Boxing

Tyron Woodley isn't only prepared to pay off his tattoo bet with Jake Paul ... he says he actively attempted to get it the night of the fight, waiting in the hotel until the early morning hours, but the tattoo artist never showed up.

TMZ Sports talked to the 39-year-old Woodley ... and the future UFC HOF'er called cap on Paul, who recently said the rematch was off after Tyron refused to uphold his side of their wager and get some "I Love Jake Paul" ink.

"I wasn't willing, I was waiting," Woodley explained, adding ... "We was in the basement of the hotel waiting, no food, up late, looking stupid. Nah, it was not willing, it was waiting. I was waiting on him to follow through with they end of the deal."

FYI, Jake's tattoo artist, Tatu Baby, previously told us she'd be on hand at the fight, ready to ink up the loser.

But, Tyron says she never showed ... so there was nothing he could do.

For what it's worth Tatu Baby told us late Tuesday night she stayed for an hour after the fight to do the tattoo, but left when she believed neither fighter was down to get ink.

Despite all the confusion, The Chosen One is still down to get the tat ... and even told us he'd do it live on Instagram -- with Jake on the stream.

As for the location on Tyron's body, the fighter says he's reserved a bit of real estate on his hand for the new artwork.

"I should get it on my knuckles so when I punch him in the face, he'll see how much I love Jake Paul. I'm gonna put these knuckles all across his little temple and that big ass jawline."

There's more ... T-Wood says he's down to fight Logan, too, but not until he rematches his younger bro.

"Logan, you can get it, too! They both could to be honest but I gotta beat Jake up first because that's just something, I just hate that he can walk around and say he beat me in anything."

Vitor Belfort says he's about to be $30 MILLION richer ... that is, if Jake Paul has the guts to step in the boxing ring, telling TMZ Sports The Problem Child's a coward if he doesn't accept the fight.

"I'd like to teach that boy a lesson. Your parents give you behaviors and all that, so he's gonna meet his big daddy," 44-year-old Belfort says.

"And, if he likes money, we got big money. There's no excuse to run away from this fight. So, he has to take it, and if you don't take it, he's gonna show he's a coward and he's looking for easy fights."

Shots fired.

Paul's 4-0 professionally -- with wins over Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren -- but Belfort has zero doubt he'd knock out the YouTuber-turned-boxing star, saying ... "I'm gonna knock [Jake] out. There's no doubt about it."

Of course, Belfort called out 24-year-old Paul in the ring following his 1st round KO of Evander Holyfield ... with Triller's Ryan Kavanaugh pledging $30 million to the winner of the potential scrap.

$30 mil is A LOT of money, but what's unclear ... after signing a deal with Showtime Boxing, could Jake take the fight, even if he wanted to?

"I think it's worth it. $30 million to get your a** whooped by a legend like myself," Belfort says.

If not Jake, Vitor told us he's also interested in Canelo Alvarez (there's a $40 mil offer on the table from Triller), Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, Lennox Lewis and even Tyson Fury.

As for Paul, he recently called out Jorge Masvidal ... but with Gambred under contract with the UFC, it's highly unlikely Dana White would sign off on the fight.

Justin Bieber used his VMA acceptance speech to give a huge shoutout to his buddy, Conor McGregor ... saying the UFC superstar will be back better than ever after his devastating leg injury.

33-year-old Conor was at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards to present the "Artist of the Year" award Sunday night ... rocking a bright, pink suit, his walking cane and a massive smile.

While McGregor got into an intense scuffle with Machine Gun Kelly before his appearance, he was all calmed down once it was time for him to announce the category's big winner.

"New York is back and so is the Mac," Conor said. "2022 will be our greatest year yet."

And when it was time to reveal the winner ... McGregor couldn't be happier.

Of course, Conor and Bieber have gotten pretty close recently -- from catching rays poolside to being guests at each other's concerts and fights -- so it was only right The Notorious was able to share the awesome moment with the "Peaches" singer.

Bieber name-dropped his wife, Hailey, and rapper Travis Scott after grabbing the Moonperson ... and then guaranteed Conor will make a big comeback after snapping his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.

"Conor, we're gonna get 'em next time, my boy," Bieber said. "Let's go."

Boxing legend Shane Mosley wagered $1,000,000 on himself, betting he'd BEAT Canelo Alvarez in 2012 ... but unfortunately for Sugar, he not only lost the fight, he netted a NEGATIVE $400K in the process!!

The 50-year-old, former multiple-weight class world champion sat down with Mario Lopez for Triller's "OK Bet" show ... and made the stunning admission.

"They were gonna pay me $600,000 [for the Alvarez fight], but I made a bet for a million dollars that I was gonna beat Canelo, and if I would've won I’d have $6 million," Shane recounts.

"I was thinking this snot nose kid is not gonna beat me, you know at 154 (lbs)."

Sadly for Shane's bank account, he was wrong ... and instead of making millions like he would've with a win, he actually LOST hundreds of thousands of George Washington's after paying off his debt.

"I bet a million dollars and I lost so I ended up having to pay back 400,000 dollars. For getting my butt kicked I had to pay $400,000."

If you don't remember the May 2012 fight ... then-40-year-old Mosley took on a 21-year-old Canelo at the MGM in Las Vegas.

Alvarez was 40-0-1 at the time ... and held the lightweight title. But, Mosley, who'd won just 2 of his last 6 fights, and was nearing the end of his great career, believed he still had enough left in the tank to get the W.

After 12 rounds, Mosley ended up losing a 1-sided decision to the future top pound-for-pound fighter in the world ... with 2 judges scoring the bout 119-109, and the other, 118-110.

Shane retired 5 fights later in 2016. Since, the legendary pugilist has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Donald Trump thinks he'd knockout Joe Biden EASILY in a boxing match ... saying the current POTUS wouldn't stand a chance.

#45 faced the media at the Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort presser before his big commentary gig for Saturday's event ... when he was asked who he'd want to face off against in the ring for a hypothetical fight.

"If you said if I had to box somebody, I think probably my easiest fight would be Joe Biden," Trump said. "Because I think he'd go down very, very quickly. Very, very quickly."

Of course, Trump ain't shy about his hate for Biden ... often referring to #46 as "Sleepy Joe."

DT's refused to accept the fact Biden beat him fair and square in the voting booths during the 2020 presidential election ... so it's no surprise he'd want to duke it out in the ring.

As we previously reported, The Donald is getting paid MILLIONS to call one of three broadcast options for the Triller fight on Saturday alongside his son, Don Jr.

Part of his duties included being the "honored guest" during the bout's final press conference at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort on Thursday ... but only Trump Jr. was actually present.

DTJ said the gig is a natural fit for the Trumps -- they grew up loving combat sports and would probably end up calling the fight to themselves if it weren't for the opportunity.

Trump will be joined by UFC's Jorge Masvidal and Todd Grisham in the broadcast booth on Saturday ... but if you aren't interested in that, there's always the main broadcast with 50 Cent.

As for a fight between Trump and Biden?? Don't hold your breath -- both guys are in their 70s ... among other obvious reasons.

But hey, we can dream.

There will be NO lack of star power in the announcer's booths at the Holyfield vs. Belfort fight Saturday night, 'cause TMZ Sports has learned 50 Cent will be joining Triller's coverage of the big event.

But, before you start dreaming about Fiddy sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Donald Trump ... the hip-hop star and former POTUS will be on a different broadcast.

Sources tell us 50 will be filling Snoop Dogg's usual role doing color commentary ... which in previous fights has been nothing short of hilarious.

Of course, 50 -- a huge boxing fan -- is also known for his antics ... so the entertainment on the main broadcast should be top-notch.

Even though Trump won't have 50 by his side ... DT won't be alone. UFC star Jorge Masvidal WILL be in the booth with Don Jr., providing analysis.

It makes sense ... the former prez and Jorge go back. Masvidal even hit the campaign trail for Trump in Florida during the lead up to the election.

They were last seen together publicly, where they embraced, backstage at the Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier fight in July.

In addition to DT, DT Jr., and Gamebred ... longtime play-by-play man, Todd Grisham will handle a lot of the heavy lifting in the booth (think Jon Anik).

Good news ... Oscar De La Hoya was released from the hospital after a bad bout with COVID-19, the boxing legend announced on Wednesday.

"Hey guys, I am out of the hospital. I was in there for 3 days. COVID hit me really hard," ODLH said via social media, adding, "I was in the best shape of my life and I really can't wait to get back in the ring."

Of course, Oscar was scheduled to fight Vitor Belfort on September 11 ... but was forced out of the event when he contracted the virus.

It wasn't just a matter of Oscar being positive ... he was hit hard by the virus, forcing him to go to the hospital on Friday.

Oscar managed to film a video the same day from his hospital bed ... and it was clear he was in bad shape.

However, the Hall of Famer bounced back quick ... and is clearly on the med.

Unfortunately, De La Hoya's still out of his Saturday night fight with Belfort ... and fellow legend, Evander Holyfield has stepped in to fight the MMA legend.

If that wasn't enough ... former President Donald Trump -- who doesn't see eye-to-eye with ODLH -- will be doing commentary for the fight.

Bottom line, despite the setback, Oscar made it clear he still intends to return to the ring after a decade-plus layoff ... and he closed out his health update with a big shout-out to his millions of fans.

George Foreman sounds like he was really looking forward to Michael K. Williams acting in his biopic ... telling us the late actor could've carried the entire movie.

The boxing legend tells TMZ ... Michael was the perfect fit to play his trainer and mentor Doc Broadus in his upcoming biopic, and not just because he looked the part.

George tells us he liked the fact Michael could also relate to boxers. George also says once he saw a picture of MKW in a suit, he knew he was going to be the one to anchor the biopic.

As we reported ... Michael was found dead Monday in his Brooklyn apartment, a little over a week after being cast in the Foreman biopic.

George says he didn't have a hand in Michael's original casting and says it's going to be up to producers to fill the role ... but he says he'll be mourning Michael for a few days before thinking about who can play Doc.

Terrell Owens is ready to get into the celeb boxing game ... saying he wants a fight with Donovan McNabb -- and he's promising he'll knock his former QB out if it all goes down!!

T.O. joined Shannon Sharpe on the "Club Shay Shay" podcast this week and made the call-out ... making it clear time has NOT healed his feud with McNabb one bit.

"Shannon, I'll knock him out," Owens said ... "It'll be controlled anger. I'll be like a Navy SEAL. I'll be a Navy SEAL. 'Cause they're cool, calm under all conditions."

"But, there would be a fire burning inside of me."

Owens says the idea for the potential fight originated during a conversation with fans while he was ringside at Chad Ochocinco's boxing match on the undercard of the Logan Paul vs. Floyd Mayweather event in June.

"I had people asking me, 'T.O., you next? You next?!'" Owens said. "And, then I had one guy that was like, 'Yo. If you had to fight, who would you want to fight?'"

"I said, Donovan McNabb."

As for how violent the match would get ... Owens made it clear he would hold NOTHING back.

"I'd knock Chunky Soup from him," T.O. said. "From 2004! Trust me. All the heartache and all the stuff that I went through -- me trying to be the nice guy!"

Owens and McNabb have famously feuded for years ... with T.O. having previously said the beef between the two began while they were teammates with the Philadelphia Eagles.

In fact, T.O. has thrown shade McNabb's way nearly every chance he's had over the past few years ... even clowning Donovan's Hall of Fame candidacy to TMZ Sports in 2019.

46-year-old Anderson Silva says he's got about 4 years of fighting left in him ... telling TMZ Sports his plan is to hang up the gloves before his 50th birthday.

Oh, and he's down to box Jake Paul!

Let's start with the YouTube star turned 4-0 boxer who just beat Tyron Woodley ... who's long been rumored as a possible opponent for the UFC legend.

"Everything is possible. Jake Paul and Logan are doing a lot of good work in this new entertaining show. We'll see. Everything is possible. I respect both. [Jake] is doing good, working hard. So, we'll see, maybe this is possible too."

Silva -- who's boxing Tito Ortiz on September 11 on Triller -- is only a few months removed from defeating 35-year-old former champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in the ring.

We also asked Spider about retirement ... and while it's clear the end isn't exactly imminent, it's definitely in sight.

"My goal is my last fight is 49 [years old]. 49, I'm done. Probably, I'm done. That is my goal. Fight 3 more years and done. 49. That's the number. Maybe I can fight more, but right now my goal is when I turn 49, I stop fighting."

Bottom line, Silva says he feels great and loves fighting, has more fights in him ... and one of those fights just might be against Jake Paul.

Tommy Fury is sick of Jake Paul using his name for cred in the boxing world ... he's ready to take on the YouTube star, and says he'll make short work of it.

Tommy was leaving L.A. Friday for his home back in the UK ... and made it clear to our photog he was annoyed his name was used by Jake to promote his fight against Tyron Woodley.

Jake's not even a real boxer -- so says Tommy -- because he's only fighting MMA opponents. BTW ... Tommy honed in on Woodley's punch that sent Jake into the ropes.

Tommy makes it clear ... Jake's never gonna be a real competitor -- at least against him -- so might as well get it over with now.  Fury knows the fight would draw a huge audience, and that means $$$$$$$$$$$$$. And, that's why Tommy calls it a "win-win."

As for predictions ... lights out within 3 minutes.

There's no doubt Jake would accept the challenge. It could draw a record-breaking audience on Pay-Per-View, although it's a little weird for someone like Tommy -- who's on track in the world of boxing -- to actually get in the ring with the likes of Paul.

Oscar De La Hoya has tested positive for COVID-19 and is out of his comeback fight with Vitor Belfort, TMZ Sports has learned.

58-year-old Evander Holyfield has agreed to step in and box Belfort on September 11 on Triller, our sources tell us.

The one remaining hurdle is getting Holyfield-Belfort approved by the California State Athletic Commission.

If the commission does not sanction the match, we’re told the entire event will still go down ... but it’ll be moved to Florida.

The fight was supposed to be ODLH’s return to the ring after more than a decade ... after losing his last fight to Manny Pacquiao in 2008.

De La Hoya dedicated himself to getting back in peak physical condition in preparation for the fight over the last few months ... and looked to be in great shape, recently showing us his 6-pack as he left dinner in L.A.

As for Holyfield, The Real Deal -- one of the greatest fighters in boxing history -- last fought in 2011 ... but has recently talked about his desire to make a comeback to the ring.

Belfort -- an MMA legend -- has been more active over the last few years ... last fighting in the UFC in 2018.

The Anderson Silva vs Tito Ortiz fight is still a go.

Bottom line ... Oscar’s out, and Evander Holyfield and Vitor Belfort are fighting -- either in Cali or Florida.

No, Tyron Woodley did NOT get screwed over by the judges on Sunday ... so says Mike Tyson, who tells TMZ Sports Jake Paul was the clear winner of the epic boxing match.

The split decision in favor of the YouTube superstar was met with serious backlash on social media ... with folks from Claressa Shields to Ben Askren to Tyron himself saying he should have had his hand raised after 8 rounds.

So, in order to settle the debate once and for all, we caught up with Iron Mike at the Four Seasons in New York and asked for his take ... and there's no doubt in his mind who won.

"Jake Paul won," Tyson told us ... adding, "I love Jake Paul. Tyron Woodley did his best."

Now, Woodley wants to get a rematch with Paul to prove he can really whoop his ass ... but Jake may not let it happen if Tyron doesn't agree to get the "I Love Jake Paul" tat.

Canelo Alvarez was asked point-blank whether he'd fight Jake Paul ... and he DIDN'T say no.

31-year-old Alvarez was leaving Beauty & Essex in L.A. ... when a photog asked the world's top pound-for-pound pugilist about boxing the 4-0 fighter.

Here's how the conversation went ... translated from Spanish to English.

Photog: "What do you think of Jake Paul? Are you gonna give him a chance?"
Canelo: "Not right now."

Photog: "Why don’t you want to give him a chance?"
Canelo: "He’s not ready."

Photog: "Do you think it might be a good option?"
Canelo: "If he wants someone to fight, we have this guy right here ..." (Points to a friend)

Photog: "What needs to happen in order for you to give him a chance?"
Canelo: "He needs to keep improving. Good luck."

Photog: "What do you think of a fight between you and your brother vs. the Paul bros?"
Canelo: "No."

Of course, Paul -- who has wins over AnEsonGib, Nate Robinson, Ben Askren, and Tyron Woodley -- told TMZ Sports back in June that Canelo was on his (future) hit list.

Alvarez has not been a fan of Paul's foray into the squared circle ... previously telling us he believed the Paul brothers were disrespecting the sport.

But, now it seems Alvarez has changed his mind about Jake ... even if he stopped well-short of guaranteeing they'd someday fight.

BTW, Canelo was at Beauty & Essex for a meeting with Kendall Jenner ... and it seems a partnership with her 818 Tequila is in the works.

Oscar De La Hoya is opening up on one of the most traumatic experiences of his life ... revealing he was raped at age 13 by an "older woman" -- something he's still struggling to come to terms with today.

The 48-year-old boxing legend detailed the alleged incident for the first time this week ... claiming it happened at a boxing tournament in Hawaii with a woman who was "over 35."

"I was raped at 13, from a woman, an older woman," ODLH told the L.A. Times. "13, lost my virginity over being, you know, being raped, basically."

De La Hoya says he used fighting to cope with the trauma from his childhood ... which included the experience in Hawaii.

"You suppress everything," he added. "You’re living this life, the 'Golden Boy,' but, oh s***, wait, that’s still there. Like, I never thought about it, I never processed it, I never really thought how my feelings are ... until one day it just comes out, and you don’t know how to deal with it."

ODLH -- who has previously dealt with drug and alcohol abuse -- says he has been working on improving his health ... because he felt he was "going to throw my life away."

De La Hoya himself has faced sexual assault accusations in the past -- he was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl in 1996 when he was 23, which reportedly resulted in a settlement outside of court ... and another woman claimed he raped her in 1999, which he's adamantly denied.

In 2019, a woman sued ODLH for sexual assault and battery -- but he told us at the time the allegations were "completely false."

Now, De La Hoya is preparing to make his return to the boxing ring for the first time since 2008 ... going up against UFC star Vitor Belfort on September 11.

Jake Paul's retirement lasted a whopping 25 hours ... 'cause the YouTube superstar-turned-boxer says he's officially back in the fight game again.

"Updated status: I’m coming out of retirement," Paul tweeted on Tuesday.

Hey, we tried to warn ya -- there was a super slim chance Jake was actually retiring for good when he claimed he was walking away from the sport on Monday ... especially since he's poised to get a FAT paycheck from the Tyron Woodley fight.

Just as expected ... Paul is back.

Remember, "retiring" really doesn't mean much in boxing and MMA -- a ton of guys have gotten back in the ring after calling it quits.

The legend Muhammad Ali retired a couple times ... and George Foreman and Randy Couture are among others who stepped away before changing their mind.

More recently, Conor McGregor has retired at least 3 times in his career ... and that may very well be the guy Jake is channeling with this latest publicity stunt.

Jake's quick return now opens the door for a Woodley rematch ... which Paul claims could happen as long as Tyron holds his end of the deal and gets the "I Love Jake Paul" tattoo.