Mike Tyson's secretive escape to Poland: Inside his unexpected passion for ornamental pigeons

Mike Tyson made a private trip to Poland at the end of last year. The visit was primarily related to his hobby.

The renowned boxer flew to Podlasie to meet a pigeon breeder in Piątnica, near Łomża. Despite the efforts to keep the meeting a secret, pictures of it swiftly spread on social media, sparking much online excitement.

Now, the proprietor of the ornamental pigeon farm, Mr. Wiesław Stankiewicz, has opened up about his encounter with the boxing legend to a "Fact" reporter.

"I have a flock of about 500 pigeons and have decided to minimize it, now that I'm retired," the breeder shared.

According to him, his collection mainly consists of ornamental pigeons, known for their attractive appearance and flight patterns. "I posted an online advertisement selling 100 'grey negroes' for approximately $2.50 each. This attracted a detective from Warsaw, who intimated that a renowned figure was interested in buying these pigeons."

The detective had requested pictures and videos of these birds in flight. After finding the birds appealing, they discussed the arrival date of the prospective buyer, Mr. Wiesław told "Fact".

Fifteen days later, the detective informed Mr. Wiesław that their American guests would travel directly to his house from the airport the following Sunday. "I assumed it might be Tyson, but it seemed far-fetched," he confessed.

"When they arrived, Tyson stepped out of the car! He greeted me warmly, and we hugged like long lost friends," Mr. Wiesław recounted.

Mr. Wiesław revealed that Mike Tyson explored the dove cotes and observed the pigeons' flight. "However, he was more captivated by the 'black negroes' or 'black pearls' compared to the gray ones. Tyson mentioned that this breed was extinct in America. They had grey ones, but the black ones were not available. He then asked if he could buy the black pearls instead. I agreed since it doesn't matter to me which ones I sell," he described.

"We agreed that a transport company would collect these pigeons. Before Tyson left, he autographed boxing gloves for my grandson. However, the media storm occurred when a picture from our meeting surfaced online," he added.

As a result, journalists started showing interest in the story and began traveling to Piątnica. According to "Fact", since the news broke without the breeder's consent, the pigeons have not been collected yet. "I would like to inform Mr. Tyson, the pigeons have been waiting for collection for another month," he stated.