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Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson Quotes

Professional Boxer

Mike Tyson, born on June 30, 1966, is a renowned professional boxer from the United States. He achieved great success in the 1980s and early 1990s, becoming a world heavyweight boxing champion. Tyson was known for his powerful punching and unique boxing style, winning the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF heavyweight championship titles.

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Famous Mike Tyson Quotes

“We're all going to have tests in our life... We never know when that test comes, but we know we have to be prepared for it. We're all going to be tested. The dark energy is going to knock on all of our doors.”

Knows Energy Dark Our Lives Doors Tests Prepared Mma Be Prepared Tested Dark Energy

Author:Mike Tyson

“Fear is like fire; it can be helpful if you know how to use. If not, you'll get burned.”

Ifs Knows Use Know How Fire Helpful Mma Burned

Author:Mike Tyson

“I like entertaining people. I like being on stage. I like being in the life. This is what I do. This is the only thing I know how to do besides rob people and fight. Even when I was robbing people, I was entertaining them. But that's just what I love doing.”

People Knows Fighting Know How Stage Entertaining Robbing

Author:Mike Tyson

“My nature is to get instant gratification. On stage, I can feel everybody's anticipation. I know what they want, I know what I'm going to give them, I know when I'm going to give it to them, I know when they want it.”

Knows Want Giving Feels I Can Stage Instant Anticipation Gratification Instant Gratification

Author:Mike Tyson

“I never wanted to do anything else but fight, when I was a kid. I never had any broader perspective of my own perspective. I didn't know anything about anything else. I just wanted to fight until I could fight no more, and then I wanted to own a bar and drink and tell war stories.”

Knows War Stories Kids Wanted Fighting My Own Perspective Drink Bars War Stories

Author:Mike Tyson

“I love acting. I love stage work, more than anything. It's just live. It's right there in front of you. If you make a mistake, they know it and you know it. I won't do anything where I feel like I'm just making a fool out of myself. By doing that, I'm able to rise to my highest potential.”

Ifs Knows Feels Able Acting Mistake Stage Fronts Fool Highest Just Live

Author:Mike Tyson

“I just want to try everything. I want to see how good I can be, the best I can be at what I'm doing. I want to do everything. You know? I want to be in a musical. I want to do everything. I want to try and sing.”

Knows Want Trying I Can Musical Being The Best

Author:Mike Tyson

“Fear and the thought of failure . . . But we don't really know what fear is. Fear is something that we create in our own minds. Fear could be like fire. You can use it to heat you up, keep you warm, cook your food. There are so many things you can use it for. But if you allow it to go out of control, it will destroy you and everything around you.”

Ifs Knows Mind Use Fire Warm Cooks Heat

Author:Mike Tyson

“I was an emotional manipulator of fighters . . . You have to know how to be cold, you know? Just have no -emotions, no feelings. It takes time, though, to develop that. I'd been working on that since I was 12 years old. It doesn't happen overnight.”

Knows Years Feelings Happens Emotion Know How Emotional Cold Fighter Take Time It Takes Time Manipulator

Author:Mike Tyson

“Boxing is an ego-driven sport. The idea is to not get too personal or emotional with it. You just know when it's over, it's over, and that's it.”

Knows Ideas Sports Emotional Ego Driven Boxing Over It

Author:Mike Tyson

“You have to be a friend to yourself. You know, 'cause if you're not a friend to yourself, you're an enemy to yourself and if someone's a friend of everybody they are an enemy to themselves.”

Ifs Knows Causes Enemy

Author:Mike Tyson

“You have to compete in life because if you don't have no competition - no competition, no spirit, you know, you'll fall under the slightest struggle.”

Ifs Knows Spirit Fall Struggle Competition

Author:Mike Tyson

“I don't want my kids to be like me, I don't want my daughter to date a guy like me. You know, for a guy like me success is to take care of my children to take care of their life and make 'em cushioned. I don't want them to be around people like me. You know, success for me would be that they never have the opportunity of being in the presence of someone like me.”

People Knows Want Children Would Be Care Kids Guy Opportunity Daughter Take Care Like Me My Children Ems My Daughter

Author:Mike Tyson

“The most important thing in the world for show business, really, you know everything's a high-tech business, but what people want now is what they can't get - exclusivity.”

People Knows World Want Important Shows Important Things Show Business Exclusivity

Author:Mike Tyson

“If Mike Tyson is in your courtroom and you don't send him to jail, it's an injustice. Everyone knows he's a bad guy. So if he is in your courtroom, he should go to jail.”

Ifs Knows Should Guy Injustice Jail Bad Guys Mike Tyson Courtroom

Author:Mike Tyson

“I had it in my mind: to be confident, and to keep saying that until the confidence appeared. But I took it too far. Confidence did help make me champion, but, man, I took it to a whole different level. I was a megalomaniac. I was not humble and it eventually came back on me. So I want my kids to know, keep humbleness and kindness in their hearts. It will prevail.”

Knows Men Want Mind Heart Different Whole Helping Kids Levels Kindness Humble Champion Be Confident Humbleness Different Levels Megalomaniacs

Author:Mike Tyson

“Without struggle, there is no progress. There has to be struggle in your life. You have to grow in experience to control your ego. Cause, you know, an ego can be crushed, it can be killed, it can be smashed, but it comes back. It never dies. That's the thing about the ego: it never dies.”

Knows Dies Grows Causes Struggle Progress Ego Crushed

Author:Mike Tyson

“Fighting is spiritual. It appears to be physical from the layman's eyes. In my fights, I seemed to be angry and mad - all that stuff you saw me doing, the yelling and screaming and being mean in the ring - but I'm cool as a cucumber. I can hear everybody talking around me outside of the ring. I can see everybody. I know what is going on.”

Knows Mean I Can Eye Spiritual Fighting Stuff Talking Saws Angry Mad Rings Being Me Yelling Layman Cucumbers Being Mean Yelling And Screaming

Author:Mike Tyson

“I earned that the strong will always beat the weak, but the smart will beat the strong. Boxing is a tough guy sport. But in the end, the tough guy gets to clean the streets and be a bodyguard. In the ring, the tough guy is going to get hurt; at the end of the day, he's going to talk funny. Only the smartest win. So, I know it's cliché, but power - real power - comes from knowledge, comes from smarts.”

Knows Real Ends Guy Winning Strong Sports Hurt Streets Smart Beats Tough Weak Clean Rings Boxing The End Of The Day Strong Will Bodyguard Real Power Tough Guy

Author:Mike Tyson

“It's just what I'm born to do, I'm born to entertain people. I could do it for thirty-thousand people or three people, it's just what I know how to do. My soul objective only is for me to have the audience say 'when's the next time I can see him?' That's what I do.”

People Knows I Can Soul Three Next Born Audience Know How Thousand Objectives My Soul Thirty Next Time

Author:Mike Tyson

“If I was fighting myself, I always say that I would kill Mike Tyson but then again I don't know how hard a punch Mike Tyson can take and I don't know how hard Mike Tyson's punch is. I don't know. For me looking at me, I think I can beat me.”

Ifs Thinking Knows I Can Hard Fighting Know How Beats Mike Tyson

Author:Mike Tyson

“I know at times I come across like a Neanderthal or a babbling idiot, but I like that person.”

Knows Persons Idiot Babbling Neanderthals

Author:Mike Tyson

“I don't know, man, I guess I'm gonna fade into Bolivian.”

Knows Men Fades Dumb Celebrity

Author:Mike Tyson

“I'm trying to figure things out in the world. No one knows what this life thing is all about - there's no manual. Just trying to figure it out.”

Knows World Trying Figures This Life Manuals

Author:Mike Tyson

“People tell me I'm a comedian, but I don't approach acting from that perspective. I do know that everything in life has to do with your timing and perception. You have to be comfortable with the rhythm that you're in. You can't just jump into a fast rhythm if yours is slow. You might have to pick up the pace but in your own particular way. It has to do with personality, too.”

People Ifs Knows Way Might Acting Particular Perspective Personality Comfortable Perception Approach Picks Rhythm Comedian Pace Timing

Author:Mike Tyson

“It's good to know how to read, but it's dangerous to know how to read and not how to interpret what you're reading.”

Knows Reading Know How Dangerous

Author:Mike Tyson

“Anyone with a grain of sense would know that if I punched my wife I would rip her head off. It's all lies. I have never laid a finger on her.”

Ifs Knows Lying Sports Wife Fingers My Wife Deceit Grain Mike Rip

Author:Mike Tyson

“I'm not much for talking. You know what I do. I put guys in body bags when I'm right.”

Knows Body Guy Talking Boxing Bags

Author:Mike Tyson

“People are going to say what they say. I know sometimes I say things; I offend people.”

People Knows Sometimes Sports

Author:Mike Tyson

“I know I'm going to blow one day. My life is doomed the way it is. I have no future.”

Knows Way Life Is Sports Fate One Day Blow Boxing Doomed

Author:Mike Tyson

“I just look around and say, I'm a mess. I don't know why I do things.”

Knows Looks Sports Mess Existentialism

Author:Mike Tyson

“The one thing I know, everyone respects the true person and everyone's not true with themselves.”

Knows Persons One Thing Conflict True Person

Author:Mike Tyson

“I still can’t believe [ Muhammad Ali ] knows my name. It astounds me he knows who I am. I first met Ali in 1976. I was locked up in a juvenile home and he came to visit. I’ve never forgotten it.”

Knows Firsts Believe Stills Home Names Mets Forgotten Who I Am Locked Muhammad Locked Up Juvenile

Author:Mike Tyson

“One minute I'm robbing a dope house. Next minute I'm the youngest heavyweight champion of the world. I'm only 20, 19, with a lot of money. Who am I? What am I? I don't even know who I am. I'm just a dumb child who's being abused and robbed by lawyers. I'm just a dumb pugnacious fool. I'm just a fool who thinks he's someone. Then you tell me I should be responsible.”

Thinking Knows World Should Children Next House Minutes Fool Responsible Lawyer Who I Am Dumb Champion Boxing Lots Of Money Mike Being Responsible Dope One Minute Robbing Heavyweights

Author:Mike Tyson

“My father was a pimp before he became a deacon or something. These people know how to handle women. I'm the worst guy in the world with women. They run circles around me.”

People Knows World Running Guy Father Know How Worst Circles Handle Pimp Deacons

Author:Mike Tyson

“I'm not used to sensitivity any more. When I see people cry when I lose, save your tears. I don't know how to handle people crying any more. I lost my sensitivity like that. Please, you embarrass me when you cry because I don't know what to do when you cry. I don't know what to say.”

People Knows Used Lost Loses Know How Cry Tears Please Handle Sensitivity

Author:Mike Tyson

“I want to throw down your kid and stomp on his testicles, and then you will know what it is like to experience waking up everyday as me. And only then will you feel my pain.”

Knows Want Feels Kids Pain Wake Up Everyday Waking Testicles

Author:Mike Tyson

“I never saw my mother happy with me and proud of me for doing something: She only knew me as being a wild kid running the streets, coming home with new clothes that she knew I didn't pay for. I never got a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but it's crushing emotionally and personally.”

Knows Home Running Kids Mother Chance Pay Saws Streets Effects Proud Clothes Crush Coming Home Proud Of Me New Clothes

Author:Mike Tyson

“The one thing I know, everyone respects the true person and everyone's not true with themselves. All of these people who are heroes, these guys who have been lily white and clean all their lives, if they went through what I went through, they would commit suicide. They don't have the heart that I have. I've lived places they can't defecate in.”

People Ifs Knows Heart Persons Has Beens Guy White One Thing Hero Suicide Clean Commit Lilies True Person

Author:Mike Tyson

“I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.”

Knows Hard Black Know How Boxing Black Women

Author:Mike Tyson

“Everyone says "I wish I was in your shoes...", the hundreds of people that wish they were in my shoes don't know the tenth of it. If they were in my shoes they would cry like a baby.”

People Ifs Knows Motivation Wish Fear Cry Baby Shoes Fighter Mike Intimidation Mental Strength

Author:Mike Tyson

“I'm gonna make sure you talk about me, and your grandkids and kids after that gonna know about me...your great grandkids will say "wow, wasn't that a bizarre individual?"”

Knows Kids Motivation Individual Fear Fighter Wow Bizarre Mike Intimidation Grandkids Mental Strength Great Grandkids

Author:Mike Tyson

“If they don't have that extreme addict personality, you can never understand how a guy can blow 300 or 400 million dollars. If I have to live at the top of the world, I also have to live at the bottom of the ocean. I don't know how to live in the middle of life.”

Ifs Knows World Motivation Guy Fear Millions Know How Middle Personality Ocean Dollars Bottom Blow Extremes Fighter Addict Mike Million Dollars Intimidation Mental Strength Top Of The World

Author:Mike Tyson

“I hope I can improve. I'm far from perfect. Sometimes, I wonder what would happen if I fought myself. I think it would be a one-round KO. But if I was fighting myself, I know I could take my best punch. No, make that two rounds. I would knock myself out in two rounds.”

Ifs Thinking Knows I Can Two Sometimes Happens Would Be Fighting Perfect Wonder Rounds Boxing Sometimes I Wonder

Author:Mike Tyson

“I was in handcuffs. I was under arrest. I remember there was this old lady looking at me, and I could tell she felt real sorry for me, and she did'nt know but all I wanted to do was take her purse.”

Knows Real Wanted Remember Felt Sorry Boxing Purses Old Lady Handcuffs

Author:Mike Tyson

“I'am not predictor of fights, but I know when I hit 'em good, the fight is close to an end”

Knows Ends Fighting Boxing Ems

Author:Mike Tyson

“I don't want to be grotesque, but when you're 330 pounds, it's hard to wipe your a-. You know?”

Knows Want Hard Ass Boxing Pounds Wipe Grotesque

Author:Mike Tyson

“I've been a prima-dona. I was taken care of since I was 13. That's why I am the way I am today. I was spoiled, like a brat. I had anything I wanted. That's crazy to be that way all your life. Everybody's taking care of you, but manipulating you at the same time. Very few people have a life like that. Most people have to work like slaves their whole lives. I've never had a job in my life. What I know how to do is hurt big, tough men - in the street and off.”

People Knows Men Way Whole Bigs Care Today Wanted Jobs Hurt Know How Taken Crazy Streets Tough Slave Whole Life Boxing Mike Spoiled And Off Brat Prima Donnas Tough Man I Am The Way I Am

Author:Mike Tyson

“My life's not tragic at all. How many guys do you know who are bankrupt and just bought a $3 million house and are getting ready to get $6 million more?”

Knows Guy House Millions Ready Boxing Tragic Do You Know

Author:Mike Tyson

“I didn't know how to be any other way. I felt like one of those barbarian kings just coming to conquer the Roman Empire.”

Knows Way Felt Know How Kings Conquer Boxing Empires Barbarians Roman Empire

Author:Mike Tyson

About the Author

Born: June 30, 1966
Known for: Professional Boxer
Quotes: 368

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Boxing Mike Knows People Ifs Sports Want Fighting Fighter Guy Thinking Fear Intimidation Men Mental Strength Motivation World Way I Can Mma

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Books & Sources

Iron Ambition: Lessons I've Learned from the Man Who Made Me a ChampionRelated source material

Undisputed TruthRelated source material

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