TMZ Sports - Page 50

Canelo Alvarez wants to open a can of whoop-ass on Lionel Messi -- the boxing superstar blasted the Argentinian striker for seemingly disrespecting his home country after defeating Mexico in the World Cup.

Canelo's rage stems from a viral video of Messi celebrating with his teammates after Saturday's 2-0 win ... which shows a Mexico jersey lying on the ground near his feet.

Some -- including Alvarez -- believed Messi was intentionally displaying his contempt for El Tri ... as he appears to kick the jersey in the video.

The super-middleweight champion went to social media to call Messi out over the whole thing ... saying, "Did you see Messi cleaning the floor with our jersey and flag???"

"He better pray to God that I don't find him!! Just like I respect Argentina, he has to respect Mexico!"

He added ... "I'm not talking about the country as a whole, just about the bulls*** that Messi pulled."

Many were quick to defend Messi ... saying it's a complete misunderstanding, and he only kicked the jersey by accident.

But Alvarez believes the disrespect started as soon as the jersey touched the ground ... saying, "From the moment the Mexico jersey is on the floor it's already an insult."

Messi's teammate, Sergio Aguero, defended the futbol superstar ... saying, "Mr. Canelo, don't look for excuses or problems, surely you don't know about soccer and what happens in a locker room."

"The jerseys are always on the floor after games due to sweat and then if you see well, he makes the movement to remove the boot and accidentally hits it."

Brittney Griner will face horrific conditions during her time in a Russian prison ... with environments that will include homophobia, racism and 16-hour work days.

According to The Nation's Dave Zirin, prisoners in Mordovia -- where Griner was taken to earlier this month -- are barely treated like humans.

Bigotry is commonplace, medical care is nearly nonexistent ... and, Zirin says, inmates are expected to sew the uniforms for police and guards.

In fact, it's unclear if Griner will even get a bed that will fit her 6-foot-8 frame.

Musician Nadya Tolokonnikova, a founder of the feminist group Pussy Riot, spent two years in Mordovia following a 2012 arrest, and per Zirin, described the place as hell, where "beatings and torture" are common.

Griner's camp, however, has insisted the WNBA star is trying to remain brave in the face of it all ... saying in a statement following her move to Mordovia earlier this month that "Brittney is doing as well as could be expected."

"Despite the fact she is alone and now nearing her ninth month in detention separated from her loved ones," her reps said, "she is trying to stay strong."

Griner has been detained in Russia since February after she was accused of bringing hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport. In August, she was sentenced to nine years in prison. An appeal of that sentence was denied in October.

Jason David Frank was beloved for playing the hero on-screen -- but according to a friend, his true heroism happened in real life as he battled mental health issues for years.

Mike Bronzoulis, a prized MMA fighter and one of Jason's closest friends, tells TMZ ... since they became friends in 2010, Jason was always open with him about bouts of depression and mental health struggles -- though he kept it private from most people.

Mike says Jason had multiple family members die from suicide, and his mother also died a few years ago after battling cancer. These deaths took a heavy toll on him ... despite having tons of friends and getting love from thousands of fans, he often felt very lonely.

Jason kept a very busy schedule, but through all of it tried to find peace by motivating his fans ... whether it be meeting in person or posting videos on social media.

Mike says he last spoke to Jason roughly a week before his death. He even got a voicemail from Jason ... saying he needed to talk, and he was going through a lot. Mike didn't realize Jason left that voicemail until after he died.

As we reported, Jason died by suicide after getting into a heated argument with his wife in a Texas hotel.

Mike tells us he and Jason's other friends will always remember him as an incredibly giving person ... but one who also wrestled with inner demons.

Pete Davidson and Emily Ratajkowski have gone as public as you possibly can in Hollywood -- attending an NBA game together ... sitting courtside, no less.

The new couple -- who've been maintaining a relatively low profile lately -- blew the doors wide open Sunday by crashing the New York Knicks' showdown with the Grizzlies, snagging the best seats in the house ... and not trying to hide the fact they were a pair whatsoever.

While there didn't seem to be any obvious PDA between them ... Em and Pete were all smiles, and not shying away from cameras either. In fact, the Knicks' own Twitter account posted a photo of them cheesin' it up, and tagging EmRat too.

It's pretty funny ... their presence was actually acknowledged during the broadcast, although the TV guys didn't seem to know who Emily was, 'cause they skipped over in the namedrop.

They also didn't seem to know PD all that well either ... completely butchering his name.

They were sitting next to Ben Stiller and Jordin Sparks -- so there was a lot of star power in the house. But for Pete and Emily to pop is a big deal, seeing how they've seemingly been trying to lay low as they've hit the town in and around NYC.

They were spotted hanging 2 weeks ago in Brooklyn -- the first time they'd been seen on camera amid rumors they were linking up. Pete did something similar with Kim Kardashian ... trying to keep it on the DL for a while, then finally embracing the spotlight.

Seems like he's fast-tracking things this time around, though ... nothing says we're dating like a night out at MSG during primetime TV.

Say hello to the hottest new item in the Big Apple!

If the Niners win the Super Bowl this year, they might need to give Mike Posner a ring -- 'cause the singer-turned-breathing-instructor tells TMZ Sports he gave the team lung lessons before the season ... and it was so effective, it brought some of the SF players to tears.

The "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" artist has been all about the impact of oxygen on the body over the past couple years ... working with famed motivational speaker Wim Hof to become a certified breathing trainer.

Posner got so good at the techniques, the 49ers invited him out to give them a lesson just before they kicked off their year ... and the 34-year-old said it was VERY impactful.

"That was the best session I've done, honestly," Posner told us out at LAX this week. "The guys are in tears at the end. Everyone is opening up. And it just opens up your heart."

Posner said things went so well with the NFC West squad, he felt like the team got on a "natural high."

"It almost feels like you took a drug," Posner said, "but it's just your own breath."

Clearly, the 49ers have been using Posner's techniques this year ... they've been one of the strongest teams in their conference, and look like a legit Super Bowl contender.

As for if Posner will try to repeat things with other sports teams -- he told us yes, explaining he just got done with a session for the Duke men's basketball team.

Terrell Owens knocked out a man outside a CVS in Los Angeles after the guy allegedly harassed people in the store ... and TMZ Sports has obtained video of the fight captured by a witness.

The incident went down Saturday night around 11:30 PM at the pharmacy in Inglewood, CA.

Owens tells us he intended to quickly stop by the store and grab a few necessities. While inside, T.O. says a 49ers fan approached him and they had a friendly conversation. That's when things took a turn.

Terrell says a second man -- the guy who was ultimately clocked -- started talking crap to the fan Owens was conversing with. The aggressor threatened to beat up the men outside, according to witnesses.

The group eventually made their way outside to the sidewalk in front of the store. Terrell was playing peacemaker, according to a witness.

Unfortunately, the heckler who allegedly started the confrontation just minutes earlier inside the store took an unprovoked swing at Owens.

A mistake ... and the fight was on.

After sizing up the man, the 48-year-old Hall of Famer landed a looping right punch square to the guy's chin, sending him to the pavement.

A few seconds later, the man returned to his feet ... seemingly a lot less willing to fight.

As a player, Terrell was one of the greatest receivers in NFL history. But, even as he approaches 50, he's still in absolutely awesome physical condition.

With the situation under control, Owens walked to his Tesla and drove away. It's unclear if the alleged heckler went inside for an ice pack and Advil.

Odell Beckham Jr.'s free agency is off to a rocky start -- the guy was yanked from an airplane this weekend in Florida ... this after cops say he was passing out before takeoff.

The famed wide receiver was escorted off a flight Sunday that was leaving the Miami airport for L.A. ... but it never got off the runway, because law enforcement's saying they had to step in when OBJ was allegedly freaking out the flight crew with his loopy state of mind.

Miami-Dade PD says they were called to respond to an American Airlines flight, where attendants were apparently trying to get Odell to buckle up before they hit the skies. However, according to cops, the crew claims he was in and out of consciousness.

American called first responders, as they were worried for his health ... but when the cavalry arrived, Odell is alleged to have refused to get off the plane -- which forced everyone else to deplane, before OBJ finally walked off on his own with uniformed officers in tow.

Odell was quiet as he made his way through the airport ... with onlookers recognizing him immediately. Cops say he did all this without further incident and was able to make other arrangements in the end. Nothing else came of it ... including arrests/citations and the like.

The dude's supposed to start making visits all over the country in the coming days to see which teams might wanna try swooping him for their roster.

Sean Taylor was honored by his old NFL team with a life-size memorial in his honor at their stadium -- but the big reveal left fans less than impressed ... and actually pretty pissed.

The Washington Commanders unveiled their Sean Taylor tribute Sunday at FedEx Field ... showing off a wire mannequin that was wearing ST's former number and vintage Washington uniform, from when he played with them back in the 2000s before he was tragically killed.

While it might look somewhat cool at first glance ... the more folks took it in, the more angry they became -- because many felt this was a shoddy commemoration of the late free safety, especially when you consider the attention to detail ... or lack thereof.

For starters, the gear's all mismatched -- a Nike jersey, Reebok pants and Adidas cleats (soccer cleats?). The fact the org couldn't even get all the same branding together here speaks volumes in the minds of football fans who were very much looking forward to this.

If you watch the video of the moment the drape was pulled off ... you can actually see Sean's family looking on toward the right side, and in our eyes -- they seem underwhelmed.

There's also the material that the mannequin itself is made of ... hollow wire, which a lot of folks also see as big time disrespect. Plus, there's not even face mask tape on the helmet, which was Sean's signature look. Frankly, many are saying this looks thrown together.

The weather outside isn't exactly frightful in Hollywood ... nevertheless, a bunch of celebs and their families have bundled up and then snuggled up in matching PJs!!!

Not all are from H-Wood, but you get the point. Steph Curry's fam, LeBron James' squad, Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend and a bunch of other broods are coordinating outfits for the season.

Didn't know it was such a thing, but apparently, it is. Gotta say it's pretty cool!

Tina Knowles tells TMZ Sports Jay-Z would crush it as an NFL owner ... adding to the ever-growing list of celebs who think the rapper has a real shot at success if Daniel Snyder would sell his Commanders.

We got Beyoncé's mom out at LAX earlier this month just after her son-in-law and Jeff Bezos had a secret meeting to discuss a potential bid for the Washington franchise.

And, while she didn't have any inside information for us regarding the meeting or a possible sale -- she did say she was confident her son-in-law would do a great job if Snyder opted to sell him the team.

"I have no doubt that anything that they put their minds to, they can do it well," she said.

Knowles is now the third celeb to share that opinion with us ... Mark Cuban and Shannon Sharpe both said in November that they, too, believed Jay-Z would be a great NFL honcho.

In fact, Sharpe said he thinks it'd be huge for the league as a whole -- not just the Commanders' org.

BKFC attempted to sign the biggest star in boxing, literally and figuratively, recently making a run at Tyson Fury ... offering the 6'9" heavyweight champion a piece of the company to sign with the promotion.

TMZ Sports talked to David Feldman, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship's president/CEO, about some of the big names he's trying to lure to his fighting organization ... including the undisputed best heavyweight boxer in the world.

"Look, we made a play for Tyson Fury," Feldman said, "But, he has three more boxing matches that he's definitely slated to do."

David says the deal could've included an ownership stake for the Gypsy King ... but it's a deal Feldman isn't abandoning.

"It was a different kind of deal. I mean it was a deal where [Fury would] be involved in the growth of this thing and maybe get a piece of the company. At this time he can't do it right now, but we're gonna revisit that."

There's another combat sports star Feldman has his eye on ... Nate Diaz.

Of course, Diaz won his final UFC fight, beating Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in September ... and is now a free agent.

"Realistically, I want Nate Diaz. We weren't allowed to make a play for him yet because he was in that UFC [exclusivity] window," Feldman explained.

As for his dream matchup for Nate ... Feldman likes Diaz vs. UFC-fighter-turned-BKFC-brawler, Mike Perry.

FYI, in addition to Perry, they've also signed fighters like Paige VanZant, Chad Mendes and former boxing champ Austin Trout.

BKFC struck a deal with Triller earlier in the year, and Feldman said there's going to be an influx of cash in their business very soon ... money he wants to use to sign big-name talent.

"The funding is gonna be available. I want everybody, and I don't mean to sound that cocky, but I want everybody. I will be in the business for every single free agent that ever comes to market now."

Feldman believes his org. has made a lot of headway with fans around the world ... and could be one legit superstar away from really popping.

FTX might be doomed, but Mark Cuban isn't giving up on crypto just yet ... telling TMZ Sports there's still a ton of value in the digital currency, despite the exchange's massive crisis.

We spoke with the billionaire Mavs owner out in NYC this week ... and he told us that even amidst difficult times, he believes cryptocurrency still has relevance when appropriately used.

"Separate the signal from the noise," Cuban said. "There's been a lot of people making a lot of mistakes, but it doesn't change the underlying value."

Cuban said that as long as consumers have viable options in the crypto world, he doesn't foresee the currency going into the tank.

As we reported, Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen, Steph Curry, Shaquille O'Neal, Udonis Haslem, David Ortiz, Trevor Lawrence, Shohei Ohtani, and Naomi Osaka are all part of a lawsuit claiming FTX honcho Sam Bankman-Fried enlisted their help to scheme people.

We asked Mark about Bankman-Fried, who's accused of creating the fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme intended to take advantage of investors, and the billionaire thinks jail time is imminent for the 30-year-old.

"I don't know all the details, but if I were him, I'd be afraid of going to jail for a long time," Cuban said. "I talked to the guy and thought he was smart."

"I had no idea he was going to take other people's money and put it to his personal use."

Thanksgiving dog shows are usually viewed as counter-programming to football, but this year there's a connection between the 2 ... because the top dog has an NFL connection!!!

Winston, a 3-year-old French bulldog, won Best in Show at the 21st Annual National Dog Show. The pooch is partly owned by L.A. Chargers defensive end Morgan Fox.

Winston was top dog over hundreds of canine competitors. The show drew a huge audience -- 20 million folks tuned in to NBC for the fun.

One of the judges, Vicki Seiler-Cushman, gushed over Winston ... "He has a razzle-dazzle that says, 'I am here to win tonight.'"  She calls him the perfect pet.

FYI ... French bulldogs are the Avis of dogs ... the second most popular behind Labs.

As for some of Winston's competitors ... there's Cooper, an English Toy Spaniel, Sloan, an Irish Water Spaniel, and River, a German Shepard.

Action Bronson's time in the squared circle wasn't just a one-time thing -- the rap star tells TMZ Sports he's ready for his next wrestling opportunity ... saying there's "storylines galore" just waiting for him!!!

The "Subzero" MC recently made his debut with All-Elite Wrestling this year at Grand Slam ... teaming up with Hook to beat Matt Menard and Angelo Parker in an awesome match.

Bronson was legit impressive in the showdown -- throwing dudes over his shoulder and slamming them to the canvas in the entertaining appearance.

But, AB tells us the September event was just the beginning -- 'cause he's waiting by the phone for his next shot.

"I'm ready to go," Bronson said at LAX. "I'm always ready."

When we asked if this is a new career to add to his resume, Bronson says it's something he'd love to do ... but the clock is ticking.

"I'm an old man, bro. I'm an old man. But, I still got some good athleticism in me. Seven more years of athleticism if I play my cards right. I'm telling you."

Bronson says he doesn't have one specific opponent in mind ... adding, "I see storylines galore. I feel like there's a storyline for the next 10 years with me."

BTW -- Action Bronson has been losing a ton of weight recently through boxing and weightlifting ... and he tells us the mindset he has when it comes to getting right.

Muhammad Ali is arguably the greatest athlete of all time -- and a god amongst pugilists ... so when his grandson, Biaggio Ali Walsh, decided to enter the family business, the decision came with a whole heap of pressure!

Now, 24-year-old Ali Walsh is just days away from his PFL MMA debut (against Tom Graesser) ... and TMZ Sports talked to him about fighting as The Greatest's grandchild.

"I definitely have pressure. I even had that pressure in football, and that's a completely different sport. I'm also doing MMA which is also a completely different sport from boxing, but it's also a combat sport, so I think there's gonna be a little bit more pressure there."

FYI, Biaggio was a high school football star in Las Vegas, before playing college ball at the University of California before transferring to UNLV.

Ali Walsh understands he's getting additional attention because of his last name ... but he hopes to be able to blaze his own trail.

"At the end of the day I'm just like any other fighter who's fighting to create their own name, create their own legacy. The only difference is my grandfather is really famous, and because of that I've gotten the platform that I've got, but at the end of the day, it's how you perform in the cage."

"I definitely do have that pressure, but I feel like I'm dealing with it pretty well."

The event, the PFL World Championship, is going down at Madison Square Garden in NYC, under the same roof where Ali fought some of his most memorable fights -- including the "Fight of the Century," Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier in 1971.

We also asked Biaggio if fans might see any similarities between him and his grandfather ... something Ali Walsh says both yes and no too.

"When my grandfather boxed, I feel like it wouldn't translate that well over to MMA. He was very heavy on his lead leg, threw the jab out a lot. If I tried that in MMA, I'd just get leg kicked all day. I've tried that and I've gotten leg kicked and even taken down, so it didn't really work."

"His speed is something that I feel like I have to. I feel like his speed is passed down to me. Dealing with the big stage and the lights and all that, I feel like that's transferred down to me and my brother [Nico], and even my aunt Laila [Ali]."

A one-time Olympic boxer has been arrested for threatening to go on a shooting rampage inside a Florida gym.

Azea Augustama was taken into custody in Miami and booked on three felony charges -- two counts of issuing written threats to commit a mass shooting and one count of threatening to kill or do bodily harm.

He was ordered held on $3 million bond at a court hearing.

According to an affidavit, obtained by TMZ, Azea's membership at Miami's Boxr gym got yanked earlier this month after he had a heated argument with someone.

Then, on Tuesday, Azea had the police escort him back into the gym to retrieve the possessions he had left behind, but they had disappeared.

Azea later took to social media to vent his anger over his missing belongings ... making "threats to kill or do bodily harm with a firearm," the affidavit states.

He went so far as to tag the gym in a few of his threatening Instagram posts, which also included a deposit receipt for an AK-47. He later deleted the receipt.

Police were notified about the threats and tracked Azea to the pawn shop where he had originally put down the $150 deposit for the weapon.