TMZ Sports - Page 50

Cristiano Ronaldo will not play in Manchester United's game against Liverpool on Tuesday ... his soccer club just announced the star is sitting out while he mourns the tragic death of his newborn son.

Man U officially ruled Ronaldo out early Tuesday morning ... saying in a statement, "Family is more important than everything and Ronaldo is supporting his loved ones at this immensely difficult time."

Manchester United is set to kick off its game in Anfield at 12 PM.

As we reported, Ronaldo and his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, announced Monday their baby son passed away. In a statement, they said "it is the greatest pain that any parents can feel."

Ronaldo and Rodriguez -- who announced back in December they were expecting a twin boy and a twin girl -- added that the birth of their daughter "gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness."

Fans, teammates, celebs and more have poured out support for the soccer player and Rodriguez since the announcement.

It's unknown when Ronaldo will return to the pitch next ... but it's clear his team is going to give him all the time he needs.

"Cristiano," Man U said in its statement Tuesday, "we are all thinking of you and sending strength to the family."

Kyrie Irving's middle fingers and potty mouth just cost him some serious coin ... the NBA announced it has fined the Nets superstar for flipping off Celtics fans as well as cussin' at some of them at Sunday's playoff game.

The NBA released a statement Tuesday saying the Nets guard has been docked $50K for "making obscene gestures on the playing court and directing profane language toward the spectator stands."

Of course, the gestures the league is referring to came when Irving flashed his middle fingers behind his head while standing in front of a group of Celtics fans who were trolling him.

The other incident occurred when Kyrie was walking in the hallway at TD Garden and a fan shouted, "Kyrie, you suck." Irving responded by yelling, "Suck my d*** bitch."

Unfortunately for Kyrie, this isn't the first time the NBA has come down on him. Earlier this year, KI was hit with a $25,000 fine after he clapped back at a fan in Cleveland who was giving him a hard time.

Irving's relationship with Celtics fans has been contentious ever since he left the team to sign with the Nets ... and Cs fans make sure to let him know they feel whenever he steps foot in TD Garden.

Aaliyah Gayles -- USC basketball recruit and no. 8 ranked player in the 2022 class -- was reportedly shot multiple times after gunshots rang out at a house party this weekend in Las Vegas.

The incident occurred around 11:15 PM in North Las Vegas on Saturday according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The paper reports 4 people were hit, including the 18-year-old hoops star ... who had two emergency surgeries Sunday morning.

Details surrounding the shooting are currently unclear.

Her father, Dwight, went to social media to ask for prayers for his daughter, writing, "I know there is some that will say it's my fault and I take full responsibility for it but please please keep my baby girl in your prayers Las Vegas."

"I will give everyone that support Aaliyah an update but she's ok she go make it like always thank you all 💔 true warrior."

Gayles is a McDonald All-American from Spring Valley High School -- the first Vegas player  to make the exclusive squad since 2010.

The 5-foot-9 guard averaged 13.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3/.5 steals and 3.3 assists per game this past season and led the Grizzlies to the Class 5A state tournament.

Gayles is ranked #8 in ESPN's class of 2022 ... and committed to USC last August.

"Aaliyah is one of the strongest, most resilient young people I have ever known," USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said in a statement to ESPN.

"I have no doubt she will continue to face this unfathomable situation with courage and resolve. We will continue to support her and her parents in every way that we possibly can."

Speedy recovery, Aaliyah!

Despite reportedly being a person of interest in a murder investigation, Cowboys cornerback Kelvin Joseph did work out with the team on Monday and is participating in Dallas' offseason program.

Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones confirmed that Joseph was with the team to begin this week ... saying on 105.3 The Fan that Joseph will be in and around Dallas' facility as police continue to investigate a March 18 murder.

"We're waiting to get all of the information," Jones said. "But, in the meantime, he was here yesterday, participating in the offseason program."

Jones added he and the team were "not going to comment further on any of the details at this point."

According to Yahoo Sports, police interviewed Joseph after they believed he was seen on video near where a 20-year-old man died in a shooting on March 18.

Cops say the victim was killed after people in a black SUV shot at him following an altercation in a nearby street.

Joseph's attorney, Barry Sorrels, said last week that Joseph was a passenger in the car in which the gunshots came from ... though he said Joseph did not pull the trigger.

Cops say they arrested 28-year-old Aries Jones and 21-year-old Tivione English over the weekend in connection with the homicide -- but they have yet to confirm or deny if Joseph is in the clear or not.

The Cowboys said in a statement last week that they were aware of Joseph's "possible connection" to the incident ... and said they were cooperating with authorities.

Jones added in his interview Tuesday, "We're obviously getting a lot of details here. But, that's all we're going to say at this point."

Kareem-Abdul Jabbar isn't holding back his feelings on the HBO series "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" ... saying the whole production violates a cardinal sin -- it's boring!!

The Lakers legend went to town on the show -- which has garnered strong reactions (both good and bad) over its characters' portrayal of the Lakers players from the 80s --  in a lengthy blog post, accusing the series of being "drearily dull."

"There is only one immutable sin in writing: Don’t Be Boring! 'Winning Time' commits that sin over and over," Kareem wrote.

KAJ prefaced his comments by saying his opinion has nothing to do with his portrayal on the show ... and that although the show attempts to retell actual stories, he's not "a stickler" for everything being factual.

Kareem, however, went on to lament how some of the characters being portrayed in the production -- including Jerry Buss, Jerry West, Magic Johnson and Cap himself -- are depicted, saying they are presented as caricatures of themselves instead of as real people.

"Jerry Buss is Egomaniac Entrepreneur, Jerry West is Crazed Coach, Magic Johnson is Sexual Simpleton, I’m Pompous Prick," KAJ wrote.

"Amusement park portraits that emphasize one physical feature to amplify your appearance—but never touching the essence," he added.

Kareem says his issue with WT was never enough to amount to outrage, but he admits it never held his interest. Instead, Kareem says the filmmakers "replaced solid facts with flimsy cardboard fictions that don't go deeper and offer no revealing insights."

Of course, Abdul-Jabbar isn't the only Laker great to take issue with the show. Magic told us a few weeks back he was "not looking forward to [the show]" when we saw him out in Los Angeles.

Actor Quincy Isaiah -- the man playing Magic -- recently defended the project, saying his intention wasn't to disrespect any of the Lakers icons, and he hopes guys like Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar recognize it's just storytelling.

But, after reading Kareem's post, it doesn't sound like he'll be tuning in much longer ... if at all.

Formula 1 superstar Charles Leclerc reportedly had his $320,000 Richard Mille watch snatched right from his wrist during a photo op with fans in Italy ... but thankfully, the driver was allegedly unharmed.

Leclerc -- who's off to an incredible 2022 for Ferrari and sitting atop the driver standings -- was with his friends and trainer, Andrea Ferrari, in Viareggio on Monday when the incident happened, according to the report.

Motorsport.com says the 24-year-old was walking around Via Salvatori at 10 PM when he was recognized by fans, who asked for a pic.

After posing for a shot with the group, Leclerc realized his watch was taken ... and reported it to police.

Andrea went to social media shortly after the alleged theft to complain about the area being poorly lit ... calling for the street lamps to get fixed.

Of course, Leclerc has had a partnership with RM for years ... and even has his own signature watch. On top of that, Richard Mille became an official sponsor for Leclerc's Ferrari team ... so it won't be too hard to get a replacement.

Leclerc is in Italy for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix ... which is set to go down on Sunday.

Scary situation ... but the guy was back to meeting with fans just hours later -- posing for pics, although it's unclear if he was wearing any extra jewelry.

We've reached out to Ferrari for comment ... so far, no word back.

Scary moment for boxer Amir Khan ... the former champ says he was robbed at gunpoint on Monday night while walking with his wife, Faryal Makhdoom, after dinner in East London.

And, the alleged suspects were caught on video!

Khan spoke about the terrifying incident on social media ... saying two men approached him as he was walking across the street with Faryal in Leyton -- a town about 45 minutes east of London.

"I crossed the road with Faryal, luckily she was few steps behind me," Khan said, "2 men ran to me, one holding a gun from afar and one had the gun pointing to my head asking for my watch."

"The main thing is we’re both safe."

Faryal -- who married Khan in 2013 -- shared footage of the alleged suspects on Tuesday ... highlighting two men getting out of a car, saying, "they knew exactly what time we walked out."

"Seems like a set up to me. Considering we didn't even post where we were."

Faryal also posted the Franck Muller watch they say was stolen -- along with the serial number -- "incase it goes around we can find out who's done this."

If you're not familiar with Franck Muller watches ... they're a Swiss luxury watchmaker. Their timepieces can range from anywhere between a few grand to upwards of $100k and beyond.

As you'd expect, Khan is pissed off over the alleged robbery ... saying he couldn't sleep in an Instagram video, but is ultimately just happy he and his wife are okay.

"I was a bit mad," Khan said, adding ... "Glad everyone was safe. I'm all good, me and the wife."

The Warriors aren't just chasing rings anymore -- they're going after the entire entertainment industry ... as the team is set to release K-pop star BamBam's new single, "Wheels Up" this week!!

The Dubs just launched Golden State Entertainment ... with the intent to tell stories via music and documentaries, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The team's first project with the new venture is to release the GOT7 rapper's new song ... which he performed during halftime of the Warriors game earlier this month.

Remember, BamBam -- the Warriors' global ambassador this season -- recently teamed up with the org. to release a special merch collab ... which was a big hit with the fans.

BamBam's love of the Warriors runs deep ... in fact, the GOT7 rapper was an integral part in securing Andrew Wiggins a spot in the NBA's All-Star Game ... by calling on his massive social media following (16 million Instagram followers) to vote for the 27-year-old.

GSE exec David Kelly explained the shift into entertainment ... saying, "When you think about what we already do, we create content."

"We do storytelling, and this is just another form of storytelling. It’s a new type of content that we’re well-positioned to create."

"The line between sports and entertainment, we think, is pretty thin," he added, "and we just feel that we’re in a position to step a little over that line and begin to create original content."

NFL linebacker Damien Wilson -- who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2015 -- was arrested last week ... after he reportedly threatened to kill his girlfriend with a tire iron.

Police confirmed to TMZ Sports the arrest happened in Frisco, Texas. Cops added in a statement to the Dallas Morning News that Wilson was booked on a charge of assault with bodily injury of a family member.

No further details surrounding the arrest have been released by law enforcement.

Wilson's girlfriend, Ryan Sokolosky, however, told the Dallas Morning News the arrest happened after the 28-year-old football player flew off the handle at her home after she had broken up with him.

Sokolosky reportedly said Wilson "emerged from bushes holding a tire iron" at her place and threatened to end her life.

Wilson's attorney, Toby Shook, said in a statement that Wilson "did not commit any type of assault." He added, "We look forward to all the facts coming out so his name can be cleared."

Wilson started 22 games in four seasons for Dallas from 2015 to 2018. He then played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars, before signing with the Carolina Panthers in March.

Aaron Donald's Calabasas mansion sold faster than he can chase down a quarterback -- the NFL superstar parted ways with the pad for $6.258 million ... after just 2 WEEKS.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Donald -- who listed the six-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bathroom home for $6,250,000 on April 4 -- closed the deal on Monday ... and made some extra dough in the process.

The buyer will now enjoy a 7,036 square-foot home with a massive kitchen, infinity pool, game room, hoops court, outdoor party area and 4-car garage.

As we previously reported, the place -- listed with Jordan Cohen of RE/MAX -- also has a personal barbershop with a massive Donald painting on the wall ... but the room might get a makeover if the buyer is a Niners fan.

Of course, the timing of the sale comes amid rumors the 3-time Defensive Player of the Year could retire this season ... although Matthew Stafford previously told us he's trying like hell to get Donald to return in 2022.

Prince Harry's finally revealed what he and Queen Elizabeth II discussed during their first face-to-face in a while -- and it sounds like Her Majesty was in a sporty spirit.

The Duke of Sussex was talking to the BBC Monday night about the Invictus Games -- for which he and wife Meghan Markle are in attendance -- and one of the hosts asked him how his not-so-secret meeting with grandma went.

PH spilled ... sorta. He echoed back the question -- which was about whether QE2 sent well-wishes to Team UK -- saying yeah, Liz sends her best. Harry also noted he'd already passed on her sentiments to those for whom they were intended ... namely, the athletes.

Harry also said it was great seeing her, adding she'd love to be here if she could. That's about it -- nothing of substance, really, but at least it's a glimpse of their chat.

You'll recall ... Harry and Meghan made a pitstop in London last week on their way to the Netherlands, where they met with both the Queen and Prince Charles, briefly, before they were on their way again. It was the first time the couple had been back in the UK. together since they stepped down from their Royal duties in 2020, and since the Oprah interview.

Jake Paul flipped men's boxing on it's head ... and now he's doing the same for the women, telling TMZ Sports stars Amanda Serrano AND Katie Taylor will both make OVER $1 MILLION when they fight next month, and the Problem Child believes it could be the "biggest fight of the year," man or woman.

"The history that this is making. First time women have ever headlined Madison Square Garden, which is massive, and two of the pound-for-pound best going at it, this is what boxing needs more of. I am counting down the days," Jake told us.

Serrano -- who fights for Jake's Most Valuable Promotions -- is 42-1-1. Taylor is 20-0. The women, along with Claressa Shields, are considered the three best active female boxers alive.

Typically, women's boxing hasn't received anywhere near the interest the men have ... but that's something Jake sees changing.

"I think it will shine a light that women boxing is just as good as men boxing. I think that's been a stigma for so long. 'Oh we don't wanna see that, we don't wanna see it. It's not as fun.' No! These women are awesome, they're legit, they are savages and you're gonna see a war April 30, and I think this is gonna open up a lot of doors for women's boxing in general."

It's not just eyeballs and media attention that are sometimes lacking when it comes to women's boxing ... there's also a pay disparity. But, Paul says Amanda and Katie are gettin' PAAIIIID.

"They're both getting 7-figure payday which is unprecedented and will knock down so many doors for the women that deserve this pay over the next couple of years. This is just historic for the sport in general."

And, JP's prediction for the scrap?

Bellator star Corey Anderson -- who was dominating his light heavyweight title fight before an inadvertent headbutt ended the fight without a decision -- tells TMZ Sports Vadim Nemkov's mentor and trainer, MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko, was talking s**t after the fight.

"When I got worked up that's cause of Fedor came in and said 'You don't win. You headbutt. You don't win.' Like motherf***er, what? Excuse my language. Like, really Fedor? You gonna say that? So you're trying to tell me I wasn't beating your guy? I wasn't winning this fight?"

32-year-old Anderson faced 29-year-old Nemkov in the finals of the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix ... with the title, and a million bucks on the line.

With 3 seconds left in the 3rd round (it was a 5 round fight), Corey accidentally headbutted the Russian fighter who was previously undefeated in Bellator's promotion.

Anderson -- who previously fought in the UFC and has beaten the likes of Glover Teixeira and Jan Blachowicz -- was clearly dominating the fight before the headbutt.

Unfortunately for Corey, the ringside doctor ruled the cut was too severe, and Nemkov couldn't continue.

Anderson says he was initially told he won the fight (they even brought in the giant $1 million check) ... before telling Corey they screwed up, and the fight would actually be ruled a "no contest."

That's when Corey says Fedor -- who coaches Nemkov -- started running his mouth.

"I even told Nemkov when I got up, I helped him up earlier, like 'Yo, my bad. That was an accident, nobody's fault.'"

"But [Fedor] came in saying 'You don't win, you only headbutt.' Like really?' Instead of just owning up saying, 'Bro, helluva fight. Sorry about the headbutt. We're running it back.' He gonna say 'You don't win, you only headbutt.'"

"Bro, I don't give a damn who you are, if you're a legend or not."

There's much more with Anderson in the extended interview below!

Ric Flair is silencing those who question if he's lost his wrestling mojo by showing he can still hang inside the squared circle ... and even still has a few moves up his sleeve.

"Nature Boy" -- regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers ever for his iconic run in WCW and WWE -- posted video with AEW wrestler Jay Lethal ... and the Hall of Famer looked damn good!

The 73-year-old was "styling and profiling" throughout the video, using some of his signature moves on Lethal ... and it's clear the former 16X World Heavyweight Champion hasn't lost too much off his fastball.

"Someone Had The Audacity This Weekend To Ask Me If I Can Still Do This. I Said “Really??? Naitch Don’t Play!” WOOOOO! @thelethaljay" Flair wrote on social media.

Of course, Flair and Lethal have a history together. In 2010, Lethal interrupted Flair during a segment on TNA's Impact Wrestling and impersonated the Nature Boy's boisterous persona the entire time -- and the crowd got a kick out of it.

Flair and Lethal got into a "Woo Off" ... in one of the most memorable moments in TNA history.

Wooooooooooooooooooooo!!

Flair's career spans over 50 years, and he's wrestled for various promotions such as AWA, NJPW, WCW, WWF/WWE, and most recently, NWA -- where he returned at age 73 last year.

Naitch has one of the most decorated careers in sports entertainment and served as an inspiration to many of the upcoming superstars in the sports entertainment world.

At WrestleMania 38, his friend and mentor Triple H left his wrestling boots in the middle of the ring, signifying he was officially retiring from the biz.

Flair got emotional when talking about HHH's career to a Dallas radio station ... saying he was "heartbroken" over "The Game's" retirement.

Chanel Iman is officially off the market ... 'cause the supermodel just went IG official with Patriots DT Davon Godchaux -- after estranged hubby Sterling Shepard recently filed for divorce.

The Victoria's Secret model was spotted with her new man at Coachella's Revolve Festival on Sunday ... and the couple looked happy-go-lucky.

Iman was smiling ear-to-ear in the new IG post, showing PDA with Godchaux, who was giving her smooches.

And, things must be pretty serious ... DG left a comment on her pic, writing, "I love you❤🤞🏾👅"

The 27-year-old Patriots nose tackle -- who signed with the Pats in 2021 after spending his first 3 seasons with the Dolphins -- also recently posted IG flicks of the new couple having a great time in Cali.

It's good to see Iman find love again ... remember, the 31-year-old is currently going through a divorce with Shepard, who filed last June.

Shepard -- who recently took a pay cut to remain with the Giants this upcoming season -- met Iman at Victor Cruz's birthday party back in 2016 ... before getting married to the model in March 2018.

Absolutely devastating news from Cristiano Ronaldo and longtime GF Georgina Rodríguez ... the couple just announced their baby boy -- a twin -- tragically passed away.

Ronaldo and Rodríguez had been expecting twins.

Cristiano made the crushing announcement on Instagram Monday morning ... and it's difficult to read.

"It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel," the 37-year-old soccer star wrote.

"Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness."

The details surrounding the tragic incident are not clear.

Remember, Cristiano and Georgina announced they were expecting twins in October. Then, they shared their gender reveal in December (with help from the whole family) ... when they found out they were expecting a boy and a girl.

Cristiano ended his post thanking the medical professionals who helped his family.