Video: Mike Tyson hugs it out with man who pulls gun at comedy show

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson’s presence may have stopped a shooting this week.

Per TMZ, Tyson was in the audience at a comedy show on Tuesday in Hollywood, Calif., when a dispute between two men threatened to turn deadly. In video obtained by the site, one of the men pulled a gun out of his waistband and readied it, shouting he was “joking” after getting nose-to-nose with the other man.

Upon seeing Tyson, the man was completely starstruck. The audience sat in stunned silence as his rage turned into a monologue of praise for Tyson.

“If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have no inspiration,” the man said on the video.

Tyson, in turn, waved in the man, shook his hand and gave him a hug. The man even bowed the ex-champ, who stayed cool the entire time as club officials slowly took control of the situation.

Tyson returned to the ring in November 2020 for an exhibition bout with Roy Jones Jr. that was a breakout hit on pay-per-view; he talked up a return but has yet to make official another comeback. The 55-year-old legend has also been a fixture at MMA events, appearing in the cage at the PFL; he’s also given tips to UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou, who appeared on his popular podcast.