Mike Tyson, the former heavyweight boxing champion and one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet, was photographed in a wheelchair Tuesday while being escorted through Miami International Airport.
The 56-year-old has reportedly been dealing with a "sciatica flare-up" in his back, which might explain the need for assistance before getting on a plane.
Some websites, however, have begun to wonder if Tyson's health is in decline, considering the physical toll on his body through the years — in terms of prizefighting and his longtime advocacy of cannabis.
According to Spine-Health.com, the sciatic nerve is "the largest nerve in the human body" and relies on the union of five nerve roots from the lower spine.
It passes deep in the buttock and down the back of the thigh, all the way to the heel and sole of the foot, the website says.
All told, the sciatic nerve serves a "vital role in connecting the spinal cord with the skin and muscles of the thigh, leg, and foot."
The sciatica rationale could be plausible, since Tyson appeared to be in fantastic shape for his exhibition fight with Roy Jones Jr. in December 2020 — at a time when the public was seeking sports entertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There's even been speculation of Tyson and former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis reuniting in the ring for a third time, even though the boxers have a combined age of 113 years old.
This isn't the first time in 2022 that Tyson made headlines at an airport.
In April, Tyson allegedly punched another passenger on board while they waited for the plane to take off at the San Francisco airport, leaving the man with a bloody forehead, according to video accounts.
In a TMZ Sports report, Tyson initially obliged two men with a selfie photo upon boarding the plane bound for Florida.
Things got tense, however, when one of the two men started taunting Tyson — even after the former champion asked him to ease up on the chatter.
Soon after that, Tyson apparently stood up, turned around from his seat, and unleashed a series of blows at the man.
The person recording the man with the bloodied forehead — presumably an acquaintance — then narrated the video with the following words:
"JetBlue flight ... my boy just got beat up by Mike Tyson. Turn that way [instructing his friend to turn sideways] ... yeah, he got [messed] up."
Last month, according to the New York Post, Tyson acknowledged that his "expiration date" could soon be approaching.
"We're all gonna die one day of course," Tyson said on the "Hotboxin'" podcast, according to the Post. "Then, when I look in the mirror, I see those little spots on my face, I say, 'Wow. That means my expiration date is coming close, really soon.'"
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