Mike Tyson explains how 'psychedelic toad' convinced him to make boxing return

Mike Tyson claims the psychedelic 'Toad Venom' drug is what made him return to boxing as a 54-year-old.

The former heavyweight champion stepped into the ring for the first time in 15 years in November 2020 to face Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition bout.

His last fight before that was a losing effort to journeyman Kevin McBride in 2005 and his return came as a surprise to many.

The contest itself ended in a draw and Tyson discussed it during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast.

Tyson explained: "I did this toad, this DMT stuff and I lost the weight. I don't know what happened, I just said I'm going to do this.

"I did this toad and I said, you've got to do this... you have to do that [and] I lost the weight."

'Toad Venom' is extracted from a rare species of toad native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona.

It's said the drug, which is smoked, can cause a 'religious-like trip' that lasts for up to an hour in some cases.

'The Baddest Man on the Planet' went on to discuss more elements of his comeback, even detailing who his original opponent was meant to be.

Joe Rogan Experience/YouTube

Bob Sapp was lined up to take on 'Iron Mike' before Jones Jr got involved, which then saw former foe Evander Holyfield chirp up.

Tyson continued: "It started with me fighting Bob Sapp, that was going to be the first fight.

"The fight with Roy Jones was supposed to be with Bob Sapp.

"Roy Jones got involved, other fighters got involved, [Evander] Holyfield got involved and it turned into a fiasco.

"Jake Paul got involved and that was the birth of Jake Paul."

Tyson seemed keen to continue his fighting career after the Jones Jr fight and it performed well on pay-per-view, proving he still had it as a draw.

At the time, Jake Paul was vocal in his demands for a fight with Tyson.

Tyson joked he'd want $1 billion to face the YouTuber and stressed he'd heard nothing about a potential fight.

But three years on, the pair will go head-to-head in an exhibition bout on Saturday, July 20, 2024 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.