Boxing

The champ is here ... and Andy Ruiz is picking Manny Pacquiao to BEAT Floyd Mayweather if they can work out a deal for a rematch.

After 40-year-old Manny's impressive victory over Keith Thurman this weekend, there's more talk than ever about a Pacquiao vs. Mayweather II.

And, since Andy was AT the Pacquiao vs. Thurman fight, we asked the heavyweight champ for his professional opinion ... who wins?!

"I think Manny because hes been more active," Ruiz told us on his way out of Trejo's Tacos in Los Angeles.

Andy cautions people not to count out Floyd because "Mayweather is Mayweather. He's always good. He stays in shape, takes care of himself ... but it would be an awesome fight."

But, when push comes to shove, Andy says he'd put his money on Manny.

Of course, the first time Floyd fought Manny back in 2015, Floyd won by unanimous decision ... though it was later revealed Pacquiao had a shoulder injury going into the fight.

Even though Floyd hasn't taken a real pro fight in years, it's obvious why he would be open to a rematch -- Floyd reportedly made around $300 mil for the first fight, Manny is said to have raked in around $100 mil.

As for Andy, he's working on a rematch with Anthony Joshua ... the undefeated fighter he BEAT earlier this year to win the title.

Logan Paul is channeling his inner Deontay Wilder in his impending rematch with KSI ... telling TMZ Sports he ain't lookin' for a KO anymore -- he's out for MURDER!!!

Of course ... the Bronze Bomber famously said he wanted to "put a body on my record" before his fight against Bermane Stiverne in 2017 and caught hell over the comment.

Nobody died in that fight ... but the YouTube superstar tells us he's looking to do what Wilder couldn't ... telling us "I'ma f**king murder that dude, bro. Actual murder, bro."

As we previously reported ... Paul wants the rematch with KSI to go down at either Staples Center or the Forum in L.A. ... and told us he's hoping it happens before 2020.

The 24-year-old also trashed KSI last week ... saying "he looks like a f**king meatball right now."

The first fight ended in a draw ... and Logan says that's NOT gonna happen again.

Fighter on Saturday. Politician on Sunday.

Less than 24 hours after beating Keith Thurman in a welterweight championship fight, Manny Pacquiao boarded a private jet bound for the Philippines to try and attend the State of the Union.

Pacquiao is a senator back home in the Philippines -- and has previously floated the idea of running for President one day.

And, with this being a crucial week in terms of Filipino politics, Manny knew he couldn't waste time celebrating his victory in Las Vegas.

A rep for Pacquiao tells TMZ Sports ... "He left at 6 p.m. PT [Sunday] via private jet. One stop in Anchorage than straight to Manila."

Unfortunately, Pacquiao didn't make it back home in time for the SOTU -- but he's hoping to participate in other important Senate functions this week.

FYI, Manny reportedly made at least $10 million for the Keith Thurman fight ... with the potential to make a lot more based on pay-per-view buys and other factors.

After the fight, multiple senators in the Philippines issued official statements congratulating their colleague ... including Senator Sonny Angara who said:

"One solid win by Pacman, one giant celebration for his countrymen. This vintage Pacquiao win shows why his people love him to the moon and back."

"By Monday, my friend and colleague will step again into the Senate ring to join the fight against our ancient enemies - hunger, joblessness, poverty. Expect him to the bring the same spunk he had shown in boxing to this unfinished fight of his life."

Sen. Cynthia Villar said ... "I join the Filipino community around the world in celebrating the victory of our Pambansang Kamao, Manny Pacquiao."

The two baddest women in combat sports could be on a collision course -- because Dana White says he's open to let Amanda Nunes take on undefeated boxing superstar Claressa Shields!!!

First off, Amanda Nunes is the greatest female UFC fighter of all time -- with devastating victories over everyone from Ronda Rousey to Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm.

Claressa is the top dog in boxing -- she's 9-0 as a pro and a 2-time Olympic gold medalist.

Shields has made it abundantly clear she wants Nunes in a boxing match -- and told TMZ Sports bluntly, "I'd put [her] to sleep."

So, we asked Dana if he'd ever let Amanda follow in Conor McGregor's footsteps and take a super fight in the boxing ring ... and his answer was VERY interesting.

"Amanda Nunes has things that she needs to do here [in the UFC] first, but I'm not opposed to it," White said.

"Maybe Claressa comes over here and fight in MMA."

So, what does Amanda need to do in the Octagon before a possible Shields matchup?

Dana says he's trying to sign Cris Cyborg to take a rematch with Amanda -- but White claims Cyborg won't put pen to paper ... insinuating she's scared of getting beaten up again.

"I think it's pretty obvious why she wouldn't want that fight. It's a bad fight for her."

"I think that [Cyborg] is at the point where she's afraid to lose again. Losing again isn't something she's interested in."

White says Amanda Nunes REALLY wants the fight -- and since she's basically cleared out the women's division, White wants to give her whoever she wants.

Manny Pacquiao says he wants to fight until he's 45 years old ... and when he retires, the boxing star tells TMZ Sports he will seriously consider buying an NBA franchise.

The 40-year-old superstar has made a FORTUNE during his boxing career -- and says he feels he's got AT LEAST another 5 years of fighting before hangin' 'em up for good.

"I feel like young, like late 20s," PacMan says ... explaining that he still loves the sport and all of the training that comes with it.

Pacquiao -- who's fighting undefeated star Keith Thurman on Saturday -- tells us he feels blessed by God ... and plans to use his gifts as long as his mind and body hold up.

Part of Manny's training regimen is playing basketball for 4 to 5 hours a day ... seriously.

In fact, Manny's so obsessed with the sport, he bought his own semi-pro basketball league back home in the Philippines called the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

FYI, Forbes says Manny has made more than $500 MILLION during his boxing career -- including a $26 million haul over the past year.

So, we had to ask if he had NBA ambitions and the boxer gave us an emphatic "Yes!"

Keith Thurman says Floyd Mayweather is straight CHICKEN -- accusing the boxing legend of running scared before he retired and now he's calling Floyd out.

"If he wanted a real fight, he would have saw me years ago," Thurman tells TMZ Sports.

"You never wanted to fight me. I was right there right underneath you for years. I was the #1 contender of the WBA and then they made you super champion so that our names didn't have to be in the same sentence together."

FYI, a WBA Super Champ is a fighter who holds multiple titles in the same division -- and is exempt from mandatory title defenses. Essentially, Super Champs can pick their own opponents.

Thurman says during Floyd's active fighting days, there were plenty of opportunities to make a fight between the two ... but Mayweather wussed out and didn't want the smoke.

Now, Thurman -- who's 29-0 -- is gearing up for the biggest fight of his career against Manny Pacquiao on Saturday ... and he knows a victory could open some huge doors.

In fact, Keith says he sees big fights with stars like Terence "Bud" Crawford and Errol Spence in 2020 ... and says, "I'm very open to those contracts."

But, for now, Thurman says the plan is to beat Manny and then take the rest of 2019 off to gear up for a massive 2020.

Logan Paul says he and KSI are thiiiis close to finalizing the details on a rematch ... and it's gonna BIG!!!

Remember, the two YouTube superstars clashed at Manchester Arena in England for a 6-round Pay-Per-View boxing match back in August 2018 ... a match that ended in a majority draw.

The fight did impressively well -- even drawing compliments from UFC honcho Dana White -- and leaving many wondering when they would run it back.

But, when we spoke with Logan at Quavo's celebrity charity basketball game on Tuesday in Los Angeles ... he told us some of the big details are being ironed out as we speak.

Paul says the fight will DEFINITELY take place in L.A. and the venue is down to either the Staples Center or The Forum ... two iconic arenas.

As for KSI, Logan says he's confident he'll beat the brakes off his YouTube rival ... telling us, "KSI's a bitch, bro! I mean it!"

Paul also says KSI hasn't been taking his boxing training seriously -- and "he looks like a f*cking meatball right now."

Conversely, Logan says he's in the best shape of his life ... and as you already know, he's fighting all comers in the boxing ring he set up in the backyard of his L.A. home -- including fake Ivan Drago.

Floyd Mayweather's reps have been "begging" Khabib Nurmagomedov to sign a contract for a Conor McGregor-style boxing match ... this according to Khabib's manager. 

"Floyd Mayweather to this day keeps begging to fight Khabib, BEGGING!" Ali Abdelaziz tells TMZ Sports.

"I'm telling you, people reaching out to me every week about Floyd to fight Khabib but at the end of the day, we're not interested ... for now."

Ali says Khabib is laser-focused on his Sept. 7 fight against Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi for the UFC lightweight title ... and after that he's eyeing either Tony Ferguson or Georges St-Pierre. 

Ali also represents Henry Cejudo -- so we asked how he felt about recently-unretired UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber calling for a crack at the Triple C. 

Long story short, Ali says Henry would be down ... but he wants 40-year-old Urijah to fight #1 bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes first ... and if Faber can get through Marlon, he would prove he's worthy of a title shot. 

Stay tuned on this one ... 

The autopsy on Pernell Whitaker has been completed -- with officials saying the boxer died from "multiple blunt force injuries" in a car accident that has been labelled an "accident."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the 55-year-old boxing legend was hit by a car while walking in Virginia Beach on Sunday night around 10 PM. Emergency responders raced to the scene and treated Whitaker but couldn't save him. 

The driver of the car was cooperative with police -- and we're told officials do NOT believe alcohol, drugs or speed was a factor in the incident. 

As one official put it, "It appears to just be a horrible accident."

Now, the Virginia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is releasing the topline results of the autopsy -- telling us the obvious, "Multiple blunt force injuries."

No word on funeral arrangement at this point -- but we're told several fans have created a makeshift memorial at the spot where Whitaker died, leaving flowers and other items to honor the boxer. 

Boxing legend Pernell Whitaker was killed Sunday night after he was hit by a car in Virginia Beach, TMZ Sports has learned. He was only 55. 

We're told officials received a call around 10:04 PM in response to an accident at the intersection of Northampton Boulevard and Baker Road.  

When cops arrived, they located the man who had been hit by a vehicle who was in really bad shape -- and our sources tell us that man was Pernell Whitaker. 

Emergency medical personnel at the scene tried to resuscitate Whitaker -- even performing CPR on him -- but unfortunately, Whitaker succumbed to his injuries and died. 

Cops are investigating. Unclear if the driver of the car was arrested but he did stay on the scene to speak with police. It's NOT a hit and run situation. 

By the way, we're told the area where Pernell was hit is NOT a popular nightlife area -- in other words, it's not like he was out partying. 

Whitaker (who's from Virginia) was a BEAST in the ring ... winning world titles at 4 different weights -- lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight and light middleweight. 

Sweet Pea was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006 -- and is considered by many to be one of the greatest fighters of ALL TIME. 

He fought everyone from Oscar De La Hoya to Julio Cesar Chavez -- and even though he lost to Oscar and Julio was a draw ... many people believe he was ROBBED in both decisions because he clearly won the fights. 

His pro career began in 1984 and spanned all the way through 2001, with an amazing 40-4-1 record including 17 knockouts.

He also won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in L.A. 

From 1993 to 1997 he was considered the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Ring Magazine named him the Fight of the Year in 1989. 

Whitaker is survived by his 5 children. RIP

Ex-NFL star Michael Vick, who's also from Virginia, tweeted about Whitaker's passing -- saying, 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker was our hometown legend and the greatest of all time. My prayers are with his family and loved ones."

Magic Johnson added ... "Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker was in the class of Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard as one of the most entertaining fighters in my lifetime. I’m praying for his family."

Every blockbuster fight needs a big-time promoter ... and Floyd Mayweather tells TMZ Sports he's the guy for Justin Bieber's potential fight against Tom Cruise!!

As we previously reported ... there have been serious talks about setting up a fight between the 25-year-old singer and the 57-year-old movie superstar after Biebs playfully tweeted about wanting a piece of TC last month. 

Dana White -- who was tagged in Bieber's initial post about the dream fight -- has said he'd be down to make it happen and predicts it would be the biggest fight in UFC history.

Enter Mayweather -- who says he wants NOTHING to do with training either celeb for the possible fight ... but wants EVERYTHING to do with the money involved.

"If they bring me in as a promoter, then I can talk about it. But until then, I gotta stay in my lane. Gotta stay in my business."

Remember, Mayweather used to be super tight with Justin Bieber -- he even let the pop star walk him to the ring for a few of his fights. Floyd even trained Bieber to box at one point.  

But, the two had a falling out back in 2017 ... and haven't really spoken since. 

Floyd didn't back Justin when we spoke with him ... but he didn't exactly praise him either. 

The greatest female boxer in the world wants a piece of the greatest female UFC fighter in the world ... with Claressa Shields guaranteeing she'd KNOCK OUT Amanda Nunes!!!

"If we were to fight, I would win," Shields told us bluntly ... "In boxing, yeah, Amanda Nunes would go to sleep."

24-year-old Shields is a MONSTER in the ring -- she's 9-0 and the undisputed women's middleweight champion of the world! BEAST!!

Of course, Nunes ain't no punk -- she's widely considered the greatest female MMA fighter EVER ... after smashing everyone from Ronda Rousey to Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm. 

Sheilds says Nunes would obviously have the advantage if they stepped into the Octagon, but in a pure fistfight ... oh man, Sheilds says Nunes wouldn't stand a chance! 

So, could it happen? 

Don't rule it out ... Nunes prides herself on her striking ability and we've seen MMA fighters jump into the boxing ring before (McGregor vs. Mayweather anyone!?). 

In the meantime, Claressa says she REALLY wants a crack at welterweight champ Cecilia Braekhus, a 35-0 superstar who hails from Norway. 

Here's video of undefeated boxing star Devin Haney makin' in rain at an L.A. strip club earlier this week -- and the money, the booty and the bling remind us of a certain someone. 

First off, Haney is amazing. The 20-year-old is 22-0, and has been called "The Future Of Boxing," by Floyd Mayweather Sr., and mentored by Floyd Jr.

That's why we couldn't help notice the similarity when we got video of Haney blowing a stack in Ballet, the hottest new booty club in Los Angeles.

It was Floyd's ESPYs awards party, and it's clear to us Devin has been studying Mayweather out of the ring as much as in it. 

BTW ... Devin didn't just treat the curvaceous ladies to some class while he was out in L.A., he also managed to do some really awesome work with the homeless population, giving back to them too. 

Good work kid ... but here's a video below to let you know you still got a little way to go.   

Heavyweight boxing champ Andy Ruiz says he's already training for the rematch with Anthony Joshua ... and tells TMZ Sports he's calling the shots this time around!!

Of course, Ruiz was a late replacement who stepped in for Jarrell Miller when "Big Baby" failed a drug test -- with Andy only getting around 6 weeks of training before the June 1 fight. 

But this time around, Ruiz tells us he's working in a FULL training camp -- and he's going to be the one to decide WHERE the fight takes place. 

Ruiz tells us he'd like to throw down in Mexico -- where he recently met with President Lopez -- or go back to Madison Square Garden in NY. 

There's one place he won't go ... England, where Joshua is from. 

Bottom line ... "I'm the champion," Ruiz says -- "We're the A-Side."

As for whether he's spoken with Joshua, Ruiz tells us, "I haven't talked to him, but I'm pretty sure he's training hard for the rematch. And, so am I."

Floyd Mayweather is laughing at the idea of a rematch with Conor McGregor -- labeling the UFC star's camp as a bunch of "circus clowns" who "can't f*ck with Money May!"

As we previously reported, McGregor publicly stated that he wants another crack at Floyd because he knows what he did wrong in the first fight and he's convinced he can win the 2nd-time around.

So, when we saw Floyd out in L.A. this week, we asked if he was down for another scrap with the Irish superstar. 

Floyd and his crew immediately began bursting into laughter -- and that's when the trash talk began. 

"Boy, boy, boy, boy, boy ... these kids are some circus clowns," Mayweather said. 

"They cant f*ck with Money May."

"They gonna keep coming my way. At the end of the day, I keep laughing, I keep living, I keep going to the bank."

Remember, Floyd beat up Conor pretty badly when they clashed in 2017 -- ultimately winning by way of TKO in the 10th round. 

We asked Floyd -- who made more than $300 mil from the first McGregor fight -- if there was a number that would get him back in the ring ... but he essentially told us he doesn't need the money. 

There's more ... we asked Floyd if he's supporting Manny Pacquiao in his upcoming fight against Keith Thurman. 

Floyd Mayweather ain't mad or embarrassed about being put on his back by streetball legend Bone Collector -- telling TMZ Sports, "My bank account won't change!"

The boxing legend hit up a fashion show at Avalon in L.A. -- thrown by BoomCups -- just 1 night after the $50k Charity Challenge Celebrity Basketball Game ... where Bone crossed him up so hard, Mayweather hit the deck. 

"It was a cool move," Mayweather admitted ... "but did they tell you I got MVP? So, we gotta talk about me being MVP!"

He's right, Floyd did get MVP of the game and his team won by 40 points -- but all everyone is talking about is that viral clip with Bone Collector. 

"It was a good move, but that comes with the territory. It's not the NBA, and we live and we learn."

Floyd says he has nothing but respect for Bone -- "nothing but love" -- and he wishes him "nothing but the best."

And, in classic Floyd fashion, he tells us he takes solace in knowing he's still one of the wealthiest men in the history of pro sports ... and an international icon. 

"My name will live forever," Floyd said ... noting that he's famous everywhere from Tokyo to Africa. 

"Money May all f*cking day," he added. 

Oh, and one last comment just to make everyone else feel real poor ...