Revered as one of the most fearsome fighters in combat sports history, there are no other words to describe boxing legend Mike Tyson other than a certified champion. His fearless persona as well as a natural gift to fight in the ring made him the toughest opponent for numerous competitors in the game, and by winning almost every single time in a bout, he solidified his legacy in the history books.

Mike Tyson
Therefore, all that success in the ring translated to a life of fame and fortune for the boxer as he earned millions upon millions of dollars for fights, and he wasn’t shy of spending it in unique, and borderline bizarre ways. In one instance, Tyson remembers the time when he had a lion as a pet, and on one occasion, it bit him which led to serious injury.

Mike Tyson Recalls The Time When His Pet Lion Bit Him

Mike Tyson along with his pet tiger
Being hailed as one of the best boxing talents that the world has ever seen came naturally to Mike Tyson, especially when he was crowned the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of The World after continuous wins. His fame was followed by fortune, which the former boxer spent unsparingly. From exotic and extremely luxurious yachts to multi-million dollar jewelry and so much more. But, the prized possession in the Hangover star’s life has to be his collection of big cats that he kept as pets.

 

Infamous for his relationship with his tigers, Tyson has been open about how he acquired these exotic animals and lived with these deadly cats for the better part of his life during his prime. He also recalled an incident when he had a lion as a pet. During the process of playing with the beast, he was bitten by it on his right hand. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, he said:

“I had a lion that bit me, that was really bad, and I winded up getting a Tetanus shot. I had lied and said a dog bit me, ‘cause they would’ve took my cat if I’d told them.”

Although it didn’t affect his relationship with his animals, he later had to give them all away for their sake, as well as due to the pressure from authorities, as he came to realize just how wrong he was about owning these animals.

How Did Mike Tyson Acquire His Big Cats?

Mike Tyson with one of his tigers
During the interview, Tyson also revealed how he came into the acquisition of these beasts in the first place. During his sentence of six years in prison after being convicted of rape charges, He recalled meeting his car dealer who he had bought his numerous cars from. While in conversation, Tyson was informed that his dealer was in possession of some exotic animals from one of his debtors, which were later revealed to be tigers.

Interested, Mike Tyson asked him to get him two tiger cubs as he was about to get out of prison in a couple of months. And the rest, as they say, is history.