Mike Tyson couldn’t settle with having dogs, cats, rabbits or fish as his pets. Instead, he had to go ahead and get some tigers.
Essentially, ‘Iron Mike’ got them because he was a “young guy” and thought it would be “cool” before forging a special relationship with them – to the point that he would walk them around his property on leads and even play-fight with them.
Roseanne Barr interviewed the former world heavyweight champion at his mansion back as part of the ‘Inside Edition’ programme back in 1996 and CBS captured some incredible footage of Tyson sparring with his white bengal tiger, Kenya.
There’s playing with your dog and then there’s playing with a tiger. Absolutely no fear in the world from Tyson.
The 53-year old lived with the tiger for over a decade but then, after around 16 years, made the decision to get rid of her.
Speaking to GQ Sports earlier this year, Tyson said: “I did have a pet tiger, her name was Kenya and she was around 550 pounds.
“I had a great affection for her; I kept her, I slept with her, I kept her in my room.
“She stayed with me I had her about 16 years. But she got too old and I had to get rid of her when her eyes and her head got bad.
“Oh and she ripped somebody’s arm off.”
We really wouldn’t be surprised if that last bit is fully serious. If messing around with his pet tiger wasn’t crazy enough, Tyson once wanted to fight a silverback Gorilla for $10,000 back in the 80’s.
A trip to the zoo, which was open just to him after he paid for it, ended in Tyson asking a staff member to let him go up against the animal.
“I paid a worker at New York’s zoo to re-open it just for me and Robin,” Tyson said, recalling the incredible tale.
“When we got to the gorilla cage there was one big silverback gorilla there just bullying all the other gorillas.
“They were so powerful but their eyes were like an innocent infant. I offered the attendant $10,000 to open the cage and let smash that silverback’s snotbox! He declined.”
Having gained experience of fighting tigers, the former ‘Baddest man on the planet’ is due to take on a shark during Discovery’s ‘Shark Week.’
