Mike Tyson refused New Zealand visa – again
Police said the Twitter threats appeared aimed at the audience attending former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson’s one-man show on Broadway.
New Zealand today blocked Mike Tyson from entering the country for the second time in as many weeks, the Agence France-Presse reported.
Earlier this month, the New Zealand government cancelled a visa that Tyson had been issued after his sponsor, the Life Education Trust, withdrew its support.
Tyson lodged a second application after the Manukau Urban Maori Authority invited the former world heavyweight champion and convicted rapist to the country.
But Associate Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson said Tyson had been barred again.
"The original decision in respect of Mr Tyson was a finely balanced call based on the letter of support from a board member of the Life Education Trust," Wilkinson said in a statement cited by TVNZ.
"When the Trust withdrew its support I received another application from Mr Tyson's representatives with the support of the Manukau Urban Maori Authority.
" This new application was not enough to get the application over the line and as such, I have declined to grant Mr Tyson a new visa under the Immigration Act 2009. ”
Reuters reported Tyson, who served three years in jail in the 1990s for a rape conviction, wanted to travel to New Zealand to deliver a “a series of motivational speeches.”
He was due to stage his one-man show "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth" in Auckland in November.
More from GlobalPost: Roger Federer at No. 1 for 300th week in career