Mike Tyson Quotes & Sayings

I'm addicted to perfection. Problem with my life is I was always also addicted to chaos. Perfect chaos. — Mike Tyson

I was blessed with speed and a good punch. Everybody thinks I'm the hardest puncher ever. But I just think I was really fast, and my punches got to the target faster. That's what made my knockouts always seem spectacular. — 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. — Mike Tyson

I'm not Mother Teresa, but I'm not Charles Manson, either. — Mike Tyson

I'm not afraid to be a jerk or anything and laugh at myself anymore. — Mike Tyson

I just want to do what I do best, and that's fight. I love it. — Mike Tyson

I'll go back and take what the people owe me. — Mike Tyson

King has big offices, houses, and he pays his fighters a lot of money. An, because he's black, the FBI figures he must be doing something crooked. — 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 ... — Mike Tyson

I didn't come from a household where my mother dragged me outside and said, "You'd better fight." My mother wouldn't let me fight. I was not an aggressive kid. — Mike Tyson

I just want them to keep bringing guys on and I'am going to strip them of their health. I bring pain a lot of pain — Mike Tyson

People love you when you're successful, but if you're not, who really cares about you? — Mike Tyson

There are nine million people who see me in the ring and hate my guts. Most of them are white. That's okay. Just spell my name right. — 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. — Mike Tyson

In order to be a friend to anybody, you have to be a friend to yourself. If you're not a friend to yourself, there's no way you're gonna have any friends. — Mike Tyson

I don't understand why people would want to get rid of pigeons. They don't bother no one. — Mike Tyson

We all have struggles in life but we have to continue to fight — Mike Tyson

Emotion is more than just anger. When I am performing, I need emotion, but I need control, too. Emotion drives the best performance and is necessary, but it must be controlled. I believe Fedor [Emelianenko] does that. I do too. We may look different in how we do it, but we both do it. — Mike Tyson

Glen Rice is a wonderful man. He's a wonderful guy, but you want her to be with somebody like [Dennis] Rodman getting up in there. Pushing her guts up into the back of her head — Mike Tyson

Some people are faster than others; I'm just figuring it out later, that's all. I'm getting smart too late and old too soon. — Mike Tyson

Most fighters are the most humble people in the world because they've gotten their ass kicked before. — Mike Tyson

These pigeons have been living with each other for 10 or 15 years, but when I throw feed down, they kill each other to get it, and it's the same with the fighters. We love and respect each other ... but we need that money. — 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. — Mike Tyson

I live for the moment to hit people. — Mike Tyson

I'm just happy I'm not a phony. — Mike Tyson

Me? I see an old, broke-ass black guy taking care of a bunch of kids, living life, taking them to school, and all that stuff, who's asking himself: What the hell is this? But I wouldn't give it up for the world because I love my wife. I never expected to have a life like this. No chaos ... no confusion ... no lawsuits ... no violence ... no going to jail ... — Mike Tyson

I feel like sometimes that I was not meant for this society. — Mike Tyson

Guess I'm going to fade into Bolivian. — Mike Tyson

Every great general and warrior from the beginning of time was high. — Mike Tyson

Everybody you fight is not your enemy and everybody who helps you is not your friend. — Mike Tyson

Man is not mean to be humble, he's meant to be humbled. — Mike Tyson

Our money is bait money, and bait money is not to be used. — 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. — Mike Tyson

I can sell out Madison Square Garden masturbating — 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. — Mike Tyson

Man is not meant to be humble, he's meant to be humbled. — Mike Tyson

I could feel his muscle tissues collapse under my force. It's ludicrous these mortals even attempt to enter my realm. — 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. — Mike Tyson

I'm sorry I let everybody down, I'm fighting just to pay my bills. I don't have the stomach for this anymore ... I don't have the desire for it. I feel bad for the people ... I wish they could get their money back. — Mike Tyson

When you see me smash somebody's skull, you enjoy it. — Mike Tyson

Anything that helps pay the bills, I love it. Anything that makes people happy, I'm happy with that. — Mike Tyson

I probably have a 20,000-word vocabulary. I'll match my wits with anyone on literature, science and the arts. — 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? — 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. — Mike Tyson

The boxing's the easy part. When you get into the ring to fight, that's the vacation. But when you get in the gym, you have to do things over and over till you're sore and deep in your mind you say, 'I don't want to do this anymore,' I push that out of my mind. — Mike Tyson

Discipline makes hard men. Every hard man is capable of being a killer. But every killer is not capable of being a hard man. They can't endure that much. It's all about the endurance. That's why they become killers. Because they can't endure the pain. They need to kill the pain to stop it. — Mike Tyson

Even though I heard him say he doesn't believe, cuz' that's why from watching Ali gave me the great deal of confidence and deep-down inner belief to believe there's no man fighting that could beat me. — Mike Tyson

I intend to fight and I want to win. But my priorities are basically to be a good Brother and a strong one, and to try to be a good father one day. — 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. — Mike Tyson

My intentions were not to fascinate the world with my personality. — Mike Tyson

I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman. — Mike Tyson

I don't do anything. My life sucks. — Mike Tyson

Sometimes they laugh at things I don't think are funny, but I believe if they're laughing at me, it's a good show. — 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. — 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. — Mike Tyson

People relate to fighters so much because fighting reflects life. — Mike Tyson

Confidence applied properly is the path of genius. You must always be in a state of confidence. And the way you sustain a state of confidence is by testing yourself. Difficult quagmires that may occur; there's always a test. You have to seek them out. You constantly have to test yourself to prepare for these quagmires. That's why I always put myself to the test. — Mike Tyson

Every punch was thrown with bad intentions. — Mike Tyson

Everybody wants to be somebody. Everybody wants to be noticed. Everybody wants to be somebody important. Importance is just treating people good. That's important. — Mike Tyson

I like the hip writers: Fitzgerald, the guy who committed suicide, Hemingway, all those guys. Some of them were alcoholics and drug addicts but they had fun. They were real people. They formed the culture of American literature. Hemingway admired Tolstoy, Tolstoy admired Pushkin, and Mailer admired Hemingway. It all flows down. The greats are all connected. One day I'm gonna write a book myself. The first chapter will be about what a rough deal my momma got. She believed in you guys and your society. — Mike Tyson

For what I get paid to get into the ring, I owe it to my fans to uphold the institution of sportsmanship. — Mike Tyson

No one wants to get up at 4 and run when it's pitch-dark, but it has to be done. The only reason i do it so early is because i believe the other guy isn't doing it and that gives me a little edge — Mike Tyson

Becoming a vegan gave me another opportunity to live a healthy life. I was so congested from all the drugs and bad cocaine, I could hardly breathe, [I had] high blood pressure, [was] almost dying [and had] arthritis. And once I became a vegan all that stuff diminished, — Mike Tyson

I'm just a sucker even talking to you guys. I should be ready to rip your heads off your necks. But it's just not the right thing to do — Mike Tyson

Any man can do what he has to do. But doing it like you love it? That is what takes it to a whole different level. A champion does it like he loves it, even when he doesn't. — Mike Tyson

Everybody's got plans ... until they get hit. — Mike Tyson

My career has been over since 1990. — Mike Tyson

One day some guy is going to get a billion-dollar fight. — Mike Tyson

You can't be everybody's friend, you can't save the world, I learned this word: self-preservation. Once you do that, you can be friends with people, but how would you be a friend to anybody if you're not a friend to yourself. — Mike Tyson

In America, we're really good at blowing things up but not so good in knowing where the pieces will land. — Mike Tyson

I did my time for the rape. I paid my money to Las Vegas. I paid my dues. — Mike Tyson

I tried to stay away from King. You can't do it. It's like staying away from taxes. Sooner or later, he'll get you. — Mike Tyson

You can't be disturbed by anything. There's no emotion involved. You can't feel sorrow, you can't feel pity, there's nothing you feel. The job has to be done. — Mike Tyson

Sarah Palin met the wombshifter! Old Sarah and the wombshifter. — Mike Tyson

I got a imam, I got a rabbi, I got a priest, I got a reverend - I got 'em all. But I don't want to be holier-than-thou. I want to help everybody and still get some (sex). — 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. — Mike Tyson

I had to persevere because this was my life. This championship, this was the stuff I dreamt of all my life, and I wasn't gonna be denied. — Mike Tyson

Common sense is so very simple but very difficult to grasp. — Mike Tyson

I'm not a Republican, but I have some conservative views on certain things. I'm not a Democrat, either. It's just very difficult that these people hate each other over a belief. I think it all comes down to ego and competitiveness. — Mike Tyson

I want your heart, I want to eat your children. — 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. — Mike Tyson

I'm a bad guy. But if I was a good guy, nobody would want to pay to see me fight. — Mike Tyson

The tempt for greatness is the biggest drug in the world. — Mike Tyson

My style was impetuous, my defenses were impregnable, and I was ferocious. — Mike Tyson

I'm in trouble because I'm normal and slightly arrogant. A lot of people don't like themselves and I happen to be totally in love with myself. — Mike Tyson

I'm just happy I'm not a phoney. — Mike Tyson

I'm doing what great artists before me did, like Judy Garland, Sammy Davis, Eddie Cantor. I'm doing what they were doing, not at their level yet, but one day I will be. I'm just happy to be in their company. — Mike Tyson

I could have knocked him out in the 3rd round but I wanted to do it slowly, So he would remember this night for a long time. — Mike Tyson

Everybody thinks this is a tough man's sport. This is not a tough man's sport. This is a thinking man's sport. A tough man is gonna get hurt real bad in this sport. — Mike Tyson

What was most important was the knowledge [aspect] of the fight. I learned this early on and just told myself to "upgrade my mind." That's just what I wanted to do my whole life. — Mike Tyson

How dare these boxers challenge me with their primitive skills? It makes me angry. — Mike Tyson

Fighting is all about calmness and relaxation. My appearance was all an illusion. My appearance is of a mad man, but I'm really calm and collected. Even though I'm fighting, I'm calm and relaxed as possible, despite my displays, because once you get excited, you can't fight at the highest level of your ability. — Mike Tyson

The ability to apply the discipline, the ability to do what needs to be done no matter how he feels inside, in my opinion, is the definition of a true professional. — Mike Tyson

Sometimes you have to wait for the right deal. They all seem good, at least at first, and they may make you some quick money. But when the right deal comes, and it fits into your [overall] plan, it's just overwhelming success. Sometimes, with the long-term deals, you have to take a risk if you're going to get a reward. It's exactly like fighting. Sometimes you have to take chances to get that huge win. — Mike Tyson

In the scheme of life, in emotion and loss, I responded the way I did. I lost. I shouldn't have responded that way. I've had some people tell me that I did a great thing - sticking up for myself - but to me, personally, with the way that I handled my emotions, I lost. But I learned. That will not happen again. — Mike Tyson

You never lose until you actually give up. — Mike Tyson

Kindness and humbleness are really good qualities to possess. But, if you have to use the word humble, it means you're not humble. And if you're not humble to this world, this world will thrust humbleness upon you. — Mike Tyson

a man who was friendly with everyone was an enemy to himself. — Mike Tyson

This is my career. I have children to raise. I have to retaliate. He butted me. Look at me. My kids will be scared of me. — Mike Tyson

Quayle said the worst thing that happened to him was that he never trusted his own judgment. I said from now on I am going to go with my own judgment. — Mike Tyson