Boxing

Like it or not, Floyd Mayweather is a genius -- and played the "game of boxing" better than anyone else in the history of the sport ... changing it forever, so says Max Kellerman.

There will always be an argument about who's the best pure boxer of all time -- Floyd? Muhammad Ali? Joe Louis? -- but when it comes to the business side of the sport, Max tells us there's only one name in the conversation.

"He retired undefeated. He made hundreds of millions of dollars. He never took a bad beating. He has a very good point that he's the best ever at playing the boxing game," the "First Take" star told us in NYC.

"Boxing, at its core, is basically fans and networks exploiting fighters. And, what Floyd and [his business partner] Al Haymon did is they flipped the paradigm around. They said 'No no, you're not gonna exploit us' -- in fact, the fighters, in this case, Floyd, are gonna exploit the fans and networks. 'I know you wanna see us in the maximum kinda risk situation but in fact, I wanna put myself in the minimum risk, maximum reward situation.'"

Max points out Floyd navigated his career masterfully with 3 main factors -- "The timing of when he picked the opponents, his boxing style and then, of course, his own excellence."

Think about it ... Floyd has some incredible names on his resume -- from Canelo Alvarez to Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao even Conor McGregor.

We also asked Max -- a boxing savant -- about the upcoming Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz fight ... and if he thinks Ryan Garcia would have a shot against Teofimo Lopez.

Anderson Silva has some business advice for Conor McGregor -- forget about a rematch with Khabib ... and focus on getting a deal done with Manny Pacquiao!!

Remember, Silva and Conor had publicly floated the idea of fighting each other over the past year -- with Silva even consulting with doctors about cutting weight for a possible throw down.

But, 45-year-old Silva says it became clear it wasn't going to happen and he moved on -- he's now fighting Uriah Hall on Halloween night in what could be the last fight of his Hall of Fame career.

As for Conor, Silva tells TMZ Sports ... McGregor should seriously reconsider getting back in the boxing ring, since he made a life-changing paycheck from his 2017 bout with Floyd Mayweather.

"I think for Conor right now, the best fight is with Manny Pacquiao," Silva says.

"For business, I think the best fight for Conor is to take the fight with Manny Pacquiao."

Silva says Conor obviously needs more training -- but he thinks it's a very interesting fight that people would love to watch.

As for his fight with Hall -- it's dangerous. 36-year-old Hall is on a 2-fight win streak and has previously defeated tough guys like Thiago Santos and Gegard Mousasi.

Silva has said this is most likely his last fight -- but nothing's set in stone. In other words, if he mops the floor with Hall, you might see him back in the octagon one last time.

If he does retire, he's a lock for the HOF -- widely regarded as one of the best of all time ... defeating legends like Forrest Griffin, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, Stephan Bonnar and more.

#Legend

"I was Boosie at one time."

That's Mike Tyson explaining why he felt compelled to confront rapper Boosie Badazz over his history of homophobic comments ... saying he knows what it's like to go from ignorant to enlightened.

Tyson got right to the point with Boosie during a recent taping of his podcast, "Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson" ... condemning Boosie's offensive comments about Dwyane Wade's child Zaya, who recently came out as a transgender girl.

During the podcast, Tyson pressed Boosie on where his hate was stemming from -- wondering if Boosie's aggression comes from his own insecurities about his sexuality.

It was a powerful moment that seemed to have resonated with Boosie ... and Tyson has been cheered for the way he handled it.

But, Tyson tells "TMZ Live" the conversation probably wouldn't have happened if it weren't for his daughter -- who passionately told the boxing legend why Boosie needed to be set straight.

"My daughter," Tyson said ... "She flew all the way from New York City to Los Angeles, California where I'm at just to be there because she thought Boosie was so disrespectful she had to confront him."

Yeah, you read that right -- Tyson's daughter wanted to be the one to go after Boosie, but Mike wouldn't allow it.

Instead, Mike listened to what his daughter had to say and ultimately believed she made some solid points.

Mike said his daughter argued that Boosie's comments have been "disrespectful to the community" -- and she was so passionate about confronting him, Mike was concerned things would go off the rails.

"But, he conducted himself like a gentleman," Tyson said about Boosie ... "It went okay. It didn't go like I anticipated it to go. My daughter has a lot of courage and stuff."

Now, Tyson says he's rooting for Boosie to grow from their conversation and "win the fight over those demons."

There's more ... Tyson also explained to Harvey and Charles why he decided to make a boxing comeback and why he predicts "PAIN" for his upcoming opponent Roy Jones Jr. when they clash at Staples Center on Nov. 28.

Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. say they're both on the same page about their upcoming "exhibition" fight -- it's not a game, they're going for blood.

The two boxing legends just addressed the media for their big Nov. 28 fight at Staples Center in L.A. (available through PPV on Triller) and clapped back hard at the suggestion it will be a friendly show.

"We got Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. -- and I'm coming to fight," Tyson said Thursday ... "I hope [Roy is] coming to fight and that's all you need to know."

The issue is, the head of the California State Athletic Commission has said the guys will be going EASY on each other and WON'T be headhunting.

Here's what CSAC executive director Andy Foster told Yahoo Sports -- "This isn’t a situation where they’re going out there to try to take each other’s heads off. They’re just going to be in there moving around the ring and letting fans see these legends."

On Thursday, Roy assured the media that's just not the case.

"The last guy who did an exhibition with Mike got dropped in the 1st round. And if you don’t know that, there’s something wrong with you," Roy said.

Roy was referencing Mike's 2006 exhibition with former heavyweight boxer Corey "T-Rex" Sanders. Tyson was clearly goofing around and not trying to kill the guy.

This time, Roy says the fight will be competitive.

"Who goes in the ring with the great, legendary Mike Tyson and thinks, 'Oh, this is an exhibition?! 12-ounce gloves, no headgear? Really? This is an exhibition? Come on, bruh. Be for real."

Mike says he's been training like a maniac -- yeah, we've seen the videos -- and he's getting his killer mentality back.

In fact, Mike says he's not staying with his family at the moment because "there's no way to live with me. They'd kick me out of the house."

Boxing star Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. claims burglars ransacked his L.A. home -- taking roughly $750k in jewelry and other valuables, TMZ Sports has learned.

34-year-old Chavez -- son of boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. -- believes the burglary took place last week while the family was out of town. We're told it appears the intruders got into the home through a bathroom window.

Our law enforcement sources tell us ... Chavez and his wife, Frida, believe the crooks snatched up several items, including a small safe that contained roughly $600,000 in jewelry and designer purses.

They also got around $150k in other belongings from around the home ... totaling $750k.

We're told cops are investigating but so far, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been named.

Chavez Jr. -- the former WBC middleweight champ -- is married to Frida Chavez, who recently gave birth to their 2nd child.

Frida was previously married to Edgar Guzman Lopez -- the son of Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin Guzman, AKA El Chapo.

Edgar was killed in 2008 when he was ambushed in a supermarket parking lot by a gang of rival cartel members.

Mike Tyson's next opponent ain't Roy Jones, Jr. -- it's your EARDRUMS -- 'cause the boxing legend has officially made his EDM debut ... and the song is a BANGER!!!

The 54-year-old is preparing for his huge fight against 51-year-old RJJ on November 28 ... and took it upon himself to get pumped up for the huge event by getting on the mic!!

Tyson hooked up with LA-based group Tiki Lau for the collab ... coming up with the perfectly-titled track, "Mike Tyson."

Iron Mike is heard saying some intense lines throughout the track ... like, "I've been the wildest, I've been the craziest, I've been the outrageous, the vicious, the most destructive fighter."

There's more ... "An international warlord that'll strip your heart out ... and guess what?? I'M MIKE TYSON!!!"

Now, this ain't the first time Tyson has shown off his pipes ... remember this?!?!

There are rumblings Iron Mike could use the track as his walk-out song for the Jones fight next month ... so is an RJJ track in the works?!

An Australian boxer suffered a GNARLY broken jaw during a fight Thursday -- and the video of the injury might make you puke.

CONSIDER THAT YOUR WARNING!!

The fighter is Benjamin Hussain -- who was 2-0 as a pro before he stepped into the ring against fellow undefeated fighter Ben Mahoney.

Hussain was cracked hard in the 2nd round and appeared to suffer a break in his jaw at that point -- but tried to tough it out and keep going.

Blood poured out of his mouth as he continued the fight -- the announcers speculated he could've suffered a cut on his tongue.

But, as the fight progressed, it was VERY obvious the injury was serious ... and finally, the doctor stopped the fight in Round 5.

You could hear the doctor tell 21-year-old Hussain -- "Your jaw is broken mate. I mean it’s badly broken, we’ve got to stop it."

Hussain was transported to a nearby hospital to be treated -- and despite the obvious pain, he felt it was important to show off the injury on social media.

You can see his jaw is clearly broken -- and it's so gross!!

But hey, that's boxing.

Sorry, Loma -- kiss your hopes for a rematch goodbye!

... because Teofimo Lopez tells TMZ Sports he has no interest in running it back with Vasyl Lomachenko after kicking his ass on Saturday.

"For what? F*ck him," Lopez tells us ... "I won fair and square."

He certainly did -- Lopez dominated the first half of the fight and ended things with a stellar 12th round, despite a furious comeback attempt from Loma.

After the fight, Lopez says Loma and his camp weren't exactly gracious in defeat.

"I went up to him and I said good fight. I grabbed his father, I said safe travels … pretty much saying goodbye to them because I knew I won."

"But he didn’t want to give me back that same gesture -- instead he just started laughing like, 'What am I doing here?' So, I was like whatever, I did my part. The fighting's done, I whooped your ass … you cut me, head-butted me and sh*t but it's fine."

Lopez says Loma blew off the post-fight press conference and refused to talk with media -- telling us, "That just shows what kind of champion he really is."

So, what's next for the 23-year-old champion?

"I'm the king now," Lopez said ... "I've always been the king. I was just the underground king. Now, I've been crowned."

We asked Teofimo if he has any interest in fighting rising stars like Ryan Garcia and others now that he's in the driver's seat -- and ya gotta hear his answer.

"I think [Teofimo Lopez] is the future in the lightweight division and there’s a lot of great fights out there for him -- including our very own Ryan Garcia, which would be a massive, massive fight."

That's Oscar De La Hoya already trying to line up a fight between Teofimo Lopez and Ryan Garcia ... explaining it would be an instant classic that would be HUGE for the sport.

Oscar tells TMZ Sports he was incredibly impressed with Teo's victory this weekend over Vasyl Lomachenko -- a fighter many considered the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet.

"If you saw the fight, Lomachenko came in strong toward the end, but it was too late," Oscar says ... "Teofimo looked amazing. He stepped it up. He showed his true colors."

Of course, Oscar is one of the top promoters in boxing and reps Ryan Garcia -- one of the top young fighters in the game.

Garcia is 22. Teo is 23 ... and Oscar says a clash between these two young superstars seems inevitable and would be amazing!

"That’ll be like Fernando Vargas vs. De La Hoya all over again, bro … I mean that's a classic!"

Garcia is 20-0 with 17 knockouts -- though he's gearing up for a big fight in December against Luke Campbell, a guy who went the distance with Loma in 2019.

Garcia fights at lightweight -- and Lopez just became the unified lightweight world champion. So, the weight class wouldn't be an issue.

Look, Teofimo has said he wants big fights -- and if Garcia gets through Campbell ... Garcia would be a very attractive opponent.

"I think both guys are skilled, amazing fighters. That will be a classic," Oscar says.

Meanwhile, Oscar is keeping busy by raising money for the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation, which contributes to schools and hospitals in East L.A.

Boxing star Otto Wallin says if Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder III ain't happening, he'll step in and rematch the Gypsy King ... 'cause he already whooped him once!!

The HIGHLY anticipated trilogy fight was *supposed* to go down this year, but Fury says Wilder keeps changing the date ... so TF's moving on.

But fear not, Fury fanatics -- 29-year-old Wallin says he's been training like a maniac ... and he tells TMZ Sports he's more than ready.

"He doesn't have to look any further," Wallin tells us. "To be fair, look at our fight and then look at his other fights."

"You can see that I did a much better job than anybody has, and I landed more punches than (Wladimir) Klitschko and Wilder even together."

Remember, Fury-Wilder I was a draw ... but Tyson dominated Deontay in their February 2020 rematch -- TKO the Bronze Bomber in the 7th round.

Wallin actually believes his September 2019 fight with Tyson should've been stopped after he badly cut Fury's eye early in the fight.

"I deserve a rematch. Especially for the cuts. I should have been the winner that night."

Wallin says he thinks Fury would be down for the rematch ... but believes Tyson's people might stop the fight from going down 'cause they know Wallin can win.

As for whether Otto would be ready to rock in December -- the initial date for Fury vs. Wilder III -- that ain't a problem ... 'cause he was already hoping to fight before 2021!

Boxing star Teofimo Lopez says his feud with Vasyl Lomachenko is real and nasty -- and he'll have "bad intentions" when they step in the ring this weekend.

"This is just how I feel man, this definitely is personal to me -- it's a whole different mindset for me," Lopez tells TMZ Sports.

Lopez (15-0) vs. Loma (14-1) is one of the biggest fights of the year -- two superstars clashing at the height of their powers Saturday at The Bubble at the MGM Grand in Vegas.

23-year-old Lopez is the IBF lightweight champ. 32-year-old Loma is the WBC, WBA and WBO lightweight champ. All of the belts are on the line this weekend.

Lopez knows he's the betting underdog but tells us he likes it that way and advises anyone who knows anything about boxing to bet the house on him.

"If you know boxing, bet on Teofimo to win -- you making money, everybody goes home happy."

The beef between the two camps goes back years -- lots of trash talk -- and Lopez says he's been itching to settle things with violence.

"You can see it in my eyes, I don’t fear you -- and I don’t have no type of respect towards you … just be ready for a fight."

Lopez even took a shot at Loma for the quality of the opponents he's faced recently ... saying he hasn't taken on a real challenger in years.

"I don’t think you’ve had a real fight in a long time -- so let's see what you can do."

Uhhhhh -- heads up, Roy Jones Jr. ...

Mike Tyson is getting ABSOLUTELY JACKED for his November comeback fight with RJJ ... he revealed his new bod in another training video -- and the boxing legend looks ridiculous!!

The clip ain't long ... but in the few seconds where you see Tyson shirtless -- you can tell the guy has done nothing but prepare for his Nov. 28 bout with Jones Jr.

He's got abs. He's got biceps. He's got pecs. And, he looks as ferocious as ever!

The vid caught the attention of a bunch of famous people ... The Rock liked the clip and UFC superstar Tyron Woodley even reposted it to his social media page.

It all begs the question ... is Jones Jr. absolutely sure he wants to go through with this fight???

In addition to getting his body back in fighting shape, 54-year-old Tyson has also repeatedly posted videos showing he's still got knockout power too!

Mike Tyson says he was NOT inebriated, stoned or punch-drunk during his bizarre "Good Morning Britain" interview ... explaining Tuesday he was just REALLY tired!!

Tyson had joined Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid to promote his Nov. 28 boxing comeback vs. Roy Jones Jr. ... but once the interview kicked off, it was obvious something was just off.

Tyson slurred his words, looked away from the camera, and at one point, he even appeared to doze off.

The whole scene was very unusual ... and it had everyone wondering -- is Iron Mike okay???

Concerned viewers -- and even a 'GMB' host -- went to social media to express concern about Mike, hoping the boxer (who's struggled with substance abuse in the past) didn't relapse.

The good news ... Mike issued a statement moments ago saying he was simply exhausted -- nothing more.

"Hey mate [Piers Morgan] and UK. I tried to stay up late for interview but fell asleep," Tyson said ... "and like a lion I'm hard to wake once asleep."

Tyson continued, "Training hard and going to bed early. I had no monitor so I couldn't see you guys and forgot to look into camera."

Piers Morgan replied to Mike on Twitter -- saying, "No problem, Champ. We could see you were a bit weary! It was very late in LA. Appreciate this message as some viewers were concerned."

Ex-WWE champion Alberto Del Rio has been charged with 4 counts of sexual assault and 1 count of aggravated kidnapping stemming from a May incident with his ex-GF, officials announced.

Alberto -- real name Jose Rodriguez Chucuan -- was arrested in San Antonio, Texas in early May after his ex-GF told cops the pro wrestler went into a rage after accusing her of cheating on him.

If convicted, all 5 counts carry serious penalties. Felony aggravated assault carries a maximum sentence of 99 years in prison. The sexual assault charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. So, a conviction could put Del Rio away for a very long time.

The accuser -- who cops say only speaks Spanish -- claimed Del Rio smashed her cell phone, her laptop and attempted to burn her passport in an attack that started at around 10 PM on May 3 and lasted until around 2:30 PM on May 4.

The woman also claims Del Rio attacked her, causing multiple injuries and left her, "feeling woozy and dizzy from the hits to her head."

There's more ... the accuser also claims Del Rio choked her and at one point "shoved a sock into her mouth, to keep [her] quiet."

The woman says, "When the sock was in her mouth, she could not breathe."

During the incident, the woman claims Del Rio also sexually assaulted her with his penis and other body parts. The woman is adamant she did NOT consent to sexual activity with Del Rio.

The responding officer reported he saw "multiple bruises" on the accuser's face, arms, legs and neck.

43-year-old Del Rio is listed at 6'4", 240 pounds.

Conor McGregor says he's "accepted" a UFC offer to fight Dustin Poirier -- and now it's all about finalizing a date.

The Irishman tweeted out to Poirier Thursday -- saying, "Hello Dustin! I accepted the @UFC offer to fight you, but told them it must happen in 2020."

"I’m ready for Nov 21st, given that cards recent injury issues, as well as any of the December dates, the 12th and the 19th. I’ll also still donate the $500k to The Good Fight Foundation."

Our UFC sources tell us Conor was, in fact, offered the fight -- but it would be scheduled for January.

Obviously, Conor has made it clear he doesn't want to wait that long and he's trying to convince the UFC to fast-track it.

Look, the good news is there seems to be progress -- hopefully, everyone can come to an agreement soon.

Conor has been at the center of a LOT of drama lately -- from an alleged attempted sexual assault in Corsica (which he denies) to beefing with UFC boss Dana White.

McGregor also shaved off his trademark beard recently and has been training like a maniac.

Conor and Dustin have fought before -- they clashed at UFC 178 back in 2014 with McGregor getting the victory with a 1st-round knockout.

Poirier has long wanted a shot at redemption -- and now he could finally get that chance.