Mike Tyson isn’t holding back about his past struggles with pain management. On the Katie Miller Podcast, the 59-year-old boxing legend admitted he once relied on fentanyl, a powerful and highly addictive opioid, before later advocating for marijuana as a safer alternative.
“I am who I am,” Tyson said when asked about balancing his role as a public figure with his advocacy for cannabis.
Cannabis vs. Fentanyl
Tyson explained his perspective on safer alternatives:
“If I was a role model and an alcoholic and drank liquor, would I want them to do that? No, I wouldn’t want them to do that. I just think from my perspective, using cannabis, that’s safer than using alcohol, cocaine, or anything from that perspective, or fentanyl.”
Despite his pro-weed stance today, he admitted that during the late ’90s, fentanyl helped him cope with severe injuries, including toe pain.
Dangerous Past
“I’ve done fentanyl before,” Tyson said. “In the late ’90s, when it first came here, it was a painkiller, and I used to use it to patch up my toe. It was like heroin; once it wears off and you take the Band-Aid off, you start withdrawing, throwing up, just like if you were on heroin or something.”
Tyson admitted using it “quite a few times”, unaware at the time that drug tests by boxing commissions could get him in trouble. He added that if fentanyl had been legal, he would have continued using it.
The drug has a grim legacy — the CDC reports fentanyl killed an estimated 48,422 people in 2024, down from 76,282 in 2023, highlighting the opioid crisis still gripping the nation.
Tyson’s Next Fight
Even with these past struggles, Tyson is far from slowing down. TMZ Sports confirmed last week that he is gearing up for an exhibition bout with Floyd Mayweather in 2026, promising fans another high-profile clash of boxing legends.
Tyson’s candid conversation sheds light on the dark side of professional sports, the toll it takes on athletes’ bodies, and the tough choices many make to manage pain.
