The heartwarming true story behind Mike Tyson's trip to Belfast

The heartwarming true story behind Mike Tyson's trip to Belfast Crowds lined up when the former champion was spotted on the Cliftonville Road 19:24, 04 Dec 2025 Updated 19:27, 04 Dec 2025 It's the unlikeliest of bromances - one's a world heavyweight champion who has made headlines around the globe, the other a dad from North Belfast renowned for his racing pigeons. ‌ But it was their shared love of these birds which formed an unbreakable bond between Mike Tyson and Kevin McKinney. ‌ Heads turned when the 59-year-old was spotted by fans on the when he visited town on Wednesday, December 3, and now we can reveal it was to visit his close pal Kevin for the first time. ‌ : : The Belfast man has a world title from racing Birmingham roller pigeons, and has been friends with Tyson for years, with the two bonding over their love of pigeons. Tyson visited his friend while on a break from his sold-out 'An Experience With Mike Tyson' shows, taking place in Dublin on December 2 and December 4. Speaking to , Kevin said he was delighted to meet his good friend for the first time in person, after years of chatting over the phone and through FaceTime. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion, becoming the youngest boxer to win the sport's biggest prize when knocking out Trevor Berbick in November 1986, aged 20. ‌ Looking back on how their friendship started, Kevin said: "A few years ago on a Saturday morning, I was in the back maintaining the birds as usual, and my wife called me saying there was a caller from Nevada. I said it was probably a pigeon guy, he'll get back to me later on. "I went out back to do some more maintenance when Joe Egan called. He asked if I knew him and I said of course I did, I told him 'I watched your career, you were over fighting with Mike Tyson.' And he said 'that's the reason I'm calling, my dear friend Mike Tyson asked me could I get in contact with you. To ask your permission if Mike could phone you.' "Imagine Mike Tyson asking permission to phone me. He was an absolute gent from day one, he's an absolute champ and very humble. I told Joe to go ahead, that I'd be pleased to speak to Mike, and he called me around an hour later. ‌ "That first call, we chatted about the birds and growing up with them, and we really bonded. He said: 'I love speaking with you, it just takes so much off my shoulders as any time I speak to someone it's about business or boxing - but I'm going back to my roots speaking with you.'" Kevin said over the years, he has been able to transport pigeons to America for Mike Tyson, with the two staying in touch over their love of the birds. ‌ He added: "When we were organising sending some birds over, I told him they need to be quarantined before heading to the States. I asked when would be best to call him and he said: 'Kevin, as soon as I see your name, everything stops.' I told my wife Donna I thought he was exaggerating - but he meant it." On Tuesday night, Kevin and his wife Donna were invited to Tyson's show in Dublin, with the boxing legend giving him a shoutout from the stage during the event. Over the years of their friendship, Kevin said they chatted over the phone, but it was special to meet him in person. He said: "Any time he wants to call me, he'll send a short text asking how I am, then when I text back, he calls right away. ‌ "He won't just call out of the blue, he's very respectful. We've spoken many times through FaceTime, but this week was our first time meeting in person. It was always funny as it'd be him lying on his bed, with his hand behind the back of his head, chatting away on FaceTime." Kevin said during his detour to North Belfast , Tyson enjoyed his food, delighting in some dishes from the family's café across the street, Stax Coffee Shop. In particular, he enjoyed the café's potato and leek soup, and Kevin's wife's stew. ‌ But there was one thing he enjoyed the most that left Kevin scratching his head. He said: "He did something I've never seen in my life before, he started dipping his wheaten bread in his tea. He enjoyed it, he had about six cups of the Belfast brew. "But I'm not going to judge him for it, he really enjoyed it. He loved my wife Donna's stew and the potato and leek soup from the shop. He really enjoyed his food ." The former boxer stayed in the family's home for around three hours, enjoying watching the pigeons with Kevin in their back garden. When they went to the front of the house to watch the birds from that side, crowds were surrounding the area. ‌ Kevin's daughter Ciara, who works at Stax Coffee Shop, said: "It was so strange because when people realised he was here, there were so many people out the front of the house. But as soon as you walked into my mum's house it was so quiet, they were just sitting in the garden chilling out, watching the birds. "They went out front of the house to see the birds flying across, then everyone saw him. Traffic was stopping, and everyone started showing up outside the house. "It was a really lovely day, and it was great to see a proper buzz in the area, there were so many kids there and I think it was really nice for them. It's not something they'll ever forget - seeing Mike Tyson on the Cliftonville Road." Article continues below For all the latest news, visit the homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.