TMZ Sports - Page 50

Frankie Muniz is going from "Malcolm in the Middle" to the middle of a racing pack ... revealing Wednesday he's set to drive full time in the NASCAR-owned ARCA Series this season!!!

The actor-turned-driver will be behind the wheel for Rette Jones Racing's #30 Ford Mustang ... starting next month, when the series hits Daytona International Speedway.

Muniz said this week he's pumped for the career change, revealing it's been a lifelong goal of his to eventually trade paint on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit.

"I look forward to not only demonstrating my ability on the track and just how serious how I am in progressing in my racing career," the 37-year-old said of the move to ARCA, "but also showing my son and family what it is to chase your dreams and re-invent yourself."

Muniz has been a lifelong fan of professional driving ... and has even posted pics and vids of him behind the wheel several times throughout the past few years.

Ford Performance Motorsports official Mark Rushbrook called Muniz "a skilled and enthusiastic racer" ... while Rette Jones Racing co-owner Terry Jones said he's thrilled to see Agent Cody Banks commanding one of his rides this year.

"Without a doubt, we believe in Frankie’s ability and commitment," Jones said, "and with Mark's leadership, we believe that he will quickly adapt on track and contend for a championship in his rookie season."

An arrest warrant has been issued for Dallas Cowboys rookie Sam Williams, TMZ Sports has learned ... over his alleged role in a violent car crash last month.

The Plano Police Department tells us the misdemeanor warrant is for reckless driving ... though further details surrounding the allegations against Williams were not made immediately available.

According to a police spokesperson, "at this time, there is no plan to find and arrest" Williams ... as the 23-year-old football player "has been contacted to turn himself in."

Per the spokesperson, though, if Williams is stopped by police before he turns himself in, "he would be arrested then."

As we reported, Williams slammed his black Corvette into another vehicle at around 2:15 PM in Plano, Texas on Dec. 22. Pictures from the scene showed the collision caused serious damage, leaving debris all over the roadway.

Thankfully, neither Williams nor the other driver were seriously injured in the crash ... but the Dallas pass rusher did end up missing one game following the wreck.

Williams addressed the accident with reporters a few days afterward, and said he was "thankful" to still be alive.

"You're looking at the [totaled] car like, man, but God works in mysterious ways," he said. "I know He has something in store for me."

It's not yet clear if the warrant will impact Williams' availability for the team's playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday.

"Sitting in a room discussing how to overcome fear with two of the greatest athletes of all time! Was truly life-changing!"

That's director Deon Taylor talking about a panel discussion that went down earlier this week in Los Angeles ... where Floyd Mayweather, legendary 50-0 champion, and Scottie Pippen, 6x NBA champion, opened up about something they rarely discuss -- fear.

We're told Floyd got personal ... speaking about his father leaving as a teenager, which he says taught him to be fearless.

Mayweather also spoke passionately about what he believes is a lack of support for other Black people in the Black community. Floyd told the audience he sees other groups of people supporting each other, while he said he often sees Black people tear other Black people down.

Floyd also turned to Pippen and told him people don't recognize that Michael Jordan never won a title without him.

The discussion, moderated by Van Jones, was also attended by Deon's wife, film producer Roxanne Taylor and actress Ruby Modine.

Taylor put on the event to promote his upcoming thriller, "Fear," starring Joseph Sikora. Deon directed the movie.

Mayweather isn't in the movie but is working with Deon on another project, Floyd's "The GOAT" series. Producers James McNair and Jona Rechnitz were also at the event.

"If we learn to overcome our fears -- we will see that there is nothing we cannot accomplish! Fear is the scariest film of the year -- simply because you can't out scary the human mind," Taylor told us after the panel wrapped.

FTX Arena is no more -- the Miami Heat's home will be scrubbed of the failed cryptocurrency exchange's branding immediately, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Sam Bankman-Fried's company bought the naming rights to the facility -- formerly known as American Airlines Arena -- in 2021 for $135 million ... but as the exchange faces serious allegations of fraud and mishandling customer funds, the Heat and Miami-Dade County made it clear a change was necessary.

Of course, FTX -- which was one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world -- filed for bankruptcy in November ... and SBF has since been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and more.

According to the Miami Herald, a federal bankruptcy judge terminated the agreement between the county and FTX as the investigation continues ... bringing the deal to a screeching halt ASAP.

In fact, the order states any signage displaying the FTX name will be removed immediately.

The move was mutual, according to the report, as FTX's new leadership also wanted to cancel the naming-rights deal.

Damar Hamlin has been released from the hospital and is going home ... 10 days after going into cardiac arrest during Monday Night Football, the Bills announced Wednesday morning!

24-year-old Hamlin made incredible strides during his recovery ... and was transported by air from UC Medical Center in Cincinnati on Monday to Buffalo General Medical Center.

But, Hamlin was still in the hospital ... eating hospital food, and sleeping in a hospital bed.

That is until Wednesday morning, when doctors say they made the determination Hamlin was healthy enough to continue treatment at home.

Damar's critical care physician, Jamie Nadler, MD, provided an update on Hamlin's condition, saying, "We have completed a series of tests and evaluations, and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged to continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills."

Of course, Hamlin collapsed after tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins during last week's MNF matchup ... and required CPR and defibrillation in the stadium.

Hamlin was resuscitated and taken to a local Intensive Care Unit for treatment. The outlook appeared bleak in the beginning ... however, Damar recovered at an astounding pace.

The country rallied around Damar ... hundreds of thousands of people donated millions of dollars to the young player's charity fundraiser.

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka just shared a major life update -- she's expecting her first child ... and TMZ Sports has confirmed it's with rapper Cordae!!

The 25-year-old made the announcement just minutes ago ... saying, "The past few years have been interesting to say the least, but I find that its the most challenging times in life that may be the most fun. These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I've dedicated my life to."

Osaka shared a picture of a sonogram on Twitter ... adding, "I realize that life is so short and I don't take any moments for granted, everyday is a new blessing and adventure. I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, 'that's my mom,' haha."

Osaka -- who went public with Cordae in 2019 -- says she will not be competing in the meantime ... but plans to return for the Australian Open in 2024.

"I don't think there's a perfectly correct path to take in life but I always felt that if you move forward with good intentions you'll find your way eventually," she added.

Get the Kleenex ready ... 'cause the Arizona Cardinals surprised retiring star J.J. Watt with a farewell video last week -- and his reaction to the footage was so emotional, it'll hit ya right in the feels.

AZ defensive coordinator Vance Joseph sprung the clip on Watt during a team meeting just before the NFL legend's final game against San Francisco ... and almost immediately after it began playing, Watt openly sobbed into his hands.

The video consisted of a grip of messages from Watt's family, friends and former NFL rivals -- and J.J., who announced on Dec. 27 he'd be done with football after this season, could hardly keep his eyes open for it.

The montage started with J.J.'s brother, T.J. Watt, saying, "Brother, J.J., I just want to say congratulations on retirement."

"You ending up in the NFL and you being Defensive Player of the Year, and you having all the success that you had, showed me that it's possible."

Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Dak Prescott and Tom Brady also congratulated J.J. on everything he's accomplished in the NFL ... and the impact he's had on their careers.

"Man, you were a pain in my ass for a long time," Brady said. "It was an honor to share the field with you."

J.J.'s other brother, Derek Watt, also shared how thankful he was to witness J.J.'s career.

J.J.'s parents, John and Connie, and his wife, Kealia Watt (who was holding the couple's newborn son Koa), appeared on-screen too ... with all expressing their gratitude toward the 33-year-old defensive end.

"It has been such an honor to watch you work your ass off these past years and do whatever you needed to do to be the best," Kealia said. "You’ve been so generous and kind and loving to everybody around you, and you never forgot who you are."

"I know Koa will be so proud to be your son."

J.J. -- a three-time Defensive Player of the Year -- wrapped his career on Sunday against the Niners with two sacks, three total tackles and a pass breakup.

Up next for the star? Canton, Ohio in five years.

Blake Lively might be a bit jealous this morning ... 'cause Ryan Reynolds was spotted kissing another hottie at the New York Rangers game -- NHL legend Henrik Lundqvist!!

The "Green Lantern" star hit up Madison Square Garden as the home team took on the Minnesota Wild Tuesday night ... and he was in good company, hanging with the future Hall of Famer as well as fellow actor Alexander Skarsgard.

As it turns out, the two thespians were in the mood to smooch ... 'cause both guys planted kisses on Lundqvist's cheek during the game -- and it was all shown on the jumbotron!!

Of course, Lundqvist is an icon in the Big Apple -- he played his whole career with the Rangers from 2000-2020, and had his jersey retired in January 2022.

As we previously reported, Reynolds -- a huge hockey fan -- is gunning to buy the Ottawa Senators ... and he's been spending a lot of time at NHL games recently.

Kim Kardashian, Khloe and Kris Jenner want one thing to be very clear to Tristan Thompson -- they're gonna support him in one of the hardest times of his life, as they all plan to be with him when his mom is laid to rest.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the trio is planning to fly to Toronto later this week to be in attendance for Andrea's funeral. We're told Tristan paid for and planned the whole service, which will be an intimate and beautiful celebration of her life.

Much like Khloe did last week, when Andrea died unexpectedly, we're told Kim, Kris and Khloe want to be there to comfort and support Tristan. Sources tell us it's important to the Kardashian clan to be there for loved ones, especially during tough times like this.

TMZ broke the story, Andrea suffered a heart attack at home last week -- she was rushed to a local hospital where doctors tried to resuscitate her, but she didn't make it.

Damar Hamlin has applied for two trademarks following his scary medical emergency last week ... TMZ Sports has confirmed he's seeking to own the phrases, "Did We Win" and "Three Is Back."

According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office records, Hamlin filed for the trademarks on Jan. 6 -- just days after he went into cardiac arrest on the field during the Bills vs. Bengals "Monday Night Football" game.

As part of the application for the trademarks, the records show Hamlin is intending to use the phrases on shirts, clothing jerseys, sweatshirts, hats, pants, shorts, and jackets ... plus printed and downloadable posters, mugs, and ornamental novelty pins.

The applications also list educational and entertainment services for "motivational and educational speakers in the field of self- and personal improvement" and "health care services in the nature of athletic training."

Of course, the "Did We Win" phrase became iconic and associated with Hamlin after doctors said those were some of the first words he uttered after he woke up at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

The 24-year-old has already created and put out "Did We Win?" shirts ... tweeting earlier this month they were a way to give back to the UC Trauma Center.

"We all won," Hamlin said revealing the tees. "Proceeds of this shirt will go to first responders and the UC Trauma Center. Go get yours!"

WWE has not been sold to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund ... this according to sources familiar with the situation.

TMZ Sports is told ... a deal has not been made between the two sides, despite widespread rumors saying otherwise.

The reports started to circulate Tuesday night ... claiming Vince McMahon secured a massive payday for handing over the company reins to Saudi Arabia, which would take the WWE private once again.

The speculation came just days after Vince McMahon brought himself back on to the organization's board of directors ... with the intent to help with TV deal negotiations and explore a potential sale of the company.

Hours before the reported Saudi Arabia deal, Vince's daughter, Stephanie, announced her departure from WWE ... giving up her role as Co-CEO.

A sale to Saudi Arabia would certainly cause backlash with WWE fans ... especially considering the country's history of human rights violations.

The promotion even faced criticism for inking a 10-year deal with SA in 2018.

The woman who accused Antonio Brown of domestic violence in November also told cops he sent "explicit videos" to her son during the dispute ... new 911 audio, obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals.

In the call, a woman said to a Tampa Police Dept. dispatcher that she and Brown -- the father of her children -- had gotten into "a little argument" at their home in Tampa, Fla. on Nov. 28.

She explained that she had arrived at the house on Nov. 27 ... and hours later, Brown "started throwing a fit." The woman claimed she took the kids and went outside in an effort to diffuse the situation ... but then said to the operator that the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver started to "throw all of my clothes out of the house."

She later added that Brown was "sending explicit videos to my son's phone" as well.

In the call, the woman could be heard appearing to yell at Brown -- telling him, "This is not legal!" before adding, "You might want to go inside! You better hide out!"

A second 911 call was also placed ... and in it, you can hear a woman claiming to be a neighbor telling cops that Brown had thrown the woman out of the house.

As we reported, TPD officers eventually arrived on scene ... and say Brown threw a shoe at the woman during the altercation -- leading them to issue a warrant for his arrest.

Brown, though, was never formally placed into custody ... as prosecutors announced on Dec. 21 they were not filing charges against the 34-year-old, saying the alleged victim "recanted her previous allegations regarding Mr. Brown's intent to strike her or cause her bodily harm."

Stephanie McMahon is resigning from her role as Co-CEO of the WWE ... just days after her father, Vince, made his return to the company's board of directors.

The 46-year-old made the shocking announcement just minutes ago ... releasing a lengthy statement on her decision to walk away.

"About 8 months ago, I took a leave of absence and within a few weeks, unexpectedly had the opportunity of a lifetime," McMahon said. "I had the privilege to return as the Co-CEO and Chairwoman of the Board of WWE."

Steph took over for her dad in July 2022 ... after he resigned amid an investigation into alleged misconduct. Vince was accused of using WWE funds to pay female employees  "hush money" after having sexual relationships with them.

"I cannot put into words how proud I am to have led what I consider to be the greatest company in the world, working alongside a remarkable leadership team and one of the strongest executives I have known in my Co-CEO, Nick Khan," McMahon added.

As we previously reported, Vince appointed himself back on the board on Friday with the intention to help negotiate WWE's impending TV deal ... and explore a potential sale of the company.

Stephanie says her dad is taking the lead during an "exciting" time for the company as it explores strategic alternatives ... and with Khan and Triple H on board, she believes WWE is in a great spot to keep pumping out great content and increase value for shareholders.

"WWE is in such a strong position, that I have decided to return to my leave and take it one step further with my official resignation," McMahon said ... adding she will continue to support the company -- just as she did when she was a little girl -- and will "remain dedicated to WWE."

"I truly love our company, our employees, our Superstars, and our fans," she added. "And I am grateful to all of our partners. Thank you for everything. Then. Now. Forever. Together."

Love is in the air at the WWE to start the new year ... because Superstar Ricochet just proposed to ring announcer Samantha Irvin -- and she said, "YES!"

The 34-year-old wrestler shared the good news on his Instagram page on Tuesday ... writing, "When you find that one person. The one person that when you close your eyes you could never visualize life without them… you keep them close to your heart."

"Now we are closer than ever. @samanthairvinwwe I love you so much."

Ricochet -- real name Trevor Dean Mann -- kept true to tradition when asking Irvin to be his future bride ... getting down on one knee to pop the question.

The former WWE Intercontinental Champ also posted a pic of his and Samantha's hands touching ... showing off the bling he got his future wife, a former "America's Got Talent" contestant.

The two began dating while working for the WWE -- they're on the same brand, Smackdown -- officially becoming an item in 2021.

And, the couple's love for each other has made its way into a storyline ... as a couple weeks ago, they kissed on an episode of Smackdown underneath WWE superstar Braun Strowman's mistletoe.

Travis Kelce is addressing all the rumors surrounding his breakup from Kayla Nicole ... saying it's "crazy" to think money was the reason behind the split.

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar and model officially called it quits in 2022 after 5 years together ... with reports -- citing anonymous friends close to Kayla -- claiming the tight end kept a tight grip on his wallet during their relationship, despite making more than $64 million over the course of his career.

Kelce voiced his side of the story on "The Pivot Podcast" this week ... calling all the speculation complete nonsense.

"How crazy is that?!" the 33-year-old said on Tuesday. "Don't buy into that s***!"

"We were in a relationship for 5 years," he added. "A hundred dollars here and hundred dollars there wasn't even thought about, which is ridiculous."

In fact, Kelce says Kayla had her own money to begin with ... so it's not like she needed a handout.

"I would never say that I was supporting her," Kelce said. "She had a very financially stable life and what she was doing in her career."

The Super Bowl champ also talked about his current dating life -- or lack, thereof -- saying he's still single, and the only committed relationship he has right now is with football.

"I'm in the free market right now. I'm out there just enjoying life, focused on my profession," Kelce said.

"I'm outside, though," he added with a laugh.

Former NFL wide receiver Charles Johnson -- who won a Super Bowl with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the 2001 season -- died by suicide in July ... a report released Monday by the North Carolina state medical examiner's office revealed.

In the ME documents, obtained by USA Today, officials said Johnson passed away after appearing to overdose on drugs. He was just 50 years old.

Johnson was initially found dead on July 17 inside a hotel room in Raleigh ... one day after his wife had reported him missing. A cause of death had remained a mystery -- until the ME's report was released this week.

Officials said in the docs, according to USA Today, that Johnson had oxycodone, hydrocodone and mirtazapine in his system at the time of his death ... despite having no active prescriptions.

The outlet had previously reported the former NFL wideout had claimed to have suffered disabilities from his time in the league.

Johnson played for the Steelers, Eagles, Patriots and Bills in his nine years in the NFL ... after being picked in the first round of the 1994 draft.

Following his death, the North Carolina high school he had been working at said in a statement he would "be missed by so many, especially your Husky Family."