Mike Tyson Voices Outrage Over America’s Treatment of Olympians, Calls for Change
In a raw and unfiltered conversation on his podcast ‘Hotboxin with Mike Tyson,’ the legendary boxer didn’t pull any punches when it came to discussing the treatment of Olympic athletes in the United States. Joined by former light-heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver, Tyson delved into the heart-wrenching reality faced by athletes post-Olympics.
Tarver expressed, “I started with a chip on my shoulder because one you know months before that I’m walking on that track with the Dream Team. I’m wearing the stars and stripes and when you turn pro the politics you think is supposed to give you at least a fair chance at it. I never had a fair chance at it from the gate, you feel me? I never had a fair chance at it and that hurt me man when I wore the Stars and Stripes. I felt like I was a part of something but when I didn’t get no support turning pro, you feel me? In America bronze medal broke history everything.”
“Even though I was cocky, the referee gave Douglas extra time to recover,” he revealed, suggesting a manipulation of the odds against him.
As the conversation with Antonio Tarver deepened on the podcast, Tyson unveiled the undercurrents of boxing politics. “If they don’t like you… you [have] beef with them too,” he stated