The man who Mike Tyson pummeled during a wild fight on a plane last year is now demanding the boxer pay him nearly half a million dollars to avoid a future lawsuit over the altercation.
But, the boxing legend’s attorney, Alex Spiro, is adamant the whole thing is “a shakedown” attempt … and insists absolutely no payment will be forthcoming.
A lawyer for Melvin Townsend — the punch victim — made the demands clear in a pre-litigation letter sent to Spiro earlier this week, according to the New York Post.
In the document, the lawyer — Jake Jondle — said Tyson could have used other remedies to diffuse the situation on the April 2022 JetBlue flight … but instead “he chose physical violence” and “viciously assaulted” Townsend.
Jondle explained as a result of the attack, Townsend sustained a “severe headache” as well as neck pain … and “is still suffering with the effects of the assault to this day.”
Jondle wrote in the document that $450,000 from Tyson would help Townsend cover his legal bills … as well as any future treatment Townsend would require.
According to Spiro, however, no such check will be written.
“I have received a shakedown letter related to some instigator’s harassment of Mike a year ago and the aftermath,” Spiro said in a statement. “There will be no shakedown payment.”
Reps for Tyson had previously told TMZ Sports the entire incident happened because Townsend threw a water bottle at the former pugilist and annoyed him repeatedly. Tyson himself later said on his “Hotboxin” podcast that Townsend “was f***ing with me” prior to the incident.
For Townsend’s part, Jondle said in his letter this week his client was simply “excited to see [Tyson] on the flight, began discussing the marijuana industry and psychedelic mushrooms with him, and Mr. Tyson became annoyed” and attacked.
Tyson’s been in the clear criminally, meanwhile, for over a year … as prosecutors declined to file charges against the ex-fighter in May 2022.
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