TMZ Sports - Page 50

Serena Williams was weeping from the sidelines after having to back out of a big match Sunday -- but her opponent proved to a good sport ... and her biggest fan.

The tennis icon was facing 19-year-old Canadian phenom Bianca Andreescu in Toronto for the 2019 Rogers Cup Final -- and after playing four rounds ... Serena was forced to pull the plug and remove herself from contention due to back spasms she was experiencing.

According to reports, she had started to feel the spasms as late as Saturday night during her semifinal victory over Marie Bouzkova.

Looks like it all came to a head Sunday, because Serena became incredibly emotional as she took a seat near the side netting and made her decision to withdraw final. Pretty amazingly, Bianca ran over to console her ... and shared some pretty inspiring words too.

Andreescu and Serena were both mic'd up, and you can hear the former ask if Serena was okay as she embraced her in a hug. After Serena breaks the news to her -- that she was pulling out -- Bianca lets her know there's no shame in her game ... 'cause she's the best.

She says, "I've watched you your whole career, you're a f***ing beast with injuries," adding that she's been through several herself, and knows a bad break when she sees one.

Serena also makes mention of a tattoo she has, and Bianca quickly points out where it is ... saying, "I know everything about you." The two then hugged again on camera.

Serena later explained to the Rogers Cup crowd that she simply couldn't tough it out that day, noting that she had tried. She ended on an optimistic tone, saying that despite it being a rough year professionally, she was going to keep going and competing.

The bummer ending comes almost a year after her controversial U.S. Open finals match with Naomi Osaka, who won amid a sea of boos after Serena's outburst, and eventual loss. She faced Naomi again on Friday and beat her ... but health was her Achilles heel this time.

Lamar Odom says he's at peace with getting booted from the BIG3 ... telling TMZ Sports he wishes Ice Cube and the league nothing but the best.

The ex-NBA superstar previously said he was "extremely disappointed" and embarrassed to find out through an Instagram post that he was deactivated for being out of shape last month.

"Only after I heard from the media, I was then told that the big boys cutting checks decided that they had to deactivate me with no real specific explanation," Odom said at the time.

But, Odom tells us the whole thing was a case of "miscommunication" ... and he's ready to move on to other pro opportunities.

"It's over. I wish them well, all the success and blessings to Ice Cube and anybody that has anything to do with the BIG3 ... and I hope [my former team] the Enemies win."

Odom reaffirms he's looking to play in the Philippines ... and has already started the process of reaching out to potential teams.

We also spoke to Odom and his new GF Sabrina Parr about rumors their relationship is fake ... and you gotta hear their response.

Former boxing star Clifford Etienne is passing time during his 105-year prison sentence by giving his prison mates fresh cuts ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Etienne is a former heavyweight contender and had fights with huge names like Mike Tyson and Francois Botha ... before he found himself in a bit of legal trouble.

In 2006, Etienne was found guilty of robbing a check cashing business, attempting to shoot a police officer and carjacking. He was eventually sentenced to 105 years behind bars.

Despite the long sentence, the 49-year-old appears to be in great spirits -- spending his time painting and cutting hair for his prison mates ... as well as responding to his pen pals.

In a letter, obtained by TMZ Sports ... Etienne says "I am still healthy, and I look forward to a better future."

"I paint and cut hair almost every day ... I do watch TV sometimes ... mostly news and sports."

Etienne also talks about his living situation, as well as reflects on his boxing career.

The fighter is remaining extremely positive about his future, saying, "I will get out of here" ... even if the legal odds aren't in his favor.

Stipe Miocic says he's down to fight anyone -- including Jon Jones -- but right now, his focus is on getting his belt back from Daniel Cormier.

Stipe is looking to avenge his July 2018 loss to Cormier at UFC 226 ... when Cormier ended Stipe's 6-fight win streak in a crushing 1st round knockout.

The two will get back in the Octagon on August 17 at UFC 241 ... and Stipe is GUARANTEEING VICTORY telling TMZ Sports straight-up, "I'm going to win."

So, what's next? We asked Stipe if he would be interested in fighting Jon Jones ... who's discussed moving up to heavyweight -- and Stipe told us he's down to fight ANYONE.

But, he made it perfectly clear he's not flirting with future fights ... his sites are set squarely on DC

Cormier is the slight betting favorite going into the fight after being a heavy underdog the first time around.

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would be wasting their time if they actually rematched their 2015 snooze fest ... 'cause boxing star Keith Thurman says not a damn soul wants to see it.

Thurman is Pacquiao's last opponent, having just lost a close decision to Manny last month. Some believe that victory for Pacman set up a potential mega-rematch with the Money Man.

Keith is NOT one of them ... when we got him out at Avra in Beverly Hills, he completely crapped on the idea of the two stars running it back.

"At the end to the day, nobody wants to see it."

We're not sure he's wrong ... the first fight between the two men made boatloads of cash, but, to be honest, wasn't very memorable.

Despite that, Floyd has been posting workout videos lately, a signal to some that he's keen on making a comeback, and there's not a bigger money fight out there than a Manny rematch (sorry, Conor).

As far as Thurman goes, he's been open about wanting to fight Manny again, a rematch that would be in serious jeopardy if Floyd got there first.

Plus ... he thinks his fight with Manny was better.

"Real fight fans know, it ain't gonna be more exciting then what Keith Thurman just did."

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper's daughter is following in the footsteps of her legendary father -- becoming a professional wrestler -- and her only regret is he isn't here to watch her perform.

TMZ Sports talked to Teal Piper (real name Ariel Teal Toombs) ... who at 34 years old will make her wrestling debut for AEW on August 31.

"A million percent regret not taking this opportunity before," ... Piper told us ... adding, "It is very heartbreaking, and very nostalgic and intense feeling being in this world without him."

Roddy unexpectedly passed away back in July 2015 ... at the age of 61.

Teal says her dad woulda been pumped about her gettin' in the biz ... but also protective over his daughter.

"I think my dad would be very excited for me. He's always been so supportive of the stuff I do."

"But, on the flip side of that, he's always kept me far away from wrestling. He was always worried about the heat he would get as a heel, the fans in the industry, so he kept me and my sister, specifically, in a bubble."

Piper's in the deep end now ... 'cause her first match is a 21-woman Casino Battle Royal -- with the winner getting a title shot.

Arizona Cardinals defensive end Darius Philon was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon ... after allegedly threatening to shoot a woman outside a strip club, TMZ Sports has learned.

Philon -- a 25-year-old who was a 6th round draft pick in 2015 -- was arrested in Phoenix and taken to the Maricopa County Jail Friday morning.

The 6'1", 286-lb. DE is accused of pointing a handgun at a dancer in the parking lot of the VLive strip club on May 17 around 2:15 AM ... according to a police report.

The alleged victim told cops that Philon requested she and another female companion accompany him out to his vehicle where he kept his money. While at his white BMW, Darius allegedly grabbed a black handgun and pointed it at the alleged victims chest ... while saying "which one of you wants a bullet?"

Darius allegedly lowered the weapon ... before again allegedly pointing it at the woman.

The alleged victim told cops she retreated to the club ... and Philon drove away, according to the report.

The alleged victim told police Philon returned to the club the following night -- telling her he "wanted to make things right -- and asked her to leave with him. She says she denied the request, and attempted to walk away … but claims Darius grabbed her by the arm and prevented her from leaving.

She told cops she was eventually able to get away from him and return to work … however, she says he followed her around for approximately 30 minutes before leaving the club.

The alleged victim did not immediately report the incident to cops. She waited several weeks before going to Phoenix PD … who then launched an investigation.

PPD concluded their investigation and arrested Philon Friday around 11 AM.

Philon -- who signed a 2-year $10 million contract earlier this year -- is in his 5th season in the NFL. Prior to joining the Cards, he played for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. He racked up 8.5 sacks over the last 2 years.

Philon is still currently behind bars … and is set to appear before a judge on Saturday

Damian Lillard isn't forgetting about his day job in the NBA, because championships are still his focus ... but says he'd definitely be stoked to win a Grammy for his 3rd album.

Dame just dropped his 3rd album, "Big D.O.L.L.A." and the early reviews are good ... so good that some people are saying the NBA star has a shot at rap superstardom.

So, when we talked to Dame we had to know how far he wants to take this rap thing ... and if he cares about the accolades that come along with it .... like a Grammy.

"I don't care about it maybe to the level I care about being the MVP or winning a championship."

So, there you have it Trail Blazers fans ... you can breathe, Dame isn't going anywhere. He did point out though, that he thinks he has a chance to do something no other hooper has, and that intrigues him.

"I care about in the sense that how many NBA All-Stars or max contract players can say, 'I legitimately won a Grammy.'"

None that we can see ... but if we're being real, none have been as good as Dame. The man's gotten props from some huge names in hip-hop, and is widely regarded as the best pure rapper the league has ever produced.

Question is now ... how does he get to the Grammys?

"It is what it always is with Colby Covington. It's f**k that guy. That guys a piece of sh*t. A dog turd smashed on the floor and nobody gives a f**k about him."

Ladies and gentlemen, that's Mike Perry on Colby.

TMZ Sports talked to Platinum days before his fight with Vicente Luque at UFC Fight Night 156.

Luque's a beast, so Perry's got his hands full ... but we asked if he's still pursuing a scrap with Colby -- after he handles this weekends business.

The answer ... hell yes.

"Absolutely, I would love to fight him. I think that fight makes great sense for me."

Covington is the #2 ranked welterweight in the division ... and Perry is currently unranked -- but Mike says that doesn't mean a damn thing when it comes to this fight.

"He thinks he can beat me. He thinks he can lean up against me and out wrestle me," Perry tells us.

"I know what to do. I got some moves for him. I got some tricks up my sleeve I got some caps in the hat, or whatever you wanna say, boy."

If the bad blood seems intense ... remember, Covington verbally went for Perry's neck last year when he called his now-wife "ratchet" and "horse faced."

And, 'cause of that, Perry issued a stern warning.

AWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

Here's the most adorable thing you'll see all day ... the Cleveland Browns helped 82 puppies find new homes this summer -- and the pics of some of the little guys are the cutest things ever!!!

The Browns partnered with the Northeast Ohio SPCA once again this summer to create the "Browns Puppy Pound" -- a place where fans can see and adopt dogs during training camp practices -- and so far, it's been a huge success.

The team says it's helped nearly 100 pups from all over the area get adopted ... and says fans still have 5 more practices left to get a dog of their own from the program.

Overall, the Browns say the partnership with the SPCA has been a resounding success since 2015 ... saying with the 82 adoptions this year, they've now helped 442 total dogs find new homes!!!

In fact, the team says Sugardale -- the sponsor of the team's puppy pound -- is presenting a $5,000 donation to the Northeast Ohio SPCA to celebrate the occasion on Saturday!!

Rick Ross is siding with Kenny Stills in his beef with the Miami Dolphins owner ... telling TMZ Sports he feels Stephen Ross doesn't do enough for the black community.

The NFL receiver publicly criticized his boss earlier this week ... calling Ross a hypocrite for running a charity championing "equality" while being one of President Trump's biggest financial supporters.

We spoke with the Miami legend and Dolphins superfan and asked what he thought about the beef  ... and Rozay didn't hold back.

"I never cared about Stephen Ross," the "Port of Miami 2" rapper says. "It's been rough for me and the Dolphins for years."

Rick says he sees through any talks of equality ... claiming the billionaire doesn't try to build a relationship with the local African-American youth.

"Stephen Ross, he ain't surprising nobody. No black young kids in the community ever got invited to their football games."

Of course, there's also a huge public boycott against the fancy gym chain, Equinox -- which Stephen owns -- after people found out he was hosting a big fundraiser for Trump's 2020 campaign.

The Bawse -- who once told us he wanted to buy the Fins -- says he's still gonna support his hometown team ... but makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the people running it.

Some people are BIG MAD about the NBA 2K20 player ratings ... but the face of the mega-popular game series says the haters are WRONG!!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Ronnie Singh -- AKA Ronnie 2K -- about players like Jayson Tatum and others (as well as their fans) being upset with their ratings ... and he insists they hit 'em right on the money.

"It's such a cool point of contention," Ronnie says. "Everybody's worried about their ratings. It's very cool that the NBA players care so much."

Tatum recently talked about his 85 rating, calling it "disrespectful" ... and other fans are saying LeBron James shouldn't be the highest rated player (tied with Kawhi Leonard at 97).

Cris Cyborg's UFC reign ain't over just yet ... 'cause Tyron Woodley says he's confident Justino and Dana White will peace up their fractured relationship.

Dana and Cyborg's bad blood reached a boiling point last week when Cris' team posted an edited video that misquoted the UFC honcho ... prompting White to say he was "out of the Cyborg business."

So, that's a wrap for Cyborg when it comes to the biggest MMA promotion in the world, right???

Nope ... on this weeks episode of the "The Hollywood Beatdown," UFC superstar Tyron Woodley explained why Cris most certainly will be back in a UFC Octagon in 2020.

"Cyborg is too big of a name. There's too much money in Cyborg. Cyborg was the greatest female fighter ever until Amanda Nunes took her out."

"Dana White is a business man," ... Woodley says.

From where the relationship currently stands, peace would take a total 180 ... but Tyron's right, Cyborg's a big box office draw, and Dana knows how to make money.

Antonio Brown's Raiders career might be over before it even starts ... ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting the wide receiver is threatening to quit football because of helmet issues!!!

The newest Oakland superstar has worn the same brand of helmet throughout his Hall of Fame-worthy career ... but the NFL announced this year it's banning players from using it.

According to NFL Network's Michael Silver ... Brown tried to skirt the league ban by painting his old helmet, hoping team officials wouldn't notice.

Spoiler alert: They noticed.

Now, Schefter is reporting Brown is SO upset over not being able to use his favorite headgear -- he's threatening to RETIRE if he doesn't get his way!!

Of course, Antonio has been nothing but drama since being traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Raiders this offseason. He's been sued for not paying a trainer, and he's also dealt with foot injuries caused by a freakish cryotherapy mishap.

But, this latest helmet problem seems to have topped everything ... because one anonymous coach told Silver, this is "honestly the most insane thing I have ever heard."

Brown has missed almost every one of the Raiders' training camp practices this summer ... and it's reportedly unknown when -- if ever -- he'll rejoin the team at camp.

More trouble for Antonio Callaway ... the Browns WR was just banned 4 GAMES for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy -- but he's thanking his team for not firing him despite all the issues.

"I take full responsibility for my actions," Callaway said after the league announced his suspension. "I made a mistake and I own that. I have taken steps to make myself better and I appreciate the Browns standing by me and supporting me during this time."

"I know there’s nothing I can say to regain trust; it will all be about my actions."

22-year-old Callaway has found himself at the center of off-the-field issues throughout the last year ... most recently getting arrested for being pulled over with gun parts and weed in his car.

Callaway also got in trouble for speeding before the Browns game against the L.A. Chargers back in October.

Of course, Antonio was also suspended while he was in college at the University of Florida for a myriad of off-the-field problems ... including a citation for marijuana possession.

Callaway will be able to practice with Cleveland and play during preseason games during his ban ... but he won't be able to suit up for the Browns in the regular season until Sept. 30.

For their part, Browns brass says they're comfortable standing behind the troubled receiver for now ... but they admit he's on thin ice.

"We’re disappointed in Antonio," Browns GM John Dorsey said. "Freddie [Kitchens] and I have had a direct conversation with him about where we stand. He understands our expectations of him."

Cops mistook bird poop for cocaine on a Georgia Southern quarterback's car during an arrest last month ... and the argument over the white stuff was all caught on video.

Shai Werts -- GSU's junior starting quarterback -- was pulled over on July 31 in Clinton, South Carolina after cops say he was speeding.

During the stop, officers placed 21-year-old Werts in the back of their patrol car ... and went to search Werts' 2016 Dodge Charger.

In the video, you can see cops paying close attention to the hood of Werts' ride, shining a flashlight on the area and allegedly discovering a foreign white substance on it.

That's when an officer walks back to the patrol car to question Werts, asking straight-up, "What's the white stuff on the front of your hood, man?"

Werts immediately responds, "Bird sh*t."

The officer doesn't believe him, saying repeatedly that the substance looks nothing like bird poop ... and instead, he tells Werts test results indicated it was a controlled substance.

"I swear to God it's not [bird poo]," the officer says, "because I just tested it, and that turned pink."

Werts insists over and over again it's bird poop ... but the cop clearly doesn't believe him, with the officer eventually telling him, "It tested positive for cocaine."

Werts was charged with misdemeanor cocaine possession and speeding ... and he was also suspended from GSU team activities after the arrest.

But, prosecutors announced late Thursday they were dropping the charges ... admitting the substance on Werts' car was NOT cocaine.

"I was informed that the test did come back and that there was no controlled substance found," Saluda County prosecutor Al Eargle told the Savannah Morning News.

Georgia Southern athletic director Tom Kleinlein announced Friday the team was "elated to get the news" regarding Werts ... and said the QB is no longer subject to punishment over the incident.

Werts has been a star for the Eagles the past 2 seasons ... rushing for 1,630 yards and 18 scores on the ground while adding 1,916 yards and 17 TDs passing in 24 career games.

Werts is expected to open the season as the team's starter vs. LSU on Aug. 31.