![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2021-10-07/E_MikeTyson_ABC%20News%20Framegrab100721.jpg)
Mike Tyson says he lost the fight against getting vaccinated.
Ahead of his reported December fight with boxing great Lennox Lewis, Tyson told USA Today that he only received the COVID-19 vaccination so he could travel without any issues.
“I didn’t do it willingly,” Tyson said. “I’m a little apprehensive of that. I was pretty much beaten into submission to do this because I travel internationally. And if I don’t travel, we don’t eat.”
He continued, “So I decided to take the risk and take the shot. And people, they have their own choice. I never got sick.’’
While the boxing legend notes that he didn’t have an adverse reaction to the vaccine, Tyson shares that he “might have caught” COVID-19 at one point because of some recent symptoms, which included “coughing, throwing up water” and being “dehydrated.”
Now, he says, he’s feeling much better. “I really feel well. The best I ever felt,” he declares.
Tyson appears to be getting back into competitive shape. On Wednesday, the 55-year-old former boxing champ shared a photo on Instagram of himself in the ring sparring with another athlete.
“Adversity makes the strong stronger, and the weak weaker,” Tyson captioned the photo.
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.