Mike Tyson: Former world boxing champion not charged after plane fight

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Ex-heavyweight Tyson

Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson avoids charges after a fight on a plane.

A prosecutor in the US state of California said on Tuesday that due to the "circumstances surrounding the confrontation" and at the request of both parties involved, no further action would be taken.

Tyson got into a physical altercation with another passenger in April.

A video of the incident, which was supposed to show Tyson beating another person, had spread rapidly on the Internet at the time.

According to reports, the other passenger had previously provoked Tyson, 55, and continued to talk to him.

According to a spokesman for the ex-boxer, the passenger also threw a water bottle at Tyson.

Prosecutor refers to the "behaviour of the victim"

Prosecutors said the victim's behavior prior to the incident also contributed to the decision not to press charges.

Notorious for his hard punches, Tyson is considered one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history.

However, the boxing legend has long had a reputation for not being in control.

25 years ago he bit off a piece of his opponent Evander Holyfield's ear in a heavyweight boxing match.

Tyson has also been in trouble with the law in the past.

In the early 1990s, he was sentenced to several years in prison after allegations of rape.

fek/dpa/AFP