TMZ Sports - Page 50

Logan Paul will return to the boxing ring -- this year -- telling TMZ Sports he started training again, and the goal is to overshadow his brother Jake Paul's brutal knockout of T-Wood.

We talked to the 26-year-old star Thursday afternoon when the topic of fighting came up.

"I just started training again, bro. I'm a little sweaty. I've been training the last four days. Hopefully, I have a fight by the end of the year. I gotta one-up my brother, he did a bad thing to Tyron Woodley."

FYI, Logan last fought in June 2021 ... in a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather. The fight went the distance, but no winner was chosen because it was an exhibition.

Paul claims Mayweather hasn't paid him what he's owed from their fight ... something Logan also touched on (he has a plan to get his money).

Outside of the fight vs. Floyd, Logan has also fought fellow YouTube star, KSI, twice ... resulting in a majority draw, and a loss (the L was a result of a controversial point deduction).

We also talked to the Paul bro about Saturday's Slap Fighting Championship ... which Logan is hosting with Arnold Schwarzenegger from the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio.

Not familiar with slap fighting? It's pretty much what it sounds like. Two competitors stand across a table from each other, and go slap for slap until someone bows out or gets knocked out.

Is Johnny Football BACK?!?!?!

He very well could be ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel is currently in talks with Fan Controlled Football to make a return to the gridiron!!

29-year-old Manziel was one of the most notable players in the FCF's inaugural season ... suiting up under center for the Zappers for three games.

Our sources feel confident Manziel will be back in season two ... at least for a few games.

But, here's where it gets interesting -- we're told Johnny would NOT be returning to the Zaps for the upcoming season ... as he's dying to play for Druski's new team.

In fact, Johnny went to Instagram early Friday morning to express his interest in joining the comedian's squad ... saying, "Only coming out of retirement for @Druski2Funny and Shoulda Been Athletics."

We broke the story -- Druski was announced as the newest owner of the defending champion Wild Aces earlier this week ... name-dropping Manziel as one of the main reasons he decided to get involved in the league.

It would be a full-circle moment for Druski ... and considering how passionate he is about the team, he's gotta be stoked about the possibility of having Manziel on board.

Barbaric, overly violent ... just some of the words used to describe slap fighting, much like MMA back in the day. But, cage fighting exploded in popularity, and now an undefeated slap fighting champ tells us he believes the sport is about to blow up.

"For us to be doing this at the Arnold, it kind of speaks volumes to where the sport is gonna be in the future, and I believe it's gonna be a thing how like the MMA scene, and the UFC started and was looked at as a brutal sport. Slap fighting is just that, but a little less brutal," Koa "Da Crazy Hawaiian" Viernes, an undefeated slap fighter told TMZ Sports.

Koa -- a 6'2", 378 lb., 9-0 slap fighter from Hawaii -- is competing in the Slap Fighting Championship Super Heavyweight World Championship this Saturday at the Arnold Sports Festival.

The comp is being hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger AND Logan Paul ... and will pit Koa against fellow undefeated champ (16-0), Dawid "Zales" Zalewski.

We asked Koa -- who grew up boxing -- what it feels like to be slapped ... and he says it hurts way more than being punched.

"If you've gotten punched in the face, it's completely different. When you get slapped, your fingers ricochet off the skin, the whole open hand, it hurts a lot more."

FYI, back in the mid and late '90s, MMA promoters had nearly an impossible job when it came to finding a venue to hold their events. In fact, MMA wasn't legal in all 50 states until 2016, when New York reversed a ban that disallowed mixed martial arts competition.

Now, the UFC -- and MMA as a whole -- is insanely popular ... and promotions routinely host hugely popular events at some of the biggest and most famous arenas around the world.

Can Slap Fighting become the next UFC? Koa thinks so ... and we're certainly not gonna tell him no.

Brooklyn Beckham and his fiancée, Nicola Peltz, are one giant step closer to taking their talents to Miami ... cause the couple just found a buyer for their $11 mil L.A. mansion.

The couple's unloading their 5-bedroom, 7-bathroom pad -- less than a year after buying it -- as they reportedly shop around for a more humble abode on the west coast and also a home in MIA.

Once the deal is made and the keys are handed over, the buyer will definitely be able to let his/her hair down -- the place has a ton of zen.

There's a white crystal quartz massage room, sauna, heated pool, spa, steam room and a rooftop made for meditation.

Might we add, it also comes with a pretty amazing view that overlooks a portion of L.A.

BTW, 22-year-old Brooklyn's mom and pop, David and Victoria Beckham, have already snagged a penthouse in Miami ... and Nicola has some family in Palm Beach. So, the South FL move will put them closer to family.

The couple got engaged back in July 2020 and moved into the mansion back in summer 2021.

As they gear up to tie the knot, looks like they are keeping family at the forefront of their mind.

UFC superstar Israel Adesanya says he still wants to fight Jon Jones ... but, he doesn't need it to cement himself as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all-time.

The 32-year-old martial artist and middleweight champ stopped by the TMZ offices Thursday ... and talked about everything from his rivalry with Jones, Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington, whether he has a future in acting, his rise to superstardom and the money and fame that comes along with it, his awesome walk-out before the first Robert Whittaker fight, and so much more.

(Check out the full interview with Stylebender ⬇️)

On 34-year-old Jones ... we asked Adesanya if he still wanted to fight him, despite Jon moving to heavyweight and not having fought in over 2 years.

"We'll see. Time will tell," Israel told Babcock.

"I don't need it, but I do want it. I don't need it, though. People think I need it for my legacy."

You may remember ... in 2019, Jon commented he believed he would eventually fight Izzy. The men then went back and forth, igniting a rivalry that exists to this day.

Jones now resides in the heavyweight division (206-265 lbs.) ... while Izzy fights at middleweight (up to 185 lbs.).

We asked Israel -- who has flirted with fighting at heavyweight -- if that's the division where the fight would happen.

"Nah, I like light heavyweight. That's where he was dominant so I really wanna go light heavyweight."

Adesanya -- arguably the greatest striker in UFC history -- showed off some of his arsenal in the TMZ newsroom ... using a round kick to knock a cup off of Harvey Levin's head.

Don't worry, Israel's okay 😄😄😄

Bottom line ... Adesanya is a superstar in every sense of the word.

Donald Trump says he threatened Vladimir Putin during his presidency ... telling the Russian leader America would attack Moscow if the ex-KGB officer attacked Ukraine.

#45 made the revelation during a phone conversation with golf legend John Daly (JD had the call on speakerphone, and someone recorded) ... which was posted on the Internet.

"It's like they're afraid of him. You know, he was a friend of mine. I got along great with him. I say, 'Vladimir, if you do it, we're hitting Moscow.' And he sort of believed me, in like 5%, 10%, that's all you need."

"He never did it during my time, John," Trump told Daly, adding, "Why didn't he do this during the last 4 years?"

Of course, Trump is referring to Putin's forces invading Ukraine -- a sovereign nation -- just 1 year into Joe Biden's presidency.

Moscow is the capital of Russia, and the country's largest city, with an estimated population around 13 million.

Trump also touched on China and its president, Xi Jinping and the possibility of a future crisis in Taiwan.

Many security analysts are concerned China could follow Russia's playbook and invade Taiwan ... but Trump says he also warned China -- like he did with Putin -- of serious consequences if there was an incursion into Taiwan.

"Xi didn't bother me either. I told him the same thing."

Trump believes with Biden at the helm, an invasion is imminent.

"Taiwan will be next. You won't have any computer chips. They'll blow them off the face of the earth."

The country is responsible for the manufacturing of a majority of the world's semiconductor chips ... a necessity for almost all modern technology, including everything from cell phones to military equipment.

The parents of soccer star Katie Meyer say they fear a possible punishment from Stanford could have led to their daughter's suicide earlier this week.

In an interview with NBC's "Today" show on Friday, Steven and Gina Meyer say their daughter was facing potential discipline over an alleged incident involving her and one of her Cardinal teammates.

The two parents say over the last few weeks Katie had been receiving letters from the school over it all ... and in the past few days, she had gotten "kind of the final letter that there was going to be a trial or some kind of something."

Gina speculated it all might have led to the Stanford goalie's death on Tuesday.

"This is the only thing that we can come up with that triggered something," Gina said.

The school declined to comment on the situation ... telling "Today" in a statement, "We are not able to share information about confidential student disciplinary matters."

Gina and Steven said they've been devastated and heartbroken since Katie was found on Tuesday ... explaining, "the last couple days are a parents' worst nightmare."

Katie was just 22 years old.

Gold medalist boxer Guillermo Rigondeaux -- who famously fought Vasyl Lomachenko in 2017 -- suffered serious eye injuries in a freak cooking accident, his manager, Alex Bornote, said.

According to Bornote, Rigondeaux was cooking in his Miami home last week, when the contents of a pressure cooker blew up in his face.

"When the pot exploded and we saw how Rigondoaux was left, we thought the worst," Bornote told the El Nuevo Herald, "because his face and eyes looked very bad as a result of the impact of the explosion."

Bornote says Rigondeaux -- who just fought on Feb. 26 in Dubai -- has lost a significant portion of his vision due to the accident ... though he said he's hopeful tests will show Guillermo can recover soon.

If tests reveal the damage is significant ... Bornote said the 41-year-old fighter could require a lengthy surgery and recovery process to fix the issues.

It's a sad blow for Rigondeaux, as the boxer was hoping to get his career back on track after losing his last two bouts.

Rigondeaux owns a 20-3-1 record as a pro ... and earned gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. He notably fought Lomachenko on Dec. 9, 2017 ... losing in the sixth round.

Russell Wilson is so desperate to have more children with Ciara ... he actually got down on one knee this week and begged his wife on national television for "at least" one more baby.

The NFL star joined the singer while she was hosting "The Ellen Degeneres Show" on Thursday -- and just seconds into the appearance, he pleaded with her to give him more kids.

"Serious question," the 33-year-old said to Ciara. "Can we have more babies?"

"It would be perfect!" he continued. "Just give me one more at least."

Ciara was all smiles following Wilson's ask and ended up accepting his proposal ... kinda.

"We definitely can, but we've got a little time before we get there," the 36-year-old said ... "But, I'm down to do it again with you!"

The couple currently has two kids together ... 19-month-old Win and 4-year-old Sienna. Ciara also has a 7-year-old son whom she had with her ex, Future.

Ciara says fatherhood has looked very good on her husband of six years -- saying to him it's a big turn-on and the "sexiest thing" about him.

"I love seeing you in daddy mode, it's the cutest thing," Ciara said on the show. "I love seeing you with Sienna."

"I'm a daddy's girl so I will say I think it's one of the sexiest things about you."

Shaquille O'Neal's turning 50 this weekend, but he ain't slowing down ... in fact, the NBA legend's literally getting faster after getting a brand new, customized Dodge Charger Hellcat for his big day.

The NBA Hall of Famer -- who's turning the big 50 on March 6 -- showed off his new whip on Friday ... saying it's the "best birthday ever!"

The car looks awesome ... with it's custom silver and red paint job and scissor doors (like on a Lamborghini). It also has the words "Diesel Dog Mafia" painted on the hood.

And, it's not just any old Charger ... it's a Hellcat, with about 800 horsepower.

Shaq was extremely hyped and thanked Swaggpack Shaq, Atlanta Street Xecs and Padgett Motor Sports for getting him the bday ride.

"Best car club ever," Shaq said, "love you guys thanks."

Shaq (of course) also had to take a shot at his buddy Chuck.

"I feel like Charles Barkley eating a piece of chocolate cake."

Antonio Brown might want to reconsider the dark black mask he's been wearing around lately ... because it might have just cost him some paint on his pricey Ferrari.

The NFL star was leaving Craig's in Los Angeles on Thursday night ... when he decided to drive away in his fancy sports car in a mask that could not have been easy to see through.

Turns out, the choice of headwear was a pretty poor decision ... because you can see in video of his exit, after he flipped off photogs, he struggled to steer the Ferrari, and ended up driving it straight into a curb.

Footage shows the bottom of Brown's car nicked the cement -- and it was so apparent, one bystander actually yelled at the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer to stop going forward.

"Your car!" a woman can be heard screaming. "Sweetheart!"

Brown eventually got the Ferrari going the right way -- but check out the clip, it's clear he was having trouble moving the ride around while in his mask.

As for a potential bill for the ride's bumper -- it certainly won't be cheap if it is indeed damaged -- the Ferrari 488 he was cruising around in can cost over $330,000!!!

Saweetie tapped in for an epic dance-off with the mascot at the Clippers game on Thursday ... droppin' low and shaking it in front of the whole arena -- and TMZ Sports has the vid!!!

The stars flocked to Crypto.com Arena to watch the Lakers get wrecked by the Clips ... with Justin Bieber, Rami Malek, Normani, Israel Adesanya and more getting a front-row seat for the matchup.

But, it was the "Best Friend" rapper who ended up stealing the show during the 4th quarter ... getting up and dancing with Chuck the Condor as "Conga" by Gloria Estefan blared over the speakers.

Check out the vid -- the fans in attendance went nuts for the spontaneous dance competition ... with folks cheering and whistling as it unfolded.

Safe to say Saweetie came away with the W ... but you can't say that about the Lakers, who stunk up the place once again in the 132-111 defeat.

The Lakers are now 27-35 and have lost 4 games in a row.

Evan McPherson went from watching Snoop Dogg to going straight into the dog house ... 'cause one of his Bengals coaches said he's still sour the star kicker stayed on the field at the Super Bowl to watch the halftime show.

Nearly a month after McPherson was spotted on the sidelines grooving to Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Mary J. Blige and others instead of hearing locker room speeches -- Cincinnati special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons said he's still not happy about it all.

"That's a sore subject," Simmons told The Athletic this week. "That's a real sore subject."

Simmons didn't elaborate further (at least on the record) ... but it's clear he's pissed McPherson didn't head in with his teammates during the Super Bowl break.

Of course, Simmons probably should have seen it coming ... because, after all, McPherson told TMZ Sports just days earlier his plan was to stay out for the show.

Stanford women's soccer star Katie Meyer died by suicide, officials in California announced on Thursday.

In a statement released by the County of Santa Clara, officials said "Meyer's death was determined to be self-inflicted." They added no signs of foul play were found.

"The Medical Examiner-Coroner extends sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Katie Meyer," the officials said in a statement.

As we reported, Meyer was tragically found dead on Stanford's campus this week at just 22 years old.

She was the Cardinal's starting goalkeeper and a team captain ... and reps for the university called her "a bright shining light for so many."

Her death rocked her family and friends, Stanford's school and the sports world in general.

"There are no words," Katie's sister, Samantha Meyer, said in a social media post earlier this week. "Thank you for all the kindness extended to my family."

Katie joined the Cardinal in 2018 ... and helped the team win a national championship in 2019. A GoFundMe set up in her honor has already raised nearly $150,000.

How does the man with a $195 million contract treat himself for his birthday?! By copping a Richard Mille watch worth $500k!

TMZ Sports has learned the Boston Celtics star wanted to celebrate the big 2-4 with a big new watch -- so he hit up celeb jeweler Eric Da Jeweler.

It's not just any watch, BTW ... it's a Richard Mille, which are famously known for their unique designs, cases and quality material.

Tatum copped the all-white RM055 Bubba Watson watch that has skeletonized movement and a grade 5 titanium case band and back bezel.

When it comes to the price -- we're told it cost JT $500k!

That may seem like a lot but the 6-foot-8 hooper already made over $57 million since the Celtics drafted him in 2017.

Eric tells us he made the special delivery to JT out in Boston the night before his big day -- giving Tatum some time to enjoy his gift ahead of the Grizzlies-Celtics game.

Tatum's 4-year-old son, Deuce, also delivered a dope gift -- by making him a bday video of all his favorite childhood spots in his hometown of St. Louis.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon said his life was in serious danger when rival wrestling promoters were actively talking about killing him ... after he broke a cardinal rule by invading their territories with his promotion.

Vince made the shocking revelation on Pat McAfee's show, retelling a story of how Jim Ross -- legendary WWE announcer -- once told him he overheard a disturbing convo in a public bathroom.

Back in the day, Vince purchased his father's wrestling business. There was an unspoken rule wrestling promoters wouldn't invade each other's territories (the sport was very regional at the time). But, McMahon being a pioneer ... he had other ideas, and began traveling with his new promotion as it started to grow.

That decision didn't sit well with his competitors, and Ross told Vince -- 5 years after it happened -- they were so ticked over it, they discussed killing him.

McMahon said Ross was in a stall when he heard 4 of the biggest wrestling owners at that time saying they had a guy that could "off" Vince.

"I don't know how many different rivers I was supposed to be at the bottom of," Vince told McAfee. "Death threats are what they are. I always felt like, if you can knock off a President of the United States, then I'm easy to get to."

"In those days it was like when you ... from their standpoint invaded their territory, it was like 'ok those not just fighting words,'" McMahon said.

Luckily, nothing happened to Vince, and he's credited with evolving WWE into one of the biggest brands in the sports entertainment world.

The convo with Pat turned to a lighter note, as Vince shared with the former football player-turned podcaster his unorthodox workout "regimen."

The WWE boss told McAfee he finishes training around 3 AM after starting his workouts at 1:30 AM... and he views working out as a way to cope with the physical and emotional stress of running such a huge business.

The two laughed and reflected on some of WWE's most memorable moments ... with Vince offering Pat a chance to create his own memories by wrestling in a match at Wrestlemania 38 in Dallas on April 2 and 3.