Mike Tyson back in the ring... this time fighting against Trump

Mike Tyson pulled on his gloves again last year to take part in a headline-grabbing bout against Jake Paul. His fighting spirit, though, has always extended beyond the ropes. Now, the former world champion is engaged in a very different kind of contest – a political battle in Washington aimed at removing marijuana from its federal “high-risk narcotic” classification. Tyson has become the most recognizable face in a broad coalition that includes athletes, musicians, entrepreneurs, and activists.

“This is something they’d wanted to do for so many years, but didn’t know how,” Tyson said on Monday during an appearance on Fox & Friends. He was speaking on behalf of the Coalition of Athletes and Artists Supporting President Trump’s Policy Goals – a wide-ranging and influential group that includes Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson, Roy Jones Jr., Dez Bryant, Antonio Brown, Ricky Williams, streamer Adin Ross, and rapper Lil Pump.

In these politically polarized times, Tyson is seizing the moment.“I’m really happy to be part of this, and to stand alongside other athletes – I had no idea they also wanted cannabis legalized,” he said with genuine surprise on the program.

Politics steps into the ringMarijuana is fully legal for medicinal and recreational use in 25 US states. Another 13 states allow medical use only. Federally, however, cannabis remains classified as a Schedule I substance – deemed to have “no accepted medical use” and a “high potential for abuse”, on par with crack, heroin, and LSD, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“That’s just ridiculous,” said Tyson. “Anyone who’s ever used cannabis knows that’s not true.”

His remarks are far from isolated. Last week, the coalition he leads signed an open letter to Donald Trump, advocating three main changes:The reclassification of cannabis to Schedule III;Federal pardons for people still imprisoned for low-level marijuana offenses;And access to the US banking and tax systems for cannabis businesses, which are currently excluded.

While dispensaries, legal grows, and a $35 billion-a-year industry flourish across half the country, six states – Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wyoming – still ban cannabis completely.

Worse, hundreds of people remain behind bars for non-violent marijuana-related offenses that would now be legal under current laws. “Can you believe it? They’ll spend the rest of their lives in prison over a plant,” Tyson said. He’s also working with The Weldon Project, an organization focused on freeing these prisoners and funding social reforms tied to cannabis justice.

Athletes rewriting the scriptTyson is not alone. The number of athletes supporting cannabis legalization has surged in the past decade. Kevin Durant has been one of the most vocal: in August 2023, he signed a deal with Weedmaps and openly endorsed recreational use. Allen Iverson – a cultural icon for a generation – is now a face of Viola Brands, a company founded by former NBA player Al Harrington.

Roy Jones Jr., another coalition member, has spoken about the chronic pain he endured after years of boxing and how cannabis helped him avoid opioids. In the NFL, Dez Bryant, Ricky Williams, and Antonio Brown have also championed the plant as a tool to manage trauma, injuries, and anxiety.

Williams, a Texas Longhorns legend and former Dolphins star, was suspended multiple times during his career for testing positive for marijuana. Today, as founder of cannabis brand Highsman, he is one of the movement’s most outspoken voices. “For years, they punished us for something that’s now sold behind glass displays,” he’s said.

Mike Tyson has always been a media magnet. Now, he’s using that spotlight to try to dismantle a decades-old stigma– one punch, and one policy, at a time.

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