Watch: Mike Tyson on the Cliftonville Rd
Former boxing champion Mike Tyson was mobbed by a crowd of fans after visiting a friend’s home in north Belfast earlier this afternoon.
The 59-year-old New Yorker – nicknamed Iron Mike – competed for almost 40 years and is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of boxing.
While Belfast boasts its own collection of champion fighters, crowds were still left surprised after the fighter emerged from a property on the Cliftonville Road and was understood to be visiting a close friend in the area who both share a passion for pigeons.
It is understood Tyson was also filming a documentary around their intertest in roller pigeons – a domesticated bred type of pigeon that has been selected for its ability to tumble or roll in the air.
A large crowd gathered outside the property
Word quickly spread of the US-born fighter’s presence and a large crowd gathered outside as he was exiting the property.
Tyson was shielded by his security guard as he was escorted through the assortment of largely young fans.
Tyson had a glittering career in the sport which saw him become the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history at the age of 20.
He was also the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles in 1987.
He won 50 of his 56 contests before retiring in 2005.
Despite his acclaim, the boxer was convicted of rape in Indiana back in 1992, serving three years of a six-year prison sentence.
In recent years he has made a brief comeback, including in 2024 when he was beaten by Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.