TMZ Sports - Page 50

Middleweight mauler Jermall Charlo says the big fight he wants next is Canelo Alvarez ... because when it comes down to it Canelo is bigger and better than Gennady Golovkin.

Most agree that Jermall is on the cusp of superstardom ... but he needs one huge fight to catapult him from a boxing star to a household name.

A win over GGG or Canelo would probably do the trick ... but when we talked to JC in NYC, he said he wants one guy -- the better guy -- much more than the other.

"Canelo seems to be the better fighter right? He won the fight right? He beat him right? So I wanna fight the 28-year-old so-called stud."

Not everyone agrees with Charlo BTW ... there are many people who think GGG won BOTH fights, and was robbed each time by judges who favored the younger, more popular fighter.

In any case, Charlo has some work to do before he gets his shot at Canelo, squaring off against Matt Korobov in Brooklyn this Saturday, but is DESPERATE for a bigger fight.

Farrah Abraham backed down from a fight in the ring, but now she's going to have to duke it out in court with the promoter who claims she screwed him over ... and took his money.

As we reported ... Farrah refused to fight in a charity celeb boxing match in Atlantic City in November, because she claimed she was promised a bunch of freebies including travel and hotel rooms, but the promoter, Damon Feldman, didn't deliver.

Feldman's throwing the first legal punch though ... claiming Abraham took cash upfront, signed a contract and falsely promoted she was fighting in the match. He's suing for $12,000.

The boxing promoter also recently threatened to take legal action against Farrah for defamation for talking trash about the event after she backed out, but there's no mention of that in the legal docs.

You may recall ... Farrah was replaced in the bout by "Mob Wives" star Natalie DiDonato, but she already has another challenger threatening to beat her ass.

Farrah's manager, David Weintraub, tells us, "We are truly wishing Damon the best with his frivolous lawsuit. Everyone must realize this guy broke his own contract with us & runs this 'so called' business out of his studio apartment and doing 'basement style event fights' that no one watches."

He continues, "He should work a little harder to pay for travel/accommodations for the talent and team and then perhaps the talent will actually come. Get ready for the counter suit from Farrah."

Yankees star CC Sabathia underwent heart surgery earlier this month ... but New York GM Brian Cashman says, thankfully, the pitcher is expected to be okay.

"We are thankful that CC was smart enough to convey his symptoms to our medical staff ... We are also encouraged that the procedure CC underwent was performed as planned."

Sabathia reportedly needed an angioplasty -- a procedure where docs unblocked an artery in the former ace's heart -- after experiencing acid reflux, heartburn and other symptoms.

It's good news for the pitcher that he caught the signs early ... 'cause The Athletic reports Sabathia could have been in danger of suffering a heart attack if his blockage had gone undiscovered.

Cashman says the team expects Sabathia to make a full recovery and report in time for the team's 2019 spring training in Tampa.

UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley is FIRED UP over the high school wrestling ref who made a black kid cut his dreadlocks before a match ... and he's calling for NJ officials to FIRE HIS ASS.

Before dominating the UFC, Tyron was an All-American wrestler at the Univ. of Missouri ... and before that, he was a FORCE in the high school wrestling community.

Tyron tells TMZ Sports ... the ref, Alan Maloney, should have been fired years ago when he reportedly made a racist comment to an African-American man back in 2016.

Woodley's bigger issue is he's sick of people with a history of racist behavior being allowed to have positions of authority. And, that includes police officers.

As for the recent incident with high school wrestler Andrew Johnson, Tyron thinks the way the high school wrestling community handles hair maintenance ... specifically with black athletes ... is ridiculous.

Forget Santa Claus ... Mike Evans is the real Christmas MVP -- at least, that's the case in Tampa Bay, 'cause the WR's gifts to his Bucs teammates caused everyone to lose their minds!!!

The NFL superstar got his squad their own custom Bird scooters for the holidays -- complete with every player's last name AND number ... and yeah, it was a hit in the locker room.

"This is what you call an ultimate teammate!! You feel me?!" offensive lineman Donovan Smith screamed.

"This is what you call an ultimate teammate!! My boy, Money Mike, baby!! Where you at, Mike?!?!"

Evans was mobbed by his teammates ... who couldn't wait to give the receiver some skin as a thanks for the electric wheels.

"Appreciate it, Mike!!" added rookie D-lineman Vita Vea.

We know what you're thinking -- 53 players on a roster and around $500 a scooter -- but don't worry about it ... Evans is in the middle of a 5-year, $82.5 MILLION contract!!!

A shocking recording of the Rachael Ostovich domestic violence incident has surfaced -- in which her MMA fighter husband allegedly screams, "I'm going to f**king murder you."

A neighbor used a cell phone to record the scene on Nov. 27 -- when Arnold Berdon allegedly brutalized Ostovich during an argument at their home in Hawaii.

The footage is mostly dark -- but you can definitely hear voices.

In the video, obtained by Hawaii News Now, you can hear a male voice make several threats ... including, "I’m going to murder you. I’m going to f**king murder you."'

At the end of the 9-minute video, you can see a nude female jump off the lanai and try to escape.

We broke the story ... Berdon was arrested and charged with 2nd-degree assault.

Ostovich suffered serious injuries to her face, head and body -- and pulled out of her January fight against Paige VanZant.

Ostovich later got a second opinion from another doctor who cleared her to fight -- so it's now back on.

Bill Belichick says Josh Gordon's departure from the Patriots is "an unfortunate situation" ... and the coach is hoping his troubled wideout is able to handle his issues going forward.

"Personally, I wish him the very best as we all do on this team," Bill told reporters Friday.

Gordon announced Thursday he was stepping away from the Pats to focus on his mental health ... just minutes before the NFL announced he violated the league's substance abuse policy once again.

Belichick declined to get into specifics of Gordon's problems with media members -- callin' it, "a private matter" -- but repeated he hopes the WR gets the help he needs.

"I hope that he's able to deal with it successfully," Belichick said.

As for if the Pats will continue to help Josh while he's away from the team ... Bill said, "We're going to get ready for Buffalo and play Buffalo on Sunday."

The Patriots traded for Gordon earlier in the season after the Cleveland Browns decided to cut bait. Over the years, Gordon had been suspended multiple times for substance abuse issues.

But, the final straw for Cleveland was when Gordon suffered an injury in Sept. while shooting a promotional video.

This is ridiculous ...

A black high school wrestler was told by a white referee that he needed to cut off his dreadlocks or forfeit an important match ... and the whole incident was captured on video.

Andrew Johnson was about to compete for Buena Regional High School in New Jersey -- and was wearing a cover over his dreadlocks ... when referee Alan Maloney stepped in.

Maloney told Johnson his hair cover was not sufficient and gave him 2 choices -- chop off the locks or lose the match.

Johnson reluctantly chose the haircut -- but you can see he's visibly upset.

Johnson destroyed his opponent -- but he's clearly devastated about the hair cut ... even when the ref raises his hand in victory.

His teammates tried to console him but Johnson wasn't really having it.

Now, it's been revealed the ref has a history of racist behavior -- using a racial slur toward a black man during a social gathering in 2016 ... and getting his ass kicked in the process.

The offended party (an African American man) was so pissed, he slammed Maloney to the ground following the slur.

Maloney later apologized for the incident and the body that oversees high school wrestling in New Jersey ordered him to complete a sensitivity training class.

Karrueche Tran says Travis Scott is making a HUGE MISTAKE by doing the Super Bowl halftime show with Maroon 5 ... and now she's hoping and praying he back out ASAP.

"I just don't think it's a good idea," Tran told us outside Hyde on the Sunset Strip ... "I'm really hoping it's not gonna happen."

Seems Tran -- who's dating ex-NFL star Victor Cruz -- is unhappy with the way the league is treating players like Colin Kaepernick. She also seems to be unhappy with the way the league is handling violence toward women.

Amy Schumer has called for celebrities to boycott the NFL and the halftime show -- and Tran clearly agrees.

When asked if the NFL can do anything to help change her mind, Tran suggested there wasn't enough time ... since the Super Bowl is only 2 months away.

8:22 AM PT -- McGregor’s spokesperson Karen Kessler tells TMZ Sports …"This complaint is a routine but sad attempt to grab publicity in a case that should have been resolved months ago. We are pleased that Chiesa’s quick recovery allows him to continue fighting."

UFC fighter Michael Chiesa claims Conor McGregor's steel dolly attack was a publicity stunt intended to hype his fight with Khabib ... and now he wants ALL of Conor's UFC 229 profits.

Long story short ... Chiesa (who was injured in the bus attack) claims NY law bars people from profiting from criminal activity and requires them to turn over ill-gotten gains to their victims. It's called the Son of Sam law.

In new court docs filed by Chiesa, the UFC fighter argues the April 5 dolly incident drove up interest in UFC 229 and boosted sales of Conor's Proper 12 whiskey brand, so all profits should be handed over.

It's not a small number -- Conor publicly stated he expected to make $50 MILLION for the Oct. 6 fight against Khabib ... plus MILLIONS more from the sales of Proper 12.

Here's how Chiesa spells it out in his lawsuit ...

"By his own admission, [McGregor] engaged in the aforementioned conduct and acts with the premeditated intent and purpose of inflicting severe personal injuries and/or murdering Nurmagomedov, and sought to promote his brand and profit from his criminal activity."

He also cited Conor's UFC 229 press conference ... when McGregor reflected on the bus incident and said Khabib would be "dead" if he had stepped off that bus that day.

Chiesa was a passenger on the bus and suffered cuts to his face when he was struck by shattered glass.

Chiesa claims he was unable to compete in his scheduled fight against Anthony Pettis at UFC 223 that weekend -- and lost an even BIGGER opportunity to fight Khabib when Max Holloway pulled out of the main event.

In his docs, Chiesa claims the UFC had reached out to him about filling in for Holloway in the title match at UFC 223, but Chiesa says his injuries prevented him from taking the fight.

Chiesa says he suffered from depression following the ordeal -- and claims his inability to fight at UFC 223 hurt his overall standing in the UFC.

Chiesa claims Conor deliberately created "havoc, mayhem and injury" that resulted in his injuries.

With fan heckling in the NBA reaching a boiling point, we had to ask Julius Randle how he deals with all the trash talk coming from the fans.

And, his answers are perfect.

Here's the deal, in the past couple of weeks, stars like Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and more have gone ballistic on hecklers over insults that crossed the line.

And, in the NFL, guys like Marcus Peters and Leonard Fournette have threatened to fight fans who ran their mouths during games.

So, with Julius having 5 years of NBA experience ... we had to ask how he deals with all the jibber-jabber on the court.

Travis Scott doesn't have to justify his decision to perform at the Super Bowl to anyone -- his only goal should be to put on a hip-hop show for the ages ... so says Yung Joc.

The Atlanta rapper's going to bat for Trav, who's taking some heat from peers -- like Meek Mill -- for opting to join Maroon 5 for the halftime show in February. Meek thinks it's beneath Travis ... plus, it breaks the NFL boycott some celebs are organizing in support of Colin Kaepernick.

But, YJ points out the stage doesn't get any bigger than the SB, and the opportunity for Scott is not only too big to pass up ... but it can do a lot of good for the hip-hop culture.

We broke the story ... the "SICKO MODE" rapper's decision to take the halftime gig is a huge win for the NFL as he's one of the hottest acts in music right now. The league and Maroon 5 are still in talks to add more artists ... possibly Cardi B or Big Boi.

John Cena once again transformed himself into Make-A-Wish's biggest hero ... treating a bunch of kids to a private screening of his new blockbuster flick.

The WWE superstar (along with the good folks at Make-A-Wish) rented out a private theater for 21 kids to see "Bumblebee" in NYC on Thursday ... and judging from the footage, everyone was stoked!

Each kid got swag bags, snacks and drinks and some time to hang with their favorite action hero/wrestling star.

Some of the kids even busted out Cena's legendary "You Can't See Me" move with John right on the red carpet!!

Later on, Cena took some of the kids to the Empire State Building where they posed for more pics -- took in the sights -- and hung out with John's "Bumblebee" costar, Hailee Steinfeld.

This is awesome!

The House of Representatives voted UNANIMOUSLY on Thursday to award the Congressional Gold Medal to ex-Saints star Steve Gleason for all the great work he's doing to battle ALS.

Gleason (who played for the Saints from 2000 to 2006) was diagnosed with ALS back in 2011. The disease affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.

But, despite his physical challenges, Gleason has been a leading voice in raising awareness and money for ALS organizations.

For example, he's advocated for federal legislation to help ensure people living with diseases like ALS have access to speech-generating devices and he's also been a major leader in the largest coordinated and collaborative ALS research project in the world.

The politicians were obviously impressed -- and Gleason will become the 1st ex-NFL player to receive the award.

FYI, the Congressional Gold Medal recognizes people who have "performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient's field long after the achievement."

It's one of the highest civilian awards in the U.S.

“It is a true honor to witness Steve Gleason become the first New Orleanian and former NFL Legend to receive the Congressional Gold Medal,” Saints Owner Gayle Benson said.

"Along with his wife, Michel, and everyone at Team Gleason, they have unfailingly confronted ALS with a courageous and unwavering determination. Their tireless work to provide crucial assistance and the latest in technology and services has improved countless people’s quality of living."

"Steve is leaving a truly indelible mark in American history and we are honored to call him a true New Orleans Saint."

Ryan Leaf says he's glad Josh Gordon is stepping away from football to focus on what's really important -- his mental health -- and the ex-QB says he's willing to help if the WR needs him.

Leaf has fought a very public battle with mental illness ... and warns Gordon -- who left the Pats on Thursday to focus on his mental health -- the fight he's facing is a very difficult one to win.

"This will be the hardest thing he ever does," Leaf tells TMZ Sports.

"Making it to the NFL for him was easy in comparison to what he has to battle and what he goes through on a daily basis."

But, Leaf -- who's sobered up and now hosts a sports talk show on SiriusXM -- says he's down to help ... and has actually reached out to Josh to make sure the wideout knows that.

"This is really all about surrender and acceptance. Surrendering to something bigger than you and then accepting the help from people who have been through it before."

"I've reached out to Josh and his manager, Michael Johnson, plenty of times, and they know I'm here for him. They know I'm available."

FYI, Leaf is currently a program ambassador for Transcend Recovery Community and its Mentoring Program ... which helps people who are battling substance abuse issues.

James Worthy says L.A. should sign Carmelo Anthony ... 'cause the Lakers legend tells TMZ Sports Melo is exactly what LeBron James NEEDS!!!

Rumors have been swirling this week that the move could go down ... 'cause John Salley hinted to us something was in the works -- and then LBJ was spotted with Anthony at dinner just a day later.

Worthy tells us he supports making the move happen ... saying Anthony would bring something to the Lakers that they currently lack.

"I think Carmelo has proven that he's an outstanding shooter," Worthy says ... "Kind of what we need!"

But ... for as much as Worthy respects Melo's game -- he ain't so sure Anthony is the missing piece for LBJ to win a ring THIS season.