LONDON, JUNE 19: Controversial former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson kept a low profile as he slipped into Britain yesterday ahead of his next fight with journeyman pugilist Lou Savarese in Glasgo next Saturday. There was no repeat of the pandemonium generated by the 33-year-old's arrival at London Heathrow in January. Gone was the unwieldly scrum of fans, photographers and reporters that he had to fight through last time. In its place was a secretive display of formalities on a windswept apron on the fringes of Heathrow's Terminal Four. Tyson fights his fellow American at Hampden Park in Glasgow Saturday night, but will spend a few days training at his London hotel before flying to Scotland on Wednesday. The 10-round bout, dogged by controversy, cleared its final hurdle on Friday when Glasgow City Council granted a safety certificate for the venue. Earlier, Tyson's promoters were forced to fend off a legal challenge from women's rights campaigners angry the convicted rapist had been allowed into the country for a second time. Home Secretary Jack Straw decided to grant Tyson a visa for the fight despite political opposition and protests from women's groups. Tyson was escorted from his concorde after it touched down from New York at 5.17 pm local time. As cameramen and reporters watched 100 yards away from behind a wire security fence, the boxer and his minders rounded a bend by a pair of parked aircraft steps and pulled up in a lay-by in a white people carrier. There was a brief exchange of words before Tyson made a discreet switch to a silver mercedes. As the pack of photographers and camera crews were herded onto a small patch of grass by burly members of a private security firm, Tyson's car left the airport by a small gate. Tyson's car stopped briefly outside the gate to pick up promoter Frank Warren before driving off with a police escort to the sumptuous Dorchester Hotel in Central London. The boxer, sitting behind the driver and wearing a white shirt with a leaf pattern and black trousers, looked slightly glum but managed the briefest of waves as his car accelerated away. Earlier, Warren explained the elaborate arrangements by saying that police had insisted on them. "Customs and police insisted because of the public disorder that took place last time," he stressed. Tyson's arrival at Heathrow in January descended into chaos when numerous security guards and police officers could not hold back a crowd of around 400 fight fans, photographers and reporters who swamped the fighter. At least two women were sent flying in the maul before Tyson was finally guided through the crowds. This time, if Tyson had come through the arrivals hall, he would have found it virtually deserted. A small party of reporters and photographers began gathering at the arrivals exit hours earlier, at about the time Tyson must have been boarding his flight. The army of Tyson fans from his last visit were no where in evidence apart from one or two camera-toting diehards lurking in the arrivals hall.
