Mike Tyson introduced Mike Bites in March of this year, a line of marijuana gummies shaped like ears with a bite out of them to commemorate his infamous bit off Evander Holyfield’s ear in his 1997 WBA Heavyweight Championship bout.
Holyfield reacted to the new gummies by saying they were “not funny,” but he quickly added that he appreciated Tyson’s efforts to help people with his products. Tyson and Mike Bites have collaborated on a cannabis product months after Tyson introduced Mike Bites. Holy Ears, a line of THC- and Delta-8 THC-infused edibles, will be introduced by Tyson’s 2.0 cannabis company.
Prior to partnering with Tyson, Holyfield admitted he had not tried cannabis until he got his first Holy Ears sample. “I wanted to make sure I got home and didn’t do anything to anyone,” he told huffpost. “I ate it and laid down. I woke up the next morning and was like, ‘Whoa.’”
Tyson’s cannabis company has a presence in Arizona, Illinois, Nevada, and New Jersey, solidifying his position as one of the country’s leading black cannabis entrepreneurs. The ex-boxer has been involved in the cannabis industry for some time, adding to the growing list of black celebrities who are investing in the cannabis industry, which is estimated to be worth billions of dollars.
Tyson experimented with cannabis as a child but gave it up for decades after being kicked off the US Olympic boxing team. He returned to cannabis, he claims, because he didn’t like the side effects of other painkillers, such as opiates.
Tyson made his professional debut at the age of 18 and holds the record for being the youngest heavyweight boxer ever. He is regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time, and he holds the record for the third-longest unified championship reign in heavyweight history, with eight consecutive defenses.
He knocked out his first 19 professional fights, 12 of them in the first round.
Despite his glittering career, Tyson was dealt a severe blow in 1991 when he was convicted of raping former beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington in a hotel room at the height of his career.
He was found guilty and sentenced to six years in prison after the judicial process. He served three years before being granted parole. Previously, his wife, actress Robin Givens, revealed in an interview in 1988 that she was a victim of spousal abuse.
Tyson was occasionally caught on the wrong side of the law after retiring in 2005.
Regardless, the boxer is cashing in on the marijuana trade. In 2019, the 56-year-old stated that he sells approximately $500,000 in cannabis each month.
The former heavyweight champion also revealed that he smokes $40,000 worth of marijuana every month, approximately ten tons of weed at his 420-acre ranch in California known as Tyson Ranch, which includes cannabis-friendly hotels and a golf course.
Tyson was recently ranked No. 15 on BoxRec’s list of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.
Sky Sports described him as “perhaps the most ferocious fighter to step into a professional ring” after his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.