TMZ Sports - Page 50

Kaley Cuoco is enraged at the trainer in the Olympics who hit her horse with her fist, calling the move "classless" and "abusive."

Kaley launched hard on Annika Schleu and Kim Raisner from Germany, who tried in vain to get Saint Boy to jump during the event. The coach, Kim Raisner, is also seen in video slapping the horse. She was disqualified for her misconduct.

Kaley said, "I feel it's my duty and heart to comment on this disgrace. This is not Olympic show jumping. This is a disgusting, classless, abusive representation of our sport in so many ways.  this team should be ashamed of themselves." She punctuated her comments with a photo of Schleu.

Kaley, who's an accomplished rider, is married to horse trainer Karl Cook.

And, Kaley wasn't done ... "You and your team did not do your country proud or this sport. You make us look bad. Shame on you and godspeed to any animal that comes in contact with you."

And, there's more ... "Pure classless behavior right here. Disgusting on all levels. This is not our sport. This does not represent our sport, This rider and her 'trainer' are a disgrace."

Kaley ended this way ... "I'll buy that horse outright and show it the life it should have. Name your price."

A fight between Aaron Carter and Lenny Dykstra is NOT gonna happen ... so says the singer himself, who tells TMZ Sports the ex-baseball star is too old and fragile to step in the ring with him.

As we previously reported, the former All-Star slugger called out the pop star earlier this week ... saying, "I'm gonna f***** take this mother f***** apart piece by piece, okay?"

But, Dykstra's not gonna get that shot ... 'cause AC says he has too big of a heart to fight a 58-year-old man.

"You’re a baseball player, you’re older, thank you, but no thank you, because I don’t want to hurt you permanently or badly," Carter tells us.

But, someone who ISN'T old and fragile?? Soulja Boy ... and AC is extending an official challenge to the rapper to an epic celebrity boxing match!!!

"Honestly, I would call out somebody, I would probably call out Soulja Boy, but I would rip him apart," he said.

"Here’s the thing -- he just won’t respond. Because a lot of these guys in the industry, that do the same thing I do, they almost like to pretend I don’t exist."

"And, that’s because my record sells, and my numbers, and my concerts, and 26 years of longevity scares them, it threatens them."

Remember, Carter lasted nearly 2 rounds against Lamar Odom earlier this year ... before the ex-NBA star KO'd the singer.

AC isn't holding his breath on getting his dream opponent, though ... he thinks Soulja would be too scared to agree to the bout.

"It would be embarrassing for him because he would do a lot of talk, and say a lot of s***, and then he would be rocked apart. Because I’m a solid 165 pound man and I’m 6 foot even."

Muhammad Ali's grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, is making his pro boxing debut Saturday ... a fight that never would've happened if Muhammad didn't stop his grandson from quitting the sport years ago, Nico tells TMZ Sports.

We talked to the 21-year-old, 0-0 fighter -- who's taking on 4-1 Jordan Weeks Saturday night in Oklahoma on ESPN+ -- and asked him about following in the footsteps of the most famous and beloved fighter of all-time.

"Everyone wants to compare me to my grandfather, I really appreciate it. I wish I looked like my grandfather, but nobody will look like him. I will not look like and nobody will ever look like him," Nico tells us.

Ali Walsh -- who was born in 2000 (19 years after Muhammad retired) -- says he almost quit the sport back in the day ... but Ali wouldn't let him.

"I would definitely not be boxing if I didn’t get [Muhammad's] blessing, so to speak. I asked him if I should be boxing, and you know, because at the time I wanted to quit boxing."

"It was getting a little tough, I was like 14. But, he didn’t let me quit. He kept pushing me to continue, continue, continue. And, I kept wanting him to tell me to quit, so I could. But, he didn’t let me."

FYI, Nico's mom is Rasheda Ali Walsh, Muhammad's daughter. The Ali Walsh family is (no surprise) athletically gifted. Nico's older brother, Biaggio, was one of the top high school football players in Nevada. He is currently on the UCLA football team.

Almost 61 years ago, a crowd of just over 6,000 fans showed up to an arena in Louisville to watch Ali, an unknown fighter at the time, make his pro debut.

He became arguably the most influential athlete of all-time.

U.S. skateboarding bronze medalist Jagger Eaton has Bieber Fever ... 'cause the Olympic hero tells TMZ Sports he wants to personally invite Justin Bieber to a skate sesh!!

Of course, Eaton became a sensation in Tokyo last month ... becoming the first American to medal in skateboarding -- and he did it with a BROKEN ANKLE!!!

TMZ Sports caught up with JE this week to check in on his health ... and he says things are really good!!

"Feeling good. Ankle’s alright, just hanging out with the boys, shredding a little bit. Got told yesterday I don’t need surgery, so we’re all good vibes here."

Eaton says he was skating on a broken ankle for 2 whole months ... and it was "harsh."

"It wasn’t the greatest situation, but again, Advil works magic ... you kind of need to tough it out. It was a situation I didn’t want to be in, but again it’s like, it is what it is."

Given his expertise in the sport, we had to ask who the best celebrity skater is ... and Beliebers will love his answer!!

"I’ve seen Justin Bieber skate a little bit. I heard he rips. I don’t know. We got to set up a skate sesh or something."

Of course, Bieber is known to be good at a TON of sports ... and has skated with guys like Nyjah Huston in the past.

So, JB ... whatcha think??

There's more ... we had to ask how Eaton's social media DMs have been looking now that he's an Olympic superstar, what his future holds and if he'll be suiting up for the 2024 Games ... and the dude couldn't have been nicer!!

Khetag Pliev literally had his FINGER TWISTED & RIPPED from the rest of his body 135 days ago during an MMA fight ... and now the crazy tough fighter is stepping back into the cage.

Remember, 37-year-old Pliev's fight against Devin Goodale was ruled a no contest after it was discovered that the digit had been severed sometime during the bout. For minutes, no one could locate Pliev's left ring finger.

Thankfully, the mangled finger was discovered tucked away in his glove ... and Khetag -- who has a 5-1 record -- was taken to a hospital where the finger was reattached.

And, good news, he says the finger is in working order.

So, MMA career dunzo, right? Nope.

Pliev is fighting Nah-Shon Burrell Saturday night at Cage Fury Fighting Championship 99 ... and when we talked to the 37-year-old fighter, it's clear he isn't the least bit concerned about the injury.

In fact, he promised a 1st round knockout.

"There's something bigger going on here that they're not telling you."

That's Michael Irvin clearly VERY concerned that Dak Prescott's shoulder strain is serious ... explaining on his podcast this week that he believes the Cowboys might be downplaying the injury to keep morale up at training camp.

Irvin broke it all down on "The Michael Irvin Podcast" on PodcastOne, saying everything he's seen from Dak since the injury has him worried about the quarterback's availability this season.

"When I was there at camp, he was throwing the ball back to the guy that was snapping it to him with his left hand," Irvin said.

"It only takes that little wave with the right hand to throw the ball two yards, and I was like, 'Oh, no. Oh, no.'"

Irvin said his contacts in the Cowboys have insisted they believe it's nothing to fret about ... but The Playmaker explained he thinks that might all be a façade at the moment.

Irvin said after Dak went down last year with his ankle injury, the team went into "the gutter" ... and he believes the Cowboys are now trying everything to avoid that same feeling in camp this summer.

"The worst thing in the world, right now, is to have everybody in camp saying, 'Oh, no, we're going to have to play this season without Dak.' Or, 'We're going to have to miss a considerable amount of time without Dak.'"

Irvin added, "You don't stay out this long with something this minor at that position when you had all of last year off."

Dak has resumed throwing this week after taking a week off ... and he's said he'd like to play in the Cowboys' preseason game next week.

But, if he doesn't go then, is it time to panic in Big D? Irvin certainly seems to think so.

Derrius Guice won't be seeing the NFL field anytime soon -- not only is the free agent running back without a team, but he's also now been suspended 6 games by the NFL.

Of course, the 24-year-old was arrested in August 2020 after 3 alleged violent incidents between February and April with his then-girlfriend ... when he was accused of choking and pushing her to the ground ... as well as destroying her phone.

Guice reached a settlement with the victim back in June 2021 ... and while details on the deal were not made public, a rep for the prosecutors said the "process permits the parties to control the direction and outcome of such matters."

Despite the charges being dropped, the NFL confirms the punishment is a result of the 2020 incidents.

Guice was a 2nd-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft -- he didn't play a single down of football until 2019 due to injury ... and has only played 5 total games in his career.

UFC fighter Jordan Williams whooped a dude's ass with violent knee strikes after he says the guy tried to steal his whip -- and the whole incident was caught on video.

The 30-year-old MMA star says it all went down on Wednesday ... when he claims a man tried to steal his ride right out of a convenience store parking lot.

Williams says the scene was captured on surveillance video ... claiming you can see in the footage a man got into his car while he was inside the store and then tried to drive off.

The video appears to show Williams confronting the guy before he got too far, though ... with the footage showing him ripping the man from the ride while kneeing him in the face.

In the clip, you see the man appears to run off while holding his head.

Williams says he could have made things even more violent ... writing on his social media page, "Wish I would of hit him with the trip after the clinch work when I tossed him out of the whip and finish off with some ground and pound."

"But," he added, "I'll settle with getting my car back."

Unclear if Williams went to the police over the incident, we're working on it.

Williams added in his social media post that the whole thing taught him he ALWAYS needs to lock his doors ... saying, "Needless to say my lesson was learned and I hope so was his."

High school hoops star Amari Bailey is now part of the OVO family ... 'cause Drake just hooked him up with an incredible iced out chain of his jersey number!!

Of course, Bailey's mom, Johanna Leia, is currently dating the 6ix God ... and the couple has showed up to the young hooper's games together recently to show support.

The 17-year-old is certainly reaping the benefits of his mom dating the biggest rapper on the planet -- showing off his brand new piece on Instagram.

The bling has a #10 pendant -- his Sierra Canyon jersey number -- infused with all types of colored diamonds ... and the famous owl logo of Drake's OVO brand.

Bailey clearly loves the gift -- he's been posting videos and pics showing off the piece.

It appears Bailey has braced himself for the haters, captioning his post ... "Insert comments below pt.2🤣🤣🤣🔟🌊"

If you forgot, the Toronto rapper was spotted -- by ABC7's chopper -- having a fancy dinner date with the UCLA commit's mom at Dodger Stadium last month.

We found out it was actually a thank you from the Dodgers for Drake's huge donation to their charity ... and the couple had already been together for months.

Move over, Air Bud ... there's a new 4-legged athlete in town -- Olympics superstar Caeleb Dressel's incredibly talented black lab, Jane ... who might be the fastest dog on the planet!!!

Just days after returning from the Tokyo Games, the 7-time gold medalist was back in the pool working out at the University of Florida this week ... bringing Jane along for the ride.

But, it wasn't just Caeleb putting in some work -- his adorable doggo also showed off her speed ... and we're not kidding when we say this puppy is fast as lightning!!

"Someone check the time to 25, she’s built to float not for speed," Dressel said while bragging about his beloved pet.

But, we aren't the only ones freaking out about this wild highlight -- Bobby Finke, who won gold in the 800m and 1500m freestyle in Tokyo, was wowed by the clip ... saying, "Start is still better than mine."

Simone Biles' triumphant return home from the Olympics has hit a speed bump ... she says she was just bitten by a German Shepherd, and suffered a gnarly finger wound in the attack.

Biles explained the situation on her social media page Friday ... revealing a massive gash on her right hand.

"Here's an update on my finger that the dog bit me," the 24-year-old gymnast said, adding, "German Shepherds don't play."

Details surrounding the attack are unclear ... but Biles said she was forced to go to the doctor to get a tetanus shot and to make sure everything was OK with the injury.

Biles, though, did not seem shaken up at all over the incident ... even joking, "this dog at the farm just said NOT TODAY."

Of course, Biles had been having a great time in her return to Houston from Tokyo ... she got a hero's welcome at the airport and even got to ride in a parade!

Legendary college football coach Bobby Bowden is being remembered with a public tribute on Friday ... with a Lie In Honor at the Florida State Capitol.

Coach Bowden's casket arrived via motorcade at the state Capitol in Tallahassee early Friday morning ... which was placed and covered in roses.

Family and fans have showed up to pay their respects ... including Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ordered flags to be at half-staff at state and local government buildings.

This is part of a 3-day service for Bowden -- he will also receive a tribute at the Moore Athletic Center at FSU’s Doak Campbell Stadium.

A funeral will be held at FSU's Tucker Civic on Saturday, which will be open to the public and available to watch on live stream ... and Sunday, Bowden's service will be held at Reid Chapel on Samford University's campus.

The private burial will follow in Trussville, Alabama -- Bowden's home state.

As we previously reported, Bowden died on August 8 at the age of 91 -- his son, Terry, stating, "My father passed away peacefully early this morning with all six of his children and my mother here by his side."

Terry said a month prior that his father was battling pancreatic cancer.

Carlos "Scooby" Johnson Jr. -- former Butler University basketball player -- was charged with felony rape and sexual battery ... after a woman claimed the hooper sexually assaulted her in a campus dorm room back in February.

According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by The Indy Star, the alleged incident went down on February 4, 2021. A police officer was dispatched to a dormitory on Butler's campus around 2 AM. When the cop arrived, a woman told the officer she'd been raped by a man named "Scooby."

When police tracked down 19-year-old Johnson Jr., docs reportedly show he said ... "I should have told that b**** to leave."

Scooby's accuser was taken to the hospital and given a rape kit. The results showed blood on Johnson Jr.'s boxers matched the woman's. Another sample showed a mixture of Johnson Jr. and the accuser's DNA.

An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson Jr. in Marion County, Indiana on Thursday ... but he has not yet been taken into custody.

Butler University addressed the alleged crime in a statement, saying ... "The university takes these allegations very seriously and has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct, violence, and harassment, per our Sexual Misconduct Policy."

The statement continued ... "Our top priority is the safety of our students and campus community, and the university provides support and resources to all students. Out of respect to the students' federal privacy rights and the ongoing criminal process, the university is not at liberty to divulge additional information at this time."

Johnson Jr. was dealing with an ACL injury last season and did not play in any games for Butler. He is no longer listed on the team's roster.

Back in high school, Scooby was a 3-star recruit who received offers from West Virginia and Michigan State. He was also named "Mr. Basketball" in Michigan a few years back.

Track star Cameron Burrell -- the godson of legendary sprinter Carl Lewis -- died by suicide, TMZ Sports has learned.

Records show the 26-year-old's manner of death was ruled a suicide after his body was inspected by the medical examiner this week. The cause of death was listed as a "gunshot wound of the head."

Records also show Burrell passed away in a Houston, Texas parking garage.

As we previously reported, Burrell tragically died on Monday ... with his family and his alma mater, the Univ. of Houston, announcing they were devastated by the news.

"We are going through profound sorrow and ask that all of our friends, extended University of Houston family and the track and field community in the U.S. and abroad allow us to gather with our closest family and friends," Burrell's father, Leroy Burrell, said on Tuesday.

"We are profoundly grief-stricken, and thank everyone for the outpouring of prayers and support. We will forward more information when it is available.”

Cameron was one of the best sprinters on the planet ... starring at the Univ. of Houston, where he won the 100-meter championship in 2018.

Cameron also anchored Houston's 4x100-meter relay team, and was a three-time NCAA All-American in multiple events.

Conor McGregor's tour of the biggest spots in L.A. continues ... this time, the injured UFC star crutched his way to Delilah in WeHo shortly after midnight on Friday -- and TMZ Sports has the video.

33-year-old McGregor has been on a tear as of late ... and despite needing crutches to get around, the former champ is definitely having no trouble finding his way to a good time.

As we previously reported, Notorious recently hit up Craig's restaurant last week ... drawing a massive crowd and signing autographs for his fans.

Before that, Conor has been spending time poolside with Justin Bieber ... and even hit up the "Peaches" singer's concert at SoFi Stadium.

But, it hasn't been all play and no work -- McGregor's somehow been going HAM in the gym ... working out as much as he can while letting his leg recover.

The injury hasn't prevented Conor from getting into huge beefs in the UFC, however -- McGregor's been going OFF on Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Nate Diaz recently ... proving his Twitter fingers are still 100% healthy.

Conor snapped his leg against Dustin Poirier on July 10 ... but told us last week he's anticipating a full recovery.

Rey Maualuga is very lucky to be alive today ... 'cause TMZ Sports has obtained crash-scene photos that we're told show the ex-NFL star's ride T-boned a parked car straight into a tree Wednesday.

Maualuga was arrested in Villa Hills, Kentucky ... after cops say he drunkenly plowed through yards and mailboxes and then slammed into a car in his white Mercedes.

And, in photos of the aftermath of the crash, you can see just how fortunate Maualuga was to have avoided tragedy.

The pics show damaged mailboxes in the neighborhood, tire marks in people's grass, and a mangled Mercedes that appears to have hit a Hyundai so hard, it wedged it into a neighbor's tree trunk several yards away.

You can see in the photos, the Mercedes' airbags were deployed ... clearly showing just how fortunate Maualuga was to walk away unscathed.

Rey, though, is now facing some serious trouble regardless ... 'cause after cops took him from the scene, they booked him on multiple charges, including DUI and criminal mischief.

34-year-old Maualuga had already been arrested for DUI on other occasions in the past ... which means he could face serious punishment if he's ultimately charged and convicted.