Boxing

February's highly anticipated heavyweight clash between champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk is OFF ... after The Gypsy King suffered a deep cut above his eye, forcing him to pull out of the fight.

"I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition. I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed," Fury said.

Tyson continued, even saying sorry to Oleksandr and his people.

"I can only apologize to everyone affected including my own team, Team Usyk, the undercard fighters, partners, and fans as well as our hosts and my friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

It's especially a bummer for Fury 'cause he'd been training so hard for the fight ... and had his body looking better than it has in years. In fact, he's noticeably leaner now than when he fought Francis Ngannou in October 2023.

If you're a boxing fan, there's a good chance you were pumped for the upcoming bout, originally scheduled to go down on February 17 in Saudi Arabia ... until this morning's sparring sesh.

The deep cut is very close to where Fury was split open while fighting Otto Wallin in 2019 ... nearly forcing that fight to be stopped. It's unclear if that played a part in today's cut ... as scar tissue can make a fighter more apt to sustaining cuts.

A rep for Fury said the eye required immediate medical attention, including stitches, to close up the wound.

It's unclear how long Tyson will need to heal up ... but several reports indicate Usyk may not want to wait, and will instead seek out another opponent to step in on short notice.

Shakur Stevenson just made a shocking announcement -- he says he's retiring from boxing -- but almost all of his fans aren't buying it.

The undefeated lightweight said on his social media page Monday night that he's hanging up his gloves after seven years ... opting to focus on becoming a mentor for aspiring boxers instead.

"I’m officially retiring from the sport of boxing," Stevenson wrote on his X page.

"I’ll be in the gym forever perfecting my craft and helping the next generation become great and chase they dreams but I ain’t fw this weak boxing game."

Of course, many of his fans are callin' BS ... as Stevenson -- who's 21-0 -- is just 26 years old and is currently the WBO featherweight title holder.

Most believe Stevenson is simply frustrated that Emanuel Navarrete, a boxer he wants to fight, was ordered to box Denys Berinchyk in a WBO 135-lb title match.

Another fight Stevenson also wanted was Vasily Lomachenko ... but he's facing George Kambosos Jr. in May.

Stevenson, of course, wouldn't be the first star pugilist to "retire" before "unretiring" ... Teofimo Lopez just did it last year.

Jake Paul will face off against another legit boxer in his next fight -- this time, he's going to duke it out with former Golden Gloves champion Ryan Bourland, his team announced Tuesday.

Jake (8-1) has been teasing his next opponent ever since he handled Andre August with a first-round knockout in December ... and has made it clear his goal is to become a world champion.

The Problem Child said in a statement the decision to go up against the 35-year-old Bourland (17-2) keeps him on the right path toward legitimacy -- and he's been training non-stop for his next opportunity.

"I've always said my goal is to become a world champion," Paul said of the fight. "I beat a pro boxer in December in the first round, someone who's been boxing their entire life, and what did I do next? I went straight back to camp to get ready to face my next opponent, a professional boxer who has twice as many professional fights under his belt than I do."

"It's a new year, it's an even better me, and I'm facing an even more experienced, seasoned boxer on Saturday, March 2 as co-main to the Puerto Rican GOAT, Amanda Serrano."

Bourland is on a three-fight winning streak ... but has not seen any action since 2022.

Jake added he's doing all this for the love of the sport -- NOT the fat paycheck that would come with it -- as he's going to donate his purse to his Boxing Bullies charity, which will help renovate gyms in Puerto Rico.

Roy Jones Jr. could be back might be back in the ring sometime soon 'cause the boxing legend tells TMZ Sports he's down to fight fellow great, rival Antonio Tarver for a FOURTH time ... if he keeps talkin' trash.

That's what the 55-year-old pugilist told us this week when we asked if we'd be seeing him back in the ring ... following his last exhibition with Mike Tyson in 2020.

"Why do you wanna see me in the ring so bad?" Jones Jr. said this week, "I'm old news!"

We all know that's not true ... and despite the pivot attempt, Jones Jr. did mention Tarver is a guy he'd like to see in the ring.

"Okay, listen," Jones Jr. said ... "A guy just sent me a video today of Antonio Tarver saying something about I would never fight him again."

"He probably needs some shine but you just can't say anything about Roy. I don't care how old I am."

Remember, Jones Jr. and Tarver have a history ... the two star boxers had an epic trilogy back in the 2000s -- with Roy winning just one fight.

Meanwhile, Tarver -- who last fought in 2015 -- has been eager to get in the ring for an exhibition match ... a fight Roy says he'd do this year.

"I heard he said that I won't fight," Jones Jr. said, "Ain't nobody in the world I won't fight!"

"If you wanna talk crazy -- stop! This what I do for a living!"

We also talked to Jones Jr. about some of the young stats in boxing. Roy told us he'd like to see Devin Haney finally fight Gervonta 'Tank' Davis -- who he believes will be his toughest opponent.

But first, he'd like to see Haney vs. Ryan Garcia.

Tommy Fury just went under the knife to fix a nagging injury he's dealt with for YEARS ... spilling the beans on the secret ailment after a successful surgery.

TNT posted a shot from his hospital bed on Wednesday ... and he appeared to be in great spirits as he updated his fans on his status.

"Since 2019 I have been dealing with a hand injury that I’ve never spoken about/shared online," Tyson's half-brother said on Instagram. "Since my third professional fight I have been trying to manage this injury, training and fighting through extreme pain which led me to often not being able to use my right hand at all."

In fact, Tommy (10-0) claims he didn't use his right hand at all in the weeks leading up to his most recent fight against KSI in October ... which he won via unanimous decision.

Tommy said after years of fighting through the pain, he finally addressed the issue with the procedure ... and now he's expecting to be fighting fit soon.

Logan Paul was once in the crosshairs of a man who seemed obsessed with him -- and who even broke into his home -- but he didn't realize the man took his own life ... until now.

We sat with the YouTuber-turned-boxer for a conversation about this dark chapter in his life -- namely, back in 2018 when a guy named Tahj Deondre Speight allegedly trespassed by making his way into Logan's house without authorization, which led to a confrontation.

LP ended up detaining Speight -- and he was ultimately arrested, charged, prosecuted and eventually jailed ... but at some point, he died -- and it appears it was via suicide.

Harvey actually broke this news to Logan in our interview ... and it's clear he was not aware of this development -- with the update hitting him hard on the spot. We ask the question ... did the system fail Speight by not getting him the help or resources he needed?

Logan gives an honest answer, and somewhat surprisingly ... he says he has empathy for the man he once wrestled to the ground. It's an emotional response, and a heartfelt one too.

His full chat is part of a new show called 'TMZ Investigates: Obsessed and Dangerous: Hollywood’s Stalker Crisis' -- the start of a weekly series that hits FOX Monday at 9/8c.

Logan Paul estuvo alguna vez en la mira de un hombre que parecía estar obsesionado con él, y que incluso irrumpió en su casa, pero no sabía que el hombre se había quitado la vida.... hasta ahora.

Nos sentamos con el YouTuber convertido en boxeador para conversar sobre este capítulo oscuro de su vida. Esto es, cuando por allá por 2018, un tipo llamado Tahj Deondre Speight supuestamente entró sin autorización a su casa, lo que llevó a un enfrentamiento.

Logan Paul terminó deteniendo a Speight, quien finalmente fue arrestado, acusado, procesado y finalmente encarcelado, pero en algún momento murió y parece que fue a través del suicidio.

Harvey le dio la noticia a Logan en nuestra entrevista y está claro que él no estaba al tanto del suceso y la noticia le golpeó fuertemente. Nos preguntamos... ¿le fallo el sistema al no proporcionarle la ayuda o los recursos que necesitaba?

Logan da una respuesta honesta, y algo sorprendente, dice que tiene empatía por el hombre con quien alguna vez luchó. Es una respuesta emotiva y sincera.

Su charla completa forma parte de un nuevo programa llamado "TMZ Investiga: TMZ Investigates: Obsessed and Dangerous: Hollywood’s Stalker Crisis", el comienzo de una serie semanal que se emitirá en FOX el lunes.

Don't count out Larry Merchant ... the legendary boxing announcer tells TMZ Sports he's on the mend after a bout with vertigo that put him in the hospital!

We broke the story ... 92-year-old Merchant was rushed to the emergency room just days before Christmas, and things appeared bleak for the former HBO Boxing commentator.

But, Larry himself tells us he's on the mend!

Merchant says he was diagnosed with vertigo, but after receiving treatment, he was sprung from the hospital after just a few days. He's now recovering at home, and he says he's doing well.

According to WebMD, "Vertigo is a sensation of feeling off balance. If you have these dizzy spells, you might feel like you are spinning or that the world around you is spinning."

Merchant says he "appreciated the outpouring" of support, and even joked it was like witnessing his funeral.

Merchant, who worked alongside fellow greats like Jim Lampley, George Foreman, Roy Jones Jr., and Harold Lederman, laid down his microphone in 2012 ... and is widely regarded as one of the greatest commentators in the history of the sport.

Junior dos Santos and Francis Ngannou once shared the Octagon (albeit for not very long), but that doesn't mean the MMA legend isn't impressed with The Predator's success in the boxing ring!

Cigano's thrilled for his former opponent ... and as a matter of fact, he wouldn't mind a rematch in the squared circle sometime down the road.

TMZ Sports talked to 39-year-old dos Santos earlier this week ahead of his fight with Alan Belcher (more on that soon) ... when we asked Junior about Francis' move to the boxing ring.

"I'm so happy for [Ngannou]," Junior told us, explaining ... "All the boxing guys are always talking, saying on the striking side we are not able to go there and put on a good performance against them."

Junior believes Francis proved the opposite against Tyson Fury ... MMA fighters can hang with the very best when it comes to striking with just hands.

"Francis Ngannou was fighting probably the biggest heavyweight in the history who never lost a fight," JDS explained, adding, "and he did what he did. I was there. That was so amazing to see that. And, it showed what kind of work we [MMA fighters] do."

Now, Francis has another massive challenge in front of him in the form of Anthony Joshua next month ... and Junior is clearly cautioning folks not to count him out.

FYI, JDS is well aware of what Francis can do. The two stars fought back in June 2019 ... but after a flurry of punches, the fight was stopped just 1:11 seconds into the first round, with Ngannou winning by TKO.

Junior wouldn't mind running things back!

"That would be amazing, too! I think actually that would be something very good, not just for me, but for him, as well."

For dos Santos, any fight with Ngannou would be down the line. First, he's got a big-time matchup with 39-year-old Belcher, who is coming off a decision win over Roy Nelson at Gamebred Fighting Championship 6, Jorge Masvidal's bare-knuckle MMA promotion.

Ryan Garcia clearly isn't skipping any workouts as he deals with his divorce ... 'cause the star boxer just showed off his shredded abs with some steamy pics following his split from his wife.

The 24-1 junior welterweight fighter shared the shirtless photos on Friday ... which feature the 25-year-old soaking up the sun on a balcony while only sporting a blue cap and black joggers.

Garcia used the attention-grabbing snaps to also share some non-relationship news ... saying, "Fight announcement coming real soon… 🥊."

An upcoming bout could explain why Garcia looks bulkier than usual (he's moved up from 135 to 140 lbs.) ... but fight aside, it comes at an interesting time, as Ryan's now single and ready to mingle.

As we previously reported, Garcia notified his fans that he and his wife, Andrea Celina, were ending their nuptials ... shortly after revealing the birth of their son, Henry Leo.

According to court docs, Garcia and Celina -- a fitness expert and social media influencer -- got married in January 2021 and separated last Christmas. Garcia's reason for their split was listed as "irreconcilable differences" in the docs.

Garcia also stated he is willing to pay spousal support for 17 1/2 months, which is equivalent to half the time they were married.

Garcia explained in his statement that the most important thing, however, is co-parenting.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. spent four nights in an L.A. jail after he was arrested for allegedly possessing two "ghost guns," but the former boxing champion was in high spirits when he was finally sprung Thursday night, before heading to rehab.

37-year-old Chavez Jr. was met with a crowd outside the detention center in Los Angeles ... where he was asked how he was doing following his arrest over the weekend.

"Good, good," Julio responded in Spanish.

Of course, TMZ Sports broke the story on Monday ... Chavez Jr., son of the legendary Chavez Sr., was arrested by LAPD for illegal weapons possession around 1:30 PM Sunday after cops responded to a call to Julio's home.

Our law enforcement sources tell us Chavez Jr. had two "ghost guns," untraceable firearms.

A reporter asked JCC Jr. about his time behind bars.

"Well, everyone is given what they deserve. But I'm well, thank God. I'm well and ready to defend myself," Julio responded, adding, "You guys here know I'm a good person. I'm good, everything's good. They treated me good [in jail] and I'm ready to move forward."

Shanna Moakler ain't sparing any of her exes ... blasting Oscar De La Hoya over how their relationship ended.

The former Miss USA claims she was blindsided after watching Oscar on TV attending the Latin Grammy Awards in L.A. with his now ex-wife Millie ... telling Bunnie XO's on her 'Dumb Blonde' Podcast he told her he was going to NYC for a work trip at the time.

She says a lawyer came to her Bel-Air mansion the next day ... ordering her to move out with their baby daughter, Atiana immediately.

Shanna adds Oscar told her he wasn't happy she sued him for child support when they met up IRL a month later ... warning if she sued him for palimony, he wouldn't see her or the baby until she was 16 cause he had more money than God.

Oscar was true to his word ... Shanna says he didn't see his daughter until she was around 16.

They dated for 3 years from 1997 -- even getting engaged in the process.

Meanwhile, Shanna dropped a further slew of relationship bombshells during the podcast.

She claimed that her ex, Travis Barker, was trolling her online when they were together and also slammed his new wife, Kourtney Kardashian's family ... again.

Shanna Moakler está acusando a Oscar De La Hoya por cómo terminó su relación.

La ex Miss EE.UU. afirma que fue sorprendida después de ver a Oscar en la televisión asistiendo a los Grammy Latinos en Los Ángeles con su ahora ex esposa Millie, comentandole a Bunnie XO's en su pódcast "Dumb Blonde", que él le había dicho que iba a Nueva York por un viaje de trabajo en ese entonces.

Ella dice que un abogado llegó a su mansión en Bel-Air al día siguiente, ordenándole que se mude con su hija —Atiana— inmediatamente.

Shanna añade que Oscar le dijo que estaba bastante molesto con la demanda por manutención que le hizo ella cuando se reunieron un mes más tarde ... advirtiéndole que si ella le demandaba por pensión alimenticia, él no la vería ni al bebé hasta que tuviera 16 años porque tenía más dinero que nadie en la tierra.

Oscar fue fiel a su palabra, Shanna dice que no vio a su hija hasta que ella tenía alrededor de 16 años.

Salieron durante tres años a partir de 1997, incluso se comprometieron en el proceso.

Mientras tanto, Shanna dejó caer otra serie de polémicas de su relación durante el podcast.

Afirmó que su ex, Travis Barker, la troleo en línea cuando estaban juntos y también criticó a la familia de su nueva esposa—Kourteney Kardashian— otra vez.

Vivek Ramaswamy espera que Jake Paul pueda darle un golpe decisivo en la campaña electoral, por eso se están uniendo para una etapa crucial en su búsqueda de la nominación del GOP.

La temporada de primarias presidenciales comienza el próximo lunes en Iowa… y Jake y Vivek estarán lado a lado el domingo mientras recorren el estado, instando a los jóvenes de la generación Z a salir y votar.

La portavoz de Vivek, Tricia McLaughlin, le cuenta a TMZ… “Estamos muy emocionados de que Jake se una a la campaña y esperamos que pueda motivar a los jóvenes”.

Continúa diciendo que, aunque Vivek está viendo mucho entusiasmo entre los jóvenes votantes, la popularidad de Jake y su capacidad para atraer a una multitud será un gran activo en la víspera de las asambleas de Iowa.

Nos comentan que el dúo viajará en el avión privado de Vivek a eventos en 4 de las universidades más grandes de Iowa, todo como parte del “Compromiso con la concentración.”

Tricia dice que Vivek habló con Jake sobre unirse a la campaña hace algunas semanas, cuando asistió a la pelea de Jake contra Andre August en Florida. Como informamos, Jake consiguió asientos de primera fila para Vivek.

No hay duda, Ramaswamy necesita un impulso importante. Las encuestas recientes muestran que está muy por debajo del 10 por ciento de los posibles votantes de las asambleas del GOP en Iowa… pero la campaña de Vivek insiste en que están llegando a un grupo de votantes que no se tiene en cuenta en esas encuestas.

Vivek Ramaswamy is hoping Jake Paul can deliver a knockout punch for him on the campaign trail ... which is why they're teaming up for a critical stretch in his bid for the GOP nomination.

The presidential primary season starts next Monday in Iowa ... and we're told Jake and Vivek will be side-by-side on Sunday as they travel around the state urging Gen-Zers to come out and vote.

Vivek's spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, tells TMZ ... "We're very excited Jake's joining on the campaign trail and we're hoping it can really drive out younger people."

She goes on to say that while Vivek is seeing a lot of enthusiasm from young voters, Jake's star power and ability to command a crowd is going to be a major asset on the eve of the Iowa caucus.

We're told the duo will travel in Vivek's private plane to events at 4 of the biggest universities in Iowa ... all as part of the "Commit to Caucus Rally."

Tricia says Vivek talked to Jake about joining the campaign trail a few weeks ago ... when he attended Jake's fight against Andre August in Florida. As we reported, Jake hooked up Vivek with ringside seats.

Make no mistake, Ramaswamy needs a big spark. Recent polls show he's well under 10 percent of likely Iowa GOP caucus voters ... but Vivek's campaign is adamant they're tapping into a group of voters that isn't accounted for in those polls.

¡Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury II puede estar en camino!

El Predator se unió a Babcock en el programa de televisión TMZ Sports (transmitido de lunes a viernes en FS1) el lunes, donde hablamos con la superestrella del boxeo y MMA sobre su ENORME y próximo choque con Anthony Joshua, de 34 años, el 8 de marzo, así como sus planes a futuro.

Por supuesto, Ngannou, de 37 años, tiene las manos ocupadas con AJ, uno de los atletas más físicamente imponentes en el mundo (al igual que Ngannou)… pero eso no significa que no sepa lo que quiere después de enfrentarse a Joshua.

Por el contrario, sí lo sabe… y no necesariamente es el ganador entre Tyson Fury y Oleksandr Usyk, quienes pelearán por los cinturones de peso pesado en febrero, semanas antes de que lo hagan Francis y Anthony.

“No estoy buscando al ganador de Tyson Fury. Estoy buscando a Tyson”, comentó el ex campeón de peso pesado de la UFC.

"Tyson me debe una pelea. Me importa una m*** el ganador de Usyk y Tyson. Voy tras Tyson. Voy por Tyson. Gane o pierda, quiero a Tyson".

Fury tiene un récord de 34-0 con 24 KO, y una de esas victorias fue contra Ngannou. Sin embargo, muchos en el mundo del boxeo creen que Tyson realmente perdió la pelea de octubre, que ganó oficialmente por decisión dividida.

Pero, primero lo primero, Ngannou-Joshua.

A pesar del éxito contra Tyson, Francis es un underdog bastante sustancial (arriesgar $100 para ganar $500), una línea de apuestas que afirma entender.

“Me enfrento a un ex campeón y a tipos que han estado en el juego durante mucho tiempo, ganando y demás”, dijo Ngannou.

“Creo que él tiene 30 y algo, yo soy cero y uno. Vamos, hombre. ¿Cómo me hacen favorito?” Vamos hombre. ¿Cómo me haces el favorito?”

“Él ya me ha visto boxear, así que sabe lo que le espera, a diferencia de Tyson Fury, que fue sorpresa, no sabía qué esperar”, dijo Ngannou.

Incluso con su inexperiencia en el boxeo, Ngannou espera que Joshua estudie su pelea con Fury y haga ajustes. Francis está decidido a demostrar que la pelea con Tyson no fue una casualidad.

“Esta vez necesito esforzarme aún más para hacer el trabajo.