Boxing

If Chad Ochocinco is still serious about his boxing career ... ex-UFC fighter Chris Avila tells TMZ Sports he'll gladly throw hands with the former NFL star, saying he's looking for a scrap with the guy this summer.

We talked to Avila out in the Bay Area this week and he's targeting August 13 for his next fight -- and, he'd love it if Ochocinco was his opponent.

"I think that'd be an exciting fight for people to watch," said the 29-year-old, who fought in the UFC back in 2016. "If he wants to fight a real fighter, he can box me."

Chad has transitioned into the fighting world following his football career -- you'll recall, he took on Brian Maxwell just before the Logan Paul vs. Floyd Mayweather tilt in June 2021.

Chad was knocked down in the fight, but held his own. He's yet to get back in the ring since.

Avila -- who last fought in a boxing match on the undercard of the Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley fight last December -- tells us he's hoping a match with Ochocinco will be featured on the undercard of Jake's next bout in August.

"I don't know if he'd accept it -- or maybe he wants to stick to fighting celebrities," Avila said of Ochocinco. "But if he's down to test his boxing skills, I'm down to fight him."

Avila says he isn't sure if Chad would accept the offer ... wondering out loud if the 44-year-old is "scared" of him. But, he did tell us he knows exactly how the scrap would end if the former Cincinnati Bengals superstar does step in the ring.

A stampede erupted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn after rumors began to swirl there was an active shooter in the arena.

At least 10 people suffered injuries just after midnight Sunday ... when people began screaming someone was firing shots. It wasn't true, but the crowd didn't know it.

It's unclear how the rumor first started, but it spread like wildfire. A security guard said the rumor was that someone was firing shots outside the arena. That caused people who were leaving the boxing match to make a mad dash back inside, and it became a madhouse.

Naomi Osaka was among those present ... she tweeted, that she heard "shouting and saw people running" and was then told "there was an active shooter and we had to huddle in a room and close the doors," adding, she was "petrified."

Madonna was also there for the championship match between Gervonta Davis and Rolando Romero. It's unclear if she was present during the melee.

One person who was there tweeted, "I watched a person get trampled nearly out cold."

The ten known to be injured were taken to a hospital and according to officials, they suffered only minor injuries.

TikTok star, Bryce Hall, will NEVER be friends with Tayler Holder ... so says Bryce, who believes Tayler is guilty of some serious allegations.

We caught Bryce leaving Bradley Martyn's Zoo Culture Gym in Woodland Hills, Tuesday night, and he went off on Tayler Holder and their never-ending beef.

Bryce says Tayler's interview with TMZ was absolute BS, especially when he claimed he didn't know Bryce. He adds, Tayler was actually the undercard for his Professional boxing event and they've collaborated, despite not being friends.

Going forward though ... Bryce makes it clear he would NEVER be friends with Tayler, "after the s*** he's done," referencing rumors about sexual allegations against Holder. He says Tay should worry about the "lawsuits on his name," instead of contacting the media and promoting his music -- which he gave a pretty damning review.

ICYMI, Tayler sat down on "TMZ Verified Podcast" and denied any, and all, sexual assault allegation rumors against him. During the interview, he also claimed he didn't know Bryce.

Rolando "Rolly" Romero, boxing star/financial advisor, has some advice IF you wanna make money ... bet the house on him when he fights Gervonta "Tank" Davis this weekend.

Or, "you gonna go broke!"

TMZ Sports talked to the 26-year-old, undefeated (14-0, 12 KOs) boxer ahead of his highly anticipated matchup with Tank (26-0, 24 KOs) ... with the WBA lightweight title on the line.

While both men are undefeated, the bout isn't even in oddsmakers' minds

In fact, Davis is around a -1,000 favorite ... meaning you need to risk a grand just to win $100 on Tank.

The inverse of that -- if you bet on Romero and he wins, you're going to make bank. And, that's exactly what Rolly says you should do.

"Go place your bet, make your money. I get rich, y'all get rich," Rolly said.

"The only people that don't get rich are dumbasses who bet on Tank. You bet on Tank, you're gonna go broke."

The 14-0 boxer is so sure of himself he's suggesting folks put everything on the line ... 'cause he's leaving the ring with the WBA belt.

"I'm gonna tell everybody to bet everything they got 'cause the thing is, I'd bet everything I got because that's the thing is, I'd bet everything I got!"

But, don't think the advice is free, 'cause once he wins, Rolly wants something back in return.

"Everyone who bets on me is gonna thank me and honestly I hope everybody buys me a nice dinner after this s**t!"

"I'm gonna win. I'm gonna knock him out!"

As for Tank, (as you'd imagine) he believes the fight will go a little differently ... and he told us as much when we talked to him on Thursday.

"It's gonna take some time to break him down because of his body size but he's definitely getting broke down for sure," Gervonta told us.

"He bruises easily. His face was messed up against someone who can't hit -- imagine me."

Tank Davis couldn't wait to put his hands on Rolando Romero ... the undefeated fighter shoved Rolly off the stage moments after they faced off before their highly anticipated boxing match, nearly sparking a brawl between the fighters and their camps.

TMZ Sports was just feet away, outside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, when the incident kicked off ... in what was supposed to be weigh-ins and the final face-off for the undefeated boxers before they scrap Saturday night in NYC.

After squaring off, 26-year-old Rolly (14-0, 12 KOs) took a half-step forward and flexed, with his right arm appearing to come close to 27-year-old Tank's (26-0, 24 KOs) head.

Gervonta clearly didn't like that, and gave a one-armed push to the back of Romero, who was forced to jump down from the stage ... an elevated platform a few feet high.

Rolly immediately made a beeline for Tank, but was held back by people on stage. Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions (Davis is splitting with the promotion after the Romero fight), was in the mix, keeping the fighters away from one another.

While the scene was chaotic, peace was ultimately restored, and no one was injured.

It's not a surprise the men tried to hurt each other ... there's A LOT of bad blood between them. And, on the surface it doesn't seem to be manufactured beef to sell a fight -- these guys flat out don't like each other.

Good thing for Tank and Rolly, the fighters get to beat the hell out of each other in about 30 hours.

Future Hall of Famer James Toney says his class -- "Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather, Laila Ali, Holly Holm" -- is simply the greatest of all time, telling TMZ Sports it's point-blank, the "best ever!"

Now, there's a bit of an asterisk here. Floyd isn't technically part of the 2022 class like the retired, 54-year-old former 3-weight class world champ.

Mayweather, 50-0, was supposed to be inducted last year (2021) -- along with Wladimir Klitschko and Andre Ward -- but the ceremony was postponed due to COVID-19.

Same deal with Laila ... class of 2021.

2020's HOF class also had to wait ... that group includes Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley.

The International Boxing Hall of Fame decided to hold a massive event, inducting three classes into the hall in one star-studded weekend.

That event will go down next month in New York, and Toney is pumped ... just not as much as his family.

"Man, I'm excited. My mom, my wife, they're more excited than I am."

In the ring, Toney had quick hands and good power, but it was his defense and counterpunching that made him a world champ across multiple weight classes.

James was nearly champ in a 4th weight class, heavyweight (he actually beat John Ruiz in 2005), but was stripped of the title over a drug test he flunked following the bout.

All told, "Lights Out" fought professionally 92 times, ending his career with a 77-10-3 with 2 no contests. James beat Evander Holyfield in 2003. He also fought Roy Jones Jr. in 1994. Despite Toney losing the bout, Roy has credited James with being the best pure boxer he faced.

Bottom line, James was a problem ... and now he'll be celebrated alongside the greatest pugilists ever.

"Now I'm originally, literally, one of the greats of all time. I'm forever in history. So I'm excited, happy."

The love for Deontay Wilder in his Tuscaloosa hometown will last forever ... 'cause the city just immortalized the heavyweight boxer with a life-size statue!!

The 42-2 fighter was surrounded by his family and fans on Wednesday when he removed the sheets off the new "Bronze Bomber" figure that's located in front of Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports offices on Jack Warner Parkway.

"It's me!" Wilder said while hugging the sculpture.

The statue -- designed by Caleb O'Connor -- looks exactly like the heavyweight boxer ... from his braided hair and mean grin all the way down to his shorts and shoes.

The 36-year-old knew the honor was coming ... and said in the days leading up to the event this week that it would be "a monumental moment" for him.

"For the first time in my life, I'm at a loss for words," Wilder said. "This is generational wealth. This is black excellence. This is greatness."

Wilder's boxing career started in Tuscaloosa when he turned 20 ... and he later went on to become the WBC heavyweight champ from 2015 to 2020.

Chuck Liddell says Brendan Langley should turn his crummy situation into potential cash ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks the ex-NFL player should try pro fighting after his wild brawl with an airline employee last week.

The UFC star watched the vid of Langley and a United Airlines worker duking it out while at LAX on Tuesday ... and it wasn't hard to tell, despite the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the fistfight, the Iceman was impressed with Langley's power.

So much so, Chuck said he believes Langley -- a former Denver Broncos third-round pick -- should seriously consider trying to make a career out of throwing his hands going forward.

"Those fights are doing well," Liddell said of amateurs, viral video stars and celebs getting in the ring. "Turn him into a fighter. Have him fight somebody!"

Liddell says a YouTuber would make sense as a potential opponent for the 27-year-old.

Langley, meanwhile, could be looking for the work ... the Calgary Stampeders announced Tuesday afternoon that they have suspended their wide receiver indefinitely after the fight.

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle just underwent a brutal procedure on Tuesday -- the American Hero had BOTH his knees replaced ... but, luckily, he says everything went off without a hitch!!

The Olympic gold medalist posted a video from the hospital bed minutes ago ... shouting out his fans for their well-wishes and detailing the long road of recovery ahead.

"Thank you all for your prayers and best wishes for my 2 knee replacement surgeries today," Angle said Tuesday. "So far so good."

"I realize rehab is going to be a bitch, but I'm ready for it."

The 53-year-old laughed about his legs feeling numb due to an epidural he received for the procedure ... appearing to be in good spirits.

Of course, the dude's had his fair share of pain over the years -- Angle won a gold medal in wrestling in 1996 with a broken neck and went on to join the then-WWF in 1998, where he would reach iconic heights as a performer.

The technical wrestler made a name for himself all over the wrestling circuit -- fighting for various promotions such as WWF/WWE, ECW, NJPW, and Total Nonstop Action.

In 2017, WWE enshrined the 4-time champion into its Hall of Fame, capping off a remarkable career from one of the greatest wrestlers to step inside the squared circle.

Oleg Prudky -- a two-time Ukrainian boxing champion -- was killed while defending his country against Russian troops, the Ukrainian Boxing Federation announced on Monday.

He was just 30 years old.

"It is with sorrow that we inform you that the master of sports of international boxing class, the champion of Ukraine Oleg Prudky, was killed in the fights with Russian occupiers," the Ukrainian Boxing Federation said in a statement on its Instagram page.

"Boxing Federation of Ukraine expresses condolences to the boxer's family. Eternal memory to you Olezh."

Prudky was working with the Cherkasy Police special forces and was one of the four officers that were killed during an attack on Sunday, police said in a statement to talkSPORT on Tuesday.

"On May 22, defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, our colleagues, police officers of the Special Operations Department of the KORD Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police, were killed," the police said.

"They defended Ukraine – the dead police heroes of Cherkasy region."

Before joining the forces to defend his country, Prudky boxed in amateur and semi-pro leagues and competed in several European championships.

The super-lightweight became a two-time amateur champion and was part of the Ukrainian Otamans team in the World Series of Boxing semi-pro competition.

Prudky leaves behind a wife, Mariana, and two daughters. His wife tragically wrote on Instagram following his death, "How do I tell them that they will never see you again."

"You are my ANGEL! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH"

Mike Tyson finally broke his silence about his confrontation on a JetBlue flight with an out-of-control passenger, and one thing's clear ... he's really pissed over what went down.

Mike was on his 'Hotboxin' podcast and was clearly relieved the San Mateo County D.A. decided not to charge Mike for battery. As you know, the video -- obtained by TMZ -- shows Mike punching away at the guy after getting harassed even before the plane took off.

Mike said, "He was f***ing with me, man. I took pictures with this n****."

Mike says he knows there's always the chance someone will become "overly excited," and that's why his wife has been on him not to fly commercial.

Mike concedes, "I shouldn't even be taking public planes," adding, "A bodyguard and a f***ing yes man. What am I gonna do on a plane?"

He admitted situations like the one on JetBlue "trigger me" and he acknowledged ultimately it's a lose/lose situation.

And, speaking of triggering, Mike had reminisced about an incident during the infamous Holyfield fight.

Ryan Garcia is covered in tattoos ... but the star boxer revealed this week that he's actually "so insecure" about them.

The 23-year-old -- who just got most of his body art done in the last couple years -- explained he's self-conscious about his ink while reading some "Mean Tweets" with Jomboy's Dan Canobbio.

On the "Inside Boxing Live" show on Friday, the 22-0 fighter read a string of tweets directed toward him -- and one of them mentioned his tats.

"All that money and Ryan Garcia's tattoos look like he downloaded them off 2k," Garcia read.

Even though the pugilist giggled initially, he later admitted he's not always feeling super confident about his body ink.

"Yo, I'm so insecure about my tattoos!" Garcia responded. "You're a d***head!"

Garcia has double-digit tattoos on his chest, shoulders and arms -- with the most notable being two lions on his pecs.

Newly retired Tyson Fury might be done throwing his hands ... but he's clearly not opposed to still using his feet -- 'cause the star boxer attempted to kick a cabbie's car after an apparent altercation with the driver in France.

The incident went down sometime Wednesday ... when Fury seemed to be roaming the streets of Cannes after having just a little too much to drink.

In video shot by a bystander, Fury -- wearing a white shirt and dark-colored shorts -- can be seen needing some assistance as he stumbled to a cab in the middle of the road.

But, even though Tyson and his entourage were attempting to get a lift from the cabbie, it seemed the driver wanted no part of it -- because the guy was continuously waving them off.

Eventually, the driver pulled away from the pugilist and his buddies -- and that's when the 33-year-old fight attempted to stick his boot into the car's bumper.

You can see in the video, Fury appeared to just barely miss. Fury's friend, meanwhile, also seemed to throw a kick at the ride too.

Thankfully, it doesn't seem the altercation escalated any further -- and Fury appeared to joke about his level of intoxication in an IG post on Thursday morning.

"Strong beer!" Fury said while on a run with his father.

Fury -- who retired after beating Dillian Whyte last month -- has been in France for the last several days enjoying his newfound time off ... being spotted on a yacht as well as at different restaurants and watering holes in the country.

Tragic news in the boxing world ... undefeated fighter Musa Yamak died during a match on Saturday -- after he suffered a heart attack in the ring and collapsed to the mat.

The awful scene went down in Germany ... when Yamak was in the middle of his fight with Hamza Wandera.

Yamak had reportedly taken at least one big blow from Wandera in the second round ... and as he was coming out of his corner for the third round of the scrap -- he stumbled, and eventually crumpled to the ground.

Trainers and other medical personnel on the scene rushed to his aid -- but, sadly, Yamak later passed away.

He was just 38 years old.

Turkish official Hasan Turan mourned the death in a social media post hours after the tragedy ... saying, "I wish God's mercy on the deceased ... my condolences to his sad family and fans."

Yamak -- who turned pro in 2017 -- had built an impressive resume in his career, starting 8-0. In 2021, he gained notoriety after winning the WBFed International title.

UFC legend Rashad Evans will be in the ring next month ... not to fight, but to serve as referee in the celebrity boxing match between Blac Chyna and Alysia Magen.

The mixed martial artist -- who was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019 -- made the IG announcement on Tuesday with a clip of Chyna and Magen's first face-off ... where things got a little heated.

"I'll be ref' at this event," RE said with a bunch of fire emojis.

The bout will go down at the Charles Dodge Center in Pembroke Pines, FL on June 11 ... and the winner between Chyna and the Air Force vet will take home the Women's Celebrity Boxing title.

And there's a good cause ... Chyna says the money she raises will go to a non-profit in California.

"I am fighting to raise money for the Pasadena Humane Society," Chyna said last week.

Of course, Evans ain't the first UFC great to ref a celebrity match -- last June, Chuck Liddell had the gig for the Lamar Odom and Aaron Carter fight at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City.

Liddell told us -- before Odom KO'd Carter -- he was gonna let the two fight despite it being a celebrity match.

"People are paying to watch you fight. You're getting paid to fight. You wanna make some money, you gotta fight."

Floyd Mayweather says his canceled exhibition fight in Dubai is back on ... saying the scrap will now go down on Saturday.

The boxing legend just shared an updated flyer for the event with a new date of May 21 listed. His former sparring partner, Don Moore, tells TMZ Sports he is still the opponent.

The scrap is still scheduled to happen on the Burj Al Arab hotel helipad.

UFC legend Anderson Silva, meanwhile, will still be on the undercard for the event ... according to Floyd's new flyer.

As we reported, the fight between Mayweather and Moore was originally slated to go down on May 14 ... but was canceled following the death of United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan earlier this month.

Event organizers had vowed to reschedule the fight after a mourning period ... saying, "We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and reassure fans that this spectacular event will be staged in future."