Ezekiel Elliott Handcuffed at Vegas Festival ... After Knocking Man to the Ground

052019_ezekiel_elliott_kal May 2019
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS ...
TMZSports.com

12:49 PM PT -- The guy who saved Zeke's ass ... is the victim, according to cops.

A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... the main reason Zeke wasn't arrested is because the victim didn't want to push forward with charges.

"On Sunday, May 19, 2019 at approximately 3 a.m. LVMPD officers working at EDC observed from a distance an adult male, later identified as Elliott, push a security officer to the ground."

"Two officers approached and placed Elliott into handcuffs while they investigated the incident. The security guard who was the victim of the misdemeanor battery, refused to press charges and officers escorted Elliott a short distance away and he was released."

If you're a Cowboys fan, might wanna buy this dude a beer the next time you're in Vegas.

Ezekiel Elliott was handcuffed at the EDC music festival in Las Vegas over the weekend after he shoved a security guard to the ground and TMZ Sports has the video.

... but the NFL star's attorney says Zeke was NOT formally arrested (only detained) and claims the whole thing is much ado about nothing.

Here's the deal ... the Dallas Cowboys superstar running back had been spotted in the parking lot at the Electric Daisy Carnival around 3 AM on Saturday morning arguing with his girlfriend.

Zeke never puts his hands on the woman but he uses his body to block her from walking away several times during the argument.

A short time later, Zeke and the woman are seen speaking with event staffers -- when suddenly Elliott confronts one them and says, "You got something to say!?"

Zeke gets in the staffer's face and uses his body to shove the guy backward until the staffer hits a metal gate -- that's when Zeke uses his forearm to shove the guy to the ground.

Zeke immediately throws his hands up and says, "I didn't do anything!"

Event security -- along with Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. officers rush over and eventually put Zeke in handcuffs and escort him away from the scene.

We spoke with Zeke's attorney, Frank Salzano, who says Elliott was released shortly after our video ends and he was not formally arrested or charged with a crime.

Salzano says Elliott was just having a normal discussion with his girlfriend and blames event security for "overreacting."

"Security misconstrued and overreacted to the situation," Salzano tells TMZ Sports.

"He was cuffed as a precautionary measure. He was released with no charges. He left Vegas that night and went to his [youth football camp in Dallas] on Sunday."

Even without an official arrest, Elliott could face discipline from the NFL if they find his actions violated the league's personal conduct policy.

Remember, the league had investigated Zeke in 2017 over allegations he physically abused an ex-girlfriend -- and even though he wasn't arrested, the league believed there was enough evidence to warrant a 6-game suspension.

Zeke has always maintained he did not attack the accuser in that situation.

Originally Published -- 9:34 AM PT

Rob Pelinka Denies Backstabbing Magic Johnson ... 'Simply Not True'

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NOT THE CASE

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is adamant he did NOT betray Magic Johnson and trash the NBA legend behind his back ... saying allegations are "simply not true."

Pelinka was asked about the situation moments ago while introducing new Lakers head coach Frank Vogel ... just hours after Magic put Pelinka on blast during an ESPN interview.

Johnson said he was upset at Pelinka because he found out Rob had been bashing him in and out of NBA circles ... saying Magic's work ethic sucked and he was barely in the Lakers office.

So, what's Rob's response? He took a cue from Shaggy ... IT WASN'T ME!

"Surprising to hear and disheartening," Pelinka said ... "Simply not true."

Pelinka says he stands with Magic as a colleague and a partner and wants to speak with Magic in person to clear everything up.

Pelinka says he was surprised to see Magic make the allegations on TV because they have spoken several times since Magic left the Lakers and Rob thought they were on good terms.

Yeah, not so much ...

Blac Chyna Plans to Sue Hairdresser ... She Pulled a Jussie!!!

Blac Chyna insists she was the victim, not the aggressor, in an altercation with her hairdresser -- which means exactly what you think it does ... Chyna's gearing up to sue her ass.

Sources close to BC tell TMZ ... her team has spoken to detectives about last weekend's hairdresser brouhaha and told authorities the woman "pulled a Jussie Smollett" by filing a false police report.

We're told BC's adamant she was the victim of an attack and not the other way around. She claims she suffered damage to her home and her Rolls-Royce when the hairdresser hurled soda cans. The house damage is a window ledge, we're told -- and the car damage is a banged-up bumper.

Might sound like much, but remember ...we're talking about a Rolls.

Chyna also denies pulling a knife during the incident, and as we've told you ... there's no video evidence so far showing she wielded a weapon.

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SHOE SNAFU
TMZ.com

Our sources say once Chyna is back from NYC -- where she's been hanging out with Wendy Williams -- she plans on getting with her legal team and filing a lawsuit against the hairdresser. She also has an appointment to get an estimate on the damage to her car and home.

As we reported ... Chyna is listed as a suspect in the police report for assault with a deadly weapon, and because her 6-year-old son, King, was at the house during the fracas, the L.A. County Dept. of Children and Family Services got involved.

The case has yet to be turned over to prosecutors.

Sage Northcutt Knocked Out Cold In ONE Championship Debut

Rough day at the office for ex-UFC star Sage Northcutt -- who just got his face obliterated 30 seconds into his ONE Championship debut.

The 23-year-old was taking on Brazilian fighter Cosmo Alexandre in Singapore ... when just 25 seconds into the fight, things went bad for Sage.

Cosmo cracked the kid with a solid right -- immediately turning off Sage's lights and sending him crashing to the floor face first.

The ref stopped the fight and the announcer said Sage was out cold.

Don't worry, he got up and appears to be okay.

Disappointing debut for Sage to say the least ... he left the UFC after his contract was up last year and was hoping to become a massive superstar with ONE.

In fact, Sage previously told us he was hoping to parlay his MMA success into a movie career -- but it's always harder to do that following a crushing loss.

Back to the gym ...

UFC's Anderson Silva I'm Not Retiring ... Considering Rematch

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NOT NOW, NOT EVER
TMZSports.com

UFC legend Anderson Silva says he's already made up his mind about his fighting future -- telling TMZ Sports, "I'm not stopping, I'm not retiring."

The 44-year-old was in pretty good spirits Thursday returning to the United States following his UFC 237 loss to Jared Cannonier this past weekend ... but says his knee is still jacked up.

Silva badly injured his right knee in the fight -- and couldn't make it out of the first round.

After the fight, Silva went to social media and posted a statement that made it seem as if he was pondering retirement.

But now, Anderson says his mind is made up -- he wants to get healthy and get back in the Octagon.

In fact, Silva says he's already spoken with Dana White about a possible rematch with Cannonier ... but White told him to take some time to heal before talking about another fight.

So, how is Anderson's knee?

"It's not good but it's not too bad. The good thing is I start physical therapy," Silva told us.

Stay tuned ...

UFC's Kevin Lee I Want Kamaru Usman Next ... Better Fight Than Conor!!!

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I SHOULD'VE FOUGHT CONOR
TMZSports.com

Forget Conor McGregor ... UFC fighter Kevin Lee wants to throw down with Kamaru Usman next -- telling TMZ Sports he thinks that scrap would be WAY more challenging than one with The Notorious.

"He might not bring the attention and the money," Lee says ... "But, as a competitor, he'll bring a lot more."

Of course, Lee has been trying to set up a fight with Conor and Khabib Nurmagomedov for the last year ... telling us in the past he'd beat both their asses.

But now, he's saying those fights don't intrigue him as much as a possible scrap with Kamaru does ... saying, "Seeing what he did to Tyron Woodley, that's kind of adding a little bit to me."

Either way, Lee knows fights with any of those three won't go down if he can't get past Rafael dos Anjos in their ESPN+ fight this Saturday night ... which is why he tells us he's laser-focused on that scrap right now.

But, Lee says once he takes care of RDA, he's gunning for Kamaru's belt -- and if Conor wants a shot at him after that ... he can get it then!!!

Lisa Vanderpump Undecided on 'RHOBH' Future ... I Can't Let Them Win!!!

Lisa Vanderpump's leaning toward bailing on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," but one thing's holding her back -- she refuses to give her castmates the satisfaction of seeing her go.

Sources close to Lisa tell TMZ ... she doesn't want to return to the show if it's renewed after what she's dealt with this season, but she absolutely feels like the other 'Housewives' have ganged up on her to push her out.

We're told LV thinks the reason she's raised the ire of her fellow 'RHOBH' stars this season is twofold -- they're jealous of her spin-off success with "Vanderpump Rules" ... and they're trying to distract attention away from their own family legal troubles.

For instance ... the husbands of Kyle Richards, Erika Jayne and Dorit Kemsley have all been hit with million-dollar lawsuits in the past year, but that's largely been avoided in season 9.

Our sources say Lisa thinks that's unfair, and she's grown tired of the negativity and BS directed at her. We're told she is uncertain she'll even attend the upcoming reunion show.

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PUPPY PROBLEMS
TMZ.com

As for all of season 9's dog-drama -- aka PuppyGate -- Lisa's over that too, mostly because the pooch at the center of the controversy is in a happy home and living in the lap of luxury. We're told she feels like that's all been put to rest since taking a lie detector test to prove she didn't sell out Dorit ... so now she's moving on.

Our Vanderpump sources say she's now focusing her efforts on at-risk dogs in China where the annual Dog Meat Festival is approaching.

As for season 10 of 'RHOBH' -- Lisa's far from a lock to participate, when and IF Bravo greenlights it.

James Charles Speaking Tour Pushing Ahead ... After Losing 3 Mil Followers

YouTube star James Charles' upcoming national speaking tour is still on the table ... despite tanking hugely in the followers department during his epic feud with fellow beauty vlogger, Tati Westbrook.

James' YouTube account is currently hemorrhaging followers -- about 3 million at last count -- as the fallout over his beef with Tati continues ... but so far the staggering loss of clout isn't putting an end to his upcoming Sisters Tour.

The tour begins at the end of June, and venues for 6 of the initial tour stops tell us they're still making plans to host James.

In fact, tickets are still on sale for each of his 24 tour dates -- and they ain't exactly going cheap. Some people have been shelling out a whopping $500 to score VIP seats.

Outraged fans on social media have been asking for refunds ever since James had a huge falling out with his mentor, Tati, after he promoted one of her rival beauty products. Those fans are outta luck -- we're told all sales are final.

So far, venues are telling us they haven't been notified by tour producers of any change in plans, and production ultimately has the final call. We've reached out to producers, but they've gone radio silent.

Seems a staggering loss of followers won't hurt James too much ... at least on the road. He's currently in the midst of a mini-tour in Australia, and still has over 13 MILLION YouTube subscribers.

Alec Baldwin No Punch in Parking Spot Fight ... Check the Tapes!!!

Alec Baldwin's foe in a bitter battle over a parking spot lied when he said Alec punched him ... and the actor says he has video to prove it.

In new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Baldwin's attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, say there's video surveillance footage proving he didn't punch or attempt to punch Wojciech Cieszkowski during their parking squabble in November ... squarely contradicting the man's story.

Instead, Baldwin claims the footage shows both men standing face-to-face during their argument before Alec "lightly taps" the other guy's chest. Baldwin is adamant ... claiming he never threw a punch, and now says the video irrefutably backs him up.

In the docs, Baldwin also claims Cieszkowski's own medical records prove he didn't suffer any injuries ... and get this, Baldwin claims the guy's doctor recommended he take a SINGLE Tylenol and that's it.

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ARRESTED AND TAKEN WAY
TMZ.com

As we reported ... Baldwin was arrested for assault after the incident, but cut a deal in January to plead guilty to a lesser charge of harassment in the 2nd degree and accept anger management classes as punishment.

But, that wasn't the end of it. Cieszkowski sued Baldwin last month for assault and slander, maintaining the actor punched, shoved and ruined his reputation by going on 'The Ellen Show' and saying he thought Cieszkowski was going to run over his wife with the car.

As for the slander allegations ... Baldwin's calling BS and says his comments to Ellen were just opinion.

Bottom line ... Alec's lawyers are asking the judge to toss the case.

Deontay Wilder Slams 'Desperate' Anthony Joshua ... I Call the Shots!!!

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ON OUR TERMS NOW
TMZSports.com

Deontay Wilder says Anthony Joshua is straight-up DELUSIONAL if he thinks he holds the cards when it comes to negotiating their long-awaited super fight ... saying AJ is now a "desperate" man.

Wilder couldn't wait to fire back at Joshua after the British heavyweight told TMZ Sports that Wilder should "come see me" about putting a fight contract together.

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LET'S MAKE A DEAL
TMZSports.com

"WE DID THAT 5 TIMES," Wilder told us ... "And, they denied me! So, I don't want to hear him talking about 'coming to see me' because we came and saw you, ya'll still ran!!!"

In other words, Wilder says he went to Joshua multiple times with various fight offers -- including a $50 MILLION upfront check if AJ would agree to throw down. But, Wilder says his offers were rejected every time.

Now, Wilder says Joshua is desperately seeking a high-profile opponent -- and has "nowhere to go" -- essentially claiming Joshua has lost all negotiating power.

"Now you want me to come and see you? Nah. Now it's on our terms. We'll come and see you when we WANT to come and see you," Wilder says.

Wilder says he's sick of being the one who always has to make concessions -- and says it's Joshua who should be BEGGING him for the privilege of fighting him.

Meanwhile, Wilder says he's got his sights set on Dominic Breazeale -- they're fighting on Saturday, May 18 at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn ... and Deontay says it's personal.

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THE HOTEL BRAWL
TMZSports.com

Back in Feb. 2017 -- the two got into a major brawl at an Alabama hotel after fighting on the same card earlier that night.

Wilder says he felt incredibly disrespected by Dominic -- and vows to make him pay for the incident when they step in the ring.

"When you make it personal for me, now I really want to hurt you," Wilder said.

"I'm the man with the big right hand, baby. I possess all the power!"

Paul Pierce Sued Over Altercation At Conor vs. Khabib Fight

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HEATED CONFRONTATION
TMZSports.com

NBA legend Paul Pierce is being sued over an altercation with a security guard in the stands at the Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov fight ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The man behind the suit is Christopher Mostello -- who was working security at the T-Mobile Arena on Oct. 6, 2018, for UFC 229 when he got called over by a supervisor to respond to an incident involving Pierce.

Mostello claims he rushed over and was told Pierce had gotten aggressive and physical with the security supervisor -- a woman -- because she had asked for his ticket before allowing him back to his seat.

Mostello claims he was told Pierce grabbed the woman by the arms and pushed her to the side -- so he stepped in front of Paul to try and stop him.

But, Mostello claims Paul didn't stop -- instead Paul screamed "F*ck you" and accused Mostello of being a racist.

Footage of the altercation was captured by other fans in the stands and posted on TMZ Sports -- where you can clearly hear Pierce call the man a racist.

Mostello claims he's NOT a racist -- and he only engaged Pierce in the capacity of doing his job.

Now, Mostello claims his reputation has taken a serious hit and he's been subjected to public embarrassment, harassment and ridicule.

In the suit, filed by attorney Jesse Sbaih, Mostello accuses Pierce of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He's demanding more than $15,000 in damages plus attorney's fees and other costs.

We reached out to Pierce for comment -- so far, no word back.

Judo Fighter Drops Phone Mid-Match ... Disqualified!!!

Good news, bad news for a Judo fighter who had his phone slip out of his pocket mid-match in a major competition last week ...

The Good? Hey, the screen didn't crack!!

The Bad? Dude was disqualified immediately!!

The most egregious dropped call ever went down in the Baku Grand Slam in Azerbaijan ... where Portuguese judoka Anri Egutidze took on Sweden’s Robin Pacek.

As the two locked up in the beginning stages of the fight ... Egutidze bent over -- and his phone slipped right out of his gi.

The ensuing moments were about as awkward as a judo match has ever gotten -- 'cause Pacek picked up the phone, and Egutidze tried to play it off like it was no big deal.

But, the ref wasn't having any of it -- apparently, carrying a phone during a match is against the rules -- and he immediately DQ'd Egutidze.

Can ya hear me now?!

Boxer Kubrat Pulev Must Complete Sexual Harassment Course ... For Kissing Reporter

Heavyweight boxer Kubrat Pulev -- who kissed a female reporter without consent -- has been ordered to complete a sexual harassment course in order to be licensed to fight in California again.

Pulev appeared in front of the California State Athletic Commission on Tuesday to address the March 23 incident when he kissed reporter Jenny Sushe during a post-fight interview.

Sushe claimed she did NOT give permission for Pulev to kiss her -- and hired attorney Gloria Allred to go after the 38-year-old fighter.

CSAC had suspended Pulev indefinitely following the incident -- but when the boxer faced the Commission in person on Tuesday, they agreed to reinstate him on July 22 if he completes a sexual harassment training course.

Pulev must also pay a $2,500 fine within 6 months from the incident -- and if he commits any similar offenses in the future, he could face a lifetime ban in California.

During the hearing, the CSAC commissioner lectured Pulev about the incident -- telling him he needs to understand why his actions are unacceptable and dangerous.

Pulev said he understood and wants to get back to work fighting as soon as possible.

Pulev is 27-1 as a pro -- with his only loss coming at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko.

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HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
TMZSports.com

NFL's Montae Nicholson Criminal Case Dropped Despite Knockout Video

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RUMBLE IN THE STREET
TMZSports.com

Washington Redskins safety Montae Nicholson is off the hook in his assault case -- prosecutors have dropped the criminal charges against him ... despite video showing the NFL player KOing a guy.

As we previously reported, Nicholson was arrested in Virginia back in December for assault and battery, and public drunkenness after video showed the 23-year-old beating the hell out of a guy in the middle of the street around 2 AM.

You can see Nicholson throw a solid left which connects -- and the other man goes limp as he collapses to the ground.

But Tuesday, Nicholson appeared in court -- where prosecutors dropped the assault charge, according to court records.

Nicholson's attorney told the Washington Post prosecutors had "insufficient evidence."

Unclear why they would reach that conclusion with the evidence at hand -- it's possible he reached a settlement with the victim, who then refused to cooperate with prosecutors. We just don't know yet.

23-year-old Montae -- 6'2", 215 lbs -- is a solid player for the Redskins who played in every game during the 2018 season.

Raz B Cops Release GF Photos ... Alleged Injuries from Domestic Assault Arrest

More details have come to light in Raz B's altercation with his girlfriend that led to his arrest ... including photos of her alleged injuries.

Cops have released photos of Raz's GF -- obtained by TMZ -- showing the aftermath of him allegedly strangling her outside a Macy's in Minneapolis. Some redness can be seen on both sides of her neck ... which the police report indicates are consistent with the neck being squeezed.

Cops also say during the arrest, Raz B stared at his GF "with intense eyes and a clinched jaw while trying to get her attention" ... which was perceived as an attempt to intimidate her.

We broke the story ... the B2K singer was arrested for domestic assault by strangulation but claimed the 2 had an argument that turned physical when she attacked him, and he was simply defending himself.

Dispatch audio and the police report reveal a witness claimed to see Raz grabbing her throat and dragging her into a parking area.

Prosecutors declined to press charges against Raz after investigating the incident, however, citing insufficient evidence. According to the report ... the girlfriend declined to speak with authorities about the case too.

The incident hasn't been the most recent bit of drama for Raz either -- he's also joined the cast of "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" ... and had a very short beef with Lyft.

UFC's Johnny Walker My Shoulder's Great Bring On Jon Jones In 2019!!!

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PATIENT APPROACH
TMZSports.com

UFC star Johnny Walker says his shoulder surgery was a massive success and he wants to get back in the Octagon the next 2 months ... with the hopes of fighting Jon Jones by the end of the year.

Walker jacked up his left shoulder back in March while doing The Worm dance to celebrate a violent 34-second victory over Misha Cirkunov at UFC 235.

The 26-year-old underwent surgery right after the fight -- and tells us he's back in L.A. for a checkup with the doctor who performed the surgery.

The good news ... Walker -- who's on a 9-fight win streak -- says he feels great but doesn't want to rush his return, he wants to "heal properly" so he can fight at 100%.

Walker says he's still hoping to book 1 or 2 fights before he gets his dream match with Jon Jones ... who previously told us he's interested in fighting Walker too.

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LIKE A BRICK WALL
TMZSports.com

As for Jones, he's scheduled to take on Thiago Santos at UFC 239 in July ... and while Walker says he always supports his fellow Brazilians, he's conflicted this time because he wants to be the guy to give Jones his first loss.

"I want to beat Jon Jones," Walker says ... "I have to make history by myself."

Oh, and if you're wondering if Walker is ready to retire his "worm" celebration after the injury ... he ain't.

Just be careful next time!!