Mike Tyson, was a former American professional heavy boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" has opened a new coffee shop in the cannabis capital of Amsterdam.
Tyson is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time as he won his first 19 professional fights by knockout and 12 of them were in the first round. Claiming his first belt at the age of 20 years, he also holds the record as the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles, as well as the only heavyweight to unify them in succession, no doubt Mike Tyson is a G.O.A T (Greatest Of All Time) from day one.
Not only has Tyson made a name for himself as a legendary boxer, but he has also become a highly renowned cannabis entrepreneur and advocate as he was asked to take on the role of the Cannabis Branch ambassador of Malawi to attract foreign investment in 2012.
The Coffee Shop
TYSON 2.0 the new coffee shop named after the owner was launched on Friday, March 24, 2023, and customers have been trooping to visit the new coffee shop which also offers a range of products under the TYSON 2.0 brand, including other accessories and innovative items.
The launching of the coffee shop in Amsterdam came after the brand announced its first international expansion into Canada in partnership with Purple Farm Genetics. In August 2022, the company also partnered with HEXO Corp to launch TYSON 2.0 products in Canada.
The coffee shop was designed with the brand's iconic color scheme of red and black, along with exposed brick walls and light oak furnishings. The lounge area allows guests to interact with the TYSON 2.0 brand along with the product offerings, and a glass bar.
A Dream Come True
In an interview with a Press release, Mike said: "It is a dream come true to open our first coffeeshop in Amsterdam," his co-founder Adam Wilks, added: “Amsterdam is a city with a deeply rich culture that has transformed t into one of the world’s premiere destinations with over 18 million tourists visiting every year. We celebrate our journey and mark a significant milestone for the company as we extend our international presence beyond North America " We look forward to introducing the TYSON 2.0 brand and lifestyle to Amsterdam and servicing our European fans with the industry-leading products we're known for," he added in a press statement.
The Mike Bites
One of the products from the Tyson 2.0 Shop that went viral and gained much attention was Mike Bites. These bites are edible cannabis gummies shaped like an ear, about an incident where Tyson had bit the right ear of former professional boxer Evander Holyfield. This site resulted in Tyson's disqualification from the World Boxing Association Heavyweight Championship in 1997, his boxing license was revoked and he was fined $3 million.
Cannabis Will Be Banned
Even though cannabis is not legal in the Netherlands, the country has a tolerance policy towards cannabis and other "soft drugs," also, regulations on prostitution this combination has resulted in a variety of appealing leisure activities for many tourists who visit the country.
However, the city council announced in February that smoking cannabis in the Red Light District will be prohibited starting from mid-May, which means that cannabis will only be allowed to be consumed inside cannabis coffee shops, and not in public outdoor areas. Visitors to Tyson's cafe will be able to puff away as they please but they won't be able to take their purchases to the Red Light district as outdoor marijuana use will become illegal in May.
This policy was made as part of the council's initiative to improve the quality of life for residents, who have expressed dissatisfaction with the high volume of tourists in popular areas like De Wallen, the city's largest red-light district.
A New Source of Income
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Mike Tyson’s current net worth is $10 million, this is a far cry from the amount of money Tyson was worth during his boxing days boxing. However, boxing has not been the only source of income for the former world champion, the new coffee shop is undoubtedly another big source of income as customers and tourists from around the world are allowed to troop into the coffee shop at any time of the day.