'Taking on Tyson' Pits Mike Tyson Against PETA
March 08, 2011 12:03:36As expected, PETA is not keeping quiet about Mike Tyson's new TV show "Taking on Tyson" which debuted on Animal Planet on Sunday, March 6. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals slammed the competitive pigeon racing show for causing the birds "injuries, exhaustion and death".
"Taking on Tyson" follows the former boxer in his quest to enter the competition. "I have a pretty colorful past so you're going to find out some interesting things about me too," he said about his intention on doing the show. "But the main insight is the birds and what they mean in our lives. Even though I might be out there fighting and getting locked up, this is what we do. This is no hobby."
...
PETA Urges Authorities to Ban Mike Tyson's Pigeon Show
March 23, 2010 01:03:50Former boxing champ Mike Tyson is facing a challenge from animal rights campaigners over his upcoming bird racing reality show after they branded the program "cruel". The retired sportsman has harbored a passion for pigeon racing for years and recently landed a TV deal to bring his hobby to the small screen in U.S. series "Taking on Tyson".
But the concept of the show has infuriated activists from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and they are calling on the show to be halted before filming starts in Brooklyn, New York in April. PETA general counsel Jeffrey Kerr says, "It is inherently cruel. The birds often end up lost in storms, being injured, or just becoming so exhausted that they're unable to fly."
...
'Taking on Tyson' Entangled in Gambling Investigation
March 22, 2010 10:03:22Boxing legend Mike Tyson is embroiled in an investigation into illegal gambling over his upcoming bird racing reality show. The former heavyweight champion is a life-long pigeon fancier, and will showcase his passion for the birds in new U.S. series "Taking on Tyson", which is set to begin shooting in April.
But the show faces the axe before it's even begun, after city officials in Brooklyn, New York - where Tyson is set to film - were tipped off that the series violates local gambling laws. The District Attorney's office is looking into claims the show will profit from animal racing, according to TMZ.
...
