Mike Tyson isn’t afraid to admit he often cried before his bouts began.

During his prime, Tyson was the most feared heavyweight in all of boxing. What he didn’t have in size, “Iron” Mike made up for it with his speed, his agility, his timing, and of course, his punching power. While Tyson was an all-time great inside the ring, he doesn’t like that version of himself because of the problems he was causing in his life.

It led to Tyson having emotional breakdowns before putting on his gloves and throwing leather.

Mike Tyson Had Emotional Breakdowns Before Fights

During a chat with William Shatner, who was fascinated by “Iron” Mike’s story, Tyson revealed why he was so emotional before his fights.

“I always cried before I fight,” Tyson admitted. “I don’t know. That’s just who I am. I’m getting ready to change into somebody I don’t like.”

Shatner was quite intrigued by the fact that Tyson didn’t like the version of himself that earned him a spot in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. For Tyson, the bad simply outweighed the good.

“No because he came more with fighting,” Tyson said. “He brought more than just fighting with him. He brought like jealousy, enviousness, guilt. He brought a lot of stuff.”

Today, Mike Tyson is a huge part of pop culture. He has turned things around in his life to become one of the most adored figures even for non-fight fans. He also contributed to boxing in a major way last year, training former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who nearly defeated WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Much like it was during his prime, you never know what to expect from Mike Tyson, but these days positivity wins out.