TMZ Sports - Page 50

Johnny Manziel is a LUCKY man -- because he slipped and fell while trying to dive off a cliff ... and fortunately, escaped injury.

The ex-NFL quarterback hit the famous cliffs at Lake Pleasant near Phoenix, Arizona recently and tried to bust out a backflip into the water below.

But, as the 27-year-old tried to launch himself off the rock, he lost his footing ... and barely managed to use his left foot to propel himself far enough away from the cliff, that he avoided disaster.

He's fine ... but man, THAT WAS TOO CLOSE, BRO!!

Manziel joked about the "flawless execution" in a social media post -- but some of his friends had real concern for JM.

"Got spooky for a second," Victor Cruz wrote.

NFL wideout Cayleb Jones wrote, "Johnny chill bro."

Former NBA player Darius Morris -- a Lakers second-round pick in 2011 -- was arrested last month after a woman claimed he brutally attacked her ... but now the woman is insisting she made the whole thing up.

A spokesperson for the NYPD tells TMZ Sports ... on April 18, a woman told officers the 29-year-old pro basketball player beat her up during an altercation at a Manhattan-area home.

The woman told cops she had left the residence, and asked Morris to leave by the time she got back. But, she says when she returned, Darius was still there -- and he exploded on her.

Officers say the 34-year-old woman told them Morris "grabbed her by her hair and dragged her, punching and kicking her in the head repeatedly."

Law enforcement sources say as a result of the alleged attack, the woman sustained bruising and swelling on her eyes, forehead, and ear ... and also suffered a chipped tooth and bruises on her arms and back.

We're told the woman was treated at a local hospital ... and Morris was eventually arrested and booked on charges of strangulation and assault.

Cops say Morris was released ... but was arrested AGAIN just a few days later on April 30, after they claim he violated an order of protection.

We contacted Morris and his rep for comment ... but they offered no explanation.

After speaking with Morris' camp, we were contacted by the accuser, who now says she made the whole thing up and doesn't want to see Morris prosecuted.

Unclear what caused the change of heart -- she told us, "It's private, none of it's true." The accuser also says she will go to the D.A. to drop the case against Morris.

Morris was a star at the Univ. of Michigan, averaging 15 points per game in the 2010-2011 season ... and was ultimately picked by the Lakers with the 41st overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft.

We had to read this legal doc several times, because it was so shocking ... Island Express -- the company that owned the helicopter that sent 8 innocent passengers to their death -- claims Kobe AND 13-YEAR-OLD GIGI knew flying could result in an accident and therefore, Vanessa Bryant has no case.

It's true ... Island Express filed an answer to Vanessa's wrongful death lawsuit and, they threw in every argument in the book, including Act of God.

So, here's how it breaks down. Island Express says in its answer, "Kobe Bryant and GB [Gigi] had actual knowledge of all of the circumstances, particular dangers, and an appreciation of the risks involved and the magnitude thereof, and proceeded to encounter a known risk, and voluntarily assumed the risk of the accident, injury ... thereby barring or reducing [Vanessa's] claim for damages."

Island Express never explains how a 13-year-old girl appreciates such risks, and while we're on the subject, did anyone know helicopters are so dangerous that passengers who dare to board do so at their own peril? If that's the case, how come Island Express didn't have a big sign in front of the helicopter?

It gets even crazier. Island Express says it's not responsible for the crash because it was an Act of God. Well, blinding fog is definitely an act of God. Flying into it at 180 MPH is not.

And then, just like the pilot, Island Express blamed the crash on the passengers -- in this case Kobe and Gigi, saying their lawsuit should be thrown out because they were negligent.

And, there's more. Island Express said the accident was the result "of an unavoidable accident." Turning the helicopter around before going into the fog, or going very slow as the pilot ascended or descended might have made it avoidable.

Congratulations are in order for Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins -- the WWE Superstars are expecting their first child together!!!

"The Man" made the huge announcement on Monday Night Raw just minutes ago ... saying she's relinquishing her women's championship belt to prepare for the little one's arrival.

"Tonight is no ordinary night for me," Lynch said. "I'm torn between joy and sadness, 'cause I'm at a place in my life where things are about to change and I needed to do something about it."

"I have to go away for a while."

Asuka -- who just won Money In The Bank Sunday night -- will now hold the belt, which Lynch revealed was in the locked briefcase all along.

"The match last night was actually for the Raw Women's Championship."

"You go and be a warrior, 'cause I'm gonna go be a mother," a highly emotional Lynch said to Asuka.

Lynch and Rollins have been dating since early 2019 ... and got engaged in August during a romantic beachfront proposal.

As we previously reported, Lynch is also kick-starting an acting career -- she's had a role on "Billions" and has John Cena and The Rock in her corner as mentors ... so we take it she'll still be busy in the meantime.

But, don't get it twisted -- Lynch is hoping to get back to the squared circle ASAP so she can get her belt back ... 'cause she's truly a badass.

Michael Jordan may have seemed like a teammate from hell ... but ex-Bulls player Scott Burrell says he welcomed MJ's tough antics ... telling TMZ Sports he LOVED the way #23 motivated him.

Previously unreleased footage of the '98 Bulls season aired on ESPN's "The Last Dance" doc Sunday ... showing Jordan cussing at, mocking and being extra hard on certain players during practice.

Burrell -- who was on the receiving end of a lot of Jordan's harsh actions -- says it wasn't as bad as it looked ... 'cause he WANTED His Airness to prep him to be a contributing player on a championship team.

"I think Michael had different techniques maybe some people didn't think were great leadership qualities," Burrell says. "I loved it! I loved the way he pushed me, I loved the way he motivated me."

Burrell says the antics worked off ... 'cause the Bulls were ready to take on each team's best shot every night, even when the opponents gave MJ all they had.

"People gotta understand, this is a team that won 5 championships in 7 years, and 2 in a row. People weren't saying 'I'm gonna play Steve Kerr or Toni Kukoc, every team that played Chicago was 'I wanna kick Michael Jordan's butt.'"

Burrell never took MJ's words to heart ... saying he knew Jordan was just trash talking and didn't really mean what he was saying.

Matter of fact, Burrell says he's still tight with MJ ... and they even hit the links together from time to time.

"I'm glad I learned from the best coaches and the best players and I like the friendship we built and the team camaraderie we have."

We also asked Burrell -- who also had a brief stint playing baseball in the minor leagues -- about Jordan's brief pro-hardball career ... and he gives the guy props for what he was able to do after so many years away from the diamond.

Two of the baddest tag teams in WWE -- the Street Profits and Viking Raiders -- can't stop arguing over who's the best ... so they took their trash talk to the ring BASKETBALL COURT!!!

Is this a scripted bit? Absolutely.

Is it still hilarious? Yup!!

If you don't know the (gimmick) backstory ... the Profits and the Raiders have a pretty intense rivalry both inside and outside the ring.

The Raiders believe they're just better at things like "Ax tossing, Feast Eating, Boat Rowing, Combat, Cartwheels, and People Tossing."

So, how did things go down when they squared up on the basketball court? Horrible for the Raiders!

Both Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins looked like the Harlem Globetrotters with the way they were clowning Erik and Ivar ... and hitting some really impressive shots in the process.

Ford even hot a half-court shot straight out of Dude Perfect!

Full game airs tonight on WWE's Monday Night Raw -- where we'll find out if the Raiders can mount a 4th quarter comeback after falling behind 55-0.

"I am going to f**king butcher you"

That's a fired-up Conor McGregor making some serious threats to Justin Gaethje -- telling the UFC's interim lightweight champ that he's coming for Gaethje's head.

"Your teeth. I’m going to put them on a f**king necklace," Conor said to Justin.

In an angry Twitter rant Monday, McGregor says he wants to fight Justin next -- and it seems the hostility comes from a 2019 tweet Justin sent criticizing Conor as a "sh*t human, father and husband."

Conor remembered the tweet and responded ...

"Speak on my skills as a father? You are f**king dead."

McGregor added, "Don’t ever say you represent the great nation of the United States of America ever again."

For his part, Justin has been calling for a fight with Conor for a while -- telling TMZ Sports back in 2019 he actively tried to get Conor to sign a contract but the Irishman wouldn't do it.

"I wrote him a message like f**king 7 months ago just trying to be his friend. I’ve tried every route," Justin said.

"I’m trying reverse psychology. I’m trying to be his friend. I’m trying every f**king route that there is to draw this man out. And I can't draw him out. And he’s calling out Frankie Edgar. So, it’s a slap in the face to me, to all the lightweights, and to really the standard that we f**king do here."

Of course, Justin beat the hell out of Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 on Saturday ... and says he now wants to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the real lightweight title.

But, a Conor fight could be a bigger payday for Justin ... so it seems like he's got some decisions to make.

U.S. Olympic bobsledder Pavle Jovanovic died last week after taking his own life ... Team USA announced. He was 43 years old.

"The winter sports community has suffered a tragic loss," USA Bobsled/Skeleton CEO -- and Jovanovic's teammate -- Aron McGuire said in a statement.

"Pavle’s passion and commitment towards bobsled was seen and felt by his teammates, coaches, competitors, and fans of the sport."

Team USA says Jovanovic committed suicide on May 3.

Jovanovic began training as a bobsledder in 1997 and won a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2004. He also competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics, finishing 7th in the 2-man and 4-man events.

Jovanovic was praised as being one of the best brakemen in the sport ... with coach Greg Sand calling him a "one-of-a-kind original."

"If there was ever a bobsledder born to push heavy objects, man it was Pavle."

MORE MIKE TYSON TRAINING VIDEO -- AND GOOD LORD, HE'S GONNA MURDER SOMEBODY!!

The 53-year-old legend just dropped some brand new training footage after that 5-second teaser last week ... and it's scary good.

After throwing multiple ferocious combos -- and putting his trainer through hell -- Iron Mike looks at the camera and declares, "I'm back."

It's the same two words Evander Holyfield says in his comeback video, which he just dropped last week.

As we previously reported, both Mike and Holyfield are interested in getting back in the ring to raise money for charities through exhibition fights.

We spoke with Holyfield about a possible 3rd clash with Tyson -- the man who bit off his ear in 1997 -- and he told us he's down.

Now, the question is ... when can we get this 3rd fight going -- and how much money his at stake?!

We know Tyson has been getting multimillion-dollar offers from multiple organizations and promoters ... but ya gotta think the biggest payday could come by way of a Tyson vs. Holyfield III.

For the record, Holyfield won BOTH of their previous fights -- but the way Tyson looks now ... yeesh!!!

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy dropped $250,000 for a private meeting with Roger Goodell ... and tells TMZ Sports he plans to grill the NFL commish like a cheeseburger.

The NFL posted the auction to raise money for COVID-19 relief -- with the winner getting to watch a Monday Night Football game with Goodell in his personal "Man Cave."

Portnoy -- who made a fortune when Barstool was purchased by Penn National Gaming -- decided to drop some of his personal fortune on the opportunity for a face-to-face with Roger.

For those unaware, Portnoy has been very, VERY, critical of Goodell over the years for his handling of Deflategate, the Ray Rice situation and more.

In fact, Portnoy was handcuffed and removed from Super Bowl LIII in 2019 ... days after using bogus credentials to get into a SB media day event.

Portnoy tells TMZ Sports he doesn't know if the NFL has connected the dots and realized that he won the auction -- but says he wouldn't be surprised if they refund his winning bid and gave the prize to the next highest bidder instead.

"I could easily see them canceling this and running."

We reached out to the NFL for comment -- but so far, no word back.

But, you gotta watch the video ... Portnoy makes it clear he will have no mercy for Goodell if the commish goes through with the meeting.

Dana White says his phone has been blowing up from the heads of other sports leagues looking to get back in action after the success of UFC 249 ... and he's willing to share his battle plan!

"The leagues have reached out," White said Monday on "TMZ Live" ... "Different states have reached out to us. And, we're going to share this information with everybody."

UFC 249 was AWESOME on Saturday night -- featuring some legendary fights despite not having a live crowd at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

White says everyone in attendance -- fighters, staffers, production crew -- was repeatedly tested and screened before the fights.

As we previously reported, one fighter -- Jacare Souza -- tested positive for COVID-19 (along with two of his cornermen) one day before the fight. Souza was pulled from the event.

White has said they expected someone to test positive and the fact they caught it is a testament to the UFC's testing process.

Now, White says he's proven major sports can continue in America if done safely -- and he's willing to work with state leaders and major sports organizations to help get pro sports back.

For now, White says he plans on hosting his next few events in Florida -- since they were so great to him there -- but he's hoping to return to Nevada soon, Where UFC is headquartered.

"I have a 30-page document that we submitted to the Governor of Nevada and the Governor of Florida on how to pull this off safely. Now we've got one under our belt we're willing to share our information with anybody."

The representative of the pilot who was flying the helicopter that killed Kobe and Gianna Bryant, along with 6 other passengers, claims the people on board were responsible for the fatal crash.

It's pretty shocking ... the relative of pilot Ara George Zobayan, who also died in the crash, has answered Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit against Ara and the helicopter company, Island Express, saying, "Any injuries or damages to plaintiffs and/or their decedent were directly caused in full or in part by the negligence or fault of plaintiffs and/or their decedent, including their knowing and voluntary encounter with the risks involved, and that this negligence was a substantial factor in causing their purported damages, for which this answering defendant bears no responsibility."

It's shocking because the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies grounded their fleet the morning of the crash due to fog and poor visibility. The pilot had to circle around the Griffith Park area for 15 minutes before being cleared to fly to the Mamba Academy up north.

The pilot was going 184 MPH in blinding fog when he crashed into a hill, killing everyone on board.

TMZ Sports has obtained the police report from the Alberto Del Rio arrest ... and it's very disturbing.

The accuser told police Del Rio exploded on her on May 3 in San Antonio, Texas -- accusing her of cheating on him with other men.

The accuser -- who cops say only speaks Spanish -- says Del Rio smashed her cell phone, her laptop and attempted to burn her passport in an attack that started at around 10 p.m. on May 3 and lasted until around 2:30 p.m. on May 4.

The woman also claims Del Rio attacked her, causing multiple injuries and left her, "feeling woozy and dizzy from the hits to her head."

There's more ... the accuser also claims Del Rio choked her and at one point "shoved a sock into her mouth, to keep [her] quiet."

The woman says, "When the sock was in her mouth, she could not breathe."

During the incident, the woman claims Del Rio also sexually assaulted her with his penis and other body parts. The woman is adamant she did NOT consent to sexual activity with Del Rio.

The woman told police that she is afraid of Del Rio and had planned on leaving the city as soon as possible.

The responding officer says he saw "multiple bruises" on the accuser's face, arms, legs and neck.

Del Rio -- real name Jose Rodriguez Chucuan -- was arrested for domestic violence and aggravated sexual assault. According to his booking sheet, the 42-year-old is listed at 6'4", 240 pounds. The accuser is 5'5", 132 pounds.

Del Rio was a WWE superstar from 2009 until 2016, winning the WWE championship, the 2011 Royal Rumble, and more. He's also an MMA fighter, who recently lost to Tito Ortiz in December 2019.

Tua Tagovailoa is showing serious love for his mom with one of his first big NFL purchases ... surprising her with a Cadillac Escalade for Mother's Day!!!

The 22-year-old Miami Dolphins star rookie revealed the new whip in an emotional video on Sunday ... explaining to Diane, "I know you wanted something that would be able to carry everyone."

Mom's reaction is PRICELESS ... and she can't believe Tua's being serious -- "This is mine?!"

It's a smart choice ... 'cause an Escalade can hold up to 8 people, which is perfect for Mama Tagovailoa! Tua's the oldest of 4 kids.

The model appears to be a 2020 Cadillac Escalade -- which starts at $75k -- but we're assuming Tua went all-out for the occasion with some added features.

Of course, Tua is about to cash in on a HUGE rookie deal worth $30.3 milli over 4 years with nearly $20 million signing bonus.