Sports
Mike Tyson admits he used fentanyl ‘quite a few times’ during his boxing career as painkiller
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Mike Tyson has long been an advocate of marijuana use, even for athletes. But there is one other drug he used to take at the back end of his prime.
The heavyweight champ revealed on “The Katie Miller Podcast” that he took fentanyl “quite a few times” during the late ’90s.
“It was a painkiller, and I used to use it to patch up my toe,” Tyson said.
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Mike Tyson weighs in at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas on November 14, 2024 ahead of his match with Jake Paul. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The effects of the drug got to the boxer quite quickly, and quitting was apparently difficult.
“It was like heroin — once it wears off and you take the Band-Aid off, you start withdrawing, throwing up, just like if you were on heroin,” Tyson said.
But Tyson had no choice but to stop.
“It was illegal if it [was] caught in my bloodstream. It was a narcotic, my friend told me. It was brand new. I told my friend ‘could I use this?’ No one ever heard of it,” Tyson said.
On the podcast, Tyson again called for the use of marijuana, particularly for athletes.
“It’s not a drug. It’s medicine,” Tyson said.
Boxer Mike Tyson of the United States (top right) exhorts Andrew Golota of Poland (not pictured) to continue fighting as referee Frank Garza Jr. raises his hand to award a TKO after Golota refused to answer the bell for the third round of their fight at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan on Oct. 20, 2000. (DANIEL LIPPITT/AFP via Getty Images)
BROWNS FAN JAKE PAUL WANTS SHEDEUR SANDERS AS TEAM’S STARTING QUARTERBACK
Tyson added that athletes “play better” when they smoke, and said he wishes he had smoked during his fighting days.
Tyson told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview on June 30, his 59th birthday, that whether he fights again will depend on whether cannabis is legalized and rescheduled.
He led a coalition of current and former athletes, including Kevin Durant, Dez Bryant and Antonio Brown, who signed a letter to the White House in late June, lobbying for federal cannabis reform. The letter called for the rescheduling of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, clemency for “nonviolent” marijuana offenses, and ending “discriminatory banking practices,” related to financial regulations of the cannabis industry.
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are separated as they face off during their ceremonial weigh-in at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory on November 14, 2024 in Irving, Texas. The two are scheduled to meet in a heavyweight bout on November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Tyson told Fox News Digital in the June 30 interview that rescheduling was the “most important” goal in his letter. He added that he was “let down” by how former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden handled federal marijuana reform, but is hopeful that Trump will take a new approach.
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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IndyCar rookie Caio Collet was involved in a terrifying crash toward the end of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday afternoon with Felix Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward fighting for first place.
Collet got loose in Turn 2 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and overcorrected just enough to send his vehicle into the wall. His right rear caught fire as he skidded down the track and onto the grass.
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Caio Collet drives a Combitrans AJ Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet through turn three during practice on Miller Lite Carb Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Ind., on May 22, 2026. (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire)
Emergency personnel came over to put the fire out and help Collet out of his car.
He was able to walk away from the scary wreck, but track officials called for a red flag. The red flag stopped the race and gave drivers a breather for what would be a total shootout for the final few laps.
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Caio Collet leads the field during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on May 24, 2026. (Michael Conroy/AP)
Collet will fall down the leaderboard as he didn’t finish the race.
The A.J. Foyt Racing driver was making his first appearance in the Indy 500. He graduated into the NTT IndyCar Series after finishing second in the Indy NXT Series last year. He won three races on the Indy NXT Series in 2025.
The Brazilian came into the race in 21st place in the IndyCar standings with 70 points through six starts. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in his first season.
David Maluka talks with Caio Collet before practice for the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on May 18, 2026. (Michael Conroy/AP)
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The 2026 Indy 500 already featured more than 50 lead changes and was one of the more competitive events in recent memory.
Felix Rosenqvist won the race on the final lap.
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When the NASCAR Cup Series went to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 in 2025, Ross Chastain got into Victory Lane after closing at +1800 to be the outright winner.
Chastain’s impressive win came after leading only eight laps on the day.
Which driver will take the checkered flag when the series goes back to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day Weekend for one of NASCAR’s Crown Jewels?
Here are the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 24.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600
Denny Hamlin: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)
Tyler Reddick: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Kyle Larson: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Christopher Bell: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Chase Briscoe: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
William Byron: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Carson Hocevar: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Ryan Blaney: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Chase Elliott: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Brad Keselowski: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Ty Gibbs: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Ross Chastain: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Chris Buescher: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Bubba Wallace: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Alex Bowman: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Austin Dillon: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Joey Logano: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Connor Zilisch: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Austin Hill: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Austin Cindric: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)
Ryan Preece: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Michael McDowell: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Corey Heim: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Erik Jones: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Shane van Gisbergen: +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310 total)
AJ Allmendinger: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)
Daniel Suarez: +17000 (bet $10 to win $1,710 total)
Josh Berry: +18000 (bet $10 to win $1,810 total)
John Hunter Nemechek: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)
Zane Smith: +35000 (bet $10 to win $3,510 total)
Ty Dillon: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Noah Gragson: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Todd Gilliland: +60000 (bet $10 to win $6,010 total)
Riley Herbst: +60000 (bet $10 to win $6,010 total)
Cole Custer: +80000 (bet $10 to win $8,010 total)
Katherine Legge: +90000 (bet $10 to win $9,010 total)
Timmy Hill: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Cody Ware: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Here’s what to know about the oddsboard:
The Favorite
Denny Hamlin is coming in hot off an All-Star Race win at Dover. And while it wasn’t a points race, coming into Charlotte after starting from the pole and leading 103 laps in last week’s exhibition could give him the momentum he needs to grab the checkered flag at the Coke 600. His first and only win at this race came in 2022. In 2025, he started 20th but finished 16th after posting the best lap of the day at 29.37 and leading 53 laps.
One to Watch
Tyler Reddick is having an incredible season. He’s gotten into Victory Lane five times, including the first three races of the year. Cup qualifying got rained out, so Reddick will start from the pole today at Charlotte in accordance with league rules. On the season, Reddick has led 201 laps and has eight finishes in the top five. In 2025, he finished the Coca-Cola 600 26th after leading only one lap.
Sports
Pakistan’s Faisal Shafi becomes first local runner to achieve provisional eighth marathon star
KARACHI: Pakistani runners turned the streets of Cape Town into a landmark chapter of the country’s growing marathon movement as Karachi’s Faisal Shafi and British-Pakistani runner Huma Rehman achieved the eighth star, although currently a provisional star, at the 2026 Cape Town Marathon, a race expected to become the next Abbott World Marathon Major.
Competing against a backdrop of Table Mountain, the Pakistani contingent produced a significant collective performance on the global marathon stage.
More than 27,000 runners participated in the event, but for Pakistan’s marathon running community, the spotlight belonged to a small group of runners representing the country’s running community in the world’s most scenic marathon courses.
Karachi-based Shafi emerged as the central figure of the story. Completing the 42.195-kilometre race in 3 hours, 35 minutes and 37 seconds, Shafi became the first Pakistan-based runner to complete eight World Marathon stars, a milestone considered among the rarest achievements in recreational endurance running.
“This is my eighth star,” Shafi told Geo News after crossing the finish line.
“The eighth Major was actually supposed to happen in Cape Town last year, but due to bad weather, the marathon was cancelled.”
The Cape Town Marathon currently remains in the candidacy phase for Abbott World Marathon Major status.
Organisers announced before the race that every finisher would receive a provisional Major star, similar to the pathway Sydney followed before officially becoming a Major.
Once Cape Town passes its final assessment and is officially inducted into the World Marathon Majors, the provisional star will automatically convert to a fully recognised star, retroactively counting toward your Major
The development effectively made this year’s Cape Town Marathon one of the most historically significant races outside the existing Major circuit. If officially approved, Cape Town would become the first African race to join the elite series alongside Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York and Sydney.
For Shafi, it was beyond personal achievement.
“I am the first eight-star finisher from Pakistan and the first person to complete eight stars while living in Pakistan,” he said.
“This is a huge leap for Pakistan in marathon running because eight stars is a very elusive achievement. Even globally, only a few hundred people may have completed eight stars.”
Shafi’s run itself reflected the composure of an experienced marathoner. He crossed the halfway mark in 1:39:56 and maintained a disciplined pace through the opening 30 kilometres, consistently running between 4:44 and 4:46 per kilometre before the challenging latter stages tested the field.
While Shafi carried Pakistan’s headline moment, British Pakistani runner Huma Rehman produced one of the strongest performances among the Pakistani-origin participants. She completed the race in an impressive 3:31:34, finishing ahead of Shafi overall and becoming the first British Pakistani runner to secure the eighth world star milestone.
Her race was a masterclass in rhythm and consistency. After reaching 5km in 25:52, Huma gradually accelerated through the course, clocking 51:36 at 10km and 1:16:45 at 15km before crossing halfway in 1:46:43. Remarkably, she maintained almost identical pacing deep into the latter stages of the race, covering 30km in 2:30:52, reaching 35km in 2:56:08 and crossing 40km in 3:20:53, averaging almost exactly five minutes per kilometer across much of the second half of the marathon, a sign of elite endurance management on a demanding course.
Pakistan and the overseas Pakistani community had six representatives in the marathon. Karachi’s Hina Shaukat produced a personal-best performance of 4:31:23, while Lahore runner Amina Sibtain completed her first-ever marathon in 4:44:51. Kashif Zulfiqar crossed the line moments later in 4:44:54.
Canadian Pakistani runner Ziyad Rahim completed the race in 6:54:33.
Hina Shaukat said that the Cape Town marathon was the proudest finish of her running career.
“It was my third marathon, and I was able to shave 40 minutes off my PR,” she said.
“My family was there at the finish line, and they made this one extra special. The photos may not look fast, but the clock definitely was. This was, undoubtedly, my proudest finish yet,” she told Geo News.
Beyond the results, however, the race symbolised something larger for Pakistan’s slowly expanding marathon running culture. Community running events in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore have witnessed rapid growth in recent years, and Faisal Shafi believes milestones like Cape Town can inspire even more people to embrace marathon running.
“God willing, more people will now be inspired towards marathon running,” he said. “Just like the recent One Run event in Karachi, where so many people participated, I believe this sport will continue growing in Pakistan.”
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