Fifteen years into retirement, Mike Tyson still moves the needle at the age of 54.

The Baddest Man on the Planet looks to cash in on his name cache and brand recognition when he fights 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr. in an eight-round exhibition match Sept. 12 in Los Angeles.

But Tyson, who’s rebounded and bounced back financially after filing for bankruptcy in 2003, is not coming out of retirement as a quinquagenarian for the sake of padding his own bank account.

Tyson joined TMZ Live on Thursday for an interview to begin promoting the event, explaining his motives for fighting again, and how it all transpired.

“My brother in law said, 'hey listen. I know you don't want to fight, but would you fight Bob Sapp? Somebody wants to offer you a lot of money to fight him. I said, ‘get out of here, I told you I don't want to fight anymore!' And then I thought about it in my mind and went 'ding' ... I said I would fight [Sapp under the marquess of queensberry rules] and for some reason, it went from Bob Sapp to somebody else, and this guy, and the next thing you know, I'm fighting Roy Jones Jr. on Sept. 12. I don't know how this happened. I'm just very grateful that I'm not living the life that I was living before. Allah has blessed for me to be able to do this.

“It's going to be for various charities. Nobody has to ever worry about me getting rich, or getting jealous, or saying I'm doing this for money. I'm not getting anything. I just feel good doing this because I can.”

Former adversary and current friend Evander Holyfield was considered as a potential opponent as well before Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) moved on to the four-division champion Jones Jr. (66-9, 47 KOs), who last fought in 2018 and hasn’t yet officially retired.

Both fighters are well past their primes, but Iron Mike’s physique looks bladed in recent footage showing explosive boxing workouts in quick, edited bursts.

"I'm in great shape,” said Tyson. “But I'm going to get in better condition. I just did my four miles today, and I'm going to do my sprints later, and then I'm going to the boxing gym.”

Tyson offered a quick glimpse into what should ultimately be a staged and choreographed encounter bordering more toward the lines of WWE than world-class boxing.

"Anybody who knows me knows that I don't know how to [put less pressure on the gas pedal when in the ring]. I just know one way of fighting,” said Tyson. “That's just what it is. Now I'm doing it with a lot more enthusiasm because I'm doing it for someone else.”

Last July, Tyson hosted a golf tournament and his inaugural charity event supporting the non-profit foundation Standing United to help people battling drug and alcohol addiction.

Once known for his mean streak and volatile behavior, Tyson further shed light on his benevolent side as he now heads on a new path trying to help others.

“All of my life I thought that loving yourself is buying myself a great car, a house, a boat or having a beautiful girl,” he said. “I found out that real love is just helping people and being kind and considerate, and that's what I want to do. I'm not sayin I'm the greatest guy in the world, and I'm kind and all that stuff, but I want to embark on this lifestyle to see if this is where I'm at.”

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist and member of the Boxing Writers Assn. of America since 2011. He has written for the likes of the LA Times, Guardian, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, Men’s Health and NFL.com. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan or via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com.