Boxing

Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury will literally go down as one of the greatest fights ever, according to Mike Tyson, who says both fighters "reached all time great status" on Saturday.

If you watched the fight this weekend, you surely see Tyson's point. The two giant heavyweights went at it from the start, each dropping the other fighter multiple times throughout the fight.

Fury ultimately prevailed ... KO'ing Wilder in the 11th.

"Fury vs Wilder fight will go down as one of greatest," Tyson said on Tuesday via Twitter, "Not for skill but for action and excitement. That fight was all guts, heart & determination," Tyson says.

"Everybody won Saturday night. The fight was bigger than the hype. Both of them reached all time great status."

Tyson doesn't stop there -- he also gives major kudos to Wilder's new coach Malik Scott, who replaced longtime trainer Mark Breland after the February 2020 rematch loss.

"Wilder’s coach Malik Scott won the night with great coaching. When you are an amateur you have a coach, they nurture you, guide you and are with you every step of the way."

"Once you turn pro you get a trainer. A trainer is in your life as long as the checks are coming."

"A coach is with you for the rest of your life. A coach feels every punch you take and give too."

Tyson Fury, 2-time heavyweight champion of the world, undefeated (31-0-1) with wins over Deontay Wilder (twice) and Wladimir Klitschko ... the greatest heavyweight ever?!?

Hell no, according to Oscar De La Hoya ... who, standing with his girlfriend Holly Sonders, tells TMZ Sports the Gypsy King is certainly one of the greatest of this generation -- but not the best ever.

"Of all-time? All-time? So, you're disrespecting Muhammad Ali?" the former 6 weight class world champ fired back at our guy.

FYI, 6'3" Ali finished his legendary career with a 56-5 record ... with wins over George Foreman, Sonny Liston (twice), Joe Frazier (twice), and Ken Norton (twice).

For what it's worth, just minutes later, Ali's grandson, pro fighter Nico Ali Walsh told us Fury was a top 5 heavyweight ... and a bout between TF and his grandpa would be the greatest fight ever.

So, maybe not that crazy of a question.

Even if De La Hoya isn't ready to put Fury above Ali ... he still believes the trilogy fight was incredible.

"I thought it was a beautiful fight. I'm happy that Tyson and the Bronze Bomber gave us an amazing performance," Oscar said.

"I promoted the Bronze Bomber for 40 fights, and he always had a heart. So, I'm glad that they gave us a beautiful fight."

Muhammad Ali vs. Tyson Fury would be the GREATEST FIGHT OF ALL TIME ... period, so says The Greatest's grandson, professional boxer Nico Ali Walsh.

TMZ Sports talked to the 21-year-old, 1-0 boxer ringside following the Fury-Deontay Wilder trilogy fight ... and we asked him how Fury would've fared against his legendary grandfather.

"That would be my favorite fight to watch. That would be the greatest fight of all time. The press conferences would sell out, the weigh-ins would sell out. The fight would sell itself," Ali Walsh said.

Okay, okay ... this obviously is nothing more than a fantasy matchup, a dream fight ... but it's fun to imagine.

Picture Fury and Ali -- 2 of the best talkers the sport has ever seen -- on the mic before the fight. Then, once in the ring ... wow.

We also asked Nico where Fury ranks all-time ... and it's clear how highly the young fighter thinks of the Gypsy King.

"I’ve always said that Tyson Fury is the greatest Heavyweight of my era, and I gotta say that Deontay is number two. And that's what Tyson said. It was an amazing fight tonight."

But, where does Tyson rank all-time?

"I’d put him in the top five heavyweights of all-time. He’s unlike any other heavyweight." Ali Walsh told us.

And, who'd win that fantasy matchup between Fury and Ali?

Well, Nico has an idea ... but even he admits he might not be the most objective her.

"I'm biased, but I'd say my grandfather all the way."

Who's next for Tyson Fury?? Could be Andy Ruiz, if the former heavyweight champion gets his way ... telling TMZ Sports he'd love to fight the Gypsy King next!

We got 32-year-old Ruiz leaving the T-Mobile Center in Las Vegas, right after the epic Deontay Wilder-Fury fight ended, and we asked if he had interest in facing Tyson next.

"Of course. Right now, everybody is eliminating each other. So, I just got off of surgery, but I’ll be back in December, January," Ruiz says.

The Destroyer continued ... "I have other belts but I’m just missing the one and that's the WBC. That’s what we're aiming for."

Fury has clearly stamped himself as the world's top heavyweight.

He beat Wilder -- who many believe is the 2nd best heavyweight alive -- in back-to-back fights.

Anthony Joshua would've without a doubt been the guy to face Fury next ... had he not just lost to Oleksandr Usyk. The men are expected to rematch sometime next year. If Joshua wins, the fight with Fury could be back in play for late next year, or early/mid 2023.

Dillian Whyte and Otto Wallin -- who pushed Fury to the brink in 2019 -- are fighting later this month ... and the winner would be Tyson's mandatory challenger.

As for Ruiz ... he's been recovering from knee surgery. He last fought in May 2021 ... beating Chris Arreola by unanimous decision.

Of course, Andy previously shocked the world, beating Joshua as a huge underdog in June 2019.

If Ruiz and Fury were to fight ... the Gypsy King (6'9") would have a massive size advantage over Andy (6'2").

Lamar Odom might have his next boxing opponent ... 'cause O.T. Genasis tells TMZ Sports he'd consider stepping in the ring with the NBA champ -- if the money's right.

41-year-old Lamar is fresh off whooping J.Lo's ex-hubby, Ojani Noa, in his second-ever Celebrity Boxing bout ... and has already been called out by Benzino.

When we spoke with O.T. at Rajon Rondo's Tacos AF event earlier this week, we had to ask if he would be putting his name on the list of Lamar's future opponents ... and hey, he didn't say no.

In fact, he tells us he's been training privately for years ... and hints he might be too skilled for the hooper.

Genasis wouldn't give us a guarantee on the fight ... but if you can read between the lines, you can tell he's highly confident in the hypothetical bout.

Genasis -- who would be a LOT shorter and lighter than LO -- says he'd take the fight very seriously ... and would need to spend countless hours in the gym in order to be ready to compete.

Adrien Broner was sitting in a jail cell early Sunday morning -- 'cause the guy got picked up by cops in one state ... for being wanted in another.

The boxer was arrested and booked around 1 AM, getting hauled into the Kenton County Jail in Kentucky ... where he posed for this mug shot. The charges he got rung up on upon entry ... fugitive from another state, from which a warrant was required.

No word on the circumstances of how cops stumbled upon Broner to begin with, but they did.

It's unclear exactly what case this warrant stems from -- but it does originate in Cuyahoga County (where Cleveland is) ... and could well be in relation to a lawsuit he lost in that jurisdiction about a year ago, when a woman claimed he'd assaulted her in a nightclub.

That case has been ongoing for quite some time -- and Broner was even tossed into jail late last year after the judge found him to be in contempt for failing to pay an $800k judgment and comply with the rest of his requirements. At the time, he claimed he was broke.

He's had other run-ins with the law since then -- in Ohio as well, no less -- but the assault suit appears to be his only one in Cleveland. Per online court records, Broner has failed to enter a treatment program ... spurring the warrant.

Tyson Fury just knocked out Deontay Wilder in the 11th round ... in what was one of the greatest heavyweight fights of all time! Which, of course, was followed by an epic after-party.

The fight was amazing ... 33-year-old Fury dropped 35-year-old Wilder in the 3rd round. Deontay beat the count ... and despite being on shaky legs, made it through the end of the round.

However, in the 4th ... the Bronze Bomber finally connected with a hard, straight right, sending Fury to the canvas. Tyson got up ... and Wilder pressed the issue, unloading a combination on Fury, again dropping him. The Gypsy King survived.

The middle rounds mostly belonged to Fury ... as Wilder appeared to be the more tired man.

In the 10th, Fury connected with a heavy right that knocked down Deontay. Again, Wilder showing incredible heart, got up ... and actually ended the round with a flurry of punches, pinning Fury into the corner.

In the 11th, with Wilder down on the scorecards, Fury again landed a big right, sending Deontay to the canvas.

The ref didn't count ... immediately stopping the fight.

It was the third time the boxers faced each other in the ring. Their first fight was declared a draw. Fury KO'd Wilder in the rematch. And the third fight again belonged to Fury ... now the #1 heavyweight in the world, without question.

The fight was absolutely electric ... and both men displayed amazing will and determination.

As for the ring walks ... they were also extravagant.

The Las Vegas crowd was star-studded ... with everyone from Magic Johnson, Michael Strahan, Shaquille O'Neal and Vince Vaughn sitting ringside.

Social media was also buzzing ... with stars like LeBron James tweeting about the instant classic.

"HELLUVA FIGHT!!! CLASSIC #FuryWilder3," the NBA superstar said.

After the fight, Fury -- as is tradition for the Gypsy King -- belted out a rendition of "Walking In Memphis" ... remixed for Vegas.

Tyson also said he attempted to bury the hatchet with Wilder ... but claimed Deontay wouldn't shake his hand. Fury said he was going to pray for Wilder.

Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury won't be the only stars in the building on fight night Saturday ... TMZ Sports has learned a TON of celebs are hittin' Sin City to take in the boxing match too!!

Actors Vince Vaughn, Michael B. Jordan and Michael J. Fox will have ringside seats at T-Mobile Arena, we're told. NBA ballers Draymond Green and Damian Lillard are set to be in attendance as well.

Rapper Fat Joe, TV star Mario Lopez and chef Wolfgang Puck are expected to be there too, while boxers Shakur Stevenson and Terence Crawford are set to watch their peers duke it out as well.

We're told Raiders owner Mark Davis, rapper Nas and cycling legend Lance Armstrong also couldn't stay away from Vegas, and will be at the fight too.

Of course, all of the guys are expected to see quite the show ... 'cause Fury and Wilder have both been promising a great fight in their third matchup.

Remember, Wilder and Fury fought to a draw back in 2018 ... but Fury demolished the Bronze Bomber in their rematch in Feb. 2020.

Wilder has said he's much improved since that fight, though ... and predicted a knockout within 3 rounds on Saturday.

Fury, meanwhile, laughed off that prediction and promised to inflict pain on Wilder.

IT'S HAPPENING!!!

Tommy Fury is putting an end to his standoff with Jake Paul ... telling the YouTube superstar to send over a fight contract ASAP -- 'cause he's ready to put him on a stretcher!!

Jake and Tommy have been going back and forth for months ... with the latter recently shutting down a $1 million offer, claiming he was being lowballed.

Just when all hope seemed lost, Tommy has finally agreed to Jake's most recent offer ... and while the total dollar amount has not been revealed, it's clear Fury is happy with it.

"Get that sent over to my lawyers ASAP, right now, we'll get that looked at and sorted because there's not a chance in hell you're winning this fight," Fury said Thursday.

"You're leaving on a stretcher. You’re getting knocked spark out and you know it. Get it over to me now."

Respect isn't the only thing in the line here -- Tommy could literally be fighting for his family name as well.

According to the contract Jake posted, Fury would legally have to change his name to "Tommy Fumbles" if he loses ... which is a nod to the nickname Paul and his fanbase have been calling him after he "fumbled the bag" for turning down the $1 million.

If he wins, Tommy would get an extra $500k in his pocket.

No word on when the fight will happen ... but it can't come soon enough.

The agreement comes right after Tommy's superstar brother, Tyson, told TMZ Sports he wanted to see the fight happen pronto ... telling both sides to "grow some balls" and make it happen.

Tyson Fury's sick and tired of the back and forth between his bro, Tommy, and Jake Paul ... telling both fighters to "grow some balls" and fight already!!

There's been a lot of bickering between the two fighters on social media recently ... with Jake publicly offering a $1 million payday (an amount TF claimed was not even worth getting out of bed for).

With negotiations reportedly picking back up again, TMZ Sports asked the Gypsy King himself for his thoughts on Jake vs. Tommy ... and he wants this fight to go down just as bad as the rest of us!!

"The fight is supposed to be happening," Tyson told us this week. "Both guys keep talking about it, so they better step up and show some balls and actually do the fight."

"I'm sick of all the talk about a fight that doesn't happen, so let's get it on! Let these 2 go to war. Put on a show for the fans. Everybody wants to see it!"

Tyson -- who has his own highly-anticipated trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder on Saturday -- gives props to the Problem Child's success so far in the boxing world ... applauding his undefeated record.

So ... if both guys sign on the dotted line, is Tyson gonna show up??

Deontay Wilder tells TMZ Sports he's gonna knock Tyson Fury's ass out in 3 rounds or less when the 2 gigantic heavyweights square off Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Fury's response??

"Ya little b***h. Turn up and fight. Get me knocked out in 3 rounds ya little p***y. How about that for a message?"

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Yeaaaa, if you needed another reason to watch the 2 best heavyweights in the world beat the hell out of each other ... ya got one, because the Wilder and Fury trash talk has turned personal.

We asked Wilder for a prediction ... and if the 35-year former heavyweight champ is right, Saturday looks like it'll be a short workday for the Bronzer Bomber.

"Leave it up to my trainers, they believe 5 and under," Wilder said, "I'm gonna go with 3, lesser than 3."

"Ya know when people come to see heavyweights, that's what they wanna see. They don't wanna see no 12-round fight."

33-year-old Fury, as you might expect, disagrees with Deontay's prediction ... and did a little prognostication of his own.

"Prediction? yeah, pain! Pain! A lot of pain!"

Of course, this'll be the third time DW and TF have scrapped. The first fight in 2018 was ruled a draw. Fury won the second fight in 2020 by TKO in the 7th round.

2020 costume controversy be damned ... Deontay Wilder is still planning to wear a unique walkup 'fit for his trilogy fight with Tyson Fury, but TMZ Sports has learned it'll be "significantly lighter" this time around.

Wilder had -- at least partially -- blamed his extravagant pre-fight wardrobe for his last loss to Fury in Feb. 2020 ... saying the weight of his battery-powered laser attire affected his legs.

But, Wilder ain't quitting on the costume idea just because of that ... so say designers Cosmo and Donato, who tell us The Bronze Bomber already has a new, extravagant look ready to go for the fight this weekend.

C&D -- who created the 2020 piece and others for Wilder -- say they've designed a cool, yet "significantly lighter," outfit for the Oct. 9 tilt ... and promise there will be no issues whatsoever surrounding this one.

"It's going to be significantly lighter," Cosmo said, "So, we don't have any drama at all."

C&D tell us Deontay has already tried on the costume -- modeling it in their store two weeks ago -- and the fighter has made sure it'll have no effect on his ability to punch Fury on Saturday night.

"He looks so amazing," Cosmo tells us. "He was so happy ... The outfit fits perfectly and he's ready to slay!"

C&D wouldn't reveal the whole costume to us ... but they did say it took 3 weeks to make, and features a special red and black theme.

"It's red and black from the Nigerian tribe," Cosmo says. "The red means funeral -- it's going to be Tyson Fury's funeral the next fight."

The Jake Paul retirement count is now up to 2 -- or at least 1.5 -- 'cause the YouTube superstar says he's "temporarily" leaving the sport to enjoy his hot girlfriend and shoot some guns until someone steps up to fight him.

24-year-old Paul -- who set his location on IG to "Dorado Beach East, Puerto Rico" -- says he's "on vacation until further notice" ... and posted pics getting mushy with Julia Rose, taking bubble baths, soaking in the pool and shooting at the gun range to prove it.

This ain't the first time the Problem Child has threatened to hang his gloves up -- remember, he claimed he was "retired" back in August after whooping Tyron Woodley in Cleveland.

But, it's a bit different this time around ... 'cause Jake says his hiatus is only until someone steps up and agrees to fight him.

It's clearly a shot at Tommy Fury, who's refusing to agree to a $1 million payday ... claiming he's being lowballed big time.

Woodley surely seemed committed to a rematch -- he even got an "I Love Jake Paul" tattoo in hopes of keeping his chances alive -- but it's unclear if JP reopened talks with the ex-UFC champ.

No word on how long this retirement will last ... but considering his previous stint lasted a whopping one day, we're fairly certain he'll be back very soon.

In the meantime, enjoy retirement, Jake!!

When Andy Ruiz gets a full backside tattoo, the boxing star goes all in -- neck, back ... and even butt cheeks!

The former heavyweight champ showed off new back ink Monday ... and it's HUGE -- stemming from the top of his neck to the bottom of his bum.

Ruiz got the piece done by Ish Tattoos ... and it's some seriously impressive work -- especially considering Andy's 6 feet 2 and nearly 300 pounds.

The tat artist documented some of the work on his social media page ... saying it took two full sessions to complete.

Ruiz got a big warrior with wings inked under his previous "Victorious" tat ... and he also added a neckpiece with the bible verse, "Corinthians 15-57."

Andy was clearly happy with the results ... captioning a photo of the artwork, "Back and cheeks done hahaha. Thanks to my boy Ish Tattoos."

Unclear when we'll see Ruiz show off the new ink next in the ring ... he's coming off a big May victory over Chris Arreola -- and is reportedly gunnin' for Luis Ortiz or Charles Martin next.

Claressa Shields says a knockout isn't enough for her 2nd MMA fight ... she's trying to BREAK BONES, telling TMZ Sports she's been putting in a ridiculous amount of work in the gym, and is ready to go!

26-year-old Shields -- regarded by many as the greatest female boxer in the world -- is set to return to the cage for her 2nd MMA fight on October 27 at a big PFL event in Hollywood, FL ... taking on 21-year-old Abigail Montes.

"She a decorated amateur kickboxer. Even though she only has 2 fights in MMA, she's been kickboxing for I don't know how many years in Mexico," Claressa says.

"She comes forward with a lot of punches, so, we're definitely gonna see a very, very entertaining fight and I know I'm gonna handle business and I'm trying to break Abigail's jaw, for sure."

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Shields flashed potential in her first MMA fight against Brittney Elkin in June ... winning via 3rd round TKO. However, she faced adversity ... repeatedly being taken down by the more experienced MMA fighter.

We asked Claressa how much time she's spent defending the takedowns ... and lets just say she's really been bustin' her ass.

"Every day. Every day. That's something we work on every single day, and I've gotten very good at it. Very good."

But, Shields isn't just working on her defense ... she tells us she's also drilled her takedown offense AND kick game.

"If I can stop the takedown, a lot of people's in trouble. If I can go for the takedown, people are in trouble. When I start adding those kicks to my punches, people are in trouble."

Big trouble.

Lamar Odom didn't get the knockout he predicted, but the NBA champ looked good in the boxing ring Saturday night, beating up Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband, Ojani Noa ... before being called out by Benzino!

41-year-old Odom beat 47-year-old Noa, who was hitched to Lopez from 1997-1998, by decision in a 3-round exhibition Celebrity Boxing fight in Miami, FL.

6'10" Lamar had a 9-inch height advantage over J Lo's 6'1" ex-hubby ... and wisely used his length to stay on the outside and jab Ojani, keeping him at a distance where Noa couldn't get close enough to hit Odom.

Even though he didn't get the stoppage, Lamar looked considerably better than in his first fight in June against Aaron Carter.

Odom knocked out the pop star in the second round.

Noa, who is in good physical shape, clearly presented a tougher challenge.

But, 56-year-old Benzino, who was calling the fight ringside for FITE, clearly didn't think Lamar looked very good.

"I wasn't impressed with that fight," Benzino yelled in the ring following the bout, "I want a shot at the champ!"

The champ ... at least unofficially is Lamar Odom.

And, there's a good chance this fight will go down. Celebrity Boxing tells TMZ Sports the hip-hop star is under contract to fight in March.

Of course, we broke the story on Saturday ... Odom recently became a part-owner of Celeb Boxing and told us he was willing to continue fighting.

Lamar Odom vs. Benzino would make for an interesting fight ... if CB can hammer out all the details.