The 2026 ESPY Awards provided the latest evidence of that, with the Dodgers two-way player winning two trophies, as determined by fan votes, at Wednesday night’s ceremony in New York.
But as surprising at it may be — especially to those of us in the Los Angeles area who have witnessed the Japanese baseball phenomenon during his nine years with our local MLB teams — not everyone on the planet is familiar with the four-time MVP and two-time World Series champion.
The ESPYs provided evidence of that as well. Boxers Mike Tyson and Jake Paul joined musician DJ Khaled to present the award for best single-game performance. Ohtani — nominated for his historic Game 4 of the 2025 National League championship series against the Milwaukee Brewers — was the winner, as announced by Tyson.
Paul told the crowd that Ohtani was unable to attend the event, but “he sends his gratitude and appreciation to ESPN and everyone who voted for him.”
Afterward, a hot mic picked up Tyson seeming to ask Paul a rather unexpected question:
“Shohei’s a guy?”
The question seemed to be genuine, and Paul gave a casual response to his friend and former boxing opponent. “Yeah, he’s a guy,” Paul appeared to say as the trio started leaving the stage.
The Times reached out to a Tyson representative for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
No shade toward Iron Mike for apparently not knowing much about Ohtani. Tyson is a legend in his sport and has a number of other ventures and interests that occupy his time. While he did throw out a ceremonial first pitch before a Brewers-Pittsburgh Pirates game in 2014, Tyson just might not be all that into baseball.
Also, the name Shohei isn’t at all common in the U.S., even amid Ohtani’s massive popularity. According to Parenting Patch, only nine American babies were given that name in each of the last two years. All of them were boys, but the odds are good that Tyson doesn’t know any of them.
If Tyson hasn’t been following Ohtani’s career, though, he’s missing out. Take the aforementioned Game 4 of last year’s NLCS as an example. Ohtani hit three home runs and pitched six-plus scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts in a 5-1 victory over the Brewers that completed an NLCS sweep and sent the Dodgers to the World Series for the second straight year.
“That was probably the greatest postseason performance of all time,” manager Dave Roberts said after the game.
Ohtani was much more low-key in his postgame assessment.
“This time around, it was my turn to be able to perform,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton. “I think just looking back over the course of the entire postseason, I haven’t performed to the expectation.”
With his performance that night, Ohtani beat out fellow nominees Tyce Armstrong of Baylor baseball (three grand slams in a game), Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat (83 points in a game) and Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame basketball (16 steals in a game) for the award.
That epic game certainly contributed to Ohtani’s other ESPY of the night. He was named best MLB player over fellow nominees Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners and Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
TYSON Fury was clearly feeling loved-up with wife Paris as they holiday in Thailand with their five youngest children.
The couple may have been together for 20 years, but they are still firmly in the honeymoon phase if Tyson’s gushing post is anything to go by.
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Tyson Fury called wife Paris “stunning” as she dressed up for holiday date nightCredit: InstagramParis and her daughters smiled for a family photo during the sunshine breakCredit: Instagram
The boxing legend, 37, shared a glamorous photo of Paris, 36, in full holiday mode wearing a sparkling dress in various pink shades.
He wrote: “Mrs Paris Fury looking stunning tonight! Love ❤️ her so much @parisfury1 #still #wondermother #superwifeandmom.”
Paris replied in the comments: “That’s very nice of you babe.”
The couple tied the knot in 2008 in a lavish ceremony in Doncaster and have since welcomed seven children together.
The couple’s youngest children joined them for the long-haul family tripCredit: TikTokThe Fury family travelled in style on the long-haul flight to ThailandCredit: TikTokThe loved-up couple arrived in Thailand after their marathon journeyCredit: TikTokThe mum-of-seven shared a sweet message after arriving in ThailandCredit: TikTok
But their marriage hasn’t always been plain sailing.
The pair have faced heartbreak over the years, including suffering miscarriages, which Tyson has spoken about publicly in emotional interviews.
Despite the ups and downs, Tyson and Paris are still going strong and even renewed their wedding vows in a romantic ceremony in France last year.
The pair are currently enjoying a lavish Thailand getaway after flying five of their children on £5,000-a-seat business class flights.
Prince Tyson II, nine, Valencia, eight, Adonis, seven, Athena, four, and two-year-old Prince Rico all travelled in private pods on the Etihad flight.
Paris shared: “A serious long travel I think it took us 36 hours in total but well worth it.”
The couple have also just paid for their 16-year-old daughter Venezuela’s £30,000 honeymoon to Marbella following her recent wedding to Noah Price.
VENEZUELA Fury may have just bagged a £5million wedding gift from her Gypsy King dad Tyson – but the teenager’s first marital home is a far cry from the millionaire lifestyle she grew up in.
The Fury dynasty toasted the teenager’s lavish wedding, which included Peter Andre performances, towering cakes, and a dress with a 50ft train, this weekend. But now, the 16-year-old bride and new husband Noah Price, 19, have moved into a £46,995 static caravan that had been sitting unsold for months – after furious buyers blasted the company’s homes as “absolute s**t”.
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price tied the knot in one of the year’s most extravagant traveller weddings – complete with a 50ft dress trainCredit: SplashVenezuela’s marital home is a world away from Tyson’s £8million mansion – with the newlyweds opting for a £46k static caravan to start married life togetherCredit: TIKTOK
And in true Fury fashion, the story behind their first home together is every bit as dramatic as the wedding itself.
The young couple snapped up the two-bedroom caravan, named Manor House, exactly as it stood on the forecourt of East Yorkshire firm Carabuild – with no bespoke upgrades, luxury add-ons or personalised touches.
At 42ft long and 14ft wide, the caravan spans 588 square feet – roughly the same size as a large London studio flat.
That means Venezuela, who has spent her entire life surrounded by unimaginable luxury, is swapping Tyson and Paris Fury’s jaw-dropping £8million mansion for a static home that is 21 TIMES smaller.
Tyson’s sprawling estate stretches across 12,286 square feet, sits on historic land over 200 years old and boasts all the lavish trappings you’d expect from one of Britain’s richest sporting dynasties.
Yet now his eldest daughter is embracing traditional traveller life with husband Noah – and it seems the pair are doing it the old-fashioned way.
A source previously told The Sun: “Venezuela wants to start her married life in the traditional style of a traveller, just like her parents did.
“She has lived in luxury since she was born, but is willing to swap her home comforts to go and live in a static caravan.”
The source added: “She thinks it did her parents no harm and is looking forward to taking care of all the domestics while Noah goes out to work. Her parents approve.”
And it seems Venezuela took that traditional vision very seriously.
Because the caravan itself had been sitting unsold for months before Venezuela and Noah bought it.
Carabuild, which describes itself as a “bespoke manufacturer of luxury static caravans and lodges”, first advertised the home back in January with an asking price of £46,995.
By February, it still hadn’t shifted.
The firm posted another sales video online showing off the caravan’s “oak exterior” and “cream and gold” interior while urging potential buyers to get in touch.
Then in March came what insiders described as an increasingly desperate push to finally get rid of it.
In a social media plea, the company wrote: “Springtime offer. Be in this home for Easter. Available right now from stock. No waiting, no travelling, no stress.”
But while the videos attempted to paint a picture of luxury traveller living, furious online reviews underneath told a different story.
One furious customer blasted: “Stay well clear of this man Zane from Carabuild.
“Once he has your deposit, you never see him again.
“The homes are absolutely sh*t flat packs.”
The disgruntled reviewer continued: “Cheap made kitchen, cheapest of the cheapest, trust me, I am not joking.
“Please stay away from this company.”
Despite the £5million wedding gift and £30k honeymoon, the teenage couple chose to keep things traditional with a modest two-bed static home in East YorkshireCredit: TIKTOKThe “cream and gold” caravan had reportedly been sitting unsold for months before Venezuela, 16, and Noah, 19, snapped it up after their lavish traveller weddingCredit: TIKTOK
Others accused the firm of poor insulation, broken radiators and “paper-thin walls”.
One scathing Google review read: “If I could give lower than one star, I would.”
Another raged: “Don’t give them a pound.”
Despite the controversy surrounding the company, Venezuela and Noah still chose the static home as the place they would begin married life together.
Carabuild proudly revealed the newlyweds had bought the home.
Sharing a video of the caravan to their Facebook page, the company wrote: “Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Price.
“We had the pleasure of designing and building Venezuela Fury and Noah Price’s very first marital home.”
Venezuela – the eldest daughter of boxing superstar Tyson Fury and wife Paris – married Noah in a lavish traveller wedding on the Isle of Man earlier this month.
There were 20,000 flowers, a towering 12ft wedding cake, 18 bridesmaids, vintage cream wedding cars and a surprise performance from Peter Andre.
Venezuela wore a dramatic fishtail gown imported from Italy, complete with a staggering 50ft train – paired, brilliantly, with white Crocs.
Tyson Fury called himself a “big softie” as he walked daughter Venezuela down the aisle before reportedly gifting the newlyweds £5million to kickstart married lifeCredit: SplashNewlyweds Venezuela and Noah jetted off on a lavish £30,000 honeymoon in Marbella after their huge traveller wedding earlier this monthCredit: Instagram
Netflix cameras filmed the entire thing for the family’s hit reality series At Home With The Furys.
And despite the glitz, glamour and eye-watering spending, the newlyweds appear determined to keep one foot firmly planted in traditional traveller culture.
The young couple will settle in East Yorkshire once they return from their lavish £30,000 honeymoon in Marbella – another gift paid for by Tyson and Paris.
And the honeymoon wasn’t the only present the pair received.
Meanwhile, some family members were said to be stunned after Tyson and Paris reportedly handed the young couple £5million to help kickstart their married life.
“Some family members thought it was a lot of money for a young couple,” one insider told The Sun.
“But it’s up to Tyson and Paris.”
For now, though, despite the millions, the honeymoon and the reality TV cameras, Venezuela and Noah are preparing to start married life in the very caravan that buyers warned people to avoid.