TMZ Sports - Page 50

Mexican soccer star Raul Jimenez underwent surgery Sunday night after fracturing his skull during a Premier League game in London, his team confirmed.

The 29-year-old forward was playing for his club Wolverhampton against Arsenal -- when he collided with Brazilian star David Luiz while going after a corner kick in the 5th minute of the game.

The two banged heads -- and it was so loud, you could hear the impact on the TV broadcast.

Medical personnel rushed on to the field to treat both men -- but it was obvious Jimenez was badly hurt ... and they called for the stretcher.

He was eventually transported to a nearby hospital -- where he was diagnosed with a fractured skull and underwent surgery.

Wolverhampton issued a statement Monday morning -- saying, "Raul is comfortable following an operation last night, which he underwent in a London hospital."

"He has our love and support as he begins a period of recovery.  We're all with you, @Raul_Jimenez9."

As for Luiz, he was bandaged up and stayed in the game.

Floyd Mayweather is calling on everyone to stop clowning Nate Robinson for getting knocked out this weekend ... saying, "I will never kick my brother when he’s down."

36-year-old Robinson became a meme on social media in the moments after he was KO'd in his debut boxing match against 23-year-old Jake Paul. Some of the images were straight-up mean.

Enter Floyd ... who's calling on everyone -- and specifically the Black community -- to back off the ex-NBA star.

"Nate, I’m proud of you and I will always stand behind all my brothers," Mayweather posted on social media.

"I will never kick my brother when he’s down."

Mayweather continued ... "It’s ok for people to voice their opinions on social media, but no black athletes or black entertainers, especially black NBA players should make a mockery out of you."

"We are supposed to all stand with each other through the good, bad and ugly. I’m here to uplift you and let you know we all love you and congratulate you for just making an effort."

Floyd added a "sidenote" at the end of his post -- addressing issues he's had in the past with other Black people.

"The times I’ve had issues with another brother is when they came at me first. I was just defending myself."

As for Nate, he posted on social media after the fight saying he's okay -- and thanked everyone who reached out.

Pet owners showed some serious love to Kobe Bryant in 2020 -- with Mamba-inspired pet names up BIG over the past year, new data shows.

The famous dog-walking site Rover.com has crunched the numbers for its annual list of the most popular pet names ... which shows fans are honoring the NBA legend by passing on his name (and nickname) to their beloved furry family members.

The name "Mamba" is up 111% from 2019 -- the biggest spike.

"Black Mamba" is up 58% and "Kobe" is up 16%.

The site says the name "Gianna" is also up 20% from 2019, which Rover suspects is also connected to fans paying tribute to Bryant's daughter, Gigi.

Other notable increases ... Rover says the name LeBron is up among dog owners. Michael Jordan is up big with cats.

Neymar is one of the top trending athlete-inspired dog names of 2020 -- with a 58% increase.

They also note Tom Brady is seeing a surge in pet name popularity ... probably from people in Tampa?!

Obviously, the rise in Kobe-inspired names comes from people looking to honor Bryant following his death back in January.

As we previously reported, BabyCenter is also seeing a surge in people naming their human children after Kobe and Gianna as well.

The name Kobe vaulted from #595 on the list in 2019 to #216 in 2020 -- "far and away the biggest riser on the list for boys in 2020."

As for Gianna, her name among newborns rose from #76 to #24 (seriously, #24).

The death of soccer legend Diego Maradona has now triggered a criminal investigation, and his personal doctor appears to be in the crosshairs of the probe.

Police searched the office and home of Dr. Leopoldo Luque ... Diego's doctor. The raid followed several witnesses reportedly telling authorities they had seen Diego and the doctor fighting and shoving.

As we reported, Diego suffered a heart attack at his home in Buenos Aires. His death has been ruled a "culpable homicide." The raid involves allegations of negligence.

Police in Argentina have searched the house and private clinic of Luque, just 4 days after Maradona's death.

Diego had a blood clot on his brain earlier this month and underwent surgery. He was also being treated for alcohol abuse.

As for why cops are interested in the doctor ... he reportedly allowed Diego to leave the hospital 8 days after surgery -- it's unclear if that's the foundation of the negligence claim.

Maradona had successful surgery on a brain blood clot on November 11 and was to be treated for alcohol dependency. Dr. Luque wasn't at Diego's home when he died, but he called emergency services to get EMT's out to the house.  It's unclear when and where the shoving match between the doctor and Diego occurred.

Diego's family feels strongly this was a homicide and demanded the investigation.

Now, his family and lawyers are demanding a probe into his death.

Soccer legend Lionel Messi honored Diego Sunday ... after scoring a goal, he ripped his shirt off, exposing Diego's legendary jersey.

RESPECT. RESPECT. RESPECT.

54-year-old Mike Tyson and 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr. just fought to a DRAW -- in one of the most impressive performances by two fighters in their 50s EVER.

The showcase of skill, power, athleticism and boxing smarts was just amazing. No knockdowns. No violent knockout. But, what an incredible performance from two legends.

The fight was technically an "exhibition" -- which means it wasn't sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission and won't count on their professional records ... but it was scored for fun by three judges from the WBC (World Boxing Council), who ultimately saw it as an even fight.

"I'm good with a draw, the crowd was happy with it," Mike said after the fight.

Roy noted Tyson still hits like a truck -- but added, "We gotta do this again!"

The takeaway is this -- both guys look like 50-year-old versions of themselves ... but we mean that in the best possible way.

Roy fought smart -- working distances, angles, setting traps ... no-look jabs!

And, Mike Tyson looks like a 54-year-old version of an athlete not from this Earth ... the speed, the body movement, the power -- he's like a hurricane in short black shorts.

No knockouts in this fight ... but man, was this an impressive performance from two legends.

And, to think Tyson hasn't fought in 15 years -- combined with all of the issues he's had since the last time he stepped in the ring -- it's just mind-blowing.

"Man, I'm proud of both of these brothers tonight," Snoop Dogg said during the 7th round.

By the way, Snoop was AWESOME as a fight announcer -- adding humor and excitement to the whole event.

After the fight, Mike and Roy showed nothing but love and respect to each other.

F1 driver Romain Grosjean is lucky to be alive -- SUPER LUCKY -- because his car exploded in flames and was literally ripped apart during the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The race barely got started ... during the first lap of the race, his car made contact with another car and it sent him careening into the barrier. It looked like dynamite ... a massive explosion tore the car apart.

The 34-year-old driver was hurt, but miraculously not badly. He suffered minor burns and was taken to a local hospital, but he'll be ok.

The race stopped down for 45 minutes so the staff could clear the track of debris.

Lewis Hamilton, who's won 7 world championships, went on Instagram almost instantly and said in amazement, "I'm so grateful Romain is safe, wow."

Lewis then went on to remind folks of the danger ... "The risk we take is no joke for those of you out there that forget we put our life on the line for this sport and love what we do. This is a reminder to us all. Thankful to the FIA for the massive strides we've taken for roman to walk away from that safely."

Happy Romain's okay.

Jake Paul just DESTROYED Nate Robinson -- knocking the ex-NBA star out cold with a devastating right cross that sent Nate crashing to the mat.

Wow.

23-year-old Jake was in control the entire fight Saturday night -- knocking Nate down once in the 1st round -- and twice in the 2nd.

But, there was no getting up from knockdown #3 -- Paul hit him with a nuclear bomb right on the button.

36-year-old Nate eventually got up -- but the former NBA star needed some help off the canvas.

Paul only landed 8 punches in the fight ... but he made 'em all count.

Snoop Dogg was announcing the fight and cautioned other athletes looking to get in the boxing game -- "You don't play boxing."

After the fight, Paul praised Nate during a post-fight interview with Jim Gray ... "He was better than I expected ... I wanted to say thank you to Nate."

"It takes a lot of balls to step in the ring and I don't want to take anything away from that."

After the fight, Nate called out Conor McGregor -- telling Jim Gray he wants to stay in boxing for a long, long time.

Charizard was always the most coveted holographic Pokemon card -- so it's not hard to believe someone might drop half a mil for one of the rarest ones out there.

Goldin Auctions is hawking a 1999 1st edition Charizard card that's got all the nerdy fixings that trading card aficionados geek out on. Namely, this one's got a grade of Gold Label Pristine 10 by SGC, and it's Black Diamond Certified ... meaning it's in near-mint condition. So yeah, it's beyond valuable, people!!!

The opening bid for this thing started at $50k, and the current bid stands at $150k ... and there's still two weeks left for people to jump in.

As for why GA honchos think their Charizard card could go for at least $500k -- we're told they're basing it on a few factors. For one, another Charizard card with a 10 rating recently got bought and sold in a private transaction for a whopping $250k.

Not only that, but Charizard is getting a second lease on life as far as interest in the younger generation -- one Logan Paul recently bought a Charizard card that was also graded 10 for a cool $150k. Bottom line ... we're told the Goldin Auctions folks believe the demand is there, and they're banking on people dropping a pretty penny for theirs.

There's only 10 people with bids on this card for now -- but by the closing bell, Goldin is expecting way more ... and for the price to fall at a record number. If it hits $500,000, like they're hoping, it would be the first time someone's shelled out that much for a Charizard.

Very cool gesture from Adrian Peterson ... the NFL superstar says he's helping injured guys like Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley with their rehabs -- and he's got plans to assist Joe Burrow soon too.

The future Hall of Famer tells TMZ Sports ... after he went through a devastating knee injury in 2011 and recovered spectacularly, he's doing all he can to impart wisdom on others so they can follow down the same path.

The 35-year-old says he's already been in touch with Saquon and Odell after they suffered their respective knee tears ... and he's reaching out to Burrow soon too after the Bengals QB ripped up his knee Sunday.

And, Peterson says he's hoping his words and his story really make an impact on the guys.

"To be that poster child for [ACL recovery] is what I envisioned," Peterson said. "Because now people, they look at it, and they say, 'You know what? I can do that. I'll be able to come back.'" Adrian had an MVP season when he came back.

Peterson says part of his advice to the guys includes handing over some of his old rehab routines, workouts and milestones so they can follow along during their journeys.

The rest, Peterson tells us, is all about convincing the guys to have a positive mindset amid the adversity.

How's Justin Jefferson rewarding himself for ballin' the hell out during his rookie season?!

BLING, BABY!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Minnesota Vikings star receiver just copped a new diamond chain featuring a jet pendant ... and it's AWESOME!!!

We're told the wideout hit up Leo Frost in Houston a few weeks ago to get the ice made ... and the famed jeweler sure as hell delivered.

The jet -- an obvious nod to Justin's "Jet" nickname -- is iced out ... while the chain features stars on the links.

All told, the piece is 14k gold with 37 carats of VVS diamonds!!

No word on what JJ paid for the drip ... but don't worry -- dude can afford it, he signed a 4-year, $13 MILLION deal this year!!

Lil Wayne will NOT be performing at the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight after all -- even though he signed a contract saying he would ... TMZ has learned.

Sources tell us ... organizers for the mega event this weekend had a flight booked for Weezy so he could take the stage Saturday ahead of the fight set to go down at Staples Center in L.A. in just a few hours. We're told LW simply never got on the plane.

Sounds like it was a last-minute cancelation -- we're working on getting more info about why that happened, but in any case ... it's a no-show for Wayne, and our sources say folks at Triller are working on adding another big name to the lineup.

So far, rapper SAINt JHN has stepped in and signed on to perform at the fight. We're told there's a real possibility Snoop Dogg could get on the mic, too. He's an investor at Triller, so it's feasible he'd do that.

Even with Weezy out, there's a stellar entertainment lineup -- featuring performances from stars like Ne-Yo, Wiz Khalifa, French Montana and YG.

Plus, THE FIGHTS! Both Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. have said they're gunning for knockouts -- and they looked in incredible shape during Friday's weigh-in.

Plus, the undercard features Jake Paul vs. ex-NBA star Nate Robinson -- and those dudes HATE each other. Should be a good scrap.

As for Wayne, it's strange that he wouldn't follow through if it wasn't an emergency -- the dude was literally plugging his involvement in the fight just on Friday night (on the heels of him dropping his 'No Ceilings 3' mixtape, to much fanfare).

We've reached out to Wayne's camp as well for an explanation and to make sure everything's okay ... so far, no word back.

The Vanderbilt University football team made history this weekend by enlisting the athletic prowess of one its star soccer players for their own sport ... and this time it's not a man.

Sarah Fuller took the field Saturday in Vandy's NCAA match against the Missouri Tigers -- where she suited up and kicked off to the opposing team in the second half ... and etching her name in the record books while doing so.

She delivered an effective onside kick to the Tigers, and then jogged off the field to lots of applause. Her play marks the first time a female has played in a Power 5 college football game ... which is a huge deal. The first woman to play the game ever at the college level was Liz Heaston in 1997 ... but that wasn't NCAA.

In 2001, Ashley Martin did the honors there ... but as far as Power 5 (the most competitive tier of collegiate football), Sarah is the first to ever do it -- an historic feat.

Now, as for how this came to be ... word is a few players on Vanderbilt's squad -- including some kickers -- are out right now due to COVID-19, so they were in need of some emergency reinforcements from other athletic departments on campus.

Sarah's actually the goalkeeper for Vanderbilt's women's soccer team, which just won the SEC championship. The Vanderbilt football coach reportedly was considering different options amid his team being down a handful of guys, and thought of Sarah because of how good she was with the soccer ball. One thing led to another, and they had her practice with a football. Obviously, she was a fit.

Some folks -- including certain media personalities -- criticized the move and questioned Vandy's motives for recruiting a female soccer player instead of a guy ... wondering if it was all for publicity and more for PR than actual merit.

Tristan Thompson is all about changes these days ... and he's just changed his citizenship to the U.S. of A.

Tristan was sworn in as an American citizen earlier this week ... shortly after deciding to join the Boston Celtics.

Tristan was a Canadian citizen and came to the United States to study at the Univ. of Texas back in 2009. He was only there a year, before joining the NBA draft.

Tristan says, “I came to the U.S. on a student visa and have always had big dreams. I’m now truly living the American dream.”

Dude's got a lot to celebrate. The Boston deal's netting him $19 mil over 2 years.

The athlete’s U.S. citizenship comes after news broke on November 21 that he reached a two-year, $19 million deal with the Boston Celtics as its new center.

Thompson began his professional basketball career in 2011 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played for nine seasons.

On the home front, Khloe says she and 2-year-old True are staying put in L.A. ... she just bought a new home right next to her mom. Presumably, there will be lots of commuting.

Khloe and Tristan got back together during the pandemic, and from all accounts, they're going strong.

Kim Kardashian's visit with an inmate on death row in Oklahoma is being hailed as a big morale boost for the folks already fighting for Julius Jones' freedom.

Kim brought a lot of extra attention to Julius' case when she met with him face-to-face in Oklahoma City ... and we're told it's got his family excited and supporters energized.

Folks at the "Justice for Julius" campaign tell us their website has seen a tenfold traffic increase, and thousands of emails from all over the world are flowing into the site and into the inbox at the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, urging a commutation of his sentence.

Jones, a Black man, was only 19 when he was arrested for the shooting death of a 45-year-old white man named Paul Howell back in 1999. Jones was convicted of 1st-degree murder in 2002 and sentenced to death, but lots of folks say the case was racially charged with little evidence tying him to the scene. Julius claims he was framed and it was racial.

Julius filed a clemency petition last year and is waiting on the parole board to recommend his sentence be commuted ... a final decision is in the hands of Governor Kevin Stitt.

We're told since Kim's visit Cleveland Browns quarterback, Baker Mayfield, who's been wearing Julius' name on the back of his helmet all season and has been wearing custom cleats with Julius' face on it, is fully on board the Julius team.

But, more than anything, we're told Kim's visit brought renewed hope and energy to the folks on the ground in Oklahoma who have been working tirelessly on the case.

Julius' sister, Antoinette Jones, tells TMZ ... Kim provided the family with a sense of optimism moving forward, making good on her word to fight for Julius. Antoinette says Kim's drive reminds her of Robert Kardashian Sr.

It's pretty heartbreaking ... Julius' sister says he told Kim he's still broken up about not being able to take her to junior and senior prom because he was locked up, and he told Kim he wants to make it up to his sister. She says Kim feels that's another reason why Kim wants to fight for his freedom.

Not everyone is feeling great about Kim's visit though.

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter called her out for advocating for Jones, claiming "every criticism surrounding his case has been disproven" and railing against "celebrity endorsements."

If Jake Paul wants to put the camera down and retire from YouTube, he's got a serious future as a fighter ... so says boxer J'Leon Love, who tells TMZ Sports the social media star can actually hang with the big dogs of the sport.

"He can make it," Love tells us. "He already has made it because he has the push of the fans. the skill set is there."

Of course, the 24-3-1 super-middleweight has been helping JP train for his highly anticipated fight with Nate Robinson this weekend ... and Love admits he was first caught off-guard by Paul's skills.

"I was like, 'Damn, okay. hold on. You've done this before,'" Love tells us.

And, get this -- Love says Paul has been sparring with real-deal undefeated champs in training ... and the dude's been able to hold his own.

"He is becoming more and more polished every day," Love added. "He has definitely a long road in the boxing game, but he's on his way for sure."

Love raves about Paul's work ethic, willingness to learn, and how serious he takes the craft ... and thinks he's improved immensely since his first two fights.

"I wish you guys could see what we see in the gym."

Aaron Carter is ready to rumble ... and he wants to beat the crap outta any boy band-type singer willing to step in the ring with him!!!

The singer has inked a deal with Celebrity Boxing promoter Damon Feldman, who tells TMZ ... Aaron's planning to fight in April or May in Los Angeles, once the coronavirus pandemic slows down.

Aaron's opponent is still up in the air, but we're told his dream match would be against Justin Bieber. We get it ... that would get the most headlines, but for lots of reasons, it's highly unlikely.

If the Biebs ain't down, we're told Aaron's ready to fight anyone else of his ilk -- a singer ready to put his hands to the test.

Aaron's got some experience in this arena ... he fought his brother, Nick Carter, back on their old reality show, "House of Carters."