TMZ Sports - Page 50

The Gypsy King vs. The Mountain in 2022?!?

It appears we could very well see that ... 'cause after Tyson Fury threw a verbal jab at "Game of Thrones" star Hafthor Bjornsson on Wednesday -- the actor-turned-boxer accepted a fight!!!

Fury's barb was pretty clever ... on his Instagram page, he wrote, "I wonder if Thor Bjornsson could take a crashing right hand to that big jaw," adding, "Who would have Thor's hammer? Would this mountain be too big to climb?"

It didn't take long for Thor -- a former World's Strongest Man -- to see the quips ... and in a shirtless video, he fired back at Fury -- accepting a fight if the 33-year-old heavyweight champ was offering one.

"I'm 100% up for war," Bjornsson said. "Let's do this."

Now, don't get it twisted ... even though Bjornsson is an actor and a former strongman, he's no stranger to the boxing ring.

Since 2021, Bjornsson has boxed in 4 professional fights -- winning two bouts while the others ended up in a draw.

And, the two are roughly the same size -- both standing at 6'9".

Pigs are flying ... O.J. Simpson is supporting Los Angeles County law enforcement.

The ex-con took a stand (not THE stand) Wednesday for the L.A. County Sheriff's Department with a video rant ripping West Hollywood for voting to cut funding for the agency.

Simpson says the decision is all wrong, pointing  out his infamous history with the law in L.A. and saying, "Trust me, we need police, we need the sheriffs' department" ... referring to the time he spent behind bars during his murder trial.

Frankly, the fact O.J. is supporting L.A. County law enforcement is rich, and probably pretty galling to cops -- considering his murder trial defense team famously and viciously attacked LAPD for allegedly contaminating evidence and being racist.

They effectively made the trial more about LAPD actions than O.J.'s.

Now years later, Simpson says he's always been against defunding the police ... claiming he's always said instead of cutting funding, money should be redirected and used for better training and expanding Internal Affairs departments where police investigate other police.

Besides his eye-brow-raising thoughts on police, O.J. is also weighing in on Donald Trump's actions on January 6th and what's going on at the southern border.

Adorable moment between Tom Brady and Gisele on their Italian vacay this week ... the two lovingly shared an ice cream cone -- but it's got us all wondering, is that avocado flavor?!?!

You'll recall ... the NFL legend is famous for never putting away sweets, and turning to the ultra-healthy avocado ice cream alternative whenever he wants to be somewhat naughty with his diet.

But, it sure seems he deviated from that TB12 Method out in Portofino while on vacation with his wife and fam on Tuesday ... 'cause that definitely looks like a chocolate/vanilla swirl to us!!!

To be fair to the 44-year-old GOAT, it seemed he only had a couple bites of the treat ... so, breathe easy, Alex Guerrero and Bucs fans.

And, yes, if you were wondering, Brady is still working out despite the vacation ... he was spotted getting in a sweat sesh on a yacht on Tuesday before the QT time with his supermodel bae.

FYI -- as for Brady's trademark avo ice cream, our sources tell us it SUCKS.

Pro soccer player Carson Pickett made history on Tuesday ... becoming the first player with a limb difference to hit the pitch for the United States women's national team.

Pickett -- who was born without a left hand and forearm -- started for the USWNT in its 2-0 victory over Colombia ... as the Red, White and Blue extended their home win streak to 69 games.

The 28-year-old defender -- who plays for the NWSL's North Carolina Courage -- competed in the entire contest against Colombia.

Pickett's coach, Vlatko Andonovski, spoke about her spot on the team ... saying, "Carson did very well in training for us in last week and with the management of minutes for Emily Fox that we had, we felt like Carson would be a good replacement."

"I'm happy that she was able to perform well for 90 minutes," he added.

Pickett has been very open and transparent about her limb difference ... acknowledging it publicly, but also embracing the reality of her situation.

In April -- Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness month -- Pickett spoke about it in an Instagram post, "While I know that I am confident and comfortable with showing my arm, I know there are so many people in the world who aren't."

She continued ... "The feeling of being different and the anxiety of not fitting in is something that I have been through. Wearing sweatshirts in the dead heat of summer to hide my arm. This month is really really special, important, and should be celebrated."

Russell Westbrook had the best Tuesday EVER -- because after he scored a $47 MILLION payday from the Lakers ... he celebrated with Kevin Hart at an L.A. hotspot!!

Russ opted into the final year of his Lakers contract early Tuesday morning -- making him richer than ever -- and hours later, he, Hart and some other buddies grabbed dinner at LAVO Ristorante, a swanky West Hollywood joint.

The two were in great spirits -- laughing and dappin' each other up outside of the eatery ... and while Russ didn't say too much, it's pretty clear he's fired up to be staying in L.A. for at least another year.

Of course, the 33-year-old's first year in Lakers purple and gold didn't go smoothly -- he was heckled daily over his play -- but he made it obvious with an impromptu Beyonce car karaoke sesh Tuesday morning that he's shaking all of that off in 2022-23.

BTW, no official word on who picked up the tab at Tuesday night's dinner ... but if we had to guess, something tells us it was probably Russ.

Westbrook and Hart have been tight for years -- remember, the duo were spotted out together right after the guard was traded to L.A. last year.

Former Formula 1 champ Nelson Piquet is apologizing for the controversial comments he made about Lewis Hamilton in an interview last year ... but claims there was zero racial intent behind his words.

Piquet was discussing an accident between the Mercedes superstar and his daughter's boyfriend, Max Verstappen, after the 2021 Silverstone Grand Prix ... when, according to a translation by CNN Brazil, he referred to Hamilton as a "little n*****."

The 69-year-old says he would never use such a disgusting term ... claiming the translation was completely inaccurate.

"What I said was ill-thought-out, and I make no defense for it, but the term used has widely and historically been used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for 'guy' or 'person' and was never intended to offend," Piquet said in a statement Wednesday morning.

"I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations," he added. "I strongly condemn any suggestion word was used with aim of belittling a driver because of his skin color. I apologize wholeheartedly to anyone affected."

Piquet praises Lewis as an incredible driver and apologized for the hurt he caused ... saying, "Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts in that respect."

Lewis has yet to respond to the apology ... but tweeted a call for change within the sport on Tuesday.

"It’s more than language," the 7-time champion said. "These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action."

Izzy Drake's career as a professional Drake impersonator is on the ropes ... a wobble he's looking to shake by challenging his idol to a $1M celebrity boxing match.

Damon Feldman of Celebrity Boxing tells us he signed the Drake imposter and booked a fight for an August 27th event ... whether the real Drake fights the fake Drake or not.

The stakes here are high ... fake Drake has agreed to stop impersonating the real Drizzy if he loses.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story of fake Drake's embarrassing VIP eviction from one of real Drake's favorite Houston nightclubs.

Several New York Yankees had a little too much time on their hands during their game Tuesday night ... 'cause they made a contest out of throwing dozens of pieces of chewed gum onto the field.

Seriously.

The sophomoric game all went down in the early innings of the Yanks' tilt with the Oakland A's ... when Nestor Cortes, Jordan Montgomery and Matt Carpenter all scooped up some bubble gum and hit the corner of the dugout to begin the weird event.

The players picked out a landmark on the field -- it appeared to be a sprinkler head -- then they popped a few pieces in their mouths, spit them out, and then got to throwing.

The side game lasted for about three innings ... and it went on for so long, both the game's home and away broadcasts caught it on camera.

Former Yankees outfielder Cameron Maybin talked about the game on-air ... and had the perfect description for it -- "gross."

"It's like golf," Maybin said. "It's like frisbee golf. They find a little marker on the field and they toss the gum and they act as if they're playing frisbee golf."

Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay noted what a headache it must be for the NY groundskeepers to eventually clean up.

Some fans on social media found it funny -- but others found it disrespectful, calling it littering and disgusting.

OBJ is getting out of O-H-I-O -- Odell Beckham has found a buyer for his $3.3 million Ohio mansion ... and it only took the NFL superstar exactly two months to sell it.

TMZ Sports has learned -- the lucky buyer is getting a sick deal for the 13,800-square-foot Columbia Station crib ... which is located about 20 miles west of Cleveland.

The two-story pad has 4 bedrooms, 7 baths, a decked-out kitchen, 3-car garage, movie theatre, golf simulator, a game room and game streaming room.

Yeah, pretty lit.

There's also a huge pool in the backyard and plenty of space -- 2.13 acres to be exact -- for some dope barbeques and outdoor kickbacks.

But, the best part of the place might be the custom-made walk-in closet ... which can hold about as many pairs of sneakers as a Foot Locker.

The mansion had a ton of interest after it hit the market in April via Megan Pettine of Keller Williams ... and an offer was accepted on Monday.

Of course, OBJ's time in Ohio was short-lived -- he had a rollercoaster experience with the Browns for two and a half seasons -- and now he has no reason to live in the Buckeye state.

But as of now, the 29-year-old is a free agent and recovering from ACL surgery ... so ya can't count out a return to the Midwest just yet.

Cain Velasquez, on behalf of his 4-year-old son, is suing Harry Goularte -- the man who allegedly molested Cain's young boy from 2021 to 2022.

The plaintiff -- identified only as the guardian of "C.V., Jr." -- claims that "on numerous occasions," Goularte "sexually abused, molested, touched and harassed C.V."

Goularte was an employee at Patty's Childcare in San Martin, California, and was supposed to be caring for the young boy.

In addition to Goularte, the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, names Goularte’s mother and stepfather as defendants, asserting that they owned and operated Patty’s Childcare, and they "fostered, maintained, and allowed an environment for its attendees to fall victim to sexual abuse at the hands of Harry."

As we reported, Harry has already been charged with one felony count of a lewd and lascivious act for allegedly molesting the boy.

Velasquez -- a UFC legend -- was arrested on February 28, 2022 after he allegedly tried to shoot Harry outside his San Martin home.

Buffalo Bills owner Kim Pegula is on the road to recovery after a health issue left her hospitalized earlier this month ... with the team saying she is "progressing well."

The Pegula family said in a statement two weeks ago that Kim had been "receiving medical care as a result of some unexpected health issues" ... and on Tuesday, they shared a positive update.

"Kim is progressing well and is resting and rehabilitating from a health issue," the statement reads.

"We are grateful for the medical professionals providing her care and to everyone for their prayers and well wishes."

Pegula was reportedly in the ICU at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional, according to Spectrum News 1.

Kim, who married Terry Pegula, a billionaire businessman, back in 1993 ... is an integral part of both the Buffalo Sabres and the Bills, two teams the Pegula family owns.

She's the team president of both squads ... and, in fact, is the first female to hold that title in both the NFL and NHL.

Mikey Garcia -- the man who went undefeated in his first 20 fights with 17 knockouts -- is retiring from boxing, his team announced on Tuesday.

Garcia's brother and trainer, Robert Garcia, shared the news with ESPN ... saying, "My brother Mikey had a great boxing career. Becoming a five-time champion of the world in four divisions is something very few have done."

"I am very proud of my brother for everything he accomplished in boxing. Now it's time for him to enjoy his life together with his family and loved ones."

The 34-year-old SoCal native -- whose amateur career started at 14 years old -- is hanging up the gloves after 42 professional bouts ... posting a 40-2-0 record with 30 of his 40 wins coming via knockout.

Boxing runs in the Garcia family ... Mikey's father, Eduardo, was an amateur boxer in his heyday, and he even trained Fernando Vargas, a world champion boxer.

During his decorated career, Mikey -- who stands about 5'6" inches tall -- won titles in four different weight classes ... including featherweight, super featherweight, light welterweight and lightweight.

Garcia's last professional bout came in October 2021 against Sandor Martin -- who was a massive underdog heading into the fight -- where he lost by majority decision.

Best sippy cup EVER?!?!

The Colorado Avalanche's championship celebration continues -- this time, Gabriel Landeskog's daughter, Linnea Rae, got in on the fun ... taking an adorable swig outta the Stanley Cup!!

Gabriel shared the video on Monday ... showing his cute little 2-year-old downing a beverage from the trophy.

In the video, you see Gabriel give the Cup a tilt so Linnea could reach it ... and you can tell whatever she was drinking, she really enjoyed it!!

Gabriel is enjoying his much-deserved time with the Cup ... after all, he finished with 11 goals and 11 assists in the playoffs ... and played a pivotal role in finishing off the Lightning, the two-time defending champs.

It's good to see that the Cup is being put to good use and is still intact ... after star wing Nicolas Aubé-Kubel slipped on the ice and dented it while trying to take a team pic.

Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson was brought to tears after seeing Brittney Griner in shackles on Monday -- telling reporters it made her sick to her stomach.

Wilson made the comments just hours after Griner was seen in handcuffs and flanked by guards while at a court in Russia ... getting choked up while talking about it following her game against the L.A. Sparks on Monday night.

"I hated seeing it," Wilson said. "It made my stomach turn."

"That's our sister and I can't imagine what she's going through and I pray every single day that the people that are in high up are doing what they need to do to get her home because it's unacceptable."

The 25-year-old baller prayed the ordeal doesn't put a toll on Griner -- not just physically, but mentally as well.

Griner has been in Russian custody since February -- after she was accused of having hash oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport.

Sometimes being the world's highest-paid athlete ain't always easy ... 'cause Lionel Messi had to deal with a SWARM of fans while he was trying to get a little R&R in on a vacation this week.

Messi, fellow soccer stars Luis Suarez and Cesc Fabregas, as well as their wives chartered a yacht in Formentera -- and when they stepped off of it to grab a bite to eat ... a crush of fans mobbed Messi on the sand.

Photos show as the dude was trying to make his way back to the boat following the meal -- people did everything they could to get a close-up of the soccer star.

Some fans snapped pictures, while others reached in for handshakes and hugs.

To his credit, Lionel didn't look to be annoyed ... strolling through the sea of bodies with his head held high.

Eventually, Messi and the soccer stars made it back to the boat -- where they stripped off their tops and got in some sun and swimming.

Juri Vips has just been fired by Red Bull Racing ... less than two weeks after the F2 driver was captured using a racial slur on a hot mic on a video game stream.

RBR just made the announcement, saying after completing its investigation into the junior driver, it decided to terminate Vips' contract.

"The team do not condone any form of racism," RBR said in their announcement Tuesday.

Red Bull Racing initially launched its probe into Vips last week ... after the 21-year-old used the n-word while playing "Call of Duty" on a live stream.

Vips did apologize following the incident ... saying in a statement on his social media page, "This language is entirely unacceptable and does not portray the values and principles that I hold. I deeply regret my actions and this is not the example I wish to set."