Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson refuses to be held to ransom by a complainant over an airplane incident in 2022.
“The Baddest Man on the Planet” thought his interaction with Melvin Townsend was over after the pair clashed on a JetBlue flight.
Townsend had initially promised to take no further action as a fan of Tyson. That’s despite taking a beating from the ex-boxer, which included several uppercuts to the face.
Tyson drew blood, but after explaining how he felt during the flight and apologizing, the case was assumed over.
Not so. Townend belatedly hired a lawyer and is demanding almost half a million dollars. If Tyson pays, Townsend has promised to end litigation forever.
Jake Jondle, the lawyer acting for Townsend, says the blows reigned down by Tyson still impact his client today.4
Mike Tyson in ‘shakedown’
“As a former undisputed heavyweight champion, the potential to cause severe injuries to another person goes without question,” Jondle stated after Tyson reacted to pestering by Townsend, including the alleged throwing of a water bottle.
“There were several other remedies available to Mr. Tyson, but he chose physical violence,” Jondle added before pointing to an admission of guilt by Tyson on The Jimmy Kimmel Show.
“That’s me back in my primitive child stages. But I was irritated, tired, high, and p***ed off. S*** happens,” he said to Kimmel.
Despite being over eighteen months since Tyson’s actions, Townsend insists he “had severe headaches” and “neck pain.” And that he is “still suffering from the assault to this day.”
He also states his employment situation became untenable due to the incident with Tyson.
However, Tyson is not having any of the demands for money. The 1990s Pay Per View behemoth will not willingly pay a penny to Townsend.
“I have received a shakedown letter related to some instigator’s harassment of Mike a year ago and the aftermath,” Tyson’s legal representative Alex Spiro told The New York Post.
“There will be no shakedown payment,” he added.
Daily fan struggles
Tyson was recently pictured in Las Vegas attending the David Benavidez vs Demetrius Andrade fight. Tyson entered the building with audible gasps due to his considerable presence.
But as World Boxing News witnessed during Tyson’s entrance at close quarters, dealing with boisterous fans continues to be a daily hazard for Mike Tyson.
As he walked into the Michelob ULTRA Arena, many public members ran to Tyson for selfies. Tyson has to physically push one away while telling many others he won’t be playing ball.
He only wanted to watch the fight and wouldn’t engage with anyone but Benavidez. It’s a struggle that could still lead to further altercations in the future.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer and has been the Editor of World Boxing News since 2010.
