Tyron Woodley No One Wants To See Jake Vs. Tommy Our Fight's A Bigger Draw

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NOW IT'S A FIGHT
TMZSports.com

Tyron Woodley says it was actually a blessing Tommy Fury got hurt and had to pull out of his December 18 fight with Jake Paul -- because nobody wanted to see that crap!!!

Hey, T-Wood said it ... not us.

TMZ Sports talked to the 39-year-old future UFC Hall of Famer just days before he's set to step in the ring with the Problem Child, and Woodley tells us the real winners here are the viewers.

"Nobody wants to see no f***ing Tommy Fury fight, come on now," Tyron tells us, saying, "Now his brother is lit. But, he can't ride the coattails of Tyson."

TW went on to say that Fury may go on to have a solid boxing career ... but as of right now,  he simply doesn't present the same threats as Woodley.

So, when we asked Tyron if he was a more difficult opponent ... he didn't hesitate.

"Of course I am, s***. That's why he took [the Fury] fight instead. He made a double wager and then didn't honor it because s***, why would he go back and give me the chance to finish off what I started now that I've been in there with him."

Of course, Tyron and Jake scrapped back in August ... a fight that the YouTuber turned boxing star won by split decision (Woodley wholeheartedly believes he won the fight).

Since, Woodley has all but demanded a rematch ... but Paul shot him down. That is until Tommy pulled out of the fight last week with a chest infection and broken ribs, per his reps.

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THE DETAILS
@tommyfury / Instagram

So, Tyron's in ... and this time he says he will not leave things up to the judges.

"I just feel like, definitely, I can't leave any doubt."

The fight goes down on Showtime PPV in just 6 days!!! 💪💪💪

Sarah Jessica Parker Good Genes or Good Docs?!

And just like that ... Sarah Jessica Parker has still got it!

Here's the 21-year-old version of the ageless beauty with long locks of curls and giant hoop earrings at the premiere of the film "At Close Range" in Los Angeles back in 1986 (left).

And 35 years later ... The now 56-year-old actress strutted the red carpet for the highly anticipated HBO reboot, "And Just Like That...," in a top knot and gorgeous jewelry that pays homage to her iconic styles of "Sex and the City" in New York City earlier this week (right).

Get carried away!

The question is ...

Sarah Jessica Parker ...

'SELLING SUNSET' Emma's Living Fabulous In The Hills

Emma Hernan, the newest star on "Selling Sunset," clearly has good taste in real estate ... because while she was slinging high-end properties, she was living in an ultra-hip Hollywood Hills mansion.

If you've watched season 4 of 'Sunset' you've seen bikini-clad Emma chilling by the massive pool of this sweet pad -- a $7 million spread featuring incredible views of the city and L.A.'s canyons. What they didn't reveal on the show is this was a temporary luxury.

That'll probably make her nemesis Christine Quinn grin from ear-to-ear ... Emma was only renting the 3-bedroom, 4-bathroom home above the Sunset Strip!!!

Chill, Christine ... Emma does actually OWN a home, but it was under major renovations for about 4 months while they were filming the latest episodes.

BTW, renting ain't easy -- not in L.A., anyway -- we're told Emma plunked down more than $35k per month to live there.

Our sources tell us Emma rented the home from her good friend, Hollywood talent manager, Jamie Freed, who's managed stars like Selena Gomez and Paris Hilton among others.

Just proves that old adage -- it's all about who ya know ... and what they own.

Celebrity Scramble Guess Who!

Hidden within this toothy photo is a timeless singer who knows how to spread glitter and holiday cheer with her powerhouse voice.

This big-grinning gal has made audiences obsessed with her signature songs ... especially one tune that you'll be listening to on repeat this winter to get you in the holiday mood. But, being the Queen of Christmas isn't the only thing she has to offer, this talented voice has won numerous awards for hit after hit after hit.

Now, a mother of two children, she may be known for her diva attitude, but it's only because she is living the fantasy!

'West Side Story' Spielberg's Take Flops ... Fans Blame Ansel Elgort Casting

Steven Spielberg's rendition of 'West Side Story' might be a hit with critics, but it tanked at the box office ... something many are taking joy in, all because of Ansel Elgort.

The numbers are in for the film, and it doesn't look like people were flocking to catch it on the big screen -- with the movie only raking in around $4.1 million on opening day (Friday), and a projected $10 to $11 million haul for the whole weekend. That's ... quite bad.

There's a lot on theories on why 'WSS' didn't do well ... but one that's circulating online -- without much evidence to support it, we should note -- is Ansel himself may have kept folks at arm's length, due in part to allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Like we said, there isn't a whole lot of proof to this -- most are blaming the pandemic and a sluggish holiday trend, but even if there's no credence to the Ansel thing ... there sure is a lot of giddiness.

Long story short ... the guy was accused of sexually assaulting a woman -- who told her story on Twitter, and then deleted it -- who claims she was 17 when she had sex with him in 2014. She alleges she felt violated afterward, and went on to say she suffers from PTSD. Ansel denied her characterization in a since-deleted message -- insisting it was consensual.

Other women have come forward with claims against him as well, alleging he was predatory and soliciting minors before he was uber famous -- but he hasn't addressed those specifically. In any case, him being tapped as the lead for Spielberg was widely criticized.

In SS's defense, the allegation surfaced last year -- well after Ansel had been cast and even after the film had wrapped ... so it was too late to even consider getting someone else. Interestingly, Spielberg and co. haven't addressed the situation thus far ... and all signs point to them staying mum.

The fascinating part ... 'West Side Story' may actually have a shot at getting some awards soon, so the saga isn't quite over yet.

UFO Swarm of Lights Dart Across Sky ... Sighting in Chino Hills???

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DANCING ACROSS THE SKY
TMZ.com

We may have another UFO sighting on our hands -- and this one sure seems legit, seeing how there's no explanation for what the heck all these lights in the sky are.

Check out this wild video obtained by TMZ, which appears to show multiple giant orbs in the heavens above Chino Hills, CA -- circling each other and moving in strange, eccentric patterns ... with no light source coming from down below, per an eyewitness, anyway.

We're told this was shot a couple days ago, on Dec. 9, around 9 PM. The woman who filmed it tells us her grandson was taking the trash out, when he looked up and saw this ... which prompted the rest of the family to come out and take it all in.

The witness says she thought there was a grand opening happening, but they couldn't trace any such event nearby ... and as they mention on camera, there's no beam coming from down below. Seems the lights are really up there, generated by something in the clouds.

The crazy part is, we're told that after about 30-40 mins ... these things completely disappeared, without a trace.

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FLYING IN FORMATION

There doesn't seem to be any explanation that we could find for what we're seeing here -- it's a mystery. Of course, one answer could be ... this is a UFO. Or lots of them, more like. One might even call them a fleet -- which is what one pilot recently says he saw as he was flying high above civilization himself.

Sightings such are these are becoming more and more common -- which is presumably why the Pentagon is dedicating an entire new wing to studying them. The truth is out there ...

Megan Thee Stallion Graduates from TSU ... Welcome to Smart Girl Winter!!!

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MEGAN THEE GRADUATE
Texas Southern University

Megan Thee Stallion is now Megan Thee Graduate -- 'cause she just got her diploma ... and the video is something to behold.

The rapper received her Bachelor's Degree Saturday during a graduation ceremony at Texas Southern University -- where she's been studying health administration for a while now ... which all paid off in a climactic walk across the stage, in a traditional cap and gown.

Check out the clip ... MTS definitely made it a moment to remember, posing for selfies and waving at the crowd as her name was read (Megan Pete for official purposes). It was quite surreal, in a good way.

Gotta say, we're impressed. This ain't an honorary degree or anything (something celebs are adorned with all the time). Meg actually buckled down and hit the books -- and has been for years now -- enrolling in the HBCU and working her butt off to achieve undergraduate status.

Word is ... Megan was studying at Prairie View A&M way back in 2013, and transferred to TSU shortly thereafter -- but as her rap career has taken off, she's had to do online classes on and off while navigating her professional life.

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It's a lesson for the kids out there -- even as an incredibly famous star, you can still achieve your dreams, especially if it's in higher education -- something Meg has said she's wanted under her belt, with her late mother in mind. Her mom passed a couple years back.

She wrote, "I want y'all to remember that you can do whatever you wanna do and be whoever you wanna be, cause look at me!"

Congrats!!!

Kanye & Drake From Foes to Friends ... Cheesin' It Up at Hoover Concert

If Kanye West and Drake performing together wasn't enough evidence that they've truly buried the hatchet -- take a look at this ... definitive proof they're pals again.

Here's Ye and Drizzy during Thursday night's show -- but in a way we hadn't seen them before ... namely, up close and personal. As you can see they couldn't be happier in one another's presence, grinning from ear to ear and leaving the Coliseum shoulder to shoulder.

Of course, we saw these two have a ball during the actual event -- but frankly, the view (be it in person, or even on Amazon) wasn't this good ... and it's clear from these photos that Drake and Kanye are genuinely past their beef.

As we reported ... it was mostly Kanye's show, as he carried a majority of the set with hits new and old. Drake came out and performed too ... albeit for a much shorter time.

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HITTIN' THE STAGE TOGETHER
TMZ.com

It was pretty neat -- Drake performed some of Kanye's songs, and vice-versa ... making for the ultimate crossover experience for fans. Speaking of them, the place was absolutely packed to the gills ... and word is, getting in and out of the area that night was nuts.

Anyway, good to see these fellas are cool once more. Here's hoping their newfound friendship can lead to more collabs ... which is what everyone wants, obvs.

Jessica Chastain Teams Up With Sorkin ... To Defend Jeremy Strong's 'Passion'

Jeremy Strong was portrayed as a kook in an article detailing his acting methods -- but his peers are coming to his defense ... including Jessica Chastain and Aaron Sorkin.

You might've heard about this ... the HBO star was recently profiled in the New Yorker, with a piece titled "On 'Succession,' Jeremy Strong Doesn't Get the Joke." It's a good, long read ... but the takeaway is -- the guy's pretty intense when it comes to his craft.

There are anecdotes in there about Strong's time shooting for Sorkin's 'Trial of the Chicago 7' -- where he plays Jerry Rubin, one of the guys charged and tried by the federal government. Apparently, he wanted to be tear-gassed (for real), something AS declined.

There's another tale about how he low-key harassed actor Frank Langella (the judge in the film) with silly antics and pranks -- reading from his memoir in goofy voices, and placing a fart machine below his chair -- because he thought his character would do exactly that.

You can go read the story yourself to get the full scope -- but bottom line ... it's not a very flattering depiction of Jeremy at all. He comes off as eccentric, tone-deaf and over the top ... but Sorkin has come out swinging on behalf of the dude, tearing into the NYer.

He recruited Chastain -- who's also spoken out for Jeremy -- to post an open letter -- in which he claims that a few quotes he gave to the author were carefully dissected and not used in full, which he thinks is BS.

Sorkin says his words were taken out of context, insisting Jeremy didn't disrespect anyone on set -- adding that he's a fantastic actor and a great guy, who takes his job seriously.

Ditto for Adam McKay, who works with Jeremy on "Succession." He wrote JS was cast in the hit show "precisely because of his passion the New Yorker writer mocks." Even Anne Hathaway posted something in support of Jeremy, which seemed to be in response to the New Yorker. She was singing his praises, calling him "fully engaged and committed on set."

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Jeremy himself doesn't appear to have said anything just yet, but the NYer has ... telling Deadline, "This is a nuanced, multi-sided portrait of an extremely dedicated actor. It has inspired a range of reactions from people, including many who say that they are even more impressed by Jeremy Strong's artistry after having read the article."

As the Master Thespian would say ... ACTING!!!

Salma Hayek Hotter Than Jennifer Lopez??? Twitter Says ... Absolutely

Jennifer Lopez might be hot stuff -- but she ain't finer than the great Salma Hayek ... at least that's what Twitter seems to have decided.

Another poll on the bird app has gone viral ... this time with the question being -- who's the baddest out of these 2 ladies??? Those gals being ... J Lo and SH, of course. In fairness, they didn't choose the most flattering shot of Jen here, but still ... the people have spoken.

It appears Salma is the clear victor in the looks department -- with one user responding, "Salma past, present, in her prime, now & twice on Sundays." Another wrote, "Don't ever disrespect Salma and her elite horchata buckets again." Uhhh ... okay.

No doubt, both women are beautiful -- but based on how people are responding to the very unofficial poll ... the feeling is -- Salma may, perhaps, be underrated. Crazy, we know, but if you consider the fanfare and hype one gets over the other ... that sorta makes sense.

Frankly, J Lo is talked about and idolized waaaaay more than Salma is -- but it could be because she's a lot more public with her life ... which obviously includes her SOs, who are a thousand times more famous than Salma's husband, Francois-Henri Pinault.

He's a billionaire and all, but nobody really knows who the guy is. Point being, Salma is very low-key and private compared to J Lo -- which possibly plays into how folks perceive them.

But, on a basic hotness level, it would seem people hold Salma in higher regard ... and there's even visual proof some are offering up to make their point. Salma has shown a lot of skin on camera, and that well of content is helping fans firm up their argument.

Jen, on the other hand, doesn't necessarily flaunt her stuff on the big screen all that much -- but she isn't shy about showing off her body either.

Who's More Attractive -- J Lo OR Salma???

With all that said ... we gotta ask ourselves, is Twitter actually right here??? Not to make this a contest or anything, but in the spirit of competition ... who would you rather???

Insane Weather 2021 Tornados Rip Through Midwest ... 100+ Feared Dead

Tornados ripped through Kentucky, Illinois and other states last night ... and the death toll could reach 100 ... and it could even go higher.

The images are horrifying ... one tornado traveled 223 miles, ripping through county after county in Kentucky. Governor Andy Beshear said, "We have deaths in multiple counties. This is one of the toughest nights in Kentucky's history."

And, there was at least one death in Arkansas Friday night, when a tornado ravaged a nursing home, causing the building to collapse.

And, there's this ... workers inside a Kentucky candle factory posted Facebook audio ... showing the sheer terror of the weather event. The workers can be heard sobbing and begging for help ... "Please y'all, give us some help. We are at the candle factory in Mayfield. Please, please. Y'all! Please send us some help. Somebody, please send us some help, we are trapped."

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"WE ARE TRAPPED!!!"
Kyanna Lou/Facebook

She goes on ... "The wall is stuck on me. Nobody can get to us, y'all, we can't move."

It's not over ... there are still tornado warnings and the aftermath left huge portions of various states without power.

Michael Strahan Blasts Off into Space with Blue Origin

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WE HAVE LIFTOFF
Blue Origin

Michael Strahan just went where no news anchor has gone ... to the edge of space!!!

It was a flawless flight after a short hold at 15 minutes. Blue Origin hurled into space with Strahan and 4 other astronauts on board, including Laura Shepard Churchley, the oldest daughter of America's first astronaut, Alan Shepard.

The capsule was atop the New Shepard rocket ... named, of course, after Alan.

When they experienced weightlessness, the astronauts were giddy with excitement ... you can hear the joy as they floated in space.

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FLOATING IN ZERO G
Blue Origin

The New Shepard rocket was originally supposed to take off for the 10-minute flight on Thursday but Bezos gave it the yellow light, due to high wind.

This Blue Origin flight is the third launch with people on board. Astronaut Strahan and others had lots of training before they boarded. The TV host says he went to the Blue Origin facility for a week-and-a-half training prior to today's launch.

If taking a trip to space isn't already a good enough incentive, apparently all passengers get some sort of stipend... and Strahan says he is donating his to The Boys & Girls Club.

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SUCCESSFUL TOUCH DOWN
Blue Origin

In October, William Shatner made headlines and history as the oldest person ever to go to space.

Jingle Ball 2021 COVID Scare Benches Lil Nas X

Jingle Ball 2021 did not disappoint ... lots of big stars showed up, but COVID reared its ugly head after the show.

Nick, Joe and Kevin -- aka the Jonas Bros -- performed, along with Dixie D'Amelio, Ed Sheeran, Saweetie, Bazzi, Tate McRae and Kane Brown. It was super glitzy and as far as what happened on stage ... it seems flawless. But, the virus took its toll, sidelining one of the big stars of the night.

Jimmy Fallon hosted the shindig at Madison Square Garden.

Lil Nas X performed some of his biggest hits including "Industry Baby," "Old Town Road," and "(MONTERO) Call Me By Your Name." Shortly after the concert wrapped, Capital's Jingle Bell Ball shared the upsetting news that Nas and Coldplay will no longer be performing at their scheduled shows. Someone on both of their crews tested positive for COVID. Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran will be playing extended sets on their respective nights.

ArrDee and Tom Grennan will also perform in place of Nas and Coldplay this weekend at the London event.

This news comes after Doja Cat announced that she will no longer perform at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball stops in NYC and Boston this weekend after members from her production team tested positive for COVID.

"We recently learned that a few members on my production team have tested positive for Covid 19 and are now on quarantine," reads the message posted on her socials.

Fingers crossed no one else gets COVID.

Ye & Drake Concert Push to Free Larry Hoover Shocks Feds ... Call Him 'One of the Worst' Criminals

While Ye and Drake's historic concert for Larry Hoover is giving their fans all the feels ... the feds are pissed the music icons are pushing to release a guy the government considers the "worst of the worst."

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HITTIN' THE STAGE TOGETHER
TMZ.com

One federal law enforcement source -- who is connected to Hoover's case -- tells TMZ ... prosecutors are "surprised" to see Drizzy and Ye throwing so much support behind the #FreeLarryHoover movement, considering the facts of his case.

For those not in the know ... Hoover was convicted and sentenced for an Illinois murder in 1973. He wasn't the triggerman, but prosecutors said he directed the shooting of a man he accused of stealing from his gang. Hoover is credited with founding Chicago's infamous Gangster Disciples.

While he was serving 150-200 years for the murder, the feds stepped in to indict and convict Hoover for drug conspiracy, extortion and engaging in organized crime. In 1997, he started serving 6 life sentences in a federal Supermax prison.

The feds think that's exactly where he belongs ... but Hoover's backers believe the U.S. government outrageously over-sentenced him -- considering his federal crimes were related to drug distribution, and not murders.

Our source says the feds acknowledge there are lots of low-level drug dealers who got draconian prison terms in the '80s and '90s -- think Alice Marie Johnson -- who are worthy of this kind of celeb backing. Remember, Kanye even asked then-President Trump to pardon Hoover back in 2018.

Trump shot that down, and just this past summer a federal judge denied Hoover's request for a compassionate release. The 71-year-old has been in prison for 48 years.

That's just fine with the feds, who tell us Drake, Ye and others would be better served helping scores of other inmates besides Hoover.

Jussie Smollett Osundario Bro Gets a 'W' in The Ring ... After Actor Takes Major 'L' in Courtroom

Jussie Smollett is a guilty man, but the only thing Bola Osundairo is guilty of is having hot hands ... as he demonstrated in the boxing ring just as the actor's fate was sealed.

Bola's been fighting for well over a year now, and it just so happened he had a match Thursday night in Louisiana while a jury found Jussie guilty on 5 of 6 felony charges for falsely reporting a hate crime.

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ANOTHER VICTORY
TMZ.com

As you can see from our video, Osundairo was dominant, winning a unanimous decision against his opponent Ezri Turner. The fight was part of the 2021 USA Boxing National Championships ... Bola won his previous contest as well.

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OLA'S SHORT STATEMENT
Fox

Minutes after the jury read its verdict, Bola's brother, Ola, shared a few words with reporters outside the courthouse ... but he didn't talk about the case, just shouted out his brother's fight and exclaimed "Nigerian-American lives matter!"

TMZ broke the story, Bola and Jussie were friends -- even hitting clubs together -- in the weeks leading up to the staged attack. Ola and Bola maintained from the beginning that Smollett had paid them for the hoax because he wanted press.

Lucky for Bola, it looks like he's already got a career to fall back on after the drama ... as for Jussie, that remains to be seen.

Demaryius Thomas Broncos Should Retire WR's #88 ... Says Brandon Marshall

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ONE OF THE GREATEST
TMZSports.com

No Denver Broncos player should ever wear #88 again ... so says Brandon Marshall, who tells TMZ Sports the team needs to retire the digits to honor Demaryius Thomas.

"It's just fitting, it just makes sense," said the former Broncos linebacker, who played with Thomas in Denver for years. "[He's] one of the greatest Broncos ever."

Marshall is making the push for his former team to go ahead with the tribute following Thomas' death this week ... telling us Demaryius is more than deserving of the honor.

Marshall explains Thomas' resume on the field was simply that good ... but he also says Thomas' off-the-field actions warrant the jersey praise as well.

"He's one of the greatest Broncos of all-time, point blank, period," Marshall said. "He's one of the greatest receivers of my era -- of our generation. One of the greatest receivers in Broncos history."

"And, as Peyton [Manning] said, he's an even better guy."

While no jersey retirement is in the cards yet -- the Broncos already have plans to pay tribute to the former Super Bowl champion before the Lions game this weekend at Empower Field At Mile High regardless.

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HE WILL BE MISSED
Denver Broncos

Head coach Vic Fangio said the team will wear helmet decals and play a video tribute prior to kickoff. He also said a moment of silence will be observed.

As we reported, Thomas died Thursday after cops say they found him deceased in his shower in his Roswell, Ga. home. He would have turned 34 years old on Christmas.