Fights

Former boxing champ Andre Ward tells TMZ Sports he's got a simple solution for Ryan Garcia's apparent woes ... stay off social media -- and start taking his upcoming fight with Devin Haney more seriously.

Garcia has a bunch of his fans -- and Ward, too -- concerned about his mental health ... after he spent a few days this past month posting some bizarre things on his X and Instagram pages.

Some of the posts included vows to expose numerous secrets about society ... as well as a video claiming something bad had happened to him.

Ward told us out in NYC this week he's noticed it all, and he's worried -- but he thinks the 25-year-old can get back on track if he simply stops hitting the send button online.

"I think the first thing is, he's got to get off social media," Ward said. "I think somebody around him gotta tell him, 'We gotta deal with this, but we not going to deal with it in the public side.'"

"It's enough to be dealing with it and struggling with it as is," he continued, "but then you gon' let the whole world in on your struggle. It's not always a wise thing to do."

Things have seemed to turn so troubling with Garcia that some of his biggest supporters have urged him to opt out of his April 20 bout with Haney ... but Ward believes he'll manage -- if his training camp goes accordingly.

"That ain't time for self-care, that's not time for counseling, that's time to get ready for war," the 40-year-old said.

"I'm praying for him and I wish him nothing but the best."

Keith Thurman is back ... and if you don't like it, oh well -- 'cause One Time says he is what boxing has been missin' and doesn't give a damn what the haters have to say!

TMZ Sports spoke with the 30-1 welterweight fighter ahead of his March 30 bout against Tim Tszyu (24-0) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

It will be his 3rd fight in the last four years ... so you can understand why many don't believe Thurman will come back and be his old dominant self, but he doesn't care.

"My haters are my real motivators!" the 35-year-old said, "So keep hatin' baby and I'ma keep pushing."

"If you're not hated out here, you not doing nothing positive in life. Everyone who does something positive in life is gonna have haters. I'm a dreamer, I'm living the dream and the haters can hate all they want."

Thurman -- who fought big stars Manny Pacquaio, Danny Garcia, and Shawn Porter -- says his long absence is felt in boxing and plans to bring back awesomeness with his return.

"I believe boxing needs Keith Thurman. I really deliver some of the greatest entertainment on that world-class scene every time they put me in the ring," Thurman said.

Thurman also has a message for the critics who never stepped into the ring ... yet have so much to say about him and other boxers.

"We put our blood, sweat, and tears into that ring," Thurman said." We step into the fire where most people, they can sit here and they can type up and make all the comments -- they wouldn't last ONE MINUTE in the ring."

"They wouldn't last one minute. They're not about that life!"

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson may not be the only boxing stars fighting on July 20 ... legendary pugilist Antonio Tarver says he wants to settle the score with rival Bernard Hopkins at Jerry's World before Iron Mike and The Problem Child go to battle!

55-year-old Tarver -- a multiple-time world champion -- joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show on Friday (airs nightly on FS1) where he threw out the challenge to The Executioner.

"If they want to put two other old guys on the undercard, I got a name in mind too, so we can all have fun with this," The Magic Man said.

Naturally, we asked ... who?!

"Everybody knows I got a bone to pick with Bernard Hopkins, ya know what I mean? He's a vegan, so he always stays in shape. So maybe we can support this big fight!"

Of course, Tarver and Hopkins famously fought in Atlantic City in June 2006 ... a fight Antonio was heavily favored to win.

But, that's not how it went inside the squared circle -- Bernard dominated the fight.

Antonio is looking for some revenge nearly two decades later.

FYI, Hopkins last fought professionally when he faced Joe Smith Jr. in December 2016. Tarver's last bout was in August 2015 against Steve Cunningham. Together the two legends have over 100 pro fights.

We also talked to Tarver about Jake and Mike ... and while many people have made the case that a near-60-year-old couldn't beat a guy in his mid-20s, that's certainly NOT how Antonio sees things.

Kevin Holland is usually trying his darnedest to stay off his back, but the UFC star will be playing a different role Saturday night, according to Michael Page, who is making his promotion debut ... 'cause Venom tells us he's going to turn Trailblazer into a wrestler!

"Any intelligent mixed martial artist, any smart mixed martial artist, 100% we've got our egos, we've got that tough bravado, but at the same time we want to win, and if it gets further and further away from looking like you're going to win, you have to change tactics," 36-year-old Venom Page told TMZ Sports.

"So, we're prepared for [Kevin] to become a wrestler. I've turned many strikers into wrestlers before, and I'm sure at some point he's gonna want to do the same."

Of course, fans who have watched 31-year-old Holland fight throughout his MMA career know he's a dangerous striker, and his opps have done nearly everything to get him off his feet and on his back ... which is what makes MVP's prediction so bold.

It's also worth noting the UFC isn't giving Page a cupcake of a first fight ... he's going straight into the fire, and that's how he wanted it!

In fact, Michael says he met with UFC execs before signing, and he expressed a desire to fight the best straight away.

"I just want to jump right in the deep end. I've been in the game long enough now to not need warm-ups. Just let me at them and let's see if I sink or swim and we go from there."

Venom, 21-2 as a pro, counts wins over the likes of Douglas Lima, Derek Anderson, and Paul Daley.

As for what he hopes to accomplish, MVP is gunning for nothing short of a title.

Page vs. Holland is far from the only big fight on the UFC 299 card ... the event is anchored by the main event, a rematch between Marlon Vera and "Suga" Sean O'Malley.

Anthony Joshua dropped Francis Ngannou three times inside two rounds ... including a massive right hand that left The Predator out on the canvas!

The 34-year-old former 2x heavyweight champion was sharp from the very start of the bout ... putting 37-year-old Francis down in the first round with a hard straight right. Ngannou returned to his feet and even landed a hard punch towards the end of the round.

In the second, AJ again knocked Francis down ... but the former UFC champ beat the count, and the round continued.

But, just a short time later, Anthony uncorked a devastating right that landed flush to Francis' face, bending him backward (similar to the way Ngannou stopped Stipe Miocic), and immediately prompting the referee to stop the fight.

No count needed.

Ngannou, as doctors and medical professionals rushed in, remained down on the canvas for a couple of minutes ... and was even given oxygen.

Thankfully, Francis eventually got back on his feet, and appeared to be okay.

Despite less than 6 minutes of fighting, AJ encouraged Francis, who pushed Tyson Fury to the brink last year, to stick with boxing.

Promoter Eddie Hearn, who has worked with many of the biggest and best in the sport, called the KO punch one of the "most destructive knockouts" he'd ever seen.

57-year-old Mike Tyson will beat 27-year-old Jake Paul, according to future UFC Hall of Famer Tyron Woodley ... and the 30-year age difference doesn't mean squat!

If anyone knows anything about fighting Jake, it's T-Wood ... who twice boxed The Problem Child in August and December 2021. Tyron's also been around fighting at the highest level for well over a decade.

So, when co-host Evan Rosenblum asked Woodley on their "Real Shhh Right Quick" show who'd win the July 20th scrap, Tyron responded like this.

"I mean I've been in the ring twice with Jake, and I don't want to get in the ring once with f***ing Mike," Woodley said.

Tyson's no doubt one of the scariest men to ever step foot in a ring, but he's nearly 60 years old, while Jake's in his athletic prime ... but Tyron thinks experience trumps age in this circumstance.

"The age is not a factor. That's a wash. Experience level is obviously going to go to Mike Tyson."

And, Woodley's being consistent ... he says if Paul can defeat Iron Mike, he deserves a hell of a lot of credit.

"If Jake Paul beats Mike, I don't give a f*** if he's 70, you're gonna have to put at last an ounce of respect on his name," Tyron said.

"Mike Tyson right now off muscle memory alone could step on the wrong eggshell and let off a combination that could kill most people. He has a power and ability to shift organs in your body if he hits you with the right force. So I think he forgot more technique than Jake Paul has ever learned in his life."

FYI, Mike last fought in November 2020 ... an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. It was scored a draw. His last professional fight was in 2005. As for Jake, he last beat Ryan Bourland by TKO on March 2 ... a few months after knocking out Andre August. He's 9-1 as a pro.

Evan made the point ... it could be a bad look for Jake, who has aspirations of being a boxing champion, if he were to get beat by an older Tyson.

T-Wood didn't agree.

"If he gets knocked out by Mike Tyson at 58, 59, 60, 71, he would join the other 99% of the regular motherf***ers on Earth, that's what I say."

If Francis Ngannou pulls off the upset win over Anthony Joshua on Friday, perhaps nobody will be happier than Drake -- 'cause the rapper just bet a small fortune on the UFC fighter to get the dub!!

Drizzy showed off his betting slip on his Instagram page just hours before the match goes down ... revealing he put a whopping $615,000 on Ngannou to beat Joshua in a boxing match in Saudi Arabia.

If it hits, Drake stands to make a ton of cash -- $1,906,500 to be exact -- and based on his IG caption, he seems confident it will all actually happen.

"Betting on a scary man," Drake said.

The fight will be just the second pro boxing one of Ngannou's career -- but, given how the first one went against Tyson Fury back in October, many think he can actually win it.

You'll recall, Ngannou -- the former UFC heavyweight champ -- roughed up Fury for most of their bout ... but lost in a controversial split decision.

One loss aside, Ngannou's seemed super confident in the leadup to this next fight -- and Drake appears to be believing the bravado.

Although Jake wanted no part of Mike in 2020 when we talked to him, Paul's opinion changed a couple of years later. In 2022, as The Problem Child was promoting his scrap with Anderson Silva, reporter Blake Beasley asked JP which legend he'd like to box ... his answer? Iron Mike!

Jake Paul has come a LONG way in the sport of boxing ... 'cause what he once considered impossible has just become his next challenge -- Mike Tyson.

TMZ Sports took a peek into our Problem Child interview archives after his fight against the legend was announced on Thursday ... and it's fascinating to see the dude's growth in just a short amount of time.

When we spoke with Jake back in 2020, we asked if he'd step foot in the ring with a boxing legend like Tyson or Evander Holyfield ... and his response was an emphatic rejection.

"Look, I'm confident, but I'm not stupid." Paul -- who had two fights under his belt at the time -- told us. "I would not go into the ring with them. Nah, no chance."

Remember, this was before Jake's viral knockouts of Nate Robinson, Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley and impressive wins over Nate Diaz and Anderson Silva ... when he was just a "silly YouTube kid" who wanted to handle his long list of celebrity enemies through boxing matches.

Now, he's one of the most famous fighters on the planet, a successful promoter and envisions becoming a world champion ... and will go head-to-head with Iron Mike in a massive event at AT&T Stadium in July.

He's accomplished way more than he ever expected ... 'cause in that same interview, he told us his goal in boxing was simply to prove that he's a "legitimate fighter" and to "earn people's respect."

The UFC just released one of the most kick-ass fight promos you'll ever see ... but it's not for Conor McGregor, Israel Adesanya or Jon Jones -- it's starring Jake Gyllenhaal!!

The Academy Award-nominated actor is portraying a former MMA fighter-turned-bouncer named Elwood Dalton in the upcoming reimagining of the cult classic, "Road House" ... and Dana White's organization is clearly going all-in on its involvement with the Prime Video project.

The promotion's social media accounts posted a 90-second clip on Thursday ... and it's all about Dalton's pursuit of a UFC championship against a dude named Jax "Jetway" Harris (played by former fighter Jay Hieron), who holds the belt at the time of the movie matchup.

It features all the great stuff any other fight promo would have -- highlights, voiceovers and training montages (shoutout to Jake's shredded bod).

Of course, the flick worked hard to make any fighting footage look legit ... even shooting scenes at a UFC event in 2023 to give it the full effect.

There are some pics out there that spoil the result of the Dalton vs. Harris fight ... but we won't do the same here so folks can enjoy it on March 21.

Jake Paul is taking on a true G.O.A.T. in his next boxing match ... 'cause the Problem Child is fighting Mike freakin' Tyson!!

The huge event was announced just minutes ago ... with the YouTuber-turned-fighter saying his bout against the 57-year-old former heavyweight champion will be the "biggest fight in history."

"It's crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson's undercard," 27-year-old Jake said on Thursday. "Now, less than four years later, I'm stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing's most notorious fighters and biggest icons."

The fight will air on Netflix ... and will take place July 20 at AT&T Stadium -- the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Jake (9-1) is fresh off two first-round knockout victories ... most recently easily defeating Ryan Bourland in Puerto Rico this past weekend.

Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champ in history at just 20 years old, defeating Trevor Berbick in brutal fashion in 1986.

He's is widely regarded as one of the hardest-hitting and most-feared pugilists to ever put on a pair of gloves ... earning a 50-6 record. His last professional fight was in 2005 against Kevin McBride.

He's remained busy in recent years ... taking an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020, a card that also featured Jake's fight against the ex-NBA star, which helped take his in-ring career to new heights.

Jake and Tyson have a bit of history -- they became friends over the years, and just two years ago, Mike said he would fight Paul for $1 billion.

Worth noting -- Jake weighed in at 199 pounds for the Bourland fight ... and Tyson is reportedly listed at 220.

Paul added ... "Whether you’re tuning in on Netflix or showing out in person, whether you're team Paul or team Tyson, or whether you’re a lifelong boxing fan or watching your first fight, you're not going to want to miss this event."

No word on whether this is a pro or exhibition bout ... but either way, they're promising fireworks.

Teresa Giudice's marriage to Luis Ruelas is doing just fine -- this despite the fact that a new trailer for an upcoming season of her show suggests otherwise ... TMZ has learned.

A source close to the couple tells TMZ that fans of 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' shouldn't be concerned for Tre and Louie -- as they've never been better as a couple. In fact ... we're told fans should be praying for the other ladies on the show -- hinting at serious drama to come (for them).

There's no shortage of intrigue in what Bravo teased in the trailer for Season 14 of 'RHONJ.' Like in previous seasons, Teresa's personal life is at the center of the new footage ... with costar Danielle Cabral alleging that the longtime reality star is "distraught" amid supposed trouble at home.

While the sneak peek does not get into many specifics -- they want you to watch, after all -- they do show a glimpse of Teresa and Louie bickering at one point. Another costar, Margaret Josephs, claims in a phone call that Louie has "pissed [Teresa's] money away."

Of course, we can't speak to the validity of this claim ... we reached out to Teresa’s attorney, James Leonard, but no word back just yet.

Still, this topic is likely a sensitive subject for Teresa. Remember, she served 11 months behind bars after pleading guilty to fraud charges back in 2014.

Her ex-husband, Joe Giudice, also pled guilty to the charges and served three years in prison before being released ... and subsequently deported. Since leaving Joe -- she's moved on and married Louie ... and on the surface, there's been no signs of trouble between 'em.

Ryan García prometió que no va a seguir con sus extraños post en redes sociales y que desde ahora no hablará de nada más que no sea boxeo porque estará muy concentrado en su pelea con Devin Haney.

TMZ Sports obtuvo otra declaración de video de King Ryan el miércoles, y aunque dice que ha recuperado el acceso a su cuenta de Instagram, dice que dejará de compartir contenidos que no tengan que ver con "boxeo, deportes y su pelea".

El clip llega poco después de que García hiciera comentarios preocupantes en X, en los que afirmó exponer numerosos secretos sobre la sociedad, entre otros temas controvertidos.

García reconoce que ha compartido "algunas cosas bastante intensas" en sus redes y aunque entiende por qué lo ha hecho, dice que de ahora en adelante solo hablará estrictamente sobre su carrera, o al menos, hasta después de la pelea.

"Eso es lo único de lo que voy a hablar y estoy entrenando para esta pelea", añadió.

García agregó que tiene "muchos guerreros", incluyendo al empresario y podcaster Patrick Bet-David, quien lo está ayudando y que estará listo para el 20 de abril.

Ryan Garcia is promising to put an end to his bizarre social media activity ... claiming he's no longer going to talk about any topics outside of boxing -- 'cause he's laser-focused on his fight with Devin Haney.

TMZ Sports obtained another video statement from King Ryan on Wednesday ... and this time around, he says he's regained access to his Instagram account, but will hold off on posting any content outside of "boxing, sports and my fight."

The clip comes shortly after Garcia made concerning comments on X ... in which he claimed to expose numerous secrets about society, among other controversial topics.

Garcia acknowledges he's shared "some pretty intense things" on his pages, and while he understands the true meaning behind it all ... he will strictly talk about his career -- at least, it seems, until after the fight.

"That's the only thing I'm gonna be talking about and I'm training for this fight," he added.

Garcia added he has "many warriors" -- including entrepreneur and podcast host Patrick Bet-David -- helping him out during camp ... and he'll be ready to go April 20.

Chrisean Rock has no plans to turn herself in over a warrant out for her arrest in Oklahoma -- saying she's got no time for jail ... as she has a son to raise.

In a new IG Live session with her fans, Chrisean addressed the open bench warrant from the Oklahoma Dept. of Corrections ... which says she's wanted in connection to an incident from 2022 there, including drug and traffic charges.

It's been known for a while that Chrisean has this little situation outstanding there halfway across the country -- remember, she's living in L.A. right now while Blueface is in jail -- and now ... she's addressing it on camera ... saying she's working on getting it resolved.

In terms of why she says she doesn't wanna just surrender and do her time ... well, Chrisean says she's got a baby now -- and she simply doesn't wanna be away from him/behind bars.

Sounds like she's not really sweating it either ... Chrisean says it's worked out for her so far.

BTW ... this isn't the only legal woe of Chrisean's -- remember, she's being sued for allegedly assaulting a dancer for Tamar Braxton here in L.A. ... who claim she battered him backstage.

Unas prostitutas tailandesas de Bangkok se enzarzaron en una pelea en el Barrio Rojo por una supuesta "guerra territorial" que involucró a la policía, ¡y las imágenes de la riña son absolutamente salvajes!

Echa un vistazo a este video que captura algunos momentos de la pelea del lunes, cuando se informó que un puñado de trabajadores sexuales de Filipinas estaba utilizando un popular hotel en la calle Sukhumvit, y al parecer, otras prostitutas querían proteger su territorio.

Los policías llegaron a la escena por una disputa con algunas de las trabajadoras filipinas, quienes fueron aparentemente acusadas de robarle clientes a las prostitutas tailandesas de la zona y cuando los policías las escoltaron fuera del edificio y hacia la calle, había una gran multitud esperando por ellas.

Ahí fue cuando empezó el alboroto: las prostitutas y los policías se enfrentaron y se lanzaron puñetazos unos con otros. Francamente, es difícil saber quién es quién aquí, pero en cualquier caso, un montón de personas recibieron golpes.

Honestamente, esto parece salido de una película. Fue un caos total.

Al final, los oficiales fueron capaces de llevar a las trabajadoras sexuales que estaban allí a la estación de policía, pero parece que todas estaban bastante maltratadas cuando entraron.

Thai prostitutes in Bangkok got into an all-out brawl in the Red Light District over a reported turf war that roped cops into the melee ... and the footage of all this is absolutely wild!

Check out this video that captures some of the highlights from Monday, where a handful of sex workers from the Philippines are reported to have been using a popular hotel on the busy Sukhumvit Road ... and, apparently, other prostitutes felt protective of their territory.

Officers were called over a dispute between some of the Filipino sex workers -- reportedly accused of stealing customers from a Thai prostitute in the area -- and as the cops escorted them out of the building and into the street ... there was a huge crowd waiting for them.

That's when the bruhaha started ... with prostitutes and cops clashing, and fists being thrown. Frankly, it's hard to tell who's who here -- but in any case, a lot of ass was kicked.

This honestly looks like something out of a movie scene ... it was that nuts and chaotic.

In the end ... the officers were able to bring the sex workers they were originally there for to the police station -- but it looks like they were all fairly roughed up as they went inside.