Mike Tyson is giving back-to-back shocks for real, but this time the revelation hits harder than any punch to be true. The former heavyweight champion has admitted that he used fentanyl during his prime years in the 1990s. Yes, the same drug that now dominates headlines for its deadly role in America’s opioid crisis.

Tyson, now 59, opened up during a recent appearance on The Katie Miller Podcast. He said he used the drug to ease the pain in his toe while he still in his prime boxing days. “It was a painkiller, and I used to use it to patch up my toe,” Tyson explained. “It was like heroin. Once it wears off, you start withdrawing, throwing up, just like if you were on heroin.”

For a man whose life has always been full of ups and downs, this confession still feels heavy. Fans, already worried after Jake Paul accidentally told that Tyson is battling illness, now have another reason to question how much his body has been through.

Tyson’s Addiction Battles And A Return To The Ring

Mike Tyson (Photo By Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images)
Tyson has never hidden his demons. In his autobiography The Undisputed Truth, he admitted to fighting under the influence of marijuana and cocaine. He even confessed to being high before his 2000 bout with Lou Savarese and again before his 2004 loss to Danny Williams. In 2020, he told The Fight Network that he was “on the verge of dying” because of alcohol and drug use, admitting he lied about his sobriety at the time. “I want to live a different life now. I want to live my sober life,” Tyson said.

These days Tyson says he wants to live clean. He has become a loud voice for marijuana legalization, even appearing on Fox & Friends with other athletes to push the cause. He argued that cannabis can help people without the deadly risks tied to opioids. “This is something they wanted to do for so many years, but didn’t know how to go about doing it,” Tyson said. “And I was just blessed enough to have the perfect team for this genre of sports… medicine.”

Yet questions linger as he gears up for another fight. Tyson recently announced that he will step into the ring with Floyd Mayweather next year. The planned exhibition has stirred debate among fans, with many urging Tyson to stay away after his difficult showing against Jake Paul.

The idea of two boxing icons squaring off in 2026 excites promoters, but it leaves others worried about Tyson’s safety. After all, the same man who admitted to using fentanyl in his prime now faces the brutal reality of age and years of abusing his health. Tyson insists he feels ready, but everyone is still worried.