TMZ Sports - Page 50

Jake Paul and Tommy Fury are trying once again to make their boxing match happen -- the two are slated to face off in the boxing ring on February 25, according to multiple reports.

This is the third time the two sides have agreed to fight ... but as we previously reported, something on TNT's side has always prevented them from following through with the event.

Jake and Tommy were initially set to fight in December 2021, but Fury had to back out after suffering a rib injury and chest infection during training. When they rescheduled the bout to August, Fury claimed he was unable to make it to the United States ... forcing him to pass up on the fight once again.

Jake -- 6-0 with big wins over Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley -- previously said back in November he was down to settle their beef in the ring once and for all ... and now, it sounds like it will ACTUALLY happen, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

The matchup is definitely interesting -- Paul and Fury are close in age and weight ... and many will say Tommy is Jake's first "real" boxing opponent.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage was forced to leave Monday night's playoff game on a backboard ... and the scene was scary -- particularly in the wake of Damar Hamlin's on-field medical emergency just two weeks ago.

Gage went down awkwardly late in the fourth quarter of TB's blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys -- and he didn't get up immediately ... prompting officials and medical personnel to race onto the field to tend to him.

The 26-year-old wideout, who took a violent hit to the head and neck area on the play, stayed down for several minutes ... all while Cowboys and Buccaneers players looked on with worried expressions on their faces.

Gage was ultimately strapped to a backboard and rushed to the hospital.

Following the game, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said Tom Brady's target had a concussion and was being evaluated for potential neck injuries. He was not sure if Gage had movement in all of his extremities.

"His fingers were moving when he was down there," Bowles said. "I don't know about the rest."

The terrifying moment happened just 14 days after Hamlin was taken off the field in an ambulance during a similar scene on Monday Night Football as well.

Hamlin, thankfully, has since made tremendous strides in recovering from the crisis. We're all now hoping Gage sees similar results.

Kevin Love had a bold strategy for defending Larry Nance Jr. during the Cavs game on Monday ... by giving his old teammate's ass a smack!!

The odd moment went down with less than three minutes left in the third quarter of Cleveland's MLK Day matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans ... when Nance -- the son of former Cavs and Suns star Larry Nance -- was waiting for Jose Alvarado to inbound the ball.

Nance's reaction is hilarious -- he quickly pleads with refs to do something about the bizarre tactic ... but ultimately, the game continued without a foul.

Of course, it was all in good fun ... as Love and Nance grew close during their time together with the Wine & Gold.

Love and Nance's former Cavs teammate/NBA referee Richard Jefferson even got in on the fun ... posting a TikTok about the incident.

"Hey @kevinlove this is under review for a flagrant," RJ joked. "@larrydn7 you good?"

Nance -- an Ohio native who played for the Cavs from 2018-21 -- finished the game with four points, three rebounds and three assists for NOLA.

Tom Brady ain't ready to call it a career -- at least, not publicly in the immediate aftermath of Monday night's playoff loss to the Cowboys -- the star quarterback told reporters he's still "truly" undecided about his football future.

Brady addressed media members for around five minutes following the Buccaneers' 31-14 loss to Dallas in the opening round of the 2023 postseason ... and was noncommittal when it came to questions about his next steps.

"I'm going to go home and get a good night sleep -- as good as I can tonight," the 45-year-old said ... before adding that he has no timetable for a career decision.

"This has been a lot of focus on, you know, this game. So, yeah. It'll just be one day at a time. Truly."

Brady then bid farewell to Buccaneers reporters -- a gesture that some believe could have potentially tipped his hand.

"Thank you everybody for welcoming me," Tom said ... "Just very grateful for the respect and I hope I gave the same thing back to you guys. So, thank you very much."

If it is the end, it certainly wasn't the storybook finish the future Hall of Famer would have liked. Brady looked messy for almost the entire evening against Dallas, completing just 53 percent of his 66 passes and throwing a back-breaking interception in the first half.

Tom -- a free agent this offseason -- does have options moving forward. He can return to Tampa, or he can go elsewhere ... reportedly, several other teams want him in 2023. Or, he can jump into the broadcasting deal he already inked in 2022.

A retirement decision last year ultimately came in February, before he reversed course just a couple weeks later. So, buckle in ... a long offseason of Brady speculation awaits.

Daniel Jones has what it takes to lead the Giants to a Super Bowl win in New York ... according to David Tyree, who knows a little something about winning a Lombardi Trophy.

The former Giants receiver and special teams ace joined Babcock and Mojo on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs daily on FS1) -- a day after the G-Men won a road playoff game -- where the Super Bowl 42 hero was asked if Jones was, without any doubt, the team's franchise QB.

"I think I said 6 to 8 weeks back, Daniel Jones is the quarterback for the New York Giants. You don't allow gold to walk out of the building for the potential of platinum, right?" Tyree asked.

"We're not gonna sit up here and say he deserves Deshaun Watson money, but he deserves that full-blown opportunity to represent this organization in the same manner that he did this year. He's earned the right, he's been dominant, he's been consistent, he's limited turnovers. He's done everything you can ask a quarterback to do and he's got the right temperament in the New York City market."

Of course, David was half of (arguably) the greatest play in Super Bowl history, the "Helmet Catch." Tyree, with the Giants trailing Tom Brady and the undefeated Patriots by 4 points with under 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter, and All-Pro Rodney Harrison blanketing him, miraculously came down with a crucial Eli Manning pass on 3rd & 5.

Just a few plays later, Manning threw the Super Bowl-winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress.

Question is, can 25-year-old Jones play well enough to lead the Giants to another Super Bowl?

"Yeah, I think the Giants are closer than I ever could imagine. Let's just be honest, I believe in all those guys who play at wide receivers but I'm just as good as them and I was the 3rd and 4th wide receiver on the roster. This is amazing what's happening."

David says with an offseason to add talent, the team will continue to improve.

"They're gonna be able to have some salary cap, able to make some good moves in the market in the offseason but obviously, they have to sign those centerpieces like Saquon [Barkley], Daniel Jones, and Dexter Lawrence."

Speaking of Catch-42 or the helmet catch ... Tyree is about to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the historic play by putting on a youth football camp, Catch Camp, in Arizona, the site of the 2008 catch, and this season's SB.

The camp, which will take place on February 3, doesn't just focus on running and catch  ... Tyree says they'll also teach the kids life skills.

There's more -- we also talked to David about the job head coach Brian Daboll's done this season, taking essentially the same roster Joe Judge went 4-13 with just a season ago, and going 9-7-1 and winning a playoff game.

Tyree, who was Director of Player Development after retiring, was let go by Judge and GM Dave Gettleman ... and let's just say he doesn't speak very fondly of how the organization was run under the two men.

Brittney Griner, less than 6 weeks after she was sprung from a Russian penal colony, surprised a group of people gathered for an MLK day march in Phoenix ... on what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.'s 94th birthday.

The Phoenix Mercury superstar hit up the event with her wife, Cherelle ... and took pics with fans, who were visibly elated to see the hooper.

Of course, states celebrate MLK Jr. Day on the third Monday in January ... a day to remember one of the most influential civil rights leaders in the history of the world.

FYI, Arizona was the last state to recognize MLK Jr. Day (1992) after President Ronald Reagan signed a law making it a federal holiday in 1983 (though it was first observed in 1986.)

Brittney, of course, has a special relationship with Arizona ... she's played her entire WNBA career with the Mercury after dominating in college at Baylor.

Griner missed the 2021-22 WNBA season ... after she was arrested for carrying marijuana vape cartridges (hashish oil) through an airport in Russia in February.

After 10+ grueling months in a Russian penal colony, Brittney was released in a prisoner exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

The 6'9" hooper returned to the United States sporting a different look -- forced to cut her dreads because of the brutally cold temperatures in Russia -- and has maintained a low profile since her release.

Deshaun Watson's out of the NFL playoffs, but don't feel too bad for the guy ... the quarterback is now on a tropical vacation, cozying up with his smokin'-hot girlfriend, Jilly Anais.

While the league's last remaining teams are duking it out for a spot in Super Bowl LVI, the Cleveland Browns star's mind couldn't be further from a football field ... as he hit a boat on Monday with Anais in an exotic location -- and clearly enjoyed the free time.

In video that Anais shot and posted on her social media page ... you can see she and Watson got really close on the ship's deck -- sippin' what appeared to be some champagne while soaking in the warm weather.

The two also got some up-close-and-personal time in the water ... when Anais hopped on Watson's back while he was cruisin' around in the ocean on an underwater sea scooter.

The couple seemed to be wearing some matching bathing suits, too ... and at one point, Watson even got close to Anais' bikini bottoms with a bottle of Veuve.

The vacation is a much-needed one for Watson, who had a rough season. After serving an 11-game ban following allegations he was inappropriate with female massage therapists, he came back rusty, completing just 58.2 percent of his passes while throwing five interceptions in six starts.

Daniil Medvedev reached his boiling point during his Australian Open match on Monday ... getting so pissed at a spectator, he told them to "f*** off."

The altercation went down as the Russian star faced off against Marcos Giron in the opening round of the tourney ... when he was up 5-2 over the American after winning the first two sets.

But, before Medvedev could handle business and finish Giron off, he confronted a fan in the stands for seemingly heckling him throughout the match.

As soon as he hurled the cuss word, the whole audience audibly reacted in shock.

The outburst resulted in a code violation ... which, naturally, Medvedev didn't agree with.

Eventually, Medvedev -- who's the 7th seed in the tournament -- was able to secure the win ... 6-0, 6-1, 6-2.

Medvedev's beef with Australian Open attendees has been well-documented over the years ... and he certainly hasn't shied away from letting his feelings known with umpires.

A Jimmy John's employee hilariously trolled former Lions QB Dan Orlovsky for notoriously running out of the back of the end zone during a game 14+ years ago ... reminding him of the gaffe while the analyst simply attempted to order lunch.

It was 2008 ... Orvlosky was the quarterback in Detroit, and the Lions were on the road in Minnesota, playing the Vikings at Mall of America Field.

Orlovsky and the Lions were backed up in their own territory. Orlovsky dropped back to pass, but was pressured by star DT Jared Allen, who began chasing Dan.

Orlovsky panicked once he saw Allen pursuing, and proceeded to run out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety, and giving birth to one of the funniest plays in NFL history.

On Monday, ESPN's Laura Rutledge posted video of Orlovsky being trolled ... saying someone at the popular sandwich chain, Jimmy John's, rehashed the iconic (or painful, if you're Dan) moment.

"Watch out for the back of the end zone," the sandwich's packaging read, much to Dan's chagrin. "How they gonna do our guy like that," Laura asked jokingly.

Meanwhile, Dan's other colleague, Mina Kimes, seemed to think the troll job was hysterical.

To his credit, Orlovsky did crack a smile ... and also got the last laugh, clapping back ... "I like Subway better."

Josh Allen to ... Rob Gronkowski?!?

Gronk revealed this week that this combination nearly happened this season ... explaining on the the "New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce" podcast that he was this close to signing with the Bills in 2022.

"I was like, 'Ahh. Tom [Brady] retired, I'ma check out some other teams," the 33-year-old future Hall of Famer said. "I was actually in talks with the Buffalo Bills a little bit. They wanted me to come up there."

Gronkowski though, said the two sides never got the chance to strike a deal -- telling the Kelces on the pod he just couldn't find the desire to play more football this season.

"It just wasn't there," the ex-Bucs star said.

But, if it had been there? "I would probably most likely be in Buffalo right now playing with the Bills," he revealed.

Of course Travis tried to make sure things stayed that way ... the Chiefs star told Gronk to remain retired -- just in case K.C. has to play Buffalo for a spot in next month's Super Bowl.

"Don't join them after this week," Travis said with a smile, before joking Gronk should just continue to do cool events like his upcoming field goal kick for a live Super Bowl commercial.

"Just kick the field goal, man!" Travis said.

FYI, Gronk has some Bills in his DNA -- he grew up 17 minutes from Buffalo ... and said he was upset when the team picked defensive tackle Torell Troup over him in the 2010 NFL Draft.

"They passed me and then I was pissed, kind of," Gronk said. "I was like, dude, I could've just played for my hometown team, like, they don't have a tight end and they passed me at 41.'"

Ohio State will have to find a new starting quarterback in 2023 ... the Buckeyes' star signal-caller, C.J. Stroud, has declared for the NFL draft.

The 21-year-old announced his decision on social media on Monday ... calling the choice "one of the hardest I've ever had to make."

Stroud then thanked his teammates, coaches, fans and more for making his career at OSU a special one.

"To Buckeye nation, it's been a helluva ride," Stroud said. "To the students, alumni, and all of the OHIO state fans, thank you for welcoming a kid from Cali into the Buckeye family."

Stroud put up monster numbers throughout his career ... but really shined in his final college game, throwing for 348 yards and four touchdowns in the CFP Semifinal against Georgia.

Stroud is considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft ... with some experts projecting he will be selected as high as number one overall.

Rinat Akhmetov -- the billionaire owner of the Ukrainian soccer club Shakhtar Donetsk -- is taking a third of Mykhailo Mudryk's $75.8 million transfer fee from Chelsea and giving it back to his country ... donating $25 million to help soldiers fighting against Russia.

The 22-year-old winger's move to Chelsea was announced on Sunday ... in a record deal for any Ukrainian team.

Akhmetov -- who's reportedly worth around $4.3 billion -- addressed the transaction on Monday ... saying it's a bittersweet moment for him.

"On the one hand, I am happy for Mykhaylo and proud of him," Akhmetov said in a statement. "This guy is leading by example, showing that talent and hard work can make the impossible possible. I am absolutely confident that the entire Europe will acclaim Mykhaylo's brilliant and fine play."

"On the other hand, I have never made it a secret that my dream is to win European trophies. This means that players like Mudryk should be invited to our club, to our Ukrainian championship, and we should win European trophies with such players, rather than root for them, even when they play in the world's top clubs."

"Unfortunately, it is impossible now, as Ukraine is fighting the horrendous and unjust war waged against us by the Russian Federation. But, I am confident that we will win."

To do his part, Akhmetov says he is launching the Heart of Azovstal to help soldiers in Mariupol and their families as they continue to protect their country.

"Their acts of bravery are unparalleled in the modern history," Akhmetov said. "It is them, their sacrifice and courage that helped contain the enemy in the first months of the war and let all of us feel the inevitability of the Victory of Ukraine now."

Akhmetov says the massive $25 million donation will provide financial assistance for medical and prosthetic treatment, psychological support and more.

Maya Moore is hangin' up her jersey ... the 4-time WNBA champ and UConn legend announced Monday she's retiring from the game of basketball.

The former Minnesota Lynx guard broke the news on "Good Morning America," saying she's officially leaving basketball after a 7-year WNBA career.

"I think it is time to put a close on the pro basketball life,' the 33-year-old told 'GMA' host Robin Roberts.

"I walked away four seasons ago but I wanted to officially retire."

FYI, Maya last played in the WNBA in 2018.

Of course, Moore stepped away from basketball to focus on criminal injustice reform and Jonathan Irons ... who she helped free after he was wrongly convicted of burglary and assault in Missouri and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

The two got married shortly after his release in July 2020 and welcomed their first child in 2022.

In fact, Moore was on 'GMA' to promote her new book "Love & Justice" which is set to be released on Tuesday. It's about Maya and Jonathan's love story.

"This is such a sweet time for us and our family and the work that we've done -- I want to continue that in the next chapter," Moore said.

"I want to continue to be present at home, for my community, for my family, [for my] little baby, for Jonathan but also doing work with Win With Justice, our nonprofit, to continue to bring awareness about prosecutorial reform."

Before Moore's criminal justice advocacy, she was considered one of the best female basketball players to ever hit the court.

While playing under Geno Auriemma at UCONN from 2007 to 2011, the McDonald All-American won two NCAA championships, two Naismith College Player of the Year and broke several records including the most points (678) in a single season for the Huskies.

Moore was drafted as the overall #1 pick in 2011 and played for the Minnesota Lynx for seven seasons. She became a 6-time WNBA All-Star, a 4-time WNBA champ, WNBA Finals MVP, the WNBA's season MVP ... and the list goes on.

Maya also won two Olympic gold and FIBA gold medals ... making her one of only 11 women to win Olympic gold, an NCAA title, FIBA World cup gold, and a WNBA championship.

Nick Kyrgios is out of the Australian Open -- the tennis star officially withdrew from the high-profile tourney ... after he had some disgusting, ketchup-like fluid drained from his knee.

The 27-year-old called a press conference at Melbourne Park on Sunday to reveal the news ... announcing that a recent MRI scan showed he had a small tear and cyst in his lateral meniscus.

He shared on his IG story shortly before the announcement that the injury had led to a buildup of a gnarly substance in his knee that required a procedure to remove.

"I'm devastated," Kyrgios said. "It's brutal. This is my home tournament, and obviously, winning the tournament in doubles [last year] and playing the best tennis of my life. All I can do is my best to come back."

Kyrgios had faced Novak Djokovic, a nine-time Australian Open champion, in a charity match on Friday, but according to his physiotherapist, Will Maher, the knee didn't respond well to the action.

Kyrgios, the 19 seed, had been slated to go up against Roman Safiullin in the first round of the tourney on Tuesday.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor continued his playoff tradition after his team pulled off a tight win over the Baltimore Ravens ... by hitting up a Cincinnati bar to present a game ball to fans!!

The fourth-year play caller showed up at The Blind Pig -- right across the street from Paycor Stadium -- following the Bengals' 24-17 dub over their division rivals on Sunday night ... and the crowd was clearly thrilled to have him join their party.

Taylor even addressed the patrons in attendance ... thanking them for their continued support.

"We appreciate it," Taylor said over the mic. "You all are the best fans in the whole world."

"Playoff win, the first of many," he continued. "Love you guys. Game ball to the Blind Pig. Appreciate all your support. We need you next week in Buffalo, find a way to get up there. Find a way, find a way. Who Dey!!"

The Bengals will now travel to New York to face the Bills in the divisional round ... setting up a matchup between Joe Burrow and Josh Allen.

Univ. of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles has been charged with capital murder ... after authorities say he and another man were involved in the shooting death of a woman near campus on Sunday morning.

According to Tuscaloosa Police Capt. Jack Kennedy, the fatal shooting happened on The Strip ... a popular stretch of road near the school that's lined by bars and restaurants.

Kennedy said authorities were alerted to the shooting at around 1:45 AM ... after officers had responded to a vehicle at the Walk of Champions at Bryant Denny Stadium.

Kennedy, in a news conference Sunday night, told media members a 23-year-old woman, Jamea Harris, was dead in the car. The driver of the vehicle, Kennedy said, told officers their car had been hit by gunfire earlier in the night ... adding that they shot back in self-defense.

According to Kennedy, police reviewed surveillance video and interviewed multiple witnesses -- and identified Miles and 20-year-old Michael Lynn Davis, who's not affiliated with the Univ. of Alabama, as the suspects.

Both Miles and Davis were charged with capital murder ... and arrested Sunday evening.

Miles was seen sobbing outside of the Tuscaloosa County Jail following the arrest, telling someone at the scene, "I swear, I love you more than you imagine."

Kennedy said Miles and the alleged victims did not previously know each other ... explaining, "At this time, it appears that the only motive was a minor altercation that these individuals had with the victim as they were out on The Strip."

Miles played in six games for the Crimson Tide this season, logging nine points and nine rebounds. On Saturday, just hours before the shooting, the school had ruled him out for the season due to an ankle injury.

By Sunday evening, his player profile page had been removed from the university's website.

"First and foremost, we extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the victim from last night’s incident," UA athletics said in a statement Sunday night. "We were made aware of the recent charge against student-athlete Darius Miles, and he is no longer a member of the Alabama men's basketball team. Athletics, in conjunction with the University, is fully cooperating with this investigation."

The school added in a statement of its own, "We are grieved by the incident that occurred near campus last night and extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends."