Tyson must return to Brazil to face trial

A Brazilian judge ordered Mike Tyson on Friday to return to Brazil in March to face trial for allegedly assaulting a cameraman in a nightclub.

If found guilty, the former heavyweight boxing champion could be fined or sentenced to community service in Brazil, the Globo Online news service reported. Tyson did not speak to the press at the Sao Paulo courthouse.

An attorney representing cameraman Carlos Eduardo da Silva told the news service that Silva also plans to sue Tyson for damages in United States courts.

Silva, who works for the Brazilian television network SBT, alleges that early Thursday morning Tyson broke his camera and hit him on the head with camera equipment. Tyson acknowledged breaking the camera and destroying the camera's tape after asking Silva to stop filming, but denied pushing or hitting the cameraman, police said.

Tyson came to Sao Paulo following a trip to Argentina, where he was interviewed by Diego Maradona on his TV show. When Tyson arrived at the courthouse on Friday wearing a gift from Maradona, the jersey of the Argentine national soccer team, the archrival of Brazil, the crowd outside the court began to jeer, the Agencia Estado news agency reported.

Tyson did not react to the fans' shouts but reportedly raised his middle finger to cameramen filming his arrival, AP reports.

А. А.