Mike Tyson's former Ohio home becoming a house of worship

WARREN, Ohio — A church is converting an Ohio mansion once owned by former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson into a house of worship.

The Warren Tribune-Chronicle reports Living Word Sanctuary Church is converting a 10,000-square-foot (929 sq. meter) indoor pool room into a sanctuary and other rooms into offices, classrooms and a nursery.

Tyson bought the Southington Township mansion at sheriff's sale in in 1989 for $300,000 and sold it for $1.3 million 10 years later to an infomercial entrepreneur sent to federal prison in 2007 for money laundering.

It was sold at sheriff's sale in 2010 for a reported $600,000 and donated to the church, which paid off back taxes.

Cages where Tyson kept four tigers have been dismantled for a pavilion.

The church currently holds services at a YMCA.