Now, Tyson to take on pigeons

You know Mike Tyson as the former world heavyweight champion. Tune in to Animal Planet to meet Mike Tyson, the pigeon lover.
The boxing champ and Brooklyn native has always loved breeding and raising pigeons. In fact, Mike threw his first punch when a neighbourhood bully killed one of his beloved pigeons and threw it in his face. Mike went on to be one of the most (in?)famous, champions in boxing history.And through it all, his pigeons and his rooftop pigeon coops remained his one constant and secret solace.
In the new series, Taking On Tyson, Mike races pigeons for the first time. With unprecedented access to the neighbourhood haunts he grew up in, this docudrama takes audiences to the competitive and bizarrely fascinating subculture of pigeon racing. The stakes are high, but this isn’t about money; it’s about bragging rights.
“Pigeons are a part of my life. It’s a constant with my sanity in a weird way. I’ve been doing this since I was nine.”
In the show, Mike returns to his childhood neighbourhood, and with a band of close friends and new coach Vinnie Torre, enters his first race against two biggies from the New York scene. The team also faces one of their biggest challenges — a 350 mile race with over 900 birds. On race day, the pigeons are taken to liberation point and released at the crack of dawn. The fastest bird to fly back to its home coop is the winner.
Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager, Asia-Pacific, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, tells us, “Animal Planet’s innovative programming formats and entertaining hosts continue to immerse Indian viewers in the full range of wildlife. In this new series, audiences will get an inside look at pigeon racing with Mike Tyson, and his love and passion for the birds.”
Watch the show as it highlights Tyson’s extraordinary personal journey into the bird world, coming to terms with his past, present and future. Taking On Tyson will air on Animal Planet.