TMZ Sports - Page 10

Olympic equestrian Heath Ryan was just suspended ... after troubling video surfaced, appearing to show him whipping a horse dozens of times, prompting outrage from fans.

The clip of Ryan and Nico, the horse -- said to be about two years old -- surfaced recently on social media, prompting Equestrian Australia (EA) to launch a formal investigation into the dressage competitor, who was seen striking the animal over 40 times.

EA said they were "extremely alarmed and concerned" over what they saw from Ryan ... who is an accomplished rider who even repped the folks down under during the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Travis Kelce might have some competition when it comes to the top spot on Patrick Mahomes' BFF list ... 'cause Lionel Messi sure seemed to make a great case for it recently.

The soccer superstar hit a gym with the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback to film an Adidas ad ... and the guys appeared to have some serious bromantic chemistry both on and off camera.

In the 45-second Three Stripes advert ... Messi can be seen pushing Mahomes to run faster on a treadmill -- which Patrick appreciates.

DeMarcus Cousins is breaking his silence after a wild fan altercation ended his basketball season ... issuing a brief message expressing his regret to his supporters.

"I want to apologize to the fans of Puerto Rico for my actions," Cousins said on Thursday via his Instagram Story.

"I have so much love and respect for the island."

The New England Patriots just announced Tom Brady's statue will be erected outside Gillette Stadium ahead of their first preseason game in August ... with the organization planning a special ceremony to promote the 12-foot tribute.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft initially shared the plans for the bronze Brady during his Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony last year -- the same night the 47-year-old quarterback’s No. 12 was retired.

Kraft said the statue would "perpetuate the legendary legacy of this once-in-a-lifetime player" ... and a local artist had already been commissioned for the gig.

A bunch of new fans have stepped up to the plate to get a closer look at Roman Anthony's sister ... she says she's gained thousands of Instagram followers since her viral appearance at his game earlier this week -- and a bunch of DMs, too!

Lia Anthony opened up about her newfound fame on "The Greg Hill Show" on Thursday ... telling the program's hosts she's gone from roughly 3,000 followers to around 14,000 after she stunned Boston supporters with her looks at Roman's Red Sox vs. Rays game Tuesday.

Additionally, she said "quite a few" people have shot their shots at her in her direct message box -- with one even making a baseball pun to get her attention.

OnlyFans is serving up more than just spicy content -- it’s bringing viewers serious competition with its new safe-for-work pickleball series featuring some of reality TV's hottest stars ... and the show's co-host, Sophie Stonehouse, gives us the scoop.

Sneak a peek of the trailer for "Smash City" ... OFTV loaded the court with a stacked lineup: "Too Hot To Handle" stars Joey Joy and Nathan Webb, tennis pros Sachia Vickery and Adi Spiegelman, Sports Illustrated model Kayla Fitzgerald and more -- all battling it out in a wild series of pickleball challenges.

But hold up -- there’s more than just real-deal rivalry going down on OFTV. Sophie teases fans will get a taste of something extra ... and while she’s staying tight-lipped about who’s crushing on who, she promises there are some sparks flying behind the scenes that will have fans glued to their screens.

Jason Kelce is experiencing quite the conundrum after a fan got a tattoo of his naked body in cartoon form this week ... asking out loud if he should be more offended or flattered.

The ink started making rounds on social media on Thursday ... with artist Joe the Wizard sharing the startling project and saying, "Jason Kelce pin up for y'all."

The finished product shows Kelce in the buff posing like a Playboy model ... with an Eagles logo conveniently placed over his junk.

Taylor Lewan can breathe a little sigh of relief following his terrible first pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals game last week ... 'cause WWE Superstar Tiffany Stratton just gave him a run for his money with an even worse attempt.

The WWE Women's Champion was out in Flushing, Queens, on Thursday to catch the Mets' series finale against the Washington Nationals ... but before the outing, she was given the honors to throw the ceremonial toss.

Stratton -- rocking a custom Mets City Connect jersey with her name on it -- opted not to go with the full windup as Lewan did for his attempt. While she didn't sail it to the left, she did throw it well over the catcher at home plate ... with some comparing it to a bit of an eephus pitch.

Caitlin Clark wasn't even alive in 1994, but the WNBA superstar channeled Reggie Miller during the Pacers' 4th quarter comeback against the Thunder in game 3 of the NBA Finals, hitting his infamous "choke celly" from her courtside seat!

The former Rookie of the Year hit up the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Wednesday night with her Indiana Fever teammates ... as they witnessed another late playoff game surge, which left OKC stunned once again.

Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers were down by five entering the fourth quarter ... but thanks to a great final stanza, managed to outscore Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder 32-18, securing the comeback victory and 2-1 series lead.

Houston Texans safety Jimmie Ward -- a former first-round pick -- was arrested on Thursday morning on a domestic violence charge, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Jail records show the 33-year-old was taken into custody in Montgomery County, Texas at around 5:38 AM and booked on one felony count of assault fam/house impede breath/circ.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that roughly an hour prior to Ward's arrest, officers responded to a Magnolia residence over "a report of an assault in progress."

There's one person who might be taking Wednesday night's Game 3 results harder than the actual Oklahoma City Thunder players -- rap mogul Jay-Z, who lost a whopping $1 MILLION after the Indiana Pacers took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

TMZ Sports reported ahead of the series the 25-time Grammy-winning artist was so confident in OKC's chances against the Eastern Conference champions, he placed the hefty wager through the Fanatics Sportsbook that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. would hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy after five games.

We're sure Hov was sweating just a little bit after Tyrese Haliburton's game-winning shot in Game 1 ... but when the Thunder stormed back the next contest, his bet was looking solid again.

Brooklyn Beckham’s loyalty is crystal clear -- 'cause he's showing off an elaborate tat that’s practically screaming how his wife Nicola Peltz is helping him navigate their messy family rift.

Not long after fans caught him hiding his "mama's boy" tattoo, Brooklyn shamelessly plugged the ink on his upper back, just below his neck. And it’s not just any design ... it’s an encouraging note from Nicola herself, written to him before their April 2022 wedding.

The note reads, "My forever boy. Read this anytime you feel anxious. I want you to know how deeply loved you are. You have the kindest heart I've ever met and hope I never go a day without your love."

Former UFC star Ben Askren is still deep in the throes of a battle with pneumonia, his family said on Thursday morning.

In a message to TMZ Sports, Askren's loved ones confirmed the 40-year-old is "definitely still fighting" for his life.

They added, "He is alive and any rumor he has died is completely false."

Amy, Askren's wife, revealed back on June 7 that Ben had been hospitalized after he had "developed severe pneumonia." She indicated the situation was dire -- writing on her Facebook page Ben was "unable to respond to anything at this time."

Nikki Bella appears to be on a collision course with Liv Morgan inside the WWE ring ... but she might not be going into battle alone -- TMZ Sports has learned her sister, Brie Bella, could enter the mix!!

A source with direct knowledge tells us ... Nikki's twin is in talks to unretire and help her sister kick some ass at the promotion's all-women Pay-Per-view event, "Evolution," next month.

We're told Brie is pissed about Morgan referencing Nikki's highly publicized split from Artem Chigvintsev -- who was arrested for domestic violence in August 2024, resulting in the couple's divorce a month later.

Kayla Harrison's sittin' atop the MMA world ... and the newly crowned women's bantamweight champ is talking all things UFC 316 and beyond -- from her insane weight cut to her next fight vs. Amanda Nunes!

34-year-old Harrison joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... just days after she dominated now-former champ Julianna Pena in the co-main event, winning by second-round submission.

We asked her -- with a couple of days to digest the enormous accomplishment -- how she was feelin'?

IShowSpeed just showed his speed ... beating viral morning routine guy Ashton Hall in a foot race not once, but FOUR times!!

The two internet sensations linked up for the showdown on Wednesday afternoon ... hitting a park near Speed's streaming set to decide once and for all who had the quickest feet.

The guys kicked off their shoes and marked off a roughly 50-yard straightaway on some grass to get their first runs in ... and Speed won both handily.