Mike Tyson Reveals How His Encounter With ‘Pigeon Poop’ Led to an Obsession Worth Millions of Dollars

Published 02/05/2022, 1:00 PM EST

The Heavyweight legend, Mike Tyson, has always been fond of petting animals and pigeons, and at one point, he had white tigers roaming all around his house. It cost him some serious money. But Tyson never shied away from spending those amounts on his loved possessions. After being bankrupt in 2003, Tyson didn’t seem to possess any more wild animals.

However, he still has an eye for pigeons. Before returning to an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, ‘The Baddest Man On The Planet’ said, he wouldn’t mind spending $2 million on pursuing a special pigeon. That said, this love and affection came after he encountered ‘pigeon poop’ back in his days.

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In an IG Live session, Tyson detailed about it and said, “I don’t know somebody had me clean their roof and the pigeon poop. So he made me clean that pigeon coop and ever since I done that, I fell in love with the pigeons.”

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Throughout his prime years in the ring, Mike Tyson spun heavy financial gainings. He spent chunks of money on his extravagant lifestyle, in which he also added his expenditures on the pigeons. Per reports, Tyson used to spend $400k/month on the birds. A report also suggested that Tyson was willing to buy three Janssen pigeons back in 2016 at the cost of 140,000 Kroner.

Mike Tyson and his stories with the pigeons

Tyson came from a troubled childhood, and teenage filled with bullies, hatred, and even petty crime. Several kids abused him for his physical features. But that is why he found an extra attachment to the birds, especially pigeons. In an official statement, Tyson had detailed how he developed this feeling.

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The former heavyweight world champion wrote, “As a child, I was very awkward and never felt as though I fit in (anywhere). On the roof, none of my insecurities mattered. As I watched the birds soar above me, in that moment I was free just like them.”

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He added, “My birds never judged me or made me feel inadequate. It was actually the most important relationship that they had. They were totally dependent on me for food and shelter and I felt honored to be needed, and this made me feel wanted and relevant.”

Aged 55, Mike Tyson has seen various sides of life, both good and bad. He has learned from all these experiences and shares them with the modern era with no hesitation. While Tyson will always have umpteen experiences to share, the ones with his pigeons will always be cherished.

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Written by:

A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. Combining his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports, he has earned a combined 3000 plus bylines over the last two years.

Mike Tyson Reveals How His Encounter With ‘Pigeon Poop’ Led to an Obsession Worth Millions of Dollars

Mike Tyson and his stories with the pigeons

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