TMZ Sports - Page 50

Jonah Lomu -- considered one of the most ferocious rugby players of all time -- has died at the age of 40 ... his wife confirms.

Lomu was an absolute BEAST -- a combination of power and speed ... who dominated as a member of the New Zealand All Blacks from 1994 to 2002.

In fact, the Dallas Cowboys reportedly tried to recruit him to transition in to pro football in the mid '90s ... but he refused to leave the sport of rugby.

Lomu was diagnosed with a rare kidney infection which forced him to quit rugby in the early 2000s. He had a transplant in 2004 but the organ stopped working in 2011.

Jonah's wife, Nadene, issued a statement saying, "It is with great sadness that I must announce my dear husband Jonah Lomu died."

"As you can imagine, this is a devastating loss for our family and may I ask that our privacy, especially the privacy of our two very young boys, be respected as we take them through this traumatic time.”

RIP

World Series champ Eric Davis says he didn't know his longtime friend Charlie Sheen was HIV positive ... but has his back 100% now that the entire world is aware of Sheen's condition.

Eric & Charlie have been friends for years ... developing a relationship while Davis was a member of Sheen's beloved Cincinnati Reds.

TMZ Sports spoke to Eric ... and he told us regardless of what Sheen's critics might say about his lifestyle or choices ... he's in his corner while Charlie battles the virus.

"When you're someone's friend, it doesn't matter what trials and tribulations they're going through. When you're a true friend, your friendship doesn't waver."

Davis went on to say this isn't the first time he's had a famous friend go through an HIV diagnosis ... and he's ready to take the lessons he learned from that situation to help Charlie get through this.

"It's not the end of the world. I had another good friend who was diagnosed ... Magic Johnson. I saw how he managed and controlled it."

He may be injured, but Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson says the team DID NOT force him to buy his own ticket to watch the team take on the Titans last weekend.

Johnson -- who's been on IR since the 3rd game of the season -- kinda started the rumor himself ... when he posted a pic to Twitter saying he didn't have a ticket to the game and couldn't get in the stadium.

In fact, several media outlets ran with the tweet ... making it seem like the team was forcing Johnson to come out of pocket if he wanted to attend the game ... despite the fact he's played with the Panthers since 2007!!!

But TMZ Sports spoke with Johnson who tells us he DID have a ticket -- but there was some real confusion at the ticket window in Tennessee.

"I was just telling them they have a ticket for me in will call and they act like they didn't have one. PR from the Panthers came right up and found my ticket."

Johnson adds, "Of course I always get a ticket. Coach always offers for me to travel with the team, but I don't want to be a distraction so I fly out solo and meet them."

Magic Johnson is putting Charlie Sheen on the spot -- saying now that he's gone public about having HIV, they should work TOGETHER to help educate people about it.

Oakland Raiders star Aldon Smith will be suspended by the NFL for an entire year -- starting Tuesday -- for his role in a DUI arrest back in August ... so says Adam Schefter.

As we previously reported, Smith was arrested on August 7th -- after cops say he tried to get out of his car in a lot about a mile from Levi's Stadium when he swung the door open into the car next to him, causing roughly $500 in damage.

Cops say Smith got back in his car and left ... only to return to the scene on foot, where cops were waiting. Aldon then bombed a sobriety test and was arrested for DUI, hit and run and vandalism.

Smith was charged with DUI and a hit and run -- and pled not guilty.

Smith was on thin ice with the NFL -- after already being suspended for 9 games back in 2014 over a DUI arrest in 2013.

Smith was cut by the 49ers after the DUI incident back in August -- and the Raiders must have known a suspension was a possibility when they signed him.

Smith was seen saying goodbye to teammates earlier today.

Charlie Sheen will save lives by revealing he's HIV positive ... so says Olympic diver Greg Louganis.

Greg tells TMZ the fact Charlie doesn't fit the HIV "stereotype" will open discussions about the virus and spread awareness that goes beyond the gay community.

The Olympian believes Charlie's announcement will have a "Caitlyn Jenner effect" by shining light on a topic a lot of people are afraid to discuss.

As for waiting so long to go public ... Greg says everyone's different and Charlie probably just needed time to come to terms with everything ... it's a long process.

Greg was diagnosed with HIV just before the '88 Olympics but didn't go public until 1995.

There's one thing Ronda Rousey didn't lose on Saturday night ... her starring role in the upcoming "Road House" remake ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We spoke with a rep for MGM ... the production company behind the movie ... who tells us, despite the crushing loss to Holly Holm, there has NOT been any talks about replacing Ronda as the star of the flick.

It's a big vote of confidence for Rousey ... with some believing that after her loss to Holm ... and a downright sad return to L.A. Tuesday ... she may have lost some of the badassness required to carry such a huge action movie.

11:45 AM PT -- According to a German newspaper, an ambulance packed with explosives was found outside the arena.

A huge soccer game -- Germany vs. Netherlands -- has been cancelled for "security reasons" ... and the stadium is being evacuated.

Officials say they had "concrete" information about a bomb threat.

The two international soccer powerhouses were set to face off at HDI Arena in Hannover, Germany -- but an announcement came over the speaker saying the game was off.

Moments later, a nearby venue was also evacuated -- a music arena -- due to another security concern.

Remember Anthony Miller? Dude was a stud WR for the Broncos and the Chargers back in the '90s.

Anyway, we asked him about Peyton Manning ... and the war with Father Time.

Miller -- a 5-time Pro Bowler -- essentially says it's over for Peyton.

Fun Fact -- we went searching for some Miller highlights ... but all we could find is this clip from '93 (Stan Humphries!) ... and the whole thing was in en espanol!

Disfruta!

Holly Holm's insane week just got better -- 'cause she's been nominated to be inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We spoke with NMSHOF president Marty Saiz who tells us Holm will be named NM's Pro Athlete of the Year for her meteoric rise to UFC champ.

"She will also be nominated to be in the Hall of Fame when candidates are announced in December."

If voted in, Holly will join the ranks of other NM sports legends like Brian Urlacher, Michael Cooper, Ralph Kiner and both Al Unser!

"Holly is not just a hero but a great role model for athletes," Saiz says.

Ronda Rousey doesn't want anyone to see the damage Holly Holm did to her face -- taking drastic measures to cover up as she arrived back in L.A. moments ago.

The doctor treating Charlie Sheen for HIV is almost as famous as Charlie -- appearing on TONS of TV shows (including "The Biggest Loser") ... and shook up the NFL as a doctor for the L.A. Raiders.

His name is Dr. Robert Huizenga -- who took care of the Raiders from '83 to '91 ... and wrote a book about his experience with the team which was eventually adapted into the Oliver Stone flick, "Any Given Sunday."

Huizenga went on to star as a weight loss doctor on "The Biggest Loser" for 14 seasons -- while appearing as a medical expert on other shows like "Extreme Makeover," "American Gladiators" and "Dance Your Ass Off."

There's also an O.J. Simpson connection -- Huizenga testified for the defense during O.J.'s murder trial ... claiming he treated Simpson hours before the Bronco chase and had tested him for steroids after the murders.

As for his actual medical credentials -- dude graduated from Harvard medical school.

Yeah, you read that headline correctly ... Floyd Mayweather is DEFENDING Ronda Rousey -- saying he doesn't "think it's cool" that people ripped into her after her loss to Holly Holm.

Kind of a shocking position for Floyd to take, considering the amount of smack talk between Floyd and Rousey over the past year.

Here's what Floyd told FightHype.com (tipped our way by our friends at BSO):

"I don't think it's cool how everyone is trolling her on social media. Certain things you have to learn. People will love you on Friday and then Sunday morning, it's nothing but negative comments and people making jokes and people making fun about you, which I don't think is cool. I've never been on the other side, so I don't know how it feels. I'm pretty sure she's a very, very strong person, but we still have to take into consideration that she has feelings."

He added, "Just to set the record straight. I don't have anything against MMA fighters. It's just like boxing; you win some, you lose some. A true champion can take a loss and bounce back."

"Everything happens for a reason. This was already written. Listen, if God says, 'In Floyd's career, I don't want him to lose,' you know what? I wasn't going to lose. That doesn't mean that I haven't took a loss before. I'm not talking about boxing; I'm just talking about life."

Lamar Odom is now in the crosshairs of prosecutors who may file cocaine possession charges against him, but if they do, it could be a first for the D.A., which raises troubling questions.

Nye County D.A. Angela Bello says her office is considering filing criminal charges against Lamar -- either possession of coke or being under the influence of a controlled substance.

We've done some checking, and we were unable to find a single case in Nye County where someone OD'd, landed in the hospital, and was prosecuted for drug possession.

An official from the Nye County Sheriff's office tells us they have definitely referred such cases to the D.A., but the official does not know of any cases that have actually been prosecuted.

We contacted the D.A. and asked if they ever prosecuted someone who ended up in the hospital after OD'ing on drugs, but we could find none.

What's particularly troublesome with Lamar ... as we reported, he's unable to walk, can barely speak and has substantially impaired cognitive function. He may not even be competent to stand trial.

The NFL is still screwed up when it comes to meting out justice for domestic violence -- so says Al Sharpton.

Sharpton cannot understand how Ray Rice was ultimately banished from the NFL while Greg Hardy was given a second chance.

He thinks it's not only unfair to the players ... but to the women they abuse.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West brought daughter Nori along for a 3 hour visit with ailing Lamar Odom.

Sources tell us the West fam piled into the family Range Rover and headed to Cedars-Sinai hospital on Sunday. It was the first time Kanye's seen Lamar since he nearly died just over a month ago -- and we're told doctors hoped Yeezy's presence might help jog LO's memory.

TMZ broke the story ... Lamar's been having trouble recognizing loved ones, and doctors fear he's suffered permanent brain damage.