55 Quotes from Former Professional Boxer Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson is a famous American heavyweight boxer who competed for 20 years, between 1985 and 2005.

Only 1 year after his debut (1986), Tyson became the youngest Heavyweight Champion in boxing history -- he was 20 years old.

“Iron Mike” is well-known for his fierce and merciless boxing style. He participated in a total of 58 fights. He won 50, out of which 44 were by knockout.

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In 2005, after losing 3 out of his last 4 fights. Tyson said that we will retire from the world of boxing as he felt that he has lost the passion for the sport.

In 2011, the professional boxer was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and in 2013 he released a tell-all memoir entitled Undisputed Truth that quickly became a New York Times bestseller.

Tyson is widely known for his controversial behavior inside and outside the ring. Leaving details aside (because there are many), let’s just say that Mike lived a life that makes even the most brutal and notorious fighters out there look like saints.

Here are 55 Motivational and Funny Mike Tyson Quotes About Life and Fear

Mike Tyson quotes about life

God lets everything happen for a reason. It's all a learning process, and you have to go from one level to another.

I don't react to a tragic happening any more. I took so many bad things as a kid and some people think I don't care about anything. It's just too hard for me to get emotional. I can't cry no more.

I'm just like you. I enjoy the forbidden fruits in life, too.

Hard times fall upon everybody. Whatever it is, we’re going to get out of it.

There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes, just don’t make the same ones. We don’t want to duplicate them.

Anger is my biggest enemy in life.

We all have struggles in life but we have to continue to fight.

When you have something in life that you want to accomplish greatly, you have to be willing to give up your happiness…I’ve lost all my sensitivity as far as being embarrassed, being shy, you just have to lose that.

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.

Mike Tyson quotes about fear

Fear is your best friend or your worst enemy. It's like fire. If you can control it, it can cook for you; it can heat your house. If you can't control it, it will burn everything around you and destroy you.

Fear is the greatest obstacle to learning. 

One must never allow fear to develop and build-up without having control over it because if you don’t you won’t be able to achieve your objective or save your life.

There’s nothing to fear but fear itself. It’s an illusion of fear. Fear is an illusion. If you gonna die, you gonna die anyway; it’s not something to fear, fear is not gonna help.

I’m scared every time I go into the ring, but it’s how you handle it. What you have to do is plant your feet, bite down on your mouthpiece and say, ‘Let’s go.’

Another thing that freaks me out is time. Time is like a book. You have a beginning, a middle and an end. It's just a cycle.

Inspirational Mike Tyson quotes

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

Everyone that you fight is not your enemy and everyone who helps you is not your friend.

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.

A man who was friendly with everyone was an enemy to himself.

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.

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.

If you don’t do it for passion and love, the emotional outcome will be disastrous.

The tempt for greatness is the biggest drug in the world.

Some people try to get you out of slavery for you to be their slave.

Our money is bait money, and bait money is not to be used.

Greatness is not guarding yourself from the people; greatness is being accepted by the people.

Real freedom is having nothing. I was freer when I didn't have a cent.

I have the same malice in my heart as far as the fight game is concerned, but outside the ring, I won't say anything a dignified man won't say.

Unfortunately, sometimes you can’t have fun accomplishing your goals. Sometimes people don’t have the determination, the will, the steadfastness, the tenacity, they give in under the slightest struggle.

I know why they don't like me because they want the money I have.

People are going to say what they say. I know sometimes I say things.

I'm a dreamer. I have to dream and reach for the stars, and if I miss a star then I grab a handful of clouds.

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.

You stand your ground and you perform your art. That’s what the artist does. The artist is about perfection.

That equals to being a fool, having fame and no fortune. A lot of guys out there have fame doing this and doing that, but they are broke.

Motivational Mike Tyson quotes

As long as we persevere and endure, we can get anything we want.

In order to succeed greatly, you have to be prepared to fail greatly. If you can’t do both of them, you’ve got a problem.

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

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

That's what people respect, the fact that I wasn't a chump that laid on his back and gave up.

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.

Every win, regardless a good or bad one, gives you more confidence.

You need to learn independence. You have to be independent – it builds character.

Whatever you want, especially when you’re striving to be the best in the world at something, there’ll always be disappointments, and you can’t be emotionally tied to them, because they’ll break your spirit.

In order for me to achieve… I had to regard myself greater than what I was.

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.

I intend to fight and I want to win. 

Funny Mike Tyson quotes

Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth.

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

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

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

You can't stay married in a situation where you are afraid to go to sleep in case your wife might cut your throat.

I'm a historian, and that freaks me out.

I'm a Muslim, but I think Jesus would have a drink with me. He would be cool. He would talk to me.

Sometimes I put on a ski mask and dress in old clothes, go out on the streets and beg for quarters.