Iron Mike set for county dinner date
Thursday 19th November 2009, 11:22AM GMT.
Boxing great Mike Tyson is to come to Shropshire in March as guest of honour at a sportsmen’s dinner near Oswestry.
Iron Mike, a former world heavyweight champion who has enjoyed a controversial fight career and personal life, will appear at the dinner at the Lion Quays hotel at Gledrid on March 14.
Organiser, Gledrid-based businessman Mike Williams, says demand for tickets is so great preference will be given to customers who have attended previous boxing dinner promotions.
Mr Williams said the appearance of Tyson was arguably the biggest yet for Dragon Promotions.
He said: “His reputation goes before him and everyone knows who he is.
“He is controversial but I met him a few weeks ago and I thought he was fine. He is truly a legend and I am sure fans will flock for these tickets so people have to be quick.”
Mr Williams said he would be flying to Las Vegas next month to spend time with the former boxer and talk about the night.
He revealed he was also arranging for Tyson to make other appearances throughout the country. Tickets range from £95 to £125.
An immediate deposit of £50 will secure a ticket. Details on (01691) 774356 or 07816 200 056.
Mr Williams has also arranged his first rugby event, a charity dinner at the Lion Quays on February 19. Guests of honour will be Welsh rugby legends Merv Davies, JPR Williams and Phil Bennett.
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Great – dinner with a convicted rapist. Who’s Mr Williams got lined up next, Gary Glitter?
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Hear hear Peter, maybe when Simon Hoare is released they’ll have him guest
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peter your not invited!
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Maybe he is going to tell a witty anecdote about the day he bit an apponents earlobe off, what a guy !
Shropshire you make me proud, NOT
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Totally agree Peter!
Guest of honour? Guest of dishonour more like!
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Leaving aside his out of ring exploits, I heard an interview with him on the radio last week, and to be honest, I was quite impressed. He spoke honestly and showed there is actually a brain in there. As a teen, it was the likes of Iron Mike who defined my sporting memories of the late 80s/early 90s.
So as an undisputed true heavyweight great, I would like to see him speak – I don’t think I’d stump up £95 though.
ps – Shropshire would make me prouder, if its residents would learn to spell!
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There’s nothing like a bit of Shropshire small-mindedness. Tyson was convicted and served his time in harsh US penitentiaries. Give the guy some credit for maturing and becoming a better person rather than slaughtering him for something that took place over 18 years ago.
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We could give the guy credit for maturing if there was any evidence that he had. I see no sign he’s become a better person than he was.
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fantastic guest speaker and the people who don’t like this are just jealous or probably racist! grow up i say to them he never did nothing to this country or people, let them get on with it.
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Dave,
He raped an 18 year old American girl. I shouldn’t have thought that her nationality would make any difference with respect to how he should be regarded after that.
Clearly to you, the fact that she isn’t British counts as mitigating circumstances – a somewhat peculiar moral standpoint I would suggest?
I cannot imagine any other convicted rapist being welcomed for an evening of brandy, cigars and anecdotes – why make an exception for Tyson?
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@9 Dave
What could Mike Tyson have that I would be jealous over? A violent disposition? Maybe it’s his bullyboy attitude? Oh I know, it’s his sick view that he has the right to force himself on a woman if he so wishes.
And it’s nothing to with racism either – any man who behaves in that manner towards a woman is dysfunctional.
You rape an 18 year old girl you are a sad sadistic bully and nothing more regardless of colour.
I’m very disappointed that his rape conviction is condoned as long as he doesn’t do it here. Any male who aligns himself with Mike Tyson is not a man at all.
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i have met mike tyson .judging by most of the small minded comments i have read i can only conclude that you all believe he is a rapist.mr tyson was set up by criminals and prostitutes for the purpose of bleeding him dry.his life has been of the extreme from the moment of his birth.anyone can be accused of any crime and found guilty.add fame and money to this along with drugs and organised crime and youre looking at a differant world. one that is far removed from shropshire!
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Jon, We don’t just ‘believe’ that he is a rapist – he was convicted of the offence in a court of law.
A previous correspondent has indicated his willingness to effectively absolve Tyson of blame, on the grounds that he harmed no-one British. Now you seek to deny his guilt on the basis that you happen to have met him!
I suggest that you are both in denial, and simply do not wish to acknowledge his guilt.
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Maybe the people who are so outraged should just get off their high horse and not go to the dinner!
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Well said, John Oliver.
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@ #9 But he’s still a cannibal biting ears off he should stay in the USA.
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Personally, I’d rather remember Mike Tyson at the peak of his boxing career.
Awesome is not too strong a term to use.
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peter, colin stagg was also convicted in a court of law.
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oh and peter, is this also the same court of law that found oj simpson not guilty of murder.not everything in life is black and white my friend!
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Jon,
Colin Stagg was acquitted in a court of law…
Facts are obviously not your strong point.
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peter you are choosing to miss the point.wrongfull charges and imprisonment are classed alongside wrongfull convictions according to the compensation scheme that payed stagg£250,000.instead of arguing for the sake of it for the purpose of your own ego can you not accept that there are thousands of inocent people in prisons worldwide.fact
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Jon,
There may well be innocent people in prison. Tyson wasn’t one of them. He was convicted, on the basis of a good deal of corroborating evidence, some of it medical evidence. He was evasive when cross-examined in court, and his conviction was upheld on appeal.
If we compare that to the OJ Simpson case, whilst it is possible, even likely in my view, that Simpson was the murderer, the evidence presented was insufficient to convict.
Clearly you are prepared to turn a blind eye to Tyson’s guilt so that you can enjoy his boxing anecdotes with your dinner. It’s a free country, so you’re perfectly at liberty to do that, but personally I couldn’t stomach it…
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I am totally disgusted with the appearence of Mike tyson at the lion quays. He is a rapist and woman beater…as a woman who works in this field with victims I am shocked and dismayed that the lion quays even allows this to happen!!!
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£95 to £125 per ticket is an outrage as it stands couple that with Mr Williams’ stance
“His reputation goes before him and everyone knows who he is.”
“He is controversial but I met him a few weeks ago and I thought he was fine. He is truly a legend and I am sure fans will flock for these tickets so people have to be quick.”
One mans opinion certainly doesn’t change the past where a judge and a jury convicted him- I’m all up for forgiveness (not forgetting) but come on this is just insulting! Using words like controversial and legend to describe Mike Tyson- ridiculous! We have a paedophile register what about a convicted rapist register? Maybe if we weren’t so misled as a population people would not be as vulnerable?!
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