Everybody in America is so money-hungry. It's like a rat race and even when you win you're still a freaking rat.

Fighting is all about calmness and relaxation. My appearance was all an illusion. My appearance is of a mad man, but I'm really calm and collected. Even though I'm fighting, I'm calm and relaxed as possible, despite my displays, because once you get excited, you can't fight at the highest level of your ability.

I'm a good friend, but I'm a hell of an enemy. As your enemy, I want your demise. When I feel that in my heart it burns till I die.

Our money is bait money, and bait money is not to be used.

When Jesus comes back, these crazy, greedy, capitalistic men are gonna kill him again.

We wanna believe that we're different than the average guy that's working 9-to-5, that our thoughts are different than his. Our inspirations and desires are different than his, that's why we succeed and he didn't cos we wanna believe we're different, but he just didn't get the break that we had...or he wasted it on something else.

I never look at a high point in my career. Everyone thinks about the Spinks fight, but that fight only lasted 91 seconds, so it's hard to say it defined my career.

I still can't believe Muhammad Ali knows my name. It astounds me he knows who I am. I first met Ali in 1976. I was locked up in a juvenile home and he came to visit. I've never forgotten it.

What I want to do in life is just be a respectful man and just take care of my children and guide my family in the right direction. I'm not looking to be a chairperson, I'm not looking to be ambassador or anything in that capacity.

I know why they don't like me because they want the money I have.

My style was impetuous, my defenses were impregnable, and I was ferocious.

Cus D'Amato told me, 'You're the type of guy who has to be hurt to learn.' I'm pissed off today because he was right about everything.

Any man can do what he has to do. But doing it like you love it? That is what takes it to a whole different level. A champion does it like he loves it, even when he doesn't.

I can deal with adversity.

I'm doing what great artists before me did, like Judy Garland, Sammy Davis, Eddie Cantor. I'm doing what they were doing, not at their level yet, but one day I will be. I'm just happy to be in their company.

I don't want to be grotesque, but when you're 330 pounds, it's hard to wipe your a. You know?

Everybody in boxing probably makes out well except for the fighter.

I try to catch them right on the tip of his nose, because I try to punch the bone into the brain.

Real freedom is having nothing. I was freer when I didn't have a cent.

I'm addicted to perfection. Problem with my life is I was always also addicted to chaos. Perfect chaos.