Mike Tyson punched a fellow passenger aboard a JetBlue flight because the “aggressive” man threw a bottle at him, the boxer's representatives have said in a statement. The former heavyweight champion was caught pummeling the man on Wednesday night on a flight from San Francisco to Miami.
A cellphone footage of the incident was first released by TMZ Entertainment, which reported that "Iron Mike" was initially friendly to the passenger and his friend when they boarded the flight but reacted after the man "wouldn't stop provoking" him.
Watch the video of the incident:
"Unfortunately, Mr. Tyson had an incident on a flight with an aggressive passenger who began harassing him and threw a water bottle at him while he was in his seat," a spokesperson for Tyson told ESPN on Thursday.
The San Francisco Police responded at about 10pm after getting news about the “physical altercation” on a plane at the airport's domestic terminal.
The video of the altercation has been forwarded to San Mateo County Sheriff, the police said.
The man was left with bruises and some bleeding in the incident on Wednesday. Tyson was reported to have walked off the plane before it took off for Florida.
Fifty-five-year-old Tyson, who hogged headlines globally when he became the youngest ever heavyweight champion in boxing history in 1986 at the age of 20, has remained a major force in boxing for years and is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time. Before retiring, Tyson had won 50 out of his 58 professional fights.
He is also known for his erratic behaviour - biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear in a 1997 bout - and brushes with the law, including a conviction for rape and cocaine addiction.