TMZ Sports - Page 50

WWE Superstar Bianca Belair was overcome with emotion after making history Saturday night as part of the first 'WrestleMania' main event to feature 2 black female superstars.

... and when we spoke with her moments after the match, Bianca didn't hold back -- thanking her role models like Gail Devers and Flo Jo for inspiring her to chase her dreams!!

This whole video is just awesome -- you can feel Bianca's authentic excitement as she begins to realize she's the new 'SmackDown' women's champion!!!

Bianca took on Sasha Banks at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Saturday night -- ultimately dethroning the champ in a match that's being hailed as one of the best moments of the entire 'WrestleMania 37' weekend.

"This is the most amazing feeling ever," Bianca told us moments after the match ... "It's just something that I can't put into words."

When we brought up the historical significance, Bianca told us she felt blessed and honored -- and credited WWE for making it happen.

"It's so important. I always say representation is not a request. Representation is a requirement and WWE is a perfect example of how people should follow by propelling women and representing women and treating women in sports and in the world."

"It's an amazing moment to stand in the ring with Sasha Banks -- it was the first time two African-American women have had a title match at 'WrestleMania' and [it was the] main event."

Belair continued, "It's more than just about us. It's about women and Black women and two alpha women -- and representing and being role models. My role models inspired me and they're the reason why I'm here today."

Belair shouted out track stars Gail Devers and Florence Griffith Joyner -- along with Team USA gymnastics legend Dominique Dawes.

"They completely changed the trajectory of my life and where my life went," Belair said.

"I'm just so grateful to be able to contribute ... and do the same for others like my role models did for me."

It's a wrap for Julian Edelman -- the New England Patriots WR is officially retiring after a stellar 12-year run in the NFL.

... but it begs the question -- does he belong in Canton?!

Edelman was a 7th-round pick out of Kent State in the 2009 NFL Draft -- and went on to become a 3-time Super Bowl champion and the MVP of Super Bowl LIII. Pretty impressive, huh?!

34-year-old Edelman had been dealing with some knee issues lately and underwent surgery for an undisclosed ailment back in October.

Unfortunately for Julian, the latest injury proved too much to overcome -- and he decided to hang up his cleats.

Edelman finishes his career with 620 catches for 6,822 receiving yards and 36 TDs -- a pretty solid stat line for any NFL player.

Worth noting ... most WRs currently in the Hall averaged over 800 career receptions, with more than 10,000 yards receiving and around 100 TDs each.

But, is Edelman's postseason prowess enough to get voters to look past the stats?

In the post-season, he's racked up 118 catches -- 2nd all-time behind Jerry Rice, who caught 151.

He also has 1,442 receiving yards in the post-season -- again, 2nd behind Jerry Rice, who has 2,245.

Edelman's career has been debated for years -- with his former Patriots teammate Deion Branch saying, in 2019, he thinks JE had locked up a HOF spot back then!

"He knows I'm all for it," Branch said at the time ... "Put my brother in. He has earned it."

So, will the voters get behind Julian? Either way, congrats on a solid career.

Another bad look for Conor McGregor ... who's admitting he never forked over the $500,000 donation check to Dustin Poirier's charity, despite promising to make the payment before they fought back in January.

In the lead up to their main event scrap at UFC 257, McGregor repeatedly publicly declared he would send the sizable donation to Poirier's "The Good Fight Foundation," a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides resources to underprivileged youth in Poirier's home state of Louisiana.

McGregor initially pledged the money in October 2020 -- repeated the $500k promise again in November ... and vowed to cut the check again in the days before the fight.

But, Poirier revealed Sunday night his organization NEVER got a cent from Conor's team -- claiming McGregor's team went MIA on Poirier's charity "after the fight" in January.

Poirier later explained, "We thanked him because his team reached out fight week to initiate the process but ghosted us the past 2 months after the fight."

"My foundation has reached out 3 times since with no reply. We've moved past it! We will be announcing our next goal soon! It's a big one."

Conor sheepishly replied on Twitter with allegations of his own -- saying, "A donation, not a debt. We’ve been awaiting the plans for the money that never came. I do with all my donations. Know where it’s going dot for dot. Otherwise it goes walking. As is the case with a lot of these foundations, sadly. You took the McG over the belt shows I was right."

McGregor is trying to paint Dustin as more interested in money than legacy -- both in and out of the ring.

He's insinuating Dustin only took the Conor fight because of the massive check -- instead of taking a fight with another opponent that would have brought him closer to winning the UFC lightweight title.

Dustin responded to Conor early Monday morning ... saying, "100% never a debt. You offered, we accepted, and like I said your Team never responded to our emails regarding the process of where funds would be put to work! July 10th you will taste defeat yet Again."

So, here's the long and short ... McGregor is suggesting Poirier's charity is shady -- which is a pretty heavy allegation to make publicly.

But, McGregor had MONTHS to do his own research before making a public declaration to donate such a hefty amount.

Props to Dustin for dealing with the situation with class.

The NCAA is going to bat for transgender athletes who want to compete at the college level -- saying it will only hold NCAA championship events in areas that are "safe, healthy and free of discrimination."

The NCAA Board of Governors issued a strong statement on the issue as more U.S. states reportedly move closer to passing laws that would make it much more difficult for a transgender athlete to compete at the high school and college levels using their gender identity instead of gender assigned at birth.

"The NCAA Board of Governors firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports. This commitment is grounded in our values of inclusion and fair competition," the statement said.

The NCAA then spelled out its policy about transgender participation in college sports.

"Our approach -- which requires testosterone suppression treatment for transgender women to compete in women’s sports -- embraces the evolving science on this issue and is anchored in participation policies of both the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee."

"Inclusion and fairness can coexist for all student-athletes, including transgender athletes, at all levels of sport."

Then, in a move that seems similar to the MLB's decision to yank the All-Star game out of Georgia ... the NCAA warned it would pull NCAA championship events out of areas where it feels the environment is not safe for transgender athletes.

"When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected."

"We will continue to closely monitor these situations to determine whether NCAA championships can be conducted in ways that are welcoming and respectful of all participants."

Britt Reid -- Andy Reid's son and a former assistant on the Chiefs' coaching staff -- has been hit with a felony DWI charge stemming from his role in a violent Feb. car crash ... law enforcement announced Monday.

In court docs, prosecutors said they've officially levied a "Dwi - Serious Physical Injury" charge on the 35-year-old. If convicted, Britt faces up to 7 years behind bars.

As we previously reported, Britt was involved in a bad 3-car crash near Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City back on Feb. 4 -- just 3 days before K.C.'s appearance in Super Bowl LV.

Britt was accused of slamming his pickup truck into two cars that had pulled over on the side of the I-435 highway at around 9 p.m.

The collision caused serious injuries to a 5-year-old girl, Ariel Young, who was in a coma following the crash.

According to the girl's family, Ariel remains in the hospital and has been showing signs of improvement ... but "she still has a long road to recovery."

Investigators say Britt had told them he had taken Adderall and drank before getting behind the wheel. They added in court docs Britt did not perform well during field sobriety tests.

Britt had been placed on leave by the Chiefs following the accident ... but he's now no longer employed by the NFL team.

The Minnesota Twins will NOT be taking the field Monday afternoon -- the team has postponed its matchup with the Boston Red Sox following the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright at the hands of a police officer.

"Out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday in Brooklyn Center, and following the additional details in this evolving situation, the Minnesota Twins have decided it is in the best interests of our fans, staff, players and community to not play today's game," the team said in a statement.

20-year-old Wright was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop Sunday afternoon in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center.

Cops say they were trying to take him into custody after learning he had outstanding warrants ... and Wright attempted to flee.

BC Police Chief Tim Gannon claims the officer meant to use her taser during the incident, but accidentally shot Wright instead. He died at the scene.

Protests and riots broke out in the area following the tragedy ... and the National Guard was deployed on the scene.

The Twins -- who were set to open a 4-game series with the Sox -- say they worked with MLB, local and state officials to reach its decision ... and will announce a makeup date at a later time.

Paul Blart: NFL coach!?

Kevin James is all set to play New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton in an upcoming Netflix project ... and it's all based around the fallout from the infamous "Bountygate" scandal.

Remember, Payton was suspended for 1 year after the NFL found Saints defensive players were getting cash payouts from 2009 to 2011 for targeting and injuring opponents during games.

But, the movie doesn't sound like a dark look into the violent side of the scandal ... it's reportedly based on Payton's decision to focus on coaching his son's youth football team during his time away from the league.

The movie is being produced by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions -- so it seems the flick will be a lighthearted, family-friendly depiction of the situation ... despite the heavy and despicable nature of the suspension in the first place.

The movie is titled "Home Team" ... and Payton is reportedly heavily involved, according to Peter King -- who says Payton received a copy of the script and actually submitted a round of notes to producers.

In real life, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was FURIOUS with Payton and the Saints for the scandal -- saying it gave the league a serious black eye.

An NFL investigation found that Payton both knew about the bounty situation AND made efforts to conceal it from the league during subsequent investigations.

One of the players who had a bounty on his head was Brett Favre -- who got the snot beat out of him during the 2010 NFC Championship game. The beating he took that day was exceptionally violent.

The NFL ultimately found Payton failed to "act in a responsible manner" to shut down the bounty scheme and suspended him for the entire 2012 season.

During his suspension, Payton helped out his son's 6th-grade youth football team.

According to Peter King, Payton used the suspension to "re-assess his life and put it in some perspective" -- and that will serve as the theme for the upcoming movie.

There is already some backlash on social media from people who are afraid the movie will paint Payton as some sort of hero. Then again, people can change ... right?

"HE DID IT! HE DID IT! HE GOT THE 7-10, RANDY! HE DID IT! WOOOOOOOOO!!!"

A pro bowling announcer completely lost his mind after an 18-year-old picked up a 7-10 split with an INSANE roll on Sunday ... and the footage of the wild scene is amazing!!

It all went down on Sunday, when Anthony Neuer was facing the dreaded pin placement in a match with Jakob Butturff at a PBA Tour event in Reno, Nev.

Neuer somehow got the two pins to fall ... and Fox Sports announcer Rob Stone went BALLISTIC afterward!!

Check out the clip, Stone was great ... going crazy over Neuer's unexpected get -- and even calling him the "Ginger Assassin!"

Yeah, it was that amazing!!

And, if you're wondering the reason why Stone went so hard, it's because picking up a 7-10 split is seriously difficult as hell ... especially during a televised broadcast.

According to the PBA Tour, Neuer is just the 4th player EVER in the history of org. to hit the shot on TV ... with nobody doing it in the last 30 years!

The Hunt family just keeps winning ...

Gracie Hunt -- whose family owns the K.C. Chiefs -- has won the Miss Kansas USA pageant ... just like her mother did back in 1993!

The 21-year-old is the daughter of Clark Hunt -- the chairman, CEO and co-owner of the Chiefs.

Clark's father, Lamar Hunt, was a football pioneer who founded the American Football League and eventually merged it with the NFL. Lamar also came up with the name of "The Super Bowl."

And now, Lamar's granddaughter is making a name for herself in the pageant world -- taking the top spot at Miss Kansas USA on Sunday.

After the victory, Grace posted a celebratory statement on social media.

"I cannot put into words how honored I am to join the VANBROS family and Miss Kansas USA legacy & represent the amazing state of Kansas!"

"Thank you to everyone who believed in me and to God for making my prayers a reality. I hope to make everyone proud through the next part of my journey. And so the adventure begins ..."

Gracie notes she also works in marketing and development for the Chiefs -- while pursuing a Master's Degree in Sport Management from the University of Kansas.

Gracie also serves as a global ambassador for the Special Olympics.

Gracie's mom, Tavia, was a beauty queen back in the day -- after she won Miss Kansas USA, she was runner up in the 1993 Miss USA pageant.

****WARNING: PUT DOWN YOUR MONDAY MORNING EGGS BEFORE CLICKING THIS!!****

NHL superstar P.K. Subban was slashed with a skate so badly during a game Sunday ... the dude suffered a massive thigh wound -- and the pics of his gross injury are GNARLY!!!

The 31-year-old New Jersey defenseman shared the images of his leg after he was cut during the Devils' game against the Penguins ... and you can see, the wound is deeeeep.

In fact, it was so bad ... P.K. had to get stitched up mid-game!!!

Don't worry ... Subban's fine, he even wrote of it all that he didn't lose any time on the ice despite the cut, explaining, "Never missed a shift..."

As for how it went down, video of the accidental slash in the Devils' 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh hasn't been unearthed yet, but Subban explained it this way on his social media ... "Skate blizzy caught me slippin."

Guess that's one way to put it.

One of the most epic beards in baseball is no more ... Rougned Odor shaved his famous face sweater after being traded to the Yankees -- AND IT LOOKS WEIRD!!!

The 2nd baseman was jettisoned from the Rangers to New York last week ... and, in complying with the Yanks' no facial hair policy, he busted out the razor for the first time in YEARS.

And, check out the 27-year-old's new appearance ... he's damn-near unrecognizable -- even to his own 3-year-old daughter!!!

"It was weird. I feel weird,” Odor said of his newly shaved face. "Even my daughter, she didn’t even want to look at me. It is what it is. I’m happy to be here."

Don't worry ... Odor didn't lose any of his baseball magic after he ditched the follicles -- in fact, dude came in CLUTCH for the Pinstripes against the Rays in his 1st appearance with the team Sunday.

After starting the game 0-for-4, Odor knocked in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning with a single to centerfield. He later came around to score, too, helping NYY win 8 to 4.

Good luck in your new smooth-faced journey Rougned ... try not to punch anyone!

Troy Aikman is absolutely jacked.

The 54-year-old "NFL on FOX" star hit the water for the weekend with a little boat trip in Florida with his former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson -- and showed everyone he's still carrying around a 6-pack under that shirt!

"What a weekend," Aikman posted on IG ... "Lots of laughs with great friends reminiscing our time together in Dallas and celebrating Jimmy Johnson."

Johnson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in early 2020 -- but the COVID pandemic delayed the induction ceremony.

Now, Jimmy is on track to get his bust in Canton in the Summer of 2021 -- and Troy is fired up for his longtime pal!

"We are all indebted to Coach for changing our lives. Next stop, Canton, Ohio! #hof #dallascowboys."

As for Aikman, the former QB was inducted into the HOF back in 2006.

Troy is a known health enthusiast -- he's always either working out in the gym, spinning or jogging around his neighborhood.

... and the hard work shows!!!

NFL kicker Aldrick Rosas was bloodied and barefoot when cops stopped him on the side of the road just before his 2020 arrest ... new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

Cops in Chico, Calif. were on the hunt on June 15 for the 26-year-old former NFL Pro Bowler after he had allegedly T-boned a vehicle and fled the scene.

In new police footage, you can see the moment officers finally caught up to him ... and it's pretty wild.

Cops ordered Rosas to get on his knees ... telling the 6'3", 221-lb placekicker, "Yeah, you're a big boy. Get down on your knees. You're just a big boy, I want you down on your knees."

Rosas eventually complied ... and after some initial questions about the car crash, that's when the officer acknowledged Rosas' bloody injuries.

"Are you hurting anywhere?" the cop said. "Or are you just all bloodied up and not hurting?"

The officer then said he was calling medics to the scene because Rosas' feet were "pretty messed up."

Rosas was eventually taken to the hospital to have his injuries checked out ... before he was ultimately booked into Butte County Jail.

Prosecutors later hit Rosas with 3 criminal charges over the incident -- including misdemeanor reckless driving and misdemeanor hit-and-run -- but Rosas cut a plea deal in September to close out the case.

Rosas pled no contest to his charges ... and in exchange, he was hit with 3 years of probation as well as a 30-day suspended jail sentence.

Rosas was also ordered to pay fines and fees ... and he's now not allowed to drive with ANY measurable amount of alcohol in his system while he's on probation.

Rosas signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars shortly after closing out the case ... and played in 6 games for the team in 2020, making 8 of his 11 field goal attempts.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is sending his love and support to "The Challenge" star Ashley Cain ... as doctors say his 8-month-old daughter only has days to live.

Ashley and his wife posted the video message Dwayne sent to them just days after they got the heart-wrenching prognosis for their baby girl, Azaylia. The Rock said, "Brother, I'm so sorry to hear this news. My heart breaks for you."

But, he also sent words of encouragement, saying ... "You tell that little lion I said, 'Let's go Champ, and to stay strong."

Ashley -- who was a UK soccer player before joining MTV's hit reality series -- and his girlfriend announced last week little Azaylia was battling leukemia and had tumors on several of her organs.

His fans, in Great Britain and the States, are showing incredible support. The family started a GoFundMe for Azaylia's medical bills, and it's already raised nearly $1.8 million.

Bad Bunny proved he's more than just an international music superstar, he's got a spot as one of the best celebs to fight in the WWE too ... shocking fans at his WrestleMania debut.

Night one of the wrestling world's Super Bowl kicked off Saturday in Tampa, FL. Nasty weather delayed the event for about 30 minutes, which eventually kicked off in front of 25,000 fans at Raymond James Stadium.

Among the matches were a tag-team bout with Bad Bunny and Damian Priest facing off against The Miz -- who Bunny's been feuding with over the last couple weeks -- and John Morrison.

Bunny stunned the crowd, pulling off some impressive high-flying and acrobatic moves before eventually getting the win.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager has a warning to pro wrestlers who want a crack at the UFC legend -- be careful what you wish for!!

Now that Khabib has retired from MMA, the big question everyone is asking ... what’s he gonna do next?

A crossover into WWE seems like a natural fit -- and Khabib’s manager Ali Abdelaziz tells us Nurmagomedov will gladly smash anyone who has the stones to get in the ring.

"Let’s be real, [if] any of these soft steroid freaks wanted to go ahead and have a wrestling match with Khabib and they wanna get beat up for real, they know who they need to call," Ali tells us.

"He’ll go there and he’ll smash John Cena’s face. No problem."

Tons of MMA fighters have successfully transitioned into pro wrestling -- and they’re usually super successful at it. From Ronda Rousey to Ken Shamrock to Bobby Lashley and more.

As for now, Khabib has made the transition to coaching ... sharing his expertise with fighters like Luke Rockhold, who recently told us the champ is looking to follow in his father's footsteps as a legendary coach.

Ali explains why Khabib is such a natural in the switch to coaching ... saying, "He got no egos, he loves his friends, he loves his peers and he's there for them."

"You're gonna see a lot of new generation coming from his team. They're probably going to dominate the UFC or MMA in general."