Boxing

"I don't know who's gonna get in there with him because I'm saying, he intimidating. He's a big guy, you already know he got big arms and stuff like that. He's got good range."

That's Evander Holyfield -- one of the greatest boxers of all-time -- speaking glowingly about 36-year-old, ex-NFL star Brandon Marshall's skills in the boxing ring.

Marshall -- a 6x Pro Bowler -- last played ball with the New Orleans Saints in 2018 ... and took up boxing last year.

BM -- who previously called out top heavyweights like Anthony Joshua -- went down to 58-year-old Holyfield's gym in Florida ... and the 2 men got in a boxing workout.

Obviously, Marshall's a helluva athlete ... but we've recently seen that being strong, or jumping high doesn't always translate to being able to throw hands (sorry, Nate).

But, The Real Deal says Marshall's the real deal in the ring.

"Brandon, ya know, he looks good balance-wise. We weren't really sparring but he got good balance and hey, he look like he could be a good fighter."

Holyfield even compared the 6'4", 230 lb. former football player to arguably the greatest knockout artist of this generation -- The Bronze Bomber.

"[Brandon] pretty much got the same reach as the heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder," Evander says.

If Jake Paul wants to run his mouth and call his older brother a "fake fighter" ... Logan has a simple solution -- "Let's box!!!"

Remember, Jake recently gave his thoughts to TMZ Sports about Logan's upcoming exhibition against Floyd Mayweather ... saying "It's bad for the sport. I think it's just for clout."

Logan is finally reacting to his lil' bro's comments ... and while he mostly takes the high road, he also makes it clear he'll put Jake in his place in the ring.

"I fully support Jake," Paul says. "Whatever drama he wants to stir or create, it really doesn’t bother me. Like, 'Oh, you’re a fake boxer.' Okay. Let’s box, because Jake is the kid that gets beat up by my sparring partners. That's that kid."

Logan admits Jake may have said the comments just to raise hell and get attention ... but either way, he's unaffected by the criticism he's received leading up to the fight against TBE -- even if it's coming from his own brother.

"I've become like rubber sheet metal, dude. In this fight, everyone’s saying a lot of things. And, for good reason. I’m fighting Floyd f**king Mayweather. So I’ve literally become immune to [everything], I’ve heard it all."

One of the biggest critics has been superstar Canelo Alvarez, who told us it was a "lack of respect" for pros to go up against YouTubers in the ring.

"I know y'all scared and sh*t, but let's just make the fight happen for the fans. Let's just do that. Don't overprice yourselves. If y'all believe y'all the best and y'all think that y'all can take this, then let's make the fight happen! Man, don't be p**** about it!"

That's 23-year-old boxing champ Teofimo Lopez throwing down the gauntlet to rivals Ryan Garcia, Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney ... 3 of the sport's youngest, most-talented stars.

TMZ Sports talked to the undefeated, lightweight champ about his next move ... as he plots his return just months after dethroning pound-for-pound king, Vasyl Lomachenko.

"Our goal is to shoot for three fights this year whether it's my mandatory [boxer George Kambosos], Garcia, Haney, Tank Davis, those guys at 135 lbs., that's where our goal is."

22-year-old Garcia (21-0, 18 KO's) beat Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell Saturday night ... and then demanded a fight with 26-year-old Davis (21-0, 20 KO's), telling us he'll knock out Tank inside 2 rounds.

Why isn't anyone calling out Lopez?? Teo says it's fear.

"It's because they're scared! It's really what it comes down to. They're scared."

Unbeaten Tank Davis, scared?

"Yeah, he is [scared]. He is. He's not scared of the opposition he's facing right now because it's light work. I mean he knocked out a 122 pounder [Leo Santa Cruz]. C'mon yo! I can do the same sh*t and I can do it better, in a better fashion," Teofimo says.

"But hey, I take my hat off to [Davis], he's doing his thing and I congratulate all of them. Haney, Garcia, Tank. But, when it comes to it man, I'm the king of the division. I'm the kingpin!"

"If you do not take this next fight from me, you will not be remembered. Your legacy will forever be tainted if you do not accept this fight."

Boxing superstar Ryan Garcia says he's trying like hell to make Gervonta Davis his next opponent ... telling TMZ Sports, "It's the most important fight to boxing right now."

Of course, Garcia -- fresh off a huge TKO win over Luke Campbell -- has wanted a piece of Tank for more than 2 years now ... but he tells us it's finally time for them to meet in the ring.

"I don't have time for celebrations," 21-0 Garcia tells us. "I'm on one mission. I'm on a mission to knock out Gervonta Davis in 2 rounds ... This man will go down. 2 rounds -- that's a promise!!"

Remember, 22-year-old Garcia has called out 26-year-old Tank every possible chance he gets -- see here, here, here and here -- and Davis has taken notice, threatening to "kill" him in the ring.

Now that both fighters have a clear schedule, Garcia says he wants to give the sport what it deserves ... comparing it to an Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury matchup.

"This is the fight. Joshua needs to fight Fury and I need to fight Gervonta. That's it! We need to get this on. I'm going for it! This is it!"

As for when it should go down, Garcia tosses around May or September ... but makes it clear he wants fans in person for the huge event.

MMA star Anthony Pettis says that he's 100 percent down to fight Jake Paul ... and he's willing to do it in the boxing ring -- a place where he has no experience.

But, Jake does -- he's 2-0 as a professional boxer.

TMZ Sports talked to the 33-year-old fighter before his unanimous decision UFC Fight Night win over Alex Morono in Vegas ... and Pettis was crystal clear -- he wants to box before he retires, and Jake Paul would make for a helluva opponent.

"Bro, I would love to box. I haven't boxed yet, so I'm 0-0. Boxing is something I grew up watching my whole life. That's why I got into fighting, honestly. Watching Chavez, De La Hoya, Mayweather, all these guys up and coming."

Of course, Paul knocked former NBA star Nate Robinson out cold over a month ago. There's been debate about how good JP actually is in the squared circle ... but Pettis believes Jake has skills.

"I think he's definitely getting better. He prepared for a boxing match. You could tell he was in boxing shape, he was in a stance at least. It's going to be interesting to see how far he can go with it."

Even if it's not against Jake Paul, Pettis -- a former UFC champ with wins over guys like "Cowboy" Cerrone and "Wonderboy" Thompson -- says he's gonna give boxing a shot before he retires from fighting.

"Man, I'm only 33, and I've been doing this MMA thing for so long. 12 years with Zuffa. So as a pro, I think I've been like 14 years. It's a crazy life I live. I'd love to go in there and try something new," Pettis tells us.

Bottom line ... "I definitely think before I retire boxing will be something I do."

Logan Paul's a "fake fighter" who has no business being in the ring with Floyd Mayweather ... so says his own brother, Jake, who tells TMZ Sports the dude is "f***ked" against the 50-0 boxer.

Of course, the YouTube superstar is set to face off against "The Best Ever" in a boxing exhibition on Feb. 20 ... a fight that has been met with mixed reactions.

Jake -- who's fresh off an insane KO of ex-NBA star Nate Robinson -- thinks Logan is pretty much doomed against Floyd ... and believes the fight is doing more harm than good for boxing.

"My brother's f***ed," Jake tells us. "It's bad for the sport. I think it's just for clout."

Paul is echoing what Canelo Alvarez recently told us ... saying he thought it was a "lack of respect" for pros to go up against YouTubers.

Jake goes on to say he's the "real fighter" in the family ... pointing out he's got a 3-0 record ... while Logan still hasn't racked up a win.

Jake Paul's putting the ol' "for sale" sign outside his Calabasas mansion -- he says he's fleeing all the distractions of L.A. so he can become a boxing champ.

The YouTube star and undefeated boxer announced Wednesday he's starting the next chapter of his life -- the biggest prizefighter in the world chapter -- and that means getting away from all the "madness" and parties.

As Jake put it, he's too attracted to all that "chaos" ... which explains some of the epic ragers at his soon-to-be listed crib.

In order to be the best athlete he can possibly be, Jake says he's gotta find somewhere more suitable to train ... pointing out he spent 4 months training in Las Vegas ahead of his knockout of Nate Robinson.

Remember ... Jake's pulling out all the stops, attempting to book a boxing match with Conor McGregor, so the dude better be serious about training.

He's been living in L.A. since he was 17, but says Cali living is no longer a good fit. As for where he's headed -- sources connected tell TMZ Sports, Jake's eyeing places in the Miami area. We're told he's down there now, and staying in a rental. No word if he's found a permanent crib yet.

Arguably, Miami's no better than L.A. when it comes to the party scene ... but it is warmer year-round.

We know this, and so does Jake ... his Calabasas neighbors will fully support his move. He says they were always pissed about his huge parties and wild YouTube shoots on the property.

As we reported ... Jake's after-party for the Nate fight pissed off the Mayor of Calabasas, and city officials were actively looking into ways to punish him.

Boxing star Devin Haney does NOT like the idea of Jake Paul fighting UFC champ Amanda Nunes ... telling TMZ Sports it's simple -- "Guys should fight guys."

Remember, UFC honcho Dana White previously told us he might let The Lioness whoop Paul's ass after the social media superstar offered Conor McGregor $50 MILLION to take a fight earlier this week.

Nunes -- the current bantamweight and featherweight champ -- responded to White's comments on Twitter ... saying, "I'm in!"

So, when we spoke with the WBC lightweight champ outside Dior in Beverly Hills ... we had to get his take on the potential battle of the sexes ... and Haney's not with it.

"I don't think he should fight a girl," Haney tells us. "I think he's still a man. He gotta fight a man."

Of course, Nunes is one of the greatest fighters in UFC history ... and Paul only has 2 "pro" fights under his belt against inexperienced opponents.

But, that doesn't mean anything to Haney.

"No, it's not fair. Girls should fight girls. Guys should fight guys."

Despite being new to the sport, Haney praises Paul's work ethic in the gym ... saying he's trained with the guy and knows he's taking it seriously.

"That's my boy, so I like that he's doing good ... I've been in the gym with him. He's showing that he's dedicated to the sport."

So ... what do y'all think??

Logan Paul is going NUCLEAR on Canelo Alvarez ... saying the champ has no room to call him "disrespectful" to boxing after testing positive for a banned substance.

LP is responding to Canelo's recent comments to TMZ Sports ... where the 30-year-old fighter said it's a "lack of respect" for pros to fight YouTubers like the Paul Bros -- claiming it's more about money than the love of the sport.

The social media superstar addressed Alvarez's comments on Monday ... and he didn't hold back.

“I think he’s the guy that got caught using steroids twice," Paul said on the Night Shift Gaming stream. "We want to talk about disrespecting boxing, talk about a guy who didn’t play by the rules."

Of course, Canelo was hit with a 6-month suspension after testing positive for Clenbuterol in 2018 ... which the fighter blamed on tainted meat.

Regardless of the explanation, Paul says it takes away Canelo's right to talk down on his own boxing endeavors.

"To say we’re disrespecting the sport, I feel disrespected especially as it’s coming from a guy who quite literally disrespected and spit on the ethics of the sport. Yeah, it upsets me."

Paul says Canelo's pissed that he has an upcoming fight with Floyd Mayweather ... when that's the only loss on the top pound-for-pound fighter's record.

"F**k you. Suck a d**k," Paul added. "I think he’s salty because I get a chance to beat Mayweather and he lost to him. That’s his one loss."

Logan -- who admits he idolizes Canelo and considers him one of the greatest fighters of all time -- defends his boxing pursuits ... saying he trains like a maniac and isn't half-assing anything.

Jake Paul says his $50 MILLION fight offer to Conor McGregor is "real as f*ck" -- and he's got the "proof of funds" email from the bank to prove it.

Paul says he's backed by bona fide commercial real estate billionaires -- and he's got an email from a Senior VP at Signature Bank in NY which shows the benefactors' money is legit and ready to be deployed.

The problem ... Jake says Conor has been radio silent since he made the fight offer.

"We're talking to his team," Paul said ... "[Conor] looked at my DM on Instagram. But, we're talking to his team."

Paul continued, "When we sent them the proof of funds they like put their tail between their ass … they’re like. 'This little crazy kid ain't playing.'"

Remember, Paul initially called out Conor after knocking out ex-NBA star Nate Robinson on the undercard of the Mike Tyson fight.

Since then, Jake's brother, Logan Paul, has secured an exhibition boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.

Canelo Alvarez is clearly NOT amused by Jake and Logan Paul -- saying their foray into boxing is all about money, not glory ... and it's disrespecting the sport.

Logan Paul is set to take on Floyd Mayweather -- the only man to have ever defeated Canelo -- in an exhibition match in February.

So, we asked Canelo how he felt about the event -- considering he's been calling for a rematch with Floyd for years.

Shocker, Canelo ain't thrilled about it ...

"Ya know, it’s all about the money," Canelo told us through a translator ... "I don’t think we would agree that people that are basketball players, that are YouTubers get licenses. Ya know, I don’t criticize [the Paul brothers]. This is a very risky sport, and if you go up there, it’s very risky."

With Logan's brother Jake calling out top fighters for a high-profile boxing match -- we asked Canelo if he would be down for a quick payday.

"No," Canelo said matter of factly ... "I truly believe that it’s a lack of respect. It’s all based on money. It’s all for money. I’m focused right now on other projects."

"I have other stuff going on, and I would invite him for a sparring session so that he truly knows what it’s all about."

When asked if he felt the Paul brothers were disrespecting the sport -- Canelo summed up his feelings this way: "For true fighters, I do believe it is a lack of respect."

Canelo has achieved both fortune and fame from boxing -- not only is he one of the highest paid athletes in the world, he's also shared the ring with top level opponents.

UFC rising star Khaos Williams wants to give his boss an early holiday gift -- by beating the dog snot out of Jake Paul.

Williams -- who won his first 2 fights in the UFC in a combined 57 seconds -- says he's seen Paul attack Dana White in the media ... and feels strongly that someone needs to check him, stat.

"Look, Dana ... I can handle you light work if you need me to and I won't let you down."

As we previously reported, Jake trashed Dana for refusing to allow Conor McGregor to fight the YouTube star. White told TMZ Sports Conor is wayyyyy too far out of Jake's league.

But Khaos, whose star is unquestionably on the rise, says he's all the way down for a scrap ... and guarantees a violent victory.

"Man, I box before anything. I'm in the gym with ex-WBC world champions, people that's going to the Olympic tryouts, undefeated boxers day in and day out. I do this for real!"

"I know for a fact, I will knock him out!"

But, Khaos has another opponent he's gotta focus on first -- he's taking on Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night in Vegas on Saturday in a matchup some say could be a candidate for fight of the year!

FYI, Pereira is known for dropping some unusual strikes during his fights -- but Khaos says he'll be ready.

"If he come in there doing backflips and all of that stuff, it's a wrap! I'm gonna catch him! All it takes is one shot. We gonna test that chin out!"

Jose Canseco is REALLY pissed at Logan Paul over the breakup with his daughter -- suggesting something scandalous went down behind-the-scenes.

The ex-MLB star isn't spilling all of the tea ... but says the split between Logan and supermodel Josie Canseco earlier this year "left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth."

Now, 56-year-old Jose wants to FIGHT the 25-year-old YouTube star to defend his family's honor.

... and yeah, Jose insists this is for real.

"I actually met him when my daughter and Logan came down to Vegas," Jose said this week to Sports Talk Chicago on AM 1530 WCKG.

"He seemed like a very nice young kid -- to me, seemed a bit on the arrogant side. But, then all of the sudden they broke up."

"I gotta give you the final details, they will come up .. but you know, it left me with a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth."

Once Jose floated the idea of boxing Logan on social media back in November, Logan replied, "No problem. I love smashing Cansecos."

Yeesh.

Now, Jose is calling for LP to back up his words ... saying he'll be waiting for him after his exhibition with Floyd Mayweather next month.

"Get ready, this is real. This is not a joke ... If I hit him, he's going down."

Jose also says he's not intimidated by Logan's age and boxing experience -- saying, "Even though I'm 56-years-old, I do have some martial arts and celebrity fighting experience."

Jose even references his 2009 fight against South Korean MMA star Hong-man Choi -- a 7'2" monster who beat down Jose in just over a minute when they squared off.

"After fighting a guy who's 7'2" and 400 pounds, these guys look like shrimps to me," Jose says.

As for his strategy, Jose says he will channel his inner Rocky Balboa ... using 3 words to finish Paul off -- "Blunt force trauma."

Jake Paul's after-party following his knockout of Nate Robinson had a beat-down of it's own ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The YouTube star and undefeated boxer is being sued by a man who claims he got the crap beaten out of him at Jake's post-fight bash. According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Gabriel Dos Santos claims Jake's crew beat the snot out of him while kicking people out of the party.

In the suit, filed by attorney Simon P. Etehad, Dos Santos claims Jake's crew repeatedly kicked and punched him in the face, body, arms and legs ... and he claims the violent attack left him bruised and battered.

According to the docs, Dos Santos claims he suffered a fractured cheek, dislocated shoulder, cuts to his face and bruises to his forehead and eyes.

Jake's not being accused of throwing any punches, but Dos Santos claims Jake's still on the hook for negligently hiring and supervising of the guys who allegedly beat him up.

"Conor, you're scared. Dana, you're scared. Sign the f**king contract, you idiots."

Jake Paul is pulling out all the stops to book a boxing match with Conor McGregor ... going nuclear on the UFC superstar and Dana White in a wild video on Monday.

Oh, and get this -- the YouTube superstar says his team has offered Conor $50 MILLION to make the fight happen!!

"My team sent you a $50 million dollar offer this morning -- 50 million dollars cash, proof of funds, the biggest fight offer you've ever been offered," Paul says while sitting in his $350,000 Lamborghini.

"But, you're scared to fight me, Conor!! You're ducking me because you don't wanna lose to a f**king YouTuber. You're 0-1 as a boxer. I'm 2-0 as a boxer."

Jake seems to be channeling his inner Notorious throughout the video ... smoking a cigar and holding a glass of whiskey with an Irish flag draped over his shoulders.

While the $50 million number sounds crazy, Paul posted parts of the contract sent to Conor's camp, which says, "Jake Paul has acquired backing for this event who is willing to guarantee a purse of Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000.00) for Conor McGregor to participate in this event."

Jake backs up his talk ... pointing out how big of a success his fight with ex-NBA star Nate Robinson was on the Mike Tyson and Roy Jones, Jr. card.

"I just came off the 8th biggest Pay-Per-View event in history but you wanna fight Dustin (Poirier), who has less followers on Instagram than my f**king dog -- that's a fact."

Remember, Jake recently told TMZ Sports he was in talks with McGregor's camp after knocking out Robinson last month ... but Dana told us there was "zero chance" it would happen.

Clearly, Jake got wind of our interview with the UFC honcho.

"Dana White, you're a f**king p***y, too, you ugly f**king bald bitch! You said there's 0% chance this fight happening, but there's 0% chance of you getting some f**king p***y."

We're reaching out to Dana for comment -- stay tuned.