TMZ Sports - Page 17

Saquon Barkley might've just saved a teenager's relationship with his ex-girlfriend ... all by putting his John Hancock on a poster.

For real.

Here's the deal ... Kareem Reyad went out to New York Giants practice Thursday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in New Jersey to urge the 26-year-old running back to help him get his girl back after the two had split late last year.

Wearing a No. 26 Barkley jersey, Reyad wrote on a sign, "Saquon my ex will take me back if you sign this" ... and he flashed it throughout the NYG workout.

Turns out, Saquon noticed it ... and following the practice -- he actually helped Reyad out!!

Barkley autographed it ... and then posed for a photo with the guy -- and get this, Reyad told TMZ Sports afterward he thinks it all might work out now!!

The Rutgers University student says ... he and his GF initially broke up in September due to college -- but she's always been a huge Saquon fan, and he has a feeling the two-time Pro Bowler's autograph might be enough to bring them back together.

The 19-year-old said he's going to drop the sign off at her house soon ... with the hopes that it all works out.

"I have nothing but love for this girl," he said.

LeBron James is breaking his silence on Bronny's medical scare ... assuring fans his family is "safe and healthy," and sharing his appreciation for all the support over the past few days.

"I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers," the Lakers superstar tweeted on Thursday morning. "We feel you and I'm so grateful. Everyone doing great. We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love."

"Will have more to say when we’re ready," James added, "but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us! #JamesGang👑"

Bronny initially suffered cardiac arrest on Monday ... while he was working out at USC. He was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center -- but, thankfully, he's been making steady progress ever since.

It's unclear what caused the issue and when Bronny will be able to return home -- but when he does eventually get out ... several people who have suffered similar medical emergencies have already said they'll be there for him if he needs them.

LeBron's former teammate, Ronny Turiaf -- who needed open-heart surgery in 2005 -- said he'd be "always available" to talk.

Shareef O'Neal, meanwhile, said he too would be down to chat with Bronny -- revealing Thursday he's already reached out to his good friend.

Joe Thomas has gone from playing in front of the Dawg Pound to getting bitten by them -- the Cleveland Browns legend was viciously attacked by canines in a crazy demonstration at a military base!!

The 2023 Hall of Fame inductee and fellow ex-NFL star Whitney Mercilus hit up the Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio in partnership with USAA ... where they got a full VIP meet and greet with the four-legged military sidekicks that are trained to locate explosives, narcotics, and personnel.

Thomas and Mercilus found out firsthand just how talented these doggos are ... 'cause they threw on some bite suits and agreed to run a 40-yard dash while being chased down by the animals.

Tech. Sergeant Hendrix warned Thomas and Mercilus before the demo ... "They are trained to bite and hold until we tell them to let go."

Despite the head's up, Thomas and Mercilus were ready to go against the dog with the strongest bite out of the bunch ... and let's just say they were doomed from the start.

The video is unreal -- Thomas barely made it a few strides before the dog launched into his back, clinging on for dear life before bringing the former offensive tackle to a complete stop.

"My heart rate was as high as I can remember, probably since I was playing football," Thomas said.

Both Thomas and Mercilus ended up being dragged to the ground by the military dog during the drill ... and thankfully, they made it out alive.

Bullfighting star Andrés Roca Rey -- aka the "Messi of Matadors" -- suffered gruesome injuries during a show in Spain on Tuesday ... after he was terrifyingly gored by a 1,100-pound beast.

The horrifying incident happened at the Santiago de Santander Fair ... when Roca Rey was attempting to lure a bull through his cape.

The matador stared down the animal for several seconds ... but when it finally charged -- it ended up catching Roca Rey right in the thigh. It then took him for a scary ride.

The bull tosses Andrés in the air ... before ramming him into the stadium's boards. The bull then appears to stick its horns in the man -- before turning its attention to other matadors who had jumped in to help.

Roca Rey's teammate, Cayetano Rivera Ordoñez, jumped in the ring and managed to divert the bull's attention away from Roca Rey but was then gored by the bull as well suffering a fractured rib.

Reportedly, Roca Rey was taken to the hospital with wounds to his knee -- and bruises on his neck, face, and legs.

Fortunately for the fighter, however, he avoided life-threatening wounds ... and took to Instagram just hours later to thank his teammate and fellow matador Cayetano Rivera Ordoñez who jumped in to save him and was attacked and gored by the bull as well, suffering a fractured right rib.

Hulk Hogan and his fiancée had a romantic night out on the town after the WWE legend proposed this week ... and her engagement ring is HUGE!!

TMZ Sports broke the story -- Hulk and Sky Daily, his lady of a year and a half, are slated to tie the knot after he got on one knee at a restaurant in Tampa.

Fresh off the awesome news, the happy duo decided to celebrate with a dinner at Latitude 28 in Clearwater ... and they were both in great spirits as they showed up at the JW Marriott.

Hulk rocked his usual bandanna, t-shirt, and chain for the date ... and future Mrs. Hogan went for a patterned shirt and tight brown pants -- and, of course, her shiny, new accessory.

Take a look at the pics -- Sky gave a quick glimpse of the bling as she fixed her hair ... and it's safe to say you could see the thing from outer space.

This will be Hulk's third marriage -- he was previously married to Linda until 2010. He finalized his divorce from his second wife, Jennifer McDaniel, back in 2021.

No word on when Hulk and Sky are going to walk down the aisle, but it might not be long -- 'cause it's clear they can't get enough of each other!!

The Cubs vs. White Sox game on Tuesday night was a bit of snooze ... but in the stands, it was anything but that -- 'cause several fans of both teams beat the hell out of each other during a wild melee.

The action actually happened inside of a suite at Guaranteed Rate Field as the Cubbies were rolling over their crosstown rival, 7-3, on the diamond ... and you can see, there were so many people involved in the rumble, it looked like a WWE match in the box.

Both men and women clad in Cubs and Sox jerseys were in the mix ... throwing punches and kicks with regularity.

At one point, one woman violently swung her foot into another's face three straight times.

Eventually, however, bystanders pulled the combatants away from each other -- and order was restored.

It's unclear if any arrests were made.

Shareef O'Neal has already offered to help Bronny James in his recovery from his cardiac arrest ... revealing this week he's actually spoken with LeBron's son -- making it clear he'll be there for the 18-year-old if and when he needs assistance in his road to recovery.

Shaq's son, of course, survived his own heart health scare back in 2018 -- when he had to undergo a scary surgery to fix an irregularity in his ticker.

He told Good Morning America on Thursday that getting back to 100 percent following the procedure was anything but easy ... explaining that, initially, he couldn't even walk.

"What is my future looking like," he remembered wondering during his first days out of surgery. "That's when I kind of realized, I don't know if basketball is ever going to be an option again."

O'Neal, though, eventually returned to the court at full strength ... and he says his dad's words -- which he's now passing on to Bronny -- helped tremendously in getting back.

"He's like, 'If you make it out of this, you'll be the baddest man on the planet,'" Shareef said of Shaq's advice. "And that kind of just builds a fire up in you and makes you want to go back and get it."

It's unclear how similar Bronny's situation is to Shareef's -- few details surrounding the cause of James' medical emergency on Monday have been released -- but sources close to the situation have told TMZ he's doing well enough now that both LeBron and Savannah are feeling "relieved."

From here, however, it'll likely be a hard road for Bronny to get back on his feet and potentially return to USC's basketball team ... but Shareef made it abundantly evident he's going to do everything he can to help.

Bam Margera says he's working hard on sobering up and staying clean ... all in the hopes he can be reunited with his son and maintain a relationship with him.

In new court docs, obtained by TMZ, Bam says he's currently sober, and is actively working through his struggles to better himself.

As a result, he's requesting joint legal and physical custody of Phoenix -- asking for things like overnight stays for the 5-year-old every other weekend -- so he can forge a better bond with his son.

Bam says he's surprised Nikki, his estranged wife, is unwilling to support him on his journey to sobriety, because he claims she's also struggled with sobriety in the past. In his defense, he adds .. he's already gotten treatment from multiple resources, completed courses and started therapy.

The former "Jackass" star claims Nikki's doing everything she can to keep Phoenix away from him, even allegedly refusing to let them talk on the phone anymore ... and says she's also isolating their son from Bam's extended family.

As we reported, Bam and Nikki were at an L.A. court this month to, in part, establish if their 2013 marriage was valid -- Bam believes their wedding in Iceland wasn't an official ceremony, because they weren't residents there.

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams says news of Bronny James' cardiac arrest rocked the hoops world ... telling TMZ Sports "the whole basketball community" is now reeling.

LeBron James' son was raced to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday morning after he collapsed on the court at USC's Galen Center ... and when Williams heard the news Tuesday -- he said everyone who's ever hooped was rattled.

"In the basketball community, it's all a family," Williams said out in Beverly Hills. "You know what I mean? No matter where you are, basketball brings you in as a family. So, it definitely hurt the whole basketball community when we heard that."

Williams said he'd continue to send prayers Bronny's way ... with the hopes that the teenager will make a speedy recovery.

Of course, the 21-year-old NBA player -- the 4th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft -- was far from only pro baller to send his thoughts to the James family ... everyone from Trae Young to Jalen Brunson to Jayson Tatum also expressed their well wishes.

Even Magic Johnson and Metta World Peace took to their Twitter pages to write notes of encouragement to LeBron's eldest child ... and LBJ's former teammate, Ronny Turiaf, said he'd be there once Bronny's released from the hospital to help guide him in his journey back to full strength.

As for how Bronny's currently doing, sources tell TMZ there's been enough positivity surrounding his recovery already that his parents are "relieved."

WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre is ready to put on an unforgettable performance at SummerSlam next month ... telling TMZ Sports he's expecting a hard-hitting battle with Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship.

McIntyre is fresh off a three-month hiatus to "get some things fixed physically" ... and he says he'll hopefully be ready for the task ahead, 'cause his opponent is an "incredible competitor."

"I'm excited to get a big match with him," the 38-year-old Scottish Warrior says. "We were part of a triple-threat at WrestleMania, which was one of the best matches I've ever had, one of the funnest matches I've ever had."

"He is a hard-hitting guy, I'm a hard-hitting guy -- I guarantee you, everyone watching SummerSlam is going to feel the strikes in that match."

Currently in his second run with WWE, McIntyre is looking forward to recreating previous magic in the ring against the longtime IC champ at Ford Field on Aug. 5.

The former WWE Champion -- who once held the Intercontinental title almost 14 years ago -- says Gunther has helped re-establish the IC championship as a premier title like the days of Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart.

McIntyre is happy to be back in the ring after the longest absence of his wrestling career ... saying the time away allowed him to focus on his personal life out in the real world.

"Sometimes you lose that perspective, and the last time I really had a hard look at myself outside the bubble was 2014 when I got fired from WWE."

McIntyre continued ... "So this time, I didn't have to get fired, thank goodness. I had some time off, and I was able to sit down, reassess things -- things I want to achieve within the industry and as a person and return with that mindset and come right into a huge match that I'm really excited for."

The British brute is hoping to become champion once again in Detroit ... and he's telling all fans -- and newcomers -- to tune in.

Video from Tyreek Hill's June run-in with a fishing boat employee has finally surfaced ... and it shows the NFL star did take a swipe at the man during their altercation.

The surveillance footage, obtained Wednesday by Andy Slater, was captured in a Miami marina at around 6:45 p.m. on June 18 ... and you can see Hill is clearly upset with the boat company worker.

The Miami Dolphins wideout -- wearing a light grey shirt, shorts, and white shoes -- is being held back from the man ... when he swats at the guy's head/neck area. The man then recoils as if he'd been hit -- before Hill is ushered away from the scene.

But, the video shows Hill then seemingly attempting to go after the guy again ... however, thankfully, some of the football player's friends hold him back.

Police did investigate it all ... but prosecutors said on Wednesday no charges would be filed -- saying in a statement to TMZ Sports, "The individual who would have been termed a victim if there had been a filed case, came into the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, met with Assistant State Attorney Robert Fiallo and signed a notarized Non-Prosecution Form indicating that he did not wish to press criminal charges."

"On the form, he also indicated that no threats, promises, or coercion played a part in his decision."

As for any civil matters, reps for Hill and the alleged victim told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday they'd reached a settlement.

For Hill's part, he spoke briefly about the situation with media members on Wednesday ... saying, "I just can't make bonehead mistakes like that."

Forget money, Jake Paul paid his personal barber with something far more special this week -- gifting his go-to guy a brand new Rolex for keeping his hair on point ahead of his big boxing match against Nate Diaz!!

The Problem Child flew in JB Always Fresh -- a famous hair stylist/businessman in his own right -- from Canada to Puerto Rico to get a fresh cut before heading to Dallas for fight week ... and made sure to thank the "best barber in the world" for his service.

"He's a young hustler," Paul said. "I love and respect young hustlers."

In a clip of the gift presentation that Paul posted on his social media page ... you can see the boxer revealed the classic Oyster Perpetual Rolex -- which comes with at least a $5,000 price tag -- and JB refused to believe it, thinking the whole thing was a skit.

"I'm being serious," Paul said. "It's a nice little Rolex. I'm being deadass."

"I'm being for real. It's yours, bro."

JB -- real name Jamiel Bustos -- was emotional over the gesture ... thanking his client for going above and beyond for him.

"Yo, oh my God. You don't know how much this actually really means to me bro," JB said. "I've met over like a thousand millionaires in my whole lifetime, I've met a bunch of other influencers, creators ... dude, this is like some real, genuine stuff."

Conor McGregor was devastated to learn of the passing of musical icon Sinéad O'Connor on Wednesday ... telling TMZ Sports he considered her "an international star and an Irish treasure."

The UFC fighter grew close to the singer throughout his career in the Octagon ... particularly after she sang during his walkout at UFC 189 in Las Vegas.

You'll recall ... during the July 2015 performance, she belted out "The Foggy Dew" -- and many have since considered it one of the best entrances to a UFC fight ever.

In fact, McGregor himself called it "an honor to go out to that" ... adding that it was "go-to-war music."

Following her death this week, McGregor told us in a statement he was absolutely heartbroken.

"The world has lost a beautiful voice and an even more beautiful person," he said. "I am honored to have known her, to have played her music both in and out of the Octagon. God rest Sinéad."

He later added in a tweet, "Ireland has lost an iconic voice and one of our absolute finest, by a long shot."

The Irish Times was first to report the news of O'Connor's passing ... though the circumstances surrounding her death are still unclear.

She was just 56 years old.

Tyreek Hill is finally opening up on the June fishing boat altercation that led to a police investigation into the NFL star ... saying Wednesday it was all a "bonehead mistake."

The Dolphins wideout didn't go into much detail about the incident following Miami's training camp workout -- telling a throng of media members, "I'm not here to get into that. I'm here to play ball." But, he did shed at least some light onto the matter.

He insisted that any civil issues arising from the June 18 tiff have been "resolved" ... while adding that he's cooperating with NFL investigators. He also said of the incident, "I just can't make bonehead mistakes like that" -- before telling one journalist, "I hope everything gets situated."

As we reported ... cops initially launched a probe into Hill after a Miami fishing charter vessel employee alleged the 29-year-old receiver slapped him on the back of the neck after he had told the football player and a group of his apparent acquaintances they could not be on his boat.

Hill and his accuser, according to Adam Schefter, reached a settlement to resolve their differences on Monday ... though prosecutors said Wednesday they're still mulling charges.

As for Roger Goodell and the NFL ... they've yet to suspend Hill -- and when the speedster was asked Wednesday if he thinks a ban could be coming this year, he said, "Nah, man. When I'm able to come here and play ball, man, I get a chance to get away from all that."

The Dolphins are slated to open their preseason schedule against the Falcons on Aug. 11.

Don't expect insults, expletives and antics before Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje get in the Octagon at UFC 291 ... 'cause the Diamond tells TMZ Sports their BMF title fight is nothing personal -- they actually have a lot of love for each other.

Poirier and Gaethje -- the second and third-ranked lightweights in the standings, respectively -- are set to fight each other for the first time since 2018 this weekend ... and both guys had high praise for each other in the days leading up to the showdown in Salt Lake City.

"It's a mutual respect," Poirier said. "Every time he fights, I'm watching. I love watching his style. You earn a different style of respect for someone after spending 20 minutes bleeding in an Octagon with him. Even though it was five years ago, I still remember it. And I'm excited to do it again."

DP says his opponent has gotten better and changed his game since their first meeting ... and now, he's expecting an entirely different fighter.

As for pre-event shenanigans, Diamond says that's entirely unnecessary ... 'cause any MMA fan knows what to expect Saturday night -- and he's going to put on a show en route to securing the belt.

Gaethje is equally pumped for the matchup ... and he told us adding the BMF title to his collection will be big for his legacy.

Ice Cube has a serious bone to pick with the NBA and Adam Silver ... saying the league talks a good game about equality, but when it comes to supporting a black-owned company --like Cube's BIG3 -- they've completely dropped the ball.

The rap legend and 3-on-3 league founder teed off on the commish while he was on Tucker Carlson's Twitter show ... calling out Silver for making it seem like the league is at the forefront of change -- when, in his opinion, it's not doing much at all.

He said, "The NBA is full of great slogans and they write 'Black Lives Matter' on the court and they do all those things, but pretty full of s*** when the rubber meets the road."

Cube believes promoting the BIG3 would be a layup for the Association to show they're really about the cause ... but instead, their grand gestures have resulted in no real action.

"I'm just saying it's easy for them to put that on the court. It takes a little more effort to really care to work with a league like the BIG3. You really gotta want to make a difference."

Cube has been in an ongoing feud with Silver ... claiming there are several NBA team owners who want to get involved in the BIG3, but the league won't let them.

He's even openly said "I don’t give a f**k about working with the NBA" ... but wants the league to quit trying to keep his organization from growing.