TMZ Sports - Page 50

The felony strangulation charge that Chael Sonnen was hit with following his alleged meltdown at a Las Vegas hotel last year has been dropped ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court records, prosecutors declined to move forward with the battery by strangulation count that they had previously charged Sonnen on last month.

The records show five other battery charges -- all misdemeanors -- against Sonnen were dropped as well.

We've reached out to the Clark County District Attorney's office for comment on the decision -- but so far, no word back yet.

Sonnen is still facing five misdemeanor battery charges in the case after officials claim he absolutely lost it in a hallway at the Four Seasons Hotel on Dec. 18.

As we reported, Sonnen is accused of beating up several men and one woman in a fit of rage inside the hotel.

According to police docs, Sonnen told officers at the scene he had no recollection of his alleged actions -- explaining to them that he had taken a sleeping pill and "could not recall" anything after that.

Things got a bit handsy between Johnny Manziel and his new lady on Thursday -- the duo raged at the clubs in Miami ... and the quarterback couldn't help himself but cop a feel.

The Fan Controlled Football star was spotted having a blast with Kenzie Werner ... just two days removed from their sunny football toss on the beach.

As we previously reported, JM and KW have been spending a lot of time together all over the country recently ... and their Miami trip has been filled with expensive food, boozing and some R&R.

While Manziel's return to the football field is on the horizon, he was in party mode in South Beach -- dancing on the tables and putting Werner on his shoulders as the music blares in the background.

The two have picked things up on social media as well -- Johnny confirmed their romance in the comment section on IG ... replying to a Werner bikini pic with, "BM ❤️"

Johnny also shared Werner in a post on Thursday ... saying, "So much for a sneaky link 🤷🏻‍♂️"

More drama between Brooks Koepka and his fans ... TMZ Sports has obtained video showing the golf superstar snatching a phone from a guy who was trying to talk to him after one of his rounds over the weekend.

We're told the incident went down shortly after Koepka beat Jon Rahm at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play tournament in Austin, Texas on Saturday.

In the video, you can see a fan put his phone near Koepka's face as the 28-year-old was carting around the course with his wife, and asked him about beating Rahm.

Koepka can then be seen ripping the phone from the man, and telling him, "Get it out of my face, man! Get it out of my face!"

We're told Koepka actually took the phone for a brief moment -- but the golfer's manager returned it to the fan just seconds later.

We're told the fan was not upset over the incident and did not seek to press charges.

It's the second time this month that Koepka has been less-than-pleasant with his fans ... you'll recall, at the same WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play event last week, Koepka channeled "Tin Cup" to shut down some autograph seekers on the course.

"I don't come to your job asking for your s***, do I?" Koepka told a group of people who were yelling for him to sign. "I don't think so!"

Koepka, while brash, has not generally been known to clash with fans on the course.

Sad news for Stephan Bonnar ... the UFC legend's family says its Nevada home was destroyed in a fire this week.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Henderson Fire Dept. received a call for a residential fire at 2:40 PM on Monday ... and when help arrived on the scene, fire and smoke were visible from outside the home.

Due to high winds and the closeness to the neighboring homes, the first responders called on the Clark County FD for backup in order to get the blaze out. The fire was extinguished nearly an hour later.

The fire dept. says two adults, one child and four dogs were removed from the home. Luckily, no injuries were reported ... and no one was transported to the hospital.

Bonnar's wife, Andrea, shared the news on her business' Facebook ... saying, "I am just jumping on to let you know our house burned today and we have lost everything."

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Stephan Bonnar was part of arguably the most important fight in UFC history -- the season finale of the Ultimate Fighter 1 against Forrest Griffin. Stephan lost by decision, but the fight was so incredible, the UFC gave both guys contracts.

Add another accomplishment to Chris Paul's resume -- President Biden just appointed the Phoenix Suns guard to his Advisory Board for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the White House announced Thursday.

Joe tapped the NBA star to serve alongside 17 other new members -- including actress Taraji P. Henson, who was also asked to join the board -- as the Biden administration continues to put a focus on advancement through HBCUs.

According to the White House, the goal of the Advisory Board is to advance the HBCU Initiative, which was started by the Carter administration in 1980.

Joining CP3 on the board will be the presidents of five HBCUs -- Alabama State University, Virginia State University, Norfolk State University in Virginia, Dillard University in New Orleans and Prairie View A&M University in Texas -- as well as Delaware State University's own Tony Allen -- who serves as the chair.

Allen, president of DSU, says the board "will be will be an eclectic mix of the talent and commitment that defines Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) and those who recognize our tremendous value in higher education and in a smaller, more connected global community."

Paul, who served as head of the National Basketball Players Association from 2013-2021, has made it a point to actively and publicly support HBCUs throughout his career.

CP3 was a part of the push to get HBCU schools featured during the NBA's All-Star Weekend ... and as a result, the men's basketball teams for Morgan State and Howard played each in the inaugural NBA HBCU Classic in Cleveland.

The game aired on ESPN2 and TNT, and both schools received a $100,000 donation from the NBA and AT&T to support student-athletes continuing their education.

The runner who was sucker punched in the middle of a high school race in Florida last weekend does not want to press charges ... this according to officers at the race.

A spokesperson for the Osceola County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ Sports officers did attend the event over the weekend ... but say the punched runner did not wish to move forward with charges.

The spokesperson added that the other party involved in the incident -- the one who threw the punch -- also declined to press charges ... presumably over what appeared to be the runner making contact with him in the moments before the swing.

Cops did not provide further details.

As we previously reported, the wild scene all went down at the Tohopekaliga Tiger Invitational in Kissimmee on Saturday ... when an athlete appeared to punch a runner in a race after he seemed to be pushed by the boy earlier in the event.

The boys' schools have not provided comment on the situation.

No word yet on if the runner suffered serious injuries, but race results show he did not finish the run.

This will give you the feels ... NCAA tourney breakout star Shaheen Holloway, now former coach of St. Peter's, got some unexpected support during his introductory press conference at Seton Hall University -- his entire former team showed up to cheer on their coach.

And, in what was a really special moment, Sha asked the crowd at Walsh Gymnasium on SHU's campus in South Orange, NJ to give the players a round of applause, and the pumped-up crowd obliged.

"First, I wouldn't be up there if it wasn't for those fifteen young men right there," Shaheen said, alluding to his St. Peter's players who were in the crowd.

The crowd cheered ... just not loud enough.

"Pirate Nation we can do better than that. Pirate Nation, those fifteen young men right there, stand up. Get up!"

Of course, 45-year-old Holloway led 15-seeded St. Peters, a small private school from Jersey City, NJ, with little funding, and unheralded players, to a win over the mighty Kentucky Wildcats in the first round of March Madness.

But, that wasn't all ... the Peacocks went on to beat 7-seed Murray State in the 2nd round, before toppling 3-seed Purdue, sending them to the Elite 8.

Purdue has Jaden Ivey who many experts believe will be the first pick in the NBA Draft in a few months ... but the Peacocks held the stud guard to just 9 points, forcing 6 turnovers.

Unfortunately for Sha and the players, the magic ran out against UNC ... and St. Peters was sent home.

However, it was one of the most improbable and inspiring runs in sports history ... so when Holloway was hired by his alma mater, Seton Hall -- his dream job -- the players he just led clearly wanted to show their leader support.

Back in the late '90s, Holloway was a star at SHU. He spent 4 seasons with the Pirates where he averaged 14 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds.

The Pirates coaching gig opened up when traitor Kevin Willard (we kid), who was at the helm for 12 seasons and led SH to 5 tourney appearances (would've been 6 if the NCAA Tourney wasn't canceled over COVID in 2020).

Before getting hired as the head guy in Jersey City, Sha was an assistant coach under Willard. He only left when the opportunity to become a head coach became a reality.

For many at Seton Hall, and for Holloway, the plan was always for him to come home.

Bobby Wagner is on the move, but he's staying close -- the future Hall of Fame linebacker is signing with the Los Angeles Rams after he was released by the Seahawks ... inking a 5-year, $50 million deal to stay in the NFC West.

The deal is massive ... and could end up being worth up to $65 MILLION, according to Adam Schefter.

Wagner was a mainstay in the middle of Seattle's defense ... and was one of the premier faces of the "Legion of Boom" as they went to three NFC Championship games and back-to-back Super Bowls.

Bobby finished his career in Seattle playing in 151 regular season games ... where he accumulated 1383 total tackles, 11 interceptions, and 23.5 sacks.

Last season, Wagner started all 16 games for the 'Hawks and had 170 tackles (93 solo, 77 combined), which was good for second on his team behind teammate Jordyn Brooks.

Bobby was a member of the Seahawks team in 2014 that defeated the Denver Broncos, 43-8, in Super Bowl 48 ... winning the franchise's only championship.

The 31-year-old eight-time Pro Bowler was released to free up cap space for the 'Hawks, who are rebuilding, but he's landed on his feet -- finding a new home with L.A.

It's been 12 years since Terrell Owens played in the NFL, but the Hall of Famer is ready to hit the gridiron once again -- this time, with Fan Controlled Football!!

TMZ Sports has confirmed with sources -- 48-year-old T.O. will suit up for the league this season ... joining former Heisman Johnny Manziel, who is returning for his second season.

As we previously reported, Owens has remained confident he could continue to play in the NFL ... telling us in 2021 he was actively pursuing a comeback.

Now, our sources say the legendary receiver will, in fact, be playing this year.

We broke the story -- comedian and social media superstar Druski told us earlier this month he was hoping to get T.O. and fellow ex-NFL superstar Mike Vick to join the league ... and so far, he's 1-for-2.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with T.O.'s participation ... and whether NFL teams will be watching to see if he's still got it.

Games start later this spring ... so, as T.O. would say, getcha popcorn ready.

We reached out to FCF for a comment, but they're not talking.

Emily Bridges -- a British transgender cyclist -- was set to race in a women's event this weekend ... but that has changed after the Union Cycliste Internationale disqualified her on Wednesday.

According to British Cycling, the 21-year-old was eligible for the April 2 race due to the British Cycling Transgender and Non-Binary Participation policy.

But, the UCI informed them since she's registered as a male cyclist -- who started hormone therapy last year -- she could not compete.

"We acknowledge the decision of the UCI with regards to Emily's participation, however, we fully recognise her disappointment with today’s decision," British Cycling said in a statement.

"We believe all participants within our sport deserve more clarity and understanding around participation in elite competitions and we will continue to work with the UCI on both Emily's case and the wider situation with regards to this issue."

Bridges -- who set a national junior men's record over 25 miles in 2018 -- is an example of the ongoing battle between transgender athletes and some people in sports who believe the athletes have an unfair advantage.

"We also understand that in elite sports the concept of fairness is essential," British Cycling said.

"For this reason, British Cycling is today calling for a coalition to share, learn and understand more about how we can achieve fairness in a way that maintains the dignity and respect of all athletes."

Several states in the U.S have banned transgender female athletes from girls' teams. In fact, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis denounced transgender swimmer Lia Thomas for winning an NCAA championship.

WWE legend Ric Flair is heartbroken over Triple H's retirement from wrestling ... saying he was hoping his good friend and mentor had one more match left in him.

Flair got emotional when discussing the end of Triple H's wrestling career on 105.3 THE FAN in Dallas ... reflecting on how HHH played a huge role in rebooting his "Nature Boy" persona.

"I'm sick that he's not going to have that last match, to be honest with you," Flair said. "But his legacy is in place, and he will be highly thought of and highly remembered forever."

"But I do wish he had one more match," Flair added. "I just want him to make an appearance. I think the wrestling fans need a live appearance from him, to hear it in his own words, just in front of 80,000 people, one time."

Flair has a particularly soft spot for Triple H ... because he said after Vince McMahon called and gave him an opportunity following the closure of WCW, Triple H took him under his wing and helped him rebuild his self-confidence.

"It's no secret Triple H saved me," Flair said. "When WCW closed guys, I was at an all-time low. When I think about it I get emotional."

Triple H, whose real name is Paul Levesque, announced last week he'd never wrestle again because of a heart condition that almost killed him.

The news rocked sports fans -- as wrestlers of HHH's caliber usually get a farewell match, something Flair says he desperately wishes Paul received.

"Two years ago, I said, 'God, you've got to have another match, man,'" Flair said. "And he just was so involved in the corporate, in the business end of the WWE."

Flair said Paul's unselfishness and commitment to developing new talent paved the way for wrestlers like Randy Orton, Batista, Sasha Banks, and his daughter, Charlotte Flair, to become stars.

Wrestling fans remember Flair and Triple H were members of one of the greatest factions in WWE history -- a group called "Evolution" -- alongside Orton and Batista.

At one point, all four men held major WWE titles at the same time. Triple H (The Game) World Heavyweight Champion, Randy Orton (The Legend Killer) Intercontinental Champion, and Flair (The Nature Boy) and Batista (The Animal) were Tag Team champions.

"I wrestle with feeling it would be easier to not exist. Many survivors share these feelings, and some of Watson's fans have expressed that they would like for us to be raped, imprisoned, or killed."

That was written by one of the women who has accused Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct during a massage session, writing a piece for The Daily Beast about the alleged abuse she endured after the star QB (who has adamantly denied any wrongdoing) was not charged with any crimes.

The accuser, Lauren Baxley (she has decided to reveal her name), recalls waiting for the Texas Grand Jury's decision ... and when the word came down the men and women of the jury didn't believe there was enough evidence to criminally charge Deshaun, it triggered a barrage of hate.

"More than that, the choice to not indict Watson on our testimonies -- that were deemed 'highly credible' by prosecutors and the detectives who worked our criminal cases -- opened a floodgate of abuse, slander, and libel toward us on the internet," Baxley wrote.

She continued ... "The worst of the women-haters came out, declaring the no-bills proof that we were 'prostitutes' all along."

FYI, "no bill" means no charges.

And, Lauren says she's offended by the assertion she did anything wrong.

"As someone who has faithfully strived to maintain the highest level of professionalism, and as someone who -- in my entire career -- has never experienced the type of behavior that Watson displayed, comments like that are not only infuriating and untrue, they are wholly shifting the blame from a serial predator onto unwitting and unwilling women."

Baxter doesn't go into detail about her accusations against Watson, but does say it's the first time she experienced such an allegedly traumatic incident at work.

"I have worked with dozens of professional athletes over my decade-plus career as a massage therapist, and no session before Watson ever turned sexual in nature. I have worked with dozens of television and film actors through comic conventions, and no man has ever exposed himself to me, nor assaulted me in any way prior to Watson."

Baxter also goes in on the Cleveland Browns for not only trading for the Pro Bowler, but then rewarding him with a $230 million deal.

"Additionally, a failure to charge or convict a crime does not equate to innocence. Watson, his fans, and the Cleveland Browns pretending it does is not only ignorant, it is evil."

She also took a shot at LeBron James -- pointing out what she believes is hypocritical behavior -- after the NBA superstar tweeted, celebrating Watson's huge new contract.

"I would include a certain NBA player along with the other disappointing excuses of men who in one breath may bring awareness to the struggles of marginalized Black women, and in the next praise the elevation of a man who abused dozens of them."

Baxter addressed other famous people who may feel tempted to stick up for Watson, pleading with them to ... just don't.

"I would never expect a public figure to side with Watson's victims. However, I do ask that anyone with a responsibility to uphold basic morality simply shut their mouths and log off Twitter when they are tempted to show him support."

Barring something unforeseen, Watson will not be charged criminally. However, he still has to deal with the 20+ women who are suing him.

Charles Barkley better keep his head on a swivel -- Shaquille O'Neal says he'll follow Will Smith's lead and slap the hell outta his TNT co-host ... dropping the playful threat in a hilarious freestyle rap.

The Big Aristotle made the comment at his surprise belated birthday party at Steak Market in Atlanta on Wednesday ... when the crowd of about 250 people asked him to get up to the DJ booth and give them a set.

The NBA legend ended up grabbing the mic and spitting off the dome for about 10 minutes instead ... name-dropping his "Inside the NBA" friends and referencing the infamous Oscars moment in the process.

"Tomorrow I'm on TNT, with f***ing Kenny, with f***ing Chuck, I might Will Smith his ass I don't give a f***," Shaq raps.

Unlike the real interaction, everyone loved the reference ... cheering and laughing after Shaq dropped the line.

Now, Shaq and Chuck have had a playful rivalry for years ... with both Hall of Famers going back and forth at every possible opportunity.

O'Neal was letting the insults fly on more than just Barkley, though -- he even brought up LeBron James while dissing a dude's hairline ... which was a crowd favorite as well.

The whole bash looked fun as hell -- it was sponsored by D'usse, so you know the adult beverages were flowing.

Celebs like Bobby Valentino and 2 Chainz were also in attendance ... as well as a tiger.

As for Shaq's birthday, it was March 6 ... but hey, better late than never!!

A 19-year-old will now spend time in jail after the teen pleaded guilty to firing off a racist insult at soccer star Marcus Rashford following the Euro 2020 final last year.

Authorities in England announced the sentencing this week ... saying 19-year-old Justin Lee Price has been sentenced to six months behind bars for "sending a grossly offensive message" to Rashford.

As we previously reported, the tweet was one of many that Rashford and several of his other teammates received after they missed pivotal kicks in England's matchup against Italy in the Final last July.

Authorities launched an investigation into it all immediately after the verbal attacks were sent -- as it's illegal to make racist statements or threats toward another individual -- and, eventually, they arrested several people, including Price.

After Price's sentencing on Friday, Senior Crown Prosecutor Mark Johnson condemned the teen in a statement.

"I hope this case sends out the message that we will not tolerate racism," Johnson said, "and offenders will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Douglas Mackay, a lead prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, added in a statement that he and other law enforcement will continue to crack down on hate crimes relating to sporting events.

A Florida politician is throwing his full support behind Jorge Masvidal ... defending the UFC star over his alleged attack on Colby Covington, saying, "It's not like he beat up some kid on the street."

Manny Diaz -- a current FL state senator -- spoke with news station WPLG Local 10 about the allegations against Masvidal after the fighter appeared at a Ron DeSantis event on Wednesday evening ... and he made it clear, he's in Jorge's corner.

"Jorge is a fighter and, yeah, he ran into another fighter," Diaz said. "It's not like he beat up some kid on the street. I mean, look. It happens."

Masvidal is accused of attacking Covington outside of Papi Steak in Miami on March 22 ... punching him so hard that police say Covington told them the blows actually fractured one of his teeth.

Masvidal was hit with two felony charges over the alleged ambush -- but at DeSantis' event Wednesday, he didn't look like he had too many cares about the criminal case that's looming over his head.

In fact, one of the attendees at the event, Ophir Rahimi, told WPLG Local 10 that Masvidal looked normal and didn't talk about the alleged altercation with Colby. Rahimi, though, did note that it looked like Jorge's hand was damaged.

"You were able to see the hand was a bit swollen," Rahimi said. "There was a cut there. So I'm assuming that's the right hand that was used."

The only fighting star boxer Vasyl Lomachenko will do now for the foreseeable future is for his home country against Russia ... so says his manager, who tells TMZ Sports Loma will remain in Ukraine until the war ends.

Lomachenko has been in the war-torn country since February -- shortly after Russia's initial invasion -- choosing to forego a championship fight with George Kambosos Jr. to stick around and help his fellow countrymen in the war.

And, Egis Klimas, who manages Lomachenko's boxing career, told us out in L.A. on Wednesday the plan is for that to continue until all of the fighting in Ukraine stops.

Klimas, though, did ensure Lomachenko is staying safe while the war rages on.

"He's doing good," Klimas said. "He's in the safe place in Ukraine. He's in the corner. The place where he's at, it's not a war zone. He's not in a war zone."

Lomachenko last fought in the ring in December, beating Richard Commey via a unanimous decision. He was expected to fight Kambosos Jr. in June ... before the war caused Loma to pull out of the bout.

Kamboso Jr. has said he will remake the fight with Lomachenko after he leaves Ukraine -- and wished him the best while he fights for his home country.

Klimas, meanwhile, says Oleksandr Usyk, one of the other star boxers he manages who joined the forces in Ukraine back in February, has left the country and is in the process of preparing for his rematch against Anthony Joshua.