TMZ Sports - Page 41

Jake Paul is keeping his enemies closer -- the Problem Child has signed Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat to Most Valuable Promotions ... this after the two came face-to-face in a heated "confrontation" earlier this week.

32-year-old Goyat -- a three-time WBC Asia title holder -- has been calling out Paul for months ... and it all came to a head when he pulled up on the YouTube superstar in Puerto Rico ahead of his fight against Ryan Bourland.

The whole thing (which was obviously staged) showed both guys getting into a shoving match before being separated.

It turns out the clip was seemingly meant to hype up the big addition to the company -- its first international signee -- and on Friday, the news was made official.

Neeraj -- who's also an actor -- spoke about joining Paul's company ... saying, "I'm truly honored to be the newest member of the Most Valuable Promotions family. MVP has been making waves in the boxing world, particularly with its commitment to showcasing and uplifting women in the sport since 2021."

"In just 2.5 years, MVP has organized some of the world's most significant boxing events, and I'm excited to work with MVP to elevate the status of professional boxing in India and bring attention to boxers from India globally."

Joining MVP makes sense -- Goyat has been pro for more than a decade ... and also boasts a large social media following.

A "Saturday Night Live" comedy trio is taking credit for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's romance -- but only if it goes the distance ... otherwise, they want nothing to do with it.

The topic of Traylor kickstarted when comics Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy -- who make up Please Don't Destroy on 'SNL' -- spilled the beans on working with Tay Tay.

They told host Mike Birbiglia on the 'Working It Out' podcast the star told them she had watched Travis' 'SNL' episode before they first met and she liked what she saw.

Ben added that Taylor told them she thought Travis seemed super funny in the clip ... saying that it was in that moment that they kinda, sorta brought them together.

However, Ben shared some serious reservations about taking credit for the Traylor romance -- only 'cause of Taylor's army of devoted fans, the Swifties.

He said that if things were to ever go south between the pair ... they'd be the ones getting roasted over the coals for it.

Travis, of course, got in on the action hosting 'SNL' in March 2023 -- about six months before he went public with Taylor. It's interesting ... they're saying this is when Travis first fell onto Taylor's radar -- but whether she was actually interested or not ... well, anyone's guess.

Travis also appeared in a pre-taped sketch written by Please Don't Destroy, where he played a hilarious self-defense instructor named Kurt Lightning ... so yeah, they have 'SNL' history.

The 8-year-old girl who belted out the national anthem at the Pacers game earlier this week nearly had Flavor Flav reachin' for the Kleenex ... because the rapper tells TMZ Sports the rendition was so good -- it just about made him cry!!

Flav, of course, is a bit of an expert when it comes to "The Star-Spangled Banner" -- his version of the song at a Milwaukee Bucks game last year went viral -- and he says Kinsley Murray's performance on Monday was just as good as his.

In fact, the Public Enemy hype man said it straight up "almost brought some tears to my eyes!"

"She did a great job," Flav said. "I commend her. I'm proud of her. They need to let her do it again."

As for the haters who were criticizing Murray's song -- which she crooned ahead of Indiana's game against Toronto -- Flav said they can go kick rocks.

The 64-year-old explained there's a ton of pressure that comes when performing the tune in public -- nerves he said even he feels to this day.

"I don't care what nobody say," Flav said. "That little girl sang her little heart out. She rocked, man. She did her best. She did her thing. Not only that, but I'm so proud of her because she knew all the of the words."

Kinsley wasn't the only youngster to bring a smile to Flav's face this week ... he told us his godsons, Nico Ali Walsh and Biaggio Ali Walsh, have also left him grinning ear-to-ear.

We're finally at the end of the week here at TMZ -- and finishing strong on our TV shows!

Let's start on 'TMZ Live,' where Harvey and Charles talked about the never-ending war between Kanye and Kim -- with the latest swipe being taken by Ye, who publicly griped about where their 4 children go to school ... calling out the expensive/private one they all attend.

While KW fired away online, we're hearing Kim's fuming angrily behind the scenes.

Moving on over to 'TMZ on TV,' the gang talked about a huge move in the fact Oprah is stepping down from the board of Weight Watchers -- a partnership she's been in for years.

Some speculate it all has to do with the fact she's on weight-loss drugs now ... although, WW and O are trying to make it seem this uncoupling is very friendly, and very kumbaya.

Lastly, we're on 'TMZ Sports,' where Bacock and Mojo talked Tom Brady's new 40-yard dash.

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

The Rock is cooking up some serious business moves ... because he's locked up the rights to some of his most famous stage names and catch phrases, all part of his WWE deal.

Dwayne Johnson's recent agreement with the new board, as it turns out, calls for him to own his stage name "The Rock," plus a wide range of other titles and zingers ... which just became public knowledge.

According to an SEC filing, Dwayne legally acquired popular taglines like ... "If you smell what The Rock is cooking" and "Know Your Role and Shut Your Mouth."

DJ also locked up the rights to his various wrestling nicknames and wrestling moves, including ... "The People's Champion," "The People's Elbow," "The Great One," "The Samoan Sensation," "The Brahma Bull" and "The Blue Chipper."

The Rock also owns "Jabroni" and "Candy Ass" ... plus "Roody Poo" ... among other items. Worth noting ... he owns these names/phrases in the context of WWE ... that's it. Everyone else can throw these lines around in public, DJ only has dominion in the wrestling world.

Of course, this is one of the major benefits of Dwayne's deal to become the newest board of directors member for TKO -- which now owns WWE and UFC as a new one-stop shop entity.

As we reported ... The Rock is also getting stock options valued at $30 million and some executive decision-making power. And yes, he's a major shot-caller as a board member now -- so he's got a nice little package of perks to himself ... including things only he can say.

Scot Pollard's having a really good Thursday ... the ex-NBA champ is leaving a hospital just two weeks after undergoing heart transplant surgery -- and to celebrate, he had a little bit of a hallway party at the medical facility!!

Check out footage of the former Kings center as he made his way out of the Nashville building some 13 days after getting a new ticker ... he danced his tail off -- before he rang a victory bell.

Docs and aides were all there to congratulate him on the big moment ... as was his wife, Dawn, who shared video of it all.

"HE MADE IT!!" Dawn wrote on her X page. "13 days post heart transplant and he got to ring the bell."

The scene is obviously an emotional one for the Pollard family ... 'cause a few months ago, many wondered if it would ever happen.

If you weren't familiar, the 49-year-old 7-footer -- who played for five different teams in his NBA career -- revealed earlier this year a genetic issue caused by a flu-like virus affected him to the point where he needed a new heart. But due to his size, the task to get a suitable one was not easy.

In mid-February, though, he found a match ... and docs put it in place ASAP.

Dawn revealed on social media the road to recovery following the operation had its ups and downs -- but Scot remained jovial and positive throughout.

Caitlin Clark -- one of the greatest female college hoopers of all time -- just announced she will be heading to the WNBA Draft following her senior season with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The superstar point guard broke the news on her Instagram ... saying she'll forego the one year of eligibility she had remaining -- due to Covid -- in order to turn pro.

"While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa," the 22-year-old said.

"It is impossible to fully express my gratitude to everyone who has supported during my time at Iowa' my teammates, who the last four years the best; my coaches, trainers, and staff who always let me be me; Hawkeyes fans who filled Carver every night and everyone who came out to support us across the country, especially the young kids."

Clark -- who currently leads women's college basketball in points, assists and 3-pointers -- also thanked her family and friends for sticking by her side through her career.

"Because of all of you, my dreams came true," Clark said.

The news comes less than 24 hours after Clark became the top female scorer in college basketball history following her 33-point game against Minnesota.

Now, she's 17 points away from tying the legendary Pete Maravich's record for most overall points (3,667), which she can do when No. 6 Iowa faces No. 2 Ohio State on Sunday -- which is senior day.

Clark has a load of other impressive accolades ... including AP Player of the Year, John R. Wood Award and Naismith College Player of the Year in 2023.

Ryan Garcia is taking this Devin Haney fight so personally that he can barely put his emotions into words ... finding himself nearly speechless when talking to TMZ Sports about his upcoming megafight!

The star boxer has been trollin' the hell out of Haney as the men promote the April 20 scrap at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Ryan and Devin even got into a scuffle at Super Bowl LVIII.

So, we had to ask Garcia if this was personal or just business ... and Ry's whole demeanor switched up real quick.

"To me, it is personal in a way," Garcia said, "I don't know, something's just in me and just ... I don't even feel like answering these questions bro, I'm sorry."

Not only did that trigger Garcia, but so did the fact that many consider Haney (31-0) as the best boxer in their weight division ... something Ryan clearly doesn't cosign.

"I don't give a f*** about his boxing skills," the 25-year-old said. "I'mma beat his ass, that's it!"

"I'm not a boxing analyst. Forget that dude! He's gonna get it, 4/20, that's it!"

Haney, on the other hand, doesn't care whether Garcia is offended ... nor is he phased by the trash talk, implying Ryan's more bark than bite.

"Blah, blah, blah, we heard this story before," Haney told us.

"We heard this against Tank where he said he was gon' do this, he gon' do that. Then he got stopped and then he made every excuse up in the book."

You gotta fight for your right to party ... and apparently, Rob Gronkowski didn't earn that privilege after getting drafted back in 2010 -- revealing the Patriots were SUPER pissed at him for celebrating on stage during his big night.

The future Hall of Famer detailed the hilarious interaction with his new team just minutes after they took him with the 42nd overall pick ... saying they called him amid his family's passionate huddle and told him to cut it out.

"They said, 'Hey, Rob. You can get off the stage now,'" Gronk said in a clip from the upcoming episode of "The Dynasty: New England Patriots" on Apple TV+. "'Enough is enough.'"

"And I'm sitting there like, 'Wow, I'm already in trouble! It's been five minutes since I've been on the Patriots and I'm already in trouble!'"

Everything ended up working out in the end ... as Gronk and Tom Brady became one of the most successful duos in NFL history -- winning four Super Bowls together (three with the Pats).

Speaking of Brady, he also unsurprisingly gets some airtime in the latest episodes ... revealing he wanted to continue playing after suffering a season-ending ACL injury in September 2008.

Of course, that didn't happen ... and the Matt Cassel era began, leading New England to an 11-5 record in Brady's absence.

1:47 PM PT -- Shohei Ohtani just revealed more about his wife during a meeting with media members out at spring training on Thursday ... saying the two knew each other around three or four years before tying the knot.

The baseball star also said she had "nothing to do" with his decision to leave the Angels and join the Dodgers this offseason.

Shohei Ohtani is officially off the dating market ... the MLB superstar revealed late Wednesday night he's now married!!!

The Dodgers' designated hitter said in a post on his Instagram page his new spouse is "someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me" ... although he did not reveal the person's name.

"I am excited for what is come," he wrote ... before adding, "thank you for your support."

Ohtani included a picture of his adorable dog, Decoy, on the announcement as well.

Of course, it's now the second time in the last three months the 29-year-old has told the world of a life-changing event on IG ... back in December, he shared he was moving on from the Angels to the Dodgers for the foreseeable future.

That announcement got over two million "likes" on the social media app ... and so far, it's appeared to be a great decision for the two-way player.

Ohtani homered in his first spring training game with the team earlier this week, and he looks poised for a huge 2024 -- even if he won't pitch this year while recovering from elbow surgery.

Only about three more weeks until the at-bats actually count for L.A. ... get that popcorn ready!

The Leap Year's like a bonus round of fun that rolls around once every four years, and this squad of celebs are ready to seize the extra day on Feb 29!

First, we have DJ Steve Aoki taking his celebration to a whole new level by getting Pikachu involved in Japan.

Then check out Serena Williams serving us with a serious vacay high jump, while fellow tennis player Maria Sharapova has the perfect approach to her winter wonderland setting.

"Selling Sunset" stars Mary Fitzgerald and Romain Bonnet make the leap for luxury on a Bali beach.

"Pitch Perfect" star Skylar Astin makes a splash ... hurling himself into the crystal-clear waters of Jamaica.

Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons' daughter, Aoki Lee Simmons, rounds things off by soaring to new heights ... all thanks to a trampoline.

Safe to say ... people seem to be happy to jump around on a leap year.

Former Illinois football star Tip Reiman had the most memorable quote of the NFL Combine so far ... telling reporters he believes birds are not what they seem!!

For those who aren't in on the joke ... the "Birds Aren't Real" movement made waves a few years ago, when a guy named Peter McIndoe created a satirical conspiracy that winged animals are actually spy drones for the U.S. Government.

A bunch of people joined in on the troll job ... and now, it's even made its way to professional football.

Reiman -- who had 203 yards and three touchdowns last season -- revealed his allegiance with the movement on Thursday ... hitting reporters with several questions that support his stance.

"Have you ever seen a baby pigeon?" Reiman asked, according to Owen Riese. "How do we know that power lines aren't pigeon recharging stations?"

Some people think Reiman is actually serious ... comparing him to Aaron Rodgers, who's been known to rock a tinfoil hat from time to time.

But Reiman's take wasn't the only bizarre statement out of Indy this week -- Texas Tech standout Tyler Owens also told reporters he doesn't believe other planets exist ... adding some flat-earthers have a strong argument.

Isaiah Stewart just addressed the Drew Eubanks fight for the first time since their Valentine's Day clash ... and while he didn't get into specifics about the incident -- he did apologize to his team.

The 22-year-old power forward spoke on the matter with media members for about a minute on Tuesday at Detroit practice ... starting things off with a mea culpa.

"First and foremost," he said, "I apologize to my teammates -- just the organization. Because I always want to represent the organization in a great fashion."

Stewart then went on to thank the Pistons and their fans for their support in the wake of it all.

"I'm ready to just get back out here," he said, "and compete and win these games."

Stewart initially found himself in hot water back on Feb. 14 ... after cops say witnesses told them he socked Eubanks in the face during a tussle at the Footprint Center just prior Detroit's tilt with the Suns.

Authorities said the incident caused Eubanks a minor injury -- and Stewart was ultimately hit with an assault charge. However, less than two weeks later, prosecutors dropped the case -- stating in court documents Eubanks "no longer desires prosecution in this matter."

Stewart missed the Pistons' tilts against Indiana, Orlando, and New York while serving a three-game ban for the incident ... but he did return on Tuesday night and logged 11 points in 34 minutes.

3:39 PM -- TMZ Sports got some more intel on what went down inside the restaurant ... and as it turns out, Travis and Christian never crossed paths.

In fact, we're told McCaffrey had no idea Kelce was also there Wednesday night ... and only found out after the fact.

Travis Kelce and Christian McCaffrey aren't letting the Super Bowl results keep them from bro-ing down in Malibu -- 'cause that's exactly what they were doing on Hump Day.

The two dueling NFL superstars -- who faced off in Vegas a few weeks ago, with TK's team emerging victorious (again) -- were spotted enjoying each other's company at Nobu in Malibu on Wednesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end is clearly staying busy while Taylor Swift does her thing in Singapore -- the next stop on her international tour. We're told he showed up at the famous hot spot around 8 PM, right around when CMC and his fiancée, Olivia Culpo, arrived.

It appears McCaffrey and Culpo were there for a Dolce Glow product event ... 'cause a handful of influencers and celebs like Becky G, Chrissy Teigen and Olivia's two sisters were also present. Unclear why Kelce was there ... but in any case, he was rolling with the crew.

We're told the two jocks got in separate cars as they left the restaurant ... but Kelce was trying like hell to avoid the paps on the scene (Taylor's really rubbing off on him, huh?)

In fact, Travis made his way through the kitchen to ultimately make his exit around midnight -- the same time as the engaged couple, who elected the standard route and didn't mind being photographed. For whatever reason, Travis has become camera-shy.

As for Kelce and McCaffrey ... it doesn't seem like they've been tight for very long -- the 49ers running back said back in November he met Travis for the first time during the 2023 offseason. And yet, they're hanging together shortly after the SB.

McCaffrey and Culpo are getting married soon ... so maybe Kelce asked for some pointers on how to pop the question??

The Golden State Warriors are without Andrew Wiggins once again -- the NBA All-Star is taking his second leave of absence in two seasons ... and his return date is up in the air.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr revealed the news surrounding the 29-year-old forward on Wednesday ... saying Wiggins is dealing with a personal matter.

"We're in a position where Wiggs is a private person and he's asked to keep it private and we're gonna honor that," Kerr said on "95.7 The Game."

"So it doesn’t help for me to sit here and try to explain any of that."

Kerr added, "The bottom line is we respect Wiggs, we need him and we fully expect him back, but we just don't know when that will be."

This isn't the first time Wiggins has needed to distance himself from basketball -- right before the All-Star break last year, Andrew stepped away to deal with a family matter.

The Warriors kept quiet about that situation, but Shams Charania of The Athletic reported his father was dealing with a medical emergency.

Juventus star Paul Pogba was banned for four years for doping ... a crushing blow for the international soccer star who says he's innocent and will appeal the decision!

The 30-year-old midfielder -- who has been ineligible to play since a drug test showed elevated testosterone levels last September -- shared news of the ban Thursday with his over 61 million Instagram followers ... after he received word from Italy's anti-doping board.

"I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping’s decision and believe that the verdict is incorrect," Pogba wrote.

"I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me."

The decision means Pogba won't be able to play until 2027 ... although he says he's going to appeal the decision.

"When I am free of legal restrictions the full story will become clear," Pogba said, "but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations."

"As a professional athlete, I would never do anything to enhance my performance by using banned substances and have never disrespected or cheated fellow athletes and supporters of any of the teams I have played for, or against."

Pogba's professional soccer career began in 2011 ... and has seen PP suit up for Manchester United and Juventus.

Paul re-signed with Juventus on a four-year deal in July 2022 ... but injured his meniscus weeks later. The injury also forced him to miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup.