TMZ Sports - Page 50

Mexican boxer Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez tells TMZ Sports he'll be honoring the late Vicente Fernandez during his fight tonight ... by rocking some custom tribute shoes and playing the singer's music in the arena.

The 30-year-old is set to scrap with Yunieski Gonzalez at AT&T Center in San Antonio later today ... and he tells us he's going to do everything in his power to make sure Fernandez's presence is felt.

Ramirez says on one of his shoes there will be an image of Vicente ... and when he walks out to the ring for his match, he'll play "El Rey."

"He was a legend," Ramirez said of Fernandez this week ... "It's sad for his family, for everyone too because everyone knew about Chente."

"It's really sad that he just passed away."

Ramirez said he grew up listening to Fernandez ... and had artist Ali Gonzalez add the Fernandez imagery to his shoes shortly after the singer's death earlier this month.

Welp, the fights were supposed to be tomorrow ... but, fighters gon' fight.

Nate Diaz, UFC fighter Nick Maximov, Chris Avila and the 209 crew nearly came to blows with Bellator champ A.J. McKee, Anthony Taylor, and their guys on Friday ... and we got the vid.

Of course, 28-year-old Avila is fighting 32-year-old Taylor Saturday night in Tampa ... before Jake and Tyron square up for a second time.

There's a history here -- both guys fought in Bellator in 2020, with Taylor getting the win.

There was pushing and shoving just minutes ago ... but thankfully, it doesn't appear any punches were thrown, and nobody was hurt.

It actually adds even more juice to undercard bout ... 'cause the guys clearly don't like each other.

During the press conference on Thursday, Taylor clowned Avila for the way he talks, saying he was trying to imitate the Diaz bros.

If you aren't familiar with Chris ... he's been one of Nate's closest friends for years.

NFL legend Lawrence Taylor was arrested in Florida on Thursday ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The former New York Giants superstar was booked at around 8:45 PM ET and released hours later, jail records show. The 62-year-old posed for a mug shot before his release.

The news was first reported by Andy Slater.

Details surrounding the arrest are unclear -- we're working on it -- but according to a spokesperson for the Broward County Sheriff's Office, Taylor was booked on charges of sex offender violations.

As we previously reported, Lawrence was declared a sex offender back in 2011 ... after he pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute.

In the case, Taylor was accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl ... though he said at the time he thought she was 19.

Due to his status as a sex offender, Taylor is required to be on top of several things ... including letting law enforcement know of any residence or name changes.

Of course, Taylor is no stranger to run-ins with the law ... the former football player has been arrested several times in his life, including multiple times in the late 1990s after he allegedly tried to buy drugs from undercover police officers.

Horrifying scene during the Chargers vs. Chiefs game Thursday ... L.A. tight end, Donald Parham, was rushed to the hospital after he violently slammed his head on the turf during a play.

Parham was attempting to catch a touchdown pass in the first quarter of the game at SoFi Stadium ... when his head forcefully hit the ground after he dove for the ball.

The 24-year-old appeared to be knocked unconscious immediately ... with his arms stiffening in the bent position.

Trainers rushed out to the football player ... and unscrewed his facemask, before securing him to a backboard and placing him on a stretcher.

Parham was seen moving his hands and legs while talking with trainers ... but, terrifyingly, his arms were shaking as he was being stretchered off the field.

The Chargers say he was ultimately taken to nearby UCLA Harbor Medical Center with a head injury ... adding that he was "in stable condition." No further update has been given.

"I'm just hoping for the best," star quarterback Justin Herbert said of Parham after the game. "Parham has been an incredible teammate and an incredible friend. He's been nice to everyone in that locker room, and everyone loves him."

Parham has started nine games for L.A. this season ... scoring three touchdowns.

Kyrie Irving is BACK -- well, partially -- the NBA superstar will soon play in road games and practice at home with the Brooklyn Nets, the team just announced Friday.

Irving has already begun the process of returning to the team ... as he's undergoing team COVID-19 testing, according to Shams Charania.

Due to NYC's current mandates, Irving hasn't played a game or practiced with the Nets all season ... as he remained unvaccinated.

As we previously reported, the Nets took a strong stance against Irving's unwillingness to get the jab ... telling him in October to stay home instead of playing when he could.

While there were reports Irving was anti-vax, he adamantly denied it ... saying he was standing up for local workers who were being forced into getting vaccinated in order to save their jobs.

Now, it appears both Irving and the Nets have reached an agreement that will allow him to suit up for the Nets in some capacity soon, but his return date has not been determined yet.

Irving even teased his comeback earlier this week ... showing himself putting on his sneakers.

If you thought Frank Gore and Deron Williams were just gonna spar for a few rounds on Saturday, think again -- the NFL star tells TMZ Sports he's gunning to put a hurt on the ex-NBAer ... and come away with the win!!

Frank and Deron will both be making their boxing debuts on the Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley II undercard in Tampa ... and with just over 24 hours to go, we asked Gore what he's expecting in the fight.

"I wanna look good, man," he tells us. "I wanna show everybody whatever you put your head to, you can do it."

"I'm going for the W. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to win. If the knockout come, it will come. I wanna show everybody that I got skills."

BTW -- Frank and Deron weighed in on Friday ... and they both looked GOOD. Since Gore's been training like crazy, we had to ask if this was just a one-time thing, or if we'll see him in the ring for years to come.

"If I have a good time and feel like I want to do it again, I'll do it," he said. "I'm very happy about my decision to take this fight."

Gore admits he's a bit nervous as he gets closer to stepping in the ring ... but he's looking forward to showing the world what he's got.

Baker Mayfield is getting his wish -- Cleveland's matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday has been pushed back 'til Monday ... after a crap ton of Browns players tested positive for COVID-19.

The league had been dragging its feet all week ... insisting it would NOT move the schedule around -- even with Baker, head coach Kevin Stefanski and a constantly growing list of players getting added to the COVID-19/reserve list.

But, with safety -- and quality of play -- becoming an even bigger issue if the Browns and Raiders took the field as planned, Roger Goodell made the decision to have the game go down on Monday.

There's more -- the Seahawks and Rams game is potentially moving to Tuesday ... and the Washington Football Team and Philadelphia Eagles' matchup could be moved as well.

As we previously reported, Mayfield was pissed with the league's handling of the COVID-19 outbreaks this week ... saying, "Make up your damn mind on protocols."

Famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump says evidence shows ex-NFL defensive lineman Glenn Foster was choked before he died in police custody earlier this month.

The renowned lawyer made the claim in a statement Friday ... saying an independent autopsy revealed that Foster's body showed "some evidence of neck compressions and strangulation."

Crump said he and medical experts believe it all reveals that Foster did not die of "natural causes" on Dec. 6 ... just two days after he was arrested in Alabama on Dec. 4.

"As we continue to investigate the case," Crump said, "we are learning that Mr. Foster's death in Pickens County appears to be part of a disturbing trend of Black men dying while in the custody of the Pickens County Sheriff's Office."

"Keeping people in your custody alive is literally the lowest bar we can set for a law enforcement agency," Crump added, "and is something that the Pickens County Sheriff's Office failed to do."

"Pickens County owes the family the truth relating to Mr. Foster's tragic death."

Law enforcement officials have been mum about the details surrounding Foster's passing ... with reps from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency only saying that Foster did, in fact, die while in police custody.

"Nothing further is available as the investigation is ongoing," officials said in a statement the day after Foster's death.

We've reached out to the ALEA for comment on Crump's claims ... but so far, no word back yet.

Foster -- who signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and played two seasons for the team -- was just 31 years old.

Brittany Matthews finally wasn't the only one going crazy after a Chiefs win ... 'cause her BFF and Travis Kelce's GF, Kayla Nicole, joined her for the wild celebration -- with the two losing their minds following K.C.'s walk-off dub!

Patrick Mahomes' fiancee filmed it all on Thursday night ... showing the two WAGs going absolutely insane after the star QB and Kelce came back to beat the Chargers in overtime in L.A.

Check out the footage ... after Kelce caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes in the extra period to win the game 34-28, Matthews and Nicole completely lost it.

The two were up in a suite dancing and screaming their heads off -- with Matthews yelling loudly, "Let's goooooo!!!!"

At one point, Matthews turned to Nicole and asked, "How does it feel to be dating the best tight end in the league?!"

Nicole's response? Nothing but pure joy!

"Travis Michael Kelce just had the best game of his career ladies and gentleman," Nicole said. "Period!!!"

The Chiefs are now the No. 1 seed in the AFC ... and are pretty much a lock to make the playoffs.

The Everton soccer club is condemning a group of fans -- their OWN fans -- after chanting an anti-gay slur at an opposing player ... with team brass calling it "unacceptable."

The offensive phrase, "Chelsea Rent Boy," was chanted during Everton's Premier League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the UK on Thursday.

FYI, "rent boy" is British slang for young male prostitutes who have sex with men.

The Everton F.C. was immediately called out by an LGBT+ support group, Rainbow Toffees -- who says they've spoken with the soccer club about their ill-mannered fans on several occasions.

"It's wrong, it's homophobic & needs to stop," the group said.

"We have brought this up with the club in the past & will be bringing it up again."

The Liverpool-based team replied with a statement, saying ... "Everton condemns the homophobic chanting directed at a Chelsea player this evening at Stamford Bridge.'

"Such behavior is unacceptable and does not represent the values of our club or our wider fanbase."

Everton added, "Through our 'All Together Now' campaign we promote and celebrate the diversity and inclusivity within our club, our game and our community. We expect fans to reflect those values by refraining from any discriminatory chanting in the future."

Tiger Woods appears to be fully back ... the golf legend hit the range Friday with his son, Charlie, and seemed to have no limitations as he gears up for his first tourney since his crash.

The two Woods' smacked balls for around 20 minutes in preparation for Friday's pro-am as well as Saturday's PNC Championship ... and Dad was showing no signs that he had just suffered a significant injury back in February.

Tiger hit both his irons and his woods with ease ... with the ball jumping off of his clubs on every swing.

Of course, Tiger was also in coach mode -- watching Charlie's swing intently in between his own hacks.

Woods and Charlie then teed it up for their pro-am round -- and Tiger looked good there too, blasting his driver around 280 yards.

Tiger and Charlie are slated to tee off at the big event in Orlando, Fla. on Saturday afternoon -- and it'll officially mark the first time Tiger has participated in a tournament since he mangled his leg in a February car crash in Los Angeles.

Woods has said he'll be very picky with his events from here -- vowing to never be a full-time golfer again -- but ya gotta imagine if things go well this weekend, The Masters in April 2022 is not out of the question.

Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young is crushing it on AND off the court -- the baller proposed to his college sweetheart, Shelby Miller ... and she said "YES!!"

The couple announced the engagement on social media in a romantic post on Thursday ... with Trae saying, "What a night💫#FutureMrsYoung💍."

In the pics, you can see Trae got down on one knee to pop the big question ... and let's just say the dude lived up to his nickname, "Ice Trae" ... 'cause that ring is HUGE!!!

Miller was visibly happy about it all, as the two hugged and embraced. She also commented on Trae's post ... saying, "Forever Young."

Young and Miller have been together since 2017 ... so news of the engagement isn't too much of a surprise.

The lovebirds met in college at the University of Oklahoma -- as it turns out, Miller was a member of the Sooners cheerleading squad, while Young was lighting it up on the court.

23-year-old Young has been ballin' this season as well, putting up MVP-like numbers ... so yeah, he's winning all around.

Adele and Rich Paul couldn't keep their hands off each other at the Chargers vs. Chiefs game on Thursday ... cuddling up in a suite and hanging with Jay-Z and Maverick Carter.

The Grammy-winning crooner and sports mega-agent were spotted on cam during the second quarter of Thursday Night Football ... and the couple was in full PDA mode as Hov and LeBron James' business partner sat right next to them.

Speaking of Bron, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar seemed to have some serious FOMO as his two closest friends hung out with the big musicians -- posting a playful response to a pic of the suitemates on Twitter.

"Who the heck are Jay-Z and Adele’s +1s????" King James tweeted.

It's gotta be a bummer James had to miss out on the fun -- he's always been a HUGE Hov fan and loves to catch a football game from time to time.

But, with the Lakers facing off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, it makes sense why he had to sit this one out.

Adele and Rich have been inseparable since going public earlier this year -- hitting up parties, sporting events and everything else together.

Remember, Hov helps put together the Super Bowl halftime show ... so maybe Adele is up next for SB57 in Arizona??

One of the victims from O.J. Simpson's Las Vegas armed robbery -- which landed him in prison -- says he has no problems with Simpson finally getting loose earlier than expected, 'cause life moves on.

Bruce Fromong, a sports memorabilia dealer, tells TMZ ... he's already forgiven O.J. for the incident, and it does no good to dwell on the past -- even though he also says the robbery nearly destroyed his life.

As we reported, Simpson is a completely free man now that his parole ended earlier than expected. Simpson was on parole after serving 9 years behind bars for his 2008 conviction in the armed robbery case.

Remember, he was found guilty of leading a group of men into a Vegas hotel room in 2007 to steal memorabilia from people -- including Bruce -- who he claimed had stolen from him.

Bruce really means it when he says he's forgiven Simpson ... telling us they still do some memorabilia shows together and see each other on golf courses.

Not everyone feels that way -- the sister of his slain ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, hopes Simpson is shunned by Hollywood types.

Andrés Meléndez -- a catcher prospect in the Cleveland Guardians' minor league system -- died on Thursday in Florida ... the team announced.

He was only 20 years old.

The Guardians did not reveal a cause of death ... but said the passing was "sudden."

"The Cleveland Guardians are saddened to share Andrés Meléndez passed away suddenly this afternoon," the team said in a statement Thursday night. "Meléndez is remembered by his teammates and friends as a positive, respectful and thoughtful young man with a beautiful smile who had a profound impact on others."

"He will be greatly missed."

Meléndez initially signed with the Milwaukee Brewers' organization as an international free agent in 2017 ... but was later traded to the Guardians in 2019.

In his first season at the Low-A level of the minor leagues this year, Meléndez hit 8 home runs and batted .247 -- and was just beginning to gain notoriety with the Guardians' affiliate, the Lynchburg Hillcats.

"We join the Cleveland Guardians in mourning the untimely loss of Andrés Meléndez, a former player in the Brewers organization," the Milwaukee Brewers said in a statement Thursday night, "and offer the friends, family and teammates of Andrés our heartfelt condolences during this difficult time."

Meléndez's Hillcats teammate, pitcher Josh Wolf, mourned the loss shortly after the tragic news was announced ... saying the catcher was "always bringing positive energy to the field and locker room."

"He was a fantastic teammate and an even better person," Wolf added. "Love you Andres."

Three UCLA rugby players were arrested early Thursday morning in Santa Monica after police say they went on a drunken, destruction rampage ... knocking down trees in a popular tourist area.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Santa Monica police were dispatched to the famed 3rd Street Promenade just after midnight ... to confront a group of males who were allegedly causing havoc, doing some unauthorized gardening, breaking holiday decorations, and screwing with a fence owned by a local business.

When cops arrived, they detained 5 men while they located surveillance video.

After watching the tape, which cops tell us captured the vandalism, all five males were arrested.

Three of those men -- listed below -- are currently seniors on the UCLA rugby squad.

- Mark Sapper, 21-year-old, 5'10", 200 lbs.
- Shane Barry, 21-year-old, 5'11", 180 lbs.
- Aiden Metzner, 22-year-old, 6'7", 230 lbs.

All 5 men, including the 3 current athletes, were hit with the same charge ... felony vandalism. Police note the men were cooperative.

If ultimately convicted, the guys face up to 1 year in county jail and/or a $10,000 fine.

The rugby season is currently in full swing ... and the team is a perfect 3-0.