TMZ Sports - Page 2

Patrick Bertoletti is looking to build off the 58 hot dogs and buns he downed en route to winning his first-ever Mustard Belt at the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest last year ... with the champ telling TMZ Sports he hopes to eclipse 60 tube steaks this July 4!!

We spoke with Bertoletti ahead of his title defense at Coney Island ... and while he does feel anxious -- he says it's giving him energy and more drive to get the job done.

Bertoletti's main goal is improving his number from last year, saying entering the 60 range "would be great."

Nancy Lieberman isn't taking any Detroit hate sitting down ... telling TMZ Sports Sophie Cunningham needs to get her facts right after dissing the D earlier this week.

Cunningham -- who joined the Indiana Fever this year -- took a jab at Motor City when she was asked about the WNBA's decision to expand, saying, "I don’t know how excited people are to be going to Detroit."

She didn't sound thrilled about Cleveland and Philadelphia -- the two other cities receiving WNBA teams -- all that much, either.

Jake Paul is now the No. 14 cruiserweight in the WBA rankings ... and you know who's pissed about that?? The guy who was the No. 14 cruiserweight heading into this week -- 20-0 fighter Craig Parker.

TMZ Sports spoke with the now-No. 15-ranked boxer about the development ... and he said, quite frankly, it's "disgusting news to me" because in his opinion, he hasn't paid his dues.

"For him just to take a position that guys like me that struggled to find ways to the gym and ... it's a long road to be where we're at. And for him to just be No. 14, it was just like a slap in the face."

PETA clearly believes the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is the wurst ... as it tells TMZ Sports it's planning to crash the annual shindig this week in an effort to sway people from partaking in the glizzy engorgement.

A spokesperson for the animal rights org. says PETA mascots -- including Tommy Tofu and "his PETA pals" -- will be outside of the event at Nathan's Famous in Brooklyn on Friday afternoon in the hopes of deterring fans from eating tube steaks.

We're told they'll be handing out vegan hot dogs ... challenging "hungry spectators to enjoy a free, flavorful Fourth that is also animal-friendly."

Tom Brady might be a football star, but he's definitely a home run when it comes to the ladies!

The former New England Patriots quarterback played the field over the course of his love life, which has seen him evolve from one of the sports world's most eligible bachelors to a devoted father.

We're going to check out who the athlete's been with -- and see how a flip-flop in his career prefaced a major breakup.

Riley Gaines has, for years, fought tooth and nail to keep trans athletes out of women's sports ... so now that Lia Thomas' records have been wiped clean by UPenn, how does the star college swimmer-turned-activist feel about the news?

TMZ Sports asked Gaines on Wednesday.

"This has been my mission these past three years to get any sort of accountability, responsibility, and I think more so transparency," Riley told us, reacting to the University of Pennsylvania stripping Thomas of her school records, as well as issuing an apology letter for allowing LT to compete.

Gaines, who swam against Thomas, continued ... "I am ecstatic. I'm over the moon. I am so excited. I'm a bit cynical, truthfully, as I don't believe that the University of Pennsylvania necessarily approaches this conversation in good faith."

Of course, Riley -- who hosts Outkick's Gaines For Girls -- is referring to the U.S. government withholding nearly $200 million in federal funding ... pending the university striking a deal with the Department of Education, and agreeing to the government's conditions.

"This was never something [UPenn] was willing to do. Granted, they have $175 million hanging over their head that they would lose out on it if they weren't willing to do this. So maybe that amount of money can make anyone grow a spine," Riley quipped.

As part of the agreement, UPenn will also adhere to President Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" and "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism" executive orders (Riley was with POTUS when he signed a few months back).

The school with also implement biology-based definitions for the words "male" and "female."

There's more with Riley. Is this an inflection point, or a one-off ... and how does the All-American swimmer feel personally as a soon-to-be first-time mother of a little baby girl?

3:11 PM PT -- Reps for Red Panda tell TMZ Sports the iconic halftime performer suffered a severe left wrist fracture in Tuesday night's fall, an injury she also previously experienced.

We're told the accident was due to the left pedal of her unicycle being damaged in transit.

After spending 11 hours in the hospital, Red Panda's reps say she is now on her way home and will meet with an orthopedic surgeon for further repair.

We're told Red Panda is thankful for all the support she's received in wake of the accident ... as "it means the world to her."

Red Panda left the WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship on Tuesday night a little black and blue ... as the halftime show legend sustained an injury during a scary fall.

AEW is set to air its 300th episode of "Dynamite" on Wednesday ... and the promotion's president, Tony Khan, is sharing the secret to the success over the past six years -- saying the fans play a major role in the decision-making process.

All Elite Wrestling is celebrating the big milestone on TBS in a few hours ... and Khan sat down with us on Tuesday to talk all about what they've been able to accomplish to date, as well as how they operate.

We asked the 42-year-old how much sway the audience has whenever they are putting their product together ... and he told us they absolutely influence what people end up seeing on their TV screens.

Jake Paul could be competing for a boxing championship REAL soon -- so says Antonio Tarver, who tells TMZ Sports El Gallo's entry into the WBA cruiserweight rankings is paving the way for the opportunity.

We spoke with the former lightweight champ after Paul secured his 12th career win against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (54-7) in 10 rounds in Anaheim, Calif. this past weekend -- which Tarver had a front-row seat for, as he called the fight for DAZN.

Tarver was very impressed with Paul's performance, praising the YouTuber/entrepreneur for what he has achieved in the ring, considering he has zero amateur boxing experience.

What can Brown do for the New York Knicks?? They're hoping the answer is "win championships" ... 'cause the team is slated to name Mike Brown its next head coach.

Shams Charania revealed the expected signing on Wednesday ... almost one month after the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau, their leader of the bench for the past five seasons.

The Knicks met with several candidates for the position ... including college basketball coach and former WNBA star Dawn Staley.

Ilia Topuria is opening up on his brutal (and shocking) knockout of Charles Oliveira ... and talking about who could be next -- and he's putting two big UFC stars on notice!

The 28-year-old newly crowned lightweight champ joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... just days after he put Oliveira's lights out with a crushing combo of punches in the UFC 317 main event.

As it goes, everyone wants to know what's next for the champion. Two names that have been talked about most ... Paddy Pimblett and Islam Makhachev!

Travis Kelce is opening up on how Taylor Swift found herself onstage at a Tight End University event ... saying despite it being a pretty off-the-cuff moment, she had every detail handled in real time!!

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar addressed the viral Nashville moment on Wednesday's "New Heights" ... saying it was Taylor who pitched the idea of joining Kane Brown and his band at the Tight Ends and Friends party -- and soon enough, she was singing her heart out to "Shake It Off."

Kelce went on to explain how Swift pulled it together ... telling his brother, Jason, he watched her write impromptu sheet music for the musicians backstage to make sure everyone was on the same page, despite not rehearsing beforehand.

Sophie Cunningham must be a Juvenile fan ... 'cause the Indiana Fever guard was backin' that ass up after her squad won the WNBA Commissioner's Cup!!

The party went down on Tuesday after the Fever defeated the Minnesota Lynx with a 74-59 victory in the finale of the in-season tournament.

It was the first Commish's Cup win for the Fever ... and the champs certainly celebrated like it -- live streaming the whole bash on social media.

Maxwell Hairston -- the Buffalo Bills' 2025 first-round draft pick -- has been sued over allegations he sexually assaulted a female student when he was a member of the University of Kentucky football team.

The suit -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- was filed in the U.S. Eastern District Court of Kentucky on Tuesday. In it, the plaintiff states she first met Hairston at a UK residence hall in early 2021.

She claims she went to the defensive back's dorm room ... but left a short time later when he made her uncomfortable by trying to "to isolate her in his bedroom."

Taylor Swift is getting to know Travis Kelce's old stomping grounds ... because it looks like he's showing her around his home state ... Ohio.

Taylor and Travis were spotted Tuesday at JoJo's Bar in Chagrin Falls ... and a photo floating around on social media shows them sitting at a table inside the steakhouse.

The couple was joined by a third wheel ... and the sighting comes after Travis played in a charity golf tournament Monday in nearby Chardon.

Puka Nacua's girlfriend has asked a court to confirm the NFL superstar is the father of her unborn baby, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to records we obtained, Hallie Aiono filed a petition to determine parental relationship against Nacua in Los Angeles County back on June 16.

In the docs, Aionio stated she was 19 weeks pregnant -- and wanted a court to affirm it's Nacua's child. She also asked the court to award joint legal custody, but to give her full physical custody and only visitation rights to Nacua.