Boxing

Hall of Fame boxers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko are preparing for the biggest fight of their lives -- the Ukrainian brothers are vowing to defend their country from the Russian attacks.

Wladimir spoke out about the invasion of his country on Thursday ... condemning Putin's actions and pledging to join in the fight with the Ukrainian people against the Russian regime.

"I am writing to you from Kyiv, the capital of a country at war, a country being attacked and invaded from all sides," the former heavyweight champ said. "It is not 'the war of Ukraine,' it is Putin's war."

"Putin wants to call into question the geopolitical balance across the whole of Europe, he dreams of being the defender of the Slavic peoples wherever they live, and he wants to restore a fallen empire whose demise he has never accepted."

Wladimir went on to say the Ukrainian people have chosen democracy, but he knows democracy is a fragile regime and him and his brother, Vitali, are ready to fight for it.

Vitali -- the mayor of Kyiv -- told "Good Morning Britain" in an interview he was "prepared to take up arms" if need be to halt the Russian invasion.

The Klitschko brothers also released a passionate video ... calling on all countries to observe what's happening and unite against Russia.

Arnold Schwarzenegger -- a longtime friend of the Klitschko bros. -- sent a message of gratitude to the boxing legends ... lauding them for their courage in the midst of this difficult time.

Floyd Mayweather sang his damn heart out to celebrate his 45th birthday ... and he called on Kanye West, Aaron Donald and Antonio Brown to be his backup singers!!

TMZ Sports has learned -- TBE hosted a private party at David Grutman's Sushi Fly Chicken in Miami on Wednesday to celebrate his big day ... and the karaoke machine was getting put to good use.

The 50-0 boxing legend donned a baby blue plaid blazer and pants for the rager ... and he was certainly in great spirits -- dancing with a huge smile on his face.

The whole room was getting in on the fun -- singing along as Donell Jones' "Where I Wanna Be" blasted over the speakers.

But, the most surprising performance of the night?? AD and his wife, Erica, rapping along to "Set It Off" by Boosie Badazz -- and Floyd was loving every second of it.

The party then made it to Gold Rush Cabaret strip club ... where Floyd was honored with cutouts and signs -- including a shot of him beating up on Conor McGregor during their fight in 2017.

Jake Paul is already getting interest from the MMA community ... 'cause Wiz Khalifa -- who is part-owner of the Professional Fighters League -- tells TMZ Sports he'd love to sign the YouTuber-turned-fighter to the promotion!!

25-year-old Paul has flirted with making the switch from the ring to the cage recently ... in hopes of landing a fight with Jorge Masvidal -- or pretty much any other fighter in the MMA community at this point.

He seems to be serious about the switch ... and has even been spotted working on his kicks at Jay Glazer's Unbreakable gym recently, a place that Wiz has frequented over the years.

So, when we met up with Wiz during Super Bowl week, we had to ask if he thinks Jake is PFL material.

"It would be tight if he fought for PFL," Wiz said. "He's a cool guy. So, wherever he is, he's going to bring a lot of excitement."

Of course, PFL is one of the top MMA promotions in the sport ... so Wiz's co-sign is nothing to scoff at.

When we asked straight-up if he would want PFL to sign Jake, Wiz didn't mince his words.

Floyd Mayweather conquered boxing ... and now the legendary pugilist is taking his talents to a totally different sport -- auto racing -- by launching his own NASCAR team, TMT Racing.

The 50-0 boxer is debuting The Money Team Racing ... with 23-year-old up-and-coming driver, Kaz Grala behind the wheel of the #50 car.

And, yes, the #50 was no accident ... it represents Floyd's flawless record.

TMZ Sports recently had a chance to talk to Grala, just days before their debut race, about working with TBE.

"It's really cool. Really, really cool," Kaz says.

"[Floyd's] been talking about getting into NASCAR for a couple years here, and everyone wondered 'who's their driver gonna be?' It's pretty surreal to be the guy that they picked to pilot the 50 car for their maiden voyage."

But, TMT wasn't just given a spot in Sunday's Daytona 500 -- the Super Bowl of stock racing -- because of Floyd's fame ... they had to earn it on the track. And, that's exactly what Grala did Friday night at Daytona International Speedway.

"Making this race is an accomplishment in itself. It's one of the premier sporting events in the country each year. So, it's a huge victory just to be in the race and make it there," Grala told us.

But, as cool as it is, Kaz says Mayweather and the team aren't content with simply being in the race -- which goes down Sunday afternoon on FOX.

Now they've made the field, and they wanna win!

Ryan Garcia -- one of the best young boxing talents in the world -- is opening up on his serious mental health struggles ... admitting at one point, he felt like killing himself.

"When I was deep in it, I didn't think I was gonna live," Garcia said in an interview with Dan Canobbio on "Inside Boxing Live." "I was so depressive and I went to bad habits. I started drinking, and I never drink, ever."

He continued ... "But I was getting drunk all the time. I wanted to kill myself at one point."

Remember, the 23-year-old undefeated boxing star withdrew from his scheduled bout against Javier Fortuna last April ... expressing he needed a break to focus on his "mental health and well-being."

Ryan's last professional fight was January 2021 against Luke Campbell ... when he defeated him via knockout in the seventh round.

Garcia knew he needed a break when his thoughts were so scattered that his mind felt paralyzed at the time. The champ said he couldn't even begin to describe the torment he was experiencing.

"It was so bad, so intense, that I thought maybe I just rather not be here,'" Garcia said. "I didn’t understand what was going on. I needed professional help."

Ryan said he knows his depression stemmed from mismanaging stress -- like taking on too many things at once ... and not having the right support system in place around him.

Thankfully, RG received the help he needed ... and said he's feeling great.

Garcia returns to the ring April 9 ... where he will fight Emmanuel Tagoe.

Mike Tyson celebrated his weed strain reaching Colorado by posing with -- and possibly smoking? -- insane amounts of ganja on Tuesday ... and the picture is iconic.

TMZ Sports is told ... Iron Mike hit up the Green Solution dispensary and did a private tour with a lucky fan to honor the launch of his "Tyson 2.0" strain launching in the Centennial State.

We're told Tyson's weed team and cannabis expert Jesse Channon were also along for the ride ... and ya gotta imagine they tested the product, right?!

Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya pulled out all the stops for his girlfriend on Valentine's Day ... by gifting her a freakin' Ferrari!!

TMZ Sports is told Holly Sonders -- who went public with ODLH back in August -- initially thought her man was blowing off the special day with a TV show filming and a round of golf with the bros ... leaving behind a Hermes bag and a diamond bracelet to make up for his absence on the special day.

As it turns out, there was one more gift -- an even bigger gift -- on the way ... and when Oscar got home, he told Holly to go out to the garage.

That's when the big finale was unveiled ... a beautiful red Ferrari SF90 Stradale was waiting for her -- with a bunch of roses sitting on top!!

Check out the vid -- Holly is clearly thrilled with the gesture ... recording herself as she takes a seat in her new whip.

Cody and Brandi Rhodes are leaving All Elite Wrestling -- the superstar couple just announced their departure from the promotion in a shocking move.

AEW CEO Tony Khan just confirmed the news on Tuesday ... saying, "Cody and Brandi Rhodes were integral to the launch of All Elite Wrestling."

Sources tell us there was a fallout between Cody and Tony recently ... as Khan's visibility within the company grew. Of course, Cody -- who served as Executive VP of the company -- was pretty much the OG face of AEW when it debuted in 2019.

"Cody's ability combined with his boldness and his passion for our industry and his love for community outreach helped AEW deliver on our mission to give fans what they needed for far too long -- something new, innovative and lasting," Khan added.

"I have immense respect and appreciation for Cody and Brandi, and I wish them both the best as they move on from AEW."

Cody released a statement as well ... saying, "I have loved my time at AEW. Amazing locker room.  Amazing fans. Amazing people."

"The 'revolution' was indeed televised, and I've been incredibly lucky to be part of that."

Here's where it gets interesting -- Cody thanks a number of people in his goodbye statement ... with Khan being first.

"He's taken the baton and run with it, and it was an honor to work for him and to know him on a personal level. He's a beautiful soul," Cody said of his former boss.

We're told Cody is currently discussing a return to WWE. It's unclear if Brandi will follow his lead if Cody signs.

Cody -- the son of legend Dusty Rhodes -- first joined WWE in 2006 ... and went on to become a 2-time Intercontinental Champion, adding several tag team titles as well.

Nate Diaz, one of the most badass and beloved fighters in MMA history, tells TMZ Sports he wants to fight Dustin Poirier ASAP -- in what'll be his last fight ever -- before retiring from MMA.

We talked to the 36-year-old superstar from Stockton at Shaq's Fun House party in L.A. Friday night ... and asked Nate, who has 1 fight left on his UFC contract, who he wants to be his final opponent.

"I would like to fight Dustin Poirier. Like now. Like I've been trying to. If there's any mix-up it's him, and them, and the game," Diaz said.

"I want the fight now. What's up Dana White? Let's get this retirement fight cracking so I can get out of this fight game. I'm done with it."

It's bittersweet for Nate fans ... and he's got millions of 'em. A fight with Dustin would be big ... especially since Diaz says it'll be the last of his future Hall of Fame career.

A career where Nate's beaten everyone from Conor McGregor to Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone ... all while being one of the most real dudes in sports.

We asked Nate ... how would the fight with DP go down?

"He ain't doing s*** to me. I'll tell ya that much," Nate said.

Bottom line -- Diaz has made it clear he wants to fight Dustin. Now, the ball's in Poirier's court.

As for Nate's future ... even though he won't be fighting, he'll still be around. He's got a successful clothing label, Represent, and his protege, undefeated Nick Maximov is one of the UFC's best prospects.

Boxing star Jermall Charlo is in trouble with the law again ... TMZ Sports has learned he was arrested on Friday in Texas.

A Fort Bend County Jail official tells us ... the 31-year-old was booked at around 1:30 PM CT after a warrant for his arrest was issued by the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office.

According to jail records, Charlo was booked on a felony charge of assaulting a family/household member with a previous conviction. His bond was set at $10,000, though records show he's still in custody.

Details of the allegations against Charlo are currently unclear ... we're working on it.

This is the second time Charlo has been arrested in the past year -- as we previously reported, he was taken into custody in San Antonio in August 2021 after he was accused of stealing from a waitress during a dispute at a bar.

That case was dismissed earlier this month due to "insufficient evidence," records show.

Story developing ...

Floyd Mayweather's bodyguard is under investigation for battery after a man claimed he was assaulted by the TMT member, law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... but there are inconsistencies with the accuser's story.

Mayweather was at Yard House near Crypto.com arena (formerly Staples Center) in L.A. around 6 PM Thursday. While there, we're told a man claims he was assaulted by a guy on Mayweather's security team ... after the boxer allegedly got upset the alleged victim was filming him.

But, almost the entire interaction is up for debate.

The alleged victim claims he was hit by bodyguard. However, witnesses told police the bodyguard didn't hit the guy ... but rather knocked a cell phone out of his hand.

Witnesses told cops the man "flopped" after the incident with the bodyguard, falling over in dramatic fashion.

The alleged victim told cops the bodyguard then allegedly picked up the phone, and attempted to get the man to unlock him phone and erase the video. But, the man allegedly declined to comply, so the bodyguard gave the phone back, and everyone went separate ways.

As for the superstar boxer, a rep tells us Mayweather stopped by the restaurant, but left because the place was too crowded. Floyd says there was no incident at Yard House.

The man who was allegedly assaulted waited about a half-hour to call police. Cops responded and took a battery report. The man's story was not entirely consistent with witness claims.

Police will now investigate the alleged incident. No one has been arrested.

Logan Paul is taking his rivalry with Floyd Mayweather to the courtroom -- the YouTube superstar tells TMZ Sports he's planning to sue the legend ... claiming he still hasn't gotten paid for their exhibition fight in June.

Logan has been vocal claiming he hasn't gotten a dime from the 50-0 boxer following their popular bout at Hard Rock Stadium last year ... and he says he's so pissed about the situation, he's going to file a lawsuit.

"It's honestly bulls***," Logan said outside Saddle Ranch on Thursday. "Like, having people who aren't a professional promotional company control where the money goes, we made that mistake,"

"It's Floyd Mayweather. Before we fought him, we were kind of willing to do whatever. Now after the fact, we're kind of shooting ourselves in the foot because he's a "f***ing scumbag."

FYI -- Floyd has made a killing over the course of his career ... and reportedly made over $300 million for his Conor McGregor fight alone.

The Logan vs. Floyd fight raked in a ton of cash ... but so far, Paul claims he hasn't gotten what he deserves for his involvement.

Logan has a bit of advice for whoever steps in the ring next -- "don't let him control the money."

Paul also says Floyd has hit him up for a rematch ... but his response was simple -- "suck a d***."

Christmas wrapped up nearly two months ago, but Floyd Mayweather still did his best Santa impression outside of the Lakers game on Tuesday night ... doling out $100 bills to kids!

It was a super generous act for the legendary boxer ... who said, "I'm all about giving back to the kids" as he forked over cash to youngsters who were trying to sell candy bars at Crypto.com Arena.

In total, Floyd handed over $400 or $500 to the kids ... and he didn't blink an eye parting ways with the money -- adding, "The kids out here selling candy, they ain't doing nothing wrong."

Floyd then promised to repeat the gesture "every time" he sees them at the games going forward.

It should be noted ... Mayweather did not take any candy in return for the cash, a sign that he's taking his upcoming exhibition match later this month pretty dang seriously.

Is there anything Jake Paul can't do?!?

Well, perhaps surfing ain't the boxing superstar's forte ... but the Problem Child certainly tried his best to catch a wave during a water park date with his girlfriend -- and TMZ Sports has the vid!!!

We're told Jake hit up the American Dream complex in Jersey with Julia Rose and friends on Friday ... having some fun at the amusement park before going to Carpaccio for some grub.

The fun didn't stop after dinner -- Jake and the gang went to the water park ... where the YouTuber attempted to master a new sport.

Look, he's no Kelly Slater ... but it's pretty impressive to see Jake get a few seconds standing on the board before crashing into the water.

FYI -- Jake was in town to promote the Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor fight ... so it's nice to see he's still able to balance work and play as he begins his next venture in boxing.

The 5-0 boxer is fresh off knocking out Tyron Woodley in their rematch on December 18 ... and has previously said he'd love to try out other sports (from NASCAR to the NFL).

Friday is Oscar De La Hoya's 49th birthday, but the Golden Boy did more giving than receiving on his special day ... by preparing and handing out meals to the critically ill.

TMZ Sports has learned ... ODHL and his GF, Holly Sonders, hit up Project Angel Food in L.A. to give back to the community as part of his bday celebration.

The boxing legend and his lady helped by preparing food and packaging them for those who have a high risk of COVID infection or living with COVID.

Check out the footage -- Oscar's meals even have a personalized label featuring his picture and a special message of encouragement for the recipient.

Of course, COVID-19 hit close to home for Oscar and Holly -- in fact, De La Hoya was hospitalized for 3 days with the virus ... and was forced to back out of his fight against Vitor Belfort.

Because of his experience, Oscar says he knew he wanted to help out in any way he could.

But, don't worry -- there was also some celebrating going on ... with Oscar cutting up an incredible customized cake to share with everyone.

Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya is celebrating his birthday early this year ... by droppin' trou and doing an underwear photoshoot with his smokin' hot GF, Holly Sonders.

The Golden Boy's 49th birthday is on Friday ... and instead of leading up to his cake day with some presents and blowing out candles, he decided to put his modeling skills to the test and go nearly nude with his ride or die.

TMZ Sports is told ... Holly wanted to make ODLH's day so special, she enlisted photogs Collin Stark and Allen Henson to take some iconic images to make the day even more unforgettable for the couple.

If you didn't notice, some of the shots give off Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt "W Magazine" vibes ... which was not by accident.

The pics are pretty steamy -- displaying both Holly and ODLH showing off some skin in their skivvies as they enjoy some cake.

But the sexy fun isn't the only way the couple is enjoying Oscar's special day -- we're told he's spending his actual birthday helping those who have been affected by COVID-19.