TMZ Sports - Page 10

Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk didn't let a damaged Stanley Cup stop him from a proper celebration ... 'cause the back-to-back champ chugged champagne right from the banged-up trophy after winning it all!!

The partying started Tuesday night after the Panthers took Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final over the Edmonton Oilers at the Amerant Bank Arena.

Tkachuk -- who successfully helped the Panthers defend their title -- got wild in the locker room ... dancing on tables and smokin' cigars with his teammates while listening to Chappell Roan's "Pink Pony Club" -- the Oilers' go-to song throughout the playoffs.

Luis Guevara -- a 19-year-old minor league baseball player with the Baltimore Orioles -- died Sunday night after he was involved in a watercraft crash on the Florida waters.

The Orioles shared the tragic news Tuesday night ... with general manager Mike Elias saying the organization was "devastated following his tragic passing."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and teammates, and we ask for their continued privacy during this difficult time."

Henry Ruggs opened up publicly on Tuesday for the first time since he was thrown behind bars for killing a woman and her dog in a horrific 2021 car crash ... and he admitted he would still "love to" play football again once he's out of custody.

The former NFL star got candid with questioners for roughly an hour at a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas ... in an effort to inspire current and former inmates during their journeys to successfully one day reenter society.

Ruggs touched on a bunch of topics in the chat -- including what led up to the November 2021 accident that changed his and so many other lives forever.

Caitlin Clark had a rough night Tuesday ‘cause she wound up on her ass after getting into one helluva fight with some players from the opposing team.

It all started in the third quarter of the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun's matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. The Fever's phenom locked horns with Sun point guard Jacy Sheldon and tensions boiled over in a big way.

Check out video, which shows Clark -- also a point guard -- dribbling the ball with Jacy aggressively blocking her from getting anywhere close to the basket.

Kamaru Usman spoke to TMZ Sports just days after he lost his belt to Leon Edwards three years ago ... and he vowed to make a triumphant return. It ended up taking far longer than he expected, but true to his word, the Nigerian Nightmare's back and squarely in the title picture!

"I remember coming on here and talking to you guys after I got kicked in the head by Leon Edwards," Usman told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show, reflecting on his 2022 loss and his motivation for moving forward.

"One of the biggest things that really hit me at that moment was the opportunity to prove to myself again that I can get up and do something and get back on the horse."

Tyreek Hill wasn't going to let Noah Lyles cancel their highly anticipated race without some jokes at the Olympic gold medalist's expense ... calling out the track star on social media for scrapping their competition.

The Dolphins' wide receiver went after the sprinter on Tuesday ... just a day after Lyles, 27, backed out of their NYC foot race due to "complications" and "personal reasons."

Hill's first jab was a classic 'Simpsons' meme on his Instagram Story, with Lyles' face photoshopped onto Homer's body ... implying he's hiding from him after he just ran a 10.15-second 100-meter dash at the Last Chance Sprint Series.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s weighing in on the current firestorm over immigration -- saying America’s always been about opening its arms ... but he says newcomers need to play by the rules and act right when they show up.

The 77-year-old hit "The View" Tuesday, reflecting on arriving in the U.S. from Austria at 21 with nothing -- no ties, no help -- yet still built a dream life. He says others can do the same ... if they arrive legally and act like respectful guests in the U.S.

Arnold kept driving the point home -- saying everything he’s achieved, from pumping iron to box office hits to running California, he owes to America.

An attorney representing Jimmie Ward in his domestic violence case tells TMZ Sports he believes the NFL player is innocent.

Steve Jackson -- the lawyer who Ward hired after the Texans defensive back was hit with an assault charge for allegedly roughing up his fiancée earlier this month -- said in a statement to us on Tuesday he feels his client will ultimately "be vindicated."

"We just ask that the public reserve judgment," Jackson said, "so that we can show everyone that the Jimmie Ward that they all have come to know is the same person and did not do this."

Ben Askren's wife says the ex-UFC star is still fighting pneumonia ... but the battle has gotten so intense, he might now need a lung transplant.

Ben, as you know, was hospitalized earlier this month after he developed a lung ailment following a bout with staph infection. On Tuesday, Amy Askren took to her Facebook page to share a sobering update on his condition.

She revealed her hubby has been on a ventilator and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). She also stated he's been so up and down, docs have begun the "evaluation process" for a possible lung transplant.

Mercedes Moné -- formerly known as Sasha Banks -- has found herself a new tag team partner ... TMZ Sports has confirmed she is in a relationship with fellow AEW star The Beast Mortos.

The two wrestlers got the fans talking after Mortos posted a photo of them together with a caption, "en tus brazos encuentro paz" ... which translates to "In your arms I find peace."

The words certainly insinuated love was in the air ... Moné confirmed to us they are indeed dating -- describing it to us as "A real beauty and the beast situation."

Conor McGregor unloaded vicious punches on a club patron in Ibiza this week ... with video showing the former UFC superstar striking a man twice during the violent altercation.

In a clip obtained by The Sun, Notorious appeared to be enjoying a night out with friends at Pacha around 5:53 AM on Tuesday ... when at one point, he leaned in and communicated with someone standing below him.

Whatever was said apparently didn't sit well with the 36-year-old fighter ... 'cause he went into MMA mode and attacked the guy with two clean left hooks.

Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers pitching debut was available to Ippei Mizuhara during his first night in prison, TMZ Sports has learned.

A Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson tells us ... at the Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood Low in Pennsylvania -- where Mizuhara was taken into custody this week -- inmates did have access to MLB Network, which broadcast the highly anticipated Dodgers vs. Padres game.

It's unclear, of course, if Mizuhara tuned in ... but the spokesperson told us Ohtani's former interpreter would have certainly had the option to if he wanted, as he "has access to 12 televisions" on a normal day behind bars.

Boston Red Sox exec Craig Breslow has been on the receiving end of a ton of backlash after trading away star player Rafael Devers ... to the point where his home address was published online -- and now cops are aware of the situation.

Newton Police tell TMZ Sports ... after Devers was dealt to San Francisco, the department was "notified by representatives from the Boston Red Sox Organization that some members of the Red Sox have been victims of doxing on social media due to a recent trade."

While cops were tipped off, NPD added it is not investigating any online threats.

Liv Morgan might be out of action for the foreseeable future ... as the WWE Superstar seemingly injured her shoulder just moments after her match got underway on "Monday Night Raw."

It all went down after Morgan took on Kairi Sane in a one-on-one showdown in Green Bay. During their scrap, Sane grabbed hold of Liv's leg to execute a takedown ... and when she hit the mat -- Liv immediately reached for her shoulder and rolled out of the ring.

When the broadcast slowed the replay, you could see her right shoulder appeared to pop out of place.

Legendary Pipeline surfer Shawn Briley's 20-year-old son is "fighting for his life" after being struck by a car in Hawaii ... and is currently dealing with severe injuries to his body, including his spine.

Over the weekend, Briley's son, Dakota, was on the side of Kamehameha Highway on Oahu's North Shore when he was hit by a vehicle and pinned between two other cars, according to a fundraiser organized for his recovery.

Dakota is currently in the ICU in Honolulu ... and is "fighting for his life."

Despite long lines and brutal weekday Los Angeles traffic, thousands of Shohei Ohtani fans flocked to Dodger Stadium on Monday to catch his L.A. pitching debut, creating stunning scenes at the ballpark.

Check out some photos from the two-way star's big night ... even hours before Ohtani toed the rubber for the first time since the 2023 season, his supporters were seen all over the stadium.

No. 17 jerseys were everywhere -- some were adorned with hot dog costumes! -- and even as he warmed up in the bullpen, hundreds were seen with their cameras out filming every one of his movements.