TMZ Sports - Page 50

NFL star Tyrann Mathieu was threatened by a relative -- "I want 1.5 million by Friday or I am going to kill all you all" -- this according to federal court documents.

Officials claim 21-year-old Geourvon Keinell Sears tried to shake down the Kansas City Chiefs safety in April by threatening to contact TMZ with fake allegations of sexual misconduct if Tyrann didn't come up with the money.

For the record, we were never contacted by Sears.

At first, Sears' demand was $1.5 million -- but he later raised the number to $5 million, according to the documents filed in U.S. District Court in Louisiana.

Officials say Sears contacted Mathieu by phone calls and also text messages. Mathieu's family members feared for their safety, according to the court docs.

Sears was arrested on an extortion charge but was later released on $25,000 bond. He's due back in court next month. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Tyrann has reportedly made more than $31 mil in his NFL career and recently inked a 3-year, $42 million contract.

We spoke with Tyrann's rep, Denise White, who described the matter as a "very private and personal family issue."

How does Dwyane Wade REALLY feel about Paul Pierce saying his career was better?

"I'm a high road kind of person ... I won't put another black man down."

Wade couldn't have been more respectful to the longtime Celtics star when we spotted him and Gabrielle Union leaving Blue Dog Beer Tavern in L.A.

"He's an amazing player. I have a lot of respect for him," D-Wade added -- "I'm gonna clap when he goes in the Hall of Fame."

Of course, the Paul Pierce vs. D-Wade debate began back in April when Pierce appeared on ESPN and was asked if he thought he had the better career.

"That’s easy, I can say that off the bat, that’s me,” Pierce said. "I’m 24 or 25 and you give me [LeBron James] and [Chris Bosh], I’d be sitting on five or six championships easy."

Heat fans didn't like Paul's comments -- and busted out a "Paul Pierce sucks" chant at Wade's final home game in Miami.

There's more ... we also asked Wade what his plans are after basketball -- and he told us he's gonna be a "kept man" for a while Union brings home the bacon!

"She got it," Wade said with a smile.

LeBron James clearly needs a little TLC after his Lakers continue to implode around him ... and seems he's gettin' it from an old buddy -- Tristan Thompson!!!

LBJ was out in L.A. on Tuesday night celebrating his John Elliott x LeBron James clothing launch ... and Tristan was there to back his friend -- in more ways than one.

LeBron's Lakers have been a disaster the past few weeks -- they botched their coaching search and Magic Johnson quit -- so TT stopped by and helped comfort The King.

The two shared a big embrace inside of the store ... and seems it helped cheer up LeBron -- who was caught dancing at the DJ booth moments later!!!

Of course, all the bro hugs in the world ain't exactly going to fix the Lakers' issues -- they still need a superstar to join up with Bron this summer and they've gotta make sure their new coaching staff works.

But hey, in the meantime, at least LBJ's new kicks (releasing to the public this week) are fire!!!!

No characters. No script.

Just a heartfelt message from WWE superstar The Miz to his childhood hero, Ric Flair -- telling Nature Boy to keep fighting like hell until he's healthy and back with his wrestling family!!!

The Miz says he found out about Ric's medical emergency like everyone else ... and was crushed when he heard the 70-year-old needed more surgery.

But, Miz knows Flair's not the kinda guy to lay down and give up ... and tells TMZ Sports, "He just keeps fighting man! Nothing can take Ric Flair down!"

Miz tells us how Ric not only inspired him as a kid, but how continues to influence him now as a pro wrestling superstar.

Behind-the-scenes, Miz says Ric's even nicer than he comes off on TV ... and always greets him with his signature, "WOOOO!!!!"

So, what's Miz's message to Ric???

"Just always be Ric Flair. You're the best. No one's better. You're the G.O.A.T. Keep fighting. Keep doing well."

As we previously reported, Flair was initially hospitalized on Thursday and underwent surgery on Monday.

We're told he's expected to make a full recovery and he's been in good spirits.

Jay-Z is being sued by a former Roc Nation Sports boxer -- who blames Hova and the company for the severe brain injuries he suffered after taking 3 fights in 79 days.

The boxer behind the lawsuit is Daniel Franco -- who claims he signed a deal with Roc Nation Sports back in 2015 ... and won his first 5 fights with Jay-Z's company.

But, the problems started in March 2017 ... Franco claims he came down with a bad flu before a big fight which sidelined him from training for 3 weeks.

Franco claims he told Roc Nation he needed to postpone or cancel the March 23 fight -- but Roc Nation pressured him into fighting anyway.

Franco says he lost badly in the 3rd round and should have taken time off to recover ... but instead, Roc Nation booked him to fight again 50 days later on May 12.

Then, Franco claims Roc Nation booked him for a third fight just a month later on June 10 ... his third fight in 79 days.

But, Franco claims Roc Nation never took the steps to make sure he was medically fit to take that third fight ... and it could have cost him his life.

In the court documents, Franco claims he believes he suffered 2 skull fractures and a brain bleed before the June 10 fight that could have been detected.

Instead, Franco says he fought on June 10 -- and lost again -- suffering major damage in the process.

Franco claims he was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage and went into a coma. Doctors needed to remove a piece of his skull to relieve pressure from the bleed.

After 2 weeks, Franco awoke from his coma but claims he still has severe neurological and cognitive issues ... and is required to wear a helmet at all times to protect his brain.

In his suit, Franco says Roc Nation and Jay-Z had a duty to protect him -- but instead acted recklessly by scheduling him to fight 3 times in 79 days without "necessary medical testing."

He's asking for unspecified damages.

Conor McGregor says he wants another crack at Floyd Mayweather -- and with all that he's learned from their first fight, McGregor says he's 100% confident he would get that WIN!

"I would like to rematch him under boxing rules, again," McGregor said to Tony Robbins during a recent interview ... "and I believe I would win."

"Actually, there I go again with that fake humbleness ... I KNOW I WOULD WIN!"

Yeah, you can hear it in his voice ... McGregor really wants this.

Of course, Conor first fought Floyd back in August 2017 -- with Floyd beating on Conor so badly in the 10th round, the referee stopped the fight.

But, Conor didn't see the bout as a one-sided massacre ... he thinks he was WINNING early on.

"When I went into the fight in the early rounds I was WHOOPING him in the early rounds," Conor said ... "I went back to my corner after the 1st round and I said, 'This is easy!'"

But, Conor says Floyd switched up his style -- going from a "back-footed," defensive approach to a more aggressive "Mexican style."

Conor says the switch shows how talented Floyd is ... but now Conor says he can prepare better for that alternative style and crush Floyd in a rematch.

"He never fought like that in his entire career, but he was forced to fight that way because he was getting beaten," Conor said.

"The approach caught me off guard. I was not prepared for it, I was not used to it ... and he walked me down and end up getting the stoppage."

Conor says Floyd originally agreed to fight McGregor in an MMA match after the boxing event -- but Conor says, "I haven't heard from him since!"

Floyd has been taking exhibition fights ever since racking up his 50th pro victory ... but will a rematch with Conor pique his interest in a comeback?

Colin Kaepernick's girlfriend, Nessa, called out 'Teen Mom' star Jenelle Evans TO HER FACE -- and made her cry -- over an anti-Kaepernick post Evans put on social media.

... AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!

Nessa was hosting the "Teen Mom 2" reunion when she decided to put Evans on the hot seat about her Nike protest ... which Jenelle started last year after Nike used Kap in an ad campaign.

In the social media post, Jenelle wrote ... "I will not be buying Nike anymore. Chris Kyle’s wife wrote a huge letter about how she feels and I couldn’t agree more. HER husband actually DID sacrifice A LOT. Nike should change their 'motto' immediately. Nike needs a new PR person pronto."

Fast forward to the reunion ... when Nessa told Jenelle straight up:

"You posted hateful comments on social media about my family, about my man Colin Kaepernick."

Evans played dumb ... saying, "I posted them? When did I post it?"

Don't worry, Nessa had the receipts and read them out loud for Jenelle, who continued to play dumb.

"I’ve never seen that ... I honestly have no idea who your boyfriend is, or husband."

Nessa fired back again ...

"He’s been on set. This is an open, healthy conversation I would like to have with you," Nessa added.

"Please understand something. My man used his platform to peacefully protest systemic oppression in this country, specifically police brutality against black people. Men, women and children dying, wrongfully dying, and people who are doing this are not being held accountable."

"That is the issue. It has nothing to do with military men, military women, okay? Because they fought for our constitution to peacefully protest. I would have appreciated if you had contacted me. I would have been more than happy to have a healthy conversation."

Back to Jenelle ... who started to cry and stormed off the set.

"I don’t know anything about your husband, I swear to God."

"Good evening Paradise High School, I'm Aaron Rodgers ..."

Yeah, we know.

The Packers QB made a pretty cool prom video for the students affected by the NorCal wildfires -- touching on everything from sports to dancing ... even dating.

"Dance your ass off," Rodgers told the students ... "And, enjoy this special time in your life, especially you, seniors. Things will never be like this again."

"Cherish the friendships, the relationships, the sports games, the breakups, and all the amazing things that make up your high school years as you grow up and figure out this life."

Rodgers is from Northern California and previously donated $1 MILLION toward wildfire relief efforts.

In the clip -- part of a 35-minute video packed with huge stars -- Rodgers acknowledges how difficult rebuilding can be ... but essentially tells the kids to keep their heads up.

"You've all been through a lot. But I hope you all know how much love and support you have had and will continue to have throughout the rebuilding process."

The video was put together by local mom Melanie Little -- who was inspired to do something after she saw all the loss the high school had suffered in November's devastating fires.

The first accuser in the Kellen Winslow Jr. rape case is on the stand -- telling the court in graphic detail how the ex-NFL star raped her and then threatened to kill her in a supermarket parking lot.

The woman -- identified only as Jane Doe #1 -- is one of 3 accusers claiming she was raped by Winslow. Two other women in the case claim Winslow exposed himself in front of them.

During Tuesday's hearing, Jane Doe #1 -- a 54-year-old woman -- says she was hitchhiking in San Diego in 2018 when Winslow picked her up in a nice Jeep and took her to a Vons supermarket parking lot.

The woman says 35-year-old Winslow essentially mounted her in the car and forcibly raped her, causing her to bleed all over the place.

She claims Winslow eventually let her go but threatened her -- saying, "I'm going to f*cking kill you if you say anything and I'm going to kill you."

She added, "He threatened to kill me, and I really believe he would have."

Winslow is sitting in the courtroom and facing his accuser. He has previously denied ALL of the allegations ... insisting, "I am an innocent man."

He's facing multiple felony charges including kidnapping and forcible rape. If convicted on all counts, he faces life in prison.

Ex-WWE superstar Ashley Massaro was found hanging in an apparent suicide, multiple sources connected with the situation tell TMZ Sports.

The 39-year-old was found unconscious inside of her Suffolk County, NY home early Thursday morning -- and she was transported to a nearby hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

The death is being classified as "non-criminal."

She is survived by her daughter.

Massaro is being laid to rest in Suffolk County. The WWE honored Massaro with a full screen "In Memory" slate on Sunday during the "Money in the Bank" pay-per-view event.

CM Punk called into WMGM on Friday and had heard Ashley had taken her own life (the manner of death had not been publicly disclosed). He implored anyone listening who's struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts to get help.

"Tremendously sad way to go," Punk said ... "thoughts obviously go out to her family, especially her daughter."

"It's May. It's Mental Health Month ... if you're depressed and things aren't going your way, there's no reason to feel alone," Punk added.

"Just reach out to somebody. Text a friend. Call somebody. There's hotlines. There's ways you can get help."

Here's a link to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

The WWE had put out a statement on the former wrestler on Thursday saying, "We are saddened to learn of the tragic death of former WWE Superstar Ashley Massaro,"

"She performed in WWE from 2005-2008 and was beloved by her fellow Superstars and fans around the world. WWE offers its condolences to Ashley’s family and friends."

MMA fighter Josh Copeland pled guilty to felony 2nd-degree assault in his domestic violence case -- stemming from allegations he punched his wife in the face during a heated altercation.

As we previously reported, Copeland -- 6'1", 265 lbs -- was arrested in Colorado on Feb. 2 after his wife told police he hit her so hard, her face was bloodied and bruised when cops arrived.

The woman had admitted she slapped Copeland in the face multiple times during the altercation -- but said he took things to another level of violence ... and then stole her phone so she couldn't call for help.

Copeland was originally hit with 4 criminal charges including felony assault, domestic violence, obstruction of telephone and child abuse (because the altercation allegedly took place in front of their son).

But now, a court official tells TMZ Sports ... Copeland appeared in court on Tuesday and cut a plea deal with prosecutors.

Long story short ... Copeland pled guilty to 2nd and 3rd-degree assault and in exchange, the other charges were dropped.

As for the sentence, Copeland was given 2 years probation -- and the judge noted he could be locked up if he doesn't stay out of trouble for the next 24 months.

Copeland is allowed to travel for work (he's a pro-MMA fighter) -- but he'll have to check in with the court in 2021 to make sure he's kept his nose clean.

Copeland is 18 and 6 as a pro-MMA fighter -- and even had a stint in the UFC in 2014 and 2015.

Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias is back -- the 22-year-old is officially off administrative leave following last week's domestic violence arrest, Major League Baseball has announced.

MLB issued a statement saying, "Urías has been reinstated from Administrative Leave while the investigation into a matter governed by the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy continues."

MLB says they are still investigating the matter.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Urias -- one of the hottest young pitchers in baseball -- was arrested May 13 after he allegedly got physical with his girlfriend in the parking lot of the Beverly Center.

Officials reviewed video of the incident and determined there was enough evidence to make an arrest. He was hauled to a nearby station and spent the night behind bars.

As we previously reported, prosecutors feel the case against Urias is "weak" based on the evidence -- which doesn't appear to show Urias had an "intent to injure" when he put his hands the women.

Instead, we're told it seems like Urias was trying to prevent his GF from leaving the parking lot -- and she went to the ground as a result ... but it did not appear as though he wanted to hurt her.

MLB officials launched their own investigation but according to the L.A. Times, they weren't able to get their hands on the video.

Urias had been placed on a 7-day administrative leave by MLB -- but now that's over and Urias can return to the mound.

The criminal case against Urias is still technically active ... but we're told that should wrap up shortly.

O.J. Simpson ain't mad the Bills are finally allowing another player to wear his famous #32 jersey ... saying, "Whatever they do is fine with me."

The team announced this month it's giving away O.J.'s old number to newly signed halfback Senorise Perry.

It's a big deal because Buffalo hadn't allowed a single player to use the jersey since Simpson last wore it for the team in 1977.

But, Perry says when he asked for the digits, he wasn't met with any resistance, saying to The Athletic, "I thought it was retired. But then I was told it was available. Boom, I took it."

If ya think Simpson is upset by that ... he ain't -- 'cause he told The Athletic, "Whatever they do is fine with me. That’s how I feel."

"When I played there, I tried to honor the team. Since I left, I always tried to honor the Bills. To be honest, it’s not something I think about. There’s too much else going on in life."

Of course, O.J. is arguably the greatest Bill of all-time -- he ran for 10,183 yards and 57 TDs in his 9 seasons in Buffalo.

But, he's also a convicted criminal who was also found liable for killing two people. Not exactly someone you'd want to honor.

Even though Buffalo isn't saying it ... reissuing the #32 jersey is a shot at Simpson -- it's a sign he isn't considered Bills royalty anymore.

For the team's part ... its only officially retired three jerseys in franchise history -- Jim Kelly (#12), Bruce Smith (#78) and Thurman Thomas (#34).

Honey Badger don't give a crap ... about ring prices -- 'cause Tyrann Mathieu just got a massive engagement ring for his GF that we're to is valued around $250,000!

TMZ Sports has learned the new Kansas City Chiefs safety decided to propose to his longtime girlfriend, Sydni Paige Russell ... so he hit up ZoFrost in Houston to get some ice for the big occasion.

The ring Mathieu decided on is epic ... it features a 6-carat emerald cut center stone with 3.35 carats on the band.

All totaled up, we're told it's worth a quarter of a million dollars!!

Of course, Mathieu can afford the bling ... the guy just inked one of the richest safety deals in the history of the NFL, signing for $42 MILLION!!!

Tony Gonzalez ain't ready to yield his "greatest of all time"-tight end label to Rob Gronkowski ... telling TMZ Sports his career is just as legendary as the Patriots'!!!

"Hey, we're both great," Gonzalez said at LAX on Monday night ... "We're both the G.O.A.T.s!"

Gronk just officially retired two months ago ... and many have wondered if he did enough in his 9-year career to take the best tight end EVER moniker away from Gonzalez.

The numbers don't seem close at first glance but remember, Gronk only played 9 seasons while Tony played 17.

Gronk -- 521 receptions, 7,861 receiving yards and 79 receiving TDs (plus 3 Super Bowls).

Gonzalez -- 1,325 receptions, 15,127 receiving yards and 111 receiving TDs.

Tony says "there's a great argument" for Gronk to be called the NFL's best ever ... but it sure doesn't seem like he's the one making it!!!

Colin Kaepernick wasn't just courtside to watch the Golden State Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday ... he celebrated the win ON the court after the game!

Colin -- sporting a shirt featuring Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali -- sat right behind Steve Kerr at Moda Center for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

But Kap -- who spent 6 seasons in the Bay Area with the 49ers -- was treated like a VIP before, during and after the game.

In fact, when Golden State closed out their 119 to 117 victory ... players like Draymond Green and Steph Curry couldn't wait to walk over and chat him up.

There's footage of Steph telling his son, Canon, to say "What's up" to Colin -- while the QB smiles back at the little boy ... it's a sweet moment.

After the celebration, Colin was spotted outside the Warriors locker room.

Of course, the Warriors players and coach have publicly supported Kap for years -- and they've all pushed back against President Trump.

The Warriors famously skipped their White House visit in favor of visiting former President Barack Obama because they're not fans of Donald.