Chris Christie and Mike Tyson had an awkward exchange after Tyson said Trump promised him a 'pardon'

Mike Tyson and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had an awkward exchange at The Prisoner Re-entry Conference in Jersey City when Tyson appeared to say he was promised a pardon by President Donald Trump.

According to Alyana Alfaro of the Observer, during one session, Tyson asked Christie to talk to Trump about the pardon.

"Man, governor I wish you could talk to Donald Trump, cause I haven't talked to him in many years," Tyson said. "Tell him he said he was going to give me my pardon so I am waiting for my pardon. He said it out of his mouth so I'm waiting."

Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992 and served three years of a six-year sentence.

Christie appeared to get uncomfortable and started shifting in his seat, joking, "I'll put that on my list for the next phone call, Mike. I didn't know what I was going to talk to him about next. Now I got it: Got the pardon to work on."

Here is video of the exchange, via NBC New York:

A spokesperson for Tyson told NJ.com that Tyson did not say "pardon." 

"But a spokeswoman for the famously soft-spoken Tyson told NJ Advance Media on Thursday afternoon that Tyson hadn't asked for a Trump pardon but was referencing his old partner."

However, it is clear in the video above that Christie heard "pardon" and Tyson did not correct him.

Further complicating all of this, as noted by Deadspin, is that the president does not have the authority to pardon Tyson. Tyson was convicted in a state court and the president can only pardon federal crimes.