Mike Tyson in 2011

an-also · Post by **an-also** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 7:19 pm

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=A ... dies022111

Tyson finds peace from unusual source
Kevin Iole

By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports 2 hours, 33 minutes ago

HENDERSON, Nev. ג The hands that once caused so much fear, that once scrambled the brains of highly trained men, which caused elite professionals to cower in fear, now gently, tenderly, caress a pigeon.

Mike Tyson, former heavyweight champion of the world, the one-time baddest man on the planet, is now just a working stiff who hustles odd jobs to make a living.

Life is simpler now, more peaceful. Heגs doing what he loves, surrounded by people and things he loves. The zany, out-of-control fighter, who once gnawed an opponentגs ear off, who bit another opponent on the leg during a news conference, who said he wanted to eat an opponentגs children, is long gone.
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Pigeons aren't the world's most popular birds, but Mike Tyson hopes his new Animal Planet show will change perceptions.
(AP)

That was Iron Mike, and this Mike Tyson wants no part of that guy.

He calls himself a גNevada guyג now and says he wants nothing to do with living in Brooklyn, where he was born and raised. גNot even in a penthouse,ג he says, laughing nervously.

Heגs at home in the desert, with his new wife, two of his children and his prized pigeons. Heגs a recovering addict now, fighting daily to avoid the temptations of the drugs that nearly derailed him only a few years ago.

The Las Vegas area isnגt generally the place for people with dependencies like Tyson. And from the backyard of his home, the lights of the famed Las Vegas Strip beckon like a Sirenגs song.

Tyson, though, insists heגs found peace because he came to a realization that took him more than 40 years to accept.

גI used to think nobody liked me and nobody wanted to help me,ג Tyson said. גNo. People were waiting for me to do the right thing. Once you help yourself, people will help you. Thatגs just how it goes, and I found out late. People are just waiting for you to change so they can participate in cultivating your life. Or, theyגre waiting for you to kill yourself and watch you self-destruct.

גAnd what I finally learned is that people say, גSo, what are we going to do? Iגm not going to help you self-destruct. If youגre self-destructive, Iגm going to stay away. But once I see you are trying to cultivate your life and change and throw away those bad habits, Iגll get involved in your life and try to help. Other than that, Iגm not involved.ג ג

He pauses and sighs.

גTheyגre right, of course, but thatגs what I didnגt realize,ג he said. גIt just took so long for me to realize that people didnגt just hate me. They hated the behavior they saw and they wanted to help me if they could, if I gave them a chance and try to start by helping myself.ג

Tyson makes money off of his name, but he insists heגs far from the man he once was. Heגs found projects that keep him busy and pay him money and heגs found that, surprise, surprise, people actually like him and enjoy hearing what he has to say.

Heגs starring in a docudrama series for the cable channel Animal Planet called גTaking on Tyson,ג that begins on March 6 at 10 p.m. ET and PT. The show is about racing pigeons and Tyson challenges some of the best pigeon racers in the world.

The former champion has long had a fascination with pigeons. He fought on the streets for the first time as a 12-year-old when a neighborhood bully in the tough, gritty Brownsville section of Brooklyn grabbed his favorite pigeon and snapped its neck, throwing the dead bird at him, its blood spattering him in his face.

He now has a coop in his home and has pigeons as his pets.

גI looooooove these things,ג he coos, softly.

Pigeons arenגt high on most peopleגs list of cuddly, affectionate pets. In many areas, theyגre considered a nuisance. Tyson, though, sees the birds differently.

Theyגre majestic animals with distinct personalities, he says, the finest animals heגs ever owned.

Tyson has had a rich history with animals, including exotics. Nothing, though, can match a pigeon in his eyes.

גPigeons are the best,ג he said. גOf all the animals Iגve had ג tigers, lions, bears ג Oh no, none of them are even close to the same league as the birds.ג

Tyson says, גOh no, no, no,ג when asked if he has a special understanding of the birds that others donגt possess. Itגs his willingness to accept them that gives him whatever insight he has into their nature, he says.

גIf you think you have some kind of different level of understanding of the animals, thatגs when you think youגre special and thatגs when you get hurt by them,ג Tyson said. גThatגs when you lose it. These animals donגt understand. Pigeons are manגs first feathered friend, but they need us in life. We have a relationship, us and pigeons, especially the thoroughbred pigeons. People take care of them very well, but you know what? Theyגd only live two years on the street, if theyגre lucky. And thatגs if theyגre lucky.ג

Tyson fooled a lot of people by surviving a wild life, much of it spent on the streets, and making it past his 40th birthday still alive. Heגs 44 now and doing better than he ever has, he says.

He still loves the fight game ג he enjoys both boxing and mixed martial arts ג but isnגt nearly as close to the sport that made him one of the worldגs most recognizable figures as he once was. Only a few days before a highly anticipated bantamweight bout between Nonito Donaire Jr. and Fernando Montiel at the Mandalay Bay Events Center that is just a short distance from his home, Tyson asks if any good matches are coming up.

But when the Donaire-Montiel bout is mentioned, Tyson is puzzled.

גAre they good?ג he asks. גExcuse me for asking, but Iגm not familiar with them. Is it going to be a good fight?ג

Tyson is still a fixture at fights in Las Vegas, but says he believes the Ultimate Fighting Championship has surpassed boxing because of the way it promotes and stages its events.

גItגs just more entertaining than going to a boxing match now,ג Tyson says of going to a UFC card. גWhen you go to a boxing match, once the fight is over, youגre waiting for another match and there is nothing going on. Weגre just sitting there with an empty ring and nothing is happening. We might as well stand up, because the audience is the show there. If you go to UFC, גBoom, boom, da, da, da, da,ג itגs like weגre in a club, weגre partying. Everybodyגs passing their drinks and itגs a party.

גWhen the fighters come out, thereגs more music and they build a story up about the fighters and then there is the fight. The fights are awesome ג theyגre awesome, really ג and then, גBoom,ג the fight is over and then there is more music. Itגs a party and a fight at the same time. I know it sounds crazy, but thatגs what it is.ג

He chuckles and explains what heגd do if he were a promoter. He clearly has been paying attention, because everything he says makes sense.

He doesnגt have an MBA but he has a sense of what moves people.

גYou know, people will spend their last dime to be entertained,ג Tyson says. גTheyגll steal a meal and pay for their entertainment. When I was fighting, people watched because they thought I was nuts. They didnגt know what might happen next. There was an entertainment aspect to that, that they wanted to see the unexpected, so to speak. They didnגt know what might happen, but they thought something would and they wanted to see it.

גWith this show, yeah, people are going to watch it because of me and because they want to hear me talk and find out what I have to say. Thatגs part of it. But these other characters on this show are fascinating. I donגt want to say their personal business, but when you see these guys, theyגre little, dumpy white men, fat and stuff. But if you ever get to know them, theyגre fearless. Theyגre not afraid of nobody, with a gun or without. They donגt look like those kind of people, because itגs not stamped on their foreheads like it is with me. But you watch and youגll see.ג

Heגs eager to see the reaction to the show and believes it will be a hit, though not because of his presence. The birds, he predicts, will be the stars.

How can you not love pigeons, he asks? Theyגre a huge part of his life these days and he often spends time caressing his birds, talking to them, quietly watching them soar above him.

גThey all have their own personalities and there are some you like more than others,ג Tyson said. גBut you know what? There are some people you like more than others. Sometimes, because of what you do, or who you are, youגre forced to associate with people and you may not like them or you may not want to be around them, but you have to because of the situation you find yourself in.

גThis is my opinion, but I love these birds. Theyגre fascinating creatures and it gives me a good feeling, a sense of peace, just to be around them every day. Itגs not for everybody, but this is my life and this is what I love to do. I could be happy being around them and watching them for the rest of my life.ג

Versive · Post by **Versive** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:04 pm

appeared on Larry King late last year and spoke extensively on the subject (sport?). It was a great interview.

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Ramen · Post by **Ramen** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 12:13 am

Tyson been had pigeons.

the dead poet · Post by **the dead poet** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 5:30 pm

Versive wrote: appeared on Larry King late last year and spoke extensively on the subject (sport?). It was a great interview.

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never saw this before. Great interview.

Gregg Popabitch · Post by **Gregg Popabitch** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:57 pm

Mike Tyson needs to watch Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and understand his destiny.

uh zip zoom · Post by **uh zip zoom** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:22 pm

ric · Post by **ric** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 2:56 am

He calls himself a גNevada guyג now

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha loving this. especially given the context tyson is in. dont get me wrong, i respect the hustle of anybody trying to improve self but man, being a Nevada Guy is just too funny

Ramen wrote:

Tyson been had pigeons.

beat me to it

Versive · Post by **Versive** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:47 pm

Gregg Popabitch wrote:Mike Tyson needs to watch Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and understand his destiny.

He's clearly already seen and living it.

vermillion · Post by **vermillion** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:01 pm

Didn't Tyson get into his first fight ever because some kid snapped his pigeon's neck?

Kid That's Lifeless · Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:28 pm

vermillion wrote:Didn't Tyson get into his first fight ever because some kid snapped his pigeon's neck?

This sounds right. He talked about his first fight on Real Sports and I'm 99% sure that was the reason.

bmurf75 · Post by **bmurf75** » Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:02 am

Having pigeons as pets can be dangerous. I know someone that worked in a warehouse and developed cryptococcal meningitis from the pigeons that were living in the rafters. He was in the hospital for nine months and almost died.

Versive · Post by **Versive** » Sun Feb 27, 2011 8:37 pm

HOLY SHIT!!!

TYSON HAS A REALITY SHOW COMING TO ANIMAL PLANET...
http://animal.discovery.com/videos/taki ... on-videos/

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A Kid · Post by **A Kid** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 11:17 am

still surprised Vince McMahon never reached back out to him

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 7:30 pm

Tyson did some WWF stuff in his day.