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Source: ONE News. -
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Australian officials say they carefully weighed the pros and cons of granting Mike Tyson a visa to visit the country for his Day of Champions tour in November.
The decision follows the controversial back-track from Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson to revoke a New Zealand visa granted to Tyson last week for the same tour.
Tyson is scheduled to make appearances in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
"Given the purpose of his visit and the short duration, we considered the risk of him reoffending to be very low," Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship spokeswoman Cian Manton said.
Tour promoter Max Markson said he was thrilled Tyson would be allowed into Australia for the first time.
"We hope we will also receive good news about Tyson's visit to New Zealand and are now patiently waiting on their response."
Last month he was granted a special visitor's visa to New Zealand so he could speak at an event in Auckland in November but it was cancelled days later.
Wilkinson made the call after it was revealed the children's
charity backing him - Life Education Trust - had withdrawn their
support.
However, another application was made after a new backer - the
Urban Maori Authority - emerged. The Authority is a support group
for disadvantaged youths in south Auckland.
Their chairman Willie Jackson confirmed they would sponsor the
visit, saying he wanted Tyson to speak to the area's troubled Maori
youngsters during his stay.
Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and
won his first 19 bouts by knockout.
After winning his first 37 professional bouts he was surprisingly
knocked out by Buster Douglas in 1990 and his career in and out of
the ring after that was frequently troubled.
He was jailed for rape in 1992, admitted to squandering up $300
million and infamously bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear
during a 1997 bout and subsequently had his boxing license
rescinded.
After numerous comebacks with mixed results he retired from
professional boxing for good in 2005, aged 39.
New Zealand immigration law states a visa will not be granted to a person who has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for five years or more, unless a character waiver is granted.