Fans have been aching to know what exactly triggered Mike Tyson on a commercial flight in early May, to the point where he pummeled a man in his seat.
As rolling out reported, the legendary former boxing champion still unleashes his very intimidating persona at age 55, which perplexes many fans as to why anyone would have the audacity and stupidity to get on his nerves.
A video shows Tyson losing it, then turning around and beating a man in the seat behind him like a punching bag. The man, identified as Melvin Townsend III, sustain bloody bruises on his face as a result of the pummeling.
Tyson was speaking on his “Hotboxin” podcast where he explained that he is greatly relieved that the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office in Northern California refused to press charges against Tyson for assault and battery.
As to what ignited the angry outburst in Tyson on that JetBlue flight, Tyson simply said:
“He was f—— with me, man. I took pictures with this n—,” Tyson described the man in colloquial terms even though the man is Caucasian. He indicated that the man was bothering him even before the flight took off. By the time they were 30,000 feet in the air, Tyson was near his breaking point and the wayward man simply took him over the edge.
The owner of a cannabis business said he understands that some fans will get “overly excited” when they encounter someone of his stature.
Tyson concedes that his wife was right not to fly commercial and that he shouldn’t have been engaging with excitable fans within a confined space.
“I shouldn’t even be taking public planes,” Tyson said. “A bodyguard and a f—— yes man. What am I gonna do on a plane?”
Meanwhile, Townsend has secured legal counsel. And despite being cleared by the courts, Tyson could possibly be held liable for the man’s injuries.
Listen to Tyson explain the situation to his guests, former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, on his podcast “Hotboxin.”
