Boxing

Jake Paul is now the No. 14 cruiserweight in the WBA rankings ... and you know who's pissed about that?? The guy who was the No. 14 cruiserweight heading into this week -- 20-0 fighter Craig Parker.

TMZ Sports spoke with the now-No. 15-ranked boxer about the development ... and he said, quite frankly, it's "disgusting news to me" because in his opinion, he hasn't paid his dues.

"For him just to take a position that guys like me that struggled to find ways to the gym and ... it's a long road to be where we're at. And for him to just be No. 14, it was just like a slap in the face."

Love him or hate him, Jake Paul is one of the best fighters alive -- at least that's what one boxing organization is saying ... with El Gallo earning a No. 14 rank in his weight class.

The World Boxing Association dropped its updated list late Monday night ... and sure enough, Paul crept into the cruiserweight standings after handling former champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. over the weekend.

It's not all that surprising ... as WBA President Gilberto Mendoza said prior to the bout Paul would hit the rankings if he secured a victory -- which will now make him eligible for a shot at the belt.

A sanctioned matchup between Adrian Peterson and his poker rival is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality ... as TMZ Sports has learned the NFL legend and his opponent have just received an offer to settle their differences in an actual ring.

Damon Feldman, the founder of Celebrity Boxing, tells TMZ Sports ... he wants to make a real scrap between Peterson and Joe "Baby Joe" Castaneda happen after he saw the two go at it over cards at social club in Houston, Texas in May.

"Let's take that to the ring," Feldman said in a video message to the guys. "You can't just battle it out on the street anymore -- let's take it to celebrity boxing."

3:16 PM PT -- A judge just granted the temporary restraining order against Devin Haney and now both sides are now due in court for a hearing on the matter on July 22. Additionally, the judge ordered Haney to have no visitation with his daughter, Khrome, "until further order of the court."

The mother of Devin Haney's months-old daughter is seeking a domestic violence restraining order against the star boxer ... alleging he once pushed her to the ground while she was pregnant.

Court documents TMZ Sports has obtained show Leena Sayed filed for the DVRO last week ... over allegations Haney abused her on multiple occasions throughout the past year and a half.

She wrote in the restraining order request that it all started in February 2024 -- roughly a year after she and Haney first met. She claimed during a dispute in their Las Vegas home, he punched her in the stomach and then kicked her out of the house.

What's something Justin Bieber and Jake Paul have in common? The two will always stand on business ... and the boxer got his message across by referencing the singer's viral rant toward the paparazzi following his victory against Julio César Chávez Jr.

Paul shared his own version of Bieber's tirade from the comfort of his private jet Sunday afternoon ... with the 28-year-old calling out the people still hating on his boxing career.

"I'm f***ing always standing on business," he said. "It's not clocking to you."

Ben Askren has undergone double lung transplant surgery ... and following the procedure, his wife shared she's now full of optimism about his future.

Amy Askren wrote on her Facebook page early Monday morning that amid a fierce battle with pneumonia, Ben was able to find a donor and obtain a new set of lungs.

The surgery seemed successful, but given the way the whole medical situation with Ben has turned so fast over the last few weeks, Amy cautioned, "so much can change so quickly."

Lamont Roach Jr. has some advice for Gervonta Davis if they ever rematch ... chill with the hair grease!!

TMZ Sports recently caught up with the lightweight boxing contender at Fanatics Fest in NYC  ... when we asked about the status of his fight with Tank after their controversial first scrap.

You may recall, the fight ended in a majority draw (meaning Tank kept his title), though many fans felt Lamont won outright.

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.