BOXING

TYSON RETURNING TO THE RING

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will fight for the first time in nearly a year, facing journeyman Kevin McBride on June 11 at Washington’s MCI Center, a boxing source told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity last night. Tyson and promoter Marty Wynn planned to announce the bout at a news conference today, the source said.

The 38-year-old Tyson is 50-5 with two no contests and 44 knockouts. He lost two of his last three fights. In his most recent outing, in Louisville on July 30, he was stopped in the fourth round by Danny Williams after tearing cartilage in his left knee. That was Tyson’s first fight in 17 months – and his first loss in a non-title bout. He’s entered the ring just once a year since 2001, earning a technical knockout victory over Brian Nielsen in October of that year, getting knocked out by Lennox Lewis in June 2002, and knocking out Clifford Etienne in February 2003.

Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion ever when he knocked out Trevor Berbick at the age of 20 in 1986. McBride, 31, defeated Kevin Montiy by technical knockout on March 18 in his last fight. Born in Ireland and now based in Massachusetts, the 6-foot-6 McBride is 32-4-1 with 27 KOs.

BASEBALL

ROCKIES’ PIEDRA SUSPENDED FOR STEROIDS

Colorado Rockies outfielder Jorge Piedra was suspended 10 days yesterday for violating baseball’s new policy on performance-enhancing drugs, becoming the second player to be publicly identified under the major leagues’ tougher rules.

The Rockies issued a statement yesterday calling the situation “unfortunate.”

“As an organization we have, and will continue to support Major League Baseball and its drug testing policies,” team president Keli McGregor said.

FOOTBALL

PATRIOTS SIGN DILLON TO EXTENSION

Patriots running back Corey Dillon signed a contract extension yesterday that could keep him with New England for the rest of his career. The agreement guarantees the 30-year-old Dillon $10 million over two years and could be extended for up to five years and a total $25 million in base pay and various bonuses, said his agent, Steven Feldman.

Last season, his first with the Patriots, Dillon rushed for a career-high and team best 1,635 yards, with 12 touchdowns. Dillon had 75 yards on 18 carries, including a 2-yard scoring run, in the Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Dillon is one of only four players in NFL history to run for 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons.

GOLF

WIE AGREES TO PLAY IN JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

Michelle Wie accepted a sponsor’s exemption yesterday to play in the John Deere Classic, the second time this year the 15-year-old from Hawaii will take her promising game to the PGA Tour.

Wie played the Sony Open in Honolulu the second week of the year and missed the cut by seven shots. A year ago, she shot 68 in the second round of the Sony Open – the lowest score ever by a female competing against men – to miss the cut by one shot. Wie, a sophomore at Punahou School in Honolulu, would be 10th on the LPGA Tour money list in three tournaments if she took prize money.

The John Deere Classic will be held July 7-10.

BASKETBALL

WASHINGTON’S ROBINSON WILL ENTER DRAFT

Nate Robinson, the 5-foot-8 guard who led Washington to a no. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, said yesterday he plans to enter the NBA draft. Robinson, a junior who was selected to the All-Pac 10 team the last two seasons and was a third-team Associated Press All-America this year, helped Washington recover from four straight losing seasons.

STANFORD’S HERNANDEZ TO DECLARE FOR DRAFT

Stanford junior guard Chris Hernandez will declare for the NBA draft and maintain his amateur status by not hiring an agent, according to a report yesterday onESPN.com. Stanford coach Trent Johnson said Hernandez, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound point guard, wants to see if he’ll receive an invitation to the Chicago predraft camp, which runs for five days beginning June 7.

BYU NAMES ROSE HEAD COACH

Brigham Young promoted basketball assistant Dave Rose to head coach yesterday, filling the opening left when Steve Cleveland resigned last week to take over at Fresno State.

SOCCER

ITALY THREATENS TO CLOSE STADIUMS AFTER VIOLENCE

The Italian government threatened to close some soccer stadiums yesterday after 85 police officers were injured in a wave of fan violence across the country. Weekend games in Rome, Palermo, Udine, Cava dei Tirreni, and Perugia turned violent, with visiting fans battling police at some railway stations as they were led away from stadiums.

Play resumed last weekend after a break to mourn the death of Pope John Paul II. Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu said the “most barbaric violence” contrasted with the civility of the huge crowd attending the pope’s funeral. Italy’s police union advocated the suspension of games at stadiums with a history of violence. Seventeen fans were arrested and 259 later identified and charged over Sunday’s violence.

About 200 Livorno fans hurled objects at police and vandalized the San Pietro station on the outskirts of Rome after their team’s league game against Lazio at Stadio Olimpico. The Tuscan fans had chanted communist slogans and waved red flags during the game while groups of Lazio fans reciprocated with fascist and neo-Nazi slogans.

TENNIS

HENIN-HARDENNE OPENS FAMILY CIRCLE CUP WITH WIN

Former Family Circle Cup champion Justine Henin-Hardenne put her health to the test yesterday and passed when she upset 10th-seeded Jelena Jankovic.

Henin-Hardenne is playing in just her second event this season after a knee fracture and virus kept her off the court for seven months. She beat Jankovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the opening round.

In another upset Klara Koukalova beat no. 16 Elena Likhovtseva 6-3, 6-4.Two seeded players won: No. 16 Fabiola Zuluaga beat Severine Beltrame in 6-3, 6-4, and no. 11 Ai Sugiyama ousted qualifier Yuliana Fedak 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

– Associated Press