Tyson to fight Etienne in February

Mike Tyson will return to the ring for the first time since losing to Lennox Lewis in June when he fights Clifford Etienne in Memphis, Tennessee on February 22, the Showtime Cable Network announced on Wednesday.

American Etienne, known as "the Black Rhino", holds the title of the unheralded International Boxing Association (IBA) and is the No. 5-rated contender for the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) heavyweight crown.

The 10-round contest at the Pyramid Arena will be only the third fight in 28 months for Tyson, who was knocked out in the eighth round at the same arena by International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Lewis.

Etienne has a career record of 24 wins (17 knockouts), one defeat and one draw. His last fight was a 10-round draw with the ageing South African Francois Botha in July.

Former world champion Tyson, who has a career record of 49 wins (43 knockouts), four defeats and two no-contests, stopped Botha in five rounds in Las Vegas in January 1999.