LAX Fight: Tyson vs. Paparazzo

Los Angeles - Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson decked a paparazzo at Los Angeles International Airport, and both men were free on Thursday after being booked and filing misdemeanor complaints against each other, authorities said.

The photographer was identified by police early today as Tony Echeverria, 50.

Tyson was passing through LAX on a trip from Europe to Las Vegas when the fisticuffs occurred Wednesday afternoon, according to Los Angeles Police Sgt. Jim Holcomb.

Several celebrity photographers were photographing Tyson when a scuffle ensued between the ex-boxer and Echeverria near a ticket counter in Terminal 7 about 4:30 p.m., according to Holcomb.

Tyson allegedly hit Echeverria once in the face, causing him to fall to the ground, Holcomb said in a statement.

Tyson and Echeverria made cross complaints against each other for misdemeanor battery, and each man placed the other under citizen's arrest, Holcomb said.

Tyson was taken to the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Station, booked, and released about 8 p.m. on a written promise to appear in court, Holcomb said.

Echeverria suffered a minor laceration to his forehead and he was taken to a local hospital for treatment, Holcomb said. He was booked at LAPD's Pacific Station and released on $20,000 bail, according to police.

Celebrity photographers regularly stake out the airport, and the trouble wasn't the first involving camera crews there. Kanye West was arrested Sept. 12, 2008, in a dispute that ended with a broken camera.

Brooklyn-born Tyson, 43, became the world's youngest heavyweight champion in 1986, winning the WBC title when he was 20 years old. A one-time street tough with a juvenile record, he was known for his fierce boxing style.

His career peaked in the late 1980s, and his personal life took center stage. He was convicted of rape in 1992 and spent about three years in prison..

"Iron Mike," as he was known, tried to make a comeback in the mid 1990s but was beaten by Evander Holyfield. In a 1997 rematch, Tyson was disqualified for biting off a piece of Holyfield's ear.

In 2006, Tyson was arrested in Scottsdale, Ariz., for driving under the influence. The next year, he pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine on Sept. 24, 2007 and spent 24 hours in jail.

Earlier this year, Tyson's 4-year-old daughter, Exodus, died after she got tangled in a cord dangling from a treadmill.