A man challenged boxing legend Mike Tyson to a fight Tuesday night before pulling a gun on the former heavyweight champion, and the confrontation was caught on video.
Video obtained by TMZ shows a man interrupting an intimate comedy show at a rooftop bar in Hollywood that was being viewed by Tyson and a group of his friends.
The man attempts to talk to Tyson and challenges him to a fight, but Iron Mike seemed unbothered by the confrontation and remained seated throughout the incident.
Eventually, the host of the event steps in, tells the unwelcomed man to leave, and pushes him toward the exit, TMZ reported. The man then becomes angry and pulls a gun, cocking it in front of the crowd.
Many attendees gasped and hid under tables, but Tyson remained calmly seated.
After a moment, the man puts the firearm away and says, “I’m joking, bro. Alright, I’m out of here.”
However, rather than leaving right away, the man turns back toward Tyson, praising him as an “inspiration.”
“Hey, I love you, man. All of your accomplishments, for real, if it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have no inspiration. I love you, for real. From the heart. For real,” the man says.
Tyson then ushers the armed man toward him, shakes his hand and gives him a hug.
As the man turns to leave, he again starts threatening the host of the event, calling him a “sucker” and a “b–ch ass n—ger.”
After the man exists the venue, the individual filming the incident thanks Tyson, apparently for keeping calm and not escalating the tense situation.
“Eh, Thank you, Mike. Give it up for Mike f—king Tyson,” the person filming says.
Throughout his boxing career, Tyson went 50-6 and was known for his speed and knockout power, ending 44 matches with a knockout.
In a 1997 match with Evander Holyfield, Tyson became locked up in Holyfield’s clinch at which point Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear off.
Tyson was disqualified for the ear biting incident and, according to Bleacher Report, lost the equivalent of around $100 million in the fallout from the incident from total losses to purse money and an 18-month suspension of his boxing license.
Tyson had his license reinstated in 1999 and continued boxing until 2005.
In 2020, Tyson entered the ring once again for an exhibition fight against Roy Jones Jr. The match ended in a draw.
“This is bigger than fighting and winning the championship,” Tyson said of competing in charity fights, CBS Sports reported. “We’re humanitarians and we’re helping people.”
