Tyson was on his way to Miami Beach cannabis conference before fight on flight

MIAMI, Fla. – Mike Tyson was heading to Miami from San Francisco to speak at a cannabis conference at a Miami Beach hotel on Thursday. But on Wednesday night, just before take-off of a JetBlue flight, an overzealous fan got under Iron Mike’s skin and ended up getting attacked by the former boxer.

The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference was billed as a who’s who of the global cannabis industry of which Iron Mike is considered to be a giant player. It was held Wednesday and Thursday at the Fountainbleau Miami on Collins Avenue.

TMZ reported that Tyson was initially scheduled to talk at 12:05 p.m. on Thursday, but that he had to cancel “due to a flight change.” Conference organizers did advertise that Tyson, would, however, be appearing at the conference’s afterparty at LIV, the nightclub in the hotel, on Thursday evening, according to TMZ.

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Cellphone video obtained by TMZ Sports showed Tyson attacking a passenger on a plane on Wednesday night and the passenger named “George” displayed cuts on his face in another video.

(Warning: Language in video may be offensive to some viewers.)

The victim’s friend told TMZ that Tyson, 55, was initially “cool” with them and other passengers, even letting him take a selfie with him. But the witness said his friend became overly excited and Tyson started throwing punches when his friend wouldn’t stop talking in his ear from behind him.

Sources close to Tyson told TMZ that the man appeared to be extremely intoxicated and was provoking Tyson.

“My boy just got beat up by Mike Tyson . . . he got f—– up. Just trying to ask for an autograph man. I don’t know what happened,” said a man who took video of his friend’s cuts on his face.

Tyson, chief brand officer and co-founder of Tyson 2.0, was listed as a speaker at the conference. The Tyson 2.0 website opens with a photo of the boxer sitting in a chair smoking a joint. “It started with the undisputed heavyweight champ using cannabis to reach new heights,” the website states. “The company’s mission is to produce innovative, high-quality cannabis products known for purity, precision, and wide accessibility.”

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Tyson launched the cannabis company in October 2021. The company’s latest venture is with wrestling legend Ric Flair, who he was supposed to have appeared with at the Miami Beach cannabis conference.

Flair had this to say in a press release about teaming up with Tyson.

“Thanks to Mike Tyson and Tyson 2.0, I’ve become a true cannabis advocate and enthusiast. I am thrilled to partner with a long time friend and fellow warrior whom I greatly admire and respect . . . I look forward to creating cannabis products that will appeal to my national fanbase. Tyson 2.0 products make me go ‘WOOOOO!’, and soon my fans everywhere can get in the Ric Flair state of mind – limousine riding, jet-flying, feeling good, and ‘WOOOOO!’”

It isn’t known if Tyson did appear at the afterparty. According to witnesses, Tyson got off the plane after the incident and the passenger received “medical attention.”

Local 10 News and Local10.com continue to follow this developing story.