Patrick Mahomes Injured Foot Still In Protective Boot ... But QB Claims He's 'All Good'

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Good news, bad news for Chiefs fans ...

The good ... hey! Patrick Mahomes' family is absolutely adorable!!!

The bad ... despite having surgery TWO MONTHS AGO, the K.C. star quarterback's foot/ankle is still in a protective boot.

Mahomes' fiancee, Brittany Matthews, posted an Easter Sunday family pic featuring herself, Patrick and their newborn daughter ... and it created quite the stir in the NFL world.

You'll recall ... Mahomes injured his toe at some point in the Chiefs' playoff run last season, and the 25-year-old needed surgery just a few days after K.C.'s Super Bowl loss to repair the damage.

Most thought Patrick would be good to go for workouts at this point ... but Matthews' photo shows the quarterback still clearly has quite a bit of recovering left to do.

Thankfully, Mahomes said on Twitter late Sunday he's not worried about anything regarding the injury ... despite still being in the boot.

"Lolol yeah," Mahomes said in response to Pat McAfee asking about the injury. "all good."

The Chiefs are set to begin Organized Team Activities in just 2 weeks ... and seems unlikely Patrick will be good to go by then.

With the season 5 months away though ... probably not the time to be sweating things too much in K.C. yet.

Get well soon, Patrick!

DMX Family Visits and Holds Out Hope ... Still Critical After OD

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DMX is clinging to life in an ICU unit with little brain function, but a few family members who have visited the rap icon are not giving up.

Family sources tell TMZ, X's fiancée, Desiree Lindstrom, and mom, Arnett Simmons, have been allowed into the ICU to visit DMX, though he is not responsive. As we reported, family sources tell us some of his kids are coming to visit as well and are hopeful they will be allowed in.

TMZ first reported the OD and the fact he has limited brain function ... the result of oxygen deprivation after his OD late Friday night. One source with direct knowledge told TMZ the prognosis does not look good.

Nevertheless, the rapper's family is not giving up. DMX suffered a heart attack during the OD, and family members are holding out hope when the inflammation subsides his heart will restore itself. Of course, that does not have an impact on brain function.

Steve Rifkind, DMX's manager, asks TMZ to send this message ... "Please pray for him."

'Big Ang' Star Linda Torres Dead at 67 from COVID-19

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"Big Ang" star Linda Torres is dead after contracting the coronavirus.

Big Ang's sister, Janine Detore, tells TMZ ... Linda died Thursday at Staten Island University Hospital, not long after learning she had COVID-19.

We're told Linda, who also had a few cameos on "Mob Wives," was placed on a ventilator after doctors diagnosed her with the deadly virus, but it wasn't enough to help her pull through.

Linda had underlying medical conditions making her more at risk for a fatal case of COVID-19 -- besides her age, we're told she had breast cancer, and recently had surgery to implant a chemo port.

We're told Linda's daughters were taking care of her after the surgery, and when she developed a fever they took her back to the hospital thinking the chemo port was getting infected, and that's when Linda tested positive for COVID.

It's been 5 years since Big Ang passed after battling throat cancer.

Linda's family and friends were keeping the faith, and remained hopeful to the end that she could beat the virus.

She was 67.

RIP

MMA Fighter Khetag Pliev Loses Finger In Horrific Mid-Match Injury ... 'Where The F***' Is It?!?

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9:13 AM PT -- TMZ Sports spoke with Khetag Pliev who’s shockingly calm considering the seriousness of his injury!

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In fact, Pliev told us when doctors asked him to rate his pain on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being worst) he said it was a TWO!!!

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Pliev says he will meet with more doctors to figure out if he needs surgery or physical therapy -- but he's laser-focused on fighting again as soon as possible.

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He also told us his goal is fighting in the UFC -- and had a message for Dana White ... "I am willing to lose a finger for a UFC contract."

"I said, 'Wait a second, where the f*** is his finger?' They were all like, 'I don't know.'"

That's how one witness described seeing an MMA fighter LOSE A FINGER mid-match Thursday night ... and, yeah, the injury was just as horrific as it sounds.

During Khetag Pliev's bout with Devin Goodale at Cage Fury Fighting Championship in Philadelphia, officials had to stop the fight when they noticed Pliev was missing a freakin' finger.

The images were INSANE ... video of 37-year-old Pliev in his corner showed the ring finger on his left hand had been completely severed at some point during his match.

The problem? For several minutes, nobody could find the missing digit!

Event promoter Rob Haydak told ESPN there was a mad scramble to try to help locate it ... with the PA announcer even having to ask fans in the 2300 Arena stands if they'd seen it!

"It was a surreal moment," Haydak said.

Eventually, Pliev's finger was found tucked away in his glove -- where it had been the entire time -- but, here's the crazy part ... Pliev did NOT immediately go to the hospital to have it reattached!!!

Haydak says Pliev actually begged to continue the match ... and even though officials wouldn't let him, he still stayed in the ring for the post-fight announcement, where Goodale was rewarded with a TKO decision.

"It was crazy," Haydak said. "He didn't even flinch. He was getting ready to do the [official] decision and I was like, 'Uh, guys, get him out of the cage and go put his finger back on.'"

Pliev -- who did ultimately go to the emergency room to have his finger attached -- says he believes he suffered the injury after Goodale had grabbed at his glove early in the fight.

"In the second round, he caught my glove with one hand and held it," Pliev said. "I felt my finger snapped. He kept pulling my glove and my finger snapped. We kept fighting."

"When the second round was finished, I see my [bone] was out in the open. I wanted to keep fighting, because I felt like I had this guy. But, the doctor saw that and stopped the fight. "

Pliev -- a wrestler who competed for Canada in the 2012 Olympics -- came into the fight with a 5-1 record. He said he plans on appealing Thursday night's fight result.

Originally Published -- 6:26 AM PT

Tom Brady Recovering 'Very Well' From Knee Surgery ... Bucs GM Says

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The G.O.A.T.'s knee is healing up just fine ... Buccaneers GM Jason Licht says Tom Brady's recovering "very well" from offseason surgery.

The 43-year-old Tampa Bay QB had to go under the knife shortly after winning his 7th Super Bowl ... with Licht saying TB12 needed a "minor surgical procedure" to clean up some things in his leg.

But, Licht says there are no worries as of now that Brady might have to miss regular-season action in 2021 ... explaining, "I know things are going well."

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DON'T RUSH THE G.O.A.T.

"I talked to him last week," Licht told reporters Thursday ... "I know that things are going very well."

Brady had reportedly been dealing with pain in his knee throughout the 2020 season ... and had planned to get surgery once the Bucs' year concluded.

Licht said Brady is now in the rehab stage ... but he added he did not want to place an official timetable on a return to action for his team's superstar.

"I don't want to put an exact timeline on it right now because I don't want to set expectations one way or the other," Licht said.

For his part, Brady was spotted out with Gisele in Costa Rica last week ... and despite the small wrap on his surgically repaired left knee, he didn't look any worse for wear at all.

CM Punk Describes Wild Search for MMA Fighter's Finger ... I Was Right There!

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"I think everybody thought was an April Fools' joke, but it was deadly serious."

That's CM Punk telling TMZ Sports what it was like to be ringside when MMA fighter Khetag Pliev had his FINGER RIPPED OFF in the middle of a match ... and it's one of the craziest stories ever!

Punk was calling the fight with his broadcast partner, John Morgan, at the Cage Fury Fighting Championship event in Philadelphia when the incident went down -- and says the most important thing was trying to stay focused.

"I wanted to make sure that I know that what I was seeing was correct," Punk says.

The scene inside the arena was wild -- especially since nobody could find Pliev's detached finger in the moments after the injury.

People were scouring the area with flashlights before ultimately discovering the severed digit in Pliev's fight glove.

Despite the chaos, Punk stayed relatively calm and continued to call the action like a true pro for the rest of the night.

"A lot of people are giving us props like, 'Congratulations, you didn't throw up!' ... but I was kind of right at home in the thick of it, calling it on the fly, as it happened. There's nothing better than live television."

As we previously reported, Pliev was rushed to the hospital where doctors reattached his finger ... and he already wants to get back in the cage and fight as soon as possible.

NBA Ref Leroy Richardson Takes Ball To Nuts, Tweaks Ankle ... In Very Unlucky Game

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Longtime NBA referee Leroy Richardson was due for a full-on ice bath Wednesday night ... 'cause the guy got banged up in not one, but TWO incidents while officiating a game -- including a shot to the family jewels!!

But, don't worry -- the ref recovered like a true champ and finished the game!! 💪

Richardson -- who's been a ref in the NBA for 26 years -- was working the Suns vs. Bulls game ... when Phoenix power forward Dario Saric accidentally smacked him right in the baby maker.

YEEEEEOUCH!!!

Saric immediately grabbed Richardson to apologize for the truly unfortunate nut shot ... and eventually, the ref was able to walk it off.

But, the bad luck continued with just 2 minutes left in the game ... when Chicago forward Denzel Valentine accidentally bumped into Richardson while contesting a 3-point shot ... sending the ref flying into the bench and tweaking his ankle in the process.

Either incident would have been a great excuse for a ref to leave the game -- but not Richardson. After all, he was in the Navy for 12 years ... so he's one tough dude!!

It hasn't been a great week for refs -- remember, NCAA official Bert Smith had a scary moment when he collapsed during an Elite 8 game earlier this week ... but thankfully, he's been in stable condition since.

Glad to see everyone is okay ... be safe out there!!

John Cena Nickelodeon Cameo Helped 8-Year-Old Save Choking Sister

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John Cena's decision to participate in a Nickelodeon hidden-camera show helped an 8-year-old kid SAVE HIS BABY SISTER FROM CHOKING!!!

Seriously -- it's an unbelievable story!

8-year-old Jaxson Demsey was on a family outing in Hazleton, Pennsylvania over the weekend -- when he noticed his 20-month-old sister was having trouble breathing.

Fortunately for the Demsey family, Jaxson had watched an episode of the Nickelodeon show, "The Substitute" ... which featured a cameo from WWE superstar John Cena.

Cena was disguised as a CPR instructor on the hidden-camera show -- and was tasked with teaching a group of kids how to perform chest compressions in case of a choking emergency.

Clearly, the show made an impression on Jaxson -- because when his sister needed help, he sprung into action and successfully dislodged a McNugget!

“We were driving to my haircut, and I noticed she was starting to choke from a chicken nugget from McDonald’s," Jaxson told WNEP ... "I told my dad to pull over. Then I was starting to pat on her back, and it got out."

After the incident, he credited Cena for teaching him the life-saving skills he needed that day!

"In the very first episode [of 'The Substitute'], John Cena was on it, and in the last part, he showed how to save someone when they're choking."

Jaxon’s dad, Matt, was thankful his son stepped up in this situation, but he wasn’t surprised.

“He amazes us every day, you know -- some of the things he says and does, and his actions. We’re simply blessed to have the child that he is, the things that he does for his family, his friends, for his little sister. He’s a good big brother."

See, TV is good for kids, after all!!!

Claudia Conway Hospitalized ... Hoping Appendix Doesn't Burst!!!

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EMERGENCY SITUATION

Claudia Conway's been hospitalized and thinks she might have appendicitis, but don't cry her a river ... 'cause she's dancing the pain away.

Kellyanne Conway's 16-year-old daughter revealed she's in the hospital by doing what she does ... posting it on TikTok. In the video, she's dancing from her hospital bed and flexing while attached to an IV. Not sure her doctors, or parents, would recommend that, but Claudia's gonna be Claudia.

She captioned the video, "Let’s hope that my appendix isn’t about to burst." She put the text, "drip too hard? yall rocking w/ IVs?" over the video ... a reference to Lil Baby and Gunna's track "Drip Too Hard." Yeah, she's a natural TikToker.

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CLAUDIA'S FINAL PERFORMANCE

Claudia's status at the moment is unclear but based on her moves things may turn out OK.

The hospital trip comes a little over a week after Claudia was axed from "American Idol." Katy Perry applauded her, though, for taking control of her life, and invited her to audition again next year.

Even in the hospital, Claudia's working on her stage presence.

Luke Bryan Gruesome Fishing Accident I Hooked Myself!!!

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HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER

Luke Bryan hooked a big one on a fishing trip -- HIMSELF!!!

Luke did what country stars do -- hung out the gone fishing sign and headed for the lake in his pickup.

The "A.I." judge cast a line, but there was a snag -- in his hand. Yep, Luke rather calmly showed off a fish hook that sunk deep into his thumb ... in 2 places.

Luke and his guitar tech hightailed it to a doctor's office to get the hook removed, and even though it seemed excruciating, Luke was laughing as he shot video of himself and worried it might violate HIPAA!!!

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GETTIN' TREATMENT

It was so gnarly, Luke thought the hook penetrated down to the bone.

The backstory here ... before he started fishing, Luke reposted a pic of 2 cans of hard seltzer next to fishing rods. We're not suggesting alcohol was a factor, but we're not saying it wasn't either.

One more thing ... L.B.'s wearing a cap with the name of the seltzer company emblazoned on it. If this was an advertisement, he's got us hooked.

President Biden Dog Bites Again ... Victim Gets Medical Attention

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That didn't take long ... President Biden's dog, Major, is likely back in the dog house after a new biting incident at the White House, and this one sounds more serious.

A White House spokesperson tells us, "Major is still adjusting to his new surroundings and he nipped someone while on a walk. Out of an abundance of caution, the individual was seen by WHMU and then returned to work without injury."

As we reported, photogs got a shot of Major out for a walk Monday on the South Lawn, and he was on a leash. It's unclear who was walking the pup at the time.

Remember ... Major was sent back to Delaware earlier this month after he nipped at a White House staffer. The Prez said that time the bite didn't break skin.

Major and Biden's other dog, Champ, were just invited back to the White House after getting some extra training ... but it sounds like Major might need more work on his discipline.

Pro Boxer Cheyenne Hanson Suffers Gnarly Facial Injuries ... After Head-butt In Fight

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A pro boxer's face swelled up in terrifying fashion after she was hit by an accidental head-butt during a fight Saturday night ... but fortunately, she says she's now recovering well.

Cheyenne Hanson, a 23-year-old German fighter, suffered the horrific battle wounds during her tilt with Alina Zaitseva in Germany ... with her face ballooning in size after the two women inadvertently clashed heads.

The post-fight pics of the damage to Hanson's face were insane ... the left side of the fighter's face BLEW UP -- and she had bruising all over.

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In fact, Hanson showed off a before-and-after, side-by-side photo -- and she was damn-near unrecognizable!!!

But, Hanson on Monday revealed the swelling has gone down significantly ... though the bruising is still BAD.

Hanson was at least given a victory for her troubles ... the judges had her ahead in the fight at the time of the head-butt and awarded her the eighth win of her pro career.

Awesome to come out a winner -- but something tells us she'd prefer the more traditional route next time!!

NFL WR Ryan Switzer Infant Son Stable After Surgery Expected To Make Full Recovery

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Good news ... Ryan Switzer's infant son has undergone another major surgery ... and the NFL receiver says he's expected to make a full recovery.

Remember, Ryan's 10-month-old son Christian was hospitalized earlier this month after his parents found him in a pool of blood.

Doctors had performed surgery on Christian back on March 7 in order to track the cause of bleeding, but were not able to identify the issue with 100% certainty.

Ryan and his wife, Gabie, said doctors have made progress in the past few weeks and became certain they found the root of the problem ... and advised another surgery to address the issue once and for all.

Doctors at the famous Boston Children's hospital identified the issue as a "vascular anomaly" somewhere in his gastrointestinal tract.

Baby Christian underwent the procedure on Monday ... and his parents report everything appears to have gone well.

"Our sweet baby boy is stable and out of surgery," Switzer tweeted Monday. "This nightmare is over with. These wonderful people in Boston fixed our son. He’s going to make a full recovery. Praise God."

Shoutout to doctors ... and here's hoping Christian continues to move in the right direction.

Lady Gaga's Dog Walker Leaves Hospital Month After Shooting ... Had Part of Lung Removed

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Lady Gaga's dog walker has finally been released from the hospital ... a little more than 1 month after he was shot in a terrifying dognapping incident.

Ryan Fischer was just discharged after a much longer stay than he anticipated ... due to complications with his lungs. Ryan says he was actually feeling pretty great just days after being shot and moving out of the ICU, and thought his recovery would be a simple process.

Unfortunately, Ryan says one of his lungs didn't cooperate and kept collapsing and it reached a point where he was readmitted for surgery to remove portions of it, and as he puts it ... "my recovery had become anything but a straight line."

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The good news -- Ryan finally seems to be on the mend as he shared in an emotional video of himself getting dressed to leave the hospital, set to Carly Simon's "Coming Around Again."

Ryan knows his journey is going to be challenging though, saying ... "I'm finding my way in the outside world where triggers are real and working through trauma is WAY more than dealing with one unfortunate moment in life."

As we reported ... Ryan's been recovering ever since the February 24 dognapping incident. He had posted an update earlier this month when things looked pretty bleak ... showing him with a breathing tube in his mouth.

Thankfully, he also posted a more reassuring photo with the breathing tube gone. He detailed his near-death experience and the guilt he felt over not being able to protect Gaga's 2 French bulldogs, Koji and Gustav. The third dog, Miss Asia, walked over to him as he laid on the ground bleeding. He later called her his angel and Lady Gaga called him a hero.

Remember ... it's truly a miracle he's recovered as well as he has considering he was shot in the chest at almost point-blank range. The terrifying experience was captured on surveillance video from a nearby property, and he says that his doctors and nurses even told him they didn't think he'd make it.

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VIOLENT ABDUCTION

As we first reported ... the thieves ultimately made off with Koji and Gustav and left Ryan begging for help on the sidewalk.

The dogs were later found unharmed but the suspects remain on the loose, and the motive is still unclear. And, although Gaga offered a $500k reward for the return of her dogs, cops have told her not to pay the money until they clear the woman who found it.

MLB's Christian Vazquez Shows Bloody Scar After Drilled In Eye By Baseball ... Sunglasses Saved My Eyeball

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Whoa.

Look at Christian Vasquez's eye -- which he's LUCKY to still have after getting hit directly in the face with a baseball during a practice sesh.

The Boston Red Sox catcher revealed his scar Monday during a media session and explained how wearing sunglasses may have saved his vision ... and the whole thing is super scary.

Vasquez was working on drills on one of the practice fields at Boston's JetBlue Park complex Thursday when pitcher Hirokazu Sawamura fired a ball his way ... mistakenly thinking Vasquez was looking in his direction.

We know what you're thinking ... and no, video of the incident has not been released.

The ball struck 30-year-old Vasquez with such force, it opened up a nasty gash under his left eye -- requiring immediate medical attention.

Vasquez required several stitches to close the wound -- and says if it wasn't for the sunglasses, he might have lost his left eyeball.

"You like my scar," Vasquez joked with reporters Monday before giving a health update.

"I’m doing good ... “My eye is good. I can see perfect."

Vasquez then walked reporters through the incident -- "I saw the ball right here in my face and it knocked me down to the floor."

"The sunglasses saved my eye,” he said ... "If I don’t have the sunglasses, it was a different story."

And, get this ... Vazquez says he's "99% sure" he'll be ready to play Thursday for Boston's Opening Day game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Tough dude.

NHL's Aaron Ekblad Suffers Gruesome Knee Injury ... Leaves Ice On Stretcher

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Horrific scene on the NHL ice Sunday ... a star player for the Florida Panthers suffered a gruesome knee injury mid-game and was forced to leave the match on a stretcher.

Aaron Ekblad -- who was leading the Panthers in total ice time this season -- took a check from an opponent in Florida's game against the Dallas Stars when things went terrifyingly wrong.

Ekblad's knee and skate got caught under his body ... and when he came crashing down on top of the leg -- it all bent and crumpled awkwardly.

***WARNING: THE CLIP IS TOUGH TO WATCH***

You can see in video immediately after the injury ... Ekblad was in SERIOUS pain -- writhing on the ice, screaming, and holding on tightly to team trainers.

The defenseman was eventually strapped to a stretcher and taken off the ice. In a postgame update, Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville said Ekblad would be out indefinitely.

"It was pretty tough," Ekblad's teammate, Jonathan Huberdeau, told reporters after the game ... before adding, "You hear him scream too. I mean, it must have hurt so bad."

A tiny sliver of good news for Ekblad? His team ended up winning the game without him, beating the Stars 4-1.