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Boxing superstar Claressa Shields -- the undisputed middleweight champ -- says she's 100% confident she could beat male fighters ... and she's calling them out by name.

Shields was a BEAST in her title fight this weekend against then-undefeated Christina Hammer -- dominating every round en route to an obvious unanimous decision. It's clear Shields is on another level.

The 24-year-old sensation is now focused on a superfight with the other reigning undisputed female boxing champ, Cecilia Braekhus ... and hopes to set up a PPV fight in the near future.

The two fight at different weight classes but Shields says she's hoping they can meet at 154 pounds and battle it out to determine the greatest pound-for-pound fighter alive.

But, Sheilds doesn't just consider herself the best female fighter alive -- she thinks she's better than most MALE fighters too ... and she's willing to back it up.

"I spar with men. I drop men. I bust [men's noses]. I beat men up all the time," Shields says.

That's when Claressa began naming names ... from Keith Thurman to Gennady Golovkin.

"I think I can beat up Keith Thurman ... I really do."

FYI, Thurman is undefeated with a 29-0-1 record. He's held multiple titles.

"They may be stronger than me, but their boxing ability isn't like mine. GGG, he's older now, but I could give GGG a run for his money."

We asked if she could honestly hang with the brute strength and power of a male fighter -- and again, she wasn't worried.

"Power for power isn't a question because what is boxing? Boxing is the sweet science. It's not about strength ... because people were saying Christina Hammer was stronger than me. They were saying all these girls were stronger than me, but did you not see the head movement that I had during the fight? See the defense? The offense? The traps I set!?"

"If I were to get in there with a man, I would do a lot more of that. And, I do have some power. I'm not gonna say I'm stronger than them, but if I set up the right shots with the right timing?!?!"

Wayne Brady is nothing if not a good sport ... which is why we're happy he came out a winner -- as much as possible, anyway -- while playing our photog's janky and impromptu version of Wayne's game show.

The "Let's Make a Deal" host was at LAX Wednesday when our camera guy, Jake, offered a golden opportunity -- a chance to be a contestant on a bootleg airport edition of 'LMAD.' However, the mystery prizes would be coming straight outta Jake's pockets.

You gotta see how the game played out, but here's a teaser -- Wayne got some earbuds, earwax included!! He wisely opted to go for something better. You'll just have to watch to see if he won in the end.

Wayne was quick to point out the prizes are much, much better on his TV show. What can we say -- budget concerns, pal!!!

Before she was running her own empire -- on TV, anyway -- she intended to study electrical engineering before switching gears and deciding to study theatre at Howard University.

She had tons of small TV roles before really bursting to stardom ... cemented with an Academy Award nomination for her role on "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Before that, she was cast in a couple of critically-acclaimed movies. Her career would later skyrocket after taking on a role as a pioneering woman in the space industry. She was born in the rough streets of Washington, D.C. and has one child.

Shareef O'Neal is making a dramatic return to the basketball court ... stepping back onto the hardwood 4 months after undergoing heart surgery!!!

The UCLA star posted a picture Wednesday evening of him getting some shots up on campus ... and it's great to see him playing the game he loves.

Shareef missed his entire freshman season after going under the knife in December to correct an irregularity with his heart ... and his post-op pictures proved just how serious the procedure was.

Shareef's return is great news for UCLA and new head coach Mick Cronin ... the Bruins struggled to a 17-16 record without the services of the star recruit, missing the NCAA Tournament by a mile.

When we got Shareef out at Staples Center in early March, Shaq's son told us he was about 6 weeks away from returning to the floor ... and it turns out his timetable was spot on.

Forgive Dog the Bounty Hunter if emergency alerts on his phone make him jumpy -- because the one about a possible Columbine copycat threat threw Beth and him into a panic to find their son.

Dog was on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and revealed his family's harrowing day after the FBI announced a massive manhunt to find Sol Pais -- the woman authorities described as armed and extremely dangerous due to her Columbine obsession, her purchase of a shotgun and "pilgrimage" to Colorado days before the tragedy's 20th anniversary.

Dog says he got the emergency alert Tuesday about an immediate lockdown at his son, Garry's high school ... while he and Beth were in Hawaii. The fact they couldn't get Garry on the phone created some moments of terror as they jetted back to Denver.

As you know, the crisis was averted ... as Pais was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The whole ordeal reminded Dog of another alert he got while on the islands last year -- that one was about a "ballistic missile inbound." Of course, that turned out to be a false alarm.

4/18, 8:46 AM PT -- According to the divorce docs, obtained by TMZ, Lynne is requesting spousal support. She lists their official date of separation as January 19, 2012.

Former 'Real Housewife' Lynne Curtin is giving divorce a second chance ... refiling to break from her husband after snoozing on her first go-around.

Lynne -- a "Real Housewives of Orange County" vet from seasons 4 and 5 -- just filed new court docs to divorce her estranged husband, Frank Curtin. They've been married for nearly 30 years, but clearly hit a rough patch in 2012 ... when she tried this the first time.

That one didn't stick because both parties sat on the case and a judge dismissed the attempted divorce in late 2017. It's unclear why Lynne and Frank took no action in their divorce for 5 years -- it's possible they just ignored it while attempting to work things out, and fully reconciled the marriage.

What is clear with the new filing is that Lynn wants out now.

They have 2 kids together, but they're both adults now ... so there won't be any child support issues.

That's assuming they actually go through with the big D this time.

Bradley Welsh -- a co-star in 'Trainspotting 2' -- is dead after he was shot in the head on the streets of Scotland's capital city ... this according to multiple reports.

The actor was reportedly gunned down Wednesday night on the streets of an affluent neighborhood in Edinburgh ... and he died at the scene. Scottish police swarmed the area to investigate the shooting ... putting the neighborhood on lockdown.

Bradley biggest film success came playing a gangland boss in the "Trainspotting" sequel. His character owned a couple of seedy saunas around Edinburgh.

Welsh is also a former British ABA Lightweight boxing champion. Back in 2009, he was featured on the Bravo docuseries, "Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men." Bradley wasn't even an actor before catching his big break on 'Trainspotting 2' ... and he reportedly ran into trouble with the law as a soccer hooligan.

Welsh was a positive force in his community in recent years ... reportedly running a boxing gym and staying involved with charity projects aimed at helping youth stay out of trouble.

Bradley was 42.

Dina Lohan is getting back together with her online boyfriend ... and she's got an engagement ring in her future.

It's another strange twist in Dina's relationship with Jesse Nadler ... they broke up last week after getting into a huge argument over another woman, but now their long-distance love is back on!!!

Jesse tells TMZ ... Dina reached out to him on Sunday night and they hashed everything out. He says she apologized for wrongly accusing him of chatting up another lady, and now everything's fine and dandy.

And, get this ... Jesse tells us he bought Dina an ENGAGEMENT RING, and he's going to give it to her when they finally come face-to-face for the first time. Talk about cutting to the chase.

Of course, Jesse tells us he and Dina still don't have a date for when their big in-person meeting is finally going down. They've been kicking that can down the road for a while.

Dina isn't the only one being lavished with gifts ... Jesse tells us Dina sent him a huge box of memorabilia from the 'Wendy Williams Show.' Dina was on a recent episode, and Jesse says she hooked him up with robes, mugs and other swag from the show -- plus some stuff for his mother, who is battling cancer.

We'll see if these 2 ever meet for real for real -- and, as for the engagement ring. Sorry, Dina ... spoiler alert?

If this isn't the most Gronk story to date ...

Rob Gronkowski made sure to leave his mark on the Patriots before retiring from the NFL ... putting a HUGE dent in their 6th Lombardi trophy while trying to use it as a baseball bat.

Yes ... Gronk used a freakin' Super Bowl trophy to try to hit a baseball because ... we don't know why he would do this, actually.

It all went down when the Patriots were honored at Fenway Park before a Red Sox game earlier this month ... when players like Gronk and Julian Edelman were having some fun and *pretending* to hit baseballs while using the trophy as a bat.

Gronk must've missed the memo about PRETENDING ... 'cause the dude switched up his batting stance to bunt the ball ... and he made contact.

The bunt resulted in a massive dent in ol' Vinny ... and the Patriots hilariously released a mini-mockumentary to give the play-by-play of the whole thing.

Adam Levine's back in business -- the luxury house-flipping business -- and he's looking to make millions on his incredible home in Beverly Hills.

The Maroon 5 frontman and his wife, Behati Prinsloo, bought the massive pad from "Will and Grace" creator Max Mutchnick just over a year ago for a cool $35.5 million ... and just put it back on the market.

We're told the couple put $7 million into a complete remodel with a world-famous designer and are now listing it at $47.5 mil. Do the math ... pretty nice profit for a year's work.

The estate -- listed by super real estate agent Kurt Rappaport -- is located on an iconic street in Bev Hills and is over 10,000 square feet of awesomeness ... including a gym, spa, guest house, resort-like pool, 2 kitchens (one just for the chef), a professional screening room, 12 bathrooms and 5 bedrooms ... including a 2,000 sq. ft master suite.

Oh, and Pete Sampras used to live there too, so it also comes with the famous tennis court he installed.

We broke the story ... Adam and Behati recently bought Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's former home in the Pacific Palisades for $32 mil, so don't worry about them being homeless.

Real estate is kind of a thing for Levine -- he sold 2 other homes last year in Beverly Hills ... including one to John Mayer for $13.5 mil.

No word if any celebs are interested in Adam's new one yet ... but we're sure Rappaport will get a ton of calls.

12:21 PM PT -- Temporary victory for Robert Kraft ...

Florida 15th Judicial Circuit Court Joseph Marx has BLOCKED the release of the Kraft video -- for now -- kicking the matter down the road. A hearing has been set for later this month.

Florida prosecutors say they WILL release pixelated video of Robert Kraft and other men inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa where they allegedly received illegal sexual services ... but Kraft has filed an emergency motion to block the release.

The Assistant State Attorney in Palm Beach County has filed new court docs saying he is obligated to release the footage shot inside the Day Spa to the media as a matter of law.

The New England Patriots owner has been battling like hell to keep the video under wraps for weeks arguing several angles -- he claims the footage was illegally shot and also says the release will taint a potential jury and prevent him from getting a fair trial.

But, prosecutors say in Florida ... state law requires disclosure of this type of evidence when requested by the media -- even though it includes explicit sexual images.

As we previously reported, prosecutors say the footage -- shot by a surveillance camera inside a massage room -- shows Kraft receiving sexual services in exchange for money on two separate occasions.

Officials say the cameras were covertly installed as part of a sting operation investigating possible human trafficking at the Day Spa.

Kraft claims the prosecutor had previously assured the court the video would not be released until a judge had an opportunity to analyze the issue ... and now he clearly feels prosecutors have mislead the court about their true intentions.

So, what does it all mean? The case will go in front of a judge TODAY at 11:30 AM PT -- and the judge could rule from the bench immediately.

And, there's more ... one of the patrons of the Day Spa who claims he was unknowingly recorded by the surveillance cams while receiving a legitimate massage has also filed docs seeking to block the release. He claims he had disrobed in the room and fears that private footage will humiliate him.

11:34 AM PT -- Michael Avenatti has waded into the Jussie Smollett drama down in Chicago, saying he almost got directly involved when the case was at its peak in February. Avenatti explains -- in a statement he posted and then deleted from Twitter -- that counsel for the Osundairo brothers reached out to him to see if he could potentially help 'em out.

Avenatti says he ultimately declined, but along the way ... he says he reached out to Kim Foxx to give her a heads-up about his possible involvement as a courtesy. He insists there's nothing improper about this, as he claims it's routine.

There's more -- Avenatti goes on to slam R. Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, saying SG is trying to muck up the Kelly case by personally attacking Avenatti over his own legal woes. What's more, Avenatti says Greenberg is "attempting to create a smokescreen to distract away from the mountain of evidence" Avenatti claims the Cook County State Attorney has against the singer to prove he abused underage girls.

Avenatti says the evidence will speak for itself, adding that he hopes Kim Foxx and co. will bring justice to Kelly's alleged victims. He goes further in praising her, saying she and her staff are "extremely professional, unbiased and focused on the delivery of justice."

It's almost a word-for-word counter to Greenberg's claim that Foxx's office is barely functioning in chaos in the ongoing fallout of the since-dismissed Jussie case.

R. Kelly's legal team thinks Kim Foxx calling the singer a "pedophile" before he's even been given a fair trial is a clear look into how her office is run ... totally dysfunctional.

Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, tells TMZ ... Foxx's texts to a fellow staffer -- in which she implicitly referred to his client as a pedo in comparing his case to Jussie Smollett's -- was outrageous, considering Kelly hasn't been convicted of any such crime.

Greenberg says Foxx is letting her personal biases color the way she characterizes Kelly's case -- which she implied was a way bigger deal than Jussie's in her correspondence that was made public Tuesday.

As we reported ... Foxx called Jussie a "washed up celeb" who'd been slapped with 16 felony counts, while going on to indirectly compare that to R. Kelly only getting charged with 10 counts ... saying there was a discrepancy there as far as priorities go.

Of course, her office ultimately dropped all the charges against Jussie.

Greenberg tells us that the fact that Foxx is even having these types of conversations with her staff in this manner paints a larger picture about the Cook County State Attorney's Office ... he calls it "dysfunctional and chaotic." He also thinks Foxx lacks objectivity.

That said, Greenberg says he isn't calling for Foxx to be removed from the Kelly case just yet. He tells us there's evidence and discovery he wants to get his hands on first before doing anything.

Greenberg adds ... once he and his team get everything they need, they'll make a decision on what to ask as far as Foxx's involvement is concerned.

Tommie Lee's past is coming back to bite her ... because prosecutors say her lengthy rap sheet means she's ineligible to enter a mental health program -- which would have spared from time behind bars.

We broke the story ... the 'Love & Hip Hop' star submitted a petition in her child abuse case to allow her to get treatment for a serious mental illness, which she claimed she was diagnosed with around the same time she was charged with child abuse in Georgia.

Tommie got her answer -- no can do.

According to a new legal doc obtained by TMZ ... the Assistant District Attorney determined Lee's criminal history and background -- along with other evidence, facts and allegations -- "make her an inappropriate candidate for an accountability court."

As we reported ... Tommie was indicted in January on multiple child abuse charges for allegedly assaulting her middle school-aged daughter. She's facing 7 charges, and since she's been shut down for the mental health program -- she could get up to 54 years in prison, if convicted.

Lee was arrested twice before in connection to this case -- once for the alleged assault in October, and again less than 24 hours later for violating a court order to stay away from her kid.

She was also tossed back in jail in March for showing up drunk for a hearing in the case.

As for her mental health issues ... Tommie told our Raquel Harper she's bipolar in a 2016 episode of "Raq Rants."

Nipsey Hussle was in the middle of some big plans to give back to his Crenshaw neighborhood with his own foundation ... and now that baton is being passed to his relatives.

Sources close to Nip's family tell TMZ ... he was in the process of creating a foundation designed to improve the quality of life in his community -- primarily for young people -- and he started laying the groundwork long before his murder.

Nipsey's vision for his foundation looked something like this: Working with schools to rebuild playgrounds, helping improve public parks in Crenshaw and moving forward with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs for students.

Turns out, Nip had already started some of this work. L.A. City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson tells TMZ, the rapper donated shoes to kids at 59th Street Elementary, and also repaved the basketball courts there.

We're told Nipsey had a total of 14 businesses, but his family is making the foundation their top priority. One of the first things they'll be addressing is naming the foundation.

As you know, Nipsey loved giving back to his community ... he opened his Marathon Clothing store at the intersection of Slauson and Crenshaw, seeing an opportunity to invest in his hood and give people jobs.

Plus, he was heavily involved in Destination Crenshaw -- a beautification project to turn a 1.3 mile stretch of Crenshaw Blvd. into an open-air art museum. We're told his family intends to keep contributing to that project.

As we reported ... Nipsey also had a meeting scheduled -- sadly, the day after his murder -- with L.A. Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff to help prevent gang violence.

Ivanka Trump's doing her best to blend in with locals in Ethiopia, and that means busting out her best dance moves -- and, so far, the locals seem impressed! Or, maybe they're just being polite.

Ivanka touched down in the East African nation Monday and during a reception, she didn't hesitate to get loose on the floor -- putting her hips, shoulders and arms into it as she danced with one energetic guy -- and, at least, seemed to be having a great time.

President Trump's senior adviser, and daughter, is on a 4-day trip to Africa -- hitting Ivory Coast as well as Ethiopia -- to promote a global women's project for economic development. While the trip got off to a fun start ...you gotta wonder if her father's infamous words will come up at some point.

You'll recall, the Prez once used the term "shithole countries" to describe African nations.