Mike Tyson donates signed belt to Rawthorpe Amateur Boxing Club

Nov 19 2009 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

BOXING legend Mike Tyson has donated a signed belt to a Huddersfield club.

The former heavyweight world champion presented the belt to Mark Reynolds as a thank you for working on his security team during his UK tour.

The founder of Rawthorpe Amateur Boxing Club said: “After breakfast on his last day in England, Mike called me to his room and presented me with a replica WBA championship belt which he had signed in two places.

“To say I was speechless is an understatement. Spending a week with one of the most famous people on the planet is something I will cherish for the rest of my life and the buzz we are having in the club on the back of it is great.”

Tyson was in the UK from November 3 to 10, speaking in Wolverhampton, Essex, Cardiff and Derby. A fifth event in Belfast was cancelled for security reasons.

Mark has now spoken about this time with the boxing legend.

The 42-year-old Newsome man said: “The highlight for me was hearing Mike talking about his life and career from being a 12-year-old to the present day. Each evening there were different parts of his life that came out which was very good to hear.”

Tyson spoke at the Five Lakes Hotel in Essex on November 7.

Mark said: “He talked for over an hour and the standing ovation he got was something I have never witnessed before.