TMZ Sports - Page 50

Charlotte Flair is putting Ronda Rousey on notice ... telling TMZ Sports the former UFC superstar is in for a rude awakening when she steps inside of the squared circle with her at WrestleMania 38 in Texas.

We spoke with the WWE Smackdown Women's Champion -- and daughter of legend Ric Flair -- out in NYC this week ... and she tells us the damage she caused to Ronda on Smackdown is a preview of what the former MMA star can expect when they collide.

Charlotte and Ronda came to blows in the leadup to WrestleMania ... with Charlotte getting the best of Rousey in front of her hometown crowd in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In the aftermath of their fight, Ronda said she was having difficulty talking on a gaming stream ... and she explained she suffered a torn labial frenulum -- the tissue in your mouth that connects your lip to your gums.

While the "Baddest Woman On The Planet" didn't specify how she sustained the injury, you have to assume the attack she suffered at the hands of Charlotte (with help from a kendo stick) played a role.

The good news is "Rowdy" Ronda fully expects to be 100% by the time Mania rolls around ... and Charlotte is looking forward to colliding with her on the grandest stage of them all.

"If that hurt her, [I] can't wait to see Mania," the champ said.

Rousey won the women's Royal Rumble match back in January ... which gave her the right to fight either Charlotte or Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch.

Ronda chose Charlotte, paving the way for the two women to share the ring again ... in hopes of resolving their longstanding feud.

WrestleMania, the Super Bowl of pro wrestling, is an event that makes stars ... but Charlotte says Ronda still has to make a name for herself in the biz.

Jim Norton has some simple advice for Russell Westbrook in his war against heckling fans ... telling TMZ Sports if the Lakers star wants the trolling to stop, then he has to play better.

We spoke with the comedian -- who knows a thing or two about getting an earful from fans -- and he tells us the best way for Russ to shut 'em up is to elevate his game.

Of course, it's been a rough year for Westbrook in his first season with the Purple and Gold ... and spectators (L.A. especially) have been giving the former MVP a hard time.

Russ' numbers have dipped -- he's struggled to shoot the ball from the perimeter and at the free-throw line and is among the league leaders in turnovers.

Most recently, Russ pled with fans to stop calling him the name "Westbrick" ... saying he often let it slide, but it's to the point where he wants it to die.

But, even that didn't stop fans from rolling up on Brodie in the street -- A fan recorded himself telling Russ he wants him to play better, but the All-Star guard wasn't feeling it all.

Jim tells us Russ needs to start going back at fans in a war of words -- encouraging the baller to "attack these losers" who are yelling at him.

Jim said there are plenty of nights in his industry he doesn't bring it, so he never gets mad at fans for heckling him if he deserves it.

"Well that's why I said, 'play better,'" Morton says, "because if I'm on stage, there's plenty of nights when I suck."

"I kind of know when I suck. So if I'm having a really bad set and someone yells, 'you suck,' then I'll address it, and I'll be mean to the person."

LeBron James was a big winner Saturday night ... singled out for his work in a big-budget movie -- cause he won some Razzies!!!

LeBron was bestowed with the honor of "Worst Actor" Saturday during the 42nd annual Golden Raspberry Awards celebrating the worst in movies.

LeBron's trophy was an acknowledgment of his work in "Space Jam: The Legacy," in which he played himself ... well, sorta.

But wait, there's more. LeBron also won for "Worst Screen Couple" and "Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel."

Fear not, LeBron, because worse movies were made ... like "Diana the Musical" on Netflix, which snagged Worst Picture, Worst Actress, Worst Supporting Actress and Worst Director.

While it was a common theme in the show, the "Space Jam" remake wasn't quite as popular as "Diana the Musical" scooping up five trophies.

Jared Leto also scored with Worst Supporting Actor in "House of Gucci."

And, get this ... there was a special category for Bruce Willis ... Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie! It's for "Cosmic Sin" ... in case you're interested.

Jake Paul tells TMZ Sports he's dead serious about an MMA fight with Conor McGregor ... saying even in an Octagon, under UFC rules, he'd KO the Irish star.

Paul has called out McGregor a bunch of times over the last couple years ... but now, more than ever, he seems ready to make the tilt actually happen.

And, this time, he tells us he's willing to go onto Conor's turf to do it.

"Conor is on a downhill spiral," Jake said. "His limbs are all broken. So, stand-up game, I'm coming out and knocking him out, first round."

Paul tells us he and McGregor weigh the same now, and he's legitimately looking into leaving boxing for MMA to make the fight.

Jake also said he wants to throw down with McGregor in the UFC in order to try to persuade Dana White to give more of the company's revenue to fighters.

"If I win, then Dana has to increase the minimum of fighter pay," Jake said. "If I lose, then they can take all of the money and whatever and so be it."

"But, I know I can beat Conor."

If the matchup with Conor doesn't happen, there's still a chance Jake heads to MMA for his next fight regardless. He tells us he's been in talks with Bellator and PFL -- "and other MMA entities" -- to try to hammer out some kind of deal to potentially fight in a cage.

Johnny Knoxville says he's not only gonna beat former WWE Intercontinental champion Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 38 in Texas ... he's literally going to end his career!!

Knoxville joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports show on FS1 ... where he said he's champing at the bit to settle the score between him and Sami.

"I can't wait to get to Dallas to slap Sami Zayn in his stupid face," Johnny says.

Of course, the feud between Knoxville and Zayn has been going on for months. When Knoxville made his WWE debut recently, he challenged Zayn to a match.

Zayn denied Johnny's request ... telling him he had no business being in the WWE. Knoxville exacted some revenge when he cost Zayn the intercontinental title against Ricochet on Smackdown a few weeks ago -- setting the stage for their showdown next week.

Knoxville, the ultimate prankster, predicted the worst is yet to come for Zayn when the two fight at WWE's crowning spectacle in an "anything goes" match.

FYI, "anything goes" means the standard rules and stipulations governing a typical WWE fight are out of play.

But, the "Jackass" star isn't taking his fight with the pro-wrestler lightly ... he says he's been training and working with a wrestling coach to hold his own in the ring.

Knox took things a step further in their bitter rivalry when he used a plane banner to blow up the Champ's phone number (which hasn't stopped ringing since) for all of L.A. to see.

Knox made it abundantly clear he's got one goal -- to retire Sami Zayn.

Several pairs of Virgil Abloh's Off-White collab with Nike are hitting the auction block ... but they're even more rare than usual -- they're actually signed by the late fashion icon.

TMZ Sports has learned ... one pair included in Sotheby's Modern Collectibles catalog is the Air Jordan 1 x OFF-WHITE "UNC" ... which features the famous "Off-White For Nike" label and red zip tie.

These blue and white sneakers are also signed by the fashion icon -- reading "Virgil 2018" on one shoe and "HODEI" (which means cloud) on the other.

The bids for the Js have already surpassed Sotheby's initial estimate for the sneakers ... which was $10k.

There's another signed pair in this auction ... the yellow and green Louis Vuitton "LV Trainers" that debuted in 2019 when Abloh was the luxury line's artistic director.

The shoes are signed "Air Abloh" and come with two Polaroids of him posing with them. These, too, have already exceeded the max estimate of $12k.

But, for those who want it all, "The Ten" collection features the first ten designs Abloh had with Nike when he signed with the Swoosh in 2017 -- it's considered one of the "most ambitious" collaborations with Nike and is expected to sell for $40k.

This is not the first time Sotheby's has auctioned off the legend's sneaks -- in fact, 200 pairs of his LV Air Force 1s sold earlier this year for a "record-breaking" $25.3 million.

Of course, getting your hands on any sneakers by Abloh will be tough and expensive ... especially after the fashion designer's death in November 2021.

"You gotta expect that out of f***ing Colby Covington. He's a bitch for pressing charges. And, if I got a message for him it's 'snitches get stitches' around here homie. That's some bitch s**t."

That's 35-year-old rising UFC welterweight star Daniel Rodriguez going in on Colby Covington ... after the #1 ranked 170 lb. contender cooperated with police and pressed charges against Jorge Masvidal for allegedly attacking him and cracking his tooth outside a fancy Miami restaurant earlier this week.

"I'd do the same thing," D-Rod told us Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles.

Of course, Masvidal allegedly attacked Colby as he was leaving Papi Steak in South Florida Monday night. Police responded, and took a report for battery.

Days later on Wednesday, Jorge turned himself into a local jail around 10 PM local time, and was hit with several charges, including felony battery, which can carry a lengthy prison sentence.

Some fighters, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, believe Colby was out of line for going to the cops -- especially after some of the trash talk the men engaged in leading up to their UFC 272 fight -- and you can count Rodriguez in that group.

"I respect Khabib for that. He's always been that kind of fighter that doesn't disrespect, especially family. Trying to promote, trying to sell a fight is one thing. But, when you throw family in the mix, it's kind of personal. So, ya know, I'm not mad at Jorge Masvidal for this incident where he ran up on [Colby] in Miami."

It remains to be seen if fellow welterweight fighters will heed Khabib's advice and not fight Covington. However, it's almost impossible to imagine fighters passing on an opportunity to take on the consensus 2nd best 170 lb. fighter in the world.

We also talked to Daniel, 6-1 in the UFC, about his health.

Shaun Weiss, famous for playing Goldberg in "The Mighty Ducks" franchise, is smiling like an all-star ... because he's got a permanent fix for all his lost and decayed teeth.

Shaun has finally completed his tooth reconstruction, recently getting his permanent upper implants to finish a process 2 years in the making.

Remember ... Shaun lost most of his teeth and had major decay due to years of drug abuse, culminating in his infamous mug shot, but when he started cleaning himself up he got a dental sponsorship for some new pearly whites.

Dr. Gabe Rosenthal did all the work for free, which typically cost around $100k  ... working pro bono after being moved by Shaun's path to sobriety.

While Shaun had some temporary implants installed back in 2020, we're told they were a temporary fix and he didn't feel comfortable speaking and eating with them. Now that he's got his new set of teeth he feels comfortable to perform some of his stand-up, do speaking engagements and interviews in the near future.

Shaun's got plenty of reason to show off his new pearly whites ... he celebrated 2 years of sobriety in January ... and he was so pleased with the work he gave Dr. Rosenthal an autographed 'Mighty Ducks' jersey to display in the dental office.

New Orleans Pelicans star Jaxson Hayes is being dragged to court by his ex-girlfriend ... with the Instagram model accusing him of getting physical with her.

Hayes, the 8th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is being sued for assault and battery by Sofia Jamora, who claims he roughed her up on multiple occasions during their relationship ... including the night he got into a scuffle with cops.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Jamora claims they started dating in October 2020 and the NBA stud first got violent with her on Valentine's Day 2021, violently abusing her in a Dallas hotel room.

In the docs, Jamora claims she traveled with Jaxson for his NBA game and shared a hotel room, and when he returned to the room he flipped out when she joked about a lack of Valentine's Day flowers. She claims he cussed her out, hit her with a suitcase he tossed across the room, physically prevented her from leaving the room and broke down a bathroom door to rip her phone out of her hand.

In her suit, Jamora claims Jaxson apologized for the Valentine's Day 2021 incident and swore he would never get physical with her again ... but she says more abuse followed as their relationship continued.

According to the docs, Jamora claims Jaxson, his two dogs and his cousin were staying at her Los Angeles home on July 27, 2021 when he got violent again.

In the suit, Jamora claims she left Jaxson at the home during the day while she was at a photoshoot and came home to find her dog severely injured, blaming the bite wounds on Jaxson's much bigger dogs. She says Jaxson was "passed out from a drug-induced stupor" when she got home, and while he was asleep she put his dogs in crates.

In the docs, Jamora claims Jaxson eventually woke her up at midnight and asked what happened to the dogs before flying off the handle. She says they got into a verbal argument, which escalated into Jaxson allegedly threatening for his cousin to rape her.

In her suit, Jamora claims Jaxson got physical with her and her puppy, throwing the pup to the ground and grabbing and shaking her, to the point where she told him he was hurting her. She says she locked herself in a bathroom, but he broke the door down and roughed her up.

Jamora claims Jaxson chased her all around the house and the property, grabbing her multiple times, tossing her around and dragging her down some stairs. She says he became enraged and started breaking anything he could get his hands on.

According to the docs, Jamora claims she locked Jaxson out of the house but he broke in through a window and she texted her cousins, begging them to call the cops.

In her suit, Jamora claims cops eventually arrived and Jaxson started interfering with the police investigation, getting into an altercation with officers where he was tased.

TMZ broke the story ... Jaxson was arrested that night, and he recently entered a no-contest plea for a resisting arrest and false imprisonment charge.

Jamora is suing Jaxson for assault, battery and infliction of emotional distress ... and she's going after him for damages.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Shi Smith was arrested Friday for allegedly carrying an unlawful handgun and drug possession ... after cops initially pulled him over for speeding.

The Union County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina says the 23-year-old was going 16 to 24 over the 55 MPH speed limit in his black Mercedes-Benz on the highway.

A deputy on routine patrol pulled Smith over at 11:22 AM ... and when he approached the vehicle, he claims he smelled marijuana.

Smith's vehicle was eventually searched, and he was arrested for unlawful carrying of a handgun, possession of narcotics and speeding.

According to jail records, his bond was set at just over $6K.

The Union County Detention Center tells us Smith posted bond and was released. His first court appearance is June 14.

The Panthers released a statement after Smith's arrest ... saying, "This is a pending legal matter and there will be no further comment at this time."

Smith -- a 6th round pick in the 2021 draft -- appeared in six games this season and has six catches for 104 yards.

Players from the New Orleans Pelicans and Saints are helping their city after powerful tornados slammed the community this week ... by delivering tons of supplies to a relief fund.

The Orleans area was hit hard on Tuesday night with storms that produced horrifying tornadoes -- some with wind speeds of 136 to 165 mph.

The dangerous tornadoes left one person dead, several injured and extensive damage in its path.

The Pelicans and Saints announced they would come together and host a donation drive at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center for the victims of the devastating storms.

You can see Tanoh Kpassagnon -- defensive end of the Saints -- and Trey Murphy, Naji Marshall and Herbert Jones of the Pelicans carry huge bins of supplies to the event.

Former Saints QB Drew Brees -- who has donated millions to the state of Louisiana -- was heartbroken over the destruction ... and asked everyone for their prayers.

"Praying for everyone affected by last night’s tornado through Texas and Louisiana," the 43-year-old said on Wednesday via IG.

"May God watch over our city, first responders, and those suffering. May we all come together to support each other during this time."

Shad Gaspard, the former WWE Superstar who died while saving his son, will be honored posthumously with the 2022 Warrior Award at this year's WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in Dallas, nearly two years after the tragic incident.

The former wrestler will be recognized for his heroic efforts ... and will receive one of WWE's most prestigious awards during WrestleMania weekend.

The Warrior Award was introduced in 2015 -- it was named after WWE Hall of Famer, Ultimate Warrior -- and is presented to an individual who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance.

The award is reserved for an individual who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of the Ultimate Warrior, one of the most popular wrestlers to step foot in a ring.

39-year-old Gaspard personified those traits ... especially in the waning moments of his life.

As we previously reported, the wrestler was swimming with his 10-year-old son near Venice Beach in L.A. when a strong rip current engulfed the two.

Lifeguards were able to locate Gaspard and his son, but he told them to focus on getting his son to shore safely. When help returned, it was tragically too late for Shad.

And, it wasn't the first time Gaspard acted courageously. In 2016, Shad foiled an attempted armed robbery at a gas station. He joined the TMZ Sports TV show shortly after to explain his heroics.

Gaspard made his WWE debut in 2006 ... where he was one-half of the famous tag team, Cryme Time, alongside his partner JTG.

Shad's death reverberated with many WWE superstars from Triple H and The Rock, who praised their former contemporary for being a great human being.

Shad's wife, Siliana Gaspard, will accept the award with their son on his behalf.

WWE legend Triple H is opening up about his future in the ring, insisting he'll never wrestle again because of a heart condition that nearly killed him, and now requires him to have a defibrillator in his chest.

Triple H, real name Paul Levesque, joined Stephen A. Smith on his "Stephen A's World" show ... and the former WWE champ said flat out his wrestling days are over.

Levesque detailed a scary medical situation where he says he almost died in late 2021. He wasn't feeling well, and went to see doctors who performed tests. After an EKG and [echocardiogram], Paul says he received an urgent message from his doctor.

"I got a quick text message saying don't take time, pack a bag real quick and head to the emergency room."

When he got to the hospital, Triple H says his heart was functioning at a very diminished level, and the outcome looked grim.

"I was nosediving and was sorta at the one-yard line of where you don't want to be," Triple H told Smith.

Paul got emotional at times when talking about the possibility of never seeing his family again.

"There's moments in there, when they're putting you out and stuff and you wonder, 'Is this it? Do you wake up from this?'"

Thankfully, doctors saved Triple H's life ... but because of the scare, he's done working inside the squared circle.

"As far as in-ring, I'm done. I will never wrestle again," Paul told Stephen, saying, "First of all, I have a defibrillator in my chest, and it's probably not wise for me to get zapped on live TV."

We haven't seen the 52-year-old wrestle in years -- and it was rumored that his wrestling days were over following his cardiac incident late last year.

In fact, Triple H's (aka "The Game") last televised match came in 2019 ... where he was defeated by Randy Orton in Saudi Arabia.

When H wasn't entertaining the WWE universe inside the ring or on the mic, he was busy helping grow NXT, the developmental arm of the company.

Triple H is one of the pioneers in the industry -- his career spans almost 30 years and he's won multiple titles throughout his tenure as a WWE superstar.

TMZ Sports spoke with Ric Flair, who sent his best wishes for the legend shortly after the news.

The announcement spells the end of an era for one of the most dominant athletes to step foot inside the squared circle.

Deshaun Watson sent a clear message to female Cleveland Browns fans on Friday ... saying he understands the seriousness of the sexual misconduct allegations made against him -- but maintaining he "never assaulted any woman."

Watson opened his conference by thanking Dee and Jimmy Haslam for bringing him to the organization ... saying he was excited to have an opportunity to prove his true character.

Watson spoke about the public outcry following the trade ... saying, "I understand the whole circumstances is very difficult, especially for the women side of the fans in this community. I'm not naïve to that. I know these allegations are very, very serious but like I mentioned before, I never assaulted any woman, I never disrespected any woman."

He added ... "I was raised by a single-parent mom, who has two aunties, who has a sister ... and that's who raised me. I was raised to be genuine and respect everyone and everything around me. I've always defended that and I will continue to stand on that."

GM Andrew Berry acknowledged the transaction was "difficult" and "triggered" emotions within the community ... but doubled down on the team's claim it did its due diligence when it decided to pursue Watson.

Berry says the team used independent investigators in Houston to provide an unbiased conclusion ... claiming the team has faith in Watson as a person.

Berry says the team was advised to NOT reach out to the 22 women accusing Watson of sexual misconduct ... as it could impact the criminal proceedings.

As we previously reported, Watson was traded to the Browns in exchange for three first-round picks, one third-round pick and two fourth-round picks last week.

The 26-year-old is currently facing a mountain of lawsuits over claims of sexual misconduct made by more than 20 massage therapists ... yet he has adamantly denied any wrongdoing.

The Edmonton Oilers gave a five-year-old battling stage four brain cancer the moment of a lifetime when they let him be their flag bearer for the night ... and star player Connor McDavid provided him with a pep talk right on the ice!!

The emotional scene went down Thursday night as the Oilers took on the San Jose Sharks ... with passionate fan Ben Stelter getting honored before the game.

In the emotional video, you can see Ben -- wearing a custom Oilers jersey -- accompanied onto the ice by team captain McDavid ... as he was introduced over the PA system to the crowd.

Ben, who's battling glioblastoma (an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord) was diagnosed with a brain tumor a year ago ... and underwent four rounds of chemotherapy and 30 sessions of radiation to remove it.

Unfortunately, the tumor returned in December.

And now, Ben is starting another round of radiation in the near future ... so the Oilers wanted to show the youngster some love and support.

"It was an honor to have such an inspirational #Oilers fan as our @Scotiabank Skater," the org. wrote on social media.

Lisa Leslie says women's basketball players were instructed to NOT make a big deal over Brittney Griner's arrest in Russia, despite the incredible seriousness of the situation ... all to avoid the WNBA star from becoming a political pawn in a fight between two nations.

The Hall of Famer sat down with Brandon Marshall, Chad Johnson, and former WNBA player Chantel Tremitiere for an episode of "I AM ATHLETE" ... where Leslie revealed players were told to keep quiet on Brittney's detainment.

"So what we were told, and again, this is all sort of passed along through hearsay," the 7x WNBA All-Star prefaced, explaining ... "What we were told was to not make a big fuss about it so they could not use her as a pawn, so to speak, in this situation in the war. So to make it like it's not that important, or don't make it like 'Free Brittney' and we start this campaign and it becomes something they can use."

"That's what we were told. And I don't want to say who told us. I don't want to say who said that, but it's been kind of spreading through the women's basketball world."

Of course, Griner was arrested sometime in February at an airport near Moscow after Russian customs officials claimed they found vape cartridges in her carry-on luggage. Brittney -- who could face over a decade in prison -- has been held in custody since, with little information about her captivity known.

Leslie's comments are fascinating ... and could shed light on why Griner's detainment wasn't known by the American public for days, if not weeks, after she was arrested.

Obviously, the war in Ukraine complicates Griner's case. The west, led by America, has levied severe sanctions against Russia, dealing a big blow to the country's economy.

But, Russia does have some leverage against the United States ... and one of those leverage points is Brittney Griner.

Presumably, that's why the women were told not to publicize Griner's situation ... hoping Russia wouldn't find out people cared about, and for Brittney's situation. If Americans demand Brittney back, that pressures the U.S., and therefore is a bargaining chip for Vladimir Putin.

But, not speaking out about their friend is hard for Lisa.

"It's heartbreaking for all of us. We want to do more. And you think should we all use our social media platform and get behind it or not. This is the first time we're in a situation and don't know what to do."

Leslie says she talks about Griner almost every day ... and they wonder if she's being treated well.

"We talk about it daily. We're just like, 'Dang, what's she doing now? You think they cut off her hair? You think she has a bed long enough for her to fit in? You think she's in the room...' We've had full-on conversations about it. Her parents gotta be sick."

Lisa Leslie isn't the first person who has raised the issue of being a political pawn.

We recently talked to U.S. Congressman Colin Allred -- a former scholarship athlete at Baylor (like BG) -- was also concerned about Griner being used by Russia.