MIKE TYSON SUED FOR £1.5M OVER PIGEON ADVERT ROW

Medier Ltd, the company behind the Rabona online gambling brand, has filed a £1.5 million High Court claim against Mike Tyson and his promotional company, Tyrannic, according to the firm. Medier alleges that Tyson and Tyrannic, which it says is controlled by his wife Lakiha Tyson, breached a sponsorship agreement signed in January 2024. The claim relates to a marketing campaign that was due to feature Tyson alongside a presenter dressed as a giant talking pigeon. Lawyers for Medier argue that Tyson withdrew from the project without lawful grounds, claiming he and Tyrannic lost interest once a $15 million exhibition fight against Jake Paul had been confirmed. Tyson and Tyrannic have denied breaching the contract and are contesting the claim in London.

According to Medier, the planned advert would have shown Tyson interviewed by a presenter in the pigeon costume before teaching the character how to box. The company's lawyers say his withdrawal coincided with preparations for the 2024 exhibition bout against Paul. Tyson and Tyrannic counter that Medier broke the agreement first, by demanding he take part in a separate concept called "Talking Pigeons". That project reportedly required Tyson to read scripted lines alongside four presenters, one dressed as a pigeon, and to share childhood stories on camera. He was also expected to give a boxing lesson to a mannequin bearing the face of his former opponent Evander Holyfield, according to the claim. Tyson's legal representatives argue this went beyond the contract, which they say was limited to him playing casino games or other approved features on the site.

The dispute is being heard in the High Court in London, where both sides are contesting the scope of the original sponsorship deal. Tyson retired from professional boxing with a record of 50 wins and seven defeats, having become heavyweight champion at the age of 20 in 1986. He has written in his autobiography about a long-standing interest in racing pigeons. No date has yet been given for when the case will be heard in full. Both parties maintain their own account of what the sponsorship agreement required of Tyson.