'Can't stop': Mike Tyson's drug confession after boxing comeback

It's certainly not the approach most professional athletes would take, but Mike Tyson has admitted to smoking marijuana "every day" after making his long-awaited return to the boxing ring on Sunday.

Tyson showed glimpses of his destructive prime during the 54-year-old boxing icon's lively exhibition bout with 51-year-old legend Roy Jones Jr.

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The former heavyweight champion's preparation for the fight was fierce, with videos showing the intensity of his workouts and his brutal hitting power.

What fans didn't see was the boxing legend's daily drug use, which would no doubt come as a shock to many.

The boxing great owns a 40-acre marijuana farm in California that grows nine strains of cannabis - aptly named Tyson Ranch.

After getting into the weed industry in 2018, Tyson has previously admitted to smoking some $40,000 worth of the drug every month.

When asked if he'd maintained that lifestyle during preparation for his boxing comeback, the 54-year-old's response was emphatic.

“Absolutely yes… Listen, I can’t stop smoking,” Tyson told reporters after the fight with Jones Jr.

“I smoked during fights. I just have to smoke, I’m sorry. I’m a smoker. … I smoke everyday. I never stopped smoking.”

Tyson and Jones Jr. were tested by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association for performance-enhancing drugs before their bout, however, marijuana was not one of the drugs on the list.

“It’s just who I am,’’ Tyson said.

“It has no effect on me from a negative standpoint. It’s just what I do and how I am and how I’m going to die. There’s no explanation. There’s no beginning, there’s no end.”

Tyson and Jones fought eight two-minute rounds, and both emerged smiling and apparently healthy from a highly unusual event at Staples Center.

Boxing greats put on a show for fans

Both fighters had impressive moments during a fight that was unofficially ruled a draw by the WBC judges at ringside.

However, there was uproar amongst boxing fans and pundits, with many believing Tyson should have been declared the winner.

"This is better than fighting for championships," Tyson said of the heavyweight exhibition, which raised money for various charities.

"We're humanitarians now. We can do something good for the world. We've got to do this again."

The former heavyweight champion of the world's return to the ring after a 15-year absence attracted international attention, and Iron Mike did his best to show the form that made him a legend to a generation of boxing fans.

Tyson tagged Jones with body shots and a handful of head punches during a bout that was required to be a fairly safe glorious sparring session by the California State Athletic Commission.

"The body shots definitely took a toll," said Jones, the former four-division world champion widely considered the most skilled boxer of his generation.

"It's something to take the punches that Mike throws. I'm cool with a draw. Maybe we can do it again."

Jones walked to the ring with gloves and trunks honouring Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, while Tyson wore his signature all-black trunks.

After the traditional pre-fight pomp and an introduction by Michael Buffer, the 50-something champions both came out throwing punches that evoked echoes of their glorious primes.

with AAP

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