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Star boxer Teofimo Lopez took down Vasiliy Lomachenko ... but could he do the same to the 6-foot-9 beast from "Game Of Thrones"??

Turns out ... he couldn't -- 'cause the two traded body shots during an epic training sesh this week, and Hafthor Bjornsson, AKA "The Mountain," appeared to be the winner!!

The two put down the weights and decided to do the body shot challenge in the gym for some reason, and Thor (who's entered the celeb boxing world this past year) REALLY stung Teofimo.

The footage shows Lopez -- who is a foot shorter and about 200 pounds lighter than "The Mountain" -- wasn't exactly KOed by the punch ... but he was winded and admitted, "That was good!"

When it came time for Lopez's turn ... the 5-foot-8 champ who's 16-0 with 12 knockouts on his resume -- threw a nasty right hook, but Thor appeared to absorb it well.

"That was nice!" the legendary strongman said.

The two then hugged it out -- with Teofimo raising Thor's arm.

"David vs Goliath!" Lopez said of the punch-off. "Went punch for punch with the World’s Strongest Man!"

Lopez will return to fighting people his own size later this year ... he's scheduled to get in the ring with George Kambosos Jr. in November.

As for Thor -- he's still eyeing a celeb match with his strongman rival, Eddie Hall, once the guy gets healthy again.

Ivan Douglas -- the left tackle for Ohio State's famous 2002 National Champion football team -- has died after a battle with COVID-19, his family and friends announced.

He was just 41 years old.

Douglas -- who helped block for Craig Krenzel and Maurice Clarett in the Buckeyes' epic upset win over Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl -- contracted the virus last month and was placed in the hospital shortly after.

According to a GoFundMe set up in his honor, Douglas was "purple in color and his oxygen level was at 63%" when he entered the medical facility -- and he needed to be placed into a medically induced coma a short time later.

Tragically, after weeks of fighting, Douglas' family and friends said he passed away on Thursday.

"Our family is devastated and ask for your continued love, support and prayers," a statement on Douglas' GoFundMe read.

Douglas' former teammate at OSU, Chukwuemeka Nnamdi Onyejekwe, AKA Mekka Don, also confirmed the news on Twitter ... saying, "Our good brother Ivan Douglas has passed away. Please keep his family in your prayers!"

Douglas leaves behind a wife and two children.

Swedish House Mafia is back in the house ... they're going out on tour for the first time in nearly a decade, and they've got a new single featuring The Weeknd!!!

The supergroup just announced plans for their first arena tour since 2012, and they just dropped their new track with Abel ... "Moth to a Flame."

Yes, Swedish House Mafia is back in a very BIG way ... the song with The Weeknd is their first new single since announcing their reunion, and it's going to be on their upcoming album, "Paradise Again."

The EDM hitmakers will kick off their rare tour next July down in Miami, the first of 44 stops around the United States and Europe.

But, before they go back on tour, SHM will make its grand return to live performing in April at Coachella -- which was already gonna be insane after the 2-year pandemic hiatus.

The same thing that's hurt Kate Beckinsale's career is helping Ross Butler's take off in Hollywood, and that thing is ... brain power!!! Lots of it.

We got the "13 Reasons Why" and "Riverdale" star Thursday at LAX, and considering his collegiate history, he's the perfect person to address Kate's recent reveal about her high IQ.

ICYMI ... KB told Howard Stern her intelligence has hurt her career. She wasn't specific about why, but added that doctors have said she'd be much happier if she were less brilliant.

Well, Ross -- who studied biomolecular and chemical engineering -- says he's had a much different experience. Check out his explanation for why his smarts are making him a better actor. BTW, it's not like he's playing brilliant scientists on camera.

The heartthrob also opened up about another hot topic ... his dancing session with "Outer Banks" star Madelyn Cline! Y'know, the one that had everyone thinking she'd broken up with her costar Chase Stokes?

The Philadelphia Sixers need to trade Ben Simmons ASAP, so says Charles Barkley ... telling TMZ Sports it has to happen now that the All-Star is acting like a complete "jerk" around his team.

Simmons was suspended for the team's season opener on Wednesday after 76ers head coach Doc Rivers kicked him out of practice for "detrimental conduct."

We spoke with Barkley the same day of the disciplinary action --- and he tells us that the one-game suspension won't solve the issues.

"They should've suspended him longer," the Hall of Famer says, "he's not going to be better Friday."

"Today is Wednesday, they only suspended him for a day. They should suspend him for longer. Plain and simple."

In fact, Chuck believes the Sixers should ship his ass outta town -- and is contemplating why Simmons even bothered showin' up to the Sixers' facility if he was gonna "be a jerk."

"I'm disappointed. If he wasn't gon' play, he should have never came to training camp," Chuck says.

"You don't come to work and then be a jerk. You don't practice with a cell phone in your pocket!"

Well, that trade might not come anytime soon -- 76ers GM Daryl Morey said this spectacle can last four years unless they get a "difference-maker" type of trade.

Before this costume cutie was dazzling audiences with her performances in film and television, she was just another cute kid clowning around on Halloween in Charleston, West Virginia.

This dressed-up darling is best known as an electric, award-winning actress whose roles throughout her career have ranged from heart-warming romantic comedies to action-packed dramas. Just in time to get you in the mood for spooky season, you can catch this lovable lady dancing along to Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' in one of her most popular movies.

Now, this little jokester will be trick-or-treating with three kids of her own!

The hunt for Gabby Petito's fiance, Brian Laundrie, is officially over ... the FBI says dental records prove the remains found on a Florida hiking trail match those of the 23-year-old.

Brian's remains were found Wednesday at the Carlton Reserve in North Port, FL ... only hours after the FBI uncovered some of Brian's belongings during an initial search at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.

The Laundrie family attorney tells TMZ, "Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed that the remains found yesterday in the reserve are indeed Brian’s. We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundrie’s privacy at this time."

As we reported ... Brian's parents led the FBI to the previously unexplored trail, where the feds found some articles of clothing and a backpack they believed might belong to Brian. The Medical Examiner went to the location, as well as the Pasco County Sheriff's Office's Human Remains Detection Team and a K-9.

The news comes about a month after authorities said the body they found in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park was indeed Gabby's body. The Teton County Coroner conducted an autopsy and ruled her death a homicide, with authorities saying she was strangled to death.

As you know by now ... Laundrie went on the run and had so far eluded the FBI and Dog the Bounty Hunter during a nationwide manhunt.

The Petito case, of course, gained national attention after Brian returned to his Florida home without Gabby on September 1 ... despite the fact they had taken a cross-country trip together and documented the trip on social media.

Adding fuel to the fire ... there had also been an alleged domestic disturbance while on the road in Utah and a public blowout in Wyoming that got so bad they were booted from a restaurant.

Gabby's parents said they had not heard from her since August 25 and they reported her missing on Sept. 11. Laundrie was named a person of interest just 4 days later but then came a huge twist -- he did not cooperate with authorities and his family reported him missing on Sept. 17 ... adding that they had not seen him in days.

Gabby's family called for Laundrie to turn himself in during an emotional news conference in her home state of NY.

Along the way, there were tons of alleged Brian sightings ... all over Florida and even as far as Canada. Someone alerted authorities they spotted a man on their trail camera that fit Brian's description ... albeit around 450 miles away from his North Port home -- which would be quite a journey on foot over 4 days.

The Okaloosa Co. Sheriff later said they searched the area where the image was taken but didn't find anything, or anyone, of interest. The FBI also paid Laundrie's parent's home a visit to collect some of his items for DNA matching.

Then there was this ... Dog joined the manhunt too, and he even alerted cops about a possible lead.

Tommy DeBarge -- a member of the R&B/funk band Switch -- and part of the music industry's famed DeBarge family has died.

A family member tells us Tommy has suffered from liver and kidney failure over the years, but recently took a turn for the worse. We're told he was hospitalized a couple weeks ago, and died in the hospital Thursday.

DeBarge rose to fame in Switch in the mid to late '70s -- the group recorded hits like "There'll Never Be," "I Call Your Name" and "Love Over & Over Again."

Tommy and his brother, Bobby, were founding members of the group, which had a huge influence on future bands in the genre, including DeBarge ... the group composed of their siblings.

Bobby and Tommy left Switch to mentor their younger brothers and sister in DeBarge, but Bobby died of AIDS-related complications in 1995.

Tommy was 64.

RIP

Dave Chappelle's camp says no one from Netflix has approached Chapelle or his team about setting up a meeting or conversation ... which is the opposite of what the woman who organized the Netflix walkout claims.

The comedian's rep tells TMZ ... Dave would be open to dialogue if folks from Netflix actually reach out to him for a discussion.

As we reported ... Ashlee Marie Preston says she invited Dave to come to the table to talk about the damage she and others believe he's inflicted on the LGBTQ+ community, but she said, "Dave chose not to show up."

Dave's camp tells us they're unsure why Ashlee is making those claims ... they say she NEVER reached out to him. He's not against open dialogue with any group, as he points out in his Netflix special jokes.

Dave also makes this point in his special ... empathy should go both ways and we should get away from cancel culture ... so a sit down would make sense.

Paris Hilton is bringing her crusade against abuse at troubled teen camps to Capitol Hill and she says she's proud to be fighting on behalf of alleged victims like herself.

We got Paris heading into the Capitol and asked her about the feedback she's getting from her campaign to get laws on the books banning mistreatment at youth facilities.

Paris says the response has been amazing and she's honored to be the poster child for change in this area. She's also confident better days are ahead.

Paris, who recently helped get a law passed protecting teens in Utah, sat down with federal lawmakers Thursday, including Sen. Mitt Romney.

Seems Paris is making some inroads ... Romney says he's grateful to see Paris advocating on the federal level after getting things done back in Utah.

As we reported ... Paris says she endured years of abuse when she was a teen attending boarding school in Utah, and she got emotional earlier this year while laying out her case for reforms.

Jon Gruden is finally speaking out about his barrage of homophobic, sexist and misogynistic emails ... insinuating to a reporter this month there's more to the story.

"The truth will come out," Gruden said, according to NFL insider Andrea Kremer.

Kremer revealed the former Las Vegas Raiders head coach -- who stepped down from his role following the public release of his crass messages -- made the comments recently to one of her producers, who cold-called the coach for a story on Mark Davis that the two were working on.

"He's still in Las Vegas," Kremer said of what Gruden told the producer. "He said he's letting the dust settle. He said, 'People who know me know what I stand for, for 58 years. I have a resume of 58 years.'"

"He said, 'The truth will come out.'"

Kremer acknowledged the Gruden comment was "cryptic" ... but it seems the coach did not reveal anything further.

Kremer added that Jon also questioned whether the whole drama could spell the end of his coaching career.

Gruden hadn't spoken publicly since his 2011-to-2018 emails were made public ... only saying in a statement following his release from the Raiders, "I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone."

Jon Stewart has a message for everyone pissed off at Dave Chappelle -- he's asking them to pay attention to what's in his friend's heart ... as much as what comes out of his mouth.

We got Jon as he was leaving Capitol Hill, and asked for his take on the beef between Chappelle and Netflix employees who staged a walkout Wednesday. Jon thinks there's clearly been a miscommunication, and seemed confident both sides will squash the feud ... once they start talking.

The reason he's confident? Well, Jon -- who, ICYMI, is a close friend of Dave's -- says, "I know his intention is never hurtful. He's not that kinda person."

TMZ broke the story ... Dave's team says he's ready and willing to sit down with Netflix employees who are protesting their company continuing to stream "The Closer," Dave's latest standup special. One of those employees, Ashlee Marie Preston, claimed Dave had rejected a meeting ... but Dave's camp says he's totally down for it.

Speaking of people with good intentions ... Jon was in D.C. to continue lobbying lawmakers to approve medical benefits for military veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits.

Teresa Giudice went to Greece with a boyfriend, but she's coming back with a fiancé.

The "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star just got engaged to her man, Luis Ruelas, on their European getaway. Luis popped the question at the Amanzoe Resort in Porto Heli, Greece.

According to People, he did the whole down on one knee thing while on the beach ... surrounded by candles, roses and a giant "Marry Me?" sign.

Sources tell us that before proposing, Luis went to Teresa's daughters for approval ... and they all gave their blessing.

The trip to Greece has been super romantic, even before Luis made it even more memorable for Teresa. They've been shacking up at the posh resort, going to spas, hitting the beach, dining out and doing helicopter tours.

Teresa and Luis have been creeping closer to wedding bells for a few months now. Remember, we got them out in Beverly Hills this summer and Luis told us 3 times he was planning to ask Teresa for her hand in marriage.

At the time, some thought he was just saying it because our photog kinda put him on the spot, but Luis obviously meant it.

The couple started dating last year -- they met at the Jersey Shore -- after she'd finalized her divorce from Joe Giudice ... ending 20 years of marriage.

Here's what Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie looked like on one of their final road trip stops ... and the pictures might be the last photos of them together.

The images were snapped back on the morning of Aug. 10, when Gabby and Brian were touring the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park.

It's the same scenic outlook where Gabby posted a pic on social media showing her and Brian kissing on the famous arch.

As you can tell from the never-before-seen photos ... Gabby and Brian look to be having a good time as they walk down the base of the arch.

Brian's smiling as Gabby takes a drink from her water jug ... but we now know what happened later during their cross-country road trip.

Gabby posted photos from that day on her Instagram, including one of her and Brian kissing.

Brian infamously returned home without her and her body was found in another national park 3 weeks later, with authorities saying she was strangled to death.

President Joe Biden has taken heat for his comments this weekend that he wants to spend MORE on policing -- not defunding the police as some have advocated -- and one of his top advisors says if Biden had his way several years ago, Alton Sterling would be alive today.

Cedric Richmond was on TMZ Live Thursday to outline the Prez's agenda when it comes to improvements he wants to make in training American police forces. Biden recently raised eyebrows among supporters when he said he did not want to defund the police, but instead, build them up.

Richmond says Biden wants to put more money behind cops, but spend it on things like body cams, better training and even mental health experts within departments.

Richmond tells us community policing -- where officers take the time to meet and learn about members of a community -- can potentially be life-saving ... using the killing of Alton Sterling as an example of a life that could have been spared with better policing.

A 20-year-old Tufts University lacrosse player has died ... after she tragically choked during a hot dog eating contest over the weekend.

Madelyn "Madie" Nicpon -- a junior on the Jumbos' lax squad -- was participating in a competitive eating event off-campus on Saturday when something went horribly wrong.

According to The Journal News ... authorities said Nicpon fell unconscious after choking, and was rushed to the hospital after first responders got to the scene.

Sadly, Nicpon passed away just a day later on Sunday.

"In the face of this painful loss," school officials said in a statement, "our hearts go out to Madie's family and friends."

Thousands of students came out to the campus to mourn the loss of Nicpon shortly after her death Sunday evening ... surrounding her jersey with candles and remembering her fondly.

"We are beyond heartbroken to share the news of the passing of junior Madie Nicpon -- 'Scooter,'" the Tufts lax team wrote on Instagram. "Scooter was a true friend and teammate. She truly valued her relationships with her teammates and coaches."

"Her reach was far beyond our team -- she was a true connector on campus and touched every single person she met."

They added, "We love you, Scooter. Keep dancing from above."

Nicpon had played in several games in her first two years for the Jumbos, and was expected to be a key contributor this season.