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WWE superstar Roman Reigns is finally speaking out about why he decided to pull out of "Wrestlemania 36" ... saying straight-up, "I had to make a choice for me and my family."

The 34-year-old -- a 2-time cancer survivor -- was supposed to wrestle Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship during the April 4 and 5 event ... but ultimately decided it wasn't worth the risk to his health.

According to ProWrestlingSheet, Reigns told WWE he's immunocompromised from the cancer fight  -- and didn't feel comfortable performing with the looming threat of COVID-19.

But, on Monday, Reigns -- real name Leati "Joe" Anoaʻi -- spoke to his fans on IG, saying there's more to the story.

"You don't know the whole story. All you know is what you think, 'oh well his health' and this and that, but you don't what else is going on in my life."

"You don't know if I have newborns. You don't know if I have family in my household, older family. So, yeah, just like the old saying, 'Don't flip that cover open and read a few pages, get into a few chapters before you really start running your mouth.'"

He continued ... "For all my fans, I'm sorry. I didn't get to compete this year and put on a show and entertain but sometimes things are more important."

"I had to make a choice for me and my family."

Reigns said he traveled to Orlando with the intention to perform -- but he had a change of heart ... explaining, "I had to make a decision for me."

"It doesn't take anything away from what I've done and what I'm going to do. I still love this game. I still love pro wrestling, sports entertainment. I love being in the ring."

Reigns acknowledged that's it's "a little weird" performing in an arena without fans -- but says the bottom line is he's ready to get back to work asap.

WARNING: THIS RANT IS NSFW!!!

Ex-MLB star Aubrey Huff just LOST HIS MIND on people hoarding toilet paper during the coronavirus quarantine ... saying, straight-up, "I hope your a**holes fall off!!"

And, yeah ... that's the LEAST offensive thing he said during the 25-second diatribe.

Huff's rant all went down Monday because he said after trips to THREE different stores to try to find some wipes for his bum ... he couldn't snag any TP.

"My question is, how is there no toilet paper on the shelves but there's plenty of groceries, plenty of booze?" he said. "I don't get this sh*t!"

Aubrey concluded his tirade with a simple, "F**k you!!"

Of course, Huff's overreaction is pretty funny ... but toilet paper hoarding seriously ain't no laughing matter -- 'cause government officials have already said there's no need to stockpile the stuff despite the global pandemic.

So, just take what you need and get out ... for everyone's sake!!

Tyron Woodley wants to save UFC 249 -- telling TMZ Sports he's willing to replace Khabib and fight Tony Ferguson ...

OR -- HOW ABOUT WE FINALLY GET THAT TYRON VS. COLBY COVINGTON FIGHT!?

"They need a big savior for this. Me and Colby, I think,  is a big enough fight to make to save the day," Woodley says.

As we previously reported, Khabib Nurmagomedov says he's stuck in Russia and most likely won't be able to fight Tony on April 18 ... which leaves the UFC looking for another main event.

Tyron says he's more than willing to battle Tony -- "Sh*t, I'll step in and get that fight."

But, if that doesn't work out, Tyron -- whose March 21 fight against Leon Edwards was postponed over the COVID-19 pandemic -- says he's got a better idea!

"[Colby], quit being a bitch. Quit talking sh*t if you ain't gon' do nothing about it. Step up and fight me, and get your ass beat."

In fact, Woodley even has a message for UFC honcho Dana White.

"Dana hit me up, man. You know I'm not always the motherf**ka that you call on last-minute notice but it's a new year, new leaf. And, ya know, I think I can really come out there and I'm not just sayin' it."

Boxing rising star Billy Joe Saunders -- who's supposed to fight Canelo Alvarez in May -- has been hit with a suspension after posting a controversial video on social media where he talks about hitting women.

The 30-year-old WBO super middleweight champ claims the video was meant to be a joke and since apologized for it, but the British Boxing Board of Control quickly decided to hand down the indefinite punishment.

"I just wanted to make a little video for all you dads, husbands, if you’ve got girlfriends etcetera," Saunders said in his video.

"Obviously this COVID-19 is getting very serious and we are isolated away in tight spaces. If your old woman is giving you a little bit of mouth and you try to be patient, you try to be calm, cool, but after the 7th day or 6th day you’re just about to explode."

Yeah, the BBBOC didn't find it funny. At all.

"The British Boxing Board of Control having considered comments made by Billy Joe Saunders on social media have suspended his boxer’s license pending a hearing under the Board’s misconduct regulation, at a time and venue to be confirmed as soon as possible." the org. said in a statement.

The video got the attention of boxing superstar Claressa Shields, who clapped back with her OWN advice video -- explaining how to fight someone who comes at you like Billy Joe suggested.

"Hit them as hard as you can in the nuts," Shields said.

NFL games played in empty stadiums?? Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank can see it, saying he thinks the league might have to go that route in 2020 amid coronavirus concerns.

"I could easily see camps being shorter, players being tested on a daily basis, things of that nature," Blank said. "No fan attendance. Things like that."

Blank revealed the bleak possibility to Peter King over the weekend ... saying the risk of infection might still be too high for fans to be at NFL games -- even in September.

Of course, fanless matches ain't exactly a new phenomenon in COVID-19 times ... soccer games overseas were already doing that before the lockdown -- and the NBA is reportedly considering doing the same if/when it returns this summer.

Blank says he also thinks the NFL could have a shorter preseason ... but he still believes a 16-game regular-season schedule is very much on the table for the league at this point.

"If I had to speculate now, and I use the word speculate because that’s really all it is, I would say yes [to 16 games]," Blank said. "Only because it’s so far away from where we are today."

The Falcons owner added he believes football is necessary to help heal people during the global pandemic.

"I do think we need football now," Blank said. "It’s hard to turn on any device you have today, almost any site, television, PCs, laptops, phones -- without the first thing popping up being something on the virus."

"And, that’s appropriate. However, I also think that people want a diversion. People want to be optimistic. People want to think about things that are really good times for themselves and their families and their loved ones and their communities. I think to have that kind of hope and aspiration mixed into your daily life is important."

The towel Kobe Bryant famously draped over his shoulders during his "Mamba Out" speech in 2016 just netted somebody a small fortune ... it sold for over $30K at an auction!!

You'll recall ... just minutes after the final buzzer sounded on Kobe's last game in the NBA on April 13, 2016 -- the Mamba grabbed a Body Armor towel and a mic and delivered a powerful speech.

He reflected on his L.A. career, thanked fans, and expressed gratitude for Vanessa, Gianna and the rest of his family for giving him the opportunity to hoop for the Lakers for 20 years.

Kobe famously ended the speech by saying "Mamba Out" ... and as he walked off the floor -- a lucky fan was able to nab the towel off his shoulders.

Turns out ... that was a VERY lucrative move -- because it not only fetched $8,000 at an auction in 2016 -- it sold again for $33,077.16 at a different auction Sunday.

Iconic Auctions president Jeff Woolf told CNN the winning bidder was none other than David Kohler -- the Lakers superfan who not only collects insane memorabilia but also sells it.

Remember, Kohler is the dude who scored $1 MILLION from Babe Ruth's 500th home run bat back in December!!

As for Kohler's plan for the towel ... Woolf says the guy with the massive Lakers collection wants to open up a museum someday with all of his L.A. memorabilia on display.

Shaquille O'Neal wants to make it clear -- he does NOT support Joe Exotic or the GW Zoo, despite the way it looked in the Netflix docuseries, "Tiger King."

One of the big moments in the series was when Shaq not only visited the GW Zoo back in the day -- but he then gave Joe Exotic a plug on "Inside the NBA." Shaq says he's visited the zoo several times and even appeared on Joe's reality show in 2014.

People have been critical of Shaq -- since the doc paints Joe as a scumbag who mistreated the animals at his Oklahoma facility. Also, he's accused of trying to put a hit out on a rival tiger sanctuary owner. Bad stuff.

But, Shaq addressed the situation on "The Big Podcast with Shaq" -- and claimed he had NO IDEA things were as bad as they were at the zoo.

"I was just a visitor. I met this guy. Not my friend. Don’t know him. Never had any business dealings with him, and I had no idea any of that stuff was going on," Shaq said.

The NBA legend admits he made donations to the zoo -- claiming he does stuff like that all the time -- but would never support the mistreatment of animals.

"People that know me know that I'm righteous. I don't harm tigers. I love tigers."

"We found out that he’s involved with all the stuff, and then, actually, I stopped going.”

Shaq says he really likes the show -- he's binged watched it -- saying, "It's actually a really good documentary."

Tom Brady has NO hard feelings toward Bill Belichick despite his New England departure ... and calling their split this month a "divorce" wouldn't be fair -- so says the QB's dad.

"Divorce sounds a little bit harsh," Tom Brady, Sr. says, "I think it's a separation, you know?"

When Tom bolted for Tampa Bay earlier this month ... reports indicated Tom wasn't exactly pleased by the lack of love Bill and the Pats showed him when it came to free agency.

But, Tom's dad spoke with Steph Curry's parents, Sonya and Dell, on their "Raising Fame: Sports Edition" podcast ... and he shot down all rumors of a rift with The Hoodie.

"Bill's got a lot of responsibilities to keep the Patriots on track and that is a bigger responsibility than keeping Tommy under the hood," TB Sr. says.

"So, both of them are mature individuals and I really respect Bill's decision and respect Tommy's decision as well. It's okay to take different paths. You don't have to stay joined at the hip."

In fact, Tom's dad claims his son has nothing but love for the Patriots' head man ... even after the split.

"I mean, I can't tell you the hundreds of times that Tommy has said Bill is the best coach in football. Tommy sings Bill's praises."

Dallas Cowboys WR Ventell Bryant took at least 3 DUI tests prior to his arrest this month -- and cops say he bombed ALL OF THEM ... and it's all on police video obtained by TMZ Sports.

Bryant was pulled over in Tampa, Fla. at around 2:30 AM on March 11 after cops say he was driving his 2019 Dodge Charger without headlights on.

Officers say during the stop, the 23-year-old NFL player had bloodshot eyes, smelled like booze and admitted to having 3 margaritas before getting behind the wheel.

Cops got Bryant out of the car and onto the street ... and you can see in police footage, the Cowboys wideout went through a litany of tests to determine his sobriety.

Officers made Bryant -- who caught a TD pass from Dak Prescott last season -- walk in a straight line, balance on one leg and touch his fingers to his nose while looking up at the sky.

In the video, it didn't seem like Bryant outwardly bombed the tests ... but cops clearly felt differently, 'cause they slapped the cuffs on him in a hurry.

"Arrested?" Bryant asks one of the officers. "I can't afford this, bruh!"

You can see Bryant's friends were NOT happy to learn of the football player's arrest ... and when one asked which sobriety test Ventell failed, the cop replied, "Every single last one of them!"

Bryant -- a rookie who was signed by the Cowboys just before last season and is expected to compete for a roster spot with Dallas in 2020 -- was charged with misdemeanor DUI.