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Shohei Ohtani's monster 2021 season ain't just bringing awareness to MLB nationally ... the Angels superstar is opening eyes across the GLOBE -- so says Rick Ankiel.

The former St. Louis Cardinals star -- who was the last MLB player before Ohtani to have huge success as both a hitter and pitcher -- broke it all down for TMZ Sports this week ... explaining Shohei is just that electric.

"Look, there’s nothing the guy can’t do on a baseball field," said Ankiel, who Ohtani just passed on the all-time MLB home run leaderboard.

"Watching what he’s doing, it definitely is must-watch TV ... every time I see it, I stop."

Ankiel says because of Ohtani's ties to Japan ... the incredible year he's having is bringing eyeballs to the sport that may have never been brought otherwise.

"I think you’re going to have a lot of kids who are seeing him maybe for the first time on the All-Star Game, looking up to that and going out in the backyard and trying to hit like Ohtani, and pitch like Ohtani and try to be that growing up," Ankiel said.

"I think it’s fantastic."

Ohtani has a ridiculous 32 home runs already this season with a stellar .279 batting average ... and he's the clear-cut favorite for AL MVP at the moment.

Oh, and by the way, he also has a 3.49 ERA and a 4-1 record as a pitcher.

Tennessee native Russell Sams was in his mid-twenties when he was cast as the cig smoking trouble-maker Dick -- who disrupts the luncheon with Paul and their uptight moms with his loud antics and crude conversations -- in Bret Easton Ellis' 2002 dark drama "The Rules of Attraction."

Russell shared the big screen of the "American Psycho" prequel with a long list of A-List actors including Ian Somerhalder as the bisexual best friend, Paul Denton, Swoosie Kurtz as the flabbergasted mother, Mimi Jared, and Faye Dunaway as Paul's posh mom, Eve Denton.

Mr. Nice Guy is officially dead and gone -- Conor McGregor just UNLEASHED an epic amount of smack talk on Dustin Poirier at their UFC 264 press conference just minutes ago ... vowing to absolutely wreck the guy as soon as they enter the Octagon on Saturday.

Of course, Conor was unusually kind to "Diamond" before their fight back in January ... showing serious respect for Poirier and acting the complete opposite of his wild self.

But, yeah, Thursday night was WAY different.

"I'm gonna go drill his head, put holes into it and take it off his shoulders," Conor said. "That's the goal here! He's done here! This is it for him! This is the end of the road."

Both guys went at each other from the jump by getting in each other's faces -- with Conor grabbing Poirier's signature hot sauce off the table and throwing it off the stage.

Conor was later asked straight-up if he has respect for Dustin ... and he didn't hold back.

"I don't give a f*** about him to be honest," McGregor said. "I don't give a rat's ass about him. He's Buster Douglas is what he is, and that's the way he's gonna go down."

"He's gonna be known for that. It was a fluke win and I'm gonna correct it on Saturday night."

As for Dustin, he had a different tone -- "I don't hate anybody up here. I'm at a different place mentally, man. Respect to him and everything he's done."

TMZ Sports got in a few questions with Conor as well ... asking when he believes he'll be a billionaire ... and ya gotta hear what he has to say.

There's a lot of history between the guys -- Conor got the win their first go-round in 2014 ... with Poirier getting the win in January.

Steven Avery -- the man at the center of the Netflix series "Making a Murderer" -- is dealing with another personal blow ... the death of his mother.

Dolores Avery passed away Thursday morning, according to Avery's attorney, Kathleen Zellner. Zellner included a message to Avery's fans, saying, "He needs your support now more than ever." She also included his mailing address at the Waupun Correctional Institution in Wisconsin.

Steven's brother, Earl, tells us Dolores had been in hospice care for 3 weeks before her death ... ultimately passing from dementia. He said the last time she spoke to Steven was likely 8 or 9 months ago.

Dolores, who always maintained her son was innocent, died just one day before Steven's 59th birthday.

Steven and his nephew, Brendon Dassey, were convicted of killing photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005 after cops say her remains were discovered in a burn pit on the Avery family's property. Steven was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2007.

Zellner took on Steven's case in 2016, arguing he had his rights violated and detectives had gathered evidence that went beyond their search warrant. More recently, she's stated she has more witnesses that should warrant a new trial for Avery.

Zellner has asked the appeals court to put Avery's recent appeal on hold and send his case to circuit court to hear the testimony of the new witnesses.

Dolores was 83.

Tekashi69 is back on his grind to be the Internet's #1 celeb troll, and this time he's targeting Blueface over a fresh tattoo.

So, get this ... Blueface recently got a tattoo on the side of his head and it raised a lot of eyebrows because the precious real estate the "Bleed It" rapper carved on his dome was reserved for his celebrity jeweler ... NYC Luxury.

The clowning was swift ... and Tekashi got right in the mix by chiming in on DJ Akademiks' IG post with not-so-veiled comments implying Blueface is broke and can't pay for his bling.

Tekashi wrote, "He definitely owed them money for unpaid jewelry" ... followed by "NYC Luxury" and a bunch of laughing and skull emojis, as in ... dead ass laughing.

Not helping matters is the fact Blueface -- who already sports Yves Saint Laurent and Corvette logos on his head -- doesn't exactly look thrilled with the finished product.

In any event ... the trolling is a far departure from when Tekashi vowed a little over a year ago to be on his best social media behavior after being sprung from prison early.

TMZ broke the story ... Tekashi's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, said the rapper wouldn't start beef or troll other artists because the feds would be watching. Sure, 69 has no restrictions regarding his social media use ... but he still vowed not to post anything inflammatory.

That all seems to be out the window. Remember, Tekashi nearly came to blows with Meek Mill in Miami earlier this year ... and now this. It's also pretty ironic for 6ix9ine, of all people, to be commenting about anyone getting ink on their face or head. Pot and kettle much?

Joe Exotic's estranged husband has a new man in his life ... and he's letting everyone know on the heels of the 'Tiger King' star announcing he's looking for new love, too.

Joe's ex, Dillon Passage, just revealed he has a new boyfriend named John. Dillon says he intended to keep their relationship private, but adds "lately I’ve been having a hard time dealing with things happening in my life and John has been my rock and helping me get through it all."

So, Dillon shared a few pics of himself with John as an "appreciation post."

This news comes a few months after we broke the story that Dillon left Joe and the 2 were heading for divorce, but just days after Joe announced his 'Bachelor King' contest.

According to the 'Tiger King' star, the contest is for men -- over 18 only -- who can fill out an application online to possibly be the next romance in his life ... once he's out of prison, of course.

What's interesting ... Joe says the situation with Dillon, his current husband, is still "up in the air," though he implies Dillon no longer wants to be married to him.

Our sources say official divorce paperwork has still not been filed, and Dillon tells us ... "Joe and I are still on great terms and supportive of each other. We will always be in each other's lives."

Kim Kardashian now has legal protection against the man who allegedly showed up to her home on multiple occasions and sent a package containing Plan B and a diamond ring ... thanks to a restraining order.

KK filed docs Wednesday against Nicholas Costanza, whom she claims is the person who disturbingly shipped Plan B pills and an engagement ring to her home earlier this month ... a package that was intercepted by Kim's security team.

In her filing -- from attorney Shawn Holley -- Kim says Costanza has shown up to her property a handful of times this year ... including once in February, and then again in late May. She claims he sprung up at her gated community, telling guards he was there to pick her up for dinner on one occasion.

On top of the alleged behavior ... Kim says Costanza's been obsessing over her online as well -- posting a bogus marriage cert and other bizarre messages, alluding to her waiting for her "knight in shining armor" (which he clarified as himself).

A judge agreed with Kim's concerns and granted the temporary order ... Costanza will have to stay at least 100 yards away and refrain from contact.

This ain't the first alleged stalker who's been trying to get at her either -- remember, she filed for and received a separate restraining order against another man who said he was just dying to get into her pad.

Shannon Beador wants diet pill companies to keep her name out of their mouth, and her face off their Facebook and Instagram ads ... and now she's suing to make it happen.

The 'Real Housewives of Orange County' star filed suit against FB, which also owns IG, claiming third-party vendors are using her good name to hawk dietary supplements on the social media platforms and tricking customers into thinking she endorses the products.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Shannon claims at least 15 vendors are using her name, image and likeness to prop up their products ... even though she says she has no connection whatsoever with the companies.

In her suit, Shannon claims the whole operation is a big scam ... and she says it's undermining her career, sullying her good name and making it harder for her to endorse brands she actually likes.

Juvenile's the first to admit he was skeptical when a dating app reached out about collaborating, but that faded when he heard the end goal was educating his community about the COVID-19 vaccine.

The New Orleans rapper joined "TMZ Live" Thursday and explained how and why the collaboration with the dating app BLK came together. He tells us he was all in soon after hearing the dating app's mission to get users vaccinated before going on dates.

Enter Juvenile's "Vax That Thang Up" ... a remix to his 1999 classic, and still a club banger, "Back That Thang Up." The rapper thought the remix was a brilliant idea.

Juvenile probably didn't need too much convincing considering the staggering numbers. Remember, early on during the vaccine roll out there was serious hesitancy and mistrust ... with only 14% of African-Americans trusting the vaccine is safe.

New figures also show COVID cases (18%) and hospitalization rates (11%) jumped exponentially among African-Americans in L.A. County alone between mid-May and mid-June.

But, while vaccination rates have gotten better among African-Americans ... misinformation looms, which leads to hesitancy. But, as Juvenile says, he hopes the remix calms fears -- and, in fact, he told us how it's already impacted someone close to him.

Michael Avenatti was just sentenced to 30 months in his Nike extortion scheme case.

A very emotional Avenatti appeared in court Thurdsay in NYC where the sentence was handed down, on top of the 30 months, he'll also have 3 years of supervised release. The sentence is light considering the recommended sentence was 108-135 months ... a recommendation the judge called "excessive."

Avenatti addressed the court during the hearing, having to stop several times while he fought through tears. At one point, he said, "I betrayed my profession. I became driven by the things that don’t matter in life. Over the last 2 years, I have often thought to myself, why did this need to happen? What lessons am I supposed to learn from this experience, from what I’ve done?"

He continued, "Your honor, I’ve learned that all the fame, notoriety and money in the world is meaningless. TV & Twitter mean nothing. Everyone wants to ride in a limo with you but very few are willing to sit next to you on the bus."

The disgraced attorney was given a surrender date of September 15.

As we reported ... Avenatti was arrested and charged with trying to extort $20 million out of Nike. The feds had claimed the infamous lawyer told Nike's legal team that if they didn't pay him between $15 million and $25 million he would hold a news conference and allege misconduct by employees at the shoe company.

According to the criminal complaint ... Avenatti had demanded Nike hire him to conduct an internal probe for the enormous salary. Prosecutors said Avenatti was repping a client who was the coach of an AAU basketball team. They said Avenatti gave Nike the option to not hire him but pay $22.5 million to resolve the dispute and buy his silence.

Prosecutors would later allege the Nike scheme played out over the course of a few days back in March 2019. Prosecutors said Avenatti repped an AAU coach whose team had just lost a Nike sponsorship worth $72k a year.

The coach had claimed Nike made payments to families of some HS basketball players ... and Avenatti had allegedly demanded payment from the shoe giant to keep him quiet.

Avenatti was ultimately arrested at the location where he was supposed to meet with Nike brass ... presumably to iron out a deal or keep the convo going.

Prosecutors also have conversations and video recordings ... in which they allege Avenatti made threats. Avenatti also allegedly told Nike he had them by "the balls."

Avenatti's also facing fraud charges after prosecutors in California claim he embezzled client money to cover expenses for his coffee corporation. He's also alleged to have committed bank fraud by submitting false tax returns to get $4.1 million in loans.

Ex-NBA superstar Dwyane Wade is paying his respects to the victims of the devastating Surfside condo building collapse on Thursday ... getting emotional and meeting with those participating in search and recovery efforts.

The Miami Heat legend visited the memorial fence set up to honor the 60 victims of the collapse ... leaving a touching message of support for those grieving.

"Sending prayer, love, strength and healing ..." Wade etched on the memorial ... adding his autograph and "Miami Heat" underneath.

The future Hall of Famer -- who's beloved in South Florida -- was moved by the visit ... putting his hand to his face as he's overcome with emotion.

Wade also gave an inspiring speech to the South Florida Urban Search and Rescue team on Thursday ... thanking them for their service and stepping up to help after the incident.

Of course, there have been several Miami pro athletes showing support following the tragedy -- from Heat guard Tyler Herro to Dolphins players Jaylen Waddle and Jerome Baker and more joining the effort to help those affected over the past few weeks.

Britney Spears shouldn't have to foot the bill for round-the-clock security guards for Jodi Montgomery, her personal conservator ... at least according to Britney's dad.

Jamie Spears filed an objection to Montgomery's request for increased security in the wake of what she calls a flood of death threats since Britney testified. Jamie's reaction to that is, basically ... welcome to the club.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Jamie says he's been getting threats for years, as has Brit's attorney, Sam Ingham, and others connected to the conservatorship. He's not totally cold-hearted, though, saying the court should evaluate how much security is necessary to keep Jodi and others involved safe.

He bristles at the cost for 24/7 security -- which Jodi herself estimated at more than $50k per month -- and says the estate can't afford that kinda cost for multiple people over an extended period. Jamie also says if the estate covers that expense for Jodi, there will be others coming forward with similar pricey requests for protection.

TMZ broke the story ... there's already tension between Jamie and Jodi because he suggested she's to blame for most of what Britney complained about in her testimony. His rejection of her demand for protection won't help.

According to the docs, Jamie suggests Jodi and the court should consider other security measures ... such as calling the local Sheriff's department -- something Jodi herself says she's already done.

Marilyn Manson's no longer a fugitive from the law in New Hampshire -- he turned himself in for an alleged concert spitting incident in 2019, was booked, and was released.

As we told you ... the shock rocker's facing 2 counts of misdemeanor simple assault for an alleged run-in with a videographer at a show at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in August 2019.

Authorities first issued the arrest warrant in October 2019, but back in May said he had been dodging them. His legal team disputed that, claiming Manson had been in contact with cops since the warrant was issued.

Either way, the Gilford PD in N.H. tells TMZ ... Manson turned himself in to law enforcement in L.A. last Friday for the alleged concert acts, and was released on personal recognizance bail.

He has now been released under the conditions that he won't commit any crimes while on release, won't have any contact with the alleged victim, and will appear at all of his court hearings.

As we told you ... video from the concert shows Manson sticking his face right in the camera lens, and unloading a huge wad of spit. Gilford PD told us the alleged victim suffered "no injuries," but Manson was charged because the spitting constitutes "unprivileged physical contact."

Of course, this is far from the musician's only legal issue right now. He's also been sued by 4 women for sexual assault in the past few months.

The guy who unleashed that racist tirade on his Black neighbor -- before getting hauled away by cops -- could have more trouble on the horizon ... as prosecutors in New Jersey dig into past allegations of similar incidents.

Sources with direct knowledge of the case tell TMZ ... Edward Cagney Mathews is being investigated by the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office ... not just for last week's ugly run-in and arrest, but for several other allegations -- including a 2016 confrontation with a Black woman named Jazmyn Jene.

Jazmyn tells us she exchanged words with Mathews within the condo community where they both lived, and she captured a good chunk of their wild -- and seemingly threatening -- interaction on camera.

In the video, Mathews openly claims to have cops in his back pocket, and he's giving Jazmyn 2 options: handle a dispute they were having cordially, or legally. He strongly suggests the legal route won't work, because he's so tight with cops ... they wouldn't do anything to him.

Eventually, things get racial -- Jazmyn accuses him of hurling the n-word -- which Mathews somewhat denies by clarifying he did use the word, but not the way she's suggesting. You can see in the video ... it's a pretty weak defense.

Now, she says she did report the incident at the time, but nothing came of it. However, since Mathews' arrest -- as scores of angry neighbors jeered and hurled objects -- Jazmyn says investigators have apologized to her for not acting earlier.

We're told Jazmyn has shared the video of her run-in with Mathews with law enforcement, and it will be included in prosecutor's expanded probe.

There will be no fans allowed to watch Olympians perform in-person at the Games this summer ... spectators have now been banned from the Tokyo Olympics due to COVID-19.

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga just declared a state of emergency in Tokyo ... after people in the heavily populated area have seen a spike in coronavirus cases.

Suga said Thursday the state of emergency -- and the heavy restrictions that come with it -- will be in place through Aug. 22.

The Games are scheduled to run from July 23 to Aug. 8.

"The number of infected cases in the area including Tokyo has been increasing since the end of last month," Suga said.

"The number of severe cases and bed occupancy rate continues to be on the low level, but considering the impact of variants, we need to enhance countermeasures so that the infection will not spread nationwide."

The Tokyo Olympics had already been postponed from 2020 to 2021.

Olympics officials apologized Thursday to those who had tickets to the event.

The wife of "American Pickers" star Michael Wolfe is picking a whole new lane, as in the single lane ... 'cause she's quietly filed for divorce from the reality star.

Jodi Catherine Wolfe filed docs on their home turf of Williamson County, Tennessee back in November after nearly 10 years of marriage. She cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. They got married back on September 7, 2012 in Franklin, TN.

Seems the marriage had been on the fritz for a while before Jodi pulled the trigger .... 'cause she listed June 2020 as the date of separation.

In any event ... they will have to hammer out a child custody agreement for their 9-year-old daughter. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Jodi says their kid lives with her.

Michael -- dubbed "The Jack Kerouac of Junk" by the New York Times -- co-hosts the popular History Channel series that's currently in season 22. The show follows Michael and his longtime pal/co-host Frank Fritz around the country in search of valuable antiques.