Boxing legend Mike Tyson talks health and relationship with Trump

On Sunday, football fans tuning in for the Super Bowl matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will also get a first look at an ad featuring a well-known professional boxer.

Legendary boxer Mike Tyson, long known as “the baddest man on the planet,” joined Fox News Channel’s “Jesse Watters Primetime” Friday night to discuss his personal health journey.

“I would get up in the morning and I would eat a lot of nothing, Captain Crunch cereal … probably two giant bowls of that for breakfast. And then later on that day, I may go get some ice cream. I would just eat a bunch of junk food when I’m at my worst. Just junk food, drinking … disastrous. It wasn’t good back then for me. A lot of my friends … my wife didn’t think I would make it to 60.”

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Mike Tyson during an open workout session, held at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas, ahead of his heavyweight bout with Jake Paul, on Nov. 15, 2024 at AT&T Stadium. (Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

When asked what steps he took to get his health on track, Tyson replied: “I first started walking 10 minutes a day… I started walking 10 mins up to an hour. Then I stopped eating everything. (The) only thing I started eating was tomato soup and rice and water.”

The former undisputed heavyweight world champion highlighted the importance of taking care of the physical body. “We’ve only got one body. And we have one chance to really indulge in it. So I wanted to be in the best shape possible.”

Tyson has experienced health issues in the past. Shortly before landing on a flight to Los Angeles in summer 2024 ahead of his high-profile bout with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, he received medical attention. However, medical personnel recommended that Tyson only engage in “minimal to light training over the next few weeks” at the time.

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“During a follow-up consultation on Thursday with medical professionals regarding his recent ulcer flare-up, the recommendation is for Mike Tyson to do minimal to light training over the next few weeks and then return to full training with no limitations,” a statement released in late May 2024 read.

The event was originally scheduled for July but was postponed to November 2024. Paul ultimately defeated Tyson by unanimous decision. While the bout reportedly drew a record audience, the stream was marred by widespread technical issues.

Mike Tyson speaks onstage during the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Boxing match Arlington press conference at Texas Live! on May 16, 2024, in Arlington, Texas.  (Cooper Neill/Getty Images for Netflix)

Before the 2024 bout, Tyson had not fought competitively since his 2005 TKO loss to Kevin McBride. He returned briefly in an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in July 2020.

Tyson said he looks forward to getting back in the ring, adding he wants to go head-to-head with Floyd Mayweather Jr. “We’re going to make it happen on April 25th … around that time somewhere.”

While Tyson competed in the heavyweight category and Mayweather won titles in multiple weight classes, none exceeded the 154-pound junior middleweight limit. Mayweather’s last official victory in a sanctioned bout came in 2017 against MMA star Conor McGregor.

Former professional boxer Mike Tyson attends Celebration of Smiles Event hosted by Dionne Warwick on her 81st Birthday to benefit medical charity organization, Operation Smile and The Kind Music Academy on Dec. 12, 2021 in Malibu, California.  (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)

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Tyson’s relationship with President Donald Trump dates back decades. Tyson credited Trump for pushing him to compete in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“That was just a great idea when he decided to have me fight in Atlantic City … I just didn’t like Atlantic City back then. I just wasn’t an Atlantic City person, and he made me an Atlantic City person … I even moved there one time. I lived there for a few years.”

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