TMZ Sports - Page 25

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is sending his love and support to "The Challenge" star Ashley Cain ... as doctors say his 8-month-old daughter only has days to live.

Ashley and his wife posted the video message Dwayne sent to them just days after they got the heart-wrenching prognosis for their baby girl, Azaylia. The Rock said, "Brother, I'm so sorry to hear this news. My heart breaks for you."

But, he also sent words of encouragement, saying ... "You tell that little lion I said, 'Let's go Champ, and to stay strong."

Ashley -- who was a UK soccer player before joining MTV's hit reality series -- and his girlfriend announced last week little Azaylia was battling leukemia and had tumors on several of her organs.

His fans, in Great Britain and the States, are showing incredible support. The family started a GoFundMe for Azaylia's medical bills, and it's already raised nearly $1.8 million.

Bad Bunny proved he's more than just an international music superstar, he's got a spot as one of the best celebs to fight in the WWE too ... shocking fans at his WrestleMania debut.

Night one of the wrestling world's Super Bowl kicked off Saturday in Tampa, FL. Nasty weather delayed the event for about 30 minutes, which eventually kicked off in front of 25,000 fans at Raymond James Stadium.

Among the matches were a tag-team bout with Bad Bunny and Damian Priest facing off against The Miz -- who Bunny's been feuding with over the last couple weeks -- and John Morrison.

Bunny stunned the crowd, pulling off some impressive high-flying and acrobatic moves before eventually getting the win.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager has a warning to pro wrestlers who want a crack at the UFC legend -- be careful what you wish for!!

Now that Khabib has retired from MMA, the big question everyone is asking ... what’s he gonna do next?

A crossover into WWE seems like a natural fit -- and Khabib’s manager Ali Abdelaziz tells us Nurmagomedov will gladly smash anyone who has the stones to get in the ring.

"Let’s be real, [if] any of these soft steroid freaks wanted to go ahead and have a wrestling match with Khabib and they wanna get beat up for real, they know who they need to call," Ali tells us.

"He’ll go there and he’ll smash John Cena’s face. No problem."

Tons of MMA fighters have successfully transitioned into pro wrestling -- and they’re usually super successful at it. From Ronda Rousey to Ken Shamrock to Bobby Lashley and more.

As for now, Khabib has made the transition to coaching ... sharing his expertise with fighters like Luke Rockhold, who recently told us the champ is looking to follow in his father's footsteps as a legendary coach.

Ali explains why Khabib is such a natural in the switch to coaching ... saying, "He got no egos, he loves his friends, he loves his peers and he's there for them."

"You're gonna see a lot of new generation coming from his team. They're probably going to dominate the UFC or MMA in general."

Wanna live like a top NFL pick?? Mario Williams' one-of-a-kind Houston mansion just hit the market ... and it's got an $8.5 MILLION price tag!!

The former Houston Texans superstar is letting go of the 12,900+ square-foot crib he bought right after going #1 overall in the 2006 NFL Draft ... and it's completely tricked out!!

The pad -- which sits on 1.42 acres -- comes with 5 bedrooms, 5 1/2 bathrooms, an all-marble kitchen, 5 fireplaces and a 9-car garage.

Of course, Texas can get HOT ... but there are plenty of ways to cool off in the luxurious backyard, where there's a fancy pool with a dope waterfall, a jacuzzi and tons of space for some BBQs.

There's a bunch of fun stuff inside, too -- you can "Netflix and Chill" in your own home theater and grab some wine from the HUGE retro-type wine cellar.

The property is listed by Krista McGowen and Julia Wang from NextGen Real Estate -- and it's all yours for $8.5 million!!

The 4-time Pro Bowler played in the league for 10 years -- with the Texans, Bills and Dolphins -- logging in 97.5 sacks, 16 forced fumbles and 1 defensive touchdown.

Heads up, NFL teams ... there could be another Gates in the league very, very soon!!

Antonio Gates tells TMZ Sports ... his son -- a star H.S. football player in Michigan -- has SO MUCH game on the gridiron, he thinks the kid compares well to Robert Woods!!

The NFL legend gushed about Antonio Gates Jr. to us out in L.A. this week ... telling us the younger Gates -- a junior at Dearborn (Mich.) Fordson -- has a TON of potential.

"You ever seen Robert Woods play? On the Rams?" Gates says. "He's more like that. He's more of a long, rangy receiver. But, he's physical. Physical at the point of attack-type of guy."

The praise is high ... but Dad ain't just gassing up his son -- it's all warranted.

Gates Jr. is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound wideout who's rated as a four-star recruit. In fact, the kid's so good, he already has offers from big-time programs like Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State and Tennessee.

As for where he'll end up playing in college ... the older Gates told us he's not sure yet -- but he's advising his son to make sure he finds the best fit, regardless of location.

And, if and when it comes time for a pro career ... Gates tells us he sure as hell hopes he'll end up a better player than he was.

"That's the goal," Gates says. "That's why you have kids, so they can be better than you!"

Before these tiny tots made it big time in professional wrestling, they were just a bunch of kids focusing on growing up!

From playing dress-up and posing for school pictures to running around in the yard ... These kids had no clue what was ahead!

Little did they know back then that they would all be superstars ... And that some of them would be throwing it down at this year's WrestleMania 37.

Take a trip down memory lane and try to see if you can recognize any of these WWE cute kids!

There will be no pity party for Paul Pierce -- the NBA legend's not wasting any time sulking over his departure from ESPN ... insisting he's already on the verge of a major comeback.

"Truth gonna bounce back like never before ... that's all you gotta know," so claimed "The Truth" on his way out of Il Pastaio restaurant in Beverly Hills Friday night.

So what's Paul's big move?? Well, we know Barstool Sports is making a recruiting push. In fact, Dave Portnoy personally tweeted out to Pierce just hours after his split with ESPN ... urging him to hit him up.

Pierce wouldn't dish out any details of his next gig after dinner though, but whatever it is ... he's pretty fired up about it.

As we reported ... ESPN parted ways with Pierce last week, though the network wouldn't reveal the reason for its decision.

"I'm sad, I'm very sad."

Anderson Silva was so shocked by the death of rap legend DMX, he could barely find the words -- but ultimately explained how the guy made such a tremendous impact on his life.

The MMA legend -- who's boxing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 19 --  famously used DMX's "Ain't No Sunshine" as his ring walkout song for years. Watch the video below, the fans went WILD!!!!

So, when we spotted Silva shooting a promo on Friday in the hours after X's passing, we had to ask his thoughts -- and you can feel the sadness.

Silva also tells us he plans on honoring DMX during the Chavez fight.

As for the fight itself, Anderson tells TMZ Sports he knows Chavez Jr. has a lifetime of experience as a boxer ... but he's up for the challenge and says he wouldn't have signed up if he didn't think he could win!

And, get this ... if Silva beats Chavez, he wants MORE boxing fights down the road and says he would seriously consider Jake and Logan Paul as future opponents.

DMX could soon have a statue or a street named after him in his hometown ... but first, the city of Yonkers, NY is welcoming the late rapper's family to hold his memorial service there, if they so choose.

A source close to X's family tells us there will be both a private and public memorial, and a meeting Monday to work to finalize possible plans, but Mayor Mike Spano tells TMZ ... he's in favor of DMX's family holding the memorial service at Yonkers Raceway, the city's largest outdoor venue, and wants to help make it happen.

Spano says X's hometown wants to ease the burden on his family, and the door is wide open for them to use the grounds of the horse racing facility, if they want to do so.

Yonkers Raceway has a seating capacity of 7,500, but under the state's COVID guidelines they'd be limited to 20 percent of that number. Mayor Spano says it would be fitting for folks to say goodbye to an icon like X in the city where he was raised.

A rep for the raceway says they've not had any official requests to host a memorial, and haven't had any large events since COVID-19 struck, but they're currently operating at 25% capacity.

As you know, DMX died Friday after he was hospitalized in a coma for a week ... following an overdose that cut off oxygen to his brain for about 30 minutes.

Regardless of where the family holds the memorial, we're told Yonkers will honor DMX with a lasting gesture ... Mayor Spano says that might mean a statue like another famous Yonkers native, Ella Fitzgerald, or a street mural or street naming.

Of course, the Mayor says it will largely depend on what X's family wants to do.

Bad Bunny is ready to shut up all of his wrestling critics -- he's been busting his ass to get ready for WrestleMania ... and Drew McIntyre admits he's seriously impressed.

The WWE superstar says he's aware of some wrestlers in the company who aren't happy with Bad Bunny getting a prime match against The Miz during the biggest event of the year ... but those people need to get over it.

"Realistically, this is going to draw a lot of new eyes," McIntyre said on "TMZ Live" ... "He's not somebody that's just showing up for a paycheck. He doesn't have to. He's done pretty well in his chosen field of music, [he] won a Grammy."

Bad Bunny -- one of the biggest music stars in the world -- is a lifelong pro wrestling fan who's now in a major storyline with The Miz, which will come to a head this weekend at WrestleMania 37.

Some people have criticized Bunny's athletic ability. Others say he needs to work on his mic game.

But, Drew says he's been working out like a maniac at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando ... and insists Bunny will "shock a lot of people" when he steps in the ring.

"He's there week in, week out. I've been observing him from afar, he has a genuine passion for this. He's putting the work in, he's training almost every single day."

The other major storyline for WrestleMania 37 has to do with WWE allowing 25,000 fans to attend the event at Raymond James Stadium in person each night.

McIntyre says Vince McMahon and his team have spared no expense to keep the venue safe.

"It's gonna be a phenomenal event. For the fans watching at home, this is really cool not just in the sense that it's WrestleMania, it's such a spectacle."

UFC star Nina Nunes just gave birth 6 months ago ... but tells TMZ Sports she CAN'T WAIT to get back in the Octagon and fight on Saturday!

Nina -- formally known as Nina Ansaroff -- had a baby back in September with her longtime partner Amanda Nunes, who happens to be one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time!

Nina ain't too shabby herself -- she's the #5 ranked UFC strawweight -- and she's taking on fellow mom Mackenzie Dern on "UFC on ABC 2" on April 10.

Mackenzie made headlines herself back in 2019 when she fought Amanda Ribas just 4 months after giving birth ... and gave a pretty inspiring performance, despite losing the fight.

Nunes tells us she has tremendous respect for Dern ... and hopes the fight will show people you can be a mom and also kick ass as a pro fighter!

Nunes admits her delivery wasn't exactly smooth -- she had some serious medical issues that left her in rough shape.

But, as soon as she was cleared to work out, she got ripped in weeks -- just look at the photos! Amazing!

As for Dern, she tells TMZ Sports the respect with Nunes is mutual -- "The babies make us better athletes, better fighters, more motivated, more professional."

Both women tell us they're expecting a war -- but it's not personal ... and they expect to take pictures with their babies together after the fight!

Two extremely rare, insanely valuable collector's items -- a Tom Brady and a LeBron James trading card -- just hit the auction block ... and are expected to sell for over $5 MILLION!!!

Yes, $2,500,000 each ... $5 million total. That's equivalent to the cost of 24 brand-spankin' new Lamborghini Huracans.

Let's start with the King James card ... a 2003-04 Upper Deck "Exquisite Collection" Exquisite Rookie Patch Autograph card -- 1 of 99 ever produced.

The card features Bron's signature ... and an actual NBA logo patch from a jersey LBJ rocked during his incredible rookie year with the Cavs in 2003.

The card was rated a mint 9 by Beckett -- one of the top grading companies in the business -- meaning it's essentially in brand new condition.

As for the Brady card ... it's a 2000 Playoff Contenders #144 Signed Championship Ticket Rookie card -- 1 of only 100 ever made.

The TB12 is considered the "holy grail" of modern football cards ... it was graded an 8.5 (near mint +) by Beckett ... and the autograph was awarded a perfect 10 (pristine) rating.

If you think $2.5 mil for each card is crazy ... it's not. In fact, a lower graded version of the Brady card recently sold for $2.25 mil.

Also, a different version of the same Bron card sold for $1.84 mil in 2020 -- and the card collectibles market has exploded recently.

Both cards are part of Goldin Auctions' latest auction ... which went live Friday.

WrestleMania 37 is kicking off this weekend and we're getting the competition started, and seeing which pro wrestler you're backing in each round!

We've put together a gallery of pics for you to scroll through and pick your favs! From Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair and Mike "The Miz" vs. Damian Priest, to Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro ... there's 37 matchups this weekend, and just as many votes to cast here!

In the first round here we've got Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley ... Click on the pic to vote who'd you rather, and scroll through the rest to see who else is going head-to-head!

Kevin Holland ➡️ Israel Adesanya ➡️ Middleweight title

That's the blueprint UFC fighter Marvin Vettori tells TMZ Sports he plans to follow ... insisting he's only 1 "Big Mouth" ass-whoopin' away from a long-anticipated rematch with Stylebender.

We talked to the 27-year-old Italian MMA star before his UFC on ABC 2 main event scrap on Saturday with 28-year-old Holland ... who stepped in for Darren Till -- who broke his collarbone (but MV ain't buying the injury) -- about his place in the 185 lb. division.

Per the UFC's Middleweight rankings, Marvin's #6, Holland's #10, and Till's #5. Despite sitting behind a few other top fighters, Vettori says with a dub on Saturday, it's his time for a shot at the title.

"Most of the top five, they're injured or they're not showing up, so it don't count. Like they're top-five just on the paper. I think I deserve the title shot after this," Marvin says.

As for that scrap with Till ... Vettori says he isn't interested anymore.

"[Darren] lost his opportunity. I don't even trust him anymore to show up. I would like to eventually, but he can try and challenge me when I'll be the champion and if he can gain the spot, I'll face him then," Marvin tells us.

"He lost his spot, man. He lost his opportunity. I'm getting more suspicious by the day, to be honest."

Regarding that rematch with 31-year-old Adesanya ... Izzy and Marvin fought in April 2018. Israel won via split decision ... but some people believe MV was the real winner.

But, just beating Adesanya on a single scorecard is an impressive feat ... something that no other UFC middleweight has done.

The L.A. Dodgers got their World Series rings on Friday -- and good lord, SO. MANY. DIAMONDS!!!!!

The ring ceremony took place right before the Dodgers home opener against the Washington Nationals ... and it was special!!!

Each of the Dodgers players was introduced to the crowd by their childhood MLB heroes.

So, Mookie Betts was intro'd by Jimmy Rollins. Chase Utley introduced Cody Bellinger. And "Big Papi" David Ortiz did the honors for Julio Urias.

But, let's get to the hardware ...

Of course, each ring featured the Dodgers iconic "L.A." logo on top -- made from 17 genuine blue sapphires.

Notice the baseball diamond design -- featuring 4 large diamonds representing each of the bases.

The "infield" is loaded with 29 smaller diamonds, representing the number of home runs hit by the Dodgers during the 2020 postseason.

There are 16 more sapphires and 44 diamonds surrounding the perimeter of the top of the ring.

And, the sides??? You guessed it -- MORE DIAMONDS!!

According to MLB, the total number of diamonds just on the sides totals 96!

So, congrats to the champs -- the 32-year drought is over! Just make sure to keep those things in a safe!

Referee Bert Smith is opening up on his frightening collapse during an Elite 8 game of the NCAA Tournament ... revealing the cause was a blood clot in his lung.

... and he's extremely grateful to the doctors who may have saved his life.

56-year-old Smith was officiating the Gonzaga vs. USC matchup on March 30 when he collapsed to the hardwood a few minutes into the game. He later regained consciousness and was stretchered off the court.

Smith spent 2 days in the hospital while docs tried to figure out what triggered the medical emergency. Finally, IU Health Methodist doctor Katie Trammel tracked down the issue -- a pulmonary embolism.

WebMD defines a P.E. as "When a blood clot gets caught in one of the arteries that go from the heart to the lungs ... the clot blocks the normal flow of blood."

Smith says doctors are not sure what caused the clot. Smith tested positive for COVID-19 in August, but docs say they can't confirm whether that played a role.

But, he's extremely grateful Dr. Trammel was able to identify the problem and treat it quickly.

"You don’t know where that clot was going next," Smith told the Indy Star.

Smith was placed on blood thinners to address the issue. He was allowed to return home soon after and says the welcome he got was incredibly special.

"The hugs were pretty intense," Smith told the outlet. "They were pretty intense, man."

Smith says the incident taught him a valuable lesson on the important things in life ... something he won't take for granted.

"It puts in perspective the value of each day, because we all go through our lives – we’re all guilty of it – and we just live, right? But do we say ‘I love you’ enough? Do we give an extra hug enough? Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them?"

"When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day."

So, what's next for Smith?? He says he'll be back on the court doing his job again next season.