TMZ Sports - Page 44

Adrian Peterson's big boxing match against Le'Veon Bell is postponed, but the NFL star is clearly keeping focused on the fight by training like crazy in the gym -- and TMZ Sports has the footage.

We broke the story -- AP and Bell's battle of the running backs scheduled for July 30 has been pushed to early September ... after issues with the main event between Austin McBroom and AnEsonGib.

But, AP didn't see the announcement as an opportunity to take a day off -- instead, he hit up his gym in Texas and worked on his game on Friday.

In the video (shot by Fanfield NFT), AP hits the mitts with a trainer and takes a few shots at the bag without gloves during an intense workout ... and the dude looks solid.

The AP vs. Bell fight is one of the more interesting matchups on the Social Gloves card ... as the 30-year-old former Steelers and Jets star has expressed his desire to switch to boxing full-time, and 37-year-old Peterson is still in the NFL.

"Happy Birthday to MY MAN MY MAN MY MAN MY MAN 🖤🖤🖤"

WNBA star Te'a Cooper showered Alvin Kamara with all kinds of sweet compliments for his 27th birthday on Monday ... penning an adorable love note to the New Orleans Saints halfback on her social media page.

The former L.A. Sparks guard shared the message with a bunch of photos of the NFL star -- and included a video of their romance as well.

"@alvinkamara today Is all about you 🥺🖤," Cooper said on Monday.

"What I love most about you is your selfless heart, courageous spirit, & loyalty. I don’t just love you I respect you."

FYI, Cooper -- who previously dated NBA star Dwight Howard -- went IG official with Kamara in 2021 ... and they've been inseparable since, taking a Paris vacation together while also getting in workouts together in the gym.

"Every day we celebrate each other," the 25-year-old hooper said. "BUT TODAY IS THE DAY THE REALEST WAS BORN AND IT IS ALL ABOUT YOU! Alexa play: CATER TO YOU AND DIM THE LIGHTS."

Kamara enjoyed the bday post ... writing in the comment section, "Thank you mama. Love you ♥️"

The couple will only have a few days to celebrate -- Kamara, a five-time Pro Bowler, is heading off to Saints' training camp on July 30.

Chess is supposed to be a non-contact game, but a boy in Russia find out differently when a competing robot crushed his finger during a tournament.

The boy was matched up against a bionic arm in the Moscow Chess Open when he moved one of his pieces, but didn't wait for the robot to respond. As he tried to make another move, the contraption simultaneously reacted and grabbed the boy's finger, squeezing it until the bone shattered.

Surveillance video captured the scary moment as people rushed to the boy's aid, managing to release him from the machine's grip and escorting him away.

Moscow Chess Federation President Sergey Lazarev told Tass media the boy's finger was broken and put in a cast, but he got back in the game the next day!

Lazarev added, “The robot was rented by us, it has been exhibited in many places by specialists for a long time. Apparently, the operators overlooked some flaws."

John Metchie III -- one of the Houston Texans' second-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft -- has been diagnosed with Leukemia ... and will likely miss the entire season while fighting the cancer.

The 22-year-old announced the news on Sunday ... saying doctors have thankfully described it as "the most curable form of Leukemia."

"I am currently receiving great medical care, am in good spirits and I expect to make a recovery at a later point in time," Metchie III added.

The receiver -- who played a huge role for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide the past two years -- said he will almost certainly have to sit out his rookie season in order to recover.

"My main focus will be on my health and recovery," he said. "Thank you in advance for your support and well-wishes. I cannot wait to come back stronger than ever. God bless."

Metchie III -- who piled up 2,081 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns the last two years at Alabama -- was expected to be a key contributor for the Texans after being selected with the No. 44 overall pick in April.

Byron Scott believes Shaquille O'Neal's son, Shareef, can still have a future in the NBA despite having a rough go in Summer League ... telling TMZ Sports the talent is there, but the 22-year-old still has little things he needs to work on in his game.

We spoke with the former Lakers head coach out at LAX this week ... and he was very candid about what he saw from Shareef, sharing what he believes is the biggest reason the former UCLA and LSU product has struggled to find success playing pro ball this summer.

"I think he looked a little bit out of place,” Scott said. "He wasn’t ready. I think he still has a little ways to go. I think the talent is there. Obviously, the athleticism is there."

"It’s just some other little things he has to tweak. But Scotty Pippen Jr. looked really good," he continued.

Shareef and Scotty have been linked together all summer -- considering they are both sons of Hall of Famers and were both signed to the Lakers -- but Byron thinks Scotty is ahead in his development, thanks to the time he spent in college.

"Again, it goes back to showing you four years of school compared to a guy that just went a year or whatever the case may be is a big difference," Byron said.

"Scotty is NBA ready."

Byron believes anybody overtly critical of Shareef's performance needs to remember that he's overcoming heart surgery ... and is still trying to find his way back physically.

"You should take that into consideration," Byron said. "The fact that he’s not where everybody thinks he should be at this particular point is because of some of the medical conditions that he’s had to deal with."

"And he’s still young. Give 'em a chance!"

Gregg Popovich gave a speech at Jay-Z's social justice summit this weekend -- once again making his positions on the issue crystal clear in a rousing speech.

The Spurs coach was in NYC Saturday, where Roc Nation was hosting the event and honoring attorney Barry Scheck with an award for his work on the Innocence Project ... which helps exonerate wrongly-convicted people in the country.

Watch Pop's address here ... he sounds as passionate as he usually does when talking about this sort of thing. He talks about what he sees as the state of America and its persistent racism -- something he says he knew always existed, but never to the extent that's been revealed through RN's or Scheck's advocacy.

He goes on to praise the Innocence Project for the number of individuals they've been able to get out of prison -- upwards of 375, he says -- which got a round of applause.

It's an important matter, and it's cool to see GP so fired up about it. You can tell this stuff is top of mind for him these days -- that is, when he's not in the middle of a game.

Malik Monk may no longer be a Laker, but he says his old team will be just fine with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook all returning ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks the big three will work things out this season.

The Lake Show made news this week after reports of a three-way phone call between the superstars ... in which they allegedly expressed their commitment to figuring out how to coexist.

We spoke with Monk -- who recently signed a 2-year, $19-million deal with the Sacramento Kings in the offseason -- out at LAX on Tuesday ... and he says he's confident his old teammates can bounce back and have a better season.

"They grown men," Monk said. "Especially when they have convos like that, it’ll work out for them. They all great."

Of course, the 2021-22 season was a mess for the Lakers -- they missed the playoffs as AD missed a ton of games due to injury ... and Russ' production was a serious issue.

Despite all that, Monk had the best season of his career ... and said the leader of the Lakers deserves some credit for it.

"LeBron had a big part of everything," Monk said when asked how James shaped his career. "He had a big part in me coming to L.A."

"It's Bron, bro. He gon' try to help every teammate he comes in contact with. So, I have nothing bad to say about him."

"You got to play at a level he plays at," Monk added. "If not, you going to get surpassed. That’s why he’s so great."

As for his new team, Monk has a message for NBA fans ...

Mark Wahlberg is still pulling for his guy, Baker Mayfield ... telling TMZ Sports the new Carolina Panthers quarterback has a "bright future ahead of him" -- even if it's not in Foxborough.

Remember, Wahlberg previously told us TWICE he saw #6 as Tom Brady's successor with the New England Patriots ... saying Mayfield was the "heir to the throne."

Of course, that was before a guy named Mac Jones came along ... and while he's "absolutely" still a fan of Bake, Mark is coming to terms with the fact he won't be seeing him in a Patriots uniform anytime soon.

"It's a very stacked field at the quarterback position," Wahlberg said in New York this week. "It also has to do with the coach and the team, but he's got a big, bright future ahead of him."

Mayfield was recently traded to the Panthers after a bad falling out with Cleveland ... which was sparked by the Browns' pursuit of Deshaun Watson.

Baker says he felt disrespected by the Browns' handling of the situation ... but says he's moved on and is excited for a fresh start in Charlotte.

Dikembe Mutombo's hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has treated more than 1 million people over the years ... and while the ex-NBA star is "blessed" to do his part for the community, he says his work is not done.

The Hall of Famer opened the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in honor of his mother back in 2007 after making a $15 million donation ... in an effort to provide healthcare to those in need -- regardless of financial situation.

With the hospital's 15th anniversary approaching, we spoke with Mutombo about helping so many people ... and he says he's simply "doing God's work."

"I feel blessed to be in the shoes that I’m in, that I can serve the humanity."

Mutombo started his own foundation in 1997 -- the year his mother passed away -- which has focused on providing health care, research and education for the people of the Congo.

Mutombo says he's looking forward to give back even more ... and plans to do whatever he can to help out.

"Our work is not done," he added. "We’re going to try to do more, it’s just a question of time. It’s not easy."

More NBA players have gotten involved in charitable work over the years ... and Mutombo praises the current stars for helping the community.

WWE Superstar Liv Morgan had some nice things to say about Ronda Rousey ahead of their big match at SummerSlam ... but although she respects her opponent, there's no way in hell she's giving up her belt!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the current SmackDown champ as she prepares to fight Ronda at WWE's summer classic ... and her message to the former UFC star-turned-wrestler was extremely clear.

"Ronda, I respect you," Morgan started. "You’ve done so much for women in sports and women in WWE. But I love this [belt] more than you, bitch. So this title is coming home with me."

Earlier this month, Liv won the "Money in the Bank" ladder match -- where she competed against 6 other worthy opponents ... which guaranteed her a title opportunity on her terms.

That same night, she turned in her "Money in the Bank" briefcase and challenged Rousey -- who had just defeated Natalya in a grueling match -- for her title.

Liv made quick work of Rousey ... pinning the self-proclaimed "baddest woman on the planet," which set the stage for their rematch, where Ronda will look to exact revenge on 28-year-old Morgan.

As for how Liv's been adjusting to life since being crowned champ at MITB ... she admits she feels an onus to represent WWE in the best possible light in and out of the ring.

"I feel more of a responsibility now," Morgan said. "I feel like I’ve always worked hard. I’ve always been willing to put in the extra work. So that aspect doesn’t feel any different."

"But just more of a, I guess, responsibility to represent the company," she continued.

Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett gave a powerful speech about mental health after his big win at UFC Fight Night in London ... revealing he found out on Friday his friend took his own life.

Pimblett won a hard-fought battle against Jordan Leavitt via submission in the second round ... and after briefly celebrating the victory, his demeanor quickly changed while speaking to Michael Bisping in the post-fight interview.

"I woke up on Friday morning at 4 AM to a message that one of my friends back home had killed themselves," Paddy said. "This is 5 hours before my weigh-in. So Ricky lad, that’s for you."

"There’s a stigma in this world that men can’t talk," he added. "Listen, if you’re a man, and you’ve got weight on your shoulders, and if you think the only way you can solve it is by killing yourself, please speak to someone. Speak to anyone."

"People would rather, I know I rather they cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week. Men start talking."

Paddy -- who was clearly overcome with emotion -- then collapsed to the canvas and broke down in tears ... finally allowing himself to grieve over the loss of his friend.

Pimblett -- who also dedicated his fight to 4-year-old Baby Lee Hodgson, who tragically passed away from cancer last month -- was in tears as he left the arena ... with the crowd cheering in support.

Pimblett improved to 19-3 with the win ... and says he will return to the Octagon before the end of the year.

Legendary actor James Caan died from a combination of serious heart problems ... according to his death certificate.

The document, obtained by TMZ, says James died from a heart attack and coronary artery disease -- the most common heart disease in the U.S.

The certificate says James also suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD, and congestive heart failure.

As we reported ... James died July 6 at 82 years old, but details were scarce aside from a family statement.

The death certificate says James died at 9:02 PM at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He's since been buried at Eden Memorial Park, the final resting place for many celebs.

Blue Jays ace Alek Manoah just pitched in front of a sold-out stadium full of fans and celebs at the All-Star Game -- but there's one guy he really wishes would have come to watch him throw ... Drake!!!

Manoah made it clear to TMZ Sports just before he took the bump at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday that he really wants the "God's Plan" rapper to catch one of his games.

"Come watch me pitch!" Manoah said in a message to Drake.

The 24-year-old even offered some incentive to the entertainer if he does make the trek to one of his outings soon ... telling us, "We'll give him a uniform!"

Of course, Drake is a big Blue Jays fan -- he's worn the home team's jersey at his concerts in the past ... and even famously put a pic of Joe Carter on his "Back to Back" hit's cover art.

But, it's obvious he's far more into Toronto's basketball team than its baseball team ... and it seems Manoah is trying to work his magic to get that to change.

Curtis Blaydes has one of the best wrestling pedigrees in the UFC's heavyweight division, but Tom Aspinall flat out says he's "happy to go to the ground" when the top 10 big men clash on Saturday.

TMZ Sports talked to 29-year-old Aspinall -- the #6 ranked heavyweight -- ahead of his fight with 31-year-old, #4 ranked Blaydes, at UFC Fight Night.

"I'm happy to go to the ground if he wants to. I've been a lifetime grappling, I've been grappling since I was a child so, I'm easy," Tom says, continuing ... "If he wants to take me down, let's do it. You wanna grapple a little but, we'll have a little wrestle if he wants to. If he wanna do a bunch of kicking we'll do that as well. Whatever he wants to do."

It's surprising to hear Aspinall -- who's in the midst of an 8-fight win streak -- say he's down to wrestle (sure, he could just be talking) ... but Curtis was a wrestling champ in high school, and then in junior college at Harper College.

Maybe it's because Aspinall is headed into the fight with an unfair advantage ... the crowd.

See, the fight's going down at The O2 Arena in London ... and Tom happens to be from Manchester.

"I feel like with those fans I got superpowers. I'm super, super sharp. The fans like that, they can make you or break you. They can put so much pressure on ya or they can light a fire under you. For me, it definitely does the second one. I feel amazing in there and I can't wait to do it again."

We also talked to Blaydes, who's won two in a row (Rozenstruik and Daukaus), and he isn't worried about anything ... and certainly not the crowd.

"It doesn't matter. I don't know if the fans know or not but I can't hear what you're saying when you're screaming at me."

The Orioles ain't just on a hot streak -- they're real deal World Series contenders ... so says the team's star closer Jorge Lopez, who tells TMZ Sports they could "absolutely" win it all this year.

We got the flame-throwing righty out at LAX just a couple days after he dominated in the All-Star Game ... and he said straight-up, believe in the O's in the second half of the season.

"That's the mentality," said the 29-year-old, who's already notched 17 saves with a 1.62 ERA this year. "That's the mentality we want ... Just trust the process."

If Lopez is right, it could cost Las Vegas sportsbooks a fortune -- 'cause when the Orioles were stumbling at the beginning of the year, some bettors got them at 2,000-to-1 odds to win the World Series.

And, according to ESPN, that means if Lopez and the Orioles are champs by the end of the year -- it could mean a seven-figure loss for some books.

Seems Lopez doesn't care much, though -- telling us he really believes in Baltimore, which currently holds a record hovering around .500.

Social media has made it possible for a new center of attention to emerge during sometimes serious events and broadcasts ... Thursday night was the man dubbed "Clark Kent's look-alike" at the Jan. 6 hearing, but he's not the first person in the background to steal the show.

Remember "Left Shark?" The costumed character, who we were first introduced to during Katy Perry's Super Bowl Halftime show in 2015, was trending on Twitter and has become a pop culture staple over the years.

There was also "Fiji Water Girl," who was simply tasked with holding the bottles for celebs at The Golden Globes back in 2019, but became something more by appearing in more red carpet shots than previously thought possible.

Before "Clark Kent" there was "Hot Debate Guy" who stole the spotlight during the Republican debates in 2015. Turns out he was Gregory Caruso, the 24-year-old son of now L.A. Mayoral hopeful, Rick Caruso.

Not even the Royal Family can escape background scene-stealers, Prince William and Kate Middleton's flower girl in 2011, Grace van Cutsem, showed the world her true feelings when the two kissed.