Le'Veon Bell Prepping For Next Fight ... Insane Ab Workout!

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TOUGH TRAINING

Le'Veon Bell is channeling his inner Rocky in preparation for his next fight ... getting in an insane ab workout this week that looked more like torture than a typical sweat sesh.

The former NFL superstar is boxing YouTuber JMX in April ... and he's clearly taking it seriously, 'cause check out footage of the work he got in at the gym on Wednesday -- it's intense.

The ex-running back -- who quit football in 2022 to focus on his boxing career -- laid on the ground shirtless ... while one of his training partners heaved a weighted ball right at his stomach.

Bell took shot after shot after shot, obviously in pain each time -- but he kept coming back for more.

Eventually, after at least six body blows -- he tapped out ... but he made sure to show afterward how strong his abs were.

The training should come in handy for Bell next month -- as his upcoming opponent doesn't appear to be any sort of tomato can. If you're unfamiliar, JMX is 4-0 in his celeb fights -- and is coming off an impressive knockout win over TikToker Ginty.

Then again, Bell KO'ed Adrian Peterson last year and also gave MMA star Uriah Hall a run in the ring a few weeks later.

Fight goes down on April 21 ... and we know one thing's for sure -- Bell's abs will be ready!

YouTuber Adin Ross The Swatting's Gotta Stop ... LAPD Changing Its Approach

YouTuber Adin Ross has been the victim of repeated swatting pranks ... and now L.A. cops are taking steps to change how they respond to calls involving his house.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... someone tried to swat Adin again earlier this month -- LAPD says they got a call about a shooting. It was all made up.

Cops say pranksters have phoned police numerous times when Adin was live streaming so cops would show up and interrupt his stream.

We're told LAPD will now take a different approach -- police will first contact Ross' security team to make sure it's not a prank before they send out patrol cars and helicopters.

The LAPD wants everyone to know ... swatting calls are a huge waste of time and resources ... not to mention, it's always dicey to roll out with lights and sirens in traffic.

Paddy Pimblett Still Down To Fight 'Terrible' Jake Paul He's Worse Than I Thought

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WORSE THAN I THOUGHT
TMZSports.com

Paddy Pimblett's beef with Jake Paul is still very much a thing ... and, uh, so much for not kickin' a guy when he's down!

The UFC star recently spoke to TMZ Sports, and let's just say he wasn't impressed with The Problem Child's performance during his 8-round, split decision loss to Tommy Fury last Sunday in Saudi Arabia.

"It seems to me like Tommy Fury was boxing bad against his last few opponents on purpose, know what I mean? Or Jake Paul's just a terrible boxer, even more worse than I thought. I was giving him more credit than I thought he deserved," Pimblett told us.

Of course, one judge scored the fight 75-74 (4 rounds apiece, but Jake had a 10-8 round in the 8th), while the other two had it 76-73 (6 rounds to 2 for Tommy).

"Tommy won anyway and I thought it wasn't a split decision, either. I thought it was a unanimous decision. He won most rounds."

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HERE'S THE OFFER ...

Now, the 28-year-old speaking out against Paul isn't new -- remember, the two stars went back and forth last year after Pimblett suggested his fight against Anderson Silva was fixed.

Jake even offered Paddy $1 million if the UFC fighter could beat him in a 5-round sparring session. That hasn't happened, yet ... so we asked Pimblett if he's still down to do it.

"Yeah, if he wants to," Pimblett said. "I don't give a f***. I'll spar with anyone."

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GET RIGHT FOR SUMMER
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In the meantime, Pimblett's getting into the fitness business, releasing a workout supplement, Paddy “The Baddy” Everything Ultimate Pre-Workout with ABE that's only sold at The Vitamin Shoppe ... and he's stoked.

"It's my lil' boost of coffee in the morning to wake me up and make me get up and actually get out and see the day," Pimblett said.

We also talked to Paddy about UFC 285 ... and the 20-3 fighter says he's pumped to watch Jon Jones, who he calls the greatest fighter of all time.

Jeffree Star I'm All For Nonbinary People But Cool It On Pronouns!!!

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OPINIONATED ALLY
TMZ.com

Jeffree Star is following up on his controversial remarks about people using they/them pronouns -- telling us he has no beef with nonbinary people, but he is accusing them of going overboard with labels.

We got the makeup guru Thursday at LAX, where he stood by the comments that got a lot of folks heated. He's fully aware of the brewing controversy, but insists it had to be said ... and, even further, he says he's the perfect messenger.

For those unaware, Jeffree recently got candid about people who use the gender-neutral pronouns they/them ... calling it "stupid" and some "bulls***" made up when Americans got bored during the pandemic.

While some saw it as a brutal, hate-filled statement ... Jeffree thinks people missed his point altogether. He tells us he recognizes nonbinary people are out there, and respects anyone's labels, but doesn't think he should be put on blast for speaking his mind.

FYI -- Jeffree got dragged online after his comments went viral, but for what it's worth, he also says he's gotten droves of people thanking him for speaking up. He says he's benefitting from the current backlash against so-called "cancel culture."

Maino My Acting Is A-1 That Chokehold Had Everyone Fooled!!!

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ACTING MASTERCLASS
TMZ.com
UPDATE

10:27 AM PT -- As Maino was preparing for his future Oscar night, Buba100x broke his silence on YouTube and as suspected, the stories don't really align.

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UPDATE

Buba admits to pushing Maino's buttons during the interview and getting hands wrapped around his throat but never agreed the skit was preplanned.

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The 18-year-old is now taking a glass-half approach to the situation ... calling the incident a minor setback for a major comeback.

Maino is maintaining his now viral throat grab of YouTuber Buba100x was completely planned ... and, in fact, he says his theatrical performance should be his big break in Hollywood!!!

We caught the BK-bred lyricist fresh off his guest hosting gig on Angela Yee's 'Way Up,' and he tells us Buba100x intentionally failed to post the choke out ... in order to make folks think it was authentic. No one would flaunt themselves getting genuinely beat down ... right?

The incident happened a couple of weeks ago during the most recent Daniel's Leather fashion show ... Maino is seen slowly losing his temper as the vlogger continues pressing him to try on his chain, only to see the rapper grab him firmly by his throat!!!

Maino says jaws were dropping at the party because he and Buba100x sold it so well.

Social media users haven't reacted kindly to Maino's actions -- prank or not -- but he assures us he's not worried about backlash because that's what the internet does ... no matter what.

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What Maino's not opposed to, is extending his stay on 'Way Up' to a more permanent situation.

He says Angela called him an on-air "natural," and having that kinda finesse is vital for a radio career.

Originally Published -- 12:30 AM PT

Maino Choke Slams YouTuber Buba100x ...Rapper Says It Was Part Of The Prank!!!

Maino was caught in 4K disciplining popular YouTuber, Buba100x after one too many questions about his chain ... but the Brooklyn rapper is claiming it was all for clicks and views!!!

The melee went down at the Daniel's Leather fashion show earlier this month ... as Buba100x and Maino were conducting his typical TikTok style of interviews.

Buba100x made a crack about "beating Maino's ass" ... which immediately aged terribly when the Brooklyn rapper grabbed the jokester by his throat after his fuse was lit!!!

Further footage shows Maino pinning Buba100x down by his neck while reminding him of the consequences of ruffling his feathers!!!

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Maino's co-hosting on Angela Yee's new show 'Way Up' this week ... and there's no way they were ignoring this topic, which was addressed head-on.

Maino claims he was 100% acting in the clip and wanted to sell the prank by making it look real with his angry emotions.

Neither Angela nor Jasmine Brand were totally convinced ... and we can't say we are either. 😳 We reached out Buba to get his side of the story. Stay tuned!!!

'Selling Sunset' Cast Responds to Josh Flagg ... Questioning Credentials

Josh Flagg doesn't think all of the stars on 'Selling Sunset' are legit real estate agents, and a few ex-cast members are weighing in ... along with Jason Oppenheim, who's at the center of this.

ICYMI ... the 'Million Dollar Listing' star posted a video reviewing the most cringe moments from season 5 of 'Sunset' -- and based on his snarky commentary, it's clear Josh doesn't think too highly of the hit Netflix reality show.

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If his words weren't clear enough, his caption was ... "If you’d like to watch a real estate show with licensed agents, make sure to watch last nights episode of MDLLA on @peacock. If you want to watch actors pretend to be agents, tune into my newest YT video (Link in bio) where I review Selling Sunset. @estatemediala."

None of the agents currently on 'Sunset' have said anything just yet, but 2 former ones -- Christine Quinn and Maya Vander -- did, and they seem to agree.

Vander says she definitely had her license when she was on the show, while Quinn doesn't say one way or the other. However, she's squarely on Josh's side about the real focus of 'Sunset.' She responded, "The joke is on y'all if you think Selling Sunset was ever about Realestate."

CQ later clarified who on the show has licenses, from what she knows -- she name-dropped Maya, Davina Potratz and Chelsea Lazkani, and added she wasn't sure about the extras.

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BOYS BEING BOYS
TMZ.com

Now, we got Oppenheim himself to chime in on this too ... and he downplayed the apparent animosity between Josh's show and his own, telling us they're really good friends and that this was nothing but some light ribbing that's not meant to be taken seriously.

He also definitively said that all of his agents have their licenses and that everyone knows that. To be frank, we're not so sure Josh agrees. If he does, he's doing a great acting job in his attack on Jason's show.

Like we said, none of the current cast members have directly responded to Josh's insinuation some of them aren't licensed agents.

Even more reason to tune into both shows, we suppose. Nothing like a big rivalry!

Trick Daddy to Uncle Murda Your 'Rap Ups' Are Straight 🤡💩!!!

Trick Daddy recently interrupted his own cooking to show to completely UNLOAD on Uncle Murda .. all because he's fed up with the G-Unit rapper's infamous yearly "Rap Up" anthems.

The Miami hip hop legend was warning viewers of the pitfalls of going viral when he turned his ire towards Murda ... dubbing him "The #1 Clown" in the rap game -- 5 years and running!!!

Trick scolded Murda for stalking countless rappers throughout the years, and preying on their most vulnerable moments.

Of course, Trick was one of the many rappers caught in Murda's crosshairs -- but he's held his tongue about it for a couple of years.

Murda dissed Trick back on the 2021 "Rap Up" over his "Beyonce can't sing" comments and subsequent "coke head" remarks ... but Trick says he's calling Murda out for the guys who can't speak up for themselves in the brutal social media gauntlet.

Bottom line, Trick thinks Murda should quit his day job!!!

Drake This Convo is Too Sexy For Me!!! Hangs Up on iShowSpeed

YouTuber iShowSpeed's dream of snagging Drake on his live stream finally came true -- but it was very quickly shattered when he laid on the schmooze a little too thick for Drake's liking.

The award-winning streamer connected with Drake Wednesday night, and immediately drew 50,000 viewers as he jumped up and down with excitement and disbelief he was finally linking with the megastar rapper.

At first, Drizzy returned the gratitude ... praising iShowSpeed for amassing such a big following over the years. They also vibed on the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate -- turns out they're both on the Ronaldo bandwagon.

But, then the convo fizzled as iShow started dropping a bunch of compliments on Champagne Papi -- like, "Bro, your voice is so sexy!!! How is it so smooth like that?"

That was all Drake needed to hear, because he instantly hit the big red button, which sent iShowSpeed into a pretty hilarious tantrum.

The Internet personality pleaded his case to his followers, saying he misspoke, but Drake was long gone by then.

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DRIZZY DIPS
TMZ.com

What's that saying about meeting your heroes?

FaZe Banks Someone Snatched My 6-Figure Watch ... This Ain't a Casio!!! 😭

World-famous gamer/YouTuber FaZe Banks says he's out a huge chunk of change after his ultra-exclusive watch got swiped at a Super Bowl party, but he's hoping cops track it down.

The FaZe Clan founder took to social media, telling folks about his stolen, one-of-a-kind Chrome Hearts Richard Mille watch ... which is worth a cool $200,000!!!

Banks says it went down at Scottsdale Hangar One in AZ Friday night ... at the big H.Wood homecoming party where Drake performed and, as we reported, big names like MGK, Cher, Lil Baby, Meek Mill and Odell Beckham Jr. were there tearing it up.

Scottsdale PD confirms a report for the stolen watch was filed, and you better believe the document highlights that approximate 6-figure value. What's really shocking is FaZe says the crook snatched it right off his body.

He says the piece fell off while he was walking through the crowd, but surveillance video shows him picking it up and putting it in one of his pockets ... only to have someone reach in and pick that pocket clean!!!.

The 31-year-old gaming legend told fans he's offering up $50K to anyone who can get it back for him ... adding this is the one timepiece in his collection that has sentimental value and is irreplaceable.

Jake Paul Rips Tommy Fury For Missing Presser ... 'He's Not A Serious Fighter'

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FURY OF FEAR

Jake Paul is fed up with Tommy Fury -- calling out his opponent for missing another pre-fight event this week ... saying TNT is being straight-up disrespectful to the fight game at this point.

Fury was not slated to attend Wednesday's press conference in Saudi Arabia ... claiming the event could wait until he made it to town on Feb. 16.

Paul was asked about Tommy's absence minutes ago ... and he unleashed on the guy.

"I'm used to his behavior at this point," the Problem Child said. "He's unprofessional, he's a flake, he's not a serious businessman, and he's not a serious fighter."

"He's gonna have to pay for all the times he pulled out," he continued. "All the business people he screwed over. It's disrespectful. There are some of the biggest names in boxing, some of the biggest promoters in the world, some of the most influential people in the world, one of the greatest countries in the world, and he doesn't want to show up 'cause a 'private matter' -- cool. We all have private matters."

Paul also goes on to call Fury's excuses BS -- because he initially said he didn't have to prepare for the fight, but then walked back the claim and said he needed more time to train.

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HE HAS NO CHANCE
TMZSports.com

"It's typical Fury stuff," Paul said.

Jake also claims Tyron Woodley hit him up recently ... and admitted this is an easier fight for Paul than himself and Anderson Silva.

As for Tommy, he previously told TMZ Sports they're gonna need an ambulance at the fight on Feb. 26 ... 'cause he's gonna knock Jake's ass out.

Seth Rollins Trashes Logan Paul ... 'He's Just Not A Wrestler'

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STAY IN YOUR LANE

Seth Rollins just went in on Logan Paul -- saying he REALLY doesn't like the guy ... while adding that the former YouTuber should leave the WWE and go back to "buying counterfeit Pokemon cards."

The WWE superstar unleashed on Jake Paul's older brother during an Instagram Live sesh on Friday ... just days after the 27-year-old shockingly eliminated him from the Royal Rumble.

Rollins insisted he ain't alone in his dislike of the WWE newbie ... saying other wrestlers can't stand him either. He then questioned Paul's real reasons for joining the org.

"At the end of the day," Rollins said in his two-plus-minute rant, "he's just not a wrestler. You know? He doesn't want to be a wrestler. He just wants to be famous."

"He doesn't care about the industry," Rollins added. "He's not a wrestler."

Rollins did throw at least one compliment Paul's way -- giving him credit for his athleticism -- before he trashed the guy again for the way he booted him from the Royal Rumble and celebrated about it afterward.

"I took my eyes off the ball," Rollins said. "That one's on me. But, don't go bragging about it like you did something otherworldly."

Seth then advised Paul to stay in his lane.

Unclear if it's all a setup for a future Rollins vs. Paul fight -- or if Seth truly does hate the dude -- but either way, a potential matchup between the guys at WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in April just got that much spicier.

Jake Paul Trades Verbal Jabs With Bomani Jones ... Heated Interview

Jake Paul sharpened his trash-talking tools this week ... but it wasn't with his next boxing opponent, Tommy Fury -- the Problem Child traded verbal jabs with sports personality Bomani Jones in a heated interview.

The YouTuber-turned-pro boxer joined Jones' "Game Theory" this week ... and things went from 0 to 100 real quick.

In a clip from the HBO show, Bomani asked how the undefeated boxer would react if he ever loses a fight ... and Jake made it clear he has zero intention of ever having to cross that bridge.

"I don't plan on losing," Paul said. "I don't train to lose. I feel like that's probably your mindset. A lot of people like to project their mindsets onto me."

Jones interjects and says that's not the case -- he was just genuinely curious to hear whether Paul would still be as interested in boxing if he takes his first L.

That's when Jake gave the host a piece of his mind.

"I'mma be honest, bro, I don't know who the f*** you are. My PR team set up this interview."

But, it wasn't one-sided -- Jones clapped back with a shot of his own ... saying, "All I know about you is that people don't like you."

Logan Paul Hits Insane Stunt In Royal Rumble Debut ... Cody Rhodes Wins

Logan Paul returned to the WWE for the first time since he tore his MCL against Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel -- and the Youtuber-turned-boxer-turned-pro wrestler stole the show in his Royal Rumble debut.

Logan -- who's been out of action since November -- entered his first-ever Royal Rumble match as the second-to-last entrant (#29) ... and immediately made his impact felt.

The Maverick had one of the best spots in the match ... when he collided with WWE superstar and high-flyer Ricochet in a jaw-dropping moment, sending over 51,000 fans into a frenzy at the Alamodome in Texas.

Logan and Ricochet -- positioned on the top rope opposite one another -- launched their bodies at each other ... and collided mid-air in the middle of the ring.

The spot in the match was sick -- and the WWE universe showed their appreciation for the high-risk stunt, cheering both men for pulling off the maneuver.

Ricochet has a flair for flying off the top rope ... but the encounter between him and Logan was remarkable, considering the last time WWE fans saw Paul inside the squared circle was over two months ago.

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TMZ INVESTIGATES

Another incredible moment during the Rumble match came when Cody Rhodes, son of WWE legend Dusty Rhodes, returned to the ring after being sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle injury since June.

Cody was the last person to enter the Rumble match ... and eliminated Logan, who tossed Seth Rollins, a prohibited favorite to win the contest, over the top rope.

In the end, Rhodes came out victorious ... eliminating WWE intercontinental champion Gunther -- who spent over an hour in the match -- and punching his ticket to challenge for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium.

Yung Gravy Rick-Rolled in Court ... Sued by Rick Astley for 'Betty (Get Money)'

Yung Gravy is getting a legal Rick-rolling from the man himself ... Rick Astley is suing the up-and-coming rapper for allegedly ripping off the singer's voice from his most popular hit.

Astley filed legal docs Thursday in L.A. claiming Gravy's hugely popular "Betty (Get Money)" uses an impersonated version of his own voice from 1987's "Never Gonna Give You Up."

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Astley says Gravy and his producers -- including Dillon Francis -- "conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley's voice throughout the song." He's also suing Nick Seeley (aka Popnick), the vocal impersonator.

Astley says he never gave Gravy, or anyone involved in "Betty (Get Money)," permission to use or impersonate his voice -- and because Gravy did so, he's spoiled any future chance for Rick to collaborate with another artist in the future.

We should say, however, Gravy did license the instrumental from Astley's '80s hit ... just not his voice.

What's more ... Astley's lawsuit points to some examples where Gravy allegedly claimed he knew he was in murky territory for impersonating Rick, including an interview with Billboard where he said he "basically remade" Rick's voice, "because it makes it easier legally."

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"Never Gonna Give You Up" was a huge hit for Astley, shooting to the #1 spot. "Betty" has been Gravy's most successful song thus far -- reaching Gold in the U.S., Canada and Australia.

Astley is suing for millions of dollars.

The Miz Praises Steph's Time At WWE ... Did 'A Lot For Company'

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MAJOR DEPARTURE
TMZSports.com

The Miz is reflecting on Stephanie McMahon's time at WWE ... telling TMZ Sports he'll always be thankful for her leadership and the impact she had on his career.

"For me, she's always been one of the people you can talk to," Miz said at LAX this week. "She's done a lot for the company, and she's a really good person as well."

Miz shares one example of Steph's positive influence ... saying she green-lit one of his ideas -- The "Dirt Sheet" video series with John Morrison -- which would eventually pave the way for WWE's YouTube channel.

FYI -- WWE now has nearly 93 million subscribers on the platform ... by far the most of any sports-related account.

But, it's not just the wrestling business that impressed Miz -- he also praises Stephanie for creating Connor's Cure, a foundation specializing in pediatric cancer research. Stephanie was inspired to create the charity after Connor Michalek, an 8-year-old WWE fan died from medulloblastoma, a rare tumor that affects the brain and spinal cord.

Stephanie and her husband, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, founded the organization after Connor passed away in 2014 ... and have raised $3.8 million and assisted over 500 families worldwide, according to the org.'s official website.

As we previously reported, Stephanie resigned from her role as Co-CEO of WWE a few days after her father, Vince McMahon, returned from his sixth-month hiatus.

Despite the shakeup, Miz says he's excited about the company's future and is encouraged by the profound impact the Superstars have on people's lives.

"Whoever is at the head at the time, we're just trying to do our job as WWE Superstars to make people happy and give them something to remember."