Mike Tyson sued £1.5m for refusing to appear in giant talking pigeon advert

Boxing legend Mike Tyson is facing a £1.5 million lawsuit after allegedly refusing to appear in a promotional video featuring a giant talking pigeon for gambling brand Rabona.

The 60-year-old and his promotional company, Tyrannic, are being sued by Medier Ltd, the operator of Rabona, at London's High Court over an alleged breach of a sponsorship agreement signed in January 2024.

The proposed promotional show, titled Talking Pigeons, would have involved Tyson answering questions, sharing childhood stories and teaching a pigeon-costumed presenter how to box using a mannequin bearing the face of his former rival, Evander Holyfield.

However, Tyson's legal team argues the concept went beyond the original agreement, which they say required him to participate in casino games and other approved activities on Rabona's website.

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His lawyer argued that the requested performance went "far beyond the scope of what might reasonably be considered to have even been required" under the contract.

Medier, meanwhile, claims Tyson and his promotional company failed to fulfil agreed livestreaming commitments and withdrew from the deal without proper notice.

The company also alleges that Tyson lost interest in the partnership after securing a lucrative deal for his November 2024 fight against Jake Paul.

The sponsorship agreement was reportedly worth $2 million, but Tyson had received nearly $190,000 before the relationship broke down.

Ironically, Tyson's affection for pigeons is well documented, with the former heavyweight champion having spoken about how caring for the birds helped him through a difficult childhood.

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