TMZ Sports - Page 31

Rodion Amirov -- the Toronto Maple Leafs 2020 first-round draft pick --- died Monday after courageously battling a brain tumor, his agent announced.

He was just 21 years old.

"It is we great sadness that we announce the passing of Rodion Amirov. Two years ago, Rodion was diagnosed with a brain tumour. From the moment he received the news, he refused to speak in the negative, determined to enjoy every day, facing it with the same positive attitude he showed during his hockey career," agent Daniel Milstein wrote.

Amirov was diagnosed with the tumor in February 2022 after undergoing treatment for an unrelated injury in Russia. Rodion, a left winger, spent his entire career with the Maple Leafs on loan in his native Russia ... before halting his career permanently.

Toronto signed Rodion to a three-year entry-level contract after he was selected 15th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan also released a statement addressing the terrible news.

"The entire Maple Leafs organization is devastated by this tragic loss. Over the duration of his courageous battle, Rodion’s positivity inspired everyone around him, and he made lasting impressions with our team and fans in his brief visits to Toronto."

Shanahan continued ... "It’s incredibly sad to see a young man with so much promise taken from us so soon. We offer our deepest condolences to Rodion’s family and friends as we mourn this loss together.”

Playing on loan in the Kontinental Hockey League for Salavat Yulaev Ufa -- his hometown club -- Rodion scored one goal during the 2021-2022 season and 10 across his six-year professional career.

Rodion also played for Russia internationally and won a silver medal at the World U18 Championships.

"We will always remember his courage, his desire, his will, his smile, all of the great things about him."

Major League Baseball has launched an investigation into Rays star Wander Franco ... after social media posts emerged over the weekend that allegedly showed him in an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

Franco did not play during Tampa Bay's game on Sunday as the posts on X went viral. Fans at Tropicana Field 14 and younger had received Wander Franco Snapback Hats as part of the pregame promotion.

His coach, Kevin Cash, said the afternoon off was simply a routine rest day for the shortstop -- though the manager told reporters he "was aware of the speculation" surrounding the 22-year-old.

The Rays, meanwhile, said in a statement they're taking the allegations against Franco "seriously."

"During today’s game, we were made aware of the social media posts that are circulating regarding Wander Franco," the org. said. "We take the situation seriously and are in close contact with Major League Baseball as it conducts its due diligence."

Franco was in the team's dugout during its 9-2 loss to the Guardians ... though he left in the fifth inning. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, he did not get on the team plane as the squad headed to San Francisco on Sunday evening for its upcoming series with the Giants. Passan added Franco could be placed on the restricted list as the probe continues.

Franco is considered one of baseball's brightest young players -- he signed an 11-year, $182 million deal with Tampa in 2021 ... and made his first-ever All-Star team this season.

Jalen Hurts continues to win on and off the field ... after leading his team to the Super Bowl and signing a contract extension worth $250+ million, the Eagles' superstar QB just inked a deal with Jordan Brand!

Jordan revealed the partnership on social media on Monday morning, writing ... "Before anyone ever had an opinion, @jalenhurts had a purpose. Welcome to the Family."

Jalen was rocking the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low sneaker for the announcement ... the first of many shoes the Pro Bowler will surely spotlight over the years.

The 25-year-old now joins fellow QBs Dak Prescott and Bryce Young as the other signal callers repping the Jumpman logo ... while guys like Davante Adams, Deebo Samuel and Cam Jordan are also signed to the label.

Although the former Oklahoma star is newly signed to Jordan, the Eagles captain wore player-exclusive Jordans for all of last season, including during Philly's 2022 playoffs run.

Hurts put up career highs across the board last year, throwing for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns, while also rushing for 13 scores.

Jalen finished second in the 2022 Most Valuable Player award voting.

It's been five years since Derek Jeter booted the infamous home run sculpture from LoanDepot Park in Miami ... but the man who initially put it in the stadium is still apparently bitter as hell over The Captain's decision -- blasting the Hall of Famer over it in a recent interview.

Jeffrey Loria -- the former Marlins honcho who sold Jeets the team in 2017 -- unloaded on DJ for the decision to remove the centerfield sculpture while speaking with the Miami Herald ... accusing the Hall of Famer of "destroying public art."

"Jeter came in and destroyed the ballpark,” Loria said ... before adding that removing the piece "was a horrible thing to do."

Loria put the 7-story, $2.5 million sculpture in the arena in 2012. It featured fish, flamingos and water ... and it lit up every time the Marlins blasted homers.

Jeter, though, hated it -- only saying of it after he purchased the team in 2017, "It's big. Yeah. It's big. It's big." Several months later, he was able to get out of the park -- relocating it to a plaza outside of the venue.

Loria is still clearly pissed over that choice ... saying he actually tried to get it back from Jeter -- though his attempts were ultimately unsuccessful.

"Now it will rot outside where it is," Loria said, "condemned to neglect and outdoor decay."

Loria also expressed disdain for Jeter over the way he made other changes to the park -- such as covering up colorful tiles and doing away with behind-the-plate fish tanks.

There's more ... the 82-year-old also blasted Jeter for some of the roster moves he made -- while also accusing him of firing a longtime scout while the man was in the hospital recovering from colon cancer surgery.

It was a big ol' family reunion of sorts at Drake's most recent show in L.A. -- with Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Bad Bunny and Tristan Thompson all spending some QT.

Kim, Kendall and Bunny apparently had unlimited access at the show, bouncing between assigned seats, the floor section and another standing VIP area Sunday night as Drake and 21 Savage entertained for nearly 2 hours at the Kia Forum.

During her convo with Kendall and Bad Bunny on the floor, you can see Kim repeat the phrase, "I didn't come this far, just to come this far" ... a quote she said on "The Kardashians" about her situation with Kanye that Drake also included on his song "Search & Rescue."

Everyone appeared to be having a great time -- and the trio was later linked up in the crowd with Tristan Thompson -- as Kim snapped pics of Kendall and BB.

Tristan and friends also got a ride to the show with Kim, hopping out of a sprinter van and walking right through the venue's VIP entrance.

However, the loved-up couple of Kendall and Bunny got some time to themselves as well ... dancing and taking in the show with some cuddles.

The whole thing is an interesting swing given the drama between Kim, Drake and Kanye from years ago after false reports Kim and Drake were a thing. Kim later blamed Kanye for fueling the rumors ... but Kanye and Drake later made nice at their joint "Free Larry Hoover" show at L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

That relationship has since gone down the tubes thanks to Kanye's antisemitic rants.

CMFTR + SAG-AFTRA!

AEW star CM Punk showed big-time support for the striking actors, rockin' a Screen Actors Guild t-shirt to the ring on AEW Collision over the weekend.

Punk's shirt read ... "SAG-AFTRA ON STRIKE"

The "Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists" is an American labor union representing over 150K people working in the entertainment industry, including actors (from Tom Hanks to bit actors). They've been on strike since July 14.

After making the in-ring statement, CM Punk, government name Phil Brooks, has been receiving some hate online.

Punk shared a screenshot on Instagram where a fan sent him a message ... "You have become what you hate"

The wrestling superstar responded ... "I have become what I hate? A guild/union member who stands in solidarity with fellow members fighting for what's right. Bitch, I have become what I LOVE."

Punk isn't the only wrestling star who has the backs of the actors on strike. WWE Superstar Seth Rollins recently professed his support during a conversation we had with him at LAX.

James Harden has spent much of his career with Daryl Morey ... but swears he won't play another minute for the "liar" team president.

The former NBA MVP, who requested a trade out of Philly in June, spoke at an Adidas event in China Monday night ... and addressed the rumors about his relationship with Morey and the Sixers.

"Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of," Harden said in video taken by Shams, days after trade talks with the Los Angeles Clippers dissolved.

"Let me say that again. Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

James and Daryl's feud stems from Morey's refusal to offer Harden a long-term max contract extension, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported over the weekend.

FYI, Harden was traded from the Nets to the Sixers late in the 2021-2022 season, playing 21 games in Philadelphia, where he averaged 21 points a game. Last season he played in 58 games, also averaging 21 for the 44-38 squad which finished 6th in the East.

Once upon a time ... Harden and Morey were partners in crime in Houston, with Harden winning the 2018 MVP award while with the Rockets.

Houston's former GM traded for Harden in 2012 before heading to the City of Brotherly Love to become team president in 2020.

Now, the relationship has clearly eroded, and it seems there's no love lost.

Training camp is approaching, beginning in October. Only time will tell if Harden shows up ... or if he means it when he says he'll never again play for Morey.

You can't lose with Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, or Nate Diaz ... BUT, given a choice of the three opponents, UFC legend Chuck Liddell knows the fight he'd like to see.

Nate Diaz vs. The Notorious III!

TMZ Sports caught up with Liddell at LAX this week ... and asked him about Conor's next fight.

"All those would be an interesting fight but I think Nate Diaz, run it back to do it one more time. That'd be fun to watch."

Of course, McGregor's supposed to fight Chandler, who is coaching opposite him on "The Ultimate Fighter." Though, after Gaethje's win over Dustin Poirier a few weeks ago, Conor went at Justin on social media.

Then there's Nate ... who just lost a boxing match to Jake Paul. The guys have obviously fought twice in the past, with each man winning one. They've always said they want to complete the trilogy, which would arguably be the biggest in the promotion's history.

"It will be fun. I think it will be real competitive, I think it's a good one to come back to."

Out of the three options, Chuck makes it clear he wants Conor and Nate. As for how it'll go, The Iceman thinks it'll be a close fight.

Speaking of Diaz and Paul, we also asked Liddell if he bought what Jake was selling ... when he said he could beat Nate with 8-9 months of MMA training.

Chuck isn't so sure.

"That tells me [Jake] just doesn't understand the difference. He has no clue what the difference between MMA and boxing."

Liddell explained some of the challenges when going from boxing to mixed martial arts.

"It's funny [Paul] usually fights two weight classes below him, he likes to pick guys that are a lot smaller than him but Nate's a good jiu-jitsu guy, he's a good grappler and he knows how to fight MMA," Chuck told us.

"There's a different stance, everything changes. You add kicks, you gotta change your stance, you can't stand in boxing stance. I hit you so, it hurts so bad in the first round, you got one round to knock me out."

Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, went for a not-so-wild on a mechanical bull earlier this summer -- and based on the video we got of them on this thing ... you can tell the owners of the joint wanted to protect their QB.

The Chiefs star and his crew were at PBR Big Sky in Kansas City way back in early June -- for a charity event that a lot of celebs were involved in at the time -- and while hanging out ... it seems Pat and Brit got a little courage in them, wanting to mount the fake bull.

Check out these clips, obtained by TMZ, that shows the couple riding it together ... Brittany up front, and Patty in the back. As you can tell, it wasn't going too hard whatsoever -- these mechanical bulls can mess people up -- but that was far from the case here. Nice and easy!

Still, PM fell off first ... and it wasn't long after that Brittany went flying too. Again, it's pretty clear the operators of the bull weren't trying to bust them up ... they are KC royalty, after all.

At another point in the night ... Patrick got on there by himself, and there too he was smooth sailing. Probably a good call to go light on the big fella -- not only does he have pressure to win another Super Bowl (after snatching one last year) but he's gonna be the face of the franchise for years to come. No sense in causing a collar bone break in August. 😅

The Rock and Jason Momoa are speaking up after the devastating wildfires in Maui -- and they're offering ways to help ... as well as some strongly-worded advice to outsiders.

The two Hollywood heavyweights -- both of whom have Hawaiian heritage -- have issued public statements this weekend, reflecting on the destruction left behind in Lahaina ... where the body count is now nearing the 100-person mark, with several still unaccounted for.

Jason has been posting about it all weekend, and he's plugging an organization called the Hawai'i Community Foundation ... specifically, a fund they've created to help the victims of Maui. In addition to the laying out a roadmap to resources, he's got a clear message.

To all tourists considering traveling to Hawai'i, especially Maui, JM is saying ... stay away.

He writes in no uncertain terms, "Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now. DO NOT TRAVEL TO MAUI. Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply. Mahalo to everyone who has donated and shown aloha to the community in this time of need."

Might sound like a no-brainer, but there've been on-the-ground reports of folks/tourists still frolicking in the area and enjoying their vacays, right in the middle of this disaster.

One video, in particular, has been going viral for what appears to be a group of tourists being taken out to sea near Maui by an excursion company ... this as the photog bashes the hell out of them for being insensitive about the deadly situation all around them. That company has since apologized, insisting they were gonna donate the funds from this to charity -- but vowing to halt operations for the time being. Safe to say ... that's a good call.

Now, as for Dwayne Johnson ... he, too, has addressed the crisis and is pointing people to the Hawai'i Community Foundation Maui Fund as well -- saying any donations and assistance will go a long way in helping restore the community, which is still reeling from the fires.

The Rock writes, "Heartbroken but our faith and mana is strong. First responders, health care teams, hotels, locals businesses, boots on the ground organizations and all our local heroes, stay strong - we love you and appreciate you."

He adds, "All our local families, our ohana, our aiga, stay strong thru this devastating time. Resilience resolve is our DNA. Our ancestors are in our blood. This is who we are. This is what we do. I love you. Stay strong. More to come."

Others celebs are chiming in as well -- including "Moana" star Auliʻi Cravalho -- who's been guiding people to helpful resources too. Of course, people like Jeff Bezos and Oprah are helping in a big way as well ... be it with major cash donations, or other means.

Mark Zuckerberg is tired of waiting for Elon Musk to get ready to rumble, so he's moving on -- so says the Facebook founder himself.

The techie billionaire announced Sunday he was throwing in the towel on the planning process, saying it was clear to him that EM wasn't serious about duking it out ... evidenced, at least in Mark's eyes, in all the excuses Elon has offered to postpone this thing.

MZ writes, "I think we can all agree Elon isn't serious and it's time to move on. I offered a real date. Dana White offered to make this a legit competition for charity. Elon won't confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead."

The backyard thing is new news -- and pretty eyebrow-raising if true. Mark adds, "If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I'm going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously."

Mark has kinda been teasing this move for a while now ... consistently refuting Elon's characterization of things, and alleging that the Twitter honcho was stonewalling on purpose.

In fact, it wasn't too long ago that Mark said he wasn't holding his breath for Elon -- and despite EM trying to hype up the fight just this past week (by mentioning the prospect of Italy as a venue), it sounds like Mark's throwing cold water on the whole thing ... calling BS.

It was a cool would-be event while it lasted, we suppose ... and time will tell if Mark pulling the plug like this will force Elon to actually commit -- but if he doesn't, it might be over.

A nail-biting tiebreaker at a professional tennis tournament was interrupted thanks to "Cotton Eye Joe!"

The match was as close as it gets at the semifinals of Montreal's National Bank Open ... Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek were trading points, with Pegula ahead 4-3 in the tiebreaker.

As the ball was in play, everyone in the venue heard "If it hadn't been for the Cotton Eye Joe" blaring from the speakers ... the chair ump immediately suspended play.

You hear the announcer kinda shocked, but musically knowledgeable, telling the audience, "Oh wow, 'Cotton Eye Joe' just came on mid-rally."

The point was replayed and in the end, the interruption may have changed the momentum, because Pegula never scored another point and Swiatek won 7-4, taking the second set.

Fear not, Pegula fans ... she won the match in the third set.

David Montgomery and his girlfriend's offseason move to Detroit didn't get off to an auspicious start ... TMZ Sports has learned one of the couple's dogs was involved in a bloody biting incident just days after the new Lions running back got settled into his new Michigan home.

According to police documents, officers were called out to Montgomery's new Grosse Pointe Shores residence on June 4 ... after his and his GF's pitbull mix, Lola, was accused of escaping the house and attacking a smaller dog on the sidewalk.

In police body cam footage from the scene ... Montgomery's girlfriend -- Tatum Causey -- can be heard explaining to officers that she was in the backyard when she realized her pooch had gotten out.

"I go inside, literally opened the door and I said, 'Anybody see Lola?'" she told an officer at the scene. "So, I'm looking in the backyard for her -- she normally stays right in the backyard -- but when I walk out, I see my brother carrying her."

The owners of the dog who claimed Lola bit their pup said in an incident report that during the attack, Lola grabbed their animal's leg and would not let go.

"I heard our dog's leg break," one of the complainants wrote in the documents.

The owners said they suffered bite wounds and lacerations of their own during the attack. They added that their pup was diagnosed by the vet with two leg fractures. They also claimed it required stitches.

Causey -- who has a child with Montgomery -- was charged with misdemeanor harboring a vicious dog over the incident ... though court records show she pleaded not guilty to the count at a hearing in late June. The records show she's due for another hearing on the matter in September.

As for Lola, Causey shared an emotional tribute post to the dog one month after the biting incident that seemed to indicate the animal had passed away.

"So many quiet days just filled with your unconditional love," she wrote on the IG post. "You are and always will be the best. My soul dog, I love you forever and ever my Lola Bear."

Jonny Fairplay has gone from one reality TV world to another -- now, the guy's doing wrestling gigs, except you won't see him in WWE ... try a strip club.

The ex-"Survivor" star made a public appearance last week in Johnston City, TN -- where he got hired to show face (and muscle) at a place called Mouse's Ear ...  where exotic dancers are normally onstage, only here ... it was amateur 'Wrestlemania.'

Indeed, you can get a sense of what Jonny and co. were up to in these videos we obtained. He's very much playing the heel in front of the crowd, while the two "wrestlers" opposite of him -- Bam Bam Bundy and Lucky Larson -- are talking trash ... wondering how he's making dough these days post-"Survivor."

JF didn't take that too kindly, as it turns out ... 'cause he ended up hitting both of them in the back with the strip club equivalent of a folding chair -- namely, a freaking TIKI Torch!

It's pretty goofy, and obviously, no one was hurt ... but this is something we might start to see Jonny do more regularly. Funny enough, he actually has dabbled in the wrestling world for years now (even pre-"Survivor") ... and is a huge fan of the sport.

Take a hard look at Aljamain Sterling when he fights Sean O'Malley at UFC 292 'cause it could be the last time Aljo competes in the bantamweight division ... the UFC champ tells us he wants to move up and dethrone featherweight champ Alex Volkanovski.

Whether or not it is his last scrap at 135 lbs., 34-year-old Sterling seemed to indicate he may not be around the Octagon much longer.

"I think [it could be my last at 135]. I think I go out there, dominate O'Malley the way I think I'm gonna dominate him, send that naked mole rat back to wherever he's from, the hole he crawled out of," Sterling told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

The bantamweight king continued ... "We set our sights on Volkanovski. Go up to 145, cause some terror there. Win the belt, become champ-champ, and then from there, possibly defend the belt one or two times and maybe that's all she wrote for the MMA career."

Of course, in order to be double champ, Aljamain must defeat Suga on August 19 in Boston ... a fight that's been talked about for years.

"It's cool to be going to Dana White's backyard and bringing in a good show. We're the headliners. We get to end the night, try to end the night on a good night, on a high night, and it's an opportunity for me to really make more history, get another bag, and rob the bank."

"I'm looking forward to robbing the bank vs. Sean O'Malley and showing Mr. High Fructose Corn Syrup why there's levels to this game."

If Sterling does ultimately retire from MMA in the near future, we asked him what he do as his second act.

"Maybe I start boxing after," Aljo said, laughing.

Damar Hamlin is back on the football field, in a playing capacity, for the first time since his life-threatening cardiac arrest incident earlier this year ... and he's looking like his old self.

The Bills safety hit the gridiron Saturday for Buffalo during a preseason game, in which he appeared for just a little bit of time ... a couple possessions, but in that time he was able to show off his talent and, more importantly, that he's ready for NFL-caliber play again.

From what we could see, there was no hesitancy in Damar's intensity -- and he certainly wasn't shying away from tackles ... something he's expected to do a lot of as a safety.

Like we said ... DH didn't play for long, but it was a huge milestone to see him back in uniform and in a real game, making his months-long comeback complete. Based on his performance this weekend, it's likely he'll be playing regularly this upcoming season.

As for the team itself, they knew how big of a moment this was ... and suggested as much with a clip they posted, showing Damar taking the field/being embraced by his teammates.

It's been a long road to recovery, but it's one Damar has taken in stride. With the help and encouragement of his loved ones, his teammates and, of course, medical professionals ... he's been slowly getting back into playing shape -- and finally got the all-clear, too.

Considering his heart had to be restarted after taking a hit in a game against Cincinnati -- it's kind of a miracle that he's here today, let alone playing the same game at the same level.