TMZ Sports - Page 50

The Miz -- host of WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium this year -- believes Seth Rollins and Logan Paul's match on "The Grandest Stage of Them All" will be nothing but fireworks ... telling TMZ Sports, "This is going to be a match to be remembered."

We spoke with Miz at LAX ahead of the most significant event in sports entertainment ... and he told us WWE fans are in for a history-making moment when Rollins and Paul clash in the ring.

Miz says Logan -- who he teamed up with for a tag team match against Rey and Dominik Mysterio at last year's WrestleMania -- will have a difficult time trying to beat fan favorite Rollins ... who he eliminated in this year's Royal Rumble match.

"Logan's got his hands tied up with Seth Rollins," Miz said. "Seth Rollins is one of the best technical wrestlers out there. The fans love him and will be behind him at WrestleMania."

"With 90,000 plus screaming for you, I don't think Logan is used to people booing him and telling him he's no good. I know the dedication and heart that Logan has. I've been in the ring with him."

The Miz's prediction that Seth and Logan's match might steal the show speaks volumes about the two competitors. After all, WM's two-night spectacle features superstars like the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and John Cena.

Speaking of Cena ... we asked Miz if there's currently anyone in the WWE who he sees making the transition from the squared circle to the movie screen like so many wrestlers, including John, did, and he answered in vintage Miz fashion.

"I'm still waiting for the role to break me," Miz joked. "The Marine 3,4,5, and 6 didn't do it. I'm waiting for Johnny Cage, but Mortal Combat hasn't called."

Pick up the phone, movie producers!!!

John Smoltz is all in on the MLB's new rule changes ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks they're going to have a huge, positive impact on the game.

"With the rule changes to get the game action-packed again," the Braves legend said, "I think it's going to be phenomenal."

The league introduced a slew of new regulations for 2023 ... putting a timer on pitchers and hitters, making bases bigger and banning teams from implementing defensive shifts in their infields.

They've only been in place for two days (outside of spring training) ... but Smoltz is already loving what he's seeing.

In fact, the 55-year-old ex-Atlanta closer says he wishes there was a pitch clock back in his day!!

"Everything about what's gone on, and what is going on, is going to be, at the end of the day, people are going to look back and go, 'What an exciting year,'" the Hall of Famer said.

Smoltz also sent a message to the baseball purists who have been upset with the changes -- explaining they're really no different than the implementation of shot clocks in the NBA and play clocks in the NFL.

Francis Ngannou is still a free agent -- arguably the biggest in the combat sports world -- and although he has a ton of options on the table, MMA legend Randy Couture tells us the former UFC heavyweight champ should press pause on boxing, and sign with PFL.

TMZ Sports talked to Couture, UFC Hall of Famer and current Professional Fighters League commentator, ahead of Saturday's PFL 1 in Las Vegas (more on that in a minute), when the conversation turned to 36-year-old Ngannou's fighting future.

"Honestly, I'm hopeful that we do get him signed [to PFL]," Randy said.

Couture says PFL, which has traditionally aired for free on cable, will soon start putting on pay-per-view shows, and Randy believes that could draw big stars.

"I think that's where you're going to see stars like Kayla Harrison show up, and hopefully maybe Francis and some of these other big-named guys that we have. It's going to be interesting to see where he shows up. Obviously, there are other promotions with opportunities, I know Bellator is still on the playing field. He could end up going back [to the UFC]. Everybody wants to see him fight Jon Jones. I'm one of those guys, too."

Of course, Francis last fought at UFC 270 in January 2022 when he defeated Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision after a competitive 5-round fight. Unfortunately, Ngannou and Dana White couldn't agree on a new contract, so Francis and the UFC went their separate ways.

"I'm glad that Francis is stepping up, standing up for himself, demanding some advocacy that we as fighters deserve. It wasn't about the money, they're gonna make him out to be some greedy kid that wasn't just enough money, and I just don't think that's accurate, that's not what's really going on. So, good for Francis, I hope he ends up where he wants to be."

Where he wants to be could also be a boxing ring. Ngannou, the hardest puncher in all MMA, has flirted with the idea of switching sports ... with Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury being rumored opponents.

Randy, who once fought heavyweight champion James Toney in MMA in 2010 (Couture won via first-round submission), says that might not be the best idea.

"There's some chatter in the professional boxing world that he might show up there. Some people are talking about potentially fighting him. I honestly feel like he has some work to do there to be operating at that level."

Randy continued ... "Those guys have been entrenched in professional boxing as long as he's been doing MMA and stuff. He's always gonna have a puncher's chance, he's got that power. But those guys are as technical of boxers as I've seen in the sport in a long time."

The Street Profits are the greatest tag team in WWE, according to half of the superstar duo, Montez Ford, who isn't going to lay on fake modesty to appear humble.

"This is not even being cocky or arrogant, man, but right now I feel like nobody's touching us, man. I feel like me and Dawks are the complete essence of what a tag team consists of," Montez told Babcock on Friday from the TMZ office.

Ford, along with Angelo Dawkins, stopped by to promote their Fatal 4-Way tag team matchup Saturday night on night one of WrestleMania 39 ... where they're taking on Alpha Academy, The Viking Raiders, and Ricochet and Braun Strowman.

"We got two hybrid athletes, a high flyer and powerhouse, both high flyers and powerhouses. Pretty much know everything he's doing before he even does it and vice versa. We've been doing this so long together it's kinda come like second nature," Montez explained.

The Street Profits -- the former Raw, SmackDown and NXT champs -- say they have a lot of respect for the tag teams they came up watching, but it's their time.

"Granted we idolized and looked up to The New Day, and The Uso's and everything, but there's a new sheriff in town, no pun intended," Ford said, flashing his Jordan 7 Retro "New Sheriff in Town" J's.

We also talked to The Street Profits about Logan Paul ... and the guys say they're thrilled to have him in WWE (not just because he's worked hard and is a cool dude), but he's also brought more fans to the screen.

"I like the fact that he tries to understand and get this and work hard. He loves this as much as we do," Montez said, adding ... "and he's bringing a whole new set of eyes to this."

There's much more ... we also talked to the guys about a possible future in Hollywood (WM is in L.A., after all), and what message they have for their competitors the day before the big match.

Montez also shared what it's like to watch his wife, WWE Superstar Bianca Belair, who is wrestling Asuka on Sunday, compete on the biggest stage.

WrestleMania 39 kicks off this weekend with the ultimate "Showcase of Immortals" and TMZ is ready to dive into all the action by seeing which pro wrestler you'd choose out of a HOT head-to-head lineup!

First up stepping into the ring ... you've got the highly-anticipated match between Logan Paul vs. Seth Rollins. Things may get hostile because Rollins is seeking revenge as Paul has knocked him out twice before!!!

And, who will win the battle between SmackDown Women's Champ Charlotte Flair -- who continues to follow in her father, Ric Flair's legendary footsteps -- going up against Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley?

You now have front-row access to all the sweaty action, because we've assembled a gallery of matches for you to pick your winning wrestlers. Be prepared to see a graphic face-off between this year's headliners, Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes ... and that's just the beginning!

Click on the pic to vote Who You's Rather, and keep on scrolling through the rest to see who else is going at it!

Angels star Anthony Rendon -- a former World Series champion -- was involved in a heated confrontation with an A's supporter following L.A.'s loss on Thursday ... one where he grabbed the fan and then attempted to take a swipe at the guy's face.

The altercation happened just seconds after the Halos lost at RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, 2-1 -- when Rendon believed a fan had called him "a bitch" near their dugout.

The L.A. third baseman was so upset over it, he locked his hand around the guy's tee, and pulled him down to the railing.

Video shows Rendon said to the man, while still grabbing his shirt, "You called me a bitch, huh?"

When the guy responded that he did not, the baseball player added, "Yeah, you did. Yeah, you did. Yeah, motherf*****."

Rendon then let go of the man, but made a clear attempt to hit the guy in the face after he released the shirt.

Fortunately, the man pulled away before Rendon could make contact.

The 32-year-old MLB star then said, "Get your bitch-ass out of here" -- before he headed into the locker room without further incident.

It's not known if the Angels are aware of the tiff -- the team told us on Friday morning it had no comment.

The Oakland Police Dept., meanwhile, said Friday it is not investigating the matter ... explaining in a statement, "No victim(s) reached out to the Oakland Police Department regarding this incident."

It's been a frustrating few seasons for Rendon since he left the Washington Nationals in 2019 and inked a seven-year, $245 million contract with L.A. ... as he's battled multiple injuries, which have limited him to just 158 games over the past four years.

Andrew Tate has been released from a Romanian jail ... after spending 3 months locked up for sex trafficking allegations, TMZ has confirmed.

The Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Andrew and his brother Tristan on their latest appeal of a recent 30-day extension for their time behind bars. The two have filed unsuccessful appeals on previous occasions.

A spokesperson for Andrew and Tristan tells TMZ ... "They will be placed under house arrest while the investigation continues," adding their team is ecstatic about the news. We're told both brothers are excited to be reunited with their families once again, and are thanking their supporters for standing by them.

Andrew and his bro posted a cryptic tweet on Wednesday, simply pointing to Friday ... although it's unclear if either were aware of their upcoming release.

As we reported, The 2 were arrested in December -- Andrew was accused of rape and running a human trafficking ring. The noise surrounding his arrest came directly after he got into a Twitter beef with environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

People were also poking fun at Andrew while locked up ... after saying he saw himself with "a full head of hair" in his reflection -- around the same time a shocking image of him with really thin hair started to make the rounds.

The girlfriend of Spencer Webb -- the former football star who tragically passed away in July -- gave birth to their son on Thursday ... sharing the news in an emotional post.

Kelly Kay published several Instagram photos of their son covered in an Oregon Ducks blanket on Friday ... featuring the caption, "Spider Webb 🕷️🕸️ 3/30/23."

The date of their son's birth is a week before Spencer's birthday -- April 7.

As we previously reported, Webb fell to his death during a cliff-diving accident at Triangle Lake in Oregon on July 13, 2022.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office said the 22-year-old tight end hit his head and despite the efforts of bystanders and first responders, they were unable to save him.

This was an emotional pregnancy for Kay ... who said Webb always wanted to be a father.

"I know you'll be the best one from up above," Kay said last August.

"Can't believe I have to do it without you but knowing I'll have a piece of you keeps me going. I can't wait to meet the person that's half you, half me. I love you forever, both of you."

Move over, Pete Davidson ... there's a new hunk on Martha Stewart's radar -- New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge!!

The 81-year-old businesswoman had an up close look at her new crush at the Bronx Bombers' Opening Day game at Yankee Stadium on Thursday ... and she wasn't shy about liking what she saw after Judge hit a dinger in his first trip to the plate.

"No 99 just paid off a fraction of his massive contract," Stewart said on Instagram alongside a pic she shot of the Yankees captain. "Home run on first time at bat opening day!!! Handsome dude!!"

Martha has been pretty open about her feelings toward celebs lately -- remember, she said on "The Drew Barrymore Show" she'd be down to go on a date with Davidson after things with Kim Kardashian fell apart.

Unfortunately for Martha, Aaron's already spoken for -- he's been married to Samantha Bracksieck since 2021 -- but, hey, she can always enjoy the view from her front-row seat!!

Bam Margera's wife Nikki Margera is looking at possibly filing for some legal protection against him ... this after his recent arrest for public intoxication, TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Nikki's considering filing for a restraining order against the former "Jackass" star, which she hopes would protect her and their 5-year-old son, Phoenix.

Meanwhile, Nikki tells us Wednesday's incident "was scary for me and even more scary for Phoenix," calling it a shame because "the visitation that Bam had with Phoenix the prior day in Hollywood went reasonably well."

She claims Bam arrived Wednesday intoxicated and belligerent -- adding "This is the umpteenth time that Bam takes one step forward and ten steps back."

Nikki's attorney, David Glass, tells TMZ ... they've been trying to work with Bam on setting up regular visitation. However, Glass says that's all contingent on Bam staying sober and treating Nikki with respect -- something he says just hasn't happened.

LeBron James -- a billionaire -- says Elon Musk can't get him to shell out $8 a month to keep his Twitter verification ... admitting he's simply too cheap to cough up the dough.

The new Twitter CEO recently announced major changes to his social media platform ... saying any "legacy" account that wants to keep its blue badge will have to pay starting April 1 -- with a few exceptions to major companies.

The move has been met with hesitancy for several reasons -- one, the date falls on April Fools Day, and Musk is known to be a troll ... so there's still speculation it could all be a stupid prank. Two, most people, LeBron included, don't think it's worth paying nearly $100 a year just to be verified.

"Welp guess my blue ✔ will be gone soon cause if you know me I ain't paying the 5," LeBron tweeted on Friday.

Of course, just because LeBron's filthy rich doesn't mean he's obligated to pay up ... but it's pretty interesting he doesn't care about maintaining his official status, considering he was targeted by trolls when Musk first decided to give blue checks to anyone who paid for Twitter Blue back in November.

The end result was an account pretending to be LeBron making a trade request from the Lakers ... which had NBA Twitter running wild for a split second.

Mark Wahlberg is diving head-first into his Houston Astros fandom ... going as far as to say he'd donate one of his thumbs to help superstar Jose Altuve get back from his injury!!

The 51-year-old actor is usually a Boston Red Sox fan, but has been supporting the 'Stros due to their ability to wreck the New York Yankees lately. Mark has been welcomed to the H-Town fanbase with open arms ... and even gave the ceremonial "Play Ball!!!" call at Thursday's Opening Day game against the Chicago White Sox.

Before his big moment, Mark raved about Altuve's teammate, Alex Bregman ... calling him a good friend and his "favorite Yankee killer of all time."

"I am an Astros fan," he added. "Listen, I live in Nevada now, I'm a fan of real talent. And, you know what, they have an amazing team, and he has amazing talent, but he's also an amazing person, so I'm a big fan of his, especially."

As for Altuve -- who is out indefinitely after breaking his thumb playing for Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic -- Wahlberg says he's willing to help out.

"I am also willing to donate either one of my thumbs to Jose Altuve, for sure," Wahlberg told reporters. “So we’re all good. I’m a big fan."

Mark wasn't the only celeb in town for the big game -- Megan Thee Stallion also came through to throw the first pitch!!

As for the game, the Astros lost to the White Sox, 3-2.

Defenders trying to tackle Tony Pollard next season better hope they like cartoons -- 'cause every time they grab the Dallas Cowboys star's right leg to bring him down now, they're gonna get a faceful of animated characters!!!

Pollard just got a slew of some of the greatest cartoon characters ever tattooed on his leg -- and the doodles are amazing, covering everything from his upper thigh to his ankle.

Andres Ortega and his Onder Ink team put the art on the Pro Bowl running back's leg this week ... flying out to Dallas for it all -- and you can see, it came out great.

There's nods to all kinds of TV show legends in the piece -- everyone from Tom and Jerry to Johnny Bravo to SpongeBob SquarePants to Scooby-Doo and the Rugrats are on it.

There's also images of Goku and Frieza from Dragon Ball Z ... and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are featured as well!!

Ortega tells us 25-year-old Pollard asked for the piece because he wanted to remember the good times he had while watching the shows as a kid.

In total, Ortega says it took about eight hours to finish the artwork.

Bam Margera went on a tear, screaming at his estranged wife in a Burbank restaurant as she ate with their child ... minutes before his public intoxication arrest.

The video shows a clearly agitated Bam going nuclear Wednesday on Nikki Boyd, and it appears he's upset because she's not allowing him to spend time with their 5-year-old son, Phoenix.

At one point, Bam tells Nikki, "Phoenix has his own mind." Bam says his son wants to see him and yells at his estranged wife, "Let him have his own mind," punctuating his claim by stomping on the ground.

Before storming out of the restaurant, Bam screams at Nikki, "Why are you making me wait f****** five days? F****** f***!!!"

Remember ... when Nikki filed for legal separation from Bam back in February, she asked for both legal and physical custody of their son ... because she says Bam was not sober during a previous visit with Phoenix.

Folks inside the restaurant tell us Bam came in by himself and approached the table where Nikki and Phoenix were sitting ... speaking with her for a little while before losing his cool.

TMZ broke the story ... cops in Burbank responded Wednesday to a call for a disturbance at a Thai food restaurant, and when they got there they found Bam arguing with his wife. Bam was arrested for public intoxication.

The former "Jackass" star recently vowed to be a more present father, even getting Phoenix's name tattooed on his face.

Stefon Diggs isn't just nice on the football field, he's also a problem on the hardwood -- 'cause the NFL star just flexed some insane skills during a recent hoops sesh ... including an impressive dunk!!

The Buffalo Bills receiver was shootin' buckets at the famous Summit NYC gym with famous NBA skills trainer Chris Brickley on Thursday ... and was captured on video doin' what he calls "lab work."

In a clip of the workout, the 3-time Pro Bowler goes off with a couple of nice step-backs, a reverse layup, and a turnaround fadeaway.

But, what was most impressive ... Diggs also displayed his range and hops by hitting a shot behind the arc and throwing down a massive dunk!

"@stefondiggs gotta be one of the best hoopers in the NFL!," Brickley said in the IG video caption.

Hundreds of fans agreed ... one commenting, "It’s cool seeing the type of hooper he is. Explains his route running style."

Another person said, "Thought it was Bradley Beal at first haha."

Of course, the former 5th-round pick was a baller in high school, along with football and track ... saying on "The Shop" earlier this month that if he were to give up playing in the NFL, he would be in the NBA -- because he's just that nice!

"I can really hoop, though," Diggs said. "Yeah [I hooped in high school], but if I really put this football s*** down and say like, let's dedicate my life to it, I could really do that."

"100% [I can go to the NBA]. I could average at least 10."

An L.A. Dodger fan pulled out all the stops to ask his partner to marry him on Thursday -- running onto the field during the middle of a game to pop the question -- but it might have cost him a few hours in jail ... and perhaps even a night in the hospital.

The wild scene unfolded at Dodger Stadium late in L.A.'s contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks -- when a Mookie Betts supporter hopped the centerfield wall and trotted to the outfield grass.

Video shot by a fan in the stands showed after the man made it to within feet of a D-Backs player, he stopped, got down on one knee, turned to the centerfield seats and pulled out a ring.

But, as he was asking his beau to be his forever lover -- a security guard was having none of it ... and blindsided the dude with a form tackle.

You can see in footage from the scene, the collision was so violent, even Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. couldn't help but wince.

Two other security guards raced in and piled on the fan ... before he was ushered off the field.

No word yet if he was arrested -- or if he suffered any injuries.

It's also unclear if he left the stadium officially an engaged man ... but after all that trouble, she better have said yes, right?!