In an interview with Tucker Carlson that aired Wednesday, former undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson caused the Fox News host to act a little nervous as he described his fierce mentality before and during bouts.
“I wanted to kill them,” Tyson recalled with a stone face when asked what he thought of his opponents in the ring. The comment prompted Carlson to laugh and exclaim, “Well, I can see!”
“I laugh nervously,” Carlson continued, before continuing to ask if Tyson “really felt that way,” as if one of the most decorated ex-boxers was joking.
“Yes,” was the answer, just as serious. Carlson then opted for a better question and asked Tyson how he got to that state of mind.
Tyson cited his socio-economic background, which he mentioned in the same interview, part of which also aired on Tuesday night.
“Just think about who I am. I don’t want to go back there. I don’t want to be in that state of mind of poverty anymore. Not from a physical perspective; I don’t want to live in poverty here,” he explained, pointing to his head.
“So, before a fight, would you think about it – remember the man you fought?” was Carlson’s next question, even though the answer seemed obvious.
“Absolutely,” Tyson nodded. “The more you hurt them, the higher you get in life. That’s just my mentality: the more you hurt them, the more people will love you.”
“That’s pretty intense,” the Fox presenter responded. “And where, I think.”
Read more at The Daily Beast.
Get the Daily Beast’s biggest scoops and scandals straight to your inbox. Sign up now.
Stay informed and get unlimited access to the Daily Beast’s unparalleled reporting. Subscribe now.
