EXCLUSIVE: Mike Tyson's cannabis company is in talks to sponsor English Premier League side Everton FC, its CEO says

• EXCLUSIVE: Mike Tyson's cannabis company, Swissx, is in talks with English Premier League team Everton to sponsor its shirt, CEO Alki David told Insider this week.
• Swissx, which is owned by Tyson and billionaire David, is one of the world's leading producers of cannabidiol (CBD) products.
• "We are now engaged with Everton to take over their shirt. The front of their shirt," David told Insider. "They contacted me and have already offered designs with the whole Swissx logo in blue."
• Swissx was also interested in acquiring the naming rights to FC Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium, however David said the club is being "really precious about [Swissx] being a cannabis brand."
• Everton did not respond to a request for comment from Insider.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Mike Tyson's cannabis company is in talks with English Premier League team Everton to sponsor its shirt, CEO Alki David told Insider this week.

Swissx, which is owned by Tyson and billionaire Alki David, is one of the world's leading producers of cannabidiol (CBD) products.

Swissx had previously wanted to acquire the naming rights to FC Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium, which are up for sale to raise money for coronavirus aide, however a deal was not reached.

Speaking with Insider, David, 51, said: "I'm not walking away from Barca, I'm keeping the door wide open. But we are now engaged with Everton to take over their shirt. The front of their shirt.

"They contacted me and have already offered designs with the whole Swissx logo in blue, which I'm not crazy about, but it will look nice."

David added: "When I first came to England, everybody was supporting Man United and Liverpool, and everybody was red. Being contrary, I liked blue and I liked the logo so randomly I selected Everton to support. So it's sort of a mystical come around."

Everton is currently sponsored by Sportpesa, however will have a new sponsor next season after agreeing to cut short its contract with the betting firm in February, according to The Telegraph.

Should Everton partner with Swissx, it would be the first club in Premier League history to have a cannabis-based product as its shirt sponsor.

Everton did not reply to Insider's request for comment on the possible deal.

Earlier in the week, David told BBC Sport he was looking at acquiring the naming rights to the Camp Nou, because it is a "great stadium" and "seemed like an amazing idea."

Barcelona denied that there had been any contact between itself and Swissx, however David insists otherwise, and says the Spanish club are being publicly cautious because of the nature of the company.

"They are just being d----," he said. "My door is open.

"The bottom line is they are being really precious about this being a cannabis brand. But they've got to realise that UFC embraces cannabis, and other major sporting leagues accept cannabis.

"My brand is not a f---ing marijuana brand, its a wellness CBD brand based on health, not based on recreation."

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