Boxing

Don't let the age difference fool ya -- Manny Pacquiao tells TMZ Sports he's feeling great before going up against Errol Spence next month ... and he's showing us just how shredded he is!!!

Of course, 42-year-old "PacMan" is still one of the best boxers in the world ... and he's out to prove he's not slowing down anytime soon when he takes the ring against the 31-year-old champ on August 21.

We caught up with Pacquiao during a workout sesh in L.A. on Friday ... giving a large crowd a show by putting his quick hands on display and getting in a bit of stretching.

Pac even gave us some 1-on-1 time as well ... opening up on all his preparations for the big fight.

"I'm still good, I'm doing fine," Pacquiao tells us while sipping on his NXT LVL Hydrogen water. "Ready for a fight."

Naturally, with Pac being in his 40s and still crushing it, we had to ask who would retire first -- Pacquiao or his good friend Tom Brady ... and his answer is awesome!!!

Tyson Fury has COVID-19 and his super fight with Deontay Wilder will almost certainly be postponed ... so says boxing insider Teddy Atlas.

Fury and Wilder are scheduled to fight July 24 ... their 3rd fight. The 1st was a draw ... and Fury KO'd Deontay in their 2nd bout in February 2020.

But, earlier today, rumors were swirling that someone in Fury's camp contracted the virus ... but it was unclear if that was accurate -- and if Tyson had the virus.

But, when Atlas joined the Wise Kracks Podcast with Bill Krackomberger and Jon Orlando ... he dropped some bombshell info.

“It looks like Fury actually has COVID. He had 1 shot. He didn't get both shots, both vaccines. And, it looks like he has the COVID,” Atlas says.

So, if Fury has COVID ... it seems all but a sure thing the trilogy fight will be postponed. There are rumors the trilogy fight could be moved to September ... but Teddy says he doesn't know if that's enough time.

“They're talking about pushing it back to September. I don't know if that's enough time.”

On Thursday, a Top Rank spokesperson -- Fury's promoter -- gave us the following statement.

“We continue to monitor the health status of Tyson and his team and the status of the event has not changed to date.”

Story developing ...

"I couldn’t care about them 2 dingbats."

Conor McGregor is days away from one of the biggest fights of his career, but the UFC superstar's still getting grilled about Jake and Logan Paul ... saying he has no intention of ever fighting the YouTubers-turned-boxers.

... but he's not counting it out for good!!!

"The Notorious" -- who's seeking revenge against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 on Saturday -- was asked if he'd ever step in the ring with the two bros this week ... and his answer is very interesting.

"I don’t see so, but never say never," Conor said. "If they’re gonna keep competing and what not, who f***in' knows? But dingbats, the 2 of 'em."

In other words -- SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE!!!!

Remember, Jake has incessantly gone after McGregor for months ... offering $50 million to make the fight happen, even releasing a wild video claiming the superstar and Dana White are scared to set it up.

Conor -- who loves making money -- has kept his options open about fighting Jake in the past ... and you'd think there's gotta be a reason for that.

"I most definitely can knock Logan Paul out, without a doubt."

That's "Suga" Rashad Evans throwing down the gauntlet ... challenging 26-year-old YouTube star turned pugilist Logan Paul to a BOXING match.

41-year-old Evans -- inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019 -- hasn't fought since taking an L to Anthony Smith at UFC 225 in June 2018.

But, in case you forgot ... Suga's beat Rampage Jackson, Chael Sonnen (still undefeated), Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping and Tito Ortiz -- just to name a few.

Back to Logan ... rumors have been swirling that a fight between LP and Evans could be in the works -- and Rashad says he's 100% down to scrap.

"I don't know what [Logan's] looking for, for his next match. But, I'm gonna tell you right now what he needs. What he needs is a taste of 'Suga.'"

Of course, Paul is only a few weeks removed from his exhibition fight with 44-year-old Floyd Mayweather ... a bout that went the full 8 rounds.

Mayweather wasn't able to drop Logan -- who was about 50 lbs. heavier than Floyd -- something Evans says will NOT be the case if they fight.

Riddick Bowe is back!!

We're told the 53-year-old former 2x heavyweight champion has inked a deal with Celebrity Boxing to fight October 23 in Miami.

Bowe -- who last fought to a unanimous decision victory in December 2008 -- does not yet have an opponent.

Back in his day, Riddick was one of the BADDEST dudes in the world. His pro record stands at 43-1 (33 KO's) ... with 1 of those big wins coming at the expense of the legendary Evander Holyfield.

Bowe is just the latest 50-something former champ to re-lace up the gloves.

Late last year, Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. fought an exhibition match that ended in a draw.

Speaking of 55-year-old Iron Mike ... we're told Bowe actually has interest in fighting Tyson.

It's a fight boxing fans badly wanted back in the day, but the stars never aligned for Mike and Riddick.

"I never boxed. I'm a gang member, so I just fight a lot."

That's hip-hop star turned bare-knuckle boxer (yes, you read that right) talking about why he decided to take a real-deal fight -- NO gloves -- later this summer.

Blueface joined "TMZ Live" and made the blockbuster announcement ... revealing he will make his BKFC debut on July 23.

FYI, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is the most popular bare-knuckle fighting org ... with people like Paige VanZant and Paulie Malignaggi mixing it up in their cage.

It's unclear who Blueface will take on ... but he says it'll likely be another celeb.

"I'm pretty sure it's either gonna be some type of YouTube or TikTok-er or something of that nature," Blueface says.

And, even though the "Thotiana" star doesn't have a traditional boxing background ... don't think he isn't taking the fight seriously.

"I've only been eating grilled and baked stuff lately. Yeah, I'm on a diet and everything. I ain't been smoking, drinking, nothing."

Of course, celebrities and social media stars fighting (Jake & Logan Paul, Bryce Hall, etc.) has become all the rage lately ... something Blueface believes he helped start.

"I don't know if you guys seen but me and YK Osiris was actually boxing in the backyard for fun, kicks and giggles, and that's really how all of this celebrity boxing came about, in my opinion."

Boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. wasn't amused watching his son LOSE to Anderson Silva this weekend ... and he's now calling for JCC Jr. to hang up his gloves for good.

35-year-old Julio Jr. -- who's 52-6-1 a pro boxer -- lost to the MMA star on Saturday by split decision, despite the fact 46-year-old Silva hasn't had a pro boxing match in more than 15 years.

Not only did Julio miss weight for the fight, but he looked completely outclassed and out skilled -- shocking considering Julio was the WBC middleweight champ back in 2011.

Julio even went the distance with Canelo Alvarez in 2017.

Speaking of Canelo, his younger brother, Ramon Alvarez, defeated Julio Jr.'s younger brother, Omar Chavez, on the same card on Saturday.

Now, Julio and Omar's legendary dad -- Julio Sr. -- is calling for both of his sons to retire.

"I prefer that they retire if they are not going to prepare correctly," Chavez Sr. said according to BoxingScene.com ... "They do not prepare in the best way possible to fight."

Jake Paul says he's deadly serious about becoming a champion boxer -- and believes he's destined for a showdown with Canelo Alvarez.

Now, don't expect that to happen in the next few months ... Jake knows he's got serious work to do before he's ready to try and step in the ring with the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

But, Paul says he's taking the sport seriously, training hard -- and believes he's on a trajectory to be "the most disruptive boxer in the history of the sport."

Of course, before he fights Canelo ... Paul needs to get through former UFC champ Tyron Woodley when they throw down on August 28.

Jake tells TMZ Sports ... he would like to add another MMA legend to the fight card that night -- Anderson Silva.

Paul says he was incredibly impressed with the 46-year-old's performance against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. ... and would love to see him face off against Roy Jones Jr.

We're told Paul's camp has reached out to both fighters in the hopes of getting them to agree to fight on his undercard. We'll see what happens there.

And, get this ... we're told if those guys agree to a fight, Paul would considering fighting the winner at a future event.

Jake has taken the combat sports world by storm -- he's 3-0 as a pro with knockout victories over MMA star Ben Askren and ex-NBA star Nate Robinson.

Jake says the plan is to continue to take on "more serious opponents" and earn respect as a legitimate boxer. A victory over a respected fighter like Woodley would be huge for him.

As for Canelo, he just broke his last opponent's face -- and possibly ended the guy's career.

So, yeah ... he's not one to be taken lightly.

Anderson Silva is taking his talents to the boxing ring ... and the ex-UFC champ says after his fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this weekend -- he's totally open to fighting the Paul bros!!

TMZ Sports talked to the 46-year-old MMA G.O.A.T. just days before he fights former middleweight champion, 35-year-old Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in the squared circle.

FYI, Chavez Jr. -- the son of legendary Mexican fighter, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. -- has a professional boxing record of 52-5-1 with 1 no contest. He's shared the ring with Canelo Alvarez and Danny Jacobs.

But, if you thought this was a 1-and-done event, you're wrong ... 'cause Spider says he's down to take on all comers -- INCLUDING the Paul bros.

"In the future, everything's possible. The Paul brothers, I respect both. There are good boys," Silva says.

Of course, there are fight game purists who hate the idea of a legit legend like Anderson fighting a YouTuber ... but Silva says things have changed.

"Everything's changing in the world. People like to see the big shows, entertaining shows."

Bryce Hall's fighting days ain't over -- at least not yet -- the social media star tells us "of course" he'll be back in the ring soon.

But, the bigger question is ... who's he gonna fight?

The 21-year-old superstar -- coming off a loss to Austin McBroom -- was all smiles as he hit Boa Steakhouse on Sunset Blvd. on Thursday night ... a wild scene with fans, paparazzi and his own personal rapper?!!

Yep, some dude was freestyling for Bryce right in front of the restaurant ... spitting bars about the fight (maybe not the best idea, considering he lost).

As for Bryce's fighting future, he recently told Drama Alert’s Keemstar he plans on continuing his training ... but wouldn't confirm his next opponent.

There's talk he could face KSI's younger bro, Deji -- but Austin said they're actually friends and he doesn't want to punch someone he actually likes.

"I couldn’t just fight somebody if I don't have beef with them," Hall told Keemstar.

Vitor Belfort says he isn't only fighting ONE Hall of Famer in Oscar De La Hoya ... the combat sports star tells TMZ Sports he has also signed a deal to box Evander Holyfield later this year!!

We talked to the 44-year-old former UFC champ after Belfort was announced as 48-year-old De La Hoya's opponent in his boxing comeback (ODLH hasn't fought since losing to Manny Pacquiao in 2008).

Belfort -- who has a tremendous amount of respect for Oscar's career accomplishments -- tells us his September 11 fight on Triller will literally be one of the hottest fights of all time.

"I believe this fight with me and Oscar, this is the biggest fight ever."

So, why does Belfort believe it'll be such a big deal? He says he and Oscar paved the way for some of today's biggest stars.

"Oscar is legendary. Gold medals, one of the best pound-for-pound ever to live in the game. He revolutionary sport. If it wasn't for Oscar, would not be [Floyd] Mayweather."

Vitor continued ... "If it wasn't for Vitor Belfort, would not exist a Conor McGregor."

If you think VB is just messing around ... he isn't. Vitor doubled down ... saying his bout with De La Hoya will rival one of the most significant sporting events ever -- The Rumble in the Jungle.

"This fight will sell like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman."

Of course, Ali knocked out Big George in the 8th round of their historic 1974 boxing match.

And, get this, Vitor claims the bout with ODLH isn't a one-off ... 'cause he says he has a signed contract to box 58-year-old Evander Holyfield.

It's finally happening -- Oscar De La Hoya is making his highly anticipated return to the boxing ring in September ... and he's going up against MMA star Vitor Belfort in an exhibition match!!

Of course, 48-year-old ODLH announced his return back in March ... saying he was ready to take a fight on July 3.

The date was pushed back a few months as Oscar searched for an opponent ... and now he's finally got one -- the 44-year-old former UFC champion!!

We all know what Oscar can do in the ring -- he won belts in six divisions and was one of the biggest superstars in the sport before retiring in 2008.

Belfort on the other hand, has one boxing match under his belt -- a quick TKO over Josemario Neves in 2006.

The Triller event is set to go down on September 11 with Las Vegas as the target location. The venue and undercard are set to be announced at a later date, according to reports.

Oscar's been teasing a comeback for years -- he even said he wanted to fight UFC honcho Dana White at one point -- training nonstop to get back in fighting shape.

Brandon Moreno is the 1st Mexico-born UFC champ ... and the newly crowned flyweight king just received a heartfelt message from Mexico's arguably greatest athlete ever -- and it's impossible for this to not make you feel good.

TMZ Sports recently talked to 58-year-old Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. (he's fighting this weekend) ... and we asked the former boxing superstar if he had a message for Moreno following his historic victory.

We played the message for the 27-year-old, Assassin Baby ... and it was awesome.

Chavez's message ... "A lot of blessings, and remember that the difficult part is not to get where he is at, but to endure. That’s the tough part. Blessings and God bless."

Moreno's reaction ... "Man, that is crazy. That definitely crazy, you know? He’s an example for me. Actually, it’s not just for me, I think for every single Mexican, for the fans of boxing, for the fans of combat sports around the world."

Brandon continued ... "Julio Cesar Chavez is a legend. A living legend in Mexico and that makes the message for me so special, and I’m very grateful to hear that."

We also talked to Brandon about who he wants next ... and whether a trilogy fight with Deiveson Figueiredo -- who BM submitted in the 3rd round at UFC 263 -- could be in the works.

"[Deiveson's] always a possibility, you know? He’s the former champ, he looks impressive in his last performance, but I don’t know, man," Moreno says.

"I don’t know what to think, but to be honest I think the fight was very dominant by myself."

1/2 of the most bizarre sports moment of the day is giving his side of the whole ordeal ... with Tyson Fury telling TMZ Sports Deontay Wilder was straight-up SHOOK during their 6-minute long faceoff on Tuesday.

The 2 boxing superstars just had their press conference in Los Angeles ahead of their July 24 bout ... and while the whole thing was pretty bonkers, the wildest moment had to be their insane faceoff.

There were barely any words exchanged, but the 2 men refused to look away from each other ... even when event organizers tried to get them to turn towards the camera.

Finally, Wilder -- who never took his headphones off or spoke a word throughout the entire event -- threw on his shades and bolted from the stage, leaving Fury all alone.

We spoke with the Gypsy King shortly after the lengthy faceoff ... and he tells us he was living rent-free in Wilder's head.

"Good faceoff and I felt like he was nervous and intense," Fury tells us. "He needed rescuing and he did get rescued. His coach coming in pulled him away just at the right time."

Of course, Fury won by 7th round TKO in February 2020 ... with their first fight ending in a split draw.

Since Deontay didn't hear anything during the presser, we asked Fury if he had a message for him ...  just in case the Bronze Bomber is watching.

"Train hard, Deontay, 'cause I'm gonna beat you down like I did last time!"

Noooooo!!!!!

Boxing superstar Teofimo Lopez -- one of the best fighters in the world -- has tested positive for COVID, forcing promoters to postpone this weekend's championship fight.

The undefeated 23-year-old -- the unified lightweight world champ -- was supposed to take on George Kambosos in Miami on June 19.

But, Lopez tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday morning -- and to make things worse, he's symptomatic.

As a result, the fight -- along with the entire card -- is being pushed to August 14 to allow Lopez to recover.

The event -- part of the Triller Fight Club series -- was set to feature some sick musical performances during the event ... headlined by Meek Mill.

Myke Towers and Reggaeton star Lunay were also booked to perform as part of the Triller Live Concert Series.

As for the entertainment portion of the evening, no word on that -- we're working on details.

Teofimo Lopez is 16-0 -- and coming off an incredible victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko, who (at the time) was considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.

28-year-old George Kambosos Jr. is also undefeated (19-0) -- and believes a victory over Lopez would rocket him into boxing superstardom.

He's not wrong!

Austin McBroom was true to his name ... he cleaned the floor with Bryce Hall Saturday night, but it's unclear if the loser will have to ante up a million bucks.

The event -- YouTubers vs. TikTokers -- is further proof these social media boxing matches are becoming the most popular events in combat sports ... like it or not.

Austin dominated the fight from the get-go ... pummeling the TikToker from one end of the ring to the other. Bryce was beaten to a pulp in round 3 ... at one point the ref stopped the action with an 8 count to see if Bryce could continue, and he did ... for about 10 more seconds before a fierce combination to the body was enough for the ref, who stopped the fight.

So, this was a TKO, not a knockout, and therein lies the problem. The deal was that the loser would pay the winner $1 mil if he got knocked out. TECHNICALLY, Bryce did not, so the money thing is unclear.

Bryce says he pocketed $5 mil for the fight ... unclear what Austin got, but we're assuming it's in that vicinity.

The night was super entertaining ... Check out how TikToker Vinnie Hacker celebrated after his knockout win against Deji.

Most people thought this would be just a social media event with crappy boxing, but the action was actually good and it was really entertaining.