TMZ Sports - Page 50

Horrifying moment in the Orioles vs. Rangers game Monday night ... Texas outfielder Josh Smith was drilled in the face by an 89-MPH pitch -- and the damage was so bad, he had to be taken to the hospital to get checked out.

The scary scene unfolded in the third inning of the MLB contest at Globe Life Field in Texas ... when a sinker got away from O's pitcher Danny Coulombe -- and made a beeline right for Smith's face.

Video shows the 25-year-old utility man couldn't get out of the way fast enough ... and was tagged right near the mouth by the baseball.

He immediately crumpled to the ground in pain ... as trainers raced out to tend to him.

Thankfully, he was able to walk off the field under his own power ... and he was ultimately transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

According to Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, tests fortunately came back "clean."

"So, we got good news there," Bochy told reporters after the game. "He's feeling better as I'm speaking right now. And, tomorrow we'll just reevaluate him and see where we're at."

This is the second time in the last few weeks a batter has been hit in the face by a pitch -- last month, Red Sox star Justin Turner required 16 stitches to close wounds he suffered in a terrifying at-bat. He's since returned to Boston's lineup.

Magic Johnson is finally opening up on his plans to buy the Washington Commanders ... saying he's hoping his group is the big winner, 'cause it's the last missing piece to his professional team portfolio.

The NBA legend -- grouped with 76ers owner Josh Harris and billionaire Mitchell Rales -- officially submitted a $6 billion bid to buy the franchise from Dan Snyder last week ... and during an appearance on Tuesday's episode of "Today," he explained how he felt about the impending result.

"Yes, our bid is in," Magic said. "We hope that we win. We don't know what's going to happen."

"We'll see what happens with Mr. Snyder making that decision, but we're excited about it."

Johnson points out having an NFL team would be "the last thing" when it comes to ownership ... as he already has stakes in the L.A. Dodgers, LAFC and L.A. Sparks.

It's not a sure thing, though ... as Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos has also submitted a $6 billion bid.

But it's safe to say Magic really wants that team ... and if he does get it, there might be some uniform changes coming, based on how he reacted to a question about the team's current threads.

Bam Margera is sending a clear message to his former "Jackass" costar Johnny Knoxville ... vowing to knock him out in a boxing ring, and he says it's all for revenge.

Bam posted the disturbing invite late Monday night, calling out Johnny and the show's co-creator Jeff Tremaine for, in his words, hooking him on "18 different medications" that he claims messed him up permanently ... and now he wants to get back at him with a little bare-knuckle boxing match.

He goes on to taunt Johnny, double-dog daring him to agree to the fight without gloves. He also calls out Jeff for being "too much of a p**** to get in the ring with me."

FYI -- the "death waiver" Bam's referring to is the wellness agreement he claimed he was pressured into signing back in 2019 in order to participate in "Jackass Forever," which fans of the movie remember he didn't appear in.

He filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Johnny, Jeff, and a slew of others -- claiming the agreement he was forced to sign was impossible to comply with ... but they reached a settlement last year.

TMZ broke the story, Bam was arrested in Burbank last week for public intoxication, and video obtained shows him screaming at his estranged wife, Nikki Margera -- upset about how much time he gets to spend with their son, Phoenix.

Bad Bunny may want to think twice next time about attending a WWE event the night after WrestleMania weekend ... 'cause the Latin music superstar got choke slammed through a table, and it appeared to hurt like hell.

Bunny was at Crypto.com Arena Monday night just 48 hours after he helped Rey Mysterio defeat his son, Dominik, at WrestleMania 39. But, Dominik, with his partner Damian Priest, had revenge on their mind.

Dominik approached Bunny, who had front-row seats, and tried to push him -- but Bunny dropped Dominik to the ground with a right hand, not once, but twice during the segment.

Priest -- a third of the Judgement Day stable -- grabbed Bunny from where he was standing, threw him over the barricade, then delivered a chokeslam to the three-time Grammy Award-winning artist through the announcer's table.

Bunny appeared shaken up after the spot, grabbing his neck as he writhed in pain on the ground, but eventually, he returned to his feet and walked backstage with help from WWE referees.

Of course, Bad Bunny's fans were happy to see he wasn't hurt since the 29-year-old is headlining Coachella in a few weeks.

Bunny is also hosting WWE Backlash in Puerto Rico in May -- and given the feud he and Dominik are currently engulfed in, the event should make for must-see TV.

Ex-NFL superstar Donovan McNabb made one super fan's dream come true AGAIN over the weekend ... when the Eagles legend surprised a Make-A-Wish alum with a truly special reunion 17 years after their first meeting -- and the video is incredible.

The interaction was part of the annual Celebration Exotic Car Festival in Orlando ... which benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

29-year-old Charlie Pena was born with sickle cell anemia ... and when he was 12, he was granted the opportunity to coach the Philadelphia Eagles' mini camp for a day.

Fast forward to this past weekend ... when Pena was doing an interview about what the experience meant to him while at the car festival -- and out of nowhere, Donovan McNabb came through to say hello!!!

The whole thing was planned behind the scenes, but Pena had no idea it was going to happen ... saying, "No way, bro!!"

The two immediately shared a hug ... and both couldn't contain their excitement to meet up again.

"I'm so proud of you, man," Donovan said.

"I would've never thought that he would've been here right now, that I would ever see him again," Charlie -- who is now healthy with three daughters -- added.

The two also met up for the evening gala, where Donovan shared how important it is to be a role model and example for young fans everywhere -- and they shared a touching moment on stage.

Chaos erupted at UConn's campus following the Huskies' national championship win on Monday night -- with the team's fans smashing windows, tearing down light poles ... and even lighting fires in the streets.

The hectic celebration in Storrs, Conn. happened just moments after the UConn men's basketball team completed its dominant NCAA tournament run by beating San Diego State in the final, 76-59.

Videos from the scene show fans were ruthless with property on and near UConn's campus ... with supporters at one point grabbing a huge pole and ramming it into a glass door over and over again until it completely broke free.

Other footage shows people lit fires that authorities had to deal with. Fans were also seen climbing light poles ... before ripping them down.

There was even an overturned car in a parking lot.

No word yet if any arrests were made -- a UConn spokesperson tells us they're still gathering information.

As for how the team celebrated the W in Houston, Texas ... it was far less disorderly. The guys soaked in the confetti -- before they cut down the nets.

There will ultimately be a party when the guys get back to campus -- but here's to hoping it features a whole lot less destruction.

Despite losing to Alex Pereira last year, Israel Adesanya is a slight favorite against his bitter rival heading into their rematch at UFC 287 ... and Izzy admits it surprises him, and shows the oddsmakers in Las Vegas actually do know a little something about fighting.

"I am surprised [that I'm the favorite] to be honest, cause I thought these bookies were not as smart as they are," 33-year-old Adesanya told Mike Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

"I'm surprised they actually picked me as the favorite cause I am the more polished fighter, but he's the guy who got the tools, he's got that nuke. Only a few fighters in history have that," Izzy continued, explaining why he assumed oddsmakers would've given Pereira the advantage.

"[Coach] Eugene said in an interview, you're lucky to face a Mike Tyson, you're lucky to face a guy like David Tua, you're lucky to face a guy like Deontay Wilder even just once in your career. You're lucky to face a guy like Alex Pereira even once in your career. So, lucky me."

BetOnline.ag has Adesanya as a -137 favorite (risk $137 to win $100). Pereira, who won by 5th round TKO -- a fight he was losing on the scorecards -- is listed at +117 (bet $100 to win $117).

FYI, bookmakers aren't necessarily picking who they believe will win a fight when they set odds. It's about trying to get as close to even money wagered on both sides -- allowing the sportsbook to collect the vig (essentially a fee charged by the sportsbook). However, bettors generally pick the man or woman they believe will win a fight. So, Adesanya's the favorite.

Sticking with the first UFC fight, we talked to Izzy about the end of round 1, where he landed a 3-piece combo, buckling Alex's legs.

"One more shot, one more shot is all it took. I did the same thing when I fought my guy Rob [Whittaker] at UFC 243, the last second I dropped him. I'm dangerous every second of every fight."

There's much more ... we talked to Izzy about parallels he sees between him and Muhammad Ali and whether he's added size to combat Pereira, a huge middleweight. Also, with Endeavor buying WWE, to go along with UFC, which Ari Emmanuel's company already owns, we asked Adesanya if he'd consider wrestling.

"That's later on down the track. Later on down the track."

New police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows Stetson Bennett was seriously pissed at cops during his arrest back in January ... at one point accusing the officers of ruining his reputation.

Dallas Police Dept. cops initially responded to the scene in Dallas, Texas on Jan. 29 at around 6:15 a.m. ... after a 911 caller said the ex-Univ. of Georgia star quarterback had been knocking on her door, yelling, and appearing to be "very" intoxicated.

During the 911 call, the woman told dispatch that Bennett had screamed outside of her home, "I'm going to ruin your night if you don't open the g**damn door."

Body cam footage shows when police arrived, Bennett was not very cooperative. When asked to step away from one of the home's doors and show his hands, it took him several moments to comply -- and later, during questioning, Bennett didn't seem to want to answer many of the cops' inquires.

Bennett ultimately did reveal he was in the area training -- and claimed he was looking to link up with one of his former UGA teammates, Owen Condon. But he wouldn't tell cops what he had been doing prior to getting into the neighborhood, and appeared to have very little idea of where he was.

In fact, according to cops, he had someone else's ID on him.

While speaking with Bennett, one officer noted the 25-year-old reeked of booze.

Eventually, Bennett was placed in the back of a squad car, where he became extremely agitated with cops. He complained about the tightness of his cuffs -- before he unloaded on officers for stopping him.

"The door shut and somebody fell asleep," Bennett said. "And now five million people gotta see it, don't they? Thank you, boys, for looking out for me. You guys are the best."

He added, "Reputation ruined. Everything I worked for for 20 years, ruined. But ya'll boys just looking out for me, aren't ya? Thank you, sir."

Bennett was later taken to the local police station and booked for public intoxication.

Speaking about the arrest for the first time last month, he said it was all "a mistake."

"I understand why that can’t happen," he said. "I've talked to coaches about it, talked to GMs. I've apologized to my family. That’s who I felt worse about; I felt like I let them down, because no matter where I go now [people are going to know about it]. Even without all this, I've got an obligation. I'm the fourth [Stetson Bennett]. You can't do that if you're last name is Bennett. I know better."

Despite the arrest, Bennett is still expected to be picked in the NFL draft later this month.

The WWE and the UFC are merging into one ... now forming a $21 billion company.

Endeavor, the parent co. of UFC, announced the move on Monday morning ... revealing its shareholders will own 51 percent of the new org. WWE shareholders, meanwhile, will own 49 percent.

Vince McMahon will hold the title of Executive Chairman of the Board with the new group -- while Dana White will continue as the President of UFC. Ari Emanuel, the CEO of Endeavor, will be the head honcho of it all.

McMahon said in a statement Monday he was thrilled over the news.

"Together, we will be a $21+ billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity," McMahon said.

"The new company will be well positioned to maximize the value of our combined media rights, enhance sponsorship monetization, develop new forms of content and pursue other strategic mergers and acquisitions to further bolster our strong stable of brands."

White also said Monday he was overjoyed with the merger ... adding, "Vince is a savage in the wrestling space, Ari is a beast at what he does, and then add what we at UFC bring to the table and there is no limit to what this company can accomplish in the next few years."

The move comes following a rocky year for McMahon, who retired as WWE CEO last July -- only to come back in January. At the time of his return, he revealed he would explore all opportunities for a sale of the company.

The newly formed org. does not yet have a name.

Los Angeles Angels star Anthony Rendon was just punished for his heated altercation with a fan last week ... getting slapped with a 5-game ban and a fine.

Major League Baseball senior VP for on-field operations Michael Hill shared the decision minutes ago ... saying unless Rendon appeals, the suspension will begin immediately, which means he would be eligible to return to the Angels on Sunday against the Blue Jays.

As we previously reported, Rendon grabbed an Athletics fan and attempted to hit him after the Halos' 2-1 loss in Oakland ... seemingly over being called a "bitch."

The interaction caught Oakland PD's attention ... and an investigation was launched.

"Although we are still unaware who the victim is, surveillance video of the incident has surfaced," cops said in a statement. "As a result, OPD created an incident, made a report, and is actively investigating."

Wrestling legend Bushwhacker Butch has passed away after a brief illness, his longtime tag team partner Luke announced on Monday. He was 78 years old.

Butch -- real name Bob Miller -- was hospitalized in the ICU on Friday after arriving in Los Angeles for WrestleMania ... which was a result of a "situation with medication," Luke said in an interview over the weekend.

"He flew in from New Zealand on Wednesday, was all good. Friday morning, he was incognito."

Butch started wrestling in New Zealand in 1964 ... and made his way to the States shortly after. Alongside Luke, the Bushwhackers blew up once they signed with the World Wrestling Federation in the late '80s.

Butch was an absolute legend for decades ... and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015 as a member of the Bushwhackers.

Luke released an emotional tribute to Butch just minutes ago ... saying, "Late last night, I lost my friend, brother and tag team partner of over 50 years with the passing of Bob 'Butch' Miller."

"From the early-1970s when we were young mates wrestling for John da Silva in New Zealand, my first impression of Bob 'The Chest' Miller (as he was called in those days) was that he was a first-class redneck, and what bloody redneck he was! But he was also an all-around good guy and a great friend."

"If you were to read the story of my life it would say that I am only child, but it would be wrong," Luke added. "In life I had a brother and his name was Bob Miller. I love you, Bob. Until I see you again, WOOOOAHH YEEEEAAHH!"

A GoFundMe page was set up to help with Butch's medical expenses ... and the funds will now be used to pay for a funeral service.

Miller is survived by his wife, Helen, daughters, Sharon and Kirsten, and his grandchildren.

Carson Briere is no longer a member of the Mercyhurst Univ. men's ice hockey team -- the program just gave him the boot ... less than a month after he was seen on video shoving a woman's wheelchair down a flight of stairs at a local bar.

The school announced the move in a statement on Monday afternoon ... saying the 23-year-old had been "removed" from the team. It's the second time in his college career that he's been kicked off an ice hockey roster -- he was previously dismissed from Arizona State's team in 2021 after the program said he violated rules.

Briere had initially been suspended from the Mercyhurst squad days after the March 11 incident at Sullivan's Pub and Eatery in Erie, Penn. ... with the school saying at the time it was investigating the matter.

It's unclear if any new findings in the probe led to the decision Monday -- the school declined to comment further on it all in its statement.

Briere is still facing criminal charges in the case -- he was hit with one count of criminal mischief, one count of disorderly conduct, and one count of conspiracy to commit criminal mischief ... after a police report claimed he seriously damaged the chair that had been purchased for $2,000 in 2022.

Briere is due in court for a hearing in the case next month.

LSU guard Flau'Jae Johnson went from scoring buckets to dropping bars after the Tigers' national championship win on Sunday ... leading the team's celebration by performing her very own rap song!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the freshman baller took over the mic at the Westin Hotel conference room in Dallas after the Tigers whooped the Iowa Hawkeyes, 102-85 -- and it was a party for the ages.

You can see Johnson -- who scored 10 points in the championship game -- on stage with her teammates, reciting the lyrics to her "BIG 4" track that dropped just a few months ago.

"Are you gonna rap or be an athlete? If I’m still doing both why you asking me?" Johnson fittingly says in the song.

The 19-year-old also mentions her PUMA deal ... saying, "Do it, I run it up, feel like the renegade. I got a PUMA deal, I don't get into Js."

Johnson takes her rap career just as seriously as basketball ... in fact, the 4-star recruit out of Georgia announced her commitment to LSU with a song titled "All Falls Down," which features Lil' Boosie.

On top of that, she's also signed to Roc Nation!!

Her father, Jason Johnson -- AKA “Camoflauge” -- was also a rapper out of Georgia. He was killed before she was born.

When it comes to hoops, Johnson is a problem ... this season, she averaged 10 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game and was named the SEC Freshman of the Year.

Lamar Odom is sharing how he turned his pain into purpose by investing in drug treatment centers ... saying he couldn't be happier to help others and save lives around the world.

The former NBA star joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" to explain why he acquired 3 rehab centers in California, and it's pretty inspiring -- he says his goal is to help others battling addiction turn their lives around, as he did years ago.

Lamar tells us he now feels certain he found his purpose after God saved him from his nearly fatal overdose ... adding the fulfillment he's gotten as a basketball star doesn't compare to the feeling he gets from helping others.

He says it feels amazing to see and hear how he can touch and save lives ... simply by sharing his story.

You'll recall, LO overdosed at a Nevada brothel in 2015 and suffered kidney failure, heart attacks, and several strokes.

Since then, he's done a complete 180... after he himself went through rehab.

And, he has high hopes for others to do the same. As we told you, he teamed up with Christian hip hop artist Dontae Ralston and former Hall of Fame skateboarder Dennis Martinez to acquire the facilities in San Diego, El Cajon and Lemon Grove.

The 2-time NBA champ tells us the 3 centers are only the beginning and his plan is to expand all over.

We also asked him about former "Jackass" star Bam Margera, whose struggle with sobriety has him in a ton of drama with his estranged wife and son. Lamar has a word of advice for Bam and others in the grips of addiction.

Bad news for the dude who stormed the field at Dodger Stadium to propose to his girlfriend last week ... TMZ Sports has learned he's been hit with a 1-year ban for the stunt.

Ricardo Juarez revealed the punishment to us on Monday -- saying he can't go back to Chavez Ravine for 12 more months due to his impromptu proposal -- but, as you can imagine, he wasn't all that upset over it.

After all, he avoided time in jail ... and his girlfriend, Ramona Saavedra, did say yes to his question.

"Yeah, one year," Saavedra said of her future hubby's suspension. "But, I mean, he'll live, right?!"

Things did look a bit dire for Juarez hours after the dust had settled on the situation, though -- because the morning after he took that massive shot from the security guard, he was in a great deal of pain.

Saavedra said she actually had to take him to the hospital -- but, thankfully, he was diagnosed with nothing more than just some bad bruising and is OK now.

Juarez also revealed to us the whole thing was not planned at all -- saying he had initially envisioned poppin' the question in the stands ... but changed his mind when he saw how close they were to the field.

"He always tries to do everything with a lot of love," Saavedra said. "He shows a lot of effort."

The couple -- who've been together for 3 years -- is now planning to say "I do" in August ... and, due to all the exposure the proposal got last week, Saavedra said they've been receiving a ton of offers to help make their dream wedding come true.

She also gave us an up-close view of her diamond ring -- and it's beautiful!

Congrats, love birds ... now see ya at Dodger Stadium in April 2024?!

Here's one for the "wrestling is fake" crowd -- WWE Superstar Finn Balor just showed off the aftermath of getting rocked with a ladder during his Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania ... revealing a massive gash on his head.

Balor suffered the injury in his showdown with Edge on Sunday ... which required WWE medical staffers to pause the match to get him checked out.

Balor and Edge were pretty much torturing each other in the squared-circle, but things took a turn when Edge yeeted a ladder at Balor.

To make matters worse for "The Demon," the match finally resumed ... just for Edge to end up taking the win over Balor.

"Just a flesh wound," Balor joked on social media as he put the cut on full display ... with many wondering in the comment section how he was able to fight through the pain.

It wasn't the only injury to happen during the event -- Shane McMahon tore his quad shortly after entering the ring against The Miz, which led to Snoop Dogg finishing the job.

Here's hoping everyone heals up in time for WM40 in Philly next year!!