Animal Planet Orders Mike Tyson Series

‘Taking on Tyson' will chronicle boxer's love of pigeons, pigeon racing

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/15/2010 10:44:12 AM

Animal Planet is getting into the ring with former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson, and this time he is the underdog. The series, tentatively called Taking on Tyson, will chronicle Tyson as he explores the world of competitive pigeon rearing and racing.

An avid bird-lover, Tyson has raised pigeons all his life, though the show will follow him as he takes his first steps into the competitive pigeon racing arena.

The series will film in New York later this year, and is slated for an early 2011 debut on Animal Planet.

"I'm honored to be a part of this monumental show on Animal Planet," said Tyson in a statement. "I feel a great pride acting as an official representative for all the pigeon fancier's out there.  I want people to see why we love these birds.  It feels good returning to the rooftops of the city where it all started for me - New York."

"Tyson's passion for his pigeons takes my breath away," said Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal Planet Media in a statement.  "For years, he has been inspired by these birds that he feels have the ‘biggest heart' in the animal kingdom. Taking on Tyson peels back new layers of the remarkable persona and deep humanity of Mike Tyson while also showing us a whole world we never knew existed right on the rooftops of New York City."