Boxing

The Game just came on TMZ Live and formally accepted the challenge to fight George Zimmerman in the ring ... but the promoter hedged, saying although Game is a front-runner, there are more than 4,700 others who want a piece of Zimmerman.

The Game scoffed at promoter Damon Feldman, who said Zimmerman would be a tough opponent because he's been heavy into boxing training. Game -- who's 6'5" and 240 lbs -- predicts a quick knockout.

"NFL Today" host James Brown says George Zimmerman would never agree to fight him ... insinuating Zimmerman would be too scared.

We got James last night in NYC ... and asked him if he'd be willing to fight GZ ... who's offered to take on any opponent -- black or otherwise -- in a celebrity boxing match.

Now's your chance to kick George Zimmerman's ass with zero legal repercussions -- he just agreed to a celebrity boxing match ... and he says he'll fight ANYONE ... even black people.

Celebrity boxing promoter Damon Feldman threw down the challenge, offering George money to step in the ring. Now here's the kicker ... the opponent has NOT been selected.

We're told George is open to fighting a black person, but the promoter is not discriminating, telling us "We're not looking at it as a race thing ... We haven't discussed purple, yellow, white, black."

Lately George has been more interested in boxing than guns ... regularly training in the ring.

As for George's cut from the fight, we're told he's donating the money to charity.

The Game will throw his hat in the ring to fight George Zimmerman in the upcoming celebrity boxing match, and he tells TMZ, "I will beat the f**k out of him."

Zimmerman has agreed to the March 1 celebrity boxing match ... the promoter hasn't selected his opponent, but is taking offers at fightgeorge@hotmail.com.

Game says, "I would not be boxing for me. I'd be boxing for the legacy of Trayvon Martin and for his family."

The rapper, who has a tattoo of Trayvon on his leg, says, "I would box him to knock him out," adding, "I would definitely take pleasure in it. It's legal, and I want to show him you can solve your disputes without a weapon."

Game would definitely have the edge ... he's 6'5", and 240 lbs of muscle.

Boxing legend Larry Holmes is NOT trying to hold back his race ... insisting Metta World Peace was WRONG when he painted him as someone who's dragging down black people.

Holmes is responding to a pretty intense cyber-rant by the NBA star -- in which Metta said Larry was "bringing down" the black community by criticizing Floyd Mayweather's flashy spending habits.

"Metta Peace should know a little bit about me before he makes statements," Holmes tells TMZ Sports ... "I don't wish anybody no bad luck, I only wish him the best."

Justin Bieber is getting support from one of his famous friends -- and it's someone who knows a thing or two about being locked up.

Floyd Mayweather offered Bieber some thoughts of encouragement Saturday afternoon via Twitter ... saying, "Keep your head up and know that you can overcome anything you are faced with in life. TMT supports you."

Of course, "Money's" bromance with Bieber is nothing new ... Justin walked Floyd into the ring at the Alvarez fight last year, and Jr. was a guest of honor at JB's famous Gatsby Party.

Evander Holyfield says he punched a pregnant horse in the face ... and he wasn't joking.

Holyfield made the shocking confession during tonight's episode of UK Celebrity Big Brother ... and an hour later he was BOOTED from the house.

The ex-heavyweight boxer told his horrified roommates ... the pregnant horse bucked him off and embarrassed him ... so he clocked it in the face.

You gotta watch the video ... and then reconsider the way you felt when Mike Tyson bit his ear off.

Evander Holyfield's rant against homosexuality pissed off the former "Big Brother" star who once cornered the market on homophobic comments -- Aaryn Gries ... who tells us the boxer is an idiot.

Gries may have called a gay guy "queer" -- and true enough she mocked African Americans and Asians -- but Aaryn says her comments pale in comparison to what Evander said on "Celebrity BB" ... claiming homosexuality is like a physical handicap which can be cured by a doctor.

Aaryn says, "I know I said mean things, but at least I'm not ignorant enough to think that homosexuality is treatable. Seeing homosexuality as a sickness is outdated."

Evander Holyfield may think homosexuality is wrong ... but his son says the heavyweight boxer's got nothing but love for gays -- and even had a great relationship with a gay in-law.

Ewin Holyfield tells TMZ ... Evander is no bigot -- despite being bashed for expressing his opinion on homosexuality during last night's "Celebrity Big Brother" in the UK.

Ewin says, "My dad is the most loving and caring person you will ever meet. He treats everyone like a human being ... even if they are homosexual."

In fact, Ewin says he has a gay uncle ... and Evander treated him like a brother.

Ewin adds, "My dad feels that being gay is a choice ... and naturally that's how things work. You cannot procreate and make a baby with two women, or two men. But at the same time, my dad is not going to judge someone for their sexual orientation."

Evander Holyfield told a housemate on "UK Celebrity Big Brother" that being gay is no different than being handicapped ... because a doctor can fix both ... and was immediately SCOLDED like a child by "BB" producers.

Holyfield made the comments Sunday -- during his first week in the BB house -- when reality star Luisa Zissman asked him if there were any gay boxers in the sport.

Holyfield -- a deeply religious Christian --cited the bible and said homosexuality is NOT a choice ... but rather something like a "handicap" ... something doctors can fix.

Zissman respectfully disagreed with Evander ... and it seemed the two were ready to move on with their lives ... when Evander was taken to a private room, where producers RIPPED him for expressing his beliefs.

In fact, "BB" producers called Evander's comments "inappropriate" because they "aren't the views that are held by a large section of society."

Holyfield says he understood that his comments could be considered offensive ... but never apologizes.

This whole situation reminds us why we revolted against England ... so we could have the freedom to express our religious and other beliefs ... no matter how offensive.

As bad as Evander is .. the show is being RIDICULOUS. Didn't they they learn anything from the A&E/"Duck Dynasty" debacle??

A crazy ex-military woman claiming to be Mike Tyson's mistress has been threatening to kill the boxing legend's wife and family ... this according to Tyson's wife Kiki ... and now, Kiki's obtained a temporary restraining order.

Kiki Tyson filed the request for the restraining order in L.A., claiming a woman named Mickey Gordon has sent her more than 60 threatening emails in the last two years ... and Kiki desperately fears for her and her family's safety.

Kiki attached the alleged emails from Gordon in her restraining order request, and they're pretty nuts. Here are a few excerpts ... and yes, the emails are all in caps:

-- YOUR FRIEND TOLD YOU ONE DAY ONE OF THESE WOMEN ARE GOING TO TAKE YOU DOWN & YOU ARE GOING TO REGRET IT, WELL I'M THAT BITCH!!!

-- YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS F**KING TWO YEARS OF TORTURE, I SWEAR YOU WILL ON YOUR MAMA & BABY GIRLS GRAVE YOU F**KING WILL!!!

-- I WAS STRONG WHEN WE MET 20 YRS AGO & NOW I'M STRONGER ... I WAS IN THE MILITARY, A DRILL SERGEANT IN THE WEAPONS FIELD, YOU KNOW WHAT THE F**K I'M ABOUT BITCH!!!

Kiki claims she's never met Mickey Gordon before, and has no idea how the woman obtained her contact information, but in one of her emails ... Gordon identifies herself as Kiki's "husband's mistress." She also calls herself "Kiki's nightmare."

America's precious pigeon population is in danger -- especially in NYC -- so says famed pigeon lover Mike Tyson, who claims the government has launched an evil campaign to get rid of our gray little friends forever!!!

Tyson was at LAX yesterday when the conversation inevitably turned to his beloved animals -- in the words of Woody Allen, "rats with wings" -- and he explained his conspiracy theory ... that municipalities like NYC have introduced falcons to curb the pigeon population.

He's not far off ... according to a government report from 2007 -- called "Curbing the Pigeon Conundrum" -- NYC officials have used hawks to keep pigeons in check ... but that brief experiment ended in 2003 when one hawk attacked a small dog.

So there you go ... it's pigeon lovers vs. hawk conservationists ... which means, we gotta ask ...

Graphic photos of Oscar De La Hoya on an apparent cocaine binge during a party in Las Vegas are being shopped to the highest bidder -- they show just how scary his addiction had become and possibly explain the curious timing of going to rehab just before his epic fight as a boxing promoter.

We're told the photos were shot at a party in a Vegas hotel room a few weeks before Oscar announced he was back in rehab -- and they appear to show the ex-champ using a rolled up bill to do lines of a white substance off a plate on a table. According to the seller of the pics the substance is cocaine.

Another pic shows De La Hoya leaning back from the table with a grimace on his face.

We've seen the photos -- which are making the rounds to media outlets -- and they offer a possible explanation for why Oscar suddenly checked into rehab just 4 days before what was, arguably, the biggest fight of his career as a boxing promoter ... the Mayweather-Canelo bout.

Sources tell us Oscar was "off the hinges" at the party in the photos, and made the decision to check into rehab shortly after ... realizing just how reckless he'd been that night.

As far as we know, the photos have not yet been purchased.

We're told De La Hoya is aware of the pics. We reached out to his rep ... so far, no word back.

Former middleweight boxing champ Kelly Pavlik was arrested today after allegedly stiffing a cab driver in Ohio -- and the police report is HILARIOUS.

The cabbie called cops immediately after Kelly allegedly bailed on his fare early Wednesday morning in Canfield, and when police arrived at the scene ... the cabbie told officers he had been "ripped off by that drunk f*** Kelly Pavlik."

According to the cabbie, he had picked Kelly up at a nearby bar and driven him home -- resulting in a $25 fare -- but Kelly didn't feel like paying, telling him, "F*** you guys. I'm not paying you. Go f*** yourselves." Pavlik then disappeared into his house.

Pavlik was eventually arrested today for failing to show up to court to answer to the cabbie's complaint.

For Pavlik's part, he reportedly said he refused to pay because the cabbie was driving like a lunatic and he feared for his safety.

Former heavyweight boxing champ Ken Norton -- who had 3 classic fights with Muhammad Ali -- died today in Las Vegas ...according to his son.

Norton had been in failing health for several years after a series of strokes.

Norton defeated Ali -- breaking his jaw in the process -- during their first non-title fight in 1973. They faced each other in the ring two more times ... with Ali winning both.

Their last battle was the 1976 classic held in Yankee Stadium (below).

Norton was awarded the WBC Heavyweight title in 1978, when reigning champ Leon Spinks refused to give Norton -- the top contender -- a shot at the belt.

However, Norton lost to Larry Holmes a few months later ... in his first defense of the belt.

His boxing career began while he was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps in the mid to late 60s -- and he was a 3 time heavyweight champ in the Corps.

Norton's son said his dad was in hospice when he died today. He was 70 years old.

Oscar De La Hoya tells TMZ he accepts Floyd Mayweather's apology -- after Mayweather's team posted an Instagram pic mocking Oscar's substance abuse problems.

Oscar -- who recently checked himself into rehab after falling off the wagon -- was out with a group in L.A. yesterday for a coffee run at a Starbucks and appeared to be in good spirits.

On his way out, we asked Oscar about Floyd's Instagram apology -- and the Golden Boy told us, "It was very nice of him. I greatly appreciated it ... so, thank you."

As we previously reported, Mayweather claims he never authorized anyone to publish the original Instagram image -- and insisted he would "never personally disrespect [Oscar] or anyone else who struggles with addiction."