Inside the weird world of Mike Tyson from smoking toad venom, blowing $300million and staring death in the face

MIKE TYSON’S world has included smoking psychedelics, running a cannabis empire and perhaps most surprisingly of all, now boxing again.

The heavyweight icon is on the verge of returning to the ring 15 years after retiring on his stool.

Tyson faces YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on November 15 in Texas in a controversial clash slammed by many for the 30-year age gap.

The youngest heavyweight champion of all time, aged just 20 when he won the belt, did have an exhibition with Roy Jones Jr in 2020.

That was just a year after he first smoked TOAD VENOM in a bid to treat his substance addiction.

The practise involves venom being extracted from the glands of the Sonoran Desert toad, dried into a crystalline substance and smoked in a pipe.

Effects range from easing depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to panic, dysphoria and the complete loss of one’s sense of self.

Tyson’s first toad venom smoking ceremony lasted 20 minutes and left him fearing for his life.

Gerardo Sandoval, a pioneer for the practise, told The Times: “At the beginning he thought he was actually dying. He was demanding that I make it stop.

“He launched himself towards me. He tried to give me a punch, then the toad fully grabbed him and he fell. It gave him a knockout.

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“What Mike went through was almost like a rebirth. He stopped
taking antipsychotic and sleeping pills because he wasn’t sad or angry
any more.

“He started to lose weight, he changed his diet, he shifted
into a healthier mode of living.”

Tyson has now smoked the toad over 50 times since his frightening first experience.

Iron Mike has also made fortunes from a cannabis empire of his own.

There was once a time he filed for bankruptcy having blown through $300MILLION (£230m) during his prizefighting career.

But he recouped his wealth in retirement as a pop culture icon, featuring in films like comedy classic The Hangover.

He then ventured into the marijuana business and his company’s chief executive claimed they did nine figures in revenue last year.

And his wealth is set to rocket up another $40m (£30m) when he shares the ring with 10-1 Paul over eight two-minute rounds.

They were initially due to fight on July 20 but Tyson was forced to pull out after suffering a stomach ulcer flare up during a flight.

It was also just two years ago that the reformed Baddest Man on The Planet was pictured leaving Miami airport in a wheelchair due to sciatica.

But Tyson has been passed medically fit to resume training, which he does six days a week in Las Vegas.

He has three fledgling professional heavyweight sparring partners living in a shared house with coach Rafael Cordeiro.

Billy White, a childhood friend who was also trained by D’Amato, recently reunited with Tyson.

And White said: “Cus always taught us that age was nothing but a number, and Mike has looked 25 years old in that ring.”

Tyson – who spent three years in prison from 1992 for a rape conviction – is happily married to third wife Lakiha Spicer.

And she is described as as the mastermind behind Tyson’s business ventures, also helping run his current training camp.

Florida-based coach White, who witnessed Tyson’s rise, fall and reincarnation, compared him to a phoenix.

White said: “He rises from the ashes, no matter what. There is no
obstacle he can’t overcome.”