TMZ Sports - Page 50

Deontay Wilder's giving TMZ Sports his hit list ... knock out Luis "King Kong" Ortiz in devastating fashion, beat up Tyson Fury and then fight the winner of the Andy Ruiz-Anthony Joshua rematch.

We got Wilder and his fiancee Telli Swift outside Bomane Hair Salon in L.A. ... and first things first, we asked the undefeated heavyweight champ how he expects his November 23 rematch with Ortiz will go down.

"I expect to have a devastating knockout, as always. When it comes to me and the sport of boxing, I'm a master of it. I love to do it. I'm blessed to have what many fighters would love to have in this sport and that's power."

"Like I said, from start to finish. From 1st round to 12 rounds. From 1 second to 36 minutes, I'm a dangerous man."

Ortiz is a 6'3", 240-lb. badass from Cuba with only 1 loss to his name -- and that L was at the hands of the Bronze Bomber -- who beat Luis back in 2018.

Wilder knocked out Ortiz in the 10th round ... but not before he was pushed to the absolute brink of defeat in the 7th round by the Cuban heavyweight.

If Wilder's prophetic in his devastating KO prediction over Ortiz ... he's got a blueprint that'll make him unified heavyweight champion of the world.

That plan ... start with Tyson Fury. Then take on the winner of Ruiz-Joshua II.

NBA officials are working with the Mobile Police Dept. to coordinate a surrender date for DeMarcus Cousins in his domestic violence case, cops tell TMZ Sports.

As we previously reported, Cousins is facing a 3rd-degree domestic violence charge in Alabama stemming from a threatening phone call he allegedly made on August 23 to the mother of his child.

Cousins allegedly told his ex-girlfriend he'd put a "bullet in [her] f**king head" if she didn't let their child come to his wedding, which took place in Atlanta the very next day.

An arrest warrant was issued for Cousins days later -- but he had just undergone surgery to repair his torn ACL, which made it difficult for Boogie to travel to turn himself in.

But, Cousins appeared in good spirits at Lakers Media Day last week -- so we called the Mobile PD to see if there's been any movement in that case.

Jennifer Lopez might be considered a star because of her TV career, but she's not a big enough name in music to land the Super Bowl Halftime Show in Miami ... at least according to Uncle Luke.

The former 2 Live Crew frontman is standing by his criticism of Jay-Z and the NFL for choosing J Lo and Shakira as headliners for SB54 ... because he feels Pitbull and Flo Rida are at a higher level.

Uncle Luke tells us there's a very short list of performers -- and most of them are no longer alive -- who warrant top-billing for a Super Bowl no matter where it's being played ... and Lopez isn't on it.

So, he's doubling down on his stance that the upcoming Miami SB should feature famous artists who are actually from the city ... and the current duo doesn't qualify.

An endurance runner was struck by lightning and DIED less than a quarter-mile from the finish line of a 50k race, officials confirmed.

The man, 33-year-old Thomas Stanley, was running in the FlatRock 50k race at Elk City State Park in Kansas on Saturday, when a storm broke out.

Witnesses say runners and officials raced over to Stanley and attempted to revive him, but they were unable to save the runner.

He's survived by his wife and 3 kids, none of whom were at the race that day.

Event organizers issued a statement, saying, "Thomas' family says that the chances of being killed by a lightning strike are about one in a million, and Thomas was truly a one-in-a-million guy."

Thomas' wife, Ashley, talked about the tragedy with KWCH 12 ... saying it's been a difficult situation to explain to her kids ... especially their 6-year-old daughter.

"It's been hard to hear from her ... she's already drawing conclusions very quickly. She has already said, 'If daddy didn't do the race, he would still be here, right?' I said, 'yes.' She said, 'I wish daddy didn't do that race,' and I said, 'me too.'"

A GoFundMe page set up for the family has already raised more than $65,000.

Darren Rovell has a warning to everyone who thinks the new CA law allowing college players to get paid for endorsements is all roses and sunshine -- "There will still be cheating."

EVERYONE is talking about the law after Gov. Gavin Newsome signed it on Monday while appearing with LeBron James on the NBA star's HBO series, "The Shop."

The law -- known as "The Fair Pay to Play Act" -- doesn't take effect until January 1, 2023 ... but Rovell is already breaking down the pros and cons.

The Pros ... 

Rovell, who now works for the Action Network, says the law could be the "great equalizer" in college sports, allowing small schools to compete with the traditional powerhouses ... if they have wealthy boosters willing to plop down the cash to bring in top talent.

"Troy has a great booster," Rovell says ... suggesting ONE motivated billionaire could bankroll tons of paid endorsements for players and give them a serious edge in recruiting.

In other words, players could choose a school like Troy over Alabama or Ohio State if they're getting paid better.

The Cons ... 

Rovell says schools will find ways to cheat -- and could concoct "sham endorsements" where players will get paid 15 times their market value as a way to beat the system.

As for the NCAA, the organization has spoken publicly AGAINST the new law saying it will significantly damage college sports as we know it.

Could a bronze statue of Joe Maddon be plopped right next to Ernie Banks and Ron Santo outside Wrigley Field one day???

Ex-MLB stud Sean Casey certainly thinks so ... 'cause the former Reds great tells TMZ Sports Maddon is more than deserving of the honor!!!

"One day they might have a statue outside of Wrigley 'cause of what he did for that organization, man," Casey says.

Of course, Maddon -- who brought the Cubs a World Series title in 2016 -- ended his tenure as Chicago's manager over the weekend after just 5 seasons.

But, when we got Casey with fellow ex-big leaguer Kevin Millar out in NYC ... he told us 65-year-old Maddon had such an impact on Chicago in that short time frame, he'll always be a Cubs hero.

"Any time that guy comes into Wrigley, standing ovation," Casey says. "That guy will forever be a legend."

And, the Oscar goes to ... KLAY THOMPSON?!?!? (Hey, Kobe Bryant did it).

The Golden State Warriors superstar is kick-starting his campaign for Academy Award consideration for his breakout performance as Klay Thompson in "Space Jam 2" ... saying he's trying to add to his trophy case!!!

Now that filming wrapped up ... Klay was joking with the media about launching his official Oscars campaign! It's pretty funny.

“It’s all done ... your boy is going for the Oscar nod,” Thompson joked to NBC Sports Bay Area's "Warriors Outsiders."

“Supporting?! Best animated series!? I don’t know.”

Obviously, Klay ain't got a snowball's chance in hell ... but dude SHOULD be recognized for fighting through the pain of an ACL surgery to be on the set to shoot his scenes.

Remember, Thompson injured himself during the NBA Finals and went under the knife just days before filming started.

But, despite being in serious pain, Klay limped onto the set with crutches to shoot with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dame Lillard and more.

Hey, some actors postpone production when they a get a slight cold!!!

A Korean Tour golf star was so pissed when he heard a fan snap a cell phone pic during his backswing, he flipped the guy off ... and now the golfer just got hit with a 3-YEAR BAN!!!

Kim Bi-o -- an ex-PGA Tour golfer and the current money leader on the Korean Tour -- snapped on a fan on the 16th hole at the DGB Financial Group Volvik Daegu Gyeongbuk Open on Sunday when he heard the phone make a shutter sound effect during his swing.

Everyone knows that's a big no-no -- golfers HATE noise when they're on the tee box.

So, after 29-year-old Kim heard the camera click ... he wheeled around and shot the fan the bird right in front of EVERYBODY!!!

Kim -- who still went on to win the tournament -- apologized for the gesture afterward ... but clearly, officials felt that wasn't enough.

The Korea Professional Golfers' Association announced Tuesday they were hitting Kim with a THREE-YEAR SUSPENSION for the incident, saying, "Kim Bi-o damaged the dignity of a golfer with etiquette violation and inappropriate behaviour."

The KPGA also announced it was fining Kim the equivalent of $8,350.

The golfer didn't take the news lightly ... he got down on his knees in front of Korean media on Tuesday and apologized for his actions once again.

Jay-Z's work with the NFL is already falling short on his promise of diversity, making him look like nothing more than a pawn and the "token black guy" ... so says Uncle Luke.

The former 2 Live Crew frontman was quite outspoken with us when we asked him to elaborate on his op-ed in the Miami New Times ... in which he said Jay and the NFL were slapping Miami's talent pool in the face by booking J Lo and Shakira as headliners for the Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show.

He says the fact that Jay -- who, along with Roc Nation, is now heading up the entertainment side of things in the NFL -- didn't hire a local performer of color is a betrayal.

Watch ... Luke even goes so far as to say that Jay's essentially acting as a straw man for the league thus far, and gives him an F rating when it comes to mixing up the acts.

Damian Lillard just dropped a new diss track to respond to Shaq ... and it GOES HARD.

The song is called "Reign Reign Go Away" and it's pretty solid. He clowns Shaq's movie career -- from "Blue Chips" to "Kazaam" -- makes fun of Shaq's physique and then mocks his NBA championship count, with a strong Kobe Bryant reference.

"Kobe won you those rings though."

You're gonna want to listen to this!! Here are some choice lines ...

-- "I finna tangle with the Diesel. You're jealous of me and I see you."

-- "All the money in the world but they traded you for Penny."

-- "I'm new school, got new hits. Space Jam, not Blue Chips. Hangman, your shoe's sh*t."

Remember, this all started because Shaquille O'Neal put out his own diss track aimed at the NBA superstar ... after Lillard said people don't consider O'Neal as a "real rapper."

The Baltimore Ravens say Marlon Humphrey NEVER choked Odell Beckham Jr. in their game Sunday ... and they say they've got the up-close video that proves it.

Odell and the Ravens DB went at it all afternoon during the Ravens-Browns game over the weekend ... but tempers REALLY flared late in the 3rd quarter.

On a run play, Odell and Marlon grabbed a hold of each other ... and a violent wrestling match ensued.

Beckham appeared to throw a punch at Humphrey's helmet after grabbing his face mask ... and then Marlon grabbed him by the collar of the jersey and took him to the ground.

Fast-forward to Tuesday morning when the Ravens dropped new video showing the players while they were tussling on the grass ... Humphrey's hands slid from Odell's collar and into the receiver's neck area.

The Ravens say this is evidence Marlon did NOT choke OBJ ... with team writer, Ryan Mink saying, "[Humphrey] did not wrap his hands around Beckham’s neck and did not choke him."

Of course, Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens vehemently disagrees ... because after the game, he said, "He was getting choked on the ground. They get away with that because it's Odell."

As for Beckham, he never claimed he was choked ... saying after the game, "It’s hot out there. We’re just competing. I’m just upset that I lost my earring."

For what it's worth, we watched the video several times and never saw OBJ's earring fly off. Also, still no word if it's been found.

For Humphrey's part, he said of the incident, "I definitely told the referee [Beckham] should have been ejected ... But, it is what it is. Emotions flare. I enjoy going against a top guy like that."

Good news for Michael Blackson ... boxing star Adrien Broner doesn't wanna kill you anymore!!

Instead, Broner says he wants to channel that energy into banging random chicks in L.A.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!!!

Okay, some backstory ... back when Broner was gearing up to fight Manny Pacquiao in January, Blackson stepped into the role of "Anger Translator" for Manny and talked some trash to AB.

"I'll kick him in his nuts. That short bitch is going down," Blackson said on Manny's behalf at the time.

Well, the video chalked up more than 3.4 MILLION views on YouTube -- and a few weeks later, Pacquiao beat Broner in the ring.

So, when Broner saw Blackson in person at Nightingale in L.A. on Sunday night, everyone around held their breath and wondered how Broner was gonna handle the situation.

The good news ... NO FIGHTS! JUST JOKES!

Broner clowned Blackson for his outfit and then joked that he was gonna "beat your ass" for making the video.

But, the two hugged it out and laughed it off ... as Broner proceeded to tell the crowd about his plans while he was in L.A.

"Ya'll know when I'm in L.A., I f**k with these bad bitches every night, I'm just trying to f**k hoes."

Ray Lewis is OUT of "Dancing with the Stars" -- the NFL Hall of Famer suffered an injury while practicing a Cha-Cha .. and his castmates are already sending their love.

The 44-year-old Baltimore Ravens legend and his partner Cheryl Burke were rehearsing for their tribute to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" when Ray tore a tendon in his foot ... just like he did during his playing days.

Of course, the whole thing played out during the broadcast of the show Monday night -- when Lewis revealed he tore 3 tendons in his foot and would need surgery.

"In a game in 2010, I tore a tendon in my foot," Lewis said on the show ... "And, now, all of this dancing, all of this on your toes, I’m reliving a problem that I thought I’d never have to live again."

"I am having so much fun when it comes to the dancing part. But, the part behind the scenes, it’s just been painful. It’s bothered me a lot."

"When [the doctor] read that MRI to me today, I knew something was wrong."

Bill Romanowski admits Vontaze Burfict's hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle was illegal ... but tells TMZ Sports the full-year suspension is absolutely "bulls**t!!!"

We talked to Romanowski -- a 4x Super Bowl champ and 2x Pro Bowler with a rep ranging from a player who was ultra-physical to downright dirty -- about Burfict's controversial hit, and season-long (12 games) suspension.

"You're in the heat of battle. Your mindset is kill or be killed. Because the offensive linemen are still coming at you. You're in war. You're supposed to be able to be violent sometimes and other times you're supposed to just be able to take your foot off the gas like that. That is hard, my friend."

"I feel for this guy. Do I think he should be fined? Yes. Do I think he should be kicked outta the league? No. I think it is absolutely dead wrong. This guy has handled himself like a pro. And yes, he is a violent mother f'er and I love the way he plays the game of football."

It's worth noting, Burfict -- who's been suspended or fined a total of 13 times over his 8-year career -- has a personal relationship with Romanowski.

The two men spent time together at Raiders training camp this summer.

So, what should've been the punishment??? Romanowski broke it down.

Shaquille O'Neal just posterized Damian Lillard on wax ... coming out of rap retirement to roast the NBA superstar in a new diss track.

Shaq came out firing after Damian went on "The Joe Budden Podcast" and questioned the NBA legend's rap skills ... and the diss track proves the big man still has bars.

The basketball Hall of Famer pulls out all the stops in his rap comeback, calling Dame a worse player than Trevor Ariza ... and saying the Portland Trail Blazers point guard can't hold a flame to real MVP candidates like Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook.

Joe Thomas says Baker Mayfield's Twitter feuds aren't distracting the team -- matter of fact, he believes the QB's beefs can be the fuel that leads the Browns to the playoffs!!!

Baker's never been a fan of criticism ... and he's always willing to speak his mind -- see here, here and here.

TMZ Sports spoke with the future Hall of Famer/Cleveland Browns legend/ex-NFL Fat Guy/current Greek god-lookin' fella about Mayfield's ever-growing list of enemies ... and asked if all the drama will be an issue for the team.

But, Thomas sees it as a GOOD thing ... telling us it's what keeps Bake motivated.

"I think when Baker is engaging people and firing back at Rex Ryan and Colin Cowherd and Antonio Brown, he's kind of playing off who he is going back to his college days."

Of course, Thomas is referring to the fact Baker was overlooked heading into college -- he went from a 2-time walk-on to a Heisman Trophy winner and the top pick in the 2018 draft -- and how he's always kept that chip on his shoulder ever since.

"He does his best work when his back's against the wall when everybody seems to be out to get him .... he really feels he has something to prove in that moment and that's when you get the best version of Baker Mayfield.

Thomas says he wouldn't be surprised if Bake goes out of his way to start even more beef ... because the whole team will be motivated by it.