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Friday, June 16 Updated: June 18, 11:22 PM ET June 24 bout on despite protests Associated Press |
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Mike Tyson arrived in Britain on Sunday to complete preparations for his fight against Lou Savarese, a bout surrounded by protests and medical questions. Tyson went directly from the Concorde to a car waiting on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport, to avoid a repetition of the rowdy scenes when he came to Britain in January for another fight. "Customs and police insisted because of the public disorder that took place last time," promoter Frank Warren said. Tyson's fight against Savarese on June 24 received its final approval Friday amid another protest from women opposed to the bout. The city council granted a safety certificate authorizing Hampden Park stadium to stage the fight. The 10-1 vote was greeted with boos from about 25 protesters who attended the meeting. Women's groups unsuccessfully sought to have Tyson, who served a three-year sentence for a rape conviction, banned from entering the country. This will be Tyson's second fight in Britain. In January, he stopped Julius Francis in the second round in Manchester, England. Promoters have reduced the Glasgow stadium capacity to 51,800 after failing to sell all 60,000 tickets. Tyson delayed his arrival by four days to attend the funeral of a friend who was shot dead in New York. Stringent conditions were attached to the safety license, stipulating the event must be over by midnight and all temporary seating must be in place 24 hours before the doors open at 4 p.m. Anti-rape campaigners said they were disappointed more had not been done to prevent Tyson from entering the country. "We feel it was very important to come here to try and reflect the amount of anger around this issue and to express the outrage and dismay at the action to allow Mike Tyson into the country as a convicted rapist," said Oona Hayof the Glasgow-based Rape Crisis Center. Hay said further protests were planned during the week leading to the fight, but there were no plans to disrupt the event itself. The fight has also been surrounded by controversy over Tyson's use of antidepressants. Simon Block, the general secretary of the British Board of Boxing Control, has asked for details on Tyson's medication before deciding whether to authorize the fight. Warren predicted Tyson would easily pass his medical tests in Britain. "The only way this fight will not take place is if Mike Tyson is injured," he said. |
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