TMZ Sports - Page 50

If Jermell Charlo is gonna beat Canelo Alvarez this weekend, it'll be a big punch that turns the boxing superstar's lights out, according to former champion Shawn Porter ... who says that's JC's only path to victory.

"Let's be honest. If he beats Canelo, it's only by knockout. That's the only way [Jermell] gets the win. And it's a one-punch knockout," Porter told TMZ Sports in Vegas.

Shawn knows a thing or seventeen about putting dudes on their backs ... 17 of the 2x welterweight champ's 31 professional wins came by way of knockout.

Of course, Canelo vs. Charlo isn't just the biggest fight in the sport, it's historic. Never before have two reigning, undisputed champions (holding all 4 major belts) faced each other in the ring -- and it's all going down Saturday night on Showtime PPV (available for pre-order here!)

Taking a look at the odds, it's clear Vegas believes Alvarez has a sizeable edge ... he's about a 4 to 1 favorite.

But, it'd be flat-out silly to ever overlook someone as talented and dangerous as Mell ... after all, the guy has lost just once across 37 pro fights, and the L was highly suspect in the minds of many. Charlo went on to avenge the loss to Tony Harrison, knocking him out in their rematch.

Clearly, Shawn's gut tells him Charlo likely experiences his second defeat, but as he also pointed out, it only takes one punch when you have power like Jermell.

And, at +900 for "Charlo win by TKO/KO," that's a pretty sweet bet to hit!

"If we're betting on a win by Jermell Charlo, it's by knockout. And I've heard it's a lot of money. It's worth betting it because if it happens, it's the craziest thing," Porter said.

We won't have to wait long ... fight night's only two days away! Let's goooooooo!

Taylor Swift might be inching closer to adding another member to her girl squad ... and she's got some serious ties to Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Taylor and Chiefs' QB Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany Mahomes, really hit it off Sunday night at Kelce's private post-game party. Our sources say the two chatted a ton at the bash ... and at one point even took a shot together.

What's more, we're told, Brittany and Taylor were overheard saying they wanted to stay in touch ... and have plans to meet up again in the near future.

Of course, Taylor's supposed to attend this Sunday's Chiefs game against The New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey ... so they'll at least see each other at the game.

Brittany aside, Taylor also spent plenty of time with Travis at the party ... and could be seen with her arm draped around the NFL star in a photo we obtained from inside the event.

Brittany and Patrick's brother, Jackson, have been the faces of the KC team for years now (other than the athletes, of course) so to see Taylor take the spotlight has certainly been a shift in power.

Social media went wild during Taylor's appearance at Sunday's game when she sat in a private booth next to Travis' mom, Donna. Brittany wasn't in that box, but memes started popping up questioning whether or not she was jealous of the attention on Taylor.

10:29 AM PT -- The Red Sox just confirmed Curt Schilling did reveal Tim Wakefield's diagnosis without the former pitcher's permission ... saying in a statement Tim and his wife's "health is a deeply personal matter they intended to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease."

The MLB team added that the Wakefields are asking for "privacy at this time."

The wife of Red Sox legend Jason Varitek is furious with Curt Schilling for revealing Tim Wakefield's cancer diagnosis ... saying straight up on Thursday, "F*** you Curt Schilling."

The former Boston star pitcher leaked the news of Wakefield's tragic health condition on his "The Curt Schilling Baseball Show" podcast on Wednesday ... admitting at the time, "I don't even know if he wants it shared."

"But, as a Christian and a man of faith," Schilling continued, "I've seen prayer work and so I'm going to talk about it."

Schilling then revealed Wakefield -- a knuckleballer who starred for the Red Sox from 1995 to 2011 -- is battling "a very serious, very aggressive form of brain cancer."

Schilling went on to call the situation "incredibly serious" ... adding that Wakefield recently underwent surgery for the issue. Schilling then asked for prayers.

Many, however, slammed the former World Series MVP for leaking the diagnosis to the public before Wakefield could ... including Catherine Varitek, who tweeted, "F*** you Curt Schilling, that wasn’t your place!"

Schilling has yet to respond to the backlash.

For his part, Wakefield has not commented on the matter either.

2:10 PM PT -- Travis Kelce got wind of Mark Cuban's plea to Taylor Swift ... and fired back at the Mavs owner with a playful post on X.

"Just sign me to a ten day [contract!] 😎"

Mark Cuban has seen what Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce has done for the NFL, and he's hoping her influence can transition over to the NBA ... telling TMZ Sports he wants to hook her up with a Mavericks player!!

T. Swift's appearance at the Chiefs game on Sunday had a massive positive impact on Kansas City and the league as a whole ... resulting in massive television ratings and Kelce jersey sales.

The billionaire businessman and Mavs owner is now giving his two cents on the Swift/Kelce sitch ... and he tells us he's not only witnessing a budding romance -- he's also seeing dollar signs.

"Taylor Swift impacts the economy," the Shark Tank star said out in NYC on Thursday. "She adds value everywhere she goes."

"Literally every city she brings her tours to, you can see the economy get a bump out of it. The NFL's gotta be loving this."

Cuban sends a personal message to Swift ... saying he'd love to introduce her to a hooper so the Association can get in on the big biz, too -- that is if things with the Chiefs tight end fall flat.

"The Mavs -- we got a lot of really good-looking, young single guys. Come on!"

It's National Sons Day, and folks across the country are givin' their male kiddos some love ... including these celebrity dads who have some sons of their own!

DJ Khaled's got Asahd, Drake has Adonis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's got Patrick, Joseph, and Christopher -- all superstar dads who have posed for the camera with their young ones over the years.

Cristiano Ronaldo even has a spitting image of his younger self ... his name? Cristiano Jr., of course.

LeBron James' sons, Bronny and Bryce, were grinning from ear to ear while taking a pic with their pops ... the 2 have aspirations to be in the NBA just like their dad, and it looks like they've at least got the height to show for it -- they're about as tall as LeBron!

Soccer legend David Beckham took a group shot with his sons, Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz ... and if the 3 don't have the sport in their future, they for sure could get some work in modeling!

Rob Lowe was kickin' it with his 2 kids, Matt and John -- enjoying some time on the open sea as a happy family.

There's clearly no beef between Travis Hunter and Henry Blackburn ... the star players linked up less than 2 weeks after the controversial hit in the Colorado vs. Colorado State game caused outrage among fans.

The two college football stars met this week ... and literally bro-hugged it out, as someone else filmed the interaction.

Remember, Blackburn laid the wallop on Hunter -- one of the most talented players in the country -- during the September 16th game. The issue ... the hit was late, and in many fans' minds, dirty. Henry wasn't called for targeting but did receive a penalty.

Hunter's Buffaloes won a double OT thriller, 43-35. But, they did it for most of the game with Travis ... who was seriously hurt in the collision with Blackburn.

In fact, the hit has already forced the receiver/cornerback to miss time with a lacerated liver.

As for Blackburn, a Colorado State captain, he's caught hell for the play ... even receiving death threats. University police are still investigating those threats.

Despite how people on the outside felt, there were signs right away that there wasn't any beef between Trav, the Colorado team and Henry. Even Coach Prime, Deion Sanders, asked fans to leave Blackburn alone.

"Travis Hunter has forgiven him. Let's move on. That kid does not deserve that, Sanders said last week.

Hunter agreed ... saying, "It’s football at the end of the day. Stuff like that gonna happen. He did what he was supposed to do. It's football."

And, looking at the guys together, it seems everything is all good!

An all-out brawl nearly erupted during the Astros vs. Mariners tilt on Wednesday night ... and according to one Seattle player, it all started 'cause Houston pitcher Hector Neris called Julio Rodriguez a homophobic slur.

The near-dust-up on the diamond went down in the sixth inning of the Astros' pivotal game with the Mariners at T-Mobile Park ... after Neris struck out Rodriguez with a breaking ball.

The reliever was so pumped to get the Seattle superstar out, he charged at him ... and, according to Seattle Times reporter Adam Jude, Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez said Neris screamed an anti-gay term at Rodriguez -- causing the benches to clear.

"He started talking bad words in Spanish," Suarez said, according to Jude. "He started doing something that is not good for people who speak Spanish and understand. I was in the on-deck circle and I heard that. That pissed me off."

Players from both sides ran onto the field to protect their guys ... though, thankfully, no punches were thrown and cooler heads ultimately prevailed.

Neris downplayed it all after the game ... telling reporters, "He's my friend." Rodriguez was not available for comment. The MLB, meanwhile, has yet to address Suarez's allegations.

Chandler Jones went live on social media amid his ongoing dispute with the Las Vegas Raiders ... and the NFL star displayed a wide range of emotions over the span of 25 minutes -- at one point, breaking down in tears over his former teammate, Aaron Hernandez.

The two-time All-Pro defensive end -- who is currently on the non-football illness list -- documented himself sitting by a fire at his Nevada residence on Thursday ... interacting with his followers as he discussed a number of topics.

33-year-old Jones stated multiple times he is sane and wants to continue his career with the Raiders ... just days after he claimed he was sent to a mental hospital and injected with a substance against his will.

At one point, Jones discussed knowing government secrets ... from the Illuminati to ISIS.

Jones made several disturbing statements about members of the NFL -- including Raiders coach Josh McDaniels and team owner Mark Davis.

He also had an exchange with a neighbor ... stating he's trying to protect the community and inviting the person over for gumbo.

In the final minutes of the stream, Jones breaks down in tears ... insinuating McDaniels had something to do with Hernandez's death.

"Oh, y'all didn't know what Josh McDaniels really did to Aaron Hernandez?" Jones asked his followers. "If y'all don't know what really happened with Aaron Hernandez ... y'all thought Aaron Hernandez killed himself in jail?"

"Y'all thought my n***a chico killed himself in jail?"

Even the Empire State Building wants to be as lit as Taylor Swift, which is why its iconic lights were shaded to honor her -- not for her music, but for her choice in condiments.

Yes, NYC's famed skyscraper shamelessly hopped on the "ketchup and seemingly ranch" craze Wednesday night by turning its crowning lights red and white ... the culmination of a wild frenzy that started 4 days earlier in Kansas City.

Follow along, because this is kinda crazy -- Sunday at the Chiefs game Taylor takes a photo with a fan, next to a plate with a chicken tender and 2 dollops of ketchup and seemingly ranch.

Then that photo gets tweeted on a Taylor fan account, gets 32 million views and births a new meme trend so big the Empire State Building folks had to get in on the action! BTW, Heinz is capitalizing on the moment, too.

Mind you, red and white are also the colors for Taylor's BF Travis Kelce's Chiefs ... who are coming to NY this weekend to play the NY Jets -- yes, Taylor's expected to attend -- and yet the Jets' hometown Empire State Building just couldn't resist.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are clearly two people comfortable with each other ... as Taylor draped her arm around the NFL stud's neck following his big team win Sunday.

Check out the pic, obtained by TMZ, showing Taylor very casually hanging on Travis as they spoke to Kelce's friends at a private party at Prime Social in Kansas City, Missouri.

Travis appears to be looking down, while Taylor engages in some conversation standing next to him.

As you can see, they were they were very comfortable holding court with TC's inner circle.

Travis reportedly rented out the rooftop restaurant/bar -- which is one of KC's trendiest spots -- to keep the party going with close friends, family and Chiefs teammates.

As we first told you, Travis and Taylor's first rendezvous didn't come Sunday at the game ... our sources say they've actually hung out several times, just in more intimate settings.

The photo marks the first time we've seen the two together outside of Arrowhead Stadium. Remember, Travis and Taylor walked out of the locker room area together Sunday and into his waiting convertible to leave Sunday's big win for the KC Chiefs.

Taylor's yet to say anything publicly about her situation with Kelce, but Travis spilled a bit Wednesday on his podcast "New Heights" ... calling T. Swift "pretty ballsy" for showing up to the game and hanging with his mom.

Lucky for Taylor, Travis caught a touchdown during the matchup -- something he does often -- but this one felt a little more special.

Bam Margera got some fresh, new ink while on the road to recovery, and this piece pays homage to Britney Spears ... someone with whom he says he has alarming similarities.

The former "Jackass" star hit up First Hand Tattoo in Pennsylvania and got the Brit-inspired tattoo, which reads, "Britney Spears ❤️ Oops they did it to me too!"

He says the meaning behind it is all about the "Florida shuffle" -- a phrase used to describe substance abusers with good health insurance in the Sunshine State. They're constantly sent to various rehab centers which repeatedly charge their insurance.

Bam says that describes him to a T, and points to Britney's time in her conservatorship as being painfully similar to what's been going down with him -- he's dragging his interventionalist for allegedly cashing in by keeping Bam in rehab.

Bam says he's done "the Guinness book of world records of longest Florida shuffle of nearly 2 years" ... which includes 10 back-to-back rehab stays that cost a total of $660,000.00.

He adds he's sick of the "controlling c***suckers that act like they care for your well-being when it's all about money."

BTW, this isn't the first time he's compared himself to Britney -- he called himself "the Britney Spears of 'Jackass'" while working on standup material with Steve-O earlier this year.

As we reported, Bam recently celebrated being 1 month sober after going in and out of rehab this year, and sources told us he's been spending his time with his girlfriend, Dannii, on a farm outside Philadelphia.

Canelo Alvarez, days away from a historic boxing match against one of the best fighters in the world, has a message for anyone who thinks he's on the decline ... he's STILL the baddest man in the world and Jermell Charlo's going to find out Saturday in Las Vegas!

As you know (hey, it's a seriously big event!), 33-year-old Alvarez is taking on 33-year-old Charlo on Showtime PPV -- pitting two of the world's best against one another -- in a history-making scrap, and TMZ Sports is on the ground in Sin City.

See, it's the first time in the four-belt era that two reigning, undisputed world champions will step in the ring together and slug it out.

FYI, Canelo is the super middleweight (168 lbs.) champ ... the weight class where the bout will go down. Jermell, though taller and with a longer reach, typically fights at a lighter weight, junior middleweight (154 lbs.), where he's the active G.O.A.T.

Both superstars hold the WBO, IBF, WBA, and WBC belts in their respective divisions.

Of course, Alvarez -- the biggest star in the sport and one of the most famous athletes on the planet -- has been a pro for almost two decades, and some people have actually suggested he's lost a step.

We asked Canelo what he'd say to those detractors.

"I feel fresh. I feel in my prime," Alvarez told us without hesitation before revealing he actually fought hurt during his scrap against John Ryder in May.

"I had a little injury on my hand [that was] slowing me down a little bit, but you will see Saturday night," Canelo said.

If Alvarez is victorious, as he clearly believes he will be, he'll become the first fighter in the four-belt era to successfully defend the straps three consecutive times.

But, Canelo isn't the only one with some skin in the game. If Charlo can win going up two divisions, he'll join a pretty legendary group of guys ... Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Roy Jones Jr.

How's that for company?! 😅

Alvarez vs. Charlo is just the latest massive fight to be made this year -- all delivered by Showtime Boxing -- joining super fights like Gervonta "Tank" Davis vs. Ryan Garcia and Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence.

There are just three days until the superstar champs -- coming in with eight belts and 94 wins combined -- square off in the squared circle with history on the line.

Don't miss it ... pre-order the event on Showtime PPV!

Taylor Swift is really digging Travis Kelce ... because she's expected back at his next NFL game.

Sources confirm to TMZ … as of now, Taylor is expected to attend Sunday's game between Travis' Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

We're told Taylor's team is still working out security logistics with MetLife Stadium, where she played a huge concert earlier this summer on her "Eras" tour.

Taylor would be going back for seconds ... she went to the Chiefs game last Sunday, watching Travis score a touchdown from a private suite with his family. It was the first time she went to one of his games since they started hanging out, and the first time she met his parents.

The NFL schedule is lining up perfectly for Taylor and Travis ... his team is playing on the road against the Jets, across the river from New York City ... where Taylor owns a place.

TMZ broke the story ... Taylor and Travis got super cozy with one another after last Sunday's game, she was draping her arm around his neck while they chatted at the private party he set up.

As we first reported ... the singer and NFL stud have hung out several times before, but in more intimate settings than a football stadium.

Brittany Renner just opened up about her sex life to Shannon Sharpe in a big way ... revealing she's slept with 35 men -- a number that stunned the Pro Football Hall of Famer so much, he had to take a big swig of booze.

The "Basketball Wives" star made the remark while chatting with Sharpe on his "Club Shay Shay" podcast about Derek Jeter's dating life.

Renner said to Sharpe her roster of partners was very comparable to the Yankees legend's ... and then she told the former Denver Broncos star her body count.

Sharpe then reacted as if he had seen a ghost ... nearly spitting up his water -- before shooting some booze.

"Oh, lord!" the ex-NFLer said. "Anybody else need a shot of this?! We are in a bar, so help yourself!"

Renner took the intimate conversation even further moments later ... telling Sharpe she once caught a yeast infection after having sex with three men within 24 hours.

The deep convo didn't just stop there, though ... 'cause the two then dove into her relationship with her ex, NBA player P.J. Washington.

Renner explained she had been on birth control for a decade prior to getting with the Charlotte Hornets forward ... but she decided to go off of it to have a child with Washington because she thought he "was my guy."

"I thought I was doin' it right," she said.

Renner went on to say she's cool with Washington despite their split ... lauding his recent engagement to Alisah Chanel.

"I've sat down with his fiancée," Renner said. "We've had a four-hour conversation out for brunch."

Taylor Swift was already at the "meet the parents" stage of her relationship with Travis Kelce ... and it turns out she's getting cool with his buddies, too -- 'cause Patrick Mahomes just revealed he got to chop it up with the singer at the tight end's postgame party on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar was asked about Kelce's recent super VIP guest at Arrowhead Stadium after practice on Wednesday ... and while he initially said days ago he hadn't met Swift yet -- that has since changed following TK's shindig at Prime Social in K.C.

"Yeah, I met her," Mahomes told local reporters. "She's really cool, good people."

But Patrick wasn't super chatty about the subject ... echoing Kelce and saying he's going to keep it to talkin' football moving forward.

"But like Trav said, man, I'm going to let them have their privacy and just keep it moving," the two-time MVP added.

As we previously reported, Swift and Kelce -- who hung out a few times in intimate settings before Sunday's game -- were a bit closer at the postgame party ... with TS putting her arm around the four-time first-team All-Pro's neck.

Usher's upcoming Super Bowl Halftime show definitely has people feeling nostalgic already -- 'cause his music has been played like crazy in the days since the news broke.

The numbers are pretty staggering ... Billboard tells us Usher's tunes (new and old) have seen a significant spike across all streaming services since the announcement was made Sunday, and the increased plays are tipping into the millions.

Percentage-wise, we're told that boils down to about a 16% bump for Usher between Sunday and Monday ... with his most-streamed song being his new single, "Good Good," which is already on the Hot 100.

Billboard says "Good Good" was streamed 1.1 million times in this window, about a 5% gain. His classics like "Yeah!," "My Boo" and "DJ Got Us Fallin in Love" saw bumps as well -- amounting to an added 962k streams, 527k streams, and 525k streams, respectively.

When it comes to the individual streaming services, the increase is clear in their data too. Tidal, for example, tells us Usher's "Superstar" was the most popular song on their platform on the day of the announcement. They also say "You Make Me Wanna..." saw the biggest jump in streaming percentage from the day prior at 55%.

Another music streaming company that felt the Usher effect was Amazon ... they tell us "Yeah!" climbed a whopping 140% in plays compared to the day before the announcement. As a result, we're told it jumped 149 spots in their internal popular song rankings list.