Mike Tyson made a surprise trip to the remote village of Piatnica Poduchowna in Poland to purchase 100 pigeons. The boxing great has spoken fondly of his love for the birds in recent years and has since added to his collection while stopping by the village just three hours north of Warsaw.
News of the purchase was revealed via teamhypetalk on Instagram which claimed that the 57-year-old made the 6,000-mile trip to meet a local pigeon dealer. Tyson was a surprise guest in a village of just 1,800 people where he agreed on a deal.
Tyson’s visit shows that he still has a keen interest in the birds which he has often expressed a fondness for. The former heavyweight champion revealed that he had always been fond of the birds since his youth.
“I always loved pigeons ever since I was a child,” he said via an Instagram post back in Jan. 2022. “They teach us the importance of being compassionate. I created Iron Pigeons to share the deep love for these birds with my fans.”
Tyson also revealed that he broke up with his girlfriend after she killed one of his birds and ate it. Asked on the Boomer & Carton radio show in the US if he had ever eaten a pigeon, he replied: “I tried (to eat one). I was dating this young lady and she said ‘I don’t know why you’re flying those damn birds, you should be eating them’.
“She happened to grab one and cooked one and proceeded to eat it and I just couldn’t do it. It just wasn’t the right thing to do. That’s why she’s not my woman anymore.”
While Tyson’s love for pigeons hasn’t left him, neither has his love for boxing. The boxing icon recently helped coach former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou as he fought Tyson Fury in his debut boxing bout.
Despite providing his expertise, Nagnnou lost the bout via a controversial split decision call. The fighter has since hit out at the judges’ scores after putting in an impressive display while under “Iron Mike’s” tutorage.