“I have seen the “little man syndrome” acted out over and over again.“
Just as common is the looming doofus syndrome. Big guys who deliberately use size disparity to try to intimidate and bully. Works well in high school. And sometimes, in West Texas, that’s a good way to get your lamp blowed out.
What was he gonna bully him in to doing? Producing the man's son? Pretty sure that was the mom controlling that.
I think this is a male head butting show in front of the female, and I think that was the motivating factor for the new man feeling he had to prove himself, which he did.
In the absence of this law stuff, she would be massively impressed with his manliness.