signing no more. I gave up on that. They could say whatever they want. Do you think you'll fight again in the ring or not? Hey, if somebody wants to see me fighting, they have the right price, you know. We can do it. When you took on Jake Paul, what did you, now you think back on that fight? What did you feel about it?

I'm saying to myself, I woke up the next morning. I was so sore. I said, what the hell would I do that for? That's the first time I told my wife. I said, hey, what the hell I do that for? What if I out of my mind? I mean, the answer, I presume, is money, isn't it? I don't know.

We would have been fine without it, but we're better now, but we're defined with all that ego stuff. I don't know why I have stuff in there and still hang around. But do you think you'll ever be tempted back in the ring or not? I don't think so. I don't think so. I like to fight Floyd, though. Would you?

Mm-hmm. Really? Why? I don't know. that's the fight. He wants to fight too. That would be amazing. I think so.

Have you had proper discussions about it? Well, I saw him out one day. We hugged each other, but he's aware that we both want what we want to do. We talked it. Who would win, Mike? You know, I'm going to beat his ass. I mean, do it.

You're a bigger guy. Would it be a fair fight? I'm going to do a lot of sprints. I'm doing sprints now. I'm going to be ready to catch him. You think I'm doing all these days? People laughing at me when I'm doing these sprints. But you think I'm doing all these sprint

because I catch this motherfucker. See, are you serious about this? Yeah. That'll be incredible. You and Floyd Mayweather. Yeah, I can't wait. I mean, he would have age and speed, I guess. You would have power.

No, I'm getting this shape. I'm going to catch this little ass. But get that run. You got to do sprints to catch him, man. Do it 10, 20 miles. I get these sprits in and catch this little motherfucker. Well, I would pay to watch that without any doubt. What do you make of the...

We've got Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally fighting. Is it too late? Are you excited about this? Where is the fight at? No, it's not too late, but where is the fight located at? It's going to be in the UK, in Cardiff. Listen, why were they trying to happen in New York for some reason? That's why, I thought, in terms of being there,

why would they happen in New York? I think Dana White wanted it in New York, but it's been wrestled away. No, I knew that English people ain't letting that happen. No, it would have made no sense. But who's your money on it when they fight those two? I'm always with Tyson. Tyson's name after him. I'm always with Tyson.

Yeah. You think he's going to beat Joshua? Well, it would be nice, right? What do you make? What do you make of these promoters who've been getting into spats with each other, Eddie Hearn, Dana White, and so on. You obviously had a long-standing relationship with Don King. He's now 95.

It's still going incredibly. But you've had good times with him, bad times with him. What do you make of the promoters in the fight game? Are they a force for good, generally? Bokkna's changed with the promoters. You know, they changed. The fighters are not happy with them for some reason. It's, you know, you just...

A fighter should just have a manager. That's what he should have a manager and a trainer, and that's all he needs. Excuse me, he needs a lawyer and a train. That's all the fighter needs. Forget all that entourage and all that stuff. A trainer and a lawyer. That's all the fighter needs. What do you think of Eddie Hearn?

As a person? Yeah. I like him. Yeah. I don't know him well as a promoter, but as a person I like him. And Dana White? You like Dana White? You know, I love Dana, yes.

And what are your feelings about Don King these days? Hey, man, I wish him the best. That's all. Wishing the best. Life is beautiful. Another figure in the documentary, and actually he was the guy that put on the Michael Spinks fight, is Donald Trump, now President Trump.

You've known him a long, you've known him 35, 40 years. Isn't that something? Can you believe he's become president twice? Yes, I can't. Yes, I can't. Because I voted for him. I ran the streets for him. You know, we're getting votes.

Yeah, I believe it. What do you think of Trump? I'm very proud of him. He's somebody that everybody should be proud of for where he came. He started off bankrupt. You know, when he went for president, he was bankrupt. You know that, right?

Yeah. He owed taxes. He owes so much money. Listen, if you didn't know who Donald Trump was and you didn't know his name, you would think he's black. How much stuff, all this sex abuse and all that stuff that he went through.

People don't normally go to that well. They don't have a nervous breakdown. He handled it. And that's why everyone has to respect him, just from that alone. Just from the way he handled his court, procedures and all the adversity, you got to respect.

I don't care if you hate his guts. You're a race. I don't care what it is. If we have to respect that, it's off the back. Do you talk to him, Trump? He's going to instruct me what's going on. he wants me to go somewhere with him. I mean, it is remarkable to think,

there he was putting on a fight for you at Atlantic City, and now he's in the Oval Office running the country. He's a very polarizing character, as you know. I remember when he got shot and the guy hit him on the ear and he was miraculously he survived, even though somebody behind him was killed, the way that Trump responded to being nearly assassinated, that showed real balls of steel, I thought.

when he got back up and went, fight, fight, fight. I think it won in the last election that moment, actually. Because it's so... He's not a pussy president. Yeah. But what do you feel when he goes like... I mean, obviously, you've done a bit of this in your life, you know, fights and stuff.

Do you think the trash talking helps him or hurts him? Listen, from the history of life, the trash talkers are the ones that are remembered, okay? If you're not saying nothing, you're not remembered, Okay. What do you feel about the kind of cancel culture we have started to live in where people feel afraid of sticking their mind? It's not going to last long. It won't survive. I mean, no one could cancel you, could they?

It just won't. People won't tolerate that. It just won't survive. You know, when I was writing, Mike, first as a show business journalist in the 90s, there were three. big superstar mics. There was Mike Tyson, Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson. And Michael Jackson, obviously, sadly, no longer with us. You and Michael Jordan still going great guns. And you and Michael Jordan are going to be two

of the most iconic sporting figures in the history of this planet. Do you see parallels with you and Michael Jordan? Yes, we both want to be the best to ever live in what we did. Do you think you were the best boxer that's ever lived? Well, let me say this. I'm the most glorious fighter that ever lived.

Is that the same as best? No. So who would your suggestion be for the best? Mohammed Ali. And why is he the best? Because he is, the Ali. See, I think Ali was incredible, but he did lose three times, at least. Yeah.

I mean, he won the title. battle back three times. You know, I think... Peake R. Lee v. Pete Tyson. Who wins that fight? Because you were the most ferocious I've ever seen. I know, but I only know how to handle monsters.

He was an animal team. Do you think he'd have handled you? It would have been a good one, but I think I'll leave the best. Mike, when you watched the series and you finished and you sat back, what did you feel about your life in total when you look back on it all?

That was just, that was a moment in time. That's all that time was. It was a moment in time. They'd probably do another one. Something may happen, spectacular in my life for the good or the bad. They may say they want to do a documentary during that. It's just, I don't know. It's just what it is.

Are you proud of yourself, Mike? Proud of myself? Yeah. I never ranked myself before like that. So human being, am I proud of myself? What am I to be proud of? Well, I would argue that where you came from and the kind of young man you were through necessity

to get to where you are now. I'm proud of, yes. I'm proud that came from Brownsville and everybody knows I'm from Brownsville, yes, 100%. Are you happy now? Happy? Yeah. What does that mean happy?

Civilized? No, not civilized. because I think you can be happy and still have a wild streak in you. I just wonder whether you feel happy, whether you feel content at this stage of your life. Right. I don't know. I think I'm grateful,

but I think I still have that stuff in my stomach. And what do you do about it, Mike? When it bubbles up, how do you handle it now? And normally work out. Do you? Yeah, work out. And I write some, We're thinking about doing a movie.

We're writing down the movie. That's what we do, now me and my wife. We think about doing plays and stuff. Your relationship with Kiki is a wonderful one. Have you learned what true love is about with her? True love is, right? What true love's about? Yeah.

True love starts when we get tired making love with each other. Then it's time just, true love. Love happens now we got to take care of each other, take care of the babies, take care of the house. Everything becomes responsibilities now. That's true love. Taking care of people that you have to take care of. That's what I believe true love is. And is Kiki the love of your life when you think about your life?

Hey, my life, she's the only woman in my life. But I mean in your whole life, in 60 years, is she the one when you think about it, that actually you found the right person? Yes, I did find the right person. As of now, she is the best person in my life. Yes, I never found anybody better than her. Yes. Hopefully I don't have to.

What kind of father are you? Me? Wow. I'm right to the point. In what way? My kids will never have to worry about me sugarcoat and anything. So you give it to them straight? Great.

One of your sons Amir, assigned with misfits boxing and he's going to fight. How do you feel about that? I feel he should do what he wants to do. I respect that about him if that's what he wants to do. How do you think you'll feel watching your own son fighting? Pretty objective. In what way?

Because I don't want to see him lose or get beat up. This is something that he had to do and he had to face. And it's something that I think it was good if I wanted to do that. People should challenge themselves. When you were in prison, Mike, a lot of interesting people came to visit you. Whitney Houston was one. Two-pack was another. They both, obviously, died very young.

Recently, there was finally a conviction of murder for D. Davis. And he's been convicted 30 years. after Tupac's death. What did you feel with you? How much time did they give them? I don't know, actually. What are they given? I have no idea.

What do you feel about the fact that there's finally been a conviction there for your friend's murder? It's long overdue. Long overdue. When you look at what happened to Tupac, to Whitney, to Michael Jackson, you survived.

You know, and you said, you say it, I think, in the series, death is just another part of life you've never experienced yet. Exactly. You know, how do you feel about the fact you're still here, you're healthy, you're relatively happy,

I think comparative to earlier parts of your life? How do you feel about that? I don't know. I think sometimes maybe I'm lived too long. Really? You know, a lot of people I love is not here anymore. Yeah. What do you think happens to you when you die? Do you fear it? Do you look forward to it?

No, I don't, I don't know about fear it or not, but I just know I'm not afraid of it. You know, from that perspective, I know it's going to happen and there's nothing I can do but embrace it. Do you believe in God? Are you religious men? I believe in God, yes.

I do a lot, yes, I do believe in God. Funny. I don't think, I don't think God think, if he's going to send somebody to hell, if he sends, why wouldn't he? he sent me to hell. I don't think God have favorites, you know? Well, I don't think you send you to hell

because even though you came from a hellish environment, you made a massive success of yourself back to the Frank Sinatra. I know, but listen, there's so many other people that was massive success, but they weren't good people. All successful people, all great people are not good people.

That's not, that's what you can't claim because I'm successful, I'm going to go to heaven. That's not true. You could be a successful sociopath. But do you think you're a good person, Mike, underneath everything? Do I think I'm good? I think I'm a decent human being, yes. I don't think I'm good.

I do. In all the time I've known you, that's what I've always felt about you, that yes, you've had the life you've had. But essentially, you're a good, decent person. I just like being me, that's all. I've become comfortable with being me over the years and life. Well, there is nobody else like you, I'm Mike Tyson. It is always a pleasure.

Always a pleasure. You know, when I hear you talking, I think about Terry Wogan for some reason. That is an amazing compliment. I loved Terry Wogan, but I know his son well, actually. I did too. I did too. He's my man. That's my main man.

That's my main man. You know, whenever I see you, Mike, we always get on great. We couldn't come from more different backgrounds or the thing. But I've always been a massive admirer of you in the life that you've, You've come through all this stuff and here you are. And watching the series, it made me feel great that here you are. Thank you. Very happy.

And it's great to have you on Unsensit. And you're welcome anytime back on the show, please. Thank you, Pierce. God bless, brother. Take care, Mike. All the best. Pierce Morgan Unsensored is proudly independent. The only boss around here is me.

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