Boxing

The son of late boxing star Tommy Morrison is proving power ain't a trait that skips a generation ... after Kenzie Morrison dominated his bareknuckle boxing opp last weekend -- and now he's calling out one of the biggest names in the sport!

TMZ Sports talked to 34-year-old Morrison, a 22-1-2 pugilist who just won his first BKFC scrap after putting Alex Davis down and out in just 63 seconds.

With a win under his belt, Kenzie's hoping to lure a big-name fighter into the squared circle -- Jake Paul!

Here's the chance to live like a Golden Boy -- Oscar De La Hoya is putting his Las Vegas area mansion on the market ... and speaking of gold, you're gonna need a lot of it if you're interested in snagging the pad!!

TMZ Sports is told the former boxing champion is open to parting ways with his beautiful property, which he purchased back in 2022.

The home is in a guarded and gated community in Henderson ... and comes with five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and a 270-degree view of the entire Las Vegas skyline.

Julius "Juju" Ballo is determined to prove he's not just a Team USA amateur boxer with 614k Instagram followers ... telling TMZ Sports he will light up the ring like fireworks at his pro debut next month.

Ballo -- who won the USA National Championships in 2021 and 2022 -- will face 2-0 Brandon Ayala at Madison Square Garden on July 26 ... the first professional fight of his boxing career.

"I'm blessed," the 22-year-old said, "and excited to put on a great performance for the fans."

Former UFC star Ben Askren is still deep in the throes of a battle with pneumonia, his family said on Thursday morning.

In a message to TMZ Sports, Askren's loved ones confirmed the 40-year-old is "definitely still fighting" for his life.

They added, "He is alive and any rumor he has died is completely false."

Amy, Askren's wife, revealed back on June 7 that Ben had been hospitalized after he had "developed severe pneumonia." She indicated the situation was dire -- writing on her Facebook page Ben was "unable to respond to anything at this time."

Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford will be just like Jake Paul and Mike Tyson -- at least in one way ... their super fight is going to be streamed on Netflix!!

UFC honcho Dana White -- who is helping promote the fight -- dropped the announcement on his X account on Tuesday ... expressing his excitement to be involved in this event.

"Are you kidding me the first boxing fight I'm going to promote is Canelo vs Crawford," he wrote. "Live on Saturday, September 13, streaming globally on Netflix, two of the GREATEST boxers in the sport will meet in a historic fight from Las Vegas."

Devin Haney says he's moving on from his scrapped fight with Teofimo Lopez ... and while he wouldn't directly address whether Ryan Garcia is part of his future plans, he tells TMZ Sports he's now setting his sights on the "best fighters in the world."

We caught up with the 32-0 welterweight fighter at LAX this week ... fresh off the news that Lopez (22-1) opted out of their bout slated to go down on August 16 in Saudi Arabia.

Lopez's team said it was due to "personal reasons" ... but Haney isn't buying it, claiming "the proof is in the pudding."

Mike "The Bodysnatcher" McCallum -- a former professional boxer -- has died ... according to multiple reports.

The Jamaican athlete passed away Saturday while he was on his way to the gym in Las Vegas, according to the The Jamaica Observer. The outlet claims he fell ill and pulled over to the side of the road where he was eventually found by deceased by police.

His cause of death has not been reported ... and, we've reached out to Las Vegas Police for more information.

Jake Paul will step into the ring with former middleweight champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in less than a month ... and The Problem Child says he'll beat the former title holder so badly, it'll catapult him to a championship of his own!

28-year-old Paul joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... where the guys chopped it about the June 28th scrap in SoCal.

"Man, I'm feeling better than ever," Jake said. "This is going to be my breakout performance."

Manny Pacquiao is returning to the ring at 46 years old ... and while some folks are skeptical about the decision, boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard tells TMZ Sports he's firmly in his corner!!

Pacquiao is slated to face WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios on July 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas -- his first fight since his loss against Yordenis Ugas in 2021.

Some folks are worried about Pac Man heading into this fight for two reasons -- the age gap (Barrios is 30, Pacquiao is 46) ... and his extended time away from the sport while serving as the Senator of the Philippines.

If bad blood is still brewing between Jordon Hudson and Linda Holliday following their 2024 Christmas party tiff ... a popular boxing promotion tells TMZ Sports it's down to let them settle their differences in one of its rings.

Damon Feldman, founder of Celebrity Boxing, said this week he'll pay Bill Belichick's former lover and his current one to duke it out ... if they decide that squashing their beef ultimately requires throwing fists.

No word what the monetary incentive would be for the two ... but given the juicy details that surrounded their spat at that now-infamous, December Nantucket bash -- we're sure Feldman would make it worth their while.

Papoose says his estranged wife Remy Ma crossed the line by mentioning his children in her explosive rant yesterday ... so he returned with some TNT of his own by telling the world his ex is capable of whorrible things!!!

We obtained Papoose's divorce filing court docs on Friday, which cite the usual irreconcilable differences and requests for equal dissolution ... but he put many more details on Instagram!!!

According to Pap, Remy cheated heavily throughout their marriage, even with a woman she was once imprisoned with, at one point.

Georgia O'Connor -- an undefeated British boxer -- has died at the age of 25 ... months after revealing her cancer diagnosis and just three weeks after getting married.

O'Connor's promoter -- Boxxer -- announced her passing in a statement on Thursday ... calling her a "True warrior inside and outside the ring."

"The boxing community has lost a talented, courageous and determined young woman far too soon."

12:24 PM PT -- Mayweather Fitness co-founder and CEO, James Williams, one of the people who the letter was sent to, tells TMZ Sports the following ... "My team and I have consistently operated Mayweather Fitness with integrity and in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, and we look forward to that being clearly reflected through current proceedings."

"I’ve always had a great relationship with Floyd, and want to make clear that the letter is correct in stating that I oversee and am responsible for all operational aspects of the business. Floyd is not involved in the day-to-day operations."

"My focus remains on leading the company, supporting our partners, and continuing to build the brand."

Floyd Mayweather is sending a salvo at the many fitness clubs bearing his name ... warning Mayweather Fitness to shape up or face the consequences!

TMZ Sports obtained a letter, sent last week by TBE's attorneys, demanding that the franchised health clubs fix a laundry list of alleged issues, or they'll find themselves in court opposite Floyd.

Among the 50-0 fighter's beefs, Floyd says Mayweather Fitness + Boxing, with over 50 locations in the U.S., has allegedly failed to pay their employees wages, and the legendary boxer, who says he has no control over day-to-day operations, is paying the price.

"Mr. Mayweather has not participated in the management, operations, or strategic oversight of [Mayweather Fitness]. Despite his limited involvement as a brand ambassador, your organizations have continually and improperly exploited his name, image, and likeness for financial gain while simultaneously embroiling him in lawsuits and negative press."

Michael Carter-Williams has traded in jump shots and chest passes for jabs and body blows -- he's a boxer now -- and he tells TMZ Sports he's gunning for a knockout in his first time on the mat later this month!!

The ex-NBA star -- the 11th overall pick in the 2013 draft -- has formally made the transition to the fight game since the end of his hooping career ... and his first official match will go down at the Broad Street Brawl on May 29 at the Leman Ballroom in New York.

His opponent is Sam Khatib -- an amateur boxer who's 36 -- and it will be a three-round affair with proceeds from the tilt going to a good cause.

Caleb Plant is down to be Jake Paul's next opponent after El Gallo gets done with Julio César Chávez Jr. -- telling TMZ Sports he'd love to get in the ring soon with the former YouTuber and mix it up.

The 23-2 fighter had nothing but kind things to say about Paul while out at The Mayan in downtown Los Angeles earlier this month ... but he said if Jake really wants to throw hands and make some cash in the near future, he's all for it.

"I mean, if he wants to get in there and rumble," Plant said, "we can do that."

Holly Holm says she'd love to take on her UFC nemesis Ronda Rousey in the boxing ring ... but tells TMZ Sports there's a snowball's chance in hell of that ever happening.

We caught up with the first woman to ever hand Rousey an L in the UFC Octagon out at the Jake Paul vs. Julio César Chávez Jr. press conference this week ... and as a new member of the Most Valuable Promotions family, we had to ask how she felt about the idea of going head-to-head with her rival again.

"Of course," she said. "I think that's just maybe hypothetical. I don't think that would ever happen, but of course I would."