TMZ Sports - Page 50

John Ross' NFL combine record is in serious trouble this week ... 'cause Alabama star receiver Henry Ruggs WILL run a 4.20 40-yard dash in Indy -- so says his Tide teammate.

"Somewhere around that range," Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs tells TMZ Sports. "That kid's fast!"

Of course, Ross currently holds the mark for quickest 40 time ever at the NFL's marquee pre-draft event ... logging a 4.22 back in 2017.

But Ruggs has a legit shot of breaking that mark when receivers run this week ... because during his time at 'Bama -- he FLEW by defenders on a regular basis.

"Ruggs is real fast," Diggs tells us. "He's going to run a real, real, real good time."

As for how that pure speed will translate to the NFL ... Diggs says he has no doubts the guy will be a stud -- saying his skill level is right on par with Tide superstar Jerry Jeudy's.

"He got good routes, he's fast, he's a playmaker as well," Diggs says. "Like, you get the ball in his hands, like, no one is going to catch him. Like, nobody."

Miami Dolphins star DeVante Parker is a Cardinal for LIFE ... don't believe it?? Just check out his insane new Louisville-inspired diamond chain!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 27-year-old wanted to go all out on a tribute for his alma mater, the University of Louisville, so he hit up Gabriel the Jeweler to make an iced-out pendant of his school's logo!!

We're told the piece is decked out in emerald-cut diamonds on the border, diamonds to make the Cardinal in the middle, and a pink diamond for the eye!!

In total, we're told there are 60 carats of diamonds.

Of course, Parker was an absolute beast at U of L -- he was first-team all-AAC in 2013 and second-team in 2014 ... before going on to get picked 14th overall in the 2015 draft.

FYI -- Gabriel is the go-to jeweler for some of the biggest names in the NFL -- from Odell Beckham to Jarvis Landry to Antonio Brown.

WWE star Johnny Gargano says you are flat out "STUPID" if you think NXT is inferior to Raw and SmackDown ... telling TMZ Sports it's the best wrestling show in the world!!!

We talked to Gargano -- one of NXT's biggest stars -- earlier this week ... and JG had a message for all the people who sleep on his brand.

"That's BS. That's complete garbage, and it's something that me and a lot of guys have worked to dispel for a very long time," Gargano told us.

"Anybody out there that uses the words 'main roster' when talking about Raw and SmackDown, how about you watch the show on Wednesday night. You'll see the real main roster. You'll see the best wrestling show on the planet. You will see the best locker room on the planet led by me."

NXT was launched 10 years ago, and started out as a place for WWE to develop talent. However, NXT now has a TV deal, and a bunch of their wrestlers have become massive stars.

In fact, during last weeks NXT Takeover: Portland -- a big PPV event -- Gargano betrayed his friend and tag team partner, Tommaso Ciampa ... and cost him the title.

It was big news in the pro wrestling world.

In closing, Gargano has a message for anyone who thinks NXT ain't every bit as good as WWE's other brands.

Henry Cejudo says he's "dumbfounded" that Conor McGregor thinks he deserves a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov ... telling TMZ Sports the guy needs to shut up and fight Justin Gaethje to prove he's worthy!

The UFC's reigning flyweight and bantamweight champ went off on Conor -- WITH JUSTIN -- saying McGregor is a bad guy who doesn't deserve a title shot without going through a quality opponent first.

And Henry thinks Gaethje is the PERFECT dance partner.

"Yeah, that man likes to sucker punch the elderly," Cejudo says about McGregor ... "Yeah, that man  does terror attacks in our country and he thinks he can get the next title shot with Khabib."

"I know Khabib. Khabib's a man of honor and integrity. Everything that you're not, he is."

"But I got somebody that you could fight, to eventually fight for that title that you want ..."

Enter Gaethje ... who had some tough talk of his own.

"Triple C, the man is not going to fight me. What the f*ck do you gotta do?! He's running out of easy fights. I'm sitting here, smoking my CBD. Waiting for a motherf**ker to punch me in the face. Let's go, quit being a p***y!"

Cejudo added ... "Damn, there you go McGregor. Sign the contract."

Deontay Wilder isn't only known for his devastating knockout power ... he's also famous for his epic ring walk costumes, and the heavyweight champ tells us he dropped 40 grand on this weekend's epic outfit.

TMZ Sports talked to the 34-year-old Bronze Bomber on Thursday ... 2 days before of one of the most anticipated fights in heavyweight boxing history.

As you'd expect, Wilder says he's gonna flatten Fury ... but we also talked about what's really important -- the walk out uni.

So, what does Deontay have planned?

"Oh my goodness! It's going to be amazing man. Come Saturday night, one of the things that I made a promise to myself talking to my advisor Al [Haymon], when I got to a certain point into my career, I said, 'I wanna give the boxing fans, I wanna give the world something that they can remember me by.'"

"Not only just the knockouts, but me expressing myself before coming out and entering into the ring."

Wilder says "expressing" himself this weekend is gonna run him $40,000 ... but it's worth it 'cause the costumes are part of his legacy, and will end up making him a crapload of money in the future.

"Spending money on these costumes and stuff, whether it's [$10K to $40K], I know they're going to turn to millions. It's gonna be 10 million, 40 million, after I get finished, because of the things I've done in boxing and the way I was able to do it in."

If you're not familiar with what Deontay does ... this was his outfit for his last fight against Luis Ortiz. It sounds like he's even going bigger this time around.

Floyd Mayweather celebrated his 43rd Birthday in grand fashion Friday night ... with tons of celebs to help him out.

Floyd and co. shut down the Sunset Eden nightclub in Hollywood where hundreds of folks lit up the room, including Snoop Dogg, French Montana, Lil' Kim, Reggie Bush, Tiffany Haddish and Quavo.

There were sexy ladies riding "Air Mayweather" planes flying up and down with smoke and fire. Check out the woman on the shoulders of a man surrounded by golden flares.

There were plenty of 100 bills with Floyd's face on them.

Nikki Bella and Brie Bella have a lot to celebrate these days. Aside from the fact they're both pregnant, they're also both about to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame!!!

The Bella Twins were guests Friday night on “A Moment of Bliss” on SmackDown, where they and everyone else learned they were going to be 2020 inductees.

Nikki & Brie started their WWE careers in August 2008, and became hugely popular. Brie was the first to snag a championship, defeating Eve Torres to become WWE Divas Champion in April 2011. Nikki followed suit a year later ... crushing WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix.

The twins became pop culture icons, introducing a new generation of fans to wrestling ... especially with their reality shows, "Total Bellas" and “Total Divas,” as well as their YouTube channel, which boasts more than 2.6 million subscribers.

Both women are well along -- and close together -- in their pregnancies.

Aubrey Huff says there's going to be A LOT of bruises on Astros players' backs this year ... saying the punishment for their cheating scandal is going to be all-out bean wars in 2020!

"I would suggest a lot of those guys -- especially Altuve and Bregman -- wear bulletproof vests up to the plate all year long!" Huff tells TMZ Sports.

Of course, ZERO Houston players were punished for their roles in the 2017 cheating scandal ... and a LOT of people are pissed off about it.

So much so, Huff says pitchers will take matters into their own hands -- regardless of Rob Manfred's rulings -- and hit the Astros at the dish all season.

"Listen, you pay the piper," Huff says. "You reap what you sow. If you're going to go out there and cheat, you're going to get drilled."

As for Huff's thoughts on the Astros' scheme ... he says he's always down for some sign-stealing tricks, but he admits Houston just went way too far.

Cedric Benson's longtime home in Austin -- which he completely rebuilt from the ground up -- is hitting the market ... and it's got a $4.5 million price tag.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Benson bought the Texas pad back in 2006 and worked passionately to turn it into his dream home.

The finished product is amazing -- it's got 6 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, pool and spa, personal gym ... and it's all sitting on top of a hill overlooking downtown Austin.

We're told it took 2 years to completely rebuild the house ... and Benson was involved in every detail of the house.

The crib is looking for a new owner who will love the place as much as the former NFL star did ... and it's currently listed for $4.5 million.

Andre Ward retired as an undefeated 33-year-old fighter, and the future HOF'er tells us he misses fighting ... so, is there a comeback in the cards for the superstar boxer?

Hell no.

TMZ Sports talked to the now 35-year-old Ward -- who retired in 2017 with a 32-0 record -- about a return to the ring ... and for S.O.G. fans, this ain't good news.

"I hate to bust any bubbles. Do I miss it? Absolutely. Being around a fight week and you kinda get the smells, and the feels and the sights, of course you miss it."

Ward continued ... "Man, I'm a warrior. I been in this game since I was 9 years old, and you definitely have thoughts but they're fleeting. Then you remember all the pain, you remember the training camps, you remember getting hit in the face, you remember all of that stuff, then all the sudden the thoughts go away just like that."

Ward had a stellar career ... he was a multiple-time world champion across 2 weight classes with wins over fighters like Sergey Kovalev (twice).

But these days, Ward says ... "I'm content wearing the suit now, and I'm excited to watch these other guys compete."

The guys he's pumped to watch fight are Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury ... 'cause Ward's working the super-anticipated rematch Saturday night in Vegas.

The biggest names in the NFL's rookie class -- from Joe Burrow to CeeDee Lamb -- are getting ready for their big day in the most baller way possible ... by going all-out on some JEWELRY!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... LSU superstars Burrow, and Patrick Queen, Oklahoma's Lamb and Jerry Jeudy and South Carolina's Javon Kinlaw -- who are all potential first-round picks -- got their ice fix from Leo Frost in Houston ... before taking the stage at the Draft on April 23.

Here's a breakdown of the haul ...

The Heisman winner and national champ copped a #9 pendant in 18k white gold with VVS diamonds, which is worth $10k.

Even better for Burrow ... he didn't pay for the jewelry!! The bling was a gift from Baton Rouge, Louisiana born rapper Boosie -- a huge LSU fan.

Burrow's teammate, Queen, bagged a "Level Up" VS1 diamond pendant in 14k yellow and white gold, worth $45k.

Jeudy went ALL OUT with two-tone yellow and white gold 'JJ4' and 'JEW' pendants with VS diamonds on 14k yellow VS gold diamond Cuban chains, worth $100k total. On top of that, Jeudy also got an 18K yellow gold Audemars Piguet, fully flooded with VS2 diamonds!!

Kinlaw copped a Jesus piece with chocolate brown diamonds on a two-row VS diamond tennis chain, worth $45k.

Last, but def not least, Lamb went with a '32' pendant made with two-tone 14k yellow and white gold on VS diamond Cuban chains, worth $90k!

Adrien Broner was just arrested and taken away by cops at the Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury weigh-in ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

30-year-old Broner -- who is no stranger to run-ins with the law -- was cuffed and hauled away by Las Vegas Metro police officers on Friday after Broner refused to leave the MGM Grand Garden.

Here's the deal ... back in November, AB was twice told he was NOT allowed to visit the property (it's unclear exactly why). Regardless of the warning, Broner showed up at the weigh-in.

We're told AB was asked to leave, but he ignored the request ... so hotel security detained him until police took over.

We're told Broner is being taken to the county jail ... where he will be processed ... before being released with a misdemeanor trespassing citation.

Broner (33-4-1) -- once considered one of the best boxers in the world.-- hasn't fought since losing to Manny Pacquiao in January 2019 and has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Hornswoggle saw the viral video of 9-year-old Quaden Bayles hysterically crying after incessant bullying ... and says he's been in a similar position, 'cause the wrestling star also grew up with dwarfism -- and was picked on.

TMZ Sports talked to Swoggle -- a wrestling star who spent 10 years with WWE -- and he offered advice to Quaden on how he should deal with kids who pick on him.

FYI -- the wrestler was born with a genetic condition that causes dwarfism

"I guess my biggest advice is don't let it get to ya, because that's what they want. All they want is to see you sad. All they want is to see you angry and upset, and just bummed out," Swoggle says.

"The minute you don't let them see that, alright. And it's not right to say, but maybe they'll move on to someone else. Or, maybe they'll just stop altogether."

If you haven't seen the video yet ... it's heartbreaking to watch. Bayles -- born with Achondroplasia dwarfism -- says he wants to die 'cause of bullies at school ... while crying.

Swoggle says it's also up to the people around Quaden to stand up for him when they see something going down.

"The other thing for others around Quaden is, if you see it, stick up for each other. There's no reason for it. There's no reason to let it happen."

The wrestling star says he knows kids look up to him ... and hopes he can be a source of strength to those who are struggling with bullies.

"Hopefully, I can [inspire kids] in some way. Hopefully, [Quaden] sees it as well as other people who might be getting bullied," Swoggle says.

"Hey, it didn't get to me. Don't let it affect your life. Do what you want to do. Live how you want to live and just have fun with life. That's the key. Enjoy life. We only got one, in reality."

"You can only be 9 years old once. You can't go back in time to change it, so enjoy it."

Here's one of the craziest and most violent in-arena brawls EVER -- courtesy of some fans at Thursday night's L.A. Kings game.

The hometown squad was in a tight matchup with the Florida Panthers ... when one witness tells us he noticed a fight beginning to break out in the Staples Center lower bowl.

You can see in the video what happens next ... a scrap escalates into AN ALL-OUT BRAWL!!

The scene is insane ... there's a woman throwing a FLURRY of right hands to start -- and then things get even crazier.

A shirtless man runs into the scrum with a flying left haymaker ... and then for some reason, a fan dumps popcorn all over the action!!!

It's all followed up by some more punching, pushing and shoving ... before in-arena security is FINALLY able to break it up.

We reached out to our law enforcement sources ... and they tell us it appears no one was arrested ... and say Staples security usually handles this on their own by ejecting fans.

The two Ohio State football players who were kicked off the team last week after they were accused of rape and kidnapping are now facing up to 33 YEARS behind bars ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported ... a woman claims she was forcibly raped on Feb. 4 in the Columbus, Ohio area by two Buckeye players, senior corner Amir Riep and senior safety Jahsen Wint.

According to court docs ... the woman claims she went over to Riep and Wint's apartment to watch a movie, but was later restrained by both men and forced to have vaginal and oral sex.

Now, we've learned the two football players -- who were booted from the OSU team just hours after they were arrested -- are facing DECADES in prison over the allegations.

According to the indictment Friday, the two men were hit with 3 felony charges apiece -- two counts of rape and one count of kidnapping.

"If convicted on these charges, both men face a maximum consecutive term of 33 years of incarceration as well as registration of sex offenders," Franklin County District Attorney Ron O'Brien said.

The two men are due back in court for a hearing on the case next month.

Deontay Wilder is considered by many the HARDEST PUNCHER of all time ... but Tyson Fury says that's BS, 'cause he's faced someone who hits harder.

TMZ Sports talked to 31-year-old Fury Thursday afternoon, days before his rematch with Wilder ... and we asked about the Bronze Bombers legendary power.

"I'm not so sure [Wilder's the hardest puncher ever], I'm not so sure. He hit me with his best shots, I got back up again. I think Wladimir Klitschko was a massive puncher. Probably a bigger puncher than Deontay Wilder."

W. Klitschko was a beast in the ring ... known for his great knockout power. Fury and Klitschko fought in October 2015 ... and Tyson won by unanimous decision. It was WK's first loss in a decade.

Wladimir finished his career 64-5 ... with 53 KO's.

As for 42-0-1 Wilder, he's got 41 wins by knockout ... KO'ing all but 2 of his opponents.

When Fury and Wilder fought last year, Deontay knocked Tyson down twice ... but Fury somehow managed to get back to his feet. The bout ended in a draw.

The 2 massive heavyweights settle their beef Saturday night in Vegas ... and Fury says it's gonna be him doing the knocking out.

"I think the judges can do a good job, and will do a good job. But, I'm going out there anyway to knock him out," Tyson says.