TMZ Sports - Page 31

Novak Djokovic won't participate in the Australia Open after all ... he's finally been deported.

The tennis star got the boot Sunday after a 3-judge panel rejected his appeal to stay in the country after Aussie Immigration Minister Alex Hawke revoked his visa for a second time ... now under a "health and good order" rationale. He was scheduled to start playing Monday.

Djokovic left Australia on a plane to Dubai earlier in the day ... but it's unclear where his final destination lies. Serbia's Prime Minister called the decision "scandalous" ... and ND said he was disappointed as well.

One of Djokovic's arguments for being allowed to stay -- even though he's unvaccinated, which is a requirement for anyone traveling down under right now -- was that kicking him out would only fan anti-vaxx sentiments, antithetical to what the Aussie government wants.

The court wasn't buying that though ... and ruled against him. This, of course, comes after Djokovic was cut loose earlier last week when a judge found the government acted too hastily in revoking his visa/detaining him the first time ... but the government struck again under different reasoning the 2nd time -- citing public safety/interest.

Djokovic was given a medical exemption to begin with by two different tennis bodies, because he'd caught COVID in December -- but in the end, the Australian government overrode that ... pointing that, in and of itself, wasn't a loophole that could be allowed on their watch.

The husband of country music singer Sara Evans was arrested for alleged domestic violence Saturday after cops say he tried slamming his car into the car in which Evans was being driven.

Jay Barker, a former Univ. of Alabama quarterback, was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was placed on a 12-hour hold in Davidson County and released Saturday night after posting $10k bail.

Evans says she was leaving a party, got in the passenger seat of a friend's car, and as they backed out of the driveway, she says she saw Barker gunning his car in reverse, trying to hit them ... this according to the affidavit obtained by station WIAT. Barker's car missed Evans' car.

The affidavit says the 2 are still married but have separated.

Barker has a radio talk show which is Alabama-based ... “The Jay Barker Show.”

COVID-19 can't stop Los Angeles from partying before Super Bowl LVI ... 'cause several event planners tell TMZ Sports the show will go on -- with precautions, of course.

As COVID-19 cases surge throughout the country, many questions have been raised about whether the traditional bashes leading up to the big game will go on as scheduled.

We've learned at least three of the biggest parties will continue as planned -- including the event put on by sports agent Leigh Steinberg -- AKA the real Jerry Maguire -- at Sony Studios.

We're told Steinberg's invite-only bash will be filled with celebs and current/former players -- featuring tons of food and drink ... as well as a cool brain lounge with insane technology, a silent auction and more.

FYI -- Sony can host up to 5,000 people, but we're told the event will only be about half capacity ... and all guests must be vaxxed or have a negative test within 48 hours of arrival.

"It is 90% outdoor," LeeAnn Adams, the VP of Special Projects for Leigh Steinberg Entertainment, tells us.

"We only have one indoor space where our brain lounge is because we have very valuable equipment in there."

"We're as COVID-safe as possible and indoors, obviously, you have to wear a mask. You're in Los Angeles and it is mandated."

Hall of Famer Terrell Davis and Babes and Ballers will be hosting their own SB bash as well ... with rapper Lil Jon and the Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders set to attend at the Academy Hall.

Davis' shindig will also follow Los Angeles' COVID-19 protocols -- in fact, they're adding extra hand sanitizer stations at the venue ... as they're expecting 1,200 guests.

"The club has some already fixed to the wall," Steve Fowler of Babes and Ballers said. "But we'll have a couple more at every entrance, bathroom, VIP room and patio."

For NAAB Radio's event, the station is anticipating 500 party-goers at the Taglyan Complex ... and will also stick to the city's guidelines.

"We plan to follow all CDC protocols and to have our guests show proof of vaccinations/test results while having a memorable Super Bowl 2022 Party," NAAB Radio co-founder Denise Darrell tells us.

Now that the safety concerns are out of the way ... it's time to party.

NFL Wild Card Weekend is here ... and what better way to kick-start the 2022 playoffs than to play a quick game of "Guess That Shredded Bod!!!"

There are six games going down in the opening round ... with the 49ers, Cowboys, Rams, Cardinals, Bills, Patriots, Steelers, Chiefs, Raiders, Bengals, Eagles and Buccaneers all getting in on the action.

With that being said, there are a lot of stars who've shown off their athletic figures over the years ... including quarterbacks Kyler Murray, Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow.

The receivers of Wild Card weekend have also shown out ... from JuJu Smith-Schuster to Tyreek Hill and Deebo Samuel.

So grab the chips and dip and scroll through the pics as you wait for kickoff.

Living like Logan Paul has now become slightly cheaper ... TMZ Sports has learned the YouTuber-turned-boxer has knocked $1 million off the asking price of his sick L.A. mansion.

Paul initially put the Encino palace on sale back in November for $8,995,000 ... but this week, he relisted it for $7,995,000.

Expensive, for sure, but it appears to be worth it ... considering what it all comes with. As we reported, it's got 7 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms ... and has 7,667-square-feet of living space.

It also features a massive yard, swimming pool, wine cellar and a billiards room for entertainment purposes.

Unclear if Logan plans to drop the price further if there are still no takers ... but he still appears to be in good shape to make some profit off the property when it eventually sells. Paul originally bought it for over $6.6 million in 2017.

Ciryl Gane says despite what you might've heard, he has absolutely zero beef with Francis Ngannou ... and fully intends on showing respect to "The Predator" when they fight for the UFC title next weekend.

31-year-old Gane, the undefeated (10-0) UFC Interim champ is headlining UFC 270 against 35-year-old Ngannou, the UFC heavyweight champ next Saturday in Anaheim.

The alleged bad blood? Gane and Ngannou briefly trained together at the MMA Factory in France several years back (Francis recently told us it was less than 10 times), and things haven't exactly always seemed copacetic since.

In fact, a video recently made its way around social media showing Francis walking by Ciryl ... like he didn't exist.

But, Gane says everything's cool between the men ... there's zero ill will.

"I have no feelings for him. He's just like another opponent and that's it."

It's an intriguing matchup. Ngannou throws bombs ... and arguably has more power than any other fighter on the UFC roster. Meanwhile, Gane is 6'5", 250 lbs., but moves like a guy who weighs 75 lbs. less.

Francis recently told us he believes he'll knockout Ciryl within 10 minutes (2 rounds).

Bengals star Joe Mixon went all out for his first playoff game ... ordering more than $400k worth of jewelry to commemorate the big day!!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the Pro Bowl running back wanted to do something extra special for his first postseason appearance, so he hit up his go-to guy Gabriel The Jeweler last week to whip something together.

We're told the order -- a special made Cuban link chain, iced-out Audemars Piguet, and diamond ring -- would usually take about a month to complete ... but Gabriel's team worked late for 8 straight days to come through for Mixon.

The finished product is incredible -- the chain has 170 carats of VVS diamonds (including emerald cuts), and the rose gold AP has 36 carats of diamonds with emerald cuts on the band.

And, check out how the diamonds dance on the ring!!!

We're told the order was finished early Saturday morning and was flown to Cincinnati just in time for the game. No word on how much Mixon shelled out for the bling, but we're told the 3 pieces are worth a total $400k!!

Gabriel tells us he'd do anything for his guy, Joe ... and he definitely proved that with the speedy delivery.

Antonio Brown says he loves Tom Brady and has spoken to the 7x Super Bowl champ -- despite questioning TB12's friendship after he was cut by the Bucs -- telling TMZ Sports Brady is a "true friend."

We talked to AB outside Via Allora in Beverly Hills on Friday ... and asked the Pro Bowl wideout about the current status of his relationship with Brady.

"Listen, I love Tom. That's my guy. Don't get it twisted. A lot of words were taken out of substance. Tom is one of my true friends in the midst of adversity that was there for me, so don't get it twisted about nothing with Tom Brady."

Brown continued ... "He's a G.O.A.T. Great player. Great teammate."

Of course, Antonio had a different take on the Full Send podcast last week when he pondered Brady's motivation for befriending him.

"Not everybody in sports is going to be your friend. Tom Brady's my friend why? Because I'm a good football player. He needs me to play football," Brown told the guys.

But, during our conversation with AB, he makes it clear he's still tight with Tom, regardless of what he said during an emotional time.

There's much more.

We also talked to Antonio -- who was with business partner Jas Mathur -- about the Bucs playoff game against the Eagles, hanging out with Madonna, a potential musical collab with Kanye West, an ankle injury update, and what he'd say to NFL front offices who may be hesitant to sign him.

On linking up with Ye, AB told us ... "We got something brewing. We got a lot of stuff working."

Brown added, "It's coming soon."

As for the situation in Tampa Bay ... the 7x Pro Bowler wholeheartedly believes Bucs head coach Bruce Arians was out of line, but AB also admits he could've navigated the situation with more tact.

"Obviously I could've handled my emotions better. But, sometimes under anger, you may not handle yourself the right way."

Josh Allen might wanna avoid taking Bart Scott's advice and poppin' Viagra before Saturday's playoff game ... 'cause the makers of the blue pill are warning NFL players to talk to a doctor before using their product.

A rep for Viagra tells TMZ Sports the medicine should only be used for its intended purposes ... even if Scott swears it'll help with blood circulation in cold temps.

"Viagra or Revatio, both of which contain sildenafil as an active ingredient, should only be used in the approved indications and always under the supervision of a physician," the rep tells us.

Of course, Viagra is known to help men in another department ... which is why Scott's comment on ESPN's "Get Up" earlier this week had folks buzzing.

Scott's advice to Allen -- who has a history of not performing well in cold weather -- directed the QB to take the blue pill before the game against the New England Patriots to get his "circulation going."

"Take some Viagra before the game, baby," Scott said, much to the chagrin of his colleagues. "That'll get that circulation going right."

"Viagra was first a heart medicine, right?," Scott added. "So, it builds up circulation, which makes sure it gets circulation to the feet."

Allen -- who admittedly has bad circulation which leads to cold feet -- has had one of the worst completion percentages in the NFL over the last 15 years in freezing temps.

FYI, the forecast for the Bills-Pats game isn't doing Buffalo's star any favors -- the weather is expected to be in single-digits with a wind chill around -10 degrees.

Kodak Black's twerking partner is setting the record straight on their raunchy moment in a luxury suite at an NHL game, saying it wasn't sexual in the slightest -- despite what your eyes were telling you.

The woman from the viral video is actually an up-and-coming rapper who goes by the stage name VVsnce, and she tells us her relationship with Kodak is NOT sexual, it's all biz.

VVsnce says she and Kodak are laughing at the people calling them out for having sex in the suite. Interestingly, she told us exactly where they would've done the deed ... IF that was the plan, and it wouldn't have been out in the open.

Fact is, VVscne is signing to Kodak's Sniper Game label and they'd hit up the Florida Panthers game after a long day in the studio ... simply looking to cut loose and have some fun.

Some folks say the twerk sesh was too much for a public event with lots of kids nearby ... but VVsnce is clapping back and schooling critics on today's youth.

Giga Chikadze is the #8 ranked UFC featherweight, but believes he'll have a "C" for champ next to his name very soon, 'cause once he beats Calvin Kattar Saturday night, he says he absolutely deserves a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski.

... and he tells TMZ Sports that matchup would be a very one-sided affair.

We talked to the 33-year-old, 14-2 (undefeated in the UFC) fighter from Georgia (country) just days before his UFC Fight Night main event scrap with #5 ranked Kattar -- a fight he's favored to win (-235).

"I'm super excited, man. I've been asking for top 5 opponents since I got in the UFC. I was telling them, warning them that I'm ready for it. And finally, I got the opponent, and I'm very happy that my opponent is from a top 5 ranking," Giga told us.

We asked him if a win against Calvin should set him up for a title shot ... and there was zero hesitation.

"Absolutely. When I beat Calvin Kattar, it doesn't matter if it happens in 2 months, 3 months," Chikadze says, adding "I deserve a shot."

FYI, Alex is fighting Korean Zombie at UFC 273 in April.

It's an interesting matchup. The men have different bodies -- Giga is tall (6') and long, meanwhile, Alex is short (5'6") and stocky -- and fighting styles.

"[Volkanovski] has nothing against me. Nothing. I've been facing the short guys like him for all my whole life and making my living knocking these types of guys out," Giga says.

"There is no chance he can stand in front of me. He can't even catch me. Can't even touch me. I'm so giant for him, it'll be like David vs. Goliath but in a better way."

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Junior Siavii was found dead in a Kansas prison on Thursday as he was awaiting trial ... officials said Friday.

He was 43 years old.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons told the Kansas City Star that Siavii was discovered unresponsive at a federal prison in Leavenworth on Thursday afternoon.

The spokesperson said Siavii was taken to a nearby medical facility where he was pronounced dead.

Further details surrounding the death are unclear ... though The Star did report that the spokesperson said no other staffers or inmates were injured.

Siavii -- real name Saousoalii Siavii -- was being held at the prison after he was hit with multiple criminal charges in 2019.

Federal prosecutors say the former football player was a part of a large conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They also allege, among other things, that he illegally had firearms on his person during a wild arrest back in August 2019.

Siavii was picked in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of Oregon by the Kansas City Chiefs ... and he later went on to play in 16 games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2009.

He spent one season with the Seahawks in 2010, before his career NFL ended in 2011.

Cops say WWE legend Tammy Sytch -- aka Sunny -- allegedly threatened to kill her "intimate partner" with a pair of scissors before she was arrested on Thursday, TMZ Sports has learned.

In new court documents, law enforcement officers in New Jersey say Sytch was involved in a domestic dispute with a man that could have turned fatal.

Details of how the alleged altercation began are unclear ... but in the docs, officers say Sytch raised a pair of scissors "in the air towards the victim" and threatened to kill him.

Cops say that an officer witnessed the incident ... and added that Sytch "appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol" during the altercation.

The alleged victim suffered no injuries, cops added.

Sytch was ultimately arrested ... and court records show she was booked on three criminal charges -- including possessing a weapon for unlawful purpose, and terroristic threats. Jail records show she's still in custody.

Braxton Berrios' Mexican vacation just got a whole lot better (yeah, somehow that's possible!) -- the Jets receiver just learned he was named to this year's NFL All-Pro team, and his GF said he was "in shock" over the news.

The New York star is down in Cabo with his model girlfriend, Sophia Culpo, and on Friday morning, the two got the news that he was selected as this year's All-Pro kick returner.

FYI -- it's a big deal, being an All-Pro means you were the best at your position, regardless of conference.

Culpo captured video of Berrios just minutes after the honors were announced ... and you can see in the short clip, the dude is clearly on Cloud 9.

"I think someone is in shock," Culpo said as Berrios smiled ear-to-ear.

Berrios, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2018, had a breakout season this year -- scoring five total TDs and averaging 30.4 yards per kick return.

Dude couldn't be in a better place to celebrate too ... it's 83 degrees there, and he's clearly got some excellent company to party with.

Jake and Logan Paul were money-making machines in 2021 ... with the YouTube superstars-turned-boxers reportedly raking in a combined $63 MILLION over the past year.

Forbes just released its list of highest-paid influencers on the social media platform on Friday ... with the Problem Child coming in at #2 with an astonishing $45 million estimated in earnings.

The outlet reports about $40 million of that moolah came via the boxing ring -- with Jake beating up on Ben Askren in April and Tyron Woodley in August and December.

Whether Jake is considered a "real" boxer or not, the serious money he's pocketing is not up for debate -- his income in 2021 would have put him among the top-earning athletes last year ... making more than Canelo Alvarez, who reportedly brought in $34 million.

As for Logan -- who came in at #8 on Forbes' YouTube list -- he reportedly made $18 million in 2021 ... large in part to his fight with Floyd Mayweather, his "Impaulsive" podcast, and other business opportunities.

Tampa Bay Rays bullpen catcher Jean Ramirez died by suicide, officials in Texas announced this week.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner revealed the ruling on the manner on Thursday, TMZ Sports has confirmed, adding that the cause was a gunshot wound.

Ramirez was just 28 years old.

"The loss of our son has been the most excruciating experience we have lived," Ramirez's family said in a statement following the release of the tragic news. "Unfortunately, we sometimes don't see the signs. Struggling in silence is not OK."

"It is our commitment to honor our son's life by helping other families. No parent should have to endure the loss of their child. We are very grateful to the Tampa Bay Rays organization, whom we consider our family, for their love and support."

The family continued, "Our son felt loved by all of you. Thank you to our family, friends and everyone else far and near for the outpouring of love and support. God bless you! Rays Up in Heaven."

The Rays announced Ramirez's death on Tuesday -- and many Tampa Bay players, both past and present, mourned the tragedy ... with former Cy Young winner Blake Snell saying, "Man this one hurts."

Ramirez -- who was drafted by the Rays in 2016 -- joined the team as its bullpen catcher in 2019. He had said his goal was to move up in the ranks and perhaps one day manage a roster in The Show.