TMZ Sports - Page 50

Pro-wrestling star Robert Stone -- f.k.a. as Robbie E -- has a message for Conor McGregor ... LET ME MANAGE YOUR WRESTLING CAREER!!

Stone -- currently signed to WWE -- has been in the wrestling game for 20 years ... but recently retired from bustin' asses in the ring, so he could make bank outside it.

Rob's now a talent manager who represents NXT star Chelsea Green ... but he's looking to expand his roster in a very big (and Irish) way.

"Conor McGregor was meant to be part of sports entertainment. I think everyone kinda already knows that. It's just a waiting game."

"His entrance, the way he talks, the way he walks, the way he fights. This guy would be perfect for the Robert Strauss brand. there's a lot of money for him to make in this."

McGregor ain't the only star athlete who has expressed interest in wrestling. Tyson Fury made a cameo in the squared circle a few months ago ... taking out Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia.

"When you think of those guys, you think of money and that's why I'm doing this. I wanna make money. And, of course, they wanna be part of WWE."

Rob says he's heard from a lot of stars who want to get into the industry ... but they don't know how where to start.

"I've talked to so many people, heard so many things over the years. Big names like that want to get into sports entertainment, they just don't know how to."

But, with the right guidance ... Stone says he can produce mega-stars that transcend the wrestling ring.

"If you really think about it, there's John Cena, there's [Dave] Bautista, there's The Rock. These guys are so big right now in movies and commercials and talk shows," Stone says.

"I think more sports entertainers can be doing those things they just don't know that they could be and I'm going to help them get those opportunities."

Billy Joe Saunders has called his shot ... he wanted Canelo -- and now he's getting Canelo!

Sources tell TMZ Sports the undefeated 30-year-old British champion is all set to do battle with Canelo Alvarez on May 2nd at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas (as first reported by ESPN's Salvador Rodriguez) ... and it's a fight Billy Joe has wanted for months!!

In fact, the reigning WBO super middleweight champion came into the TMZ office back in November to shoot an episode of "TMZ Sports: Roundtable" ... and told us why he's supremely confident he can beat the Mexican superstar.

"He's a real good fighter, he's done brilliant things for boxing," Saunders told us ... "I just think I've got the keys to his locker."

"If he beats me, I'll shake his hand and say you're the better man, but I know I'll beat him."

At the time, Saunders -- who was sitting with his promoter, Eddie Hearn -- said he doesn't care about the money, he's a competitor who wants to prove he's the best in the world.

"Let me win and keep the money," Saunders said ... "You let me win and keep the money. That's how much I want to beat him."

Canelo is one of the top fighters in all of combat sports and arguably the biggest draw -- coming off a spectacular violent KO of Russian stud Sergey Kovalev back in Nov.

The Kentucky Wildcats fan who spewed the N-word at a Tennessee Volunteers fan during a college basketball game Tuesday night is now apologizing ... acknowledging her words were "hurtful" and "hateful."

Yeah, she's just embarrassed she got caught.

The disgusting scene went down as the Vols were in the process of upsetting the Wildcats on their home court at Rupp Arena in Kentucky.

As UK fans were leaving early, Vols fans were talkin' some harmless smack -- when a woman named Ashley Lyles turned to a heckler and shouted, "N****r ass."

Yeah, she used the hard R ... and it was all captured on video.

The footage went viral and the University of Kentucky called her behavior "unacceptable" ... vowing to take some sort of disciplinary action against the fan.

After she was shamed across the Internet, Lyles issued an apology ...

"My reaction after the game was unacceptable, period," Lyles said.

"It was against all values of the University and state of Kentucky. I humbly apologize to the individuals at which my words were directed. My words were hurtful and hateful and have no place in this world."

"I apologize to the University and state of Kentucky for the embarrassment I have caused. I want my apology not just to be in words, but in actions moving forward."

The Univ. of Kentucky has reached out to the man who was the target of Lyles' verbal attack and the athletic director says he has personally apologized on behalf of the school.

The NY Knicks are working with the OKC Thunder to honor several first responders who aided in rescue efforts during the '95 Oklahoma City bombing and the 9/11 terror attacks, the teams announced.

The Thunder are in town to take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Friday -- but before tip-off and during the game the teams will pay tribute to emergency personnel.

In fact, certain heroes who responded to BOTH tragedies will have the honor of holding the American flag during the national anthem.

FYI, April 19, 2020, will mark the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. 168 people died in the domestic attack carried out by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.

In the wake of the attack, emergency personnel based in NYC were sent to OKC to help in the rescue and recovery efforts. So, there's a connection between the two cities.

The teams say they will also host the families of OKC responders who later perished in the line of duty while responding in the 9/11 terror attacks in NYC.

"The bravery of the first responders who are being honored was a beacon of light during unspeakable tragedies in Oklahoma City and New York. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to honor them,"  Thunder GM Sam Presti says.

"I'm getting a little bit of the meat sweats."

That's Joey Chestnut in the middle of pounding 32 Big Macs on Thursday ... and, yeah, it's the most disgusting/awesome thing you'll see all day.

The competitive eating legend posted the video on his social media ... saying he was having a cheat day and wanted to accomplish something he -- nor any other person -- had ever done.

So, the dude set out to grab a McDonald's world record ... and fired up his phone to get 15.36 POUNDS of Big Macs delivered to his crib.

What happened next is pretty graphic ... he slammed all 32 burgers -- pickles, lettuce, special sauce and all -- and sweated ruthlessly throughout the meal!!

But, in true Chestnut fashion ... he dominated the challenge -- setting the world record (it had previously been 30) -- and afterward, he looked pretty damn good for a guy that consumed 18,016 calories in less than an hour!!

Of course, Joey's used to these kinds of feats ... he owns the annual Nathan's Hot Dog-Eating Contest, eating a record 74 wieners back in 2018.

Really crappy situation for ex-NFL punter Steve Weatherford ... his 2012 NY Giants Super Bowl ring has been STOLEN ... and now he's asking his fans to hawk eBay for the bling.

"Recently, a string of car break ins happened in my neighborhood; all in one night, 8 cars were broken into," Steve said on IG.

"I gave my ring to my wife the night before after speaking at an event, she put it in her purse, she left her ring her purse (in the car) and....⁣"

NOOOOO!!!

But the good part?? Steve has insurance ... so he went to the jewelry store and got a "replacement" ... which was a big-ass diamond for his wife!!

Obviously, a SB ring has sentimental value, so Weatherford's now asking Giants co-owner John Mara to help him out by giving Tiffany & Co. the green light to make him a new ring to give to his son one day.

The 37-year-old is asking people to hit him up if they see his SB XLVI ring on eBay ... and has a message for the potential culprit.

"Mr. Neighborhood Robber man, I hope you tried that ring on, I hope it brings favor to your life, the same way it has for other people the past 6.5 years I’ve had possession of it."

"It wasn’t my hand that won it, but I’d like your hand to wear it."

Talk about forgiveness.

Former NHL star Matthew Barnaby was arrested Thursday ... he allegedly choked a bouncer during a brawl at a bar -- and the mug shot he took afterward is pretty crazy.

Here's the deal ... cops say they responded to Nashville Crossroads bar in downtown Nashville, Tenn. after they received a call about an altercation with patrons.

Once officers arrived on scene ... they say witnesses told them 46-year-old Barnaby, his girlfriend and other bar-goers had gotten into a scrap, when Matthew began choking a bouncer.

Cops say they noticed "a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage" on Barnaby's breath when they went to talk to him and say he had watery eyes and slurred speech.

Cops add the bouncer wished to press charges against the former Dallas Stars winger for the alleged choking incident ... so they arrested Matthew.

Barnaby was booked and charged with assault and public intoxication. He has a court date to face the charges set for later this month.

Of course, Barnaby was no stranger to altercations in his NHL career ... he was in dozens of on-ice fights and is known as one of the league's best all-time enforcers.

This also isn't Barnaby's first brush with the law ... ESPN famously fired the hockey analyst after he was arrested for drunk driving in 2011.

The NBA is making Marcus Smart pay for blowing up on a ref Tuesday night -- hitting the Boston Celtics' star with a big 5-figure fine for "verbally abusing" an official.

The 25-year-old lost his cool after getting called for his 6th foul while contesting a Caris LeVert 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left during Boston's loss to the Nets ... getting so heated, he had to be escorted off the court.

Smart -- who's no stranger to beefin' with officials -- gave the refs an earful after fouling out, pointing and yelling his frustrations over the call.

The NBA just handed down Smart's punishment for the freak-out -- fining Smart $35k for "confronting and verbally abusing the game officials." The NBA says Smart's history of going off on refs factored into the $35k figure.

As for the game itself, Tuesday was a disaster across the board for Boston -- Brooklyn's LeVert scored a career-high 51 while the Celtics gave up a whopping 51 points in the 4th quarter ALONE to seal the loss.

FYI -- Smart famously signed a $52 million deal back in 2018 (remember his epic rap song?) ... so really, just a drop in the bucket for the dude.

Dez Bryant says he's physically and mentally healthy to play in the NFL again -- insisting his time away from the game has helped ... but now he's ready to ball out again!

"I miss the game," Dez told BSO while sitting courtside at the Dallas Mavericks game Wednesday night ... "I did get injured but I'm not even worried about that."

"It was just more so up here [mentally] than anywhere and I got that in check and I'm just ready to put on a show."

31-year-old Dez hasn't played a snap in an NFL game since suiting up with the Dallas Cowboys in 2017. He later signed a deal with the New Orleans Saints but tore his Achilles during a workout before his first game.

Bryant has been training like a maniac ever since -- even working out with Super Bowl MVP  Patrick Mahomes, who sat near Bryant at Wednesday's game.

Dez says his comeback isn't really about proving the haters wrong -- but more about getting back to doing what he loves.

"I don't give up ... that's just who I am."

Crazy story in Australia ... cops say a man used a fishing rod FOR HOURS to steal a Versace necklace from a store last month -- and they say the whole thing was caught on video.

Detectives in Melbourne say on Feb. 24 ... a man rolled up to a storefront with a rod and reel at around 2 AM and began to work on trying to nab a pricey piece of jewelry off a mannequin.

Cops say for nearly 3 hours ... the guy was caught on video sticking the rod through a crack in the store window.

You can see in some footage of the alleged crime released by cops this week, the guy has some SERIOUS patience -- and it all begs the question ... WHERE THE HELL IS EVERYONE?!?!?!

Eventually ... authorities say the dude was able to land his catch and flee the scene -- and now, they're asking for help to identify him.

When we got comedian Brad Williams out in L.A. on Wednesday night and asked him about the burglary ... he says cops can't even be mad at the guy -- telling us the crime is ingenious.

But, Williams says the guy screwed up in one big way ... and his thievery advice for the dude going forward is pretty hilarious!!

Tottenham star Eric Dier nearly went full-on Ron Artest in a game Wednesday -- charging at a fan in the stands who was allegedly talking trash about the player and his family.

The wild scene all went down during the Tottenham vs. Norwich City game in England ... where Hotspur star Dier had allegedly heard about some insults hurled his brother's way in the stands.

You can see in footage of the altercation ... 26-year-old Dier jogged along the sideline, jumped over the railing and beelined over more than a dozen rows of chairs to get to the fan to police everything himself.

Fortunately for all parties ... Dier was intercepted by security and other spectators before he could get his hands on his target.

After Dier and the altercation had calmed down ... Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho told reporters he didn't necessarily blame Dier for his actions.

"I cannot run away from the question and I think Eric Dier did something that we professionals cannot but, in these circumstances, something that every one of us would do."

Mourinhio added, "When someone insults you and your family is there, and your family gets involved with the person that is insulting you, in this case your younger brother, I think Eric did what we professionals cannot but, I repeat, did what we professionals cannot do, but did something that probably we would do."

International soccer superstar Ronaldinho -- one of the most recognizable athletes in the world -- is under investigation in Paraguay after officials say he tried to use a fake passport.

We know what you're thinking -- why the hell would he do that?!

The 39-year-old had reportedly had his Brazilian and Spanish passports confiscated in July 2019 over unpaid taxes -- but he still wants to travel.

And while the former FIFA World Cup All-Star was in Paraguay with his brother to promote a new book, officials became suspicious of the passport he used to enter the country and searched the hotel where he was staying.

Paraguay's interior minister told ESPN Brazil Ronaldinho has NOT been arrested at this point -- but he is being investigated by police while investigators look into the matter.

The minister told the Associated Free Press the soccer star's case will go in front of the prosecutor's office early Thursday morning.

"I respect his sporting popularity but the law must also be respected. No matter who you are, the law still applies," Euclides Acevedo told the media.

Megan Thee Stallion will NOT be releasing new music this week, after all ... not if her label gets its way, and 1501 Certified Entertainment wants an emergency court hearing on the matter.

Label honcho Carl Crawford just filed a motion to dissolve the temporary restraining order Megan got earlier this week ... which allowed her to drop new music on Friday. However, the label says she had no right even taking them to court in the first place.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Crawford says Megan's contract stipulates all disputes between her and the label must be handled in arbitration. Coincidentally, this is the very contract Megan complained was one-sided and unfair when she signed it as a naive 20-year-old.

He also claims Megan's guilty of booking several gigs without its approval -- but what really chaps Crawford's britches (it's a Texas case, after all) is her plan to release music on March 6.

In docs, 1501 Certified says she can't drop that music without its approval ... it's part of her contract. Even if she wants out of it, it remains in place for now, and Crawford says he's exercising his contractual right to control distribution of her music.

Crawford's also not buying Meg's claim that "disappointment of her fans" is a basis for getting a restraining order to release the music.

He's demanding a hearing today in Harris County, Texas ... so a judge can hear the label's side of the story before the music comes out on Friday. No word yet if that hearing will be granted.

Fantasy football nerds, take note ... Dalvin Cook tells TMZ Sports he's gunning for a MONSTER season in 2020!!!

"2,000 yards!" the Minnesota Vikings superstar told us out in NYC on Wednesday. "We could go like a 1,500 [rushing] and a 500 [receiving]. 1,500, 500. Or, 1,400, 600!"

Of course, Cook was awfully close to those numbers last season ... rushing for 1,135 yards and adding 519 more receiving -- and he did all of that in just 14 games.

But, Dalvin (and his pals who were with him on an NYC shopping trip this week) tells us he's living in the gym this off-season to try to top those numbers.

FYI, 2,000 all-purpose yards is a pretty insane number for backs ... only 3 dudes have done it the last two years -- Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley.

Yeah ... elite list, huh???

Couples that train together ... kick ass together???

That's clearly the case for Russell Wilson and his wifey, Ciara ... 'cause the two lovebirds got after it in a boxing workout Wednesday!!!

"Training with my lady," Wilson said of the sparring highlights. "We will whoop dat..."

Ciara and the Seattle Seahawks QB have been awfully cozy this off-season ... ever since the "Level Up" singer announced she was pregnant with the couple's second child together.

Remember, we got them out in West Hollywood on a date night just last month ... with Russ sporting a sweet hairdo and Ciara looking smitten.

But, the NFL superstar ditched the long locks for some boxing gloves this week ... and we gotta say, dude looked pretty good on the bag!

As for Ciara ... she kicked ass too!!

By the way, Russ said it wasn't all intensity during their sweat sesh ... saying, "Also, I think I may have let one go while swinging #GasMask"

Jimmy Garoppolo's teammate is going to bat for the San Francisco QB ... saying the Niners should NOT trade him for Tom Brady -- EVER!!!

"It's ludicrous," SF running back Jeff Wilson told Sports Illustrated this week. "[Garoppolo] just took us all the way to the Super Bowl, great season, 14 wins."

There's been growing buzz around the NFL that a TB12-for-Jimmy G swap could, in fact, go down ... and it does make some sense for both sides.

Remember, the Pats LOVED Garoppolo when he was in New England ... and reluctantly traded him to SF back in 2017 when it was clear Brady still had gas left in the tank.

As for the Niners, they were only a few key QB plays away from winning the Super Bowl last month ... and some think Brady could have made those easily.

But, Wilson says SF needs to give Garoppolo another chance to prove himself ... saying, "He's a great quarterback, he's been that way ever since he's been to San Fran."

The move would take some finessing from both sides to happen ... Brady would have to agree to a sign-and-trade deal with NE first and foremost, and the Niners would have to do some dancing with the salary cap.

But, free agency is set to begin later this month ... and crazier things have happened in the league.