Long before Mike Tyson became one of boxing's most feared heavyweight champions, pigeons were a source of love and comfort for him. Tyson has recalled being bullied as a child growing up in Brooklyn and finding refuge in the pigeons he kept, saying that spending time with them helped take his mind off the world around him and the people who picked on him. The birds became so important that Tyson later described pigeons as the first loving relationship he ever had. They were also unexpectedly connected to the beginning of his fighting life. Tyson has said that when a neighbourhood bully killed one of his pigeons in front of him, he fought back, marking what he has described as his first fight. More than five decades later, his fascination with the birds remains strong. In March 2025, Tyson said he owned hundreds of pigeons, perhaps as many as 1,000, across the US.
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