TMZ Sports - Page 50

Cristiano Ronaldo is still happily unmarried ... despite reports he secretly wife'd up his longtime girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, during a recent trip to Morocco.

TMZ Sports spoke with CR7's team which confirms the reports are FALSE -- "He hasn't gotten married."

The rumors all stemmed from a report out of Italy, where 34-year-old Ronaldo plays soccer for FC Juventus.

Novela 2000 cited a "source" that claimed Ronaldo and Georgina got hitched earlier this summer in a "low key ceremony." The report also claimed Ronaldo has since changed his will to include 25-year-old Georgina.

But, alas, it's all BS.

Ronaldo and Georgina have been dating for years and it seems like marriage is just a matter of time. Just last year there were huge engagement rumors after Georgina flashed a massive diamond ring at a Portugal game in Russia. But, she later told media it was NOT an engagement ring.

Montae Nicholson will play for the Washington Redskins on Sunday despite being a key figure in a police investigation into the death of a 21-year-old woman, the team says.

"As of right now, he is active," Redskins head coach Bill Callahan said Wednesday.

"He did play Sunday and right now he is on the active roster and is scheduled to play."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the 23-year-old safety claims he's cooperating with authorities in the death of 21-year-old Julia Crabbe, who died of a suspected drug overdose Thursday morning.

Officials say Montae and another man dropped Julia off at a Virginia hospital in the middle of the night and then left the scene, despite the fact she appeared dead on arrival.

Investigators believe Crabbe had been at Montae's home before the OD -- so they got a search warrant and found marijuana, pills and "foil with residue" inside.

It's important to note cops have not said if the drugs belonged to (or were provided by) Nicholson -- and he has NOT been formally accused of any wrongdoing.

For his part, Montae claims he did NOT leave the hospital on the night in question -- and stuck around to help out until Crabbe's family arrived.

Nicholson suited up and played for the Redskins just 3 days after Crabbe's death -- and was on the field for 70 of the Redskins' 71 defensive snaps, recording 5 combined tackles.

The Redskins take on the Detroit Lions at home on Sunday in a game that's really meaningless for Washington, since they've only won 1 game this season and have virtually no shot at the playoffs.

The pregnant woman who was allegedly punched in the head repeatedly by NFL running back Mark Walton called cops sobbing and told them, "My boyfriend beat me up!"

It's all in new 911 audio obtained by TMZ Sports, in which you can hear a clearly upset woman explaining to dispatch how the ex-Miami Dolphins player roughed her up Tuesday in Davie, Fla.

During the call, placed about 10 to 15 minutes after the incident, the sobbing woman says Walton had hit her and then left the scene in a car.

What's interesting about the call is dispatch recognized Walton's name right away ... asking the woman if she was talking about "the football player."

Eventually, cops arrived to the scene ... and, per a police report obtained by TMZ Sports, officers say the woman told them Walton pushed her against a wall and punched her several times in the face and head, even though he KNEW she was 5 weeks pregnant.

Cops say they noticed the woman had swelling on her left eye.

22-year-old Walton was ultimately arrested and booked for aggravated battery against a pregnant person -- a 2nd-degree felony which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Walton showed up in a Broward County courtroom in cuffs and a beige jumpsuit to face the charge Wednesday ... and was ordered to have no contact with the woman once he's out of jail.

He said he would and now he has ...

Logan Paul has officially filed an appeal with the California State Athletic Commission, TMZ Sports has learned ... claiming he got screwed by the ref in his fight with KSI.

Paul's beef is with the 2-point deduction the ref issued against him in the 4th round of the Nov. 9 fight at Staples Center in L.A. ... when Paul threw a shot at KSI's head after he was knocked down to the canvas.

"The 2 point deduction was the reason I full out split decision lost the fight," Paul said.

Now, a rep for CSAC tells TMZ Sports ... they received Logan's appeal this week and will begin looking at his case immediately.

"The executive director Andy Foster is evaluating. If there’s sufficient grounds, it’ll go to a hearing at a commission meeting," a CSAC spokesperson tells us.

Paul initially said he wasn't going to appeal the decision or make excuses for the loss -- but after thinking about it and rewatching the fight, he believes it's the right thing to do.

"My team and I have decided to file an official appeal for the fight because we just don't believe that the outcome was right," Paul says.

"By no means am I afraid of losing, but I truthfully 100% believe I did not lose this fight."

Paul says TONS of people -- including pro fighters -- have told him he got screwed by the judges and the ref ... and now he's in complete agreement.

Now, it's in the hands of the Athletic Commission -- which will ultimately decide if the official outcome should be changed.

Stay tuned ...

What would YOU do if you saw a violent kidnapping in progress?

One key witness in the Aniah Blanchard case says he initially kept his mouth shut instead of going to cops because his wife told him it was best to "stay out of it."

The horrible revelation was just made in an Alabama courtroom Wednesday, where officials are trying to prove Ibraheem Yazeed forcibly shoved 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard into her car on Oct. 23 -- the last night she was seen in public.

Blanchard -- who's still missing and at this point presumed dead -- is the stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris.

During Wednesday's hearing, officials say the witness saw Yazeed forcing Aniah into her car at the Chevron station and leaving the scene ... but he did NOT immediately go to police. Instead, he confided in his wife who told him it was best to not get involved. Unclear why she felt that way.

Eventually, the witness had a change of heart and went to authorities -- and broke down in tears for not coming forward sooner.

As for the case against Yazeed, prosecutors say they found blood from TWO people in Aniah's car and they want to get a DNA sample from Yazeed to see if he's a match.

During Wednesday's hearing, the judge granted the request -- essentially forcing Yazeed to comply. The judge also denied Yazeed's bond, meaning he'll remain behind bars.

As we previously reported, cops say they found a large amount of blood in Aniah's car that matches Aniah -- and the scene was "indicative of someone suffering a life-threatening injury."

The judge also ruled the case will move forward to a grand jury.

As we previously reported, officials are trying to pin the disappearance of Blanchard on 29-year-old Yazeed ... saying he was the one who took Aniah at a Chevron station in Auburn, Alabama last month.

Myles Garrett made sure he LOOKED GOOD when meeting with NFL officials in NYC to appeal his helmet attack suspension ... rockin' a pretty sweet blue suit and turtleneck combo!

Will the fashion statement help get his suspension reduced? Probably not ... but man, Garrett looked stylish as hell!

Of course, the Cleveland Browns star is begging for mercy from the NFL after officials suspended him for the remainder of the 2019 season for swinging a helmet at Steelers QB Mason Rudolph on Thursday.

Garrett believes the punishment is too harsh -- especially since other NFL helmet swingers got much lighter sentences in the past.

In fact, ESPN's Dan Graziano says Garrett referenced Antonio Smith when making his case -- pointing out Smith only got a 3-game suspension when he used a helmet to attack Richie Incognito during a game in 2013.

The other side of the argument ... Garrett has a history of dirty play in 2019 -- he punched Delanie Walker and got fined $50k and racked up 2 bad roughing the passer penalties, including a season-ending hit on Jets QB Trevor Siemian.

Mason Rudolph is admitting he shouldn't have tried ripping Myles Garrett's helmet off his head during last week's brawl ... but is adamant he didn't say anything to spark the attack.

The Steelers QB read a prepared statement at practice on Wednesday ... saying, “Thursday night, to say the least, it was an unfortunate situation for everyone involved."

“Looking back on the final play of the game, I fell short of the mark there too. I should have done a better job of keeping my cool in that situation."

As for the speculation he may have said something to put Garrett over the edge ... Rudolph claims he said nothing.

“Definitely didn’t say anything. I got to do a better job of keeping my composure in those situations.”

It's a big change of tune from Rudolph's comments last week when the QB called Garrett's actions "cowardly" and "bush league" ... despite trying to yank the Browns star's helmet off and appearing to kick him where it hurts.

Rudolph says he hopes to move past the situation and has no ill will towards Garrett.

Regarding punishment, Rudolph says he hasn't received a letter from the NFL ... while Garrett is meeting with the league today to appeal his indefinite suspension.

Charles Barkley says there's "no excuse" for saying he would "hit" a female political reporter -- but insists the whole thing was an attempted joke gone bad.

Axios reporter Alexi McCammond says she was talking with the NBA legend about who he's supporting in the upcoming Presidential election ... and that's when he said, "I don’t hit women, but if I did I would hit you."

Here's the backstory ... McCammond says Barkley was initially explaining why he supported Gov. Deval Patrick -- former 2-term gov. of Mass. -- but then changed up and said he was supporting Pete Buttigieg.

When McCammond questioned him about the switch, Barkley allegedly made the comment about hitting her.

McCammond says she objected to the comment and Barkley told her she "couldn't take a joke."

Barkley has since issued an apology ... saying, "My comment was inappropriate and unacceptable."

"It was an attempted joke that wasn’t funny at all. There’s no excuse for it and I apologize."

McCammond is now reacting to Barkley's apology -- saying, "The comments Charles Barkley made to me are not acceptable."

"Threats of violence are not a joke, & no person deserves to be hit or threatened like that."

Le'Veon Bell is sick and tired of the NFL's "random" drug testing -- and says he refuses to cooperate anymore because he's sick of being poked with "those dirty ass needles."

"I done had 5 'random' HGH blood test in 10 weeks," the NY Jets running back posted on Twitter ... "I’m not doing another after today."

"Whatever y’all lookin for it obviously ain’t there & I’m not about to keep allowing y’all to stick me with those dirty ass needles."

He continued, "Find the players who really do that HGH BS & get off me."

Of course, Bell isn't the first high profile player to complain about the NFL's drug-testing policy ... back in 2018, Eric Reid said he was forced to undergo 7 "random" drug tests in just 3 months after signing with the Carolina Panthers.

For its part, the NFL insists the process is legit and fair and no specific players are targeted.

Here's ex-NFL player Mark Walton -- facing a judge Wednesday while in handcuffs -- and being ordered to stay away from the pregnant woman he allegedly attacked.

22-year-old Walton -- who was cut by the Miami Dolphins following Tuesday's arrest -- appeared in a Broward County Courtroom for his arraignment looking like a defeated person.

During the hearing, prosecutors not only listed the allegations against Walton -- that he beat up a woman who's 5 weeks pregnant with his child -- but also listed off his long criminal history .. and quite frankly, it was really sad.

Walton has been arrested a bunch of times for various reasons over the years ... from weed to DUI, to weapons charges and battery -- and while not everything has stuck, it's clear he's got problems.

Because of his rap sheet, the judge ultimately ordered Walton to stay away from the alleged victim -- no contact, no phone calls, texts, social media, etc.

He was also ordered to surrender ANY weapons he's got and must undergo a substance abuse evaluation along with any necessary follow up.

The judge also set Walton's bond at $10,000.

The Dolphins cut the former 2018 4th-round pick out of Miami shortly after learning of the incident, saying in a statement, "We hold our players to a high standard and take these matters very seriously."

Walton is currently serving a 4-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy stemming from 3 arrests that all went down earlier this year.

Great news regarding one of the greats ... Randy Couture is BACK in the Hollywood scene less than a month after a serious heart attack -- and he seems better than ever!!

"Everything's great, man," Couture told us on the way out of a late dinner at Craig's with his longtime girlfriend, Mindy Robinson ... "I feel amazing!"

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the 56-year-old UFC Hall of Famer was hospitalized on Oct. 23 after experiencing chest pains and underwent emergency surgery to remove a clot in his Diagonal artery.

But, Couture is so damn tough, he WALKED HOME from the hospital just 3 days later.

Now, Couture says he's been working with doctors and "everything's back to normal."

One of the issues with Randy ... doctors told him he's got thick blood, something he needs to monitor. But, it sounds like Randy's all over it.

We also spoke with Couture -- a military veteran -- about Conor McGregor's $1 million donation to first responders ... and if the move can help CM's badly damaged image.

Couture also dished out some post-MMA career advice to the recently retired Ben Askren.

Yo, Jim Cornette ... WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

The longtime wrestling commentator said some insanely offensive stuff during an episode of "NWA Power" ... and it's so bad, the company has PULLED the episode.

Cornette was calling a match between champion Nick Aldis and Trevor Murdoch -- when the announcer tried to praise Murdoch for his toughness ... and went super racist.

"He’s the only man I’ve ever known that can strap a bucket of fried chicken on his back and ride a motor scooter across Ethiopia."

WILDLY RACIST.

Of course, there was IMMEDIATE outrage -- prompting NWA Vice President Dave Lagana to issue an apology on behalf of the company.

"On tonight's episode of NWA Power airing on November 19th 2019, one of our talents made comments which some viewers found offensive. We deeply regret the error and apologize."

Lagana added, "We have temporarily taken the program down while we correct this error."

Cornette has been in hot water for comments made on-air in the past -- in fact, NWA previously issued an apology when Cornette was "making light on the subject of suicide."

58-year-old Cornette has been a staple in pro wrestling for decades -- working for major promotions like WWE and Impact Wrestling.

So far, no word yet from Cornette on the incident.

The newest Laker Girl is ... GRONK?!

Yep, the (ex?) NFL superstar hit the court at Staples Center on Tuesday night to join the Laker Girls with Venus Williams and James Corden ... and it was ... something!!!

There were high kicks, hip thrusts and some booty poppin' ... and LA's home crowd LOVED IT!!!

If we had to guess, seems the routine was all for a bit for Corden's "The Late Late Show" ... because why the hell else would this happen?

One person who was (sorta) impressed? Rob Gronkowski's girlfriend Camille Kostek, who used to cheerlead for the Patriots.

"Still deciding if I’m a proud girlfriend over this," Camille said. "Nevertheless .... this is an EPIC #NeverNotDancing moment I am proud to witness by Mr James and Robert James I LOVE YOU BOTH"

The wild show capped off an eventful day for Gronk ... 'cause just hours before he broke it down at Staples Center, he announced he was staying retired this season and opting to party instead.

As for how the Lakers fared with the 6'6", 265-pound beast rootin' them on ... they kicked ass, beating Oklahoma City, 112-107.

UFC star Ben Askren wants you to know ... he's retiring, NOT DYING -- and he's got big plans for his life after MMA.

The 35-year-old says a hip injury is forcing him to cut his fighting career short -- which sucks -- but Askren says, "My life didn't effin' end! I'm ready to go destroy my next project!"

So, what's on deck for Askren? A lot ... from opening wrestling gyms to coaching, to a possible on-air MMA commentary career.

"I think there's a chance, I think I'm gonna give it a try," says Askren, who's known as one of the most charismatic guys in MMA.

"I've got a lot of people encouraging me to give it a try. I'm still not sure if I'm gonna like it or not. I'm up for debate on that one."

As for a possible fighting future, Askren says his medical condition will PROBABLY keep him from taking another pro bout ... but he's been speaking to other wrestlers who've been through the same situation, and there's hope.

Askren says he's spoken with guys who have fully recovered from the procedure he's planning to get, which is encouraging -- but he's certainly not committing to a comeback.

Conor McGregor's whiskey is officially one year old ... but the UFC superstar didn't celebrate by getting himself a present -- he's donating a MILLION dollars to a good cause instead!!!

The Notorious announced the milestone of his Proper 12 whiskey on Tuesday ... showing off his pipes by singing "Happy Birthday" to the green bottle and holding up a cake.

"What a journey it has been so far!" Conor said on Instagram. "I am so thankful to you all for your support and love of PROPER No. TWELVE!"

McGregor revealed his company's got a master plan to give back ... donating $5 per case (up to $1 million) each year to first responders.

"In the New Year, we will begin donating the first million dollars to first responder organizations. My team is vetting it all out now to be sure it goes into the proper hands."

Conor launched the company after making around $85 million for the Floyd Mayweather fight ... and the company's expanded to 8 countries so far.

Ex-soccer star Sergio Contreras -- aka Koke -- was arrested in Spain on Tuesday as part of a massive drug raid ... and cops say they recovered a TON of hashish.

Literally, a metric TON.

36-year-old Contreras is pretty famous in Europe -- he made a fortune playing for big teams like the Ligue 1 club Olympique de Marseille and the famous Greek team Aris Thessaloniki.

But, ever since his pro career ended in 2016, cops say he's been RUNNING a major drug ring out of Southern Spain.

On Tuesday, cops launched a multi-city raid ... nabbing 20 and seizing nearly $800,000 in hash, which is made from the resin of the cannabis plant.

Cops also recovered a stash of guns -- including pistols and rifles.

A source told the Associated Free Press that Contreras is the "head of the organization."

Contreras was taken into custody and is currently being held in Malaga, an upscale beach community.