TMZ Sports - Page 6

Forget Tom Cruise -- Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou are the newest big action stars on the scene ... 'cause the two boxing superstars just dropped a Hollywood-esque trailer for their upcoming fight!!

DAZN released the high-budget promo for the March 8 bout on Tuesday ... and it could easily pass as a teaser for any major entertainment studio.

The clip is titled "Knockout Chaos" ... and kicks off with Ngannou learning the news of his matchup with AJ being finalized and saying he'll take him on "anytime, anywhere."

As luck would have it, the two fighters bump into each other in the street right after ... and a crowd forms around them in anticipation of an impromptu showdown.

The trailer then channels the classic "Street Fighter" series ... and the two start duking it out, bouncing between real world and video game.

AJ and Ngannou trade vicious blows -- even getting knocked into outer space before crashing back down to earth.

The vid ends with both guys knocking each other out in the ring ... officially putting a stop to the madness after more than a minute of violence.

New Kyrie Irving shoes are about to hit the shelves for the first time since his split with Nike ... ANTA and the NBA superstar just announced the "ANTA KAI 1's" are here.

The Chinese apparel company revealed the purple-colored kicks will be available for purchase starting next week ... roughly eight months after Irving agreed to join the co. on a five-year pact.

The shoes -- which will retail for $125 -- feature homages to Irving all over them, the company said in a statement Tuesday morning.

The design is a nod to Kyrie's "slick, gravity-defying transitions and crossovers," the org. said, and parts of the colors and the graphics represent ties to Kyrie's Native American roots.

"As Chief Creative Officer and a player, I've woven the essence of my heritage and my heart for basketball into the design of ANTA KAI 1," Irving said of the new shoes. "This is more than a shoe; it embodies our ancestors' strength and the future we're building."

"Every detail, from the hieroglyphics to the aerodynamic shape, tells the story of where we've been and where we're going."

Of course, Irving's Nike shoes were some of the greatest-selling ones of all-time. From 2011 to 2022, he and the Swoosh debuted several signature ones in total -- all with great success. However, in 2021, things between the Dallas Mavericks star and the apparel giant went sideways.

First, Irving was critical of Nike's eighth iteration of his shoe -- before the project was scrapped. Then, following the controversy that surrounded him after he shared a link to an antisemitic film in 2022, he was suspended by the company. Weeks later, the two formally broke up.

Monty Williams is clearly over bad NBA officiating ... the Pistons head coach put the refs on blast for the "worst no-call" in the final seconds of their game against the Knicks, which led to their 49th loss of the season.

"The absolute worst call of the season, no call," Williams said before storming out of the post-game press conference at Madison Square Garden on Monday, saying, "Enough's enough!"

Williams is referring to a sequence late in the 4th quarter that likely cost the Pistons a win.

With just under 10 seconds remaining in the game, and with Detroit up 1 point, NYK guard Donte DiVincenzo threw an errant pass that was stolen by DET forward Ausar Thompson who started down the court towards Detroit's basket. DD attempted to steal the ball back, and in doing so, he crashed into Ausar, who lost the ball.

It was seemingly a blatant foul ... but no whistle came. Jalen Brunson picked up the ball and fired it to Josh Hart, who was able to make a contested shot at the basket. And one. Instead of the Pistons possessing the ball with 8 seconds left, up 1 and headed to the free throw line, they were down 3 with only 2.8 seconds left.

Knicks win. Monty big mad.

"We had a chance to win the game, and the guy dove into Ausar’s legs, and there was a no-call," Williams said. "That's an abomination. You cannot miss that in an NBA game. Period!

"That situation is Exhibit A in what we've been dealing with all season long and enough is enough!"

The referees even admitted they blew it (or should we say didn't) ... crew chief James Wiliams told a pool reporter that a foul should have been called on DiVincenzo.

For his part, Donte says he was going for the basketball.

"I went for the ball," DiVincenzo said after the game, "I didn't look at the play ... I respect everybody's opinion."

Ironically, the Knicks dealt with a similar scenario not too long ago .... but they were on the other side. Officials called Brunson for a bad foul which resulted in the Knicks losing to the Rockets earlier this month.

Former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette claims reports of his recent arrest for meth and gun possession are straight-up wrong ... insisting the whole thing is a giant misunderstanding.

Arnette's most recent legal trouble made waves on Monday ... with multiple outlets stating the former first-round pick was busted in Richardson, Texas on Jan. 6 and charged with possession of less than a gram of meth and unlawful carrying of a firearm.

The 27-year-old's attorneys released a statement to TMZ Sports shortly after the news broke ... and they are adamant Arnette's name will be cleared.

"Our client, at the time of the stop, was unable to provide law enforcement with his prescription for a lawful medication," Jason Lampert and Thomas Wynne said. "The arrest was predicated on Mr. Arnette being unable to prove the medication was prescribed, had he been able to do so at the time of the stop, there would have been no arrest for either the controlled substance or the firearms."

"Our offices are working with the local law enforcement to rectify this matter before any charges are brought by the District Attorney’s Office."

In other words, Arnette's team believes once the methamphetamine charge is sorted out, the gun charge will be handled as well ... as it's legal in Texas to carry a weapon without a license.

It's not the first time the former Ohio State star made headlines for the wrong reasons -- he was released from the Raiders after making threats and flashing firearms on video in 2021 ... and has had multiple off-field incidents.

Russell Wilson says he knew from day 1 that helping to raise Ciara's son with Future would become his new blessing and responsibility in life -- comparing himself to Jesus' dad.

The Broncos QB -- whose future there in Denver seems uncertain at this point -- appeared this week on the "I Am Athlete" podcast ... where he talked about his marriage with Ciara and the fact that he plays stepdad to her kid, Future Jr., who she shares with the rapper.

Take a listen, 'cause this is pretty eye-opening ... Russ literally says he felt God was talking to him to let him know that not only was Ciara the one for him -- but that raising her boy was also something he was destined to do as well.

RW says he knew this from the moment he met Ciara -- which apparently also included a meet-and-greet with a then-baby Future Jr. ... so we're talking years ago.

Russ also says he was having a conversation with the man upstairs about this -- and he explains that he felt God speaking to him and telling him this would become his path -- namely, becoming a family man. And yes, he does invoke Joseph's name, as well as JC.

If you think you're stunned by Russell's words, wait 'til you see Brandon Marshall -- who Russ is speaking with in this conversation. You can tell ... he's shocked by what he's hearing.

Remember, Future Jr. is Future's son ... and he shares custody of his kid with Ciara -- although, we seem to see him more with his mom, at least publicly and online anyway.

Considering the historical bad blood between Future and Russ -- something tells us Future ain't gonna take this very well. As for Ciara, she hasn't addressed Russ' words yet.

Wrestling legend Ole Anderson -- who helped form The Four Horsemen in the 1980s -- has died at 81 years old.

The WWE confirmed the sad news Monday evening ... remembering him in a statement as "a prolific and decorated tag team wrestler" who had a "hard-nosed style and gruff demeanor."

"WWE extends its condolences to Anderson's family, friends, and fans," the org. added.

A cause of death was not revealed.

Anderson -- real name Alan Rogowski -- began his wrestling career in the '60s ... but really made his mark in the squared circle in the 1980s.

He, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard created the heel stable The Four Horsemen .... and the quartet eventually went on to have legendary matches across multiple promotions against some of the most iconic wrestlers of all-time.

After news of his death broke, Flair said in a post on X that Ole helped launch his career.

"I Will Be Grateful Forever For You Giving Me The Opportunity To Become Who I Am Today," Flair wrote. "We Didn’t Always Agree With Each Other, But The Honest To God Truth Is You & Gene Started Me. Rest In Peace My Friend!"

In addition to his time on the mat, Anderson also worked as a manager, promoter and even an exec in the wrestling world.

"AEW and the wrestling world mourn the passing of the legendary Ole Anderson," All Elite Wrestling officials said in a statement Monday night. "Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans."

President Joe Biden was out on the campaign trail Monday, sitting down for an interview with Seth Meyers – and joking about potentially getting Taylor Swift's "classified" endorsement.

The 46th U.S. President sported his signature Aviator glasses while parked on a couch next to comedian Amy Poehler during his visit to "Late Night With Seth Meyers."  Of course, Seth was seated at his desk in front of Joe and the two covered a wide range of mostly political issues.

At one point, Seth told Joe that 18 percent of Americans believe he's working in "cahoots" with Taylor to reelect him in the 2024 presidential race against the Republican nominee, likely Donald Trump.

Seth showed a message Joe posted on the social media app, "X," after the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 to win this year's Super Bowl. The one-liner read, "Just like we drew it up."

The host then asked Joe, "Now, can you confirm or deny that there is an active conspiracy here between you and Ms. Swift?"

Joe went along with the joke, replying, "Where are you getting this information? It's classified. But I will tell you she did endorse me in 2020."

Seth agreed, asking if Taylor would support Joe this time around. But Joe wouldn't give an inch, repeating, "I told you. It's classified."

Fun stuff from Commander in Chief.

Whether on land or sea, Floyd Mayweather's birthday celebration doesn't stop ... the boxing legend pulled up, or should we say anchored, outside a Miami hotspot, where he partied with a bunch of his closest friends!

Many of the guests didn't come empty-handed, either ... including pal and celeb jeweler Johnny Dang, who gifted TBE a one-of-a-kind pair of Nike kicks.

And, we're not talking NikeID, either ... Dang presented Mayweather with crocodile skin Air Force 1s, complete with a diamond-crusted Swoosh, handmade by Johnny!

JD counts some of the biggest celebrities in the world as clients ... everyone from actors, athletes and musicians.

It's been nonstop for Mayweather since Wednesday ... when TBE kicked off his nearly week-long celebration by partying with Rick Ross. On Thursday night, Mayweather hit up Miami hotspot, Lush, where he was gifted a $150K, 18k gold and 30 c. diamond Avi & Co. watch. Friday was reserved for a little fun and exercise as Floyd and friends hooped at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables.

Floyd wasn't ready to rest quite yet on Saturday ... splitting time Saturday between Kiki On The River and his big yacht, as the party, thrown by James McNair, Jona Rechnitz, and Wright Productions, and hosted by Falcons Auction, raged.

We're starting the week strong here at TMZ, and that begins with some hefty TV topics!

Starting out on 'TMZ Live,' Harvey and Charles talked about Travis Kelce's latest trip to Las Vegas -- where he once again partied hard with his teammates after the big Super Bowl win a couple weeks ago ... when they also went out and celebrated. This was round two of that.

The only difference now ... Travis left Taylor Swift in the dust to come rage with the boys.

Next up, 'TMZ on TV' ... where the gang talked about the heavy subject of Wendy Williams and all the struggles she's been going through lately, which were well-chronicled on a new Lifetime documentary that aired this weekend ... despite the best efforts from her guardian.

Like we said, tough topic ... and you can tell by the conversation we had amongst ourselves.

And finally, we land on 'TMZ Sports,' where it was none other than Ric Flair's 75th birthday!

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Richard Sherman ended up spending Saturday and Sunday in the slammer -- the ex-NFL superstar was finally booted from jail after he was arrested for DUI early Saturday morning, walking out $5k lighter and with an order from the judge to steer clear of booze.

As we previously reported, 35-year-old Sherman was arrested for driving under the influence after he was pulled over by Washington State police just before 2 AM for speeding. During the stop, the 5x Pro Bowler admitted to drinking two margaritas, according to cops. Richard refused a breathalyzer and was ultimately arrested and hauled off to Kings County Jail.

Since the arrest went down over the weekend, Sherman, who was booked around 4:30 AM Saturday, wasn't able to see a judge until Monday ... meaning he was forced to spend about 55 hours in a cell.

Earlier today, Sherman was finally released after a judge set his bail at $5k -- no problem for a guy who made tens of millions of dollars during his standout career.

Although he's walking free, Richard had several restrictions imposed by the judge who ordered him not to consume alcohol (or marijuana) ... as well as the standard constraints -- don't get arrested, show up at court, etc.

As Sherman fights his new case, he may now also have to deal with one from his past.

The Seahawks legend was sentenced to 24 months of monitored supervision in March 2022 after pleading guilty to criminal trespassing and negligent driving ... and despite just being weeks from completing his sentence, Saturday's arrest could mean the old case is revisited.

The altercation that broke out between Cam Newton and opposing coaches at a youth football tournament was the result of trash-talking gone too far ... so says two men involved in the scrap, who claim things only got physical after the ex-NFL quarterback initiated contact.

TJ and Steph Brown -- coaches for Top Shelf Performance, where Cam used to help out -- shared their side of the scrap on Monday ... and they insist the former Panthers superstar is to blame for the ugly scene.

"It just should never have gotten to that," TJ told Fox News Digital ... adding Cam had been jawing at him throughout the weekend and demanded they place a wager on their game.

"Cam jumps out of his car and yells, 'Hey, all that sorry s*** ain't gonna work today. What we betting today? What we betting?'" TJ continued. "I'm like, 'I ain't betting you, bro. I already beat you three, four times. You got to beat me first.' He like, ‘What we betting? I got plenty of money. I ain't ever running out of money.' That’s when I told him, 'That's your problem. All you care about is money. You think money is everything. You can't buy me.' And I walk off."

TJ claims just three minutes into their matchup, Cam continued to taunt his old colleagues ... saying, "'Hey, I know that play. That's my stuff. I taught y'all everything y'all know. I'm y'all daddy. I made y'all. I’m the reason for everything y'all got going on.'"

When the coaches confronted the former NFL MVP, TJ said Cam grabbed Steph ... which led him to react by throwing a punch.

"He's just got to understand we're people," he added. "Nobody's just going to let you go around disrespecting and talking crazy to them. I know how to brush it off, but not everybody's like that."

Worth noting -- Cam's C1N Red team was still able to end up with the victory on Sunday ... with Newton congratulating his squad on the 15U championship.

Despite the incident, the two coaches hope to bury the hatchet with Cam and move on ... as they consider him a brother.

LeBron James wants everyone overanalyzing his son's college basketball career to take a step back ... begging Bronny's critics to leave "the kid" alone as he continues to work on his game.

The Lakers superstar's public plea comes on the heels of ESPN's latest mock draft ... which has the 19-year-old USC freshman staying in school instead of going pro in 2024.

Worth noting -- the 6'4", 210-pounder has played in 20 games for the Trojans this season ... averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists after returning from his cardiac arrest incident he experienced months before the season.

James is clearly fed up with the scrutiny Bronny's faced so far in his collegiate career ... and it's gotten to the point where he unloaded on social media over it.

"Can yall please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball," King James said on Monday. "The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do. If y'all don’t know he doesn’t care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given!"

Bronny's game was always going to be under the microscope -- not only because of his famous father, but also considering said pops has publicly stated his dream is to be NBA teammates with his eldest son.

LBJ also had words for anyone else feeling pressure from the media ... adding, "And to all the other kids out there striving to be great just keep your head down, blinders on and keep grinding."

"These Mock Drafts doesn’t matter one bit! I promise you! Only the WORK MATTERS!! Let’s talk REAL BASKETBALL PEOPLE! ✌🏾👑"

Tristan Thompson is officially taking over as caregiver for his younger brother... because a court signed off on him becoming Amari Thompson's guardian.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the ruling came in Monday, about 5 months after Tristan first filed a petition to become his little bro's guardian.

Remember ... Tristan and Amari lost their mother, Andrea, about a year ago when she died suddenly in Toronto. Tristan's been looking after Amari ever since ... and now he's officially been appointed his brother's legal guardian.

As we reported ... in his original petition, Tristan claimed their father, Trevor, has been absent from Amari's life ... leaving Tristan as the closest family member available to step up and provide the care Amari needs.

Tristan's got a lot of responsibility here ... Amari is unable to care for himself because he's been diagnosed with epilepsy.

Amari's also getting $103,475 in inheritance from his mother's estate ... and Tristan said in his earlier petition that he would protect the money from loss and provide for Amari's care.

Sauce Gardner is warning everyone to be safe on the internet ... 'cause the New York Jets star says a hacker has taken over his Snapchat and is posting personal photos from his archives.

The two-time Pro Bowl cornerback sent out the warning on Sunday ... saying his account was sharing old images from his college days against his will.

"Somebody just DM'd me sending pictures from my snap when I was in college," Gardner said on X. "People be so weird around the world lol. Some of y'all really need help."

"I wanted to give y'all the person Twitter to go report it but they posted old college stuff on the page now and ian got time for it."

Snapchat suspended the account hours later ... but Gardner -- who won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 -- said it hasn't stopped the hacker from putting his business out there from a burner.

In fact, the 23-year-old explained the person also got into his other accounts, including his email ... and shared messages from the alleged hacker.

"Whoever this is doesn’t leave his computer," Garnder added. "I had to get another phone and number because whoever this is hacked my Twitter, IG, and emails."

Of course, Snapchat advises users to make strong passwords or set up two-factor authentication to avoid potential hackers ... but Gardner says these cybercriminals are clever.

Proud mama moment for Kim Kardashian ... her son, Saint West, got the ultimate VIP experience at the Inter Miami vs. L.A. Galaxy match -- escorting Lionel Messi to the field!!

The cool interaction happened prior to Sunday's contest at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson ... when the soccer G.O.A.T. and his teammates walked onto the pitch with a number of local youth players.

8-year-old Saint -- the oldest son of Kim K and Kanye West -- was the lucky one picked to walk with Messi ... and it's something the reality superstar said he'll never forget.

"Saint walking Messi out on the field tonight at the La Galaxy vs Inter Miami game!!!" Kim said after posting video of the walkout on X. "He is living the absolute dream!"

It's unclear if Messi chatted with the youngin at all ... but he looked happy with the company as he looked down at him.

The two seem to be getting pretty familiar with each other now -- as it's at least the second time they've crossed paths.

Back in July 2023, Kim shared a pic of her futbol-loving son with Messi after his Inter Miami debut ... which she dubbed the "Best day of their entire lives."

Kanye West's beef with Adidas is far from finished, despite the fact he recently posted a shot with its CEO Bjorn Gulden -- making it seem like the cold war had thawed, but now he's accusing the company of creative "rape."

On Monday, instead of celebrating his "Vultures 1" album staying at No. 1 for the 2nd straight week, Ye called out Adidas for selling colors of his popular Yeezy sneakers that he never approved, and claiming it was using contract clauses to "rape an artist, one of y'all's favorite artists" -- clearly referring to himself.

Adidas is aggressively promoting the Yeezy Boosts in a new "steel grey" shade which Ye says is as fake as a $3 dollar bill.

Ye says Adidas is using legal loopholes and muddled language to pull a fast one without his consent, in addition to suing him for $250 million.

And Ye is calling for his true fans to turn their back on the brand.