TMZ Sports - Page 50

Edwin Castro, the recent winner of the $2.04 billion Powerball prize, grew up in Los Angeles and was once a prominent Boy Scout and high school athlete ... TMZ has learned.

Our sources tell us 30-year-old Edwin rose all the way to Eagle Scout during his time in the scouts, and he attended Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, CA ... not far from Joe's Service Center in Altadena, where he purchased the winning lottery ticket.

In addition to being a Boy Scout, we're told Edwin played football and baseball in high school ... our sources say he grew up in a "wholesome family" that frequently took fishing trips.

Our sources say Edwin, who studied architecture at Woodbury University in Burbank, is a quiet guy with a kind heart.

Since striking it rich, Edwin's already used some of his new money to buy a swanky $25.5 million pad in the Hollywood Hills ... one month after claiming his lump sum payment of $997,600,000 before taxes.

Edwin's new crib has all the bells and whistles, including a home gym, garage parking for seven cars and a motor court ... and we're told he has a passion for classic cars and fitness.

As we reported, Edwin was being sued by a man who claimed the winning lotto ticket was actually stolen, claiming Edwin was involved in the alleged theft ... but the lottery says they have the utmost confidence Edwin's the rightful winner.

One source told us, "Winning the lotto couldn't have happened to a better guy."

MMA fans are clamoring for a Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou megafight ... but Dana White says there's nothing to see there, 'cause the new heavyweight champ would've demolished "The Predator" much like he did Ciryl Gane last weekend!

The UFC president joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) ... when White was asked if he could foresee any situation where he'd welcome Ngannou back to the UFC and make the Francis-Jon fight.

"I'm not interested," Dana said.

"I tried to make that fight for two years. He didn't want the fight. Know what I mean? He didn't want the fight, and he left here without even having another deal in place. And, I know how the boxing world is, it's crazy, but Francis didn't want to [fight Jones]."

Don't be too disappointed ... White says Francis almost certainly would've been easy work for the G.O.A.T.

"Let me tell you what, I think, a lot of other people feel this way, I think that's exactly the way the fight would've gone if [Ngannou] was in there, too."

Of course, Jon made Ciryl look like light work at UFC 285 ... taking him down and forcing a tap out in a shade over 2 minutes.

Dana, using some MMA math, explained why Ngannou wouldn't have stood much of a chance.

"[Francis] and Ciryl had a five-round war, and if Ciryl doesn't go for that submission, Ciryl probably wins that fight. At the end of the 5th round there."

FYI, Ngannou won their UFC 270 scrap in January 2022 by unanimous decision, but it was a very close fight.

Dana then answered the original question -- can you see yourself making JJ vs. FN?

"No."

We also talked to White about the next big heavyweight matchup, Stipe Miocic vs. Jones. There's talk the fight will go down at UFC 290 on July 8 during International Fight Week, but Dana says nothing's set in stone, and there's not much time to get a deal done.

Dana also said he wouldn't be surprised if this is 35-year-old Jones' last fight.

"I wouldn't be shocked either if he fights Stipe and then retires."

We also talked to Dana about his upcoming Power Slap 1 event, going down Saturday night in Las Vegas. The card features four title fights ... including the two top-ranked heavyweights in the world.

White says he sees parallels between Power Slap/slap fighting and the UFC in its early days, when MMA was viewed as being brutal and too violent.

Dana also broke some news about the future of "Power Slap: Road To The Title," announcing they've signed a two-year deal. White says the next season will take place in Dubai.

Tiger Woods is a single man ... and the oddsmakers are taking bets on who he'll date when he goes back on the prowl -- with Tom Brady's ex-wife Gisele Bündchen being the favorite to be his next partner.

Tiger called things off with Erica Herman late last year ... and their split has been nasty -- with his girlfriend of six years filing a $30 million lawsuit over how things ended.

BetOnline is wasting no time looking into the future ... throwing out odds for who Woods will date next -- and there are a ton of interesting names on the list.

Gisele comes in on top at +2500, which means the oddsmakers think there's an outside chance she moves from one G.O.A.T. to another ... and Kim Kardashian is right behind at +3500.

Shakira -- who recently went through her own rough breakup with Gerard Piqué -- is listed at +5000 if she decides to give it a shot with another athlete.

There seems to be a bit of a "messy breakup" trend here ... as Amber Heard is also an option at +15000.

Golf influencer and model Paige Spiranac also made the cut ... coming in at +25000.

And for Ss and Gs, there are a few adult film actresses like Mia Khalifa, Lana Rhoades, Riley Reid and Mia Malkova on the list ... and their odds are set at +50000, which are surprisingly the same as Tiger's ex, Lindsey Vonn.

Travis Kelce is a total natural with a future in acting if he wants it ... so says comedian Jeff Dye, who tells TMZ Sports he was blown away by the Kanas City Chiefs superstar's performance on "Saturday Night Live."

TK made his big debut at Studio 8H last weekend ... and many were impressed with how comfortable he looked on stage as he delivered his lines.

Dye admits he gave a bit of an eye roll when Kelce was announced as the show's host -- because in his opinion, athletes usually aren't funny -- but the tight end turned him into a believer.

"He reminded me of Phil Hartman, that's how good I'd say he was," Dye says. "Not being sarcastic, it was very Phil Hartman-esque."

It goes without saying it's a massive compliment from Dye -- Hartman is a comedy legend ... and spent eight seasons on the sketch show from 1986-94.

We also talked to Dye about who else from the sports world could make the transition over to acting ... and there's one two-time Super Bowl champ he thinks would thrive in entertainment.

Buffalo Wild Wings is duping customers into believing they are chowing down on wing meat when they order boneless wings, when in reality it's essentially just chicken nuggets ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The nationwide restaurant chain is being dragged into a class-action suit by a man named Aimen Halim, and he's got a serious bone to pick here. Sorry, we had to do it.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ, Halim claims Buffalo Wild Wings' boneless wings are not deboned wings at all, as they would have customers believe, but rather slices of breast meat deep fried like wings with a composition more akin to nuggets than wings.

He says he fell victim to what he describes as deceptive marketing.

Taste and transparency aren't the only issues for Halim ... he says BWW is misleading customers to sell a cheaper product for more than it's worth, and he accuses the chain of knowing it's engaging in false advertising and refusing to change its ways.

Halim claims other restaurants selling boneless chicken, like Papa John's, are being careful not to market it as wings ... and he's howling mad BWW doesn't even mention in fine print anywhere on the menu the meat is really from the breast and not the wing.

Naturally, the guy's going after Buffalo Wild Wings for money.

It's been exactly a year since Big E broke his neck during a wrestling match ... but the WWE Superstar says he's not rushing back into the ring just yet, telling TMZ Sports he's going to take his time and make the "right decision" on his future.

Remember, Big E suffered the injury during a tag-team match on "Smackdown" in Birmingham, Alabama last March ... after he was picked up and dropped on his head.

It wasn't just Big E's wrestling future people were worried about at the time ... but also whether he would have any serious health concerns moving forward.

We spoke with Big E at LAX last week ... and the former WWE champ told us he's close to finding out if his scary injury will keep him from lacing up the boots again.

"I gotta see what the scans say," E said. "Talk to doctors, and then go from there."

Big E said he won't "rush to judgments" on his health until he sees how everything looks ... adding he's not sweating the results either way.

"Right now, before I know anything, I'm not going to make any rush to judgments or anything. See how everything looks."

Big E says he's not dealing with any anxiety as he awaits his scans ... adding, "Everything isn't permanent. If it comes to an end, cool. If doesn't, cool. What will be, will be. I'm good with whatever."

The first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft now belongs to the Panthers ... Chicago just traded the selection to Carolina for star wideout D.J. Moore -- and a boatload of other picks.

ESPN's Adam Schefter just broke the news ... reporting the swap between the two teams went down on Friday afternoon.

The Bears, according to Schefter, will get Moore and the Panthers' first-round pick (No. 9) this year, their second pick (No. 61) this year, their first-round pick next year ... AND a second rounder in 2025.

Moore reacted to the news on Twitter -- posting two shocked emojis.

The deal now likely means a quarterback prospect will be headed to the Panthers -- though it's unclear which one.

Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud are the favorites -- but Florida's Anthony Richardson is also in the mix for the top spot.

Jay Cutler is putting his house on the market with a hefty price tag, but it comes with some sentimental value -- it's the same one he and Kristin Cavallari once called home.

The listing shows Jay's Tennessee pad is up for sale for a whopping $11M ... the 10,697-square-foot house sits on over 45 acres of land, and comes with a gym, sauna, and a new pool house.

According to real estate records, Jay and Kristin bought the home in 2018 for $4.2M ... they later bought the surrounding 35 acres for an additional $1.2M. Sources tell us this house was left to Jay in their divorce and where he has lived since -- unclear why he is unloading it.

Kristin and Jay also extensively filmed their reality show "Very Cavallari" while living at the home during its 3 seasons.

As we reported, it was a tumultuous breakup between the 2 ... with Kristin filing docs in 2020, claiming the former Bears quarterback was withholding money from her as a way of stopping her from buying her own home. Jay said they already had multiple pads, so buying a new one didn't make sense.

They also sold one of their other homes in Nashville the same year -- unloading the property for $3.7M.

Good news, bad news for Jordan Spieth at the Players Championship on Friday -- bad news: his tee shot was so off target, it hit a spectator. Good news: the accidental contact knocked the ball back onto the fairway -- avoiding landing in the drink!!

The wild moment went down on the 9th hole at TPC Sawgrass ... when a struggling Spieth's drive headed straight for the water.

Luckily for Spieth -- and unluckily for the fan -- the ball drilled the attendee right in the knee ... and it ricocheted back onto the fairway with a perfect bounce.

Here's where it gets even crazier -- Spieth was on the verge of missing the cut on the final hole ... and a bogey or worse could've sunk him.

As it turns out, the ball's landing spot helped the star finish the hole with an eagle -- leaving him comfortably inside of the cut line.

The story has an even happier ending, as Spieth gave the fan his glove as an apology/thank you gift.

Spieth finished the round +3 ... and is even through two days of competition.

Russell Wilson and Ciara spent time inside a prison last week -- singing and dancing with over 300 inmates -- and the trip was so emotional ... Ciara actually appeared to be moved to tears.

The Denver Broncos star and the "Level Up" singer headed out to Everglades Correctional Institution in Florida to help lead a prayer with incarcerated men ... and you can see in video of their visit, the couple immersed themselves fully with the inmates right away.

Wilson read the group a bible verse ... before Ciara sang to the crowd. God Behind Bars, the org. that helped facilitate the trip, said it was all very powerful.

"The voices of the incarcerated were so loud, it felt like it could be heard by the entire prison," org. officials said in a social media post. "In a place so easily filled with so much division, there was a moment where Incarcerated men put their arms around each other and prayed for those struggling with anxiety and depression."

Wilson also shared his own video from the visit, showing him singing along loudly with inmates -- some of whom are serving life sentences -- to a popular gospel song.

Little People of America is demanding an apology from Bill Walton after he said the m-word twice on air on Thursday night ... calling his use of the term both "deplorable and inexcusable."

The org. -- regarded as the largest dwarfism support group in the world -- blasted the college basketball commentator in a statement to TMZ Sports on Friday ... less than 24 hours after Walton said the derogatory term while broadcasting the USC vs. Arizona State game.

Walton said at halftime while trying to praise the arena's in-game host, "He does not need a little chair because he is a giant in a world full of shriveling m*****s."

He used the word again when turning his attention toward his broadcast partner, Dave Pasch -- who awkwardly laughed off the whole situation.

The org. says Walton should have known better -- saying "ignorance at this point is simply not an excuse" -- and now, they want him to say he's sorry.

"Those who use the term m***** or any terminology that further stigmatizes people born with dwarfism are asked to educate themselves to eradicate this word," LPA officials said.

"Little People of America is asking Bill Walton to issue an apology and vow to use appropriate terminology rooted in respect and dignity going forward."

LPA also took aim at Pasch -- saying he should have denounced Walton's use of the term live on air.

"We hope that in the future Dave Pasch will speak up against disparaging language in solidarity with our organization fighting for disability equity and justice."

Tony Hawk proved yet again he's got Superman-like blood in his veins -- hitting insane tricks at an event Thursday night, just one year after he suffered a severely broken leg that many thought might end his career.

Hawk wowed a huge crowd as part of some skating entertainment at a business summit in Salt Lake City ... getting huge air while riding as if he hadn't just mangled his leg in a ramp accident 12 months ago.

The 54-year-old hit trick after trick after trick -- and the audience loved it, cheering him on as he strung together an awesome line.

Hawk eventually slid down the half pipe on his knees to a huge applause.

Of course, just one year ago on March 7, 2022, a lot of people in the skate world -- perhaps even Hawk himself -- didn't think this would be possible ... after he badly broke his femur while trying to do a McTwist.

Hawk at the time had hoped to simply walk again "unaided." He suffered a setback in November, too, which further clouded his skating future.

But, Tony is clearly now approaching 100 percent ... and in an Instagram post earlier this week, he said he was super grateful for the recovery.

"Thank you for all of the support through this tumultuous journey," he wrote. "The wheels have not fallen off yet."

Bill Walton may be the king of out-of-the-box analysis, but he crossed the line while calling a college hoops game on Thursday ... dropping a derogatory word for little people -- twice.

The Hall of Famer and broadcaster used the m-word when calling the Arizona State vs. USC matchup ... when he was attempting to show praise for the Pac-12 Tournament's in-game host.

"He does not need a little chair because he is a giant in a world full of shriveling m*****s," Walton said during halftime.

Walton then turned to his broadcast partner, Dave Pasch, and cracked a joke ... saying, "Speaking of shriveling m*****s, what is your name again?"

Pasch responded by asking, "What is wrong with you?" He then did his best to move on from the awkward interaction to talk about the game -- but Walton interrupted.

"I'm guilty of having fun in Las Vegas, fun with a purpose," the 6'11" former center said ... before finally getting back to talking about the contest.

Pasch is heard chuckling as Walton goes through his analysis ... and fires off a zinger of his own as the focus gets back to the game.

"I don't know what you consumed at halftime."

If you're unfamiliar, the m-word has been deemed a derogatory slur by the Little People of America, which has urged people to stop using the term.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones found himself in hot water as well recently ... after using the term on the first day of his team's training camp last year.

The LPA fired off a response to Jones at the time ... calling on the NFL legend to apologize. He later issued a statement saying he was sorry.

As for the tourney matchup -- ASU beat USC, 77-72.

Versace's fashion show was an absolute hit -- despite a last minute call to move it up one day -- with some of the biggest names in Hollywood dressing to the nines to attend.

The fall/winter show wound up getting rescheduled from Friday to Thursday due to rain -- it was an outdoor event on the roof of the Pacific Design Center in WeHo. Based on the turnout ... everyone cleared their schedules.

Among folks in the building ... Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Channing Tatum, Anne Hathaway, Lil Nas X, Allison Williams, Pamela Anderson, Matt Bomer, Ke Huy Quan, Lily James, Gabrielle Union and hubby Dwyane Wade, and Jeff Bezos and partner Lauren Sanchez.

Paris Hilton attended with her sister Nicky and mom Kathy ... as well as Demi Moore and  her daughter Rumer Willis -- and Elton John, Cher and her fiancé Alexander Edwards had front-row seats.

The models for the highly-anticipated show were also A-list ... Gigi Hadid opened the runway action, while Naomi Campbell, Emily Ratajkowski and Kendall Jenner also did their thing.

Floyd Mayweather is, once again, living up to his nickname of "Money" ... dropping around $180K to upgrade a custom Rolls Royce limousine, complete with mink rugs and a 45-inch TV in the back!

TMZ Sports has learned the legendary boxer hit up his go-to car guy Obi Okeke, AKA Doctor Bugatti, to deck out the Rolls he purchased years back.

Mind you, the RR was already far from stock ... it was cut and stretched almost 10 feet when Floyd initially bought the vehicle.

But, that obviously wasn't enough for the undefeated boxer. TBE had Obi turn his luxury car into a "Netflix & Chill on wheels" ... as he placed an insane 2000-watt sound system and a 45" TV complete with Wi-Fi, in the back.

He also added a new engine, custom "TMT" wood interior, and mink floor mats that cost $44,000, totaling a $180K refurbish.

Mayweather regularly upgrades his "toys" ... remember, he had Okeke install an $18K mink fur-lined baby car seat to his (other) $345K+ Rolls Royce for his grandson, Kentrell Jr., last July.

Of course, Floyd made hundreds of millions of dollars as a pro fighter, and is now doing exhibition fights across the world, and those fights also come with a hefty check.

Sauce Gardner is doing everything in his power to ensure Aaron Rodgers is in a Jets uniform next season ... going as far as burning a cheesehead hat on camera in a recruitment pitch to the star QB.

Rodgers -- whose future with Green Bay is up in the air -- has been linked to the Jets this offseason ... and Gardner is hell-bent on making sure #12 pulls up to play with him.

Gardner got together with his teammates, Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson, on Thursday ... sending a message loud and clear to the future Hall of Fame QB with a fire and a hat Packers fans love to wear.

"Where A-Rod at, man?" Gardner asked in the video. "Let's make this happen, man. I ain't playing no games no more. I was playing at first. I'm not playing no more. You see it in my face. I need you to lock in."

"I need you to come here so we can win the Super Bowl. Don't even play no more."

The guys even fantasized about what life would be like for the Jets' offense with Rodgers under center ... with Hall and Wilson telling the Super Bowl-winning QB "you might as well make that move."

Of course, the video isn't going to sit well with Green Bay fans ... you'll recall, Sauce paraded around Lambeau Field wearing the cheesehead hat after the Jets defeated the Packers in stunning fashion, 27-10, in Week 6.

"Green Bay fans not going to hate me as much 'cause I don't own the cheese head no more," Gardner, the Defensive Rookie of the Year, joked.