At that point, the plane crew broadcast a message asking for medical assistance from any qualified passengers. It’s unclear if any volunteered to help Tyson, who appeared to admit to domestic violence in an interview in 1988 and made light of the claims in his 2021 one-man show.
“He was in first class, but we were an exit row and the stewardess was very chatty. They asked us to stay on the plane and landed so paramedics could enter,” the witness told In Touch. “She said something like, ‘He’s a really important passenger so we wanna make sure he’s OK.’ I knew it was him, but I just mouthed the words’ Mike Tyson,’ and she nodded her head yes.”
The plane was delayed an additional 25 minutes once it landed in LA, the witness says. Via statement, a representative for American Airlines tells Vanity Fair only that “American Airlines flight 1815 with service from Miami (MIA) to Los Angeles (LAX) was met by first responders upon arrival due to the medical needs of a customer.” According to Tyson’s representative, “He is appreciative to the medical staff that were there to help him.”
The health scare comes less than two months before a planned July 20 boxing match between Tyson and Paul that is being heavily promoted by Netflix. So far, the bout has prompted two press conferences with the combatants, during which they have predictably challenged one another’s fitness. On May 16, the two met up for a battle of wits at Texas Live! in Arlington, for an exchange during which the two disagreed over who would triumph.
The 27-year-old Paul, who boasts a record of 9-1 and six knockouts, vowed to “knock this old man the fuck out,” and said that “on July 20, Mike will be put to sleep, and he will feel my power and I will go down as the man who put Tyson to sleep for the last time.”
Tyson, whose professional record is 50-6 and includes 44 KOs, seemed unperturbed by the 30-years-younger man and implied that his body composition was unhealthy. “I don’t know if he’s in his prime,” Tyson said of Paul. “He’s fat. He should be lean and mean and he’s fat and funky. I saw him with his shirt off though and he’s fat.”
Tyson, who once told Vanity Fair that he’d like to be reincarnated as Achilles upon his death, is now “doing great,” his rep told the Post. Paul has yet to comment on his challenger’s condition, and as of Monday afternoon, Netflix has not announced any schedule changes for the July fight.