Mike Tyson earned the nickname “Iron Mike” earlier in his career, partly thanks to his stocky and powerful physique and ability to effortlessly knock out his opponents. During a recent appearance on the former heavyweight champion boxer’s podcast “Hotboxin’,” Styles P of The LOX recalls when the legendary hip-hop trio almost fell into fisticuffs with Tyson after trying to protect fellow rapper Eve.

The “Good Times” emcee shared that he, Jadakiss, and Sheek Louch felt it was their duty to protect their Ruff Ryders label mate after the legendary boxer pushed up on her at an awards show some years ago. 

Mike Tyson (L) and Styles P (R). Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images, Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images

“[In] Vegas or LA, it’s one of them awards,” Styles recalled. “We see Mike; we’re chilling. Eve is with us though — us three, there’s nobody else there. And [Mike’s] on his bully, and we decided, ‘We gotta protect Eve.’ We was deciding who was gonna get knocked out. I was like, ‘I got a knife. Mike’s gonna kill us!’”

The New York native explained that the first lady of Ruff Ryders was uncomfortable with Tyson’s advance, and so they decided to do something about it. However, they first needed a volunteer. 

“He just liked Eve for how she was looking. Eve was nervous. We with Eve, so [we] gotta be the protectors, so now we in a f–ked up position,” the rapper shared, a moment Jadakiss previously recounted during a 2016 appearance on the “Drink Champs” podcast. “Now we deciding who’s gonna take the Mike blow,” Styles P continued. 

Eventually, the group chooses Brooklyn native Louch, though he was reluctant to go.  “Louch was like, ‘F–k no!’ I’m like, ‘I’ma die! I’m little!’ Nobody can take this blow. We trying to come up with a strategy. What do you do?”

Nowadays the matter appears to be water under the bridge. “Mike loves us,” Style P later added. “We’re The LOX; we’re his little bros. We got rapport; we hang out, we chill, we smoke weed, all that. That’s big, bro! He had genuine love for us, treated us, lined us up with a few bags, so it was awesome.”

The former boxer didn’t weigh in but assured he and Eve resolved any misunderstandings, “I didn’t mean that, Eve,” a remorseful Mike shared. “Me and Eve, we made amends. I said sorry. That’s all I care about.”