Mike Tyson facing pre-litigation settlement demand: How much is the plane punch victim demanding from the boxer?

It has been well over a year since a viral video surfaced of Mike Tyson punching a man in the face on a plane, and the boxing legend has received the first settlement offer from the victim.

According to TMZ, Melvin Townsend — the man on the receiving end of Tyson's plane beat down — has demanded that the boxer give him $450 thousand to avoid a lawsuit. Tyson's lawyer has called the offer an attempted 'shakedown' and reports that 'Iron Mike' will not be making the 'shakedown payment.'

Per Townsend's lawyer, Jake Jondle, his client is still suffering from the aftermath of the attack in the present day. Jondle claims Townsend had a concussion along with impaired vision at the hands of the former unified heavyweight champion.

Mike Tyson has claimed that Townsend continuously harassed him on the plane from the seat behind him before throwing a water bottle at him, which caused the enraged attack. The video evidenced this claim, and few criticized Tyson very much for attacking the man.

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What happened to the man Mike Tyson attacked on a plane?

In addition to the alleged side effects Melvin Townsend still struggles with, Jake Jondle has also claimed that his client is unable to pay for his ongoing medical bills. Per Jondle, Townsend cannot hold a steady job due to his headaches and chronic neck pain caused by Mike Tyson.

Ironically, Tyson being the man involved in the assault caused many to reflect on an iconic quote from the former champion. Tyson was quoted saying:

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"Social media has made people way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it."

As of November 2023, Tyson has yet to be taken to court by Townsend. Should the victim's claim be true, though, that would be the next step, as Tyson's team is unlikely to budge on the requested payment.

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