TMZ Sports - Page 17

Sylvester Stallone is firing back at his estranged wife, Jennifer Flavin, by denying that he's hiding any of their marital property ... but wholly agreeing the marriage is dunzo.

The actor filed a response to Flavin's divorce petition in Palm Beach County, FL -- which clearly states Sly has NOT engaged in the intentional dissipation, depletion and/or waste of marital assets ... this, according to docs, obtained by TMZ.

It doesn't get more specific beyond that -- neither did Flavin, BTW -- but his attorneys make crystal clear that SS is not doing anything that could be labeled as moving/hiding assets.

Sly also has an answer for Jen's request for exclusive use of their Palm Beach mansion -- and to that, he says ... hell no. He's officially opposing her ask, letting a judge know he's firmly against that.

One thing Sly concedes ... there's no remedy to fix this mess. He acknowledges their union is "irretrievably broken" -- he's also cool with her restoring her maiden name.

As we reported ... we'd heard from sources directly connected to the Stallones that the straw that broke the camel's back might've stemmed from an argument over a dog that Sly wanted, but which Jen didn't.

Sly, however, denied that ... telling TMZ the Rottweiler, Dwight, didn't trigger anything ... and he and Jen had simply grown apart. He added, "I have the highest respect for Jennifer. I will always love her. She's an amazing woman. She's the nicest human being I've ever met." He'd previously told us he loved his family and wanted to deal with this privately.

Brutal couple days for former WWE superstar Velveteen Dream last week -- TMZ Sports has confirmed he was arrested TWICE in Florida.

According to court records, VD -- real name Patrick Clark -- was initially arrested on Aug. 20 by the Orlando Police Dept. and booked on misdemeanor charges of battery and trespass on property after warning.

It's unclear what the wrestler has exactly been accused of -- we're working on it -- but the records show his attorney filed a written plea of not guilty and his arraignment hearing, set for September, was canceled.

Just six days later, on Aug. 26, Clark was arrested again in Orange County, Fla., according to jail records.

Orange County Corrections Department officials tell us he was booked on an out-of-county warrant for a violation of probation by the Orlando Police Department.

We're told it all stemmed from a previous drug case against the wrestler in Seminole County, Fla.

OCCD officials say Clark is currently being held on a no-bond status and is still in the Orange County Jail. He is expected to be turned over to Seminole County soon.

The 27-year-old first joined the WWE in 2015 -- and he went on to become a star in NXT, showing off insane athleticism and over-the-top promos, stunts and moves. He was marred in controversy in 2020, though, following allegations that he sent indecent photos to underage kids. He vehemently denied the claims.

Jake Paul's next opponent could be his biggest challenge to date -- it's none other than UFC legend and pro boxer Anderson Silva, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

47-year-old Silva is the former UFC middleweight champ ... and some even consider him the greatest MMA fighter ever, beating names like Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin and more.

We know what you're saying -- another UFC fighter?? But, anyone who's been following Silva's career knows the guy has had a resurgence in boxing ... and currently holds a 3-1 record. He most recently beat Tito Ortiz in September 2021. The loss came ages ago in 1998.

His most impressive accomplishment in the ring was a win over Julio Caesar Chavez, Jr. -- son of the legendary Mexican fighter -- who at one time was the WBC middleweight champ.

Paul, on the other hand, is 5-0 with four knockouts. He's beaten big names like ex-NBA player Nate Robinson and former UFC stars Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley.

It wasn't just a perfect night for Serena Williams in the first round of the U.S. Open -- it was a match made in heaven for President Bill Clinton, too ... 'cause #42 had a seat right next to famous sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer!!

Wonder what they talked about.

There were a ton of celebs in Flushing to see the GOAT go up against Danka Kovinic at Arthur Ashe Stadium ... from Hugh Jackman to Offset to Mike Tyson.

But the sighting that gave most fans -- and even the commentators -- a chuckle was Billy C's interaction with Dr. Ruth ... and whatever was said, it made the former POTUS' face red.

As for the match ... Serena won easily, 6-3 6-3 ... extending her incredible career by at least one more round. As we previously reported, Williams is expected to retire after the tournament.

One of the most precious moments of the whole night was when Serena and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian's daughter, Olympia, was spotted wearing a matching outfit in the stands ... and using her own camera to capture the experience, just like King Richard used to do.

Speaking of Ohanian, TMZ Sports caught up with the proud hubby out in NYC on Monday ... and briefly talked to us about Serena's future off the court.

The parents of former Bills punter Matt Araiza say they've received "horrific threats of violence and death" in the wake of rape allegations made against the football player last week.

Araiza's mom and dad explained their situation in a lengthy statement to KUSI in San Diego on Monday evening -- saying "we have all been canceled" following a civil lawsuit that alleged Araiza participated in the gang rape of a 17-year-old in October 2021.

"There has been war waged on our son," the statement, which was attributed to "Mr. and Mrs. Araiza," read. "He has been tried and convicted in the media based on information released solely from the alleged victim and her attorney, much of it through social media."

"People have taken his information as factual, when it is not."

A woman ID'ed as only "Jane Doe" in court documents, filed last week, alleged that shortly after she showed up to a Halloween party at Araiza's home in San Diego when he was a member of the San Diego State football team, he and two of his teammates took turns raping her for over an hour.

Araiza denied the allegations shortly after the suit became public ... but the Bills cut him regardless on Saturday.

The 22-year-old punter's parents say it's been hell for them since ... adding in their statement, "[Matt] has been extorted, discriminated against, harassed and the subject of multiple and continuous threats of violence and death."

"Salacious rumors grew as fact," they continued. "There are multiple witness reports to deny the claims that are made against him. The legal system is designed to find the facts and make decisions. They should be allowed to do that."

Demetrious Johnson's office ain't a UFC Octagon anymore, but "Mighty Mouse" is still the greatest MMA fighter walking the planet according to fellow fighter John Dodson, who fought DJ twice.

And, that's coming from Jon Jones' former teammate!

TMZ Sports talked to 37-year-old Dodson -- fresh off running through his first BKFC opponent (more on that later) -- when the convo turned to Johnson's greatness following his ONE Championship title win over the weekend ... where DJ avenged his 2021 loss to Adriano Moraes, winning back his flyweight title.

"To be honest with you, I put him above Jon Jones and I know Jon Jones is my teammate and training partner... I'm not saying it because he beat me, but Demetrius Johnson is the most well-rounded mixed martial artist that the world has seen."

Dodson continued ... "He's the only one I've known that's combined it so well between his wrestling, striking and also in his jiu-jitsu. He's been so creative with how he gets submission, how he wants to go and finish people and he's just a very intelligent fighter."

Dodson would know ... he's spent 50 minutes inside a locked cage with Johnson, whom he fought two times, losing both by decision. The first was at UFC on FOX 6 in January 2013. The second was at UFC 191 in September 2015.

Of course, many people believe Jones -- who only has one career loss (a BS DQ vs. Matt Hamill in 2009) -- is the greatest ever.

Jon, among so many career achievements, was the youngest UFC champ ever at the age of 23.

We also talked to John about his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship -- where he destroyed Ryan Benoit by 1st round knockout -- a bout that Dodson says rejuvenated his career.

"It feels amazing, man. To tell you the truth, it's more surreal than anything else. I feel a new breath of life coming into this," John says.

"I want to let everybody know I'm still the king of the flyweight division."

Could there be a third fight between Dodson and Johnson ... in a bare-knuckle ring? Dodson is down.

John Wall is opening up about the toughest experiences he's faced over the past two years ... admitting he had suicidal thoughts after dealing with a series of career-altering injuries and trying to cope with losing loved ones in his family.

The new Clippers point guard opened up in a recent interview, where he got candid about some of the things that have been plaguing him mentally as he battled his way back on the court.

"Darkest place I ever been," Wall said. "At one point in time, I thought about committing suicide. My mom being sick. My mom passing. My grandma passed a year later."

Wall -- who ruptured his Achilles tendon in 2019 -- said seeing his mother take her last breath was tough to overcome, especially amid the COVID pandemic.

The former Wizards star expressed the losses of his mother and grandmother weighed heavy on his heart and mind ... and not playing basketball had him contemplating ending his life.

Thankfully, John says he was able to overcome his mental demons and get back on the right track -- both physically and mentally -- with help from therapy.

"Find a therapist," Wall said. "You know a lot of people think, 'I don't need help. I can get it through it at any time.' But, you got to be true to yourself and find out what's best for you.

"And I did that."

Ultimately, Wall thinks the adversity he endured has made him a stronger person, father, and player, and he feels equipped to tackle any problems life throws at him.

"If I can get through this, I can get through anything in life," Wall said. "I don't think a lot of people could get through what I went through."

Reggie Miller just announced his dad has passed away ... and the NBA legend says he's completely heartbroken over the death.

"This HURTS," the former Indiana Pacers star said on his social media page on Monday.

"The man who bought me my first set of baseball cleats, first basketball, who taught me to drown out all the outside noise and FOCUS is now and will forever be my guardian angel."

Miller's father, Saul, had five kids with his wife, Carrie -- including Reggie and Cheryl Miller, a former basketball star herself.

In his Instagram post, Reggie thanked his dad "for EVERYTHING" he's done for him and the Miller family.

"Say hello to Mom for us," the 57-year-old former shooting guard wrote, "know that your teachings will live on threw me to my kids."

"Please respect my brothers and sisters during this time," he added, "though difficult he’s in a much better place.. #PopGuardianAngel"

Saul grew up an athlete ... according to author Mark Montieth, he played hoops in high school and at Lemoyne College.

Reggie has spoken about the impact his dad had on his life and career before ... thanking him at length in his 2012 Hall of Fame speech.

"You made time to be there for all of us," Reggie said. "So, again, Dad, Mom, thank you so much for everything you've done for us."

Saul also served 26 years in the Air Force and was a jazz musician.

Neena Pacholke -- a former point guard for the USF women's basketball team -- was found dead this weekend after reportedly making suicidal statements ... police tell TMZ Sports.

She was just 27 years old.

A spokesperson for the Wausau Police Department tells us officers were dispatched to a home in Wausau on Saturday morning for a welfare check. When they arrived, they said they received no answer at the door.

Eventually, officers made their way into the residence and found Pacholke deceased. "Foul play is not suspected," the spokesperson said.

Pacholke's sister told the Tampa Bay Times the former basketball player died by suicide.

Pacholke starred on the court at Freedom H.S. in Tampa -- before eventually making her way to USF, where she lettered from 2013 to 2016.

She later worked as a morning anchor for News 9 in Wisconsin.

"The entire team here at News 9 are absolutely devastated by the loss as we know so many others are as well," reps for the station said in a statement Sunday. "Neena loved this community and the people who lived here. She was a kind person with a big heart and a contagious smile and we will miss her greatly."

Pacholke's sister added in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, "She just radiated love and positivity, and she just cared so much about pouring into other people, and always put other people first. I think she did that at the expense of not caring about herself."

Serena Williams will be hitting the court in style on Monday -- 'cause the tennis legend had a custom outfit and diamond-encrusted shoes made for her last U.S. Open.

Serena -- who announced she was "evolving away" from tennis after the Grand Slam event -- designed a figure skater-style 'fit for her last on-court hoorah.

When Williams hits the court in Queens, she will wear a six-layer skirt ... paying homage to the number of U.S. Open championships she's won.

Serena, 40, will also be sporting a matching jacket and tote to accompany the dress and shoes .. compliments of the Swoosh.

The best part is the footwear Williams -- who's won 23 Grand Slam titles in her career -- will wear ... custom PE NikeCourt Flare 2 shoes featuring solid gold deubrés with 400 hand-set diamonds.

The stones are set in Black ceramic created in collaboration with the tennis icon's jewelry line, according to Nike's press release.

Nike said Serena provided the vision and details for her custom outfit and shoes ... and both designs will allow the tennis star to look good and feel comfortable while competing.

Williams is no stranger to fashion -- in February, she paid tribute to her late friend Virgil Abloh, who passed away unexpectedly, by modeling in the Off-White show at Paris Fashion Week.

A man accused of impersonating a Patriots player in a wild ruse to fraudulently obtain and sell Tom Brady Super Bowl rings has just been sentenced to THREE YEARS in prison, authorities announced.

According to federal prosecutors, 25-year-old Scott Spina was sentenced on Monday morning ... over eight months after he pleaded guilty to five charges.

As we previously reported, Spina was accused of obtaining a Super Bowl LI ring that had been awarded to a New England player for his role on the 2016 championship team by giving the football player a bad check.

Officials claim once Spina got the ring, he turned around and sold it to a broker for $63,000.

Then, prosecutors say, he began an elaborate scheme to fraudulently make even more money off the situation.

Officials said when Spina got the title bling, he also received information that allowed the former player to buy more Super Bowl rings -- albeit smaller ones -- for family and friends.

"Spina then called the Ring Company, fraudulently identified himself as [the former player], and started ordering three family and friend Super Bowl LI rings with the name 'Brady' engraved on each one, which he falsely represented were gifts for the baby of quarterback Tom Brady," officials said in court documents. "The rings were at no time authorized by Tom Brady. Defendant Spina intended to obtain the three rings by fraud and to sell them at a substantial profit."

Authorities say Spina did ultimately sell the Brady rings -- and one of them ended up going for a staggering $337,000.

Prosecutors say Spina eventually fessed up to the crimes -- and struck a plea deal to close out the case.

Nikki Bella is officially a married woman -- 'cause after 3 years of dating the ex-WWE star tied the knot with her "Dancing with the Stars" dancer fiancé, Artem Chigvintsev, in an intimate ceremony in Paris!!

The former wrestler and Broadway star got married in front of a small group of friends and family ... according to E! News.

Nikki posted a photo of her and Artem's hands with their wedding rings ... saying, "We said I DO, can't wait to share the entire journey with you all when our four-part special event."

The former "Total Bellas" star also shared a pic of the newlyweds in each other's arms as they took in the Paris skyline.

Nikki and Artem -- who met when they were partners on season 25 of 'DWTS' -- have one child, a little boy named Matteo, who was born in July 2020.

Nikki and Artem were engaged for a while due to the pandemic and coronavirus restrictions, but always knew they wanted to say "I Do" ... and now they did!!

You'll recall ... at one point during their relationship, "Good Morning America" accidentally called Nikki Artem's wife before the two ever jumped the broom.

Nikki and Artem were not married then, but now, after years of waiting, the romantic duo can proudly say they are husband and wife.

Sauce Gardner is really living up to his name ... 'cause the star NFL rookie just signed a deal with Buffalo Wild Wings -- with his very own "Sauce sauce!!"

The New York Jets cornerback and the sports restaurant franchise made the announcement on Monday ... showing Gardner rockin' a BWW jacket and saying how he LOVES to put sauce on literally everything.

"Sauce on wings, pizza, sandwiches," Gardner says. "Even sauce on sauce".

That's when out of nowhere, Gardner hilariously starts pouring sauce out of a bottle similar to his custom VVS diamond sauce pendant he copped from Al The Jeweler.

Of course, the sauce coming out of the blinged-out bottle is probably some commercial magic -- but it's still dope!

"Our partnership was meant to be," Gardner told CBS Sports about the new deal.

"It is natural. I have my sauce, it is a smoky, sweet, and spicy barbecue. It has its own personality, just like me."

Gardner -- the 4th overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft -- will release his new dressing on September 1 at a "Signed With Sauce" event in New Jersey.

"I think I am the only person with my own sauce," Gardner said, "The fact that it is able to be called 'Sauce Sauce,' it really is my sauce. It is just a blessing, man."

Sorry to kill all the fun, but Cleveland Browns player Martin Emerson, Jr. was NOT walking around with a bunch of weed during Saturday's preseason game ... as it turns out, it was a bag of sunflower seeds.

Shocker, right?!

Of course, some folks and/or trolls on Twitter tried to take a grainy picture of the Browns vs. Chicago Bears broadcast ... and play it off like Emerson was holding a bag of weed on the bench.

The pic quickly made rounds on social media ... with users cracking their "typical Browns" jokes for retweets and favorites, and playing it off like the players were getting ready to toke.

But, one intrepid account decided to find a much clearer image of the alleged weed ... and yeah, it's definitely a bag of seeds.

If you don't believe your eyes, our sources confirm it's not marijuana and there were several players clearly chewing in the same clip that made its rounds online.

FWIW, the NFL has softened its stance on weed recently ... but sunflower seeds, however, are not banned.

Brian Robinson is speaking out for the first time since he was horrifyingly shot in D.C. on Sunday -- saying on Monday he underwent surgery for his injuries ... and, thankfully, it all "went well."

The Washington Commanders tailback, who was hit by bullets in what appeared to be a robbery attempt less than 24 hours ago, posted the positive message on his social media page.

In the note, he said he was thankful for everyone's prayers ... and added, "God is great!"

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera, meanwhile, also provided some good news on the 23-year-old ... saying to media members on Monday morning, "The doctors were very positive with him, and he was very positive as well."

Robinson, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, was struck in the glute and the lower leg in the incident. Rivera said there's currently no timetable for a return to the field for the football player.

"He's doing well," Rivera said. "It'll just be a matter of time before he's back out here. There is no timeline, but as I said, everything was very positive."

The Commanders took the former Alabama star in the third round of this year's NFL draft. He was having a huge preseason before the shooting -- with some suggesting he could have been the team's starting running back when it kicks off its season next month.

Tragic news ... Kenyan cyclist Sule Kangangi has died after he crashed in a race on Saturday in Vermont.

He was only 33 years old.

Kangangi's racing team, AMANI, confirmed the rider's passing on Sunday -- saying their team captain died after "crashing at high speed" during the Vermont Overland gravel race, a 59-mile dirt road competition.

"Sule is our captain, friend, brother. He is also a father, husband and son. Gaping holes are left when giant's fall. Sule was a giant," the team said.

"Instead of leading us at the front of the pack, he will now lead us as our guiding pole star as we press forward in the realization of his dream."

The fatal crash reportedly happened during the final leg of the race that hosted almost 900 cyclists in West Windsor -- an hour south of Montpelier, the capital of Vermont.

"He was a kind friend and an inspiring and heroic athlete to his teammates and the gravel cycling community at large," Vermont Overland said in a statement.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, his friends, @teamamani, and the people of Kenya who are mourning his loss today."

Kangangi just started competing on gravel after many years of racing on the road.

Kangangi made his way to the United States to race in three gravel competitions this month in Colorado, Nebraska and Vermont -- with Kenyan riders John Kariuki, Nancy Akinyi and Jordan Schleck from Uganda.

Several cyclists have paid tribute to Kangangi ... including 4-time Tour De France winner Chris Froome, who called his death "heartbreaking."

A GoFundMe has been launched to support his wife and children after the tragic loss.

The death comes just one week after pro cyclist Rab Wardell passed away in his sleep -- two days after he had won the Scottish MTB XC Championships.