Mike Tyson Sued for $1.9 Million Over Withdrawn Gambling Ad Deal

Boxing legend Mike Tyson and his wife are being sued for £1.5 million (approximately $1.9 million) in London's High Court over a withdrawn gambling advertising campaign. Promoters for the online gaming brand Rabona, Medier Ltd., allege that Tyson and his company, Tyrannic LLC, breached a sponsorship deal from January 2024.

The core of the dispute centers on a proposed promotional event featuring a "Talking Pigeons" livestream. Medier Ltd. claims Tyson unlawfully pulled out of the campaign. Tyson's legal team, however, contends that the proposed content exceeded the scope of the original contract, which they argue was limited to activities such as playing casino games on Rabona's website.

Medier's barrister, Ali Reza Sinai, suggested that Tyson withdrew from the campaign due to a conflict with his then-upcoming £15 million exhibition match against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, which was streamed globally on Netflix. The court heard that the Rabona deal stipulated Tyson attend a public relations event at a gambling conference in Amsterdam between July 16-19, 2024. Sinai argued there was a "clear and significant risk" that participating in this event could violate the terms of his Netflix deal, which reportedly banned non-fight related sponsorship leading up to the clash. Sinai added that the defendants "simply lost interest" in the Rabona deal once the more lucrative exhibition fight was agreed upon, making the service agreement inconvenient.

Tyson's legal representative, Amanda Hadkiss, stated that the "Talking Pigeons" concept was "both of a very different nature to and exceeded the scope of the performance" contractually required. The planned content included Tyson delivering scripted lines with four presenters, one of whom would be dressed as a pigeon, and sharing "childhood stories." He was also expected to demonstrate boxing techniques using a mannequin with the face of his former rival, Evander Holyfield, and play casino games on Rabona's website.

Tyson and Tyrannic deny breaching the contract, asserting that Medier went beyond the agreed terms by requiring him to star alongside a giant pigeon. Tyson's lawyers maintain that the "performance" demanded was significantly different from what was originally outlined.

According to court documents, Tyson's contract with Medier involved an installment-based fee of £1.5 million, payable to Tyrannic. The former boxer had reportedly received nearly £145,000 before the parties parted ways. The hearing for the case is ongoing.