UFC commentator Joe Rogan reckons the passenger who got punched by Mike Tyson “probably earned” his beatdown.
Footage emerged last week of the former undisputed heavyweight champion repeatedly punching Melvin George Townsend III on a JetBlue flight.
Mike Tyson was seen punching Melvin George Townsend III on a JetBlue flight
Footage shot before the scuffle appeared to show Townsend antagonising the former boxer
And UFC commentator Joe Rogan believes Townsend poked the bear
Videos on social media also showed Townsend appearing to goad Iron Mike – who he reportedly threw a water bottle at – before the melee.
Rogan – who was a recent guest on Tyson’s podcast, was left stunned by the incident, saying on his own show: “It’s so dumb!
“It’s not even kicking a beehive. It’s like smashing – it’s headbutting a beehive.”
He added: “If you find yourself where Mike Tyson’s reaching over the back of an airline seat and punching you in the face, I think you probably earned it.”
Rogan, like many others, believes Townsend thought Tyson wouldn’t strike him because “he’s famous”.
He continued: “People get crazy.
“They think just because he’s Mike Tyson, he’s famous, he can’t just punch you.
“You’re annoying him! He’s gonna just f****** hit you like a normal person would.”
Tyson could face legal action over the incident as Townsend – who declined to press charges – has sought legal representation.
Townsend’s lawyer – Matt Morgan from Morgan & Morgan – told TMZ: “Our client is a big Mike Tyson fan.
“When Mike 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.
“This situation could have been avoided simply by contacting the flight attendant.
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“Our client denies throwing a water bottle prior to being struck by Mr Tyson.”
A spokesperson for Tyson said 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.”
