TMZ Sports - Page 50

Watch out Ali vs. Frazier ... your status as the biggest heavyweight fight of all time is in jeopardy ... that's according to George Foreman, who says there's one fight that could be bigger.

Deontay Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua.

Wilder nuked Dominic Breazeale's face via 1st-round knockout this weekend -- and immediately, ring reporter Jim Gray began pressuring Deontay about when he'll fight Joshua, the most decorated active heavyweight.

We talked to Foreman, who says he doesn't know when the fight will happen, but he DOES know it'll be HUGE when it does.

"If Joshua and Wilder fight, it would be the biggest heavyweight fight of all time!"

Just so you guys know, historically all the biggest fights have been between heavyweights ... until Floyd Mayweather came along and changed the landscape.

We asked George again, and he doubled down saying the fight would be "bigger than anything."

Question is ... will it ever happen? Wilder didn't seem convinced after destroying Breazeale and Joshua is busy preparing to fight another dude no one's really ever heard of.

But, if George is right, we're talking about maybe a $300 million dollar event ... SO GET TO IT GUYS.

Legendary Formula 1 racer Niki Lauda has died ... according to his family.

Lauda, considered one of F1's greatest drivers ever, died Monday ... nine months after undergoing surgery for a lung transplant.

Niki won the F1 drivers' championship in 1975 and '77 with Ferrari and again in '84 with McLaren ... but he's most famous for crashing and catching fire in 1976 at the German Grand Prix.

Lauda was badly burned in the crash, but he made a miraculous recovery an returned to racing only 6 weeks later.

Lauda's incredible comeback after dodging death instantly made him the stuff of legend .. and his 1976 rivalry with British driver James Hunt was the plot line of the movie "Rush."

Niki, who was born in Austria, had a tight working relationship with 5-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton. Lauda was involved when Lewis signed with McClaren ahead of the 2013 racing season.

Niki's family released a statement after his death ... saying, "With deep sadness, we announce that our beloved Niki has peacefully passed away with his family on Monday."

"His unique achievements as an athlete and entrepreneur are and will remain unforgettable, his tireless zest for action, his straightforwardness and his courage remain."

"A role model and a benchmark for all of us, he was a loving and caring husband, father and grandfather away from the public, and he will be missed."

Lauda was 70.

Tyson Fury says Deontay Wilder's 1st-round KO of Dominic Breazeale was "highlight reel" stuff ... but it ain't enough to get the job done against the Gypsy King when they rematch.

In fact, Fury has a message for his boxing nemesis ... "Deontay Wilder can suck my nuts!"

Yep, that's how this clip went when we saw Fury in NYC on Monday -- lots of that good ol' fashion trash talk he's become famous for.

Fury says Wilder ain't skilled in the sweet science -- all he has is a puncher's chance ... and it ain't enough to beat him when they square off for the second time ... whenever that may be.

In fact, since Fury took Wilder's best shots during their December fight and got up TWICE -- we asked what it was like to be hit by the Bronze Bomber.

"It ain't so bad. I got up, didn't I?!"

Fury says he's down to fight Wilder any time, anywhere... saying he would agree to a bare-knuckle fight in Times Square RIGHT NOW if Wilder was willing to sign on the dotted line!

Whenever they fight again (hopefully soon), Fury says he'll make Deontay his "bitch" -- adding, "I promise him he'll be looking at the stars!"

Tyson and Deontay fought to a draw the first time around in one of the best heavyweight fights in years.

Wilder and Fury have said they want a rematch -- but boxing politics seem to be getting in the way.

Ric Flair is out of surgery and in the recovery room -- and doctors say the procedure was a success, this according to Flair's wife, Wendy Barlow.

"Doctors said the procedure was a success," Wendy tells TMZ Sports ... noting that she wants to thank everyone for their prayers and support during this difficult time.

As we previously reported, Flair was hospitalized on Thursday after suffering a medical emergency. He was supposed to undergo surgery on Friday, but doctors postponed the surgery due to "complications."

But clearly, they felt he was good to go on Monday -- because they operated as planned.

Unclear exactly what surgery was performed on Ric -- but we know he had been experiencing heart issues over the past few months and doctors felt his current situation was "very serious."

The 70-year-old wrestling legend has been in good spirits over the past few days and has been chatting with his famous friends on the phone, including Offset.

Flair had to pull out of a celebrity roast set for this upcoming Friday in Las Vegas -- but doctors are still optimistic he will make a full recovery.

Sage Northcutt's fight injuries were worse than initially reported -- he didn't just suffer 8 fractures in his face, but his cheek shattered into 30 different pieces ... according to his coach, Urijah Faber.

As we previously reported, Northcutt suffered major damage Friday when he was knocked out by Cosmo Alexandre during his ONE Championship debut in Singapore ... and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

"Dude got his face blasted, man," Faber said ... "His cheek shattered like an eggshell."

Faber says Northcutt described the pain as "40 times worse than any pain I've ever felt."

Sage went under the knife over the weekend -- requiring doctors to access the wound through 4 entry points ... including his hairline, mouth and eye.

You gotta listen to Faber describe the procedure -- it's gnarly.

The good news ... Sage is in good spirits and he's already talking about setting up his next fight.

12:49 PM PT -- The guy who saved Zeke's ass ... is the victim, according to cops.

A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... the main reason Zeke wasn't arrested is because the victim didn't want to push forward with charges.

"On Sunday, May 19, 2019 at approximately 3 a.m. LVMPD officers working at EDC observed from a distance an adult male, later identified as Elliott, push a security officer to the ground."

"Two officers approached and placed Elliott into handcuffs while they investigated the incident. The security guard who was the victim of the misdemeanor battery, refused to press charges and officers escorted Elliott a short distance away and he was released."

If you're a Cowboys fan, might wanna buy this dude a beer the next time you're in Vegas.

Ezekiel Elliott was handcuffed at the EDC music festival in Las Vegas over the weekend after he shoved a security guard to the ground and TMZ Sports has the video.

... but the NFL star's attorney says Zeke was NOT formally arrested (only detained) and claims the whole thing is much ado about nothing.

Here's the deal ... the Dallas Cowboys superstar running back had been spotted in the parking lot at the Electric Daisy Carnival around 3 AM on Saturday morning arguing with his girlfriend.

Zeke never puts his hands on the woman but he uses his body to block her from walking away several times during the argument.

A short time later, Zeke and the woman are seen speaking with event staffers -- when suddenly Elliott confronts one them and says, "You got something to say!?"

Zeke gets in the staffer's face and uses his body to shove the guy backward until the staffer hits a metal gate -- that's when Zeke uses his forearm to shove the guy to the ground.

Zeke immediately throws his hands up and says, "I didn't do anything!"

Event security -- along with Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. officers rush over and eventually put Zeke in handcuffs and escort him away from the scene.

We spoke with Zeke's attorney, Frank Salzano, who says Elliott was released shortly after our video ends and he was not formally arrested or charged with a crime.

Salzano says Elliott was just having a normal discussion with his girlfriend and blames event security for "overreacting."

"Security misconstrued and overreacted to the situation," Salzano tells TMZ Sports.

"He was cuffed as a precautionary measure. He was released with no charges. He left Vegas that night and went to his [youth football camp in Dallas] on Sunday."

Even without an official arrest, Elliott could face discipline from the NFL if they find his actions violated the league's personal conduct policy.

Remember, the league had investigated Zeke in 2017 over allegations he physically abused an ex-girlfriend -- and even though he wasn't arrested, the league believed there was enough evidence to warrant a 6-game suspension.

Zeke has always maintained he did not attack the accuser in that situation.

Leonard Fournette's car troubles seem to be officially behind him ... the Jaguars star just copped a plea deal in his car wash arrest case -- and he won't have to spend any time behind bars for the incident.

As we previously reported ... Fournette was busted last month after cops say he was speeding with illegal tint on his windows in Florida.

When cops pulled him over at the Easy Breezy Car Wash in Jacksonville ... they learned he was also driving on a suspended license and had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from a previous traffic violation -- so they cuffed him.

Fournette was hit with multiple charges including driving on a suspended license and was facing up to 60 days in jail.

But, the good news for the 24-year-old ... he paid off the fines from his previous traffic issues and when his attorney showed up in court Monday -- he struck a deal with prosecutors on the new charges too.

Court records show Fournette pled no contest to driving without a valid driver's license, and in exchange, his speeding and illegal tint charges were dropped.

Leonard was forced to pay roughly $300 in fines and court fees.

11:47 AM PT -- Unser was so drunk, he couldn't stand up straight and actually fell down an embankment during the arrest ... this according to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

The responding officer says he initially pulled Unser over when he saw the racing legend whiz by him in a black Volkswagen Beetle around 1:12 AM.

During the stop, the officer says Unser reeked of booze and couldn't keep his balance ... and the entire time Unser insisted he hadn't had anything to drink before getting behind the wheel.

At one point, the officer says ... "Unser Jr. walked onto the embankment, lost his balance, fell to the ground and rolled down the embankment."

Unser refused breath tests and other field sobriety tests so he was cuffed and taken to the station for a blood draw.

The officer says Unser was a pain in the ass during the entire ordeal -- "he was consistently verbally hostile" toward the cops involved in the situation.

No word on the results of the blood draw ... yet.

Well, this is bad ...

Racing legend Al Unser Jr. -- who won the Indy 500 TWICE -- was arrested for drunk driving in Indianapolis early Monday morning, officials say.

The 57-year-old was pulled over in Hendricks County -- and officers suspected he was drunk. He was hauled to a nearby station where Unser was booked around 3:20 AM.

Court records show he's facing 3 charges -- improper lane usage, speeding and operating while intoxicated.

If Unser doesn't seem fazed in his mug shot ... it's because it's the 3RD TIME he's been arrested for drunk driving.

He was previously popped for drunk driving in 2007 and 2011.

Obviously, Unser struggles with alcohol abuse. He was also arrested in 2002 after a booze-fueled altercation with his then-girlfriend.

Unser has spoken publicly about his issues and has tried to get help multiple times.

Unser retired from racing back in 2007 after a stellar career which includes an Indy 500 win in 1992 and again in 1994.

How did Jon Lester, Anthony Rizzo and a couple other Cubs get over a sad loss Saturday in D.C.???

COLLEGE BAR NIGHT, BABY!!!

Lester -- fresh off of giving up 10 hits and 5 earned runs in just 4.1 innings against the Nats -- tucked his best dress shirt into his jeans, grabbed Rizzo, Albert Almora Jr. and Kyle Schwarber and hit the town.

Eyewitnesses tell TMZ Sports the guys were out at Sauf Haus Bier Hall -- a college bar 4 miles from Nationals Park.

And, at one point, things got kinda awkward ... 'cause Lester's brutal performance was replaying on the TV screens!!!

But, we're told the guys weren't fazed by the reminder of their L earlier in the day ... 'cause they danced around until 3 AM ... and then cruised over to McDonald's for some late-night munchies!!!

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is adamant he did NOT betray Magic Johnson and trash the NBA legend behind his back ... saying allegations are "simply not true."

Pelinka was asked about the situation moments ago while introducing new Lakers head coach Frank Vogel ... just hours after Magic put Pelinka on blast during an ESPN interview.

Johnson said he was upset at Pelinka because he found out Rob had been bashing him in and out of NBA circles ... saying Magic's work ethic sucked and he was barely in the Lakers office.

So, what's Rob's response? He took a cue from Shaggy ... IT WASN'T ME!

"Surprising to hear and disheartening," Pelinka said ... "Simply not true."

Pelinka says he stands with Magic as a colleague and a partner and wants to speak with Magic in person to clear everything up.

Pelinka says he was surprised to see Magic make the allegations on TV because they have spoken several times since Magic left the Lakers and Rob thought they were on good terms.

More bad news for Reuben Foster ... the Washington Redskins LB was carted off the field Monday after suffering a scary injury during his first practice ever with the team.

Reporters on the scene say the ex-Alabama star -- who the 'Skins just picked up a few months ago after the 49ers cut him -- injured his left leg during an on-field play.

Foster reportedly was pushed to the ground ... and was in clear and obvious pain afterward -- punching the grass and screaming out loud.

Trainers put Foster's leg in a cast and carted him off the field ... and it's unclear right now how severe the injury is -- but things don't look good.

It's another piece of bad news for Foster -- who's dealt with multiple issues the past two years including two separate domestic violence incidents as well as a marijuana arrest.

Foster appeared to have all his troubles behind him after signing with the Redskins back in November -- the NFL said he would NOT be suspended after his most recent domestic violence arrest -- and he looked poised to be a starter for Washington this season.

Khloe Kardashian says as devastating as her divorce to Lamar Odom was ... she'd absolutely get hitched again ... but that requires a date or 2, and at least for now that's not in the cards.

Khlo got super personal with Disso Queen Laura Wasser on her podcast, "Divorce Sucks!" which drops Monday. Laura asks her straight-up -- would she be open to tying the knot yet again?

Check out Khloe's answer -- it takes an interesting turn. She says she was heartbroken when her marriage to Lamar fell apart ... and it seems it affected her even more than her super difficult breakup with Tristan Thompson.

Yet, Khloe says she has no regrets about either relationship. It's like they say -- better to have loved and lost than never ... yeah, you get it.

Khloe's got no one with whom she wants to hook up or ignite a new relationship with. In fact, dating is NOT on the table ... not at all.

These days it's all about True ... true that.

Sebastian Telfair's sister has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly making violent threats to the ex-NBA star's estranged wife ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... Samantha Telfair had gone to police in late April claiming she was getting frightening phone calls from Octavia Telfair, who threatened to "kill my kids and cut my face" all because she testified in Sebastian's NYC gun case.

During Sebastian's trial, Samantha told prosecutors she had personally witnessed the former basketball star in possession of multiple weapons, including the gas-operated submachine gun he was allegedly carrying when he was arrested in June 2017.

Apparently, Sebastian's sister, Octavia, felt Samantha's testimony was treacherous -- so she allegedly called Samantha more than 50 times on the phone to express her discontent.

The LAPD and NYPD were investigating -- since Samantha lives in L.A. and Octavia lives in New York -- but the case was kicked to the FBI, which ultimately decided to arrest Octavia.

As we previously reported, Telfair -- a 33-year-old former high school phenom who spent 12 seasons in the NBA -- was arrested in June 2017 in Brooklyn when cops found several weapons during a traffic stop.

Some good news, bad news on the Ric Flair health front ...

The good news is we're being told he's in good spirits and confident he'll be okay after he undergoes surgery following a medical emergency last week. The surgery is expected to take place Monday.

The bad news is Flair is officially pulling out of the May 24 celebrity roast he was supposed to attend in Las Vegas.

Flair was supposed to be the guest of honor at "The Roast of Ric Flair" at Caesars Palace ... where some huge wrestling stars and comedians were planning on blasting the guy with some friendly fire on the night before AEW's first pay-per-view event.

But, a spokesperson for Flair tells us ... unfortunately, Ric won't be healthy enough by Friday evening to make the trip from Atlanta to Vegas.

We're told a bunch of Ric's famous friends have been calling the WWE legend to check in -- including Offset -- and Flair has been cracking jokes and being his usual friendly self.

Magic Johnson is calling out Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka -- fingering Pelinka as the backstabber who trashed him inside and outside of NBA circles ... and Magic is pissed.

Magic went on "First Take" early Monday when he was asked about the drama inside the Lakers organization that pushed him to quit before the end of the 2018-19 season.

Johnson essentially says he started hearing bad rumors about himself which he was able to trace back to Rob.

"I started hearing, 'Magic, you're not working hard enough. Magic's not in the office' ... So, people around the Lakers office was telling me Rob was saying things."

Magic added, "And, I didn't like those things being said behind my back."

Johnson said he also started getting calls "from my friends outside of basketball saying those things now were said to them outside of basketball."

Johnson resigned on April 9 -- telling the media before looping in Lakers owner Jeanie Buss ... shocking the basketball world.

Troubled QB Chad Kelly just signed a new contract with the Indianapolis Colts -- and it begs the question ... is his uncle, Jim Kelly, to thank?

Here's the deal ... Jim had been working out with Chad this offseason to help him get a second shot in the NFL after he was cut by the Denver Broncos in 2018 following a bizarre arrest.

But, it's also hard to ignore the Jim Kelly connection with the Colts -- a team coached by Jim's former backup, Frank Reich!

Remember, Frank famously took over for an injured Jim Kelly in Buffalo during the 1992 NFL playoffs and led the Bills to the most historic comeback win ever when they were down 35-3 at halftime to the Houston Oilers.

So, did Jim call in a favor to his old friend?

Maybe ... but Chad still has to cut it on the field or else he'll be outta there.

Chad has to keep his nose clean while trying to earn his job on the regular season roster -- he was just sentenced to 1 year supervised probation after striking a plea deal in his home invasion arrest.

As we previously reported, Chad entered a random person's home after a night of boozing with the team back in October -- and was chased out of the home by a man wielding a vacuum cleaner tube.

After the Broncos cut Chad, his Hall of Fame uncle Jim met up with him to help guide along his QB workouts ... and he looked pretty good.

Kelly got a tryout with the Colts earlier this month -- and it seems they liked what they saw.