TMZ Sports - Page 50

Swerve Stickland and "Hangman" Adam Page used everything from a barbed wire-wrapped chair to a heavy-duty staple gun to beat the s*** out of each other during last weekend's AEW match. We asked Swerve how he felt after the bloody match, and what part was most painful.

Swerve joined Mojo Muhtadi on "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... and talked about the Texas Deathmatch at AEW's Full Gear, which Strickland ultimately won. But, he paid a price.

"It was that Hangman Moonsault with the chair and barbed wire. Hangman is a deceptively massive man in itself. Receiving a Moonsault from him at that height and that weight and that speed and velocity already takes a lot out of you," Swerve told us.

"Add in a metal chair wrapped in like probably hundreds of yards of barbed wire wrapped in a spool around it, it just scraped across me, along with Hangman landing across me. Out of all the brutal stuff we did in that match, that was probably the one that stuck out."

With the big match under his belt and Strickland's stock being at an all-time high, we asked him what was next.

Swerve mentioned competing in the upcoming Continental Classic tournament ... but also has his sights set on something more historic.

"I feel like I catapulted myself as one of the top guys in the industry. And I said this before, earlier in the year, I really feel I can be the first African American AEW world champion."

Great matches require two wrestlers putting in work ... and Strickland spoke very highly of his opponent. In fact, he thinks "Hangman" Adam Page could be this generation's Mick Foley.

Thanksgiving is all about food, football and being grateful AF ... and we got ya covered where it matters in at least one department -- the lovely wives and girlfriends of the NFL's turkey day games!!

The first game of the holiday is Packers vs. Lions ... and anyone who follows WAGs knows that means Sports Illustrated model Christen Harper will be cheering on her fiancé, Detroit quarterback Jared Goff, in the stands.

Taylor Decker's wife, Kyndra, and Penei Sewell's lady, Isabelle, will also be rooting for the home team ... and who knows, maybe the latter will bring her baby boy, Malakai, who recently turned 1!!

When it comes to the Packers, of course, Ronika Stone will have her eyes on her Packers QB boyfriend Jordan Love during his first Thanksgiving appearance.

A.J. Dillion's wife, Gabrielle, also deserves a special shoutout after giving birth to their first child this past summer ... and there's a good chance Christian Watson's fiancée, Lakyn, will be there to give her wide receiver a pregame good luck kiss!!

The next matchup is an NFC East rivalry matchup between the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys ... and Demarcus Lawrence's wife, Sasha, will be rooting for America's Team per usual.

It will be a new holiday tradition for Dak Prescott's girlfriend, Sarah Jane, and Stephon Gilmore's wife, Gabrielle ... as it's their first Turkey Day game as WAGs.

Victoria Taylor -- who said "yes" to Washington running back Antonio Gibson's proposal in July --- will be easy to spot if she's at the game ... thanks to her shiny, new engagement ring!!

To round out the slate of games, the Seahawks are taking on the 49ers in San Francisco ... and Olivia Culpo will certainly be pulling for her fiancé, Christian McCaffrey.

And don't be surprised if Dr. Mindy Armstead -- who married defensive end Arik Armstead in 2020 -- and Brock Purdy's fiancée, Jenna, also show face at Levi's Stadium for the contest.

Singer Normani might also catch the action ... considering she's dating Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf.

Seattle cornerback Quandre Diggs' wife, Abby, and receiver Tyler Lockett's partner, Lauren, are regulars at games as well ... and we take it they won't be missing this contest, either.

Hopefully, all the players and WAGs will have time to stuff their faces after games.

Jim Irsay says he was targeted by police during his 2014 arrest ... emphatically believing cops were prejudiced against him because he's "a rich, white billionaire."

The Indianapolis Colts owner made the eyebrow-raising statements to Andrea Kremer during an interview with HBO Sports that aired earlier this week.

In their chat, Kremer asked Irsay if his DUI arrest in Carmel, Ind. some nine years ago was a "low point" for him ... and a few seconds later, he sounded off.

"I am prejudiced against because I'm a rich, white billionaire," Irsay told her. "If I'm just the average guy down the block, they're not pulling me in, of course not."

Carmel police had said at the time of the arrest they stopped Irsay for, among other things, driving too slowly as well as failing to use his turn signal. They eventually put him in cuffs after they claimed he failed their sobriety tests.

Dashcam footage from the scene appeared to show Irsay having trouble walking while talking with cops outside of his car. Cops say toxicology results, meanwhile, showed he had multiple painkillers in his system, including oxycodone and hydrocodone.

Irsay, however, still told Kremer, "The arrest was wrong."

"I had just had hip surgery, and had been in the car for 45 minutes," he said. "And what -- they asked me to walk the line? Are you kidding me? I can barely walk at all."

Irsay eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated ... and was sentenced to 1 year probation. He told Kremer he only cut the deal with prosecutors because he wanted to get the case "over with."

For the Carmel Police Department's part, it said in a statement to The Indianapolis Star on Tuesday regarding Irsay's allegations, "We are very sorry to hear that comment about our officers and our department."

John Madden sadly isn't around to enjoy Thanksgiving games anymore ... but the NFL is still making sure his presence is felt on the holiday nonetheless, revealing this week teams will wear patches honoring the football legend throughout the day.

The Detroit Lions showed what their jersey adornments will look like in a post on X on Wednesday morning ... and they're pretty awesome.

The black-and-gold emblems feature a silhouette of Madden from his coaching days ... and they'll be displayed prominently on the front of teams' uniforms.

In addition to the Lions, the Packers, Cowboys, Commanders, 49ers and Seahawks are all expected to rock Madden patches as well.

The holiday, of course, was one of Madden's all-time favorites ... as he loved eating turduckens in the broadcast booth as well as handing out pieces of the chicken/duck/turkey combo to star players on the field.

The NFL began honoring Madden on the holiday last year with several cool tributes on gameday ... and it announced this month it will expand on those with the jersey patches as well as a special Madden-themed coin for the games' opening tosses.

Shaquille Leonard didn't let his release from the Colts impact his charity work in Indianapolis on Tuesday ... as the star linebacker still found a way to pass out turkeys to those in need despite the rough afternoon.

Just hours after his tenure in Indy came to an abrupt end ... Leonard made time to partner up with Gleaners Food Bank and Chapel Rock Church to help families with their upcoming Thanksgiving meals.

Leonard was seen handing out turkeys as well as side dishes ... and TMZ Sports is told he impacted roughly 200 families with his charitable work.

Of course, no one would have blamed Leonard one bit if he had backed out of the event ... as he openly admitted he was "shocked" when the Colts fired him earlier in the day.

Despite battling a myriad of injuries during his six years in Indianapolis, Leonard had established himself as one of the best Colts players of the past decade -- earning three All-Pro selections. Yet still, he was cut unceremoniously while prepping for a midseason game.

Leonard, however, was still somehow in great spirits at the event ... taking photos with fans and signing autographs.

He told ESPN's Stephen Holder on the scene that he believed complaining about his diminished role in Indianapolis' defense this season played a part in his cut -- although he did add "there's no hard feelings" between him and the org. at this point.

Kanye West believes his ex-trainer, Harley Pasternak, is stalking him around Dubai -- they did run into each other there -- but TMZ has learned it's Harley who felt threatened enough to call for backup.

Harley and Ye were both at Atlantis the Royal Dubai resort on Monday evening, and according to Ye's camp ... the rapper felt uncomfortable and believed Harley was tailing him around Dubai. So much so, he whipped out his phone and started recording Harley as he spoke to hotel staff.

However, sources with direct knowledge at the resort tell TMZ ... Harley was at the concierge desk making a dinner reservation when he came face-to-face with Ye. Remember, these 2 have a tumultuous history.

Harley's the one who called police and paramedics back in 2016 when he said Ye started behaving erratically during a training session. That call led to Kanye being committed to UCLA Medical Center for mental evaluation.

Cut to Monday in Dubai, around 9 PM we're told, when our sources say Ye approached Harley and attempted to embrace him -- perhaps trying to hug it out -- but Harley rebuffed him. We're told the concierge asked Harley if he needed hotel security, and he said yes.

We're told security arrived, but Ye and his team had left the area by that point -- and there was no further contact between them.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is weighing in on Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce ... saying their new romance has been "great for the league."

Commish shared his two cents on the Tayvis craze during an interview with "CBS Mornings" on Wednesday ... and he's shipping the two lovebirds pretty hard after seeing the effect its had on his organization.

"They're happy, they seem to be enjoying their relationship," Goodell said. "That's great in and of itself."

"It has connected more fans of Taylor's and more fans of the NFL. And, in some ways, to see that they have a connection, now they have a connection to our game and to Taylor," he added. "She's an unbelievable artist. Obviously, Travis is an unbelievable player."

"I think it's great for the league to have that kind of attention, so we welcome it."

Of course, Taylor's appearances at Travis' Kansas City Chiefs games have been widely documented ... with broadcasting crews showing her cheering on her man from her suite seats.

The two have become quite the power couple over the past few months ... with Travis flying to Argentina to hit up her 'Eras' show during his bye week.

Our sources tell us Tayvis will be together for the holidays ... which is a huge step in their relationship.

Floyd Mayweather is putting his strip club expertise to good use ... taking matters into his own hands in search of the best dancers in the business!!

TBE had a helluva Wednesday night ... sitting courtside at the Lakers vs. Jazz game at Crypto.com Arena before getting into some more adult activities at a local gentlemen's club.

Floyd posted videos of his strip club visit ... showing off massive stacks of cash as he made it rain for multiple ladies shaking it for his crew.

But, it wasn't all for his leisure -- Mayweather explained it was a scouting trip of sorts ... saying, "having fun and recruiting."

Of course, Floyd has his own Girl Collection venue in Las Vegas ... so the dancers might've left the night with more than just wads of cash -- they could have a new employer, too!!

Floyd is no stranger to being the generous type at strip clubs -- he famously loves to let the bills fly whenever he rolls through ... and has documented his charitable contributions over the years.

A wild fight broke out just before Lionel Messi's game on Tuesday night ... and the brawl became so large and so bloody -- the soccer star's match was actually delayed so police could get everything under control.

The skirmish inside of Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro initially started as the national anthems for Brazil and Argentina were playing just before their World Cup qualifier match kicked off.

Video from the scene shows fans from both teams who were seated near each other inside of the venue began whaling on each other ... and, quickly, it turned into a massive fracas.

Grown men were seen covered in blood ... while children sitting nearby were in tears. At one point during the action, authorities had to use batons on spectators to try to control the outburst.

Messi and other players on the pitch, meanwhile, eventually made their way over to the area of the combatants -- and pleaded with everyone to calm down.

Ultimately, the soccer icon led his team off the field and back into the locker room ... before returning roughly half an hour later to play after the fighting had tailed off.

Messi's Argentinian squad ended up besting Brazil, 1-0 ... but the 36-year-old had to leave the contest early due to a groin injury.

Afterward, he told reporters he was grateful the situation in the stands didn't escalate even further than it did.

"There could have been a disaster," Messi said.

Taylor Swift grooved her way onto the "Dancing with the Stars" stage ... surprising contestants and the audience with a special video message for the night's theme ... "A Celebration of Taylor Swift.”

"Hey guys, it’s Taylor. I just want to say thank you so much for having this me-themed night on 'Dancing With the Stars,'” the pop star said Tuesday ... explaining she couldn't be there due to tour commitments in Brazil.

Let's not forget ... Travis Kelce has also kept her preoccupied during their whirlwind, headline-grabbing romance ... but there was no mention of him as she encouragingly told the remaining stars they were in good hands with her choreographer Mandy Moore -- not the "This Is Us" star, FYI -- with their routines.

Taylor's best chart-topping tunes such as "Lover", "Shake It Off", "Look What You Made Me Do", "Cruel Summer", "August" and "Lavender Haze" were given the dancefloor treatment ... but even the star's good vibes couldn't save Harry Jowsey and Rylee Arnold from elimination.

The evening was anticipated since October when pro Peta Murgatroyd let slip of the Taylor-themed evening ... with cohost Alfonso Ribeiro finally confirming the news on November 7.

The star herself has appeared on the show three times to perform ... first "Jump Then Fall" and "Love Story" in 2009, then "Mine" and "White Horse" in 2010 and finally "We Are Never Getting Back Together" in 2012.

The newfound happy times between Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann were very short-lived, in fact, just a few days after celebrating their 12th anniversary, they were at each other's throats ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ it's been about a week now since Kim and Kroy started having issues in their marriage once again. We're told the fights were intense, per usual, and revolved around their atrocious financial situation, and its impact on their relationship.

Translation: back to the common theme that prompted Kroy to file divorce docs, in the first, and second place.

We're told Kim and Kroy remained under the same roof while they verbally sparred, and things continued to bubble between them.

We're told throughout the latest period of fighting, Kroy remained in the primary bedroom and Kim was in the basement/nanny suite -- as ordered by a judge -- but that distance wasn't enough to keep the peace.

Everything came to a head Monday night when one of the estranged couple's young kids called the cops during an "extremely loud" fight between the two. Law enforcement sources tell us 3 officers and a supervisor came to the home to settle things down, but no one was arrested.

Interestingly enough, Kim and Kroy were seen out with their kids for haircuts and some Starbucks just hours before the police visit, and everything seemed calm.

The drama is 180 degrees from what the couple portrayed on social media when they celebrated their wedding anniversary on November 11 with a fancy meal and drinks ... seemingly oblivious to the massive money woes they continue to face.

Speaking of their financial troubles ... Kim and Kroy's Georgia mansion, which was supposed to go up in a foreclosure auction, is still on the market for $6 million.

One of the greatest right arms in the history of sports no longer works.

Drew Brees made the shocking revelation this week ... admitting he can't throw overhand anymore.

"Look," the future Hall of Famer said on Tuesday on ESPN Radio. "I'll let you in on a little fact. I don't throw with my right arm anymore. My right arm does not work. So, when I throw in the backyard right now, I throw left-handed."

Brees said on the show it all stems from the devastating shoulder injury he suffered while playing for the San Diego Chargers during the 2005 season.

You'll recall, following a fumble, Brees fell awkwardly on his throwing arm ... dislocating his shoulder and tearing up several important pieces of his body in the process.

Docs were able to fix him ... and he went on to have one of the best NFL careers ever with the New Orleans Saints -- but he said he's reeling from it all now.

The former quarterback said he's suffering from a "degenerative shoulder" ... as well as "all kinds of arthritic changes."

Brees then revealed if he could somehow get it to work -- he "would absolutely still be playing."

The 44-year-old added that, thankfully, he is able to be somewhat athletic with his right arm still ... saying at least pickleball isn't out of the equation at this point.

"I can play pickleball because it's below the waist," he said.

The Holy Grail of Elvis Presley jewelry is going up for grabs -- it's his iconic lion claw necklace, and some Elvis-crazed collector might have to drop half a million dollars, or more, to nab it at auction.

Elvis famously wore the lion claw around his neck for years, both on and off stage ... including during some of his most memorable moments.

When Elvis met Muhammad Ali at the peak of the boxer's prime, the lion necklace was dangling from the singer's neck.

Ditto for a famous photo of Elvis celebrating his daughter Lisa Marie's 5th birthday with his wife Priscilla.

Elvis took the stage at least 30 times with the lion claw necklace too, on tour and during his Las Vegas residency ... and he wore it during his post-Priscilla relationship with Linda Thompson.

The piece is bedazzled with diamonds and rubies ... and it's been on display for years at the Elvis Presley Museum, but now it's going up for auction with Gotta Have Rock and Roll.

No, Travis Kelce's play of late has not been impacted by his relationship with Taylor Swift ... at least, that's according to ex-NFLer Channing Crowder, who tells TMZ Sports the Chiefs star is too used to the limelight to be impacted by dating the pop star.

Of course, there are plenty who are ready to disagree ... as Kelce has had three straight pedestrian games in a row -- all while his romance with Swift has reached a fever pitch.

But, when we spoke to Crowder on Tuesday following Kelce's four-catch, 44-yard performance in a loss to the Eagles on Monday Night Football ... the former Miami Dolphins linebacker said there's just simply no way Swift's swayed things for the 34-year-old.

As for why ... Crowder tells us he thinks Kelce's just simply too familiar with fame to have it bother his game on the gridiron.

"He doesn't hide from attention," Crowder said.

Kelce has been with Swift for quite some time now ... and when she's been in attendance at his games, he's balled out. But, when she hasn't been around -- particularly this last month -- it's been a different story.

Crowder, though, says it's all pretty explainable ... saying defenses have been focusing more on Kelce due to the lack of other weapons on Kansas City's offense.

As for Kelce's admission this week that retirement has been on his mind a little bit -- Crowder did seem to think that was a fairly significant revelation ... telling us, "Once guys start talking about retirement, they might as well retire."

A Victor Wembanyama fan is clearly believing the hype surrounding the NBA's newest phenom ... purchasing the Spurs rookie's debut jersey this week for nearly a MILLION dollars!!

The threads Wemby wore during his first-ever game with San Antonio hit the Sotheby's auction block last week ... and experts had projected it to sell for right around $100K.

But, with the lore of Wembanyama growing every time he touches the floor ... one unidentified bidder ended up locking it all down on Tuesday for a whopping $762,000!!!

Of course, while the price tag is certainly a steep one ... it could be a helluva an investment -- because Wembanyama is proving night in and night out that he's simply different.

Through 14 games so far, he's averaging 18.6 points per game as well as 9.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, one steal and 2.6 blocks.

Not everyone is a fan of Barry Sanders' new documentary -- his former quarterback, Scott Mitchell, just shared his negative review in a lengthy rant on social media ... revealing he's super pissed at how he was depicted in the project.

Sanders' "Bye, Bye, Barry" just hit Prime Video this week ... and Mitchell's big takeaway was that many guests featured in the doc blamed him for the running back never winning a Super Bowl.

Mitchell went to Facebook to vent about it all ... initially praising Sanders' abilities on the field, before ripping into his critics -- name-dropping Detroit superfans Eminem and Jeff Daniels in the process.

"However, I am so tired of hearing how I was the reason that Barry Sanders never won a Super Bowl," Mitchell said, according to the Detroit News. "I'm so tired of hearing how I was not a good QB. My only response is F*** YOU ALL!!!!! That includes Eminem (and) Jeff Daniels."

Mitchell -- who played for the Lions from 1994-98 -- added he was disappointed to hear his former coach, Wayne Fontes, openly talk about wishing he had Joe Montana or Warren Moon under center instead ... and how a proper QB was what kept Barry from being a champion.

"A little support from the coach might have gone a long way," Mitchell added. "Wayne never had my back!"

Mitchell then turned his focus to Sanders ... saying he, too, deserved blame for their empty trophy cases.

"Bottom line, Barry Sanders had everything in Detroit," Mitchell continued. "Everyone loved him. Everything was built for Barry to succeed. In his 10 year career, he won one playoff game and the only reason he didn't win more was everyone else was the problem?"

"How many yards did Barry have in the playoffs in '94, '95, '97? I'll give you a hint not very many. We all are to blame for not winning a (Super Bowl) in Detroit even Barry Sanders."

Mitchell ended his rant by saying he truly feels the Lions could have gone the distance if the team had just been a bit more patient ... but that's not how it played out.