Boxing

Le'Veon Bell is either insane or extremely confident ... the former star NFL running back will be fighting MMA star and former UFC fighter Uriah Hall in his pro boxing debut.

Bell will be fighting Hall on the same card as Jake Paul and Anderson Silva -- under "The Problem Child's" MVP promotion -- going down on October 29th in Arizona.

The fight will be fought at 195 lbs. ... and neither man can weigh over 200 lbs. on fight night.

30-year-old Bell is coming off an exhibition fight against Adrian Peterson in September, where he KO'd the 37-year-old running back in the fifth round.

Le'Veon -- who last played football with the Tampa Bay Bucs -- looked pretty impressive that night ... dropping AP with a vicious right hand that seemingly came out of nowhere.

Now, it appears Bell is ready to take that next step (well, like 10 steps) -- and will get in the ring against 38-year-old Hall, one of the most dangerous men in combat sports.

Hall was a top 10 ranked UFC Middleweight ... and beat Anderson Silva, and Gegard Mousasi, amongst many others.

Hall announced in August he was retiring from the UFC.

Mike Tyson accidentally duped fans with an intense sparring video he just posted on social media ... because while a ton of people assumed the clip was recent -- it's actually a few years old.

Iron Mike shared the workout footage earlier Tuesday morning ... captioning the post, "Roll with the punches."

56-year-old Mike looks incredible in the video ... so we had to reach out to his camp to find out if he was training for any particular reason.

The vid had people excited -- as a potential event could have been on the horizon.

As it turns out, we're told the vid is a throwback from before his fight against Roy Jones Jr. ... and Mike just wanted to share the moment with his 19.4 million followers.

As we previously reported, Mike recently dealt with a sciatica flare-up ... which forced him to use a cane and wheelchair.

But, don't give up hope just yet ... 'cause you never know in the fight game. After all, Tyson's just two years removed from the Jones fight.

Trailblazing professional wrestler Antonio Inoki, who famously fought Muhammad Ali in a mixed-rules match, reportedly died Saturday at his home in his native Japan.

Inoki died of apparent heart failure after battling illnesses for years and being confined to a wheelchair. No official cause of death has been released.

Inoki -- a legend in Japan -- shot to fame in 1976 when he got into the ring with Ali at the Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo. The sold-out fight was shown on a Jumbotron to 32,897 spectators at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York. Inoki badly injured Ali during the 15-round bout, getting in more than 100 kicks to the fabled boxer's legs. Their fight ended in a draw.

Capitalizing on his newfound popularity, Inoki would become the most influential pro wrestler in Japan's history. In 1972, he launched the New Japan Pro-Wrestling Company, promoting some of the biggest matches involving Hulk Hogan, Dory Funk Jr., Big Van Vader and Bruiser Brody. Inoki also pinned Ric Flair in a 1995 match and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.

What's more ... Inoki was a storied politician who successfully negotiated with Saddam Hussein for the release of Japanese hostages before the 1990 Gulf War in Iraq. And, he worked with North Korea to stop the kidnappings of Japanese citizens in Pyongyang during the Cold War.

Inoki was 79.

And you thought a Muhammad Ali autograph was cool ...

Almost 30 original pieces of artwork, directly from the hands of the most influential boxer of all time ... are about to hit the auction block, and they're truly special.

The artwork depicts everything from Ali's first car to his fights with Joe Frazier. Throughout his incredible career, Ali befriended icons like Andy Warhol and LeRoy Neiman ... and was known to paint/draw in his spare time.

As Ali's Parkinsons progressed over the years, he used art as therapy, using a crayon or pen to make dots on the page, forming an image. Several of the pieces are dated (they span several decades) and signed.

The pieces are being sold individually at TMN Auctions ... where fans of Muhammad will have a chance to bid and own the artwork starting later this month.

The art is being sold by Ali's former marketing agent, Harlan Werner, who decided it was time fans had a chance to own the collection.

Coincidentally, today marks the 47th anniversary of the "Thrilla in Manila" (October 1, 1975) ... the third (and final) matchup between Muhammad and Smokin' Joe in the Philippines.

The fight is considered by many to be the greatest in heavyweight boxing history.

Junior welterweight Luis Quinones tragically died on Thursday ... just five days after suffering a head injury during a knockout loss in Colombia. He was only 25.

Quinones was an undefeated boxer (10-0) until his matchup with Jose Munoz on September 24 at Coliseo Elias Chegwin ... when was knocked out with less than a minute left in the fight.

Video of the fight shows Quinones fall down after getting punched ... and he's unable to get back on his feet. He was then taken out of the ring on a stretcher by medical personnel.

It was reported that Quinones suffered a blood clot in his brain as a result of head trauma from the fight ... and was in a coma after surgery. He was declared brain dead on Thursday, but remained on a respirator until his passing.

"Cuadrilatero Boxing deeply regrets the death of Luis Quinones, an exceptional human being, disciplined and who always showed the greatest commitment to this sport," Quinones' promoters said in a statement on Friday.

"We would like to thank the staff at the General Clinic of the North, who during this time did what was within their power and took care of Luis in the best possible way."

Munoz -- who is also his sparring partner -- is devastated by his death ... saying he never thought "a dream could turn into a real nightmare".

Quinones was inspired by Julio Cesar Chavez and left his hometown of Barrancabermeja to become a professional boxer. He made his debut in 2018.

"Boxing is the ultimate challenge there is. Nothing to compare to him," Quinones said in an IG post last year.

"It's to prove to yourself the way you do it every time you step in the ring."

Ryan Garcia and Gervonta "Tank" Davis were apparently close to fighting recently -- but, it wasn't inside of the ring ... it was at a nightclub, where Garcia says the two boxers got into a heated altercation.

Garcia explained the situation on an Instagram Live stream on Wednesday ... saying he and his friend approached Tank's table at a club and asked the 27-0 boxer when they were going finally set up a fight.

"I guess he got offended by that," Garcia said of Davis. "Got all worked up."

Garcia says Tank grabbed onto his chain ... but, thankfully, the star fighter claims to have kept his cool.

"There's so many security guards there," Garcia said. "I knew he wasn't gonna take my chain or do anything really. He just wanted to seem tough."

Garcia says Tank eventually let go of his chain ... but they continued to exchange words.

"Outside the ring, you can act tough all you want," Garcia said. "Inside the ring, it all changes. I'm not with the acting tough. I'm tough only when I need to be."

Garcia and his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, have been clamoring for a fight with Tank for a while ... in fact, the 23-0 boxer told us this summer he's ready to put his rival to sleep.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's recent brawl in Dubai won't be his last one ... not if the DJ he punched that night has anything to say about it!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the DJ, Lucasdirty ... who wants to resolve the whole thing mano a mano in a real boxing ring.

Lucasdirty's looking to finish what started last weekend ... he tells us he was alerted by the club's management that 6ix9ine was indeed in the building, so he was asked to spin his tunes.

He refused, though, because he says 6ix9ine's music goes against his core beliefs and morals -- and that's what sparked the nightclub melee captured on video.

You can see how things blew up ... 6ix9ine approached the DJ booth 10 minutes after getting rejected, some words were exchanged and then the club was flipped upside down.

Now, Lucasdirty is looking ahead to the recently announced exhibition fight between Floyd Mayweather and YouTuber Deji this November in Dubai, and sees it as the perfect opportunity to settle his differences with Tekashi.

Lucasdirty doesn't even fancy himself a boxer, but he's willing to put on the gloves if it means punching the rainbow.

Jake Paul is being sued by Eddie Hearn -- one of the most powerful people in boxing -- after The Problem Child claimed the promoter paid off a judge in two recent, high-profile bouts.

In a newly filed lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, Hearn and his company, Matchroom Boxing, claim their reputation was damaged after 25-year-old Paul "made outrageously false and baseless allegations" during an interview on Sept. 20.

In the talk, Paul claimed Hearn's Matchroom Boxing paid off judge Glenn Feldman in the August Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua fight. Paul claimed that same judge was also paid off by Matchroom in the April Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano fight.

Taylor won by split decision over Serrano, while Joshua lost by split decision to Usyk.

"Glenn Feldman shows up in Saudi and scores Anthony Joshua to win the fight when everyone who watched the fight said it was not a split decision," Paul said ... before adding, "Clearly, this guy is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing."

Hearn included Paul's video interview as an exhibit in the lawsuit ... filed by attorney Frank Salzano.

Paul, in the interview, also acknowledged that it was "a bold statement and an accusation that I don't take likely, but it's just blatantly obvious. And they're not even trying to hide it."

Hearn -- who's suing Paul for defamation -- called the comments "outlandishly false."

The brother of slain boxer Isiah Jones has been arrested and charged with murder ... after prosecutors say he shot and killed the fighter following a dispute earlier this week.

According to officials, Timothy Lyman is accused of getting into an argument with Jones at around 6:20 PM on Monday in Detroit ... before shooting him in the face and fleeing the area.

Authorities say Jones was found unresponsive at the scene and was later pronounced dead.

Lyman was arrested on Wednesday -- and, according to prosecutors, he's now been charged with one count of second-degree murder, and one count of felony firearm.

He's due in court for a hearing in the case later Thursday.

According to Roshawn Jones, Isiah's longtime boxing trainer, Isiah was a "very great father" who "provided for his kids."

"He was a hard worker," Roshawn added in an interview with The Ring after the boxer's death. "Everyone is not perfect in life but he was a good human being. He’d make you smile and laugh and was a great role model in the gym."

Isiah -- a National Golden Gloves winner -- turned pro in 2016, and piled up a 9-7 record.

Roshawn has set up a GoFundMe for the fighter, explaining the money will go toward his funeral and his kids.

Floyd Mayweather admits he's impressed with Jake Paul's ability to win fights and promote big events ... but the 50-0 legend says don't go overboard, 'cause a legit boxer would wreck The Problem Child.

Floyd joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) earlier this week ... and analyzed Jake's impact on the sport and his skill in the ring.

"Jake Paul, as of right now, for what he's doing, it's good for what he's doing," Floyd told us. "But once he fights a real actual fighter, it's gon' be bad."

"But one thing I like about him, he's selling it. He's making good money. He's entertaining. I like it."

Of course, Jake's just 25 years old and has only been training for a few years. Still, he's 5-0 with 4 KOs ... and he's beaten future UFC Hall of Famer Tyron Woodley twice.

In fact, Paul previously told us his ultimate goal is to box Canelo Alvarez ... and Jake believes he can win.

Floyd, however, does not.

"He'll get f***ed up by Canelo," Floyd said.

Mayweather continued ... "There is no way. He'll get demolished. For what he's doing, as long as they keep getting YouTubers and keep putting him in there with MMA guys that's kind of over the hill, he's going continue to shine. So, I'm proud of him. I'm not really upset."

Of course, Floyd isn't exactly best buds with Canelo or Jake. Mayweather comfortably beat Alvarez in 2013 ... the first loss of the star boxer's career (it was Saul's 44th fight).

As for Floyd and Jake ... remember JP snatched Floyd's hat at a Miami media event promoting Money's June 2021 bout with Logan Paul.

In fact, Floyd-Jake is a fight fans have clamored for since the incident in South Florida. The issue is there's a large size difference between the men. 5'8" Mayweather spent most of his career fighting around 150 lbs. Paul is 6'1" and fights around 185 lbs.

But, Floyd says he doesn't care about the weight difference ... and would fight Jake, despite the sizeable difference in physical stature.

"I think [Jake] was doing a sitdown on a podcast one time, and he talked about [a fight with me]," Floyd said. "He said, 'I don't want to do an exhibition against Floyd Mayweather.' He said, 'I'm only doing real fights.' And of course, I can't get high up in weight, but I'll fight him in a real fight at the weight that I'm at."

Speaking of Floyd's fight with Logan ... Mayweather touched on allegations made by LP, where he claimed he was never paid by FM for the exhibition boxing match.

We also asked Mayweather about the final fight of the Canelo and Gennady "GGG" Golovkin trilogy ... which Money may have missed because he was flying across the world in his private jet.

"Hopefully me and Conor McGregor can link up in 2023 in a real fight."

That's Floyd Mayweather -- TBE, 50-0 -- returning to "The Mayweather Zone" AKA TMZ Sports for a conversation about his boxing future.

We asked the legendary boxer about his interest in a rematch with Conor ... and Floyd made it clear, he is -- and there have already been conversations about money and location.

Of course, the men fought in 2017 ... in one of the most watched and talked about combat sporting events ever. Mayweather won by TKO in the 10th round.

Floyd is rumored to have made around $300 million -- and Conor $100 million -- for the first bout ... and Money made it clear he'll be getting another ridiculously big check when they fight again.

"They already talked to me about my number that I'm going to receive," Floyd told us, adding, "9 figures."

"You know we gotta start at least 100 million for Floyd Mayweather."

It's also significant that Floyd said "real fight" ... meaning not an exhibition. In a pro bout, which Floyd says he wants, his perfect 50-0 record would be on the line.

Mayweather also revealed the likely location ... the Raiders new football stadium in Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium. The building fits roughly 65,000 fans ... triple the amount of people held by many boxing venues.

Before Conor, Floyd has a few exhibition bouts that are going down. In fact, on Saturday (in America, Sunday in Japan), Mayweather is boxing Japanese MMA star Mikuru Asakura in Japan.

Then, in November, Mayweather has a bout that'll be of interest to many people ... he's fighting YouTuber-turned-boxer and KSI's brother, Deji.

Deji is 1-3 overall in the ring ... but did manage to win his first pro bout, leaving him with a 1-0 record.

Floyd also showed off some of his insanely rare and valuable timepieces ... including a breathtaking $18 million Jacob & Co. "Billionaire" watch.

It's good to be Floyd Mayweather!

Boxer Isiah Jones was shot and killed on Monday after a dispute with a family member, his trainer, Roshawn Jones, announced Tuesday. He was 28 years old.

Roshawn confirmed the tragic news in an emotional Instagram post showing highlights of his fighter ... saying, "Isiah, Lost his life yesterday in a tragic event!"

"Please keep his family in your prayers to help them get through these rough times!"

Roshawn shared more details surrounding the boxer's death with The Ring ... telling the outlet Isiah was shot in the head after an argument with a family member.

Detroit Police Department would not identify the victim ... but told us a 28-year-old male was fatally shot by a relative in the 9300 block of Stout street.

DPD also tells us no arrests have been made at this time.

Roshawn remembered Isiah -- a native of Detroit -- for being a great fighter, but also a great father ... and always providing for his kids.

"He was a hard worker," Roshawn told the outlet. "Everyone is not perfect in life, but he was a good human being."

"He'd make you smile and laugh and was a great role model in the gym. Very humble and respectful," he added.

Jones -- who turned pro in 2016 -- had a pro record of 9-7 (with three knockouts) and an impressive amateur record of 52-2.

One of the highlights of Jones' career was winning the 2016 National Golden Gloves.

Lil Baby says his body "shut down" from tour exhaustion -- and forced him to skip out on a Vancouver gig -- but new video shows he felt good enough for the Vegas nightclub scene.

TMZ Hip Hop got these images from inside Zouk Nightclub, where Canelo Alvarez was celebrating his victory over Gennady Golovkin. It's a fully lit scene, and Lil Baby was right in the middle of the action ... along with Travis Scott, DJ Drama and other celebs.

This particular scene was around 3 AM Sunday, and as you can see, Baby was still singing and feeling good. NBD, except for the fact he was scheduled to headline Vancouver's Breakout Festival less than 24 hours later ... a show that did NOT go on, as they say.

Baby explained his no-show on IG, saying "I have been going so hard these past few months without any breaks that it finally caught up with me." Now, it is true he recently wrapped up a big tour with Chris Brown ... but this vid makes it seem like there might have been other contributing factors.

Interestingly, you can see Baby was rapping along to 42 Dugg's verse from their "We Paid" collab. The Vancouver fans who paid for tickets Sunday night were beyond pissed he never made it to the stage.

As we reported, the crowd got ugly when they got the news and some went into full riot mode ... destroying tents, TV monitors and all sorts of property.

Seven people were reportedly arrested amid the thousands of dollars of damage and destruction.

We're told Baby's security attempted to prevent people from recording him as he left Zouk with a towel over his head. He might need some cover for his next trip to Vancouver.

Detroit Tigers star Javier Baez is worried for everyone in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona struck the island this weekend -- and he's now offering free food to those who are suffering from the devastating storm.

The hurricane made landfall in PR on Sunday -- and according to governor Pedro Pierluisi, it's caused "unprecedented" flooding in some areas. In fact, one flood actually forced a metal bridge to collapse in the Guaonica River.

Hurricane Fiona has also left millions without power ... which means cooking food has been difficult -- but Baez says he has people in his home country covered there -- at no cost.

"All those families who are in need of a hot meal can stop by @taquizapr in Toa Baja," the two-time All-Star said on Monday, "and we will serve it to you for FREE!!"

"If your community is affected and you're in need of hot meal, you can call 787-665-2323 (Joshua) or stop by @taquizapr and we will make all the arrangements. Blessings to all of you!"

Baez added, "I know we're going through something very difficult. I'm with you."

Puerto Rican boxing star Amanda Serrano also prayed for her home country -- saying on her social media page, "It’s storm season & we are experiencing one now."

"May we all come out safe 🙏♥"

Pierluisi said they're doing everything they can to bring back power to the island as "inspection and restoration work is being done."

Canelo Alvarez went straight from whaling on Triple G's face to belting out tunes ... hitting a nightclub in Vegas after his big win Saturday -- and serenading his fans for several minutes on stage!!

The 32-year-old star boxer grabbed the mic at Zouk Nightclub at his post-fight celebration ... and he sang his face off throughout the evening after beating Gennady Golovkin by decision.

Video shot from bystanders in the club's crowd shows Canelo sang at least two songs -- hitting all kinds of notes in Spanish as everyone in attendance cheered him on.

His voice was pretty good too -- check out the footage, his fans were loving every second of it!

Canelo had every reason to live it up in the club -- 'cause just hours earlier, he cruised to an easy win over GGG in their third tilt against each other.

Of course, Canelo probably would have sung following the fight either way -- you'll recall, he was seen croonin' even after his big loss to Dmitry Bivol back in May.

Odell Beckham Jr. got on the phone and delivered a hell of a pump-up speech to Canelo Alvarez before his fight against Gennady "GGG" Golovkin ... telling the star boxer to straight up "kick his ass!"

The convo happened via FaceTime on Friday -- the day before the Canelo-GGG trilogy fight will go down -- and OBJ was super hyped to hop on the horn with the fighter.

The NFL star told Canelo he's actually the reason he in fell in love with boxing.

"Big fan of you!" OBJ said on the phone. "You made me like boxing."

"Let's go ahead, let's kick his ass," the Rams wideout added. "Let's show him one, two and the third one is all you."

Canelo appreciated the love ... and promised to deliver a victory "for you, my friend."

The two sports giants have never met each other -- but Odell told Canelo he was hoping to catch up with him in person soon.

The Canelo-GGG tilt, meanwhile, is slated to happen at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas on Saturday when Alvarez will be defending several belts -- including the WBA Super title.

This will be the third time the two have fought -- back in 2017, their bout ended in a draw, and in 2018, Alvarez won by majority decision.

Alvarez is the favorite to win this weekend -- both at the sportsbooks ... and, clearly, in Odell's heart!