Mike Tyson Once Offered a Zoo Keeper $10,000 to Fight a Gorilla that was Bullying other Gorilla's

When it comes to outrageous stories about Mike Tyson, few are as wild — or as true — as the time he offered a zookeeper $10,000 to let him into a gorilla enclosure so he could fight a silverback.

The bizarre incident reportedly happened in the late 1980s, during Tyson’s prime as the heavyweight champion of the world. At the time, he was known not only for his ferocious power in the ring but also for his unpredictable behavior outside of it. One evening, Tyson rented out an entire zoo for a private visit with his then-wife, Robin Givens.

While walking through the zoo, Tyson noticed a group of gorillas — and one massive silverback that was bullying the smaller primates. Outraged by the gorilla’s behavior, Tyson turned to the zookeeper and made an unbelievable offer:

“I’ll give you $10,000 if you open the cage and let me fight that gorilla.”

The zookeeper, wisely, declined the offer.

Tyson later recalled the moment in an interview, explaining that he couldn’t stand seeing the dominant gorilla picking on the others. It wasn’t about the money — it was about his instinct to stand up to what he saw as unfairness, even if that meant challenging one of nature’s most powerful creatures.

Of course, the zookeeper made the right call. A silverback gorilla can weigh over 400 pounds and has up to ten times the strength of a human — even Iron Mike wouldn’t stand much of a chance.

Still, the story has gone down as one of the most legendary tales in sports history, capturing everything that made Mike Tyson both fearless and unpredictable.

Only Tyson could seriously consider stepping into the ring — or the jungle — with a gorilla.