Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Ali Walsh, visits Mike Tyson’s $100,000 pigeon mansion

Mike Tyson is known for his love of fighting having forged a formidable professional boxing career, becoming the undisputed heavyweight world champion. But his first love was pigeons.

There are around 1,300 pigeons in Tyson’s collection and Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, had the privilege of being invited down to the $100,000 (around £81,000) mansion for the pigeons.

Ali Walsh recorded a stunning knockout victory on the undercard of Shakur Stevenson vs Oscar Valdez to take his record to 5-0, with four knockouts.

Subsequently, Ali Walsh met up with Tyson and posted the meeting on Instagram, captioned: “The ‘Ali x Tyson’ history has always run deep!!”

This is in reference to ‘Iron Mike’ and Muhammad Ali being lifelong friends and Tyson was even a pallbearer at ‘The Greatest’s’ funeral.

While at Tyson’s residence, Ali Walsh was introduced to ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’s’ pigeon collection and he even had the opportunity to hold one.

Tyson’s love of pigeons began as a young man, when he would keep pigeons as pets while living in New York.

“As a child I was very awkward and never felt as though I fit in. On the roof, none of my insecurities mattered,” Tyson wrote in The New York Times.

“My birds never judged me or made me feel inadequate. I was actually the most important relationship that they had.

“They were totally dependent on me for food and shelter, and I felt honoured to be needed, and this made me feel wanted and relevant.

“They are highly intelligent animals, and arguably the most loyal. Make a pigeon your friend and you’ll never be lonely.”

Tyson has such an affection for pigeons that he even ended a previous relationship over the birds.

“I was dating this young lady and she said, ‘I don’t know why you’re flying those damn birds, you should be eating them’.” Tyson said on the Boomer & Carton radio show.

“She happened to grab one and she cooked one and proceeded to eat it and I just couldn’t do it.

“It just wasn’t the right thing to do. That’s why she’s not my woman anymore.”