Mike Tyson might be a boxing legend, but the former heavyweight-boxing champion revealed that as a child he was overweight and bullied by classmates.
The boxer stopped by Access Hollywood Live on Friday for a hilarious interview about his new Animal Planet series, “Taking On Tyson,” which explores his love of breeding, raising and racing pigeons. Mike told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover that his love for birds began a child.
Watch the interview HERE: Seriously… WATCH IT… it’s REALLY FUNNY!
“I was skipping school because I used to be an overweight kid with glasses, so every time I went to school people would just kick the crap out of me,” he said when asked how he developed his affection for his fine feathered friends.
Mike explained that he often skipped school and ended up racing birds instead of going to class and to face his bullies.
”[They were] the first animals I encountered really,” Mike said. “They’re many things, they’re what you want them to be, so to speak.”
The noticeably trim former heavyweight also revealed another how he’s slimmed down in recent years.
“I became a vegan, I lost like a 140 pounds,” he told Billy and Kit. “I always thought if you did cocaine, you stayed skinny. I didn’t know you’d turn into a fat crackhead. You know there’s nothing like a fat crackhead!”
The outspoken athlete-turned-reality TV personality also chimed in on the Charlie Sheen saga.
“I don’t know anything about tiger’s blood… I have no idea what Charlie Sheen is talking about,” he told Billy and Kit, when asked about the Sheen-ism.
“He’ll get it together. He passed all the drug tests. If the drug tests say he’s clean, he’s clean. Maybe he’s got some emotional issues, maybe. Maybe he’s not a drug addict, maybe he has some emotional issues. Let’s get him check on that and see how the outcome of that comes out. He might be cleared of that,” he continued. “And Charlie’s just Charlie. We just need to get some of that new drug, ‘Charlie Sheen,’ that he’s on.”
Adding, “I love Charlie Sheen… he seems to be doing great, as far as his career is going.”
“Taking On Tyson” airs on Animal Planet on Sunday’s at 10 PM.
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