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Scotland sellout Tyson bout a sellout but not without controversy
Posted: Monday May 22, 2000 11:27 PM
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) -- Mike Tyson will fight before a sellout crowd of 58,000 when he meets Lou Savarese at Glasgow's Hampden Park soccer stadium, promoter Frank Warren said on Monday. The June 24 fight, which has sparked a storm of protest here because of Tyson's criminal past, will be televised in 180 countries and will generate some 14 million pounds ($21 million) to the local economy, Warren said. Meanwhile Home Secretary Jack Straw, whose decision to allow the convicted rapist an entry visa was branded outrageous by other lawmakers and women's rights groups, defended his decision in Parliament on Monday. "It is my responsibility to make these decisions on the law as it exists," he told the House of Commons in reply to a question. "Above all I had to take account of whether in this particular case Mr. Tyson's entry would pose a risk to the public and, on the basis of the history of this application and the need for fairness and consistency, I took the decision that I did." Straw, who also allowed Tyson entry into Britain to fight Julius Francis in Manchester in January, was accused by lawmaker and former movie actress Glenda Jackson of sending the wrong signals with regard to government policy on violence against women. "You will be aware of the sense of stupefaction felt by many of my constituents at the Home Secretary's decision to allow into this country for a second time a proven abuser of women," Jackson said. At a news conference in Glasgow, Warren described the Tyson card, which will have at least two world title contests as yet not finalized, as a "boxing extravaganza." Some 20,000 applications for tickets were made even before the venue had been announced, Warren said. He admitted there was a lot of opposition to the Tyson fight but said there was plenty of support too. "There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this fight and all I can say is people are entitled to their views," Warren said. "We live in a democracy and as long as people express those views peacefully, I don't have a problem with that. "Women's groups were entitled to their `very valid opinion'," he said. "There are people who want to see Mike Tyson fight, and their voice must be heard too."
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