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."
