KEY POINTS

  • Mike Tyson was sent to prison for the very first time when he was 12 years old
  • Tyson said he was scared at first but loved being there the very next morning
  • Tyson only had one fight in prison

Mike Tyson has admitted that he loved being in prison during the very first time he got locked up.

Before he became a legendary boxer, Tyson grew up in the tough neighborhoods of New York. As a kid, he often found himself in trouble in the streets and with the law. In fact, Tyson was just 12 years old when he first got locked up in a cell.

In a recent episode of his podcast “Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson,” the 53-year-old recalled what it was like to be locked up as juvenile. According to Tyson, he was very scared upon entering his cell. However, the fear did not last long as the young Tyson eventually found haven in prison the very next day.

“Listen, when I first got locked up I was twelve years old and I was so scared. I went up there, I went to my cell and they closed the door,” Tyson revealed.

“Then it was day time and I had to go breakfast where all the inmates eat breakfast. So when I go to the hall I see all my f------ friends. Now I’m a f------ God. No one better f--- with me then. So I loved being there. Every time I came back I loved being there. All my friends were there. Nobody is going to touch me, nothing is going to happen me. That became my home. I became institutionalized,” he continued.

Mike Tyson
According to Tyson, he was "mad as hell," when he discovered his ex-wife was having sex with actor, Brad Pitt. Reuters

Tyson served time in prison once again in 1992. He was convicted for rape and sentenced to six years in jail but was released on parole after three years. At the time, Tyson was in his prime and it was hard to believe that he wouldn’t be able to protect himself against other inmates.

Surprisingly, “Iron Mike” only got in trouble once while serving time. In another episode of his podcast, Tyson revealed the only fight he had in prison. As per the boxing legend, there was this one time that they were so miserable because they weren’t allowed to go to the gym. And all of a sudden, he heard somebody said something that might have angered him and he went over and hit him.

“Just one time (I had to put punch someone in prison). Somebody said something and I just went over there and hit him. We were locked down for a long time and it was just something that was irritable and I went over there and hit him,” Tyson recalled.

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