Reflecting on his mother’s death in a 2020 interview, Tyson surprisingly remarked, “You know, one of the best things that ever happened to me is that my mother died. Because my mother would have ‘babied’ me. There’s no way I would ever have gotten into a street fight. No way I would ever learn to stand up for myself.”
While Tyson believes his mother’s passing may have had a positive impact on his professional career, personally, it was devastating. Becoming the heavyweight champion just four years after her death, Tyson was later adopted by legendary trainer Cus D’Amato, who played a crucial role in shaping his career.
In a 2010 interview with BleacherReport, Tyson delved deeper into his relationship with his mother, revealing that he never felt she truly knew him or understood him beyond his troubled youth.
He expressed regret over never having the opportunity to connect with her on a deeper level, lamenting, “I never saw my mother happy with me and proud of me for doing something.
She only knew me as being a wild kid running the streets, coming home with new clothes that she knew I didn’t pay for. I never got a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but it’s crushing emotionally and personally.”