Tyson wows crowd at Five Lakes (From Gazette)

Tyson wows crowd at Five Lakes

10:16am Monday 9th November 2009

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When a legend shows up on your patch, you can’t just sit at home.

When that legend is Mike Tyson, sheer curiosity makes you want to take a look.

More than four years after his last fight, Tyson remains a massive draw wherever he goes.

On Saturday night, the former heavyweight champion of the world was at Five Lakes Golf and Country Club in Tolleshunt Knights — population just over 1,000.

There was an element of surreality about Tyson’s visit as roughly 400 die-hards flocked to catch a glimpse of arguably the most compelling and controversial figure in sporting history.

Just about everyone in the sleepy Essex village must have known Tyson was coming.

He was there on what was supposed to be the third leg of a four-date UK speaking tour dubbed Coming Back To The Fans In the event, it was the second. The night before, a scheduled appearance in Belfast was scrapped at the 11th hour by Braintree-based promoter Jimmy Clyne, sparking speculation the tour was in trouble.

You would never have guessed it on Saturday.

By 7pm, hordes of fans, including some who barely looked old enough to remember Tyson at his peak, were queuing outside the VIP lounge to have their pictures taken with him. Tyson obliged everyone with a smile.

I got in as well.

After negotiating a blanket of security, I quickly made friends with a few important people and, within minutes, had shaken hands with the fighter once dubbed The Baddest Man On The Planet.

These days, Tyson openly shuns that persona.

He is now 43, much bigger physically and almost mellow in manner.

After I’d told him what a privilege it was to meet him, Tyson replied courteously: “Thank you, sir.”

Getting an interview with someone like Tyson, though, is another matter entirely.

Events like this are tightly controlled and I should have known that politely cajoling the organisers wouldn’t work.

It didn’t. With the show approaching, I was told there was virtually no chance of getting even a couple of minutes on my own with Tyson.

The entertainment started later than planned, but Tyson got a rapturous reception when he finally appeared on stage. Dressed in a grey suit and prompted by a compere, he delivered an animated performance, playing the crowd as he recounted how he first became a boxer, his subsequent struggle with fame and his battle to banish his past.

Chief organiser Mark Clement said: “I think the event was an absolute success.

“There was a slight delay at the start, but that happens everywhere you go.

“Mike’s performance on stage was absolutely fantastic.

“The crowd loved it. There was a nice insight into bits about Mike that people had never heard before.”

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