Mike Tyson was recognized for his powerful punches and frightening presence in the ring; outside it, he showed a softer side. That softer side included a profound affection for pigeons. This passion for his feathered buddies resulted in the sudden breakup of one of his relationships in 2013. Tyson’s affinity for pigeons dates back to his upbringing in New York. He frequently mentioned how these birds were his getaway during difficult times. “I was fat and ugly. Kids teased me all the time. The only joy I had was pigeons,” Tyson once said, emphasizing the emotional value these birds held for him, according to the Mirror.
The incident leading to the breakup occurred when Tyson lived with a girlfriend. During a radio interview on the Boomer & Carton show, Tyson recounted the shocking event, “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.’” What happened next was beyond Tyson’s worst nightmares. His girlfriend took matters into her own hands. “She happened to grab one and – and she cooked one and proceeded to eat it,” Tyson said. The boxing champion, known for his tough exterior, found himself unable to participate in this impromptu meal. “I just couldn’t do it,” he admitted, as per The Sun.
Tyson’s girlfriend did something that really upset him. It was more than just a minor thing. He really thought that eating his pet was just wrong. “It just wasn’t the right thing to do,” he stated. He made it super clear how serious what she did was to him. Interestingly, Tyson didn’t immediately intervene when his girlfriend decided to cook the pigeon. When asked why he didn’t stop her, he explained, “It was her house and we were living off of her dime, so she could do [it].”
Tyson was not pleased by the manner she cooked it. He claimed his ex-girlfriend drowned the bird in boiling water. Tyson, who adores pigeons, most likely suffered even more as a result. That moment was the final straw in their relationship. Tyson summarized, “That’s why she’s not my woman anymore.”
Tyson had previously gone to great lengths to defend his birds. He once told a story from his youth about getting into a fight because a bully had killed his pigeon. He explained, “The guy ripped the head off my pigeon. This was the first thing I ever loved in my life, the pigeon. That was the first time I threw a punch.” Tyson did more than simply keep pigeons as pets; he also trained and raced them. It was as important to him as boxing. He was so loyal to these birds that he couldn’t even consider consuming pigeon flesh.
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