MIKE TYSON claimed he was almost deported for from the UK for visiting Reggie Kray’s family.
And the boxing legend revealed he wrote to the notorious gangster while he was in prison.
Mike Tyson revealed he visited Reggie Kray’s family – and almost got deported
London-born twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray were sentenced to life in prison after being involved in murder and armed robbery.
Ronnie died of a heart attack in 1995 but Reggie was still alive when Tyson – who was given six years in jail for rape in 1992 but was released in 1995 – travelled to the UK to face Julius Francis in Manchester.
Speaking on his Hotboxin’ podcast with Piers Morgan, Iron Mike revealed: “I used to write to Reggie Kray while I was in prison.”
Morgan responded: “And he wrote back to you?”
And Tyson explained: “He wrote to me first. He just told me about his life and I told him what I was doing here and how I feel about being here and what I’m going to do when I get out.
“When I came out of prison I was fighting somebody, I think it was Julius Francis, and I went to visit his family and talked kindly about him.
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“They almost sent me out of the country back to America.”
Good Morning Britain host Morgan then recalled his own experience of the Kray twins.
He said: “I had some dealings with him. They were tough guys. He was very well behaved in prison. They both were.
Ronnie and Reggie Kray were notorious East London gangstersCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Mike Tyson was in the UK to fight Julius Francis in ManchesterCredit: AFP – Getty
“Ronnie, his brother, was in Broadmoor which is more of a psychiatric prison. He was slightly madder.
“Reg was in a conventional prison, Parkhurst and then Maidstone. They were fascinating parts of English folklore. They were folk heroes to many people.”
Tyson knocked Francis down five times in a dominant second-round win.
The American was one of the most feared boxers in the world in his prime after bursting on to the scene.
He became world champion in 1986 before going on to clean up the heavyweight division.
His prison sentence came during the prime years of his career, but he came back to win the world title again.
Iron Mike retired in 2005 – but last year came back to draw with Roy Jones Jr, 52, in an exhibition bout.
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
