TMZ Sports - Page 50

This should be good ...

Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather are going to stand face-to-face in Miami on Thursday in an event to promote their upcoming boxing match ... and you KNOW it's gonna be a spectacle.

It's all going down at 12 PM PT -- and we'll live stream the whole thing here.

Logan has been extremely confident he'll be able to bang with one of the greatest pugilists of all time. Expect to hear a lot from him.

Floyd -- who's 50-0 as a pro fighter -- is also a master trash talker who famously verbally sparred with Conor McGregor for months leading up to their big fight in 2017.

So, when Floyd and Logan -- two masters of promotion -- get together, you know it's gonna get crazy.

The two are set to throw down at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on June 6. Ex-NFL star Chad Ochocinco has agreed to fight on the undercard, though his opponent has not been confirmed yet.

Chad is also expected to be at the media event on Thursday -- so plan to hear from him as well.

Logan is 0-1 as a pro boxer -- losing his first sanctioned bout to YouTube star KSI in a controversial decision.

His younger brother, Jake Paul, on the other hand, is 3-0 as a pro ... coming off an impressive knockout victory over UFC fighter Ben Askren.

One of the best baseball players of this century is now team-less -- the L.A. Angels have cut Albert Pujols ... and it now begs the question, is this the end of the MLB legend's career??

The Angels announced the parting of ways with the slugger on Thursday morning ... saying they've designated the future Hall of Famer for assignment.

"The Angels organization proudly signed Albert Pujols in 2011 and are honored that he has worn an Angels jersey for nearly half of his Hall-of-Fame career," owner Arte Moreno said.

"Albert Pujols' historical accomplishments, both on and off the field, serve as an inspiration to athletes everywhere, and his actions define what it means to be a true superstar."

Pujols inked a massive, 10-year, $210 million with the Angels in '11 after a brilliant career with the STL Cardinals ... but his legendary bat has slowed tremendously over the years.

In fact, the start to this season was one of his worst EVER ... he was hitting just .198 in 24 games before his release Thursday.

Pujols will have the opportunity to catch on with another team ... but at 41 years old, this might be it for the MLB star -- who reportedly had been mulling retirement after this season anyway.

Ya had to see this one coming -- the New York Rangers have just been slapped with a MASSIVE fine by the NHL ... after the team went scorched earth on a league exec. earlier this week.

Remember, the Rangers were FURIOUS with the league after Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson was handed a measly $5,000 fine for his violent altercation with N.Y. star Artemi Panarin.

The team released a lengthy statement slamming the NHL's head of player safety, George Parros, saying he was "unfit" to serve the position ... and Wilson should have been suspended indefinitely.

Of course, the NHL didn't take kindly to the statement ... handing down a severe $250,000 fine to the organization on Thursday.

Commish Gary Bettman spoke about the punishment minutes ago ... saying, "Public comments of the nature issued by the Rangers that were personal in nature and demeaning of a League executive will not be tolerated."

"While we don’t expect our Clubs to agree with every decision rendered by the Department of Player Safety, the extent to which the Rangers expressed their disagreement was unacceptable.

He added ... "It is terribly unfair to question George Parros' professionalism and dedication to his role and the Department of Player Safety."

Both teams are still dealing with the chaotic fallout from Monday's incident -- the Caps vs. Rangers game on Wednesday started off with a line brawl ... and there were at least 6 total fights in the 1st period alone.

Barack Obama had nothing but beautiful things to say about Willie Mays on the MLB legend's birthday ... even saying the ex-SF Giant helped pave the way for his presidency.

Obama posted the cool happy birthday note to the former slugger on his Twitter page Thursday ... saying, "Happy 90th birthday to Willie Mays!"

"If it wasn't for folks like Willie and Jackie Robinson, I might never have made it to the White House."

Obama continued, "The spirit he played with and the way he carried himself changed the game and people’s attitudes. I’m glad he’s still going strong."

Obama and Mays have had a friendship that dates back years ... Mays famously rode on Air Force 1 with Obama in 2009 when the two were on the way to the '09 MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis.

Obama later went on to joke about that trip ... saying, "Very rarely when I'm on Air Force 1 am I the second-most important guy on there. Everybody was just passing me by, 'Can I get you something, Mr. Mays?"

In 2015, Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Mays as well.

Mays is to this day still one of the best baseball players that's ever lived ... he was a 2-time MVP, 24-time All-Star and a 12-time Gold Glove winner.

A diehard Orioles fan who's in the hospital battling COVID cried tears of joy watching John Means' no-hitter Wednesday ... and video from the ICU room will hit ya right in the feels.

Sports-talk host Josh Graham shared the emotional footage from his father on Wednesday evening ... saying, "There’s no sports team my dad loves more than the Orioles."

"While he fights COVID in a Raleigh ICU, he just watched John Means toss the O’s first no-hitter since 1969. He just sent me this and now I’m an emotional wreck."

The video is awesome, Josh's dad filmed himself in tears while watching Means celebrate his incredible game.

In the clip, Josh's dad continuously praised Means for the effort ... saying several times out loud, "He did it!" and "Thank God!"

Means was RIDICULOUS against the Mariners on Wednesday ... he struck out 12 batters in the complete-game shutout -- logging the first no-no for the Orioles in 52 years.

And, the game clearly inspired Josh's father ... 'cause Josh said it brightened up the guy's day and recovery process for sure.

"After Means’ no-no, he’s been talking trash with his doctor, a Yankee fan, and showing off his Orioles mask this morning," Josh said Thursday.

"He’s been overwhelmed by the amount of reaction and support he’s seen on social media. Thank you to everyone who’s reached out to check in."

Welp, this is sad ...

Lindsey Vonn and P.K. Subban have sold the Beverly Hills mansion they bought together ... just 6 months after calling off their engagement.

The Olympic skiing legend and the NHL star purchased the 5,500-square-foot pad for $6.75 mil back in 2020 ... and it seemed it would be their home base for years to come.

But, the two called it quits in Dec. 2020 and quickly put the Italian-style villa on the market.

The place is sick ... especially the yard, a private sanctuary that features a slick pool, spa and fire pit.

Final sales price ... $6.9 million, according to the L.A. Times. It's unlikely they walked away with any sort of real profit after all of the expenses and commissions -- but they're probably just happy to move on.

Vonn and Subban began dating back in 2018 and were together for 3 years ... blossoming into one of the most beloved couples in pro sports.

But, things soured in 2020 ... and they eventually broke up. They issued a joint statement vowing to remain on friendly terms.

"Over the past 3 years PK and I have had some incredible times together. He is a kind, good man, and someone I respect a great deal," Vonn wrote at the time.

"However, after much consideration we have decided to move forward separately. We will always remain friends and love each other immensely. We ask that you please respect our privacy during this time."

Amazing update from NFL QB Kyle Allen ... the Washington Football Team player is now moving laterally and jogging -- just 6 months after he suffered a gruesome ankle injury.

Allen's foot was dangling by threads during an NFL game last November ... but now, the dude looks as close to 100 percent as ever, showing off a sturdy ankle and some speed.

In the footage, shared by Allen's girlfriend, the 25-year-old can be seen hopping from side to side ... and then getting in full-length runs up and down a basketball court.

"So freaking proud of you," said Allen's GF, Summer Juraszek. "I screamed when I first saw these progress videos."

You'll recall ... Allen wasn't exactly guaranteed to ever walk again after suffering a horrific lower leg injury against the Giants on Nov. 8, 2020.

NY safety Jabrill Peppers had tackled the QB low as he attempted to escape the pocket ... and Allen was later diagnosed with a dislocated and fractured ankle.

According to his GF, Allen didn't even begin walking on the leg until January 2021 ... so, this week's steps are clearly HUGE for the guy.

Clemson football player Justin Foster is now back to being a Tiger ... the defensive end says he's unretiring after learning his health complications due to COVID-19 are subsiding.

The senior -- an honorable mention All-ACC player during his last full season in 2019 -- was diagnosed with coronavirus in August 2020, and he says it wiped him out.

Foster explained because of his history with asthma and allergies, COVID did a number on him ... and it forced him to miss the entire 2020 season.

Foster actually retired from football in February over it all ... saying he was still having breathing problems and a "severe difficulty" performing physically.

"While my situation has improved," Foster wrote in a statement on Feb. 24, "I am not in a position now, nor do I see that position soon, to step back on the field."

But, Foster said in a statement Wednesday he's now doing MUCH better ... and says doctors have ensured him he should be back to 100% in a matter of weeks.

“For me, the decision came when I went to Duke a couple weeks ago and the doctor was positive on me recovering in the near future,” Foster said.

"In the next month or two, she thought I’d recover enough to compete at the college level, and she motivated me and said that if I wanted to play again, she’d encourage me to and support me and she would do the best she could to get me back healthy."

Foster added, "She believed that I will be healthy and, for me, that was a big stepping stone."

Dabo Swinney -- who said in February he believed Foster had NFL potential -- was thrilled to welcome the guy back to the team, saying, "He’s a great leader with great experience and a really talented football player."

Canelo Alvarez is now mocking his opponent Billy Joe Saunders over a beef about the size of the boxing ring they'll use Saturday night ... telling TMZ Sports size doesn't matter to him at all!

Billy Joe had threatened to pull out of the highly anticipated fight at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas ... claiming Canelo's camp was trying to force the fight to take place in an 18-foot ring, much smaller than Billy Joe is used to.

Billy Joe reportedly wanted a 22-foot ring -- which gives fighters more room to move around ... it's less of a phone-booth-style fight.

The two sides announced they had come to an agreement by Wednesday afternoon ... so, the fight is on -- though the official ring size has still not been announced publicly.

We spoke with Canelo (55-1-2) who told us "I don't care about the size of the ring. I can give him the entire stadium. I don't care."

Canelo says he's not going to let the pre-fight drama mess with his fight strategy -- he's still planning on destroying Saunders with a "cool mind."

We also spoke with Saunders who essentially says he feels like Canelo's camp has jerked him around before the fight ... and the ring size dispute was just unnecessary drama.

Saunders is 30-0 with 14 KOs -- and has been touted as the most legitimate threat to beat Canelo since Gennady Golovkin.

There's more ... we also spoke with Canelo about his good friend Ryan Garcia, who recently revealed he's dealing with mental health issues.

Canelo was extremely supportive of Garcia and told us he expects Ryan to eventually return to the ring to fight again since that's what he was born to do.

Garcia pulled out of his July 9 fight against Javier Fortuna -- explaining he's been struggling with "depression and anxiety for some time."

"I pushed thru so many times but I need some time off and I'm choosing to finally get some help with my mental health," Garcia said.

Kyrie Irving's wallet is now $35,000 lighter ... and it's all 'cause the NBA says the point guard won't stop ghosting media members.

The NBA announced Wednesday evening it's hit Irving and his Brooklyn Nets team each with $35k fines for "violating league rules governing media interview access."

The NBA says Irving has repeatedly refused to show up for postgame media availability sessions -- a big no-no for players.

Of course, this ain't the first time the league has had to step in and slap Irving with a fine for this ... back in December, he was hit with a $25k fine for dodging media during training camp.

At the time, Kyrie famously appeared to react to the fine in a viral social media post in which he wrote, "I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more."

Irving later explained his "pawns" comment was NOT a jab directed at reporters.

"Not even referring to you guys as pawns or media," Irving said. "It's just really how I felt about the mistreatment of certain artists when we get to a certain platform of when we make decisions within of lives to have full control and ownership."

Pfizer is pledging to donate thousands of doses of its COVID vaccine to inoculate Olympic athletes in the hopes of saving the Games ... this, in the wake of a new movement in Japan to call the whole thing off.

The pharmaceutical company -- along with its German partner, BioNTech SE -- announced Thursday its plan to get the vaccine to all athletes participating in the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

Vaccinations would begin ASAP in the hopes all athletes would receive their 2nd of 2 doses BEFORE they arrived in Tokyo for the Games, which are set to kick off on July 23.

FYI, the CDC website suggests a 21-day interval between the 1st and 2nd doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The issue ... the AP reports a new petition picking up steam in Japan calling for the games to be canceled out of fear of an outbreak,

The petition, which sports the headline, "Cancel the Tokyo Olympics to Protect Our Lives," reportedly already picked up tens of thousands of signatures in just a few short days.

The concern, obviously, is people flying in from all parts of the world could turn the Games into a super-spreader event and lead to a spike in COVID infections and deaths.

The Pfizer vaccine effort -- if effective -- should help ease those concerns ... but it all boils down to the athletes actually taking the shot.

IOC President Thomas Bach commented on the Pfizer donation -- saying it's "another tool in our toolbox of measures to help make the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 safe and secure for all participants."

Kamaru ain't the only member of the Usman family making noise in the MMA world ...

Meet Mohammed Usman -- Kamaru's younger brother -- who's set to compete in the PFL's $1 million heavyweight tournament ... and turns out, fighting talent runs in the family.

32-year-old Mohammed is 6'2", 265 pounds -- and previously played defensive end at the University of Arizona.

Now, he's focused on MMA -- he's 7-1 as a pro and currently on a 4-fight win streak.

Usman will step into the cage to fight Brandon Sayles on Thursday -- and hopes to score a win to advance to in the $1 million tourney.

Mohammed says he knows his brother's rise to superstardom makes him more of a target -- but he loves the pressure and can't wait to show the world he's a legit contender.

"I'm at a point in my life and my career that I'm a complete fighter," Usman tells TMZ Sports ... "So, I'm gonna go out and put pressure and everything that I want to happen will happen."

Kamaru -- the UFC's reigning welterweight champ -- also believes his bro is the real deal.

"The thing is Mohammed ... he was just a raw, athletic specimen and I’ve got him to commit to it. He’s really putting in the time and the effort right now."

Mohammed says he's got a friendly competition with his big bro when it comes to knockouts ... and since Kamaru obliterated Jorge Masvidal in the 2nd round of their fight, Mo is gunning for a 1st round KO on Thursday.

Forget the hockey game, the Rangers vs. Capitals matchup turned into "MMA on Ice" on Wednesday ... in the wake of a violent incident earlier this week.

The chaos started as soon as the puck dropped ... with several players attacking each other as retaliation for what happened on Monday between Capitals forward Tom Wilson and Rangers superstar Artemi Panarin.

The line brawl broke out one second into the game ... with at least 3 separate scraps going down.

The mayhem continued as Wilson entered the game ... with Rangers defenseman Brendan Smith going after him as soon as he touched the puck. Wilson later left the game with an undisclosed upper-body injury.

Overall, there were more than 100 penalty minutes assigned stemming from 6 fights within the first 5 minutes of the game at Madison Square Garden.

As we previously reported, the Rangers were LIVID with the NHL for handing just a $5,000 fine to Wilson for his brawl with Panarin, which left the Rangers star with a season-ending lower-body injury.

The Rangers claimed Head of Player Safety, George Parros, was unfit for his job in a scathing statement on Tuesday ... and called Wilson's involvement a "horrifying act of violence."

Move over Aaron Carter and Lamar Odom ... Matt Barnes says he's got interest in a big celeb boxing match of his own -- telling TMZ Sports he's down to scrap with Chad Ochocinco!

... but, only if the price is right.

The former NBA superstar was out at Tierra Rejada Golf Club in California on Wednesday when he told us he doesn't hate the idea of getting in the ring with the ex-Cincinnati Bengals receiver, who's looking for an opponent after agreeing to participate on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul event next month.

Barnes, though, tells us his fighting days are winding down quickly ... so it would take some serious convincing and serious cash to make it all work.

"I do box," Barnes said at the Golf Beef event (which promotes black-owned businesses) ... before adding, "but, to be honest with you, like, it's not something that I really want to jump into, to be honest with you."

"To me, I'm kind of past that stage of my life. But, if it ever came across and the money was right, I'd consider it."

The matchup is pretty intriguing ... both guys are tough dudes who have been known to hit the mitts during workout sessions.

And, with both their ages being similar (Chad's 43, Matt's 41) ... it could make for a helluva tilt!!

Work hard, Twerk harder!

Here's UFC star Mackenzie Dern blowing off some steam on a boat in Mexico -- dancing her ass off with a pretty famous Brazilian singer!

Hey, it's Cinco de Mayo -- why not enjoy yourself, right?!

Mackenzie is coming off a dominant victory over Nina Nunes at "UFC on ABC" back in April ... extending her win streak to 4 in a row!

The 28-year-old is the #5 ranked UFC strawweight becoming a legitimate title threat ... with sites set on challenging Rose Namajunas for the belt one day.

But, for now, she's earned the right to party -- and she's doing just that on a boat in Cancun with her friend Lexa!

FYI, 26-year-old Lexa is pretty huge in Brazil -- she even had her own reality show on MTV a few years back.

Mackenzie is married to Brazilian surfer Wesley Santos. They have one daughter together. But, neither Wes nor the kid seem to be on this trip, which appears to be a fun girls' getaway!

"Beat him back to YouTube!!!"

That's Michael Rapaport BEGGING Floyd Mayweather to whoop Logan Paul's ass ... saying the social media star is destroying the sport of boxing by claiming to be a real fighter.

"This is a message directly to Floyd Mayweather," Rapaport said during an interview that will air in its entirety on "Drinks With Binks" on fubo Sports Network at 8 PM Wednesday.

"For every coulda, shoulda, woulda-been-a contender, for every golden gloves champion, every golden gloves loser, for your uncle, for your father, for every rope you skipped and heavy bag you punched -- kick this guy's ass!"

Rapaport's beef with Logan is simple ... he believes the guy is disrespecting the sport by not taking it seriously, yet he's still headlining cards and getting massive paydays.

Michael wants Floyd to put a hurting on Logan BADLY ... saying he believes that'll end the streak of YouTubers thinking they're real fighters.

"It is such a disrespect to the sport of boxing," Rapaport says ... "For every blow that Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier took and gave each other -- he has to kick his ass."

"I know a lot of people don't like Floyd Mayweather but the irony of it is that the whole world, I think, I hope, is going to be rooting for Floyd Mayweather and this will end in an embarrassing fashion."

Rapaport added that Floyd should "take the money and beat the s*** out of him."