Mike Tyson makes surprising confession about darkest years

Mike Tyson had a troubled childhood before he became the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history at the age of 20. 

He was arrested for theft 38 times by the time he was 13 and battled with cocaine and alcohol addiction for years. 

But now, Tyson, 60, says he wouldn't change a thing about his past. 

The boxing legend – who was defeated by Jake Paul in a redemption match televised on Netflix in 2024 – has opened up about some of his hardest times ahead of the release of Netflix's four-part docuseries "TYSON," which began streaming on Thursday, Oct. 13. 

The newly released Netflix series revisits the highs and lows of Tyson's career and some of the darkest chapters of his life outside of the boxing ring. 

Tyson told "People" some memories are hard to revisit, including his two-year prison sentence, the death of his 4-year-old daughter, financial betrayal, and addiction. 

"The past is the past," the boxing legend said. "But the memories are imprisoned in our minds forever." 

Mike Tyson owes his boxing career to... pigeons? TYSON, a new limited series, is now on Netflix. https://t.co/O1aCqKukww

Mike Tyson has no regrets about his troubled past

Despite everything he's lived through, Tyson says he doesn't look back with any regret. 

"Everything that was quote unquote negative turned out to be positive for me," he told the outlet. 

RELATED: What has Mike Tyson done since retirement? Breaking down the personal life of the former boxing champion

The boxing champ, who's now been free from cocaine and alcohol for 10 years, added that even the worst moments ultimately changed him for the better. 

"I'm very grateful for it all because it made me a better person," he said. "Everything bad that happened to me, I'm grateful for." 

One memory Tyson still struggles with is the infamous 1997 Evander Holyfield "bite fight," in which the boxing legend bit his opponent's ear. 

While he doesn't love talking about it, he did it, and it's clearly a memory he'll never be able to escape. 

 "A lot of people thought it was a good thing to do. They were like yeah, wasn’t that great? But I’m still embarrassed," he said. 

"TYSON" is currently streaming on Netflix. 

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