TMZ Sports - Page 50

Jake and Logan Paul might have a lot of haters, but that's not the case with WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns ... who says he respects the YouTubers/boxers and what they've been able to accomplish.

Reigns joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" ahead of WrestleMania 38 ... and the heavyweight couldn't say enough good things about the Paul bros.

"These guys from everything that I've ever seen or heard, they put in the work," Reigns said. "They live a full-time boxing schedule. They train. They eat. They do everything that a professional boxer would do to prepare for a fight."

Of course, the reason we're talkin' about the Pauls is that Logan is set to take the ring at WM38 on Saturday in a tag team match with The Miz.

Roman says its essential performers in the sports entertainment world be multi-layered -- something he firmly believes the former-YouTube superstars-turned boxers are.

"I think as performers, you got to be multi-layered," Roman said. "In performing arts, you have to have multiple lanes of a skill set."

The former member of "The Shield" said he thinks it's crazy anyone would try to dismiss their legitimacy as fighters -- especially since their work ethic and audience make them mega draws.

"I think it would be crazy to say they're not boxers," the 2015 WWE Royal Rumble winner said. "You got to have people tuned into what you're doing."

"And, they've done that, but they've also put in the work. Kudos to them."

Finally, we asked Roman if a match between him and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at next year's WrestleMania (set to take place at SoFi Stadium) was in the works, and the champ's response was interesting.

"I don't care who you are and what you been doing on the movie set and what kind of fight scenes you been putting together on the big screen."

"When it comes to a WWE ring, when it comes to the Universal championship, and the WWE championship for that matter -- I think I'm the safe bet to put your money on."

Even though these WWE wrestlers have been workin' on their fitness ... it's imperative to prepare for the ultimate showdown at WrestleMania 2022.

From gym-mirror selfies to post-match pics, the stars of WrestleMania have been teasing us with their fighting physiques. Yes, this is THE sporting event of the weekend and the wrestlers of all shapes and sizes -- men and women -- will unveil their beefcakes and peachy buns as they hit the AT&T stage.

Got plans tonight that don't involve Duke vs. UNC? Chris Duhon clearly thinks you're going to regret that -- telling TMZ Sports the Final Four game could be one of the biggest contests in sports history.

The Blue Devils are slated to play the Tar Heels in an NCAA Tournament semifinal game for the first time in the two rivals' history ... and Duhon -- a Duke legend -- says it's going to be can't-miss TV.

The two schools hate each other, it could be Coach K's last-ever game ... and there are future NBA players all over the court -- making it, according to Duhon, an event worth clearing the calendar for.

"It's going to be epic," Duhon tells us. "I think everybody is going to be there, everybody is going be watching. I think there's a possibility of being the most-watched event in sports history."

In fact, the game is so big, country music star Eric Church has actually already canceled a concert so he can watch his beloved Tar Heels.

As for Duhon's message to the Blue Devils to calm the nerves before the huge game -- watch the clip, Chris seems to have some great advice for his former squad ahead of the big matchup.

The U.S. Men's National Soccer Team just got a stamp of approval from Alexi Lalas ... who tells TMZ Sports he's so pumped for the squad after it qualified for the World Cup this week, he's imploring Americans to take note.

"This is definitely a team that is worth your time," the U.S. soccer legend said, "and worth your belief!"

After missing out on the 2018 World Cup ... the USMNT qualified for the 2022 event despite a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica on Wednesday.

And, the result has Lalas fired up for soccer's future in America ... telling us outside of LAX this week, "It's a fun team to watch and it's only going to get better as the years go by."

The World Cup is slated to begin in November ... and it was announced the Americans will have a pretty good shot at getting out of the initial stage as they got a relatively favorable draw when the tourney's groups were announced Friday.

Lalas tells us he thinks there are certainly other countries who will be listed as the favorites to win the championship -- but he ain't counting out the U.S. just yet.

Don't let these two similar shots of 2 Chainz and Stephen Jackson flossing courtside distract you from the task at hand .... Take a (free throw) shot and guess the differences in these similar snaps of the famous rapper and former NBA player.

The hitmaker and b-baller sat in the stands as fans for the sporting event ... but might have stolen the show with these top-notch looks ... can you look past the fashion-forward friends to find the different little looks?

Yes, the photo is a vibe, but can you pass the check and spot the differences?

Johnny Manziel and his new girl are damn near inseparable at this point -- the couple was spotted holding hands in Miami on Friday ... fresh off their steamy night of clubbing.

The former Heisman winner and Kenzie Werner have been living it up in Florida this week ... including a VERY hands-on night on the town on Thursday.

The two got in even more quality time on Friday ... with Manziel holding onto Werner, who was wearing a sheer outfit with a bikini underneath.

As we previously reported, Manziel and Werner have been seeing each other a lot recently ... partying in Scottsdale and South Beach.

The couple even went Instagram official, too -- Manziel posted several pictures with Werner, captioning the post, "So much for a sneaky link 🤷🏻‍♂️."

Manziel is seemingly spending as much time as possible with Werner before stepping foot on the field for Fan Controlled Football ... with the season starting later this spring.

They hit up the beach in Miami earlier this week ... playing catch with a football and packing on the PDA.

More heinous allegations against former MLB star Milton Bradley ... his wife, Rachel Bradley, is now accusing the ex-baseball player of threatening to kill her in front of their 5-year-old son.

Rachel made the claim in new court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which she's asking a judge for a temporary restraining order from the 43-year-old.

In the documents, Rachel -- who got married to Milton in 2015 -- says the former Los Angeles Dodger told her on Feb. 6, 2022, that he was going to kill her while her mother and their son were in the room.

She also claimed in the documents that Milton has terrorized her on a daily basis.

"Every day, I am living in fear," she said in the documents. "I am Mr. Bradley's punching bag that receives his erratic behavior and attacks. I am walking on eggshells daily."

In her docs, Rachel is asking for full legal and physical custody of their 5-year-old and child support ... in addition to the restraining order.

This is not the first time Milton has been accused of brutalizing his significant others -- in 2018, he pled no contest to domestic battery after Rachel claimed he roughed her up and then fled their home.

He was ultimately sentenced to 36 months of probation in the case.

Bradley was also accused of choking his previous wife, Monique, in the early 2010s ... and spent 15 months behind bars in that case.

If Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman had any bad blood ... the beef has officially been squashed, 'cause the pound-for-pound king/welterweight champ is helping train "Durinho" for his fight with Khamzat Chimaev.

TMZ Sports talked to 35-year-old Burns just a week and a half before his highly anticipated fight with Chimaev at UFC 273 ... and when we asked the #2 ranked fighter if he brought in any special training partners, he dropped this bomb.

"Usman came a couple of days to help out," Burns said, "He was helping me a couple of times, not training with me but kinda coaching."

"Very high IQ and very good advice. Was good to have him around."

FYI, 27-year-old Chimaev has risen to stardom in the blink of an eye. He's 4-0 in the UFC (10-0 overall) and has literally been hit less than 5 times in his entire UFC career.

Of course, Kamaru and Gilbert were once good friends and training partners at Sanford MMA in Tennessee ... but as Burns rose the ranks in the welterweight division -- where Usman is the champion -- and became a top contender, the Nigerian Nightmare left the gym.

KU and GB finally fought in February 2021 ... and good, tough fight that Kamaru won by TKO.

Any bad blood is clearly long gone ... and Usman, being a caring friend, wanted to help prep Gilbert for one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year.

Here's what's interesting ... there's a good chance Kamaru and Gilbert will fight each other again, and soon.

That's why Burns dropped this movie analogy on us about his relationship with Usman.

"That's Rocky and Apollo," Burns said.

On the eve of the biggest event in sports entertainment -- WrestleMania 38 -- Browns tight end David Njoku is in Texas to support his younger brother, Evidence, at his WWE tryouts.

TMZ Sports is told David made the trip to Frisco, TX ... for his little brother who was showcasing some of his athletic pedigree in front of WWE officials. We're told he took part in a 3-day talent tryout WWE is hosting in conjunction with Mania.

We're also told Evidence Njoku was one of 50 college athletes who took part in the event ... and David attended the workouts for moral support.

Njoku, who's played five seasons in the NFL, also got a chance to step inside the square circle -- and, the best part, he got to chat it up with WWE exec Triple H.

In the video, HHH is telling David some of the ins and outs of being a professional wrestler ... and how it's up to the talent to protect one another inside the ring.

The pass-catching tight end was joined by newly signed WWE superstar, Gable Steveson, an NCAA & Olympic champion, Bellator MMA star Valerie Loureda, and upcoming prospect, AJ Ferrari.

Of course, Gable is one of the most promising young wrestlers in the company ... with many in the biz predicting the Olympic gold medalist will go on to superstardom one day.

As for David Njoku ... even though it was his bro trying out, ya have to wonder if the NFL star has any interest in professional wrestling after he hangs up the pads.

Eric Church is extending an olive branch to thousands of pissed off fans for scrapping a concert to attend the North Carolina vs. Duke game ... by scheduling a completely FREE show later this year for anyone impacted by the cancelation.

The MASSIVE Tar Heels fan came under fire earlier this week for bailing on his upcoming gig ... all so he could watch his beloved team play in the Final Four against their hated rivals and coach Mike Krzyzewski (for the very last time).

Fans were super upset, though, with many storming his Facebook page to blast him for the decision.

The country star released a statement regarding the controversy on Friday ... saying he's grateful for the opportunity to check out the game -- and promises to make up for it.

"Thank you San Antonio for letting me take my family to this game," Church said. "It took a minute to figure out how and when I could properly express my thanks."

Church says he'll return to Texas in September for a "one of a kind" free gig for anyone who bought tix ... in hopes of getting back in good graces with the Church Choir.

Will it work?? We'll see ... but at least EC can now enjoy the game without feeling too guilty.

Crushing news for X-Pac ... the former WWE superstar says he tore his bicep last month in his highly anticipated return to the ring, and will require surgery to fix the injury before getting back in the squared circle.

49-year-old Pac, government name, Sean Michael Waltman, posted the gruesome pic of his injury on Twitter and an update on his health status, and it was pretty tough to digest.

"I tried to keep this on the down-low," X-Pac wrote, "but I tore my bicep in the tag match a month ago."

"I'm going to have surgery soon & then have a few more matches."

Pac joined the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) last month ... and told Mike & Mojo he was returning to the ring after a 3-year layoff to resume his wrestling career.

Sean announced that he would be fighting under the independent wrestling promotion Game Changer Wrestling, and his first match would be a tag team match.

The 2x WWE Hall of Famer joined forces with "The Bad Boy" Joey Janela to fight Brian Myers and Mojo's old WWE tag team partner, Matt Cardona in his first match back.

Aside from announcing his return to in-ring competition, Pac also revealed that he'd been wrestling with a torn ACL for about 14 years, but said he felt better thanks to surgery.

Now, the former D-Generation X member will again need to go under the knife.

Hope Solo, U.S. soccer legend, was arrested Thursday in North Carolina for driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest ... and cops say her two children were in the car when she was busted.

The 40-year-old retired goalkeeper -- a 2x Olympic gold medalist and World Cup winner -- was taken into custody in a Walmart parking lot off Parkway Village Circle in Winston-Salem, North Carolina ... and was taken to the Forsyth County jail for processing.

Officials tell us Solo was booked for impaired driving (DWI), resisting arrest, and misdemeanor child abuse.

It's not the first time Hope, who was arguably the best goalkeeper in the world during her time with the USWNT, has been in trouble with the law.

Solo has previously been arrested for domestic violence. She was accused of berating a police officer in 2014, and threatening to "kick his ass." She was also busted for allegedly getting into a physical confrontation with her teenage nephew.

Solo is married to ex-NFL player Jerramy Stevens. Hope and JS have two young kids together, twins, who just celebrated their 2nd birthday. It's unclear if the kids in the car were Jerramy's ... but it seems likely.

If Solo is ultimately convicted, she could face time behind bars.

Logan Paul went balls-out for his birthday -- literally.

The YouTube/boxing/WWE superstar got buck nekkid to celebrate 27 laps around the sun on Friday ... showing off his bod for his 22.5 million Instagram followers.

Of course, the Maverick doesn't show EVERYTHING ... he made sure to have a conveniently placed mirror covering his Mr. Happy area.

All of Logan's closest friends wished him a HBD in the comment section of his steamy post ... with some even jokingly asking him to start an OnlyFans page.

It's a pretty exciting time for Paul -- not only is it his birthday, he's one day away from entering the ring alongside The Miz at WrestleMania 38.

As we previously reported, Logan is taking his appearance VERY seriously ... and Miz said he's been absolutely crushing training leading up to the big match.

While Logan may not have too much time to party ahead of WM38, we're sure his bro, Jake, will help make it extra special ... as the guys posted pics together on a private jet as they headed to Dallas.

Jake also sent a special shoutout to Logan via Instagram ... sharing a bunch of throwback pics and even their oldest YouTube video together -- adorable.

Now, Jake would never pass on the opportunity to check out his bro's big moment ... but ya gotta wonder if he'll be involved in the event somehow.

UFC legend Stephan Bonnar revealed his home was "burned to the f***ing ground" in a horrible fire this week ... but in at least a modicum of positive news, he says he was able to salvage some of his famous MMA memorabilia from the wreckage.

The 44-year-old shared a video of his Nevada home after a fire ravaged it earlier this week -- and, sadly, he said the flames completely gutted the place.

"No more casa," the former fighter said in the footage. "Lost everything in it."

But, Bonnar said after jumping through a window and scraping up his legs in the process -- he was able to find some of his old UFC gear and save it from the rubble.

Bonnar showed off gloves from his Hall of Fame fight with Forrest Griffin -- as well as a couple other cool items from his fighting career, including a signed jersey from the athletes he competed with on season 1 of "The Ultimate Fighter."

Bonnar then sent well wishes to everyone from the show who's had a rough past few months.

"It's been a f***ing s*** year for me too," Bonnar said. "So, all right. Peace guys, I'm out."

As we reported, the Henderson Fire Department knocked down the flames about an hour after the fire started at Bonnar's place, but were unable to save it from being destroyed.

Eli Cramer -- a Milligan University track star -- was tragically killed after he was struck by a car while running in Virginia on Thursday.

He was only 20 years old.

The Virginia State Police confirms to TMZ Sports that five members of the cross country team were running along Williamsburg Pottery Road around 6:02 PM when three of them were hit by a Scion.

The driver -- identified as Jose Efrain Hernandez Mancia -- allegedly tried to flee the scene, but ended up crashing into a median on Route 199.

The injured Milligan track team members were transported to the Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center ... with two of the athletes suffering minor to serious injuries. Cramer, however, passed away as a result of his injuries.

Alex Mortimer -- one of the injured victims -- released a video from his hospital bed after the horrific crash saying he had a broken leg and a dislocated shoulder.

"I wanna exhort and thank you all for praying for me, the Milligan team and the university and institution," Mortimer said.

"Moments like this make you realize what is and is not important in your life."

Cramer was a star on the track at Milligan ... just last month, he ran a sub 15 minute 5K (14:30.46) in the Rams College Invitational.

FYI, that's well under a 5-minute mile pace.

"He held a contagious energy that was integral to his team and our campus community," the university said in a statement.

"Please continue to pray for Cramer's family as they begin to make sense of yesterday's tragedy. Pray for our entire cross country/track & field team, their coaches and our entire community."

26-year-old Mancia was arrested and charged with DUI-1st offense, DUI-involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, one felony count of hit-and-run, DUI-maiming and refusing to submit a breath/blood sample.

St. Peter's star Doug Edert is striking while the iron's hot -- the NCAA tournament hero is cashing in on his new fame by charging $100 for personalized vids on Cameo!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 22-year-old Peacocks hooper is raking in the dough on the video platform ... and so far, he's getting great reviews.

In fact, 17 reviews have been left on Edert's page ... and they're all 5 stars!!

The price tag is pretty interesting -- especially considering North Carolina star Armando Bacot charges 60 bucks.

But, it shouldn't be too shocking -- Edert became a fan-favorite during St. Peter's Cinderella run in the tourney ... as he helped knock off 2-seed Kentucky in the first round with 20 points.

The Peacocks ended up making it all the way to the Elite 8 before being booted by UNC.

During their epic run, Edert also made the best of his spotlight by securing deals with Buffalo Wild Wings and Barstool Sports.

Shout-out to the NCAA's new NIL rules ... 'cause now athletes can finally get what they deserve.