Mike Tyson says he's 'on the verge of dying,' opens up about drug problems

Mike Tyson admitted on Friday that he's been lying about being sober. (Philippe Lopez/Getty Images)

During his first press conference as a promoter, boxing great Mike Tyson provided details on his path to sobriety and making amends with former trainer Teddy Atlas.

"I'm on the verge of dying because I'm a vicious alcoholic," Tyson said on ESPN's Friday Night Fights.

Mike Tyson builds new life as boxing promoter, performer

Of Atlas, with whom Tyson has a longstanding feud following a falling out in the 1980s, Tyson said, "I don't want to fight you anymore. I was wrong. I'm sorry."

The Fight Network posted a snippet of the press conference, via badlefthook.com:

I'm a bad guy sometimes. I did a lot of bad things, and I want to be forgiven. So in order for me to be forgiven, I hope they can forgive me. I wanna change my life, I wanna live a different life now. I wanna live my sober life.

...

"I haven't drank or took drugs in six days, and for me that's a miracle. I've been lying to everybody else that think I was sober, but I'm not. This is my sixth day. I'm never gonna use again."