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Ease up on Iron Mike Tyson's paid his dues, so let the man make a living
Posted: Thursday January 13, 2000 07:32 PM
When will the persecution of Mike Tyson end? The decision by the British government to allow him to enter the country for his Jan. 29 fight with Julius Francis may be a positive one, especially for the city of Manchester, which was set to lose millions had Iron Mike been turned away. But the general air of negativity that seems to surround the former heavyweight champion otherwise shows no sign of going away. Of course, in the past, Mike Tyson has brought a lot of his troubles on himself. Wild, boorish and prone to outrageous physical and emotional outbursts, his behavior since his conviction for the rape of American beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington has done little to enhance the view that Mike is a contrite and fully rehabilitated individual. However, in mitigation, you would have to say that the incessant goading he's subjected to by authority figures, whether from the Nevada officials to whom he had to grovel for the return of his boxing license, or the British government, would try the patience of a saint. The latest debacle, which forced promoter Frank Warren and company to sweat on Tyson's visa to enter the Britain for the fight, is a prime example, whereby Mike Tyson is treated differently.
The contention that his previous incarceration somehow makes him an undesirable in Britain would have been fine if it was part of a consistent government policy. But it wasn't. A look through the cuttings of any tabloid newspaper would have revealed that any number of former inmates from various nations had previously been allowed into the country to box, sing, act, etc., with not a peep from the Home Office about them being a pariah. Even the fight's co-promoter, Don King, is a convicted felon, and he's had no trouble getting in. Yet still the men in gray suits sought to make an example of Mike Tyson. The pursuit of political capital has been cited as a possible reason for the debate over Tyson's entry, with Warren suggesting the upcoming elections for Mayor of London may have prompted some to stamp their feet in a phony display of piety. Whether that's the case, of course, is open to debate. However one thing is certain: the political shenanigans have nothing to do with Mike Tyson. He's served his time, and is now just trying to get back to doing the only thing he can do, which is fight. For the British government to even consider trying to stop him from doing that on the grounds of his past, was surely a case of double-jeopardy, not to mention double standards, and did the country no credit. Terry Baddoo is a co-host of "World Sport," the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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