Australia crime victims demand Mike Tyson bar

By Rob Taylor

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australian crime victims are demanding ex-heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson be barred from entering the country to take part in a professional poker tournament with retired cricketer Shane Warne.

Tyson, a convicted rapist, is planning to travel to the southern city of Melbourne in January for the A$10 million ($9.6 million) Aussie Millions Poker Championships, organizers said.

"We seem to have reached a new depth of lowness. He is being brought out here to be trotted out as a celebrity, like some kind of Mother Theresa. It's an insult," Crime Victims Support Association President Noel McNamara told Reuters.

"We don't think it's right and we will be urging the Immigration Minister not to let him into the country," McNamara said.

Tyson, 42, is playing poker with Warne in Las Vegas this week and during his boxing career was the undisputed heavyweight champion for more than two years. He retired in 2005.

Nicknamed "Iron Mike", Tyson was convicted of raping an 18-year-old beauty contest entrant in 1992 and he served three years in prison. A comeback bout against Evander Holyfield in 1996 ended in uproar and disqualification after Tyson bit off part of Holyfield's ear.

"I love Australia, but I've never been before. I really want to come and see the country," Tyson told the Herald Sun newspaper.

Warne, who retired from test cricket last year with a record 708 wickets, was last month named among Australia's least-trusted people and has begun a new career as a poker professional.

Throughout his cricketing career Warne attracted as much controversy off the field as he did on it, with suspension for passing tips to an Indian bookmaker and the breakup of his marriage over extramarital affairs and phone text scandals.

Australian visa rules guard against arrivals with criminal records and holidaymakers must also be judged by immigration officials to have good character. The immigration minister and Senator Chris Evans has the final say on visa refusals.

"It would be inappropriate for the minister to speculate on what might happen with a person's visa application," a spokesman for Evans told Reuters.

Influential Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown, whose party is crucial to government control of parliament's Upper House, said he did not believe anyone should be barred from visiting Australia, but added: "I won't be buying a ticket".

Rapper Snoop Dog was refused entry to Australia in April 2007 because of his extensive criminal record, sinking plans for him to co-host the MTV Australia Video Music Awards.

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)