PASADENA, CA–That’s Iron Mike Tyson eying my ears like they were big juicy pork chops. (Thanks to ace shooter and TCA colleague April MacIntyre for the photo op.)
The former heavyweight champion made the scene Thursday night at the lavish OWN Network launch party hosted by Oprah Winfrey. Tyson was at a session earlier in the day to promote the Animal Planet series Taking on Tyson. The man has this thing about pigeons, raising them in a special pen he built in his old Brooklyn neighbourhood and racing them across rooftops. I swear I’m not making any of this up. The guy loves pigeons, okay? You tell him he’s nuts. The six part series premieres in March in the U.S.
Critics were given red leather Everlast boxing gloves as a memento of the series, although boy is it hard to type with them on.
Once the most feared man in or out of the ring, Tyson is more of a pussycat today. He told me he already shot his scenes for the upcoming sequel to The Hangover, the comedy film that went a long way toward revamping his image. I complimented him on his own recent documentary and we talked about another boxing doc, Facing Ali. Tyson says he was moved to tears watching former Canadian champ George Chuvalo spill his guts about the tragic life and death of two of his sons along with his wife.
Tyson stayed late at the Oprah bash, sneaking in photo ops with the host as well as her gal pal, Gayle King, who is fortunately no relation to Don King.
