Mike Tyson delivers savage response to Jake Paul's pigeon gift ahead of showdown

Mike Tyson (R) and Jake Paul in a promotion video for their bout. Photo by Netflix

Tyson, 58, set to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul on Nov. 15, accepted the gift with dark humor.

Paul, who is 31 years younger than Tyson, claimed he had "paid thousands" for the Southeast Asian pigeon. Despite the gesture, Tyson, who has found solace in raising pigeons since his troubled childhood in New York, responded by pledging to feed the pigeon to his pet falcon.

Tyson's love for pigeons is well-known. Last year, he made headlines for purchasing 100 pigeons from a breeder in a remote Polish village. He has also shared stories of ending a relationship with a girlfriend who killed and cooked one of his birds, as well as knocking out a binman who threw away the remains of his favorite pigeon, Julius, Daily Mail reported.

Originally scheduled for July, Tyson and Paul's fight was postponed after Tyson experienced an ulcer flare-up and had to seek medical attention.

Known as "Iron Mike" and one of the greatest boxers of all time, Tyson retired in 2005 but returned for an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020. He has remained in great physical condition since, although this match will be a real challenge considering the age gap between him and Paul.

Paul, who has won 10 of his 11 professional bouts, suffered his only loss to Tyson Fury’s brother Tommy in a split decision last year.

Reflecting on his boxing journey in a recent Netflix docu-series, Paul said that he felt "lost at 21" and credited boxing with giving him the discipline to "sober up and focus" on his newfound passion.

The fight will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and will be broadcast live by Netflix.