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Photos of Mike Tyson in wheelchair spark concerns amongst fans

Mike Tyson, pictured here arriving at 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' in Los Angeles, California.
Mike Tyson is seen arriving at 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JOCE/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Boxing legend Mike Tyson has sparked concerns amongst fans after he was spotted in a wheelchair at Miami International Airport.

Tyson posed for photos with fans while being wheeled through the airport after suffering a reported “sciatica flare-up” in his lower back.

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The former world heavyweight champion suffered a similar episode two years ago that resulted in him being bedridden for weeks.

He was spotted using a cane in New York last month and appeared to be holding the same walking stick on Tuesday.

Speaking on his podcast 'Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson' recently, the American made a number of concerning statements about his health.

“We’re all gonna die one day of course,” he said.

“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.’”

Tyson also admitted that the millions of dollars he has earned throughout his life haven't brought him any happiness.

“Money don’t mean s*** to me,” he said.

“I always tell people - they think money’s gonna make them happy, they’ve never had money before - when you have a lot of money, you can’t expect nobody to love you. How am I gonna confess my love to you when you have $500 billion.

“The false sense of security. You believe nothing can happen. You don’t believe the banks could collapse.

"You believe that you’re invincible when you have a lot of money, which isn’t true. That’s why I always say money is a false sense of security.”

Mike Tyson's tumultuous year including plane flight

Now 56, Tyson is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.

He was the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990 and remains the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title.

The American legend was convicted of raping an 18-year-old woman in 1992.

He was sentenced to six years in prison, but was granted an early release in 1995.

After his release from prison he regained the WBA and WBC titles in 1996, joining Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, Tim Witherspoon, Evander Holyfield and George Foreman as the only men in boxing history to regain a world heavyweight championship after losing it.

After retiring in 2005, Tyson made a comeback to the ring in November of 2020 in an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr.

Roy Jones Jr and Mike Tyson, pictured here after their bout in 2020.
Roy Jones Jr and Mike Tyson after their bout in 2020. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Triller)

Earlier this year he was filmed in an altercation with a man on a plane, with video showing him throwing a number of punches.

"At first, their interaction was cordial. At a certain point, Mr Tyson clearly became agitated by an overly excited fan and began to strike him in an excessive manner," the man's lawyer said at the time.

"This situation could have been avoided simply by contacting the flight attendant.

"Our client denies throwing a water bottle prior to being struck by Mr Tyson."

Tyson's camp had previously alleged that Melvin Townsend III threw a water bottle at him.

"Unfortunately, Mr Tyson had an incident on a flight with an aggressive passenger who began harassing him and threw a water bottle at him while he was in his seat," they told ESPN.

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