TMZ Sports - Page 50

Logan Paul is soon to be a married man -- the dude proposed to his boo, Nina Agdal, while overseas ... and she said yes!

The social media and WWE star popped the big question while vacationing at Italy's Lake Como Sunday, sources close to the couple can confirm.

Logan just wrapped his latest WWE appearance the day before in London, high-flying and body-slamming into fellow competitors. He definitely took some lumps in the ring, but we're sure none of that matters with a wedding in his future!

DailyMail was the first to report the engagement.

For those unaware, the lovebirds have only been dating since last May, but went Instagram official months later -- and they sure have been enjoying each other's company during their 1+ year of dating.

The Danish model admitted earlier this year she first met Logan at an NYC event, inviting him up for drinks with some of her pals ... adding they clicked instantly.

It's only been a week since former NFL QB Ryan Mallett's tragic death ... a moment obviously still weighing heavy on his girlfriend, as she shared in a heartbreaking message.

Madison Carter took to Facebook Sunday night, writing, "I prayed for you for 27 years, and we finally found each other. I trust that God has a plan for everything, but I don’t think I will ever understand why this happened. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you, and I hope you know how hard I tried."

She goes on to talk about how loving Mallett was, always looking for the good in the world ... a trait many who knew him outside of football were quick to notice about Ryan.

Madison continues, "We were planning our future. We were just getting started. I’m sure some think we’re crazy for feeling the way we did about each other in such a short time. I thought we were crazy at first too. But you helped me understand that when two souls connect the way ours did, love has no set timeline."

It was June 27 when Mallett drowned in Florida, a spokesperson for the Okaloosa Co. Sheriff's Office called the incident a "tragic loss of life," but indicated there were no dangerous conditions at the beach to cause Mallett's death.

Some boat racing fans got quite the spectacle over the weekend when one vessel rose completely out of the water and did a flip while traveling at close to 200MPH.

Check out the insane video, taken Sunday at the Madison Regatta in Madison, Indiana. The boats, part of the H1 Unlimited hydroplane racing league, took off down the Ohio River.

All of a sudden, the 40 boat, driven by Dustin Echols for Bucket List Racing Unlimited catches air, doing a complete rotation before landing right-side-up. Luckily, Echols was not injured during the crash in what could have been a much more scary conclusion.

From there, Echols’ boat was obviously out of commission ... rescue boats came to his aid to help tug the boat back to shore.

The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest might not be the toughest competition on Joey Chestnut's radar ... 'cause the greatest eater alive tells TMZ Sports he is down to go head-to-head with the Gronkowski brothers in an epic showdown!!

We spoke with the the 15-time champion ahead of the annual Fourth of July tradition ... and he says he feels healthy and ready to go as he looks to break his own world record of 76 franks.

"The goal is to win, but if the dogs are good, the weather is right, I feel like that record of 76 could definitively go down," Joey tells us.

In fact, Jaws says he's even broken 80 glizzys during preparation for the big event ... but notes that went down in "perfect" conditions, and anything can happen when it all goes down in Coney Island.

The last time we spoke with Chestnut, he said he was interested in taking on a fellow G.O.A.T. -- Tom Brady -- in an eating competition ... and while he didn't hear from the 7-time Super Bowl champ, his former teammate's fam wants to put him to the test.

"The Gronkowski brothers, they reached out," Chestnut tells us. "That might even be better, eating against the Gronk brothers, the Gronk clan. Those guys are beasts and maybe we can make that happen."

When we pitched the idea of Joey going up against Rob, Dan, Gordie, Chris and Glenn all at once ... he seemed 100% in.

"Those are big boys. That would be fun. I think that is gonna happen."

The NFL's full of blazing-fast guys, but there's one who's a little bit quicker than the rest ... and no, it's not Tyreek Hill.

That distinction belongs to 28-year-old Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devon Allen ... who happens to be an elite-level hurdler. The 3x track national champ and NCAA football champ recently competed in a USATF event in NYC, where he clocked a 13.04, the fourth-fastest time in the world in 2023.

Days after the race (where Devon finished 2nd), TMZ Sports talked to the former Oregon track star and 2x Olympian ... and asked him if he was the fastest player in the league.

"I definitely am [the fastest]," Allen said matter of factly.

Of course, Hill (60m) and DK Metcalf (100m), two bonafide stars considered among the fastest in the league, also recently tried their hand on the track ... something Devon says he respects.

"I'm not gonna roast those guys because what they did was impressive. I raced Tyreek Hill when I was in high school. We raced and he smoked me when we were in high school and DK Metcalf ran a 10.3 a couple years ago is super impressive for a guy that's 6'4", 6'3", 225, but I think especially at the top level, top 5, top 10 in the world, there's a big gap in terms of just performance."

We also talked to Devon, who once ran a 12.84 in the 110m hurdles (the world record is 12.80), about his return to football ... after a 6-year layoff following college, when he focused solely on track.

"The first whirlwind for me was training camp, getting thrown into the fire, and realizing this isn't college anymore. I played at the University of Oregon, which is high-level ball, but the NFL takes it the another level," Allen told us.

Jaron "Boots" Ennis will be watching the Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence super fight with a VERY close eye this month ... because he tells TMZ Sports he feels he should be the one who gets to take on the winner.

"I believe I'm the best option," the 30-0 Philly fighter said. "I feel like everybody wants to see me versus Spence or me versus Bud. I don't think they want to see nobody else fight them."

Of course, there's a long line of boxers who feel the same way ... but Ennis told us he "definitely" deserves the shot first.

The mega fight is slated to go down on July 29 in Las Vegas ... but even if Boots is in the running to get a taste of either boxer -- Spence and Crawford reportedly have agreed to a rematch clause that could mean they'll be fighting one more time in 2023 before they open things up to challengers.

But, Ennis sure seems willing to wait regardless ... telling us an eventual fight with the victor is his goal.

Charles Barkley is doing his part in end-running the United States Supreme Court's decision outlawing affirmative action in college admissions ... he's amending his will to provide scholarships for Black students.

Barkley says he'll leave $5 million to his alma mater, Auburn, adding, “That’s just my way of trying to make sure Auburn stays diverse. After that ruling yesterday, my phone was blowing up. I was talking to my friends and said, ‘I need to make sure Black folks always have a place at Auburn.’”

Black students comprise just over 5% of Auburn's student body.

As you know, SCOTUS gutted affirmative action Thursday, ruling that using race as a factor in deciding who gets into a school violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. The way the ruling is written ... it could have far-reaching implications, including in the area of employment.

Victor Wembanyama has talent that would dominate in any era ... so says Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who tells TMZ Sports the French superstar would be able to hold his own against the iconic "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons!!

The San Antonio Spurs' top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft is widely considered the best prospect since LeBron James ... with a skill set that's never been seen from a guy officially listed at 7 feet, three and a half inches tall.

While the 19-year-old can defend, shoot, dribble and pass like a seasoned vet ... Wemby's not the most muscular dude in the world, and some critics are worried about how he'll hold up against the bigger-framed guys in the Association.

All that concern can be put to rest, 'cause when we spoke with Zeke out in NYC this week, we asked how he thought Wemby would fare against the grittiest lineup of all-time -- the 2-time champion Bad Boy Pistons -- and he said, "He would actually be able to stand up [to us]."

It's pretty shocking, considering players like Zeke, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and Rick Mahorn made life a living hell for the biggest stars of the late 1980s and early '90s -- just ask Michael Jordan.

Safe to say Isiah thinks the giant hooper has a bright future in the league ... adding, "He's gonna be fine, very excited to have him in the NBA. He's going to be great."

There's more -- Thomas has also been in the headlines recently ... after Chris Paul claimed he played a role in the trade that sent him from the Phoenix Suns to the Washington Wizards.

AEW star Anthony Bowens says the outpouring of support he's received following his viral "I'm gay" moment at Rampage last week has been incredible ... telling TMZ Sports he hopes it serves as inspiration for those who fear being themselves.

Bowens -- who came out in 2017 -- had fans going wild after making a joke about his sexuality in the ring in a response to Harley Cameron ... after she claimed she could tell the Acclaimed tag-team member was into her.

"Very, very serious question," Bowens responded to the Australian commentator. "Did you get kicked too many times in the head by a kangaroo when you were a kid?? Because I don't know if you can see my gear, lady ... I'm gay!!"

The whole crowd erupted in encouragement ... chanting "He's gay!!"

We spoke with Bowens about how special it was to be his true self inside the ring and get that sort of response from the fans ... and he said the whole experience was surreal.

"I wish I could go back and tell 17, 18, 19-year-old Anthony Bowens that everything would be okay, because I spent a lot of time, a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety of what my career would be if I ever came out," Bowens tells us.

"And to fast forward and to have that moment and to have that reaction I did -- I've been getting messages every single day from people all over the world, from other athletes thanking me just for simply saying it."

"People, a lot of times, either just insinuate it or maybe make it a joke -- I was like, screw it!! You just gotta say it sometimes."

Even though the exchange was silly, it is a major step in the right direction for the LGBTQ+ community ... and Bowens understands the gravity of the situation.

"I think it struck a chord with a lot of people and I couldn't be any more thrilled."

There will be two versions of Oneil Cruz out on the diamond when the Pirates star makes his return later this season ... TMZ Sports has learned he just got a few new tattoos put on his body -- including one of himself!!

We're told the Pittsburgh shortstop -- who's been out since April while dealing with a broken leg -- wanted to commemorate his meteoric first few seasons in the Big Leagues with some tats ... so he hit up Jaime Ortiz to get the art put down.

The 24-year-old baseball player -- regarded as one of the brightest young stars in the sport -- sought to get a photo of himself, a lion, and an MLB ball ... and Ortiz certainly delivered.

Check out the images -- the super realistic lion and the tat of Ortiz sit side by side on Cruz's (ultra valuable!) right shoulder. The photo of the baseball, meanwhile, was placed on one of his forearms.

Ortiz, a Zen Ink Tattoos artist, tells us ... Cruz wanted the lion because it symbolizes leadership and being a protector -- while maintaining humility at the same time. The image of Cruz in a Pirates jersey, Ortiz said, represents a reminder of his roots and his prime.

As for the baseball, Ortiz tells us that was "all about his passion to the game!"

"It describes it all by itself," he added.

Cruz sat for 14 hours over two days to get it all done ... and he was clearly thrilled with the end result, posting it to his social media page earlier this week.

Damian Lillard is throwing in the towel in Portland -- the guy just requested a trade from his longtime team, the Trailblazers, and word is ... he wants to go southeast.

News broke Saturday that the PG asked Portland brass for a one-way ticket out of the franchise, and per NBA insider Shams Charania -- he's angling for a deal to be made with the Miami Heat specifically. Woj is reporting the Blazers will try to accommodate him.

Now, while Dame has apparently made his desired landing spot clear ... what remains to be seen is if he actually ends up going there. Woj is also reporting that other interested parties include the Clippers and 76ers ... that the Blazers will get as much as they can for DL.

In other words, if the Heat turn out to be a team that can't give them the most bang for their buck (draft picks/young players) ... they'll go elsewhere, and Dame could end up back in the west again, despite a reported interest in moving to the East Coast. Business 101.

Now, while a lot of Blazers fans are lamenting losing the bona fide face of the franchise -- who's been incredibly loyal to Portland for years now -- this is actually a move many anticipated in the wake of the team drafting Scoot Henderson recently ... an up-and-coming point guard who has a lot of potential and who the Blazers clearly want to replace Dame.

Many took that pick as a not-so-subtle message to Dame ... namely, it's time for you to go big dawg. For a minute, there was an unspoken game of chicken going on as to who'd blink first. As it turns out, Dame pulled the trigger and got the message -- time to move on.

Another element at play here that's made it difficult for the Blazers to sign other good players over the years is the fact that he signed a cash-rich supermax deal with the team a few years ago ... and while he's said he was dedicated to bringing them a championship, the reality is -- that was likely never going to happen with their salary cap issues.

Italians would riot in the streets if Rome's Colosseum staged a UFC fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg ... that's the prediction from a famed archaeologist over in Italy.

Darius Arya, a historian whose been on tons of TV programs about Ancient Rome, joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday from Italy's capital and we asked him about the Italian government contacting Zuckerberg about hosting his fight with Elon.

For Darius, the prospect of the billionaires doing battle at the same site as the ancient gladiators of old sounds super enticing ... telling us the Colosseum would come out on top of a list of potential venues, mainly because of its international fame as the ultimate arena of the ancient world.

Darius says there are inherent issues with staging a fight of this magnitude at the Colosseum, because it's a heritage site and tourist attraction ... and while he's confident it would never come to fruition, he's glad folks are talking about the venue and getting excited about history.

Logistics aside, Darius firmly believes Italians would take to the streets in protest if the nearly 2,000-year-old venue gets the green light to host the fight ... so that's another hurdle for Dana White.

There's been concerts and other events on the Colosseum grounds over the years, mostly outside the arena walls ... and we've been told Elon and Mark would love to fight there ... but it sounds like Las Vegas might be a more likely fight destination.

As we reported, the Ministry of Culture reached out to Mark Zuckerberg about the prospect of staging a Musk vs. Zuck fight at the Colosseum, and Zuck passed it on to UFC's Dana White, whose people were in touch with the Ministry. A Zoom call was set for next week.

Treylon Burks is catchin' on to the whole good husband thing quickly ... the Tennessee Titans star happily played photographer for his wife on Thursday -- just five days after the two tied the knot!!

The couple has been out in St. Lucia this week following their wedding on Saturday ... and it appears Burks is stepping into his husband role nicely -- jumping in when his new wifey was in need of some oceanside pics.

Check out video we obtained of the two as they were soaking in honeymoon rays -- Burks grabbed Shelby's phone when she wanted some photos ... and he then proceeded to make sure to get all of the angles for her as she got her poses in.

Shelby seemed pleased with the job Treylon did -- she took one glance at the set of pics ... before she and Treylon jetted off to their next adventure on the island.

Impromptu photo shoots aside ... the duo appears to be loving their post-nuptial life -- chasing waterfalls and getting some toe dips in the Atlantic Ocean as well.

As for the upcoming football season, Burks is clearly keepin' himself in shape while on vacay ... all of his muscles were on display in a pair of tiny board shorts Thursday.

Say "hello" to Nakobe Dean's BIG friend -- the Philadelphia Eagles star just got a brand-new tattoo ... complete with tributes to Scarface and his home state of Mississippi!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker wanted to go all-out for his first ink piece, so he commissioned artist Daniel Czar of "Czar Studios -- The Lounge" in New Jersey for the job.

Czar tells us the half-back tat was done over a 2-day period ... which added up to about 8 hours of work.

The piece includes objects that symbolize Nakobe's upbringing in Mississippi ... such as a magnolia and a road sign that reads "Tunica County."

The part that stands out the most has to be the blimp that's etched along Nakobe's right shoulder, which reads "The World Is Yours."

Of course, anyone who's seen the classic Al Pacino classic will be quick to recognize what that's from.

Even though it was Nakobe's first tat, Czar praised the guy for taking it like a champ ... saying, "He seemed pretty confident going into it. And he actually sat super well for it."

"A lot of people come in and get their first tattoo and they're super nervous and antsy. He was ready to go, so I was super proud of him."

In fact, Czar -- who's done work for names like Johnny Manziel, Corey Clement and Jalen Mills -- tells us Nakobe's ready for his next tat ... and he's looking to fill out the rest of his back with art down the road.

As it turns out, Nakobe's Eagles teammate, Kenneth Greenwell, is the one who recommended he go to Czar ... and the artist plans to work with a lot more Philly players moving forward.

Can you imagine not one, but TWO competitive eaters staying under the same roof after downing dozens of hot dogs in a matter of minutes??

That's power couple Miki Sudo and Nick Wehry's reality when every Fourth of July rolls around ... and they're telling TMZ Sports exactly how they avoid bathroom catastrophe following the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest!!

Of course, the annual tradition is a lot of fun for the fans ... but what they DON'T see is how the world's best eaters deal with the aftermath. Naturally, we had to ask The Hungry Couple how it all plays out.

"We force a lot of water, we stay away from each other," Nick (who has the third-best odds to win the mustard belt on Tuesday) tells us.

"I don't know what's more unpleasant -- our moods toward each other or the G.I. distress, but we do a good job of kind of avoiding both."

Miki -- the 8-time hot dog champ -- added ... "I don't blame anybody for not wanting to be around me after I eat four dozen hot dogs and equally, I don't really feel like being around him after he competes in events."

As for the actual contest, Miki -- the #1-ranked female eater on the planet -- says she's hoping to break her world record of 48.5 glizzys on Independence Day ... and revealed she has a new strategy she's been working on in hopes of making that happen.

Miki tells us she has no plans of slowing down anytime soon ... and sees herself competing for another 10 years.

Joseph Baena's upcoming action film includes a nod to his famous dad ... Arnold Schwarzenegger's most famous one-liner.

TMZ obtained this clip from Joseph's new action flick, "Called to Duty," where he puts his spin on Arnold's famous line from "The Terminator."

Joseph's character, a Navy pilot, is flying a fighter jet into battle and he tells his fellow pilots ... "In 1984, there was an actor who gave one of the greatest lines of all-time ... I'll be back!!!"

After delivering the warning, Joseph's jet peels off from the group.

It's pretty cool to hear Joseph channel his inner Arnold ... the movie, which came out Saturday, is Joseph's first foray into action flicks ... and it seems he's truly following in his father's footsteps.

As we've shown you ... Joseph looks super jacked, just like his pops ... even shooting a scene in a gym.

The plot for "Called to Duty" sounds a lot like "Top Gun" ... it's about Navy air show pilots who are called into battle ... a story loosely based on real events between North Korea and the United States.