Voices: We’ve all been Mike Tyson on a plane – but punching someone is never okay

A video has emerged of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson repeatedly punching a fellow passenger on board a JetBlue flight from San Francisco to Florida on Thursday.

The footage obtained by TMZ was taken by the man’s friend, from across the aisle. The two, seemingly gassed to be in the presence of Kid Dynamite himself, at first appear to be asking for an autograph. But this soon descends into what can only be described as an obnoxious exchange, at the expense of Tyson – who becomes visibly more agitated as things progress.

According to the celebrity news outlet, sources close to Tyson claim that the man was intoxicated and wouldn’t stop provoking him. The boxer is then seen, in a second video, reaching over his seat to the man sitting behind him, before he takes multiple swings at him. The passenger reportedly received medical attention after his forehead was left bloodied by the event, before he notified the police of the incident.

Now, victim-blaming is of course an abhorrent tool used to undermine an offence and to remove responsibility from the perpetrator. But things perhaps aren’t so clear cut in this instance. There seems more at play here – including the issue of consent.

Yes, he visibly hits the guy behind him on the plane. Violence is never the answer... even if you’re Mike Tyson. However, we also can’t ignore that in the footage, the man is visibly trying to get a rise from the boxer and refuses to take no for an answer.

Just a quick scroll through social media this morning brings up results like “what did you expect would happen, bro?”, “don’t poke the bear, especially if that bear is Mike Tyson”, and “if I’m sitting next to Mike Tyson in a plane the last thing I’m gonna do is start talking smack”, illustrating that many empathise with the boxer, to some degree.

And look, we’ve all been stuck on a plane with rowdy stag dos or obtuse passengers who somehow never manage to get a seat next to each other and proceed to shout loudly to their mates several rows back. We’ve all sat next to someone who hogs the arm rest, spills their drink on you or refuses to place their lap tray in the upright position to let you pass to use the toilet. We can all identify with Mike Tyson in this video – even if we’re not mega celebs being hounded for a selfie.

Some will argue that it’s very much the obvious response of a boxing champ, who is used to using his fists in the ring. But it was only last month that Tyson hugged a guy at a Hollywood comedy club, after he challenged him to a fight and proceeded to pull a gun on him.

What seems striking to me when watching these clips is the lack of airline staff in view. Usually, in these types of situations, cabin crew are quick to attend the scene to diffuse the situation, offering alternative seats or complimentary snacks to appease passengers. But this is not evident (in the footage, at least).

Surely, if faced with an antagoniser who refused to listen to your requests to stop, as Tyson was, you would report them to staff to get them vacated or ejected pronto? You don’t just hit them in the face.

The Independent has reached out to both JetBlue and Tyson’s representatives, the latter declined to comment on the footage.