Mike Tyson has claimed that he was "irritated and high" when he punched a passenger on a plane in April.
The legendary heavyweight was filmed repeatedly punching 36-year-old Melvin George Townsend III while travelling on a JetBlue fight in April, which left him injured with bloody cuts on his head. Tyson escaped charges after it was declared by a District Attorney that the boxing legend was provoked by Townsend before the incident occurred.
Tyson has now admitted he regrets the incident and pointed out he is usually good at handling himself when approached by members of public. "That's not me!" Tyson joked when asked about the incident on the Jimmy Kimmel show. "Hey listen I am usually good at these things. I guess it was his number.
"I was wrong that should never have happened and I went back to my primitive childhood stages. I shouldn't have done that. I was irritated, high and p***** off but s*** happens. I don't want to hurt nobody." Tyson claimed that he was provoked after the attack, alleging that Mr Townsend threw a bottle of water over him while on the aircraft.
He has since claimed that he should not be using public planes and that his wife Lakiha Spencer gets angry when he travels on them. "Yes, they said they ain't gonna pick up charges. He was f****** with me. I took pictures with this n****. I shouldn't even be taking public planes," Tyson said on an episode of his podcast Hotboxin '.
"My wife gets mad when I take public planes. What am I going to do on a f****** plane with my friends and [a bodyguard] he's supposed to watch me? A bodyguard and a f****** yes man. What am I gonna do on a plane?" It triggers me."
District Attorney Stephen M. Wagstaffe dismissed Tyson's case and recommended that Tyson and Mr Townsend do not proceed with the charges. Tyson's three attorneys later released a statement: "We thank San Mateo District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe, the San Mateo County Sheriff, and all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation for their careful, diligent, and professional work. This situation could have been avoided simply by contacting the flight attendant."
Mr Townsend's Attorney admitted his client got "over excited" when meeting the boxing legend when they boarded the plane, after being a life-long fan. "Our client is a big Mike Tyson fan. When Mr Tyson boarded the plane, he became overly excited. At first, their interaction was cordial. At a certain point, Mr Tyson clearly became agitated by an overly excited fan and began to strike him in an excessive manner."
Tyson has recently hinted at a boxing return for the first time since his exhibition against Roy Jones Jr in 2020. He plans to hold talks with YouTube star Jake Paul over a potential bout which could see revenue generated in excess of $300 million.
