TMZ Sports - Page 50

Boxing sensation Claressa Shields will have to find another male challenger to fight -- because Shawn Porter says he's NOT down to get in the ring with the female superstar.

Porter appeared on the "TMZ Sports" TV show after Shields told us this week she's 100% confident she could BEAT top male fighters like Porter, Keith Thurman and Gennady Golovkin.

So, we asked Porter for his reaction -- to which he smiled and replied, "It's cute!"

Make no mistake -- Porter says he has nothing but respect for Shields as a fighter, but claims boxing a top male fighter is simply "an animal that she's not really prepared for."

Porter says Shields would obviously be outmatched when it comes to strength and power -- but also explains that speed and movement in men's boxing is on a different level than what she's faced in the women's division.

When asked if he'd be down for a 3-round exhibition with Shields to let their fists do the talking -- Porter shot that down ... telling us he's just not interested.

In the full interview, Porter says if Shields is serious about fighting men she needs to start at the bottom and work her way up the rankings ladder like everyone else -- she just can't skip the line and fight a champ.

In the meantime, Shields is working on setting up a fight with the only other reigning undisputed female boxing champ, Cecilia Braekhus.

Danny Amendola is throwing some serious shade at Olivia Culpo's new fling, Zedd, with an assist from his rock hard abs and a famous Bruce Willis line from "Pulp Fiction."

As we first told you ... Olivia and Zedd got very flirty with each other during the first weekend of Coachella, getting super snuggly during some music sets and putting Danny firmly in the rearview.

Well, Danny just responded to his ex-girlfriend's new relationship ... posting a shirtless video on Instagram Thursday night and making sure to capture Bruce's famous line from the Quentin Tarantino flick, which is totally relevant to Olivia's new boo.

The NFL wide receiver is sending a loud and clear message to the former Miss Universe ... enjoy Zedd all you want, but the DJ ain't got nothing on these abs, baby!!!

Danny and Olivia have been dating on and off since 2016, but their relationship's been ice cold since he shipped out of Miami and joined the Detroit Lions in early March.

Tyreek Hill's 3-year-old child was temporarily placed in another home during an investigation into allegations the boy was physically abused at the NFL star's home ... this according to KCTV in Kansas.

The Kansas City Chiefs WR appeared in court on April 5 for an emergency hearing in the matter -- and that's when officials removed the child from Hill's care and placed him in another home, the report says.

Hill returned to the courthouse on April 17 -- holding hands with his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, the mother of the 3-year-old child.

The two did not comment when questioned by KCTV about the custody situation or the allegations of abuse.

We know Hill and Espinal were named in a police report filed on March 5. Cops described the incident as "child abuse/neglect."

According to police documents, neither Hill nor Espinal were prosecuted.

Another police report was filed regarding a March 14 incident -- cops responded to a call for a battery on an unnamed juvenile. Hill is not named in the report. Espinal is listed as an "involved person."

Both incidents occurred at Hill's home in Overland Park, Kansas.

Now, the Kansas Dept. for Children and Families is investigating the allegations at Hill's home. That investigation is expected to wrap up soon.

The Johnson County D.A.'s office is also investigating. Unclear where that investigation stands at this point.

Kofi Kingston becoming the 1st African-born WWE champ has inspired a generation of young black wrestlers to kick ass ... WWE legend Mark Henry tells TMZ Sports.

We talked to the WWE Hall of Famer -- who was promoting his "Busted Open" show where he's ranking the greatest black wrestlers EVER (hint: The Rock ain't #1) -- about Kingston's impact on wrestling, and what the belt actually means ... aside from looking really cool.

Remember, Kingston beat Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35 ... becoming only the 2nd black WWE champion (and the 1st African-born champ.)

"15 years from now there might be another 2 or 3 black wrestlers that come into the industry, and they were inspired by Kofi Kingston," Henry says.

"It's a powerful thing to have representation, and it's also a powerful thing to be able to see somebody that looks like you, and have them tell you first hand the struggle and what it took for them to get there."

We also asked Mark about diversity in the WWE ... and whether black wrestlers are fairly represented across the roster of Superstars.

Mark says there's NO problem ... in fact, he's seen a massive improvement over his decades in the WWE.

"When I came into wrestling there were 3 people, 3 black people in the company. There is growth. There is a future for the African-American in pro wrestling, and ya know, I want to be a part of that as much as I can."

It ain't always great being a giant ... just ask 7'6" NBA draft prospect Tacko Fall ... who's telling TMZ Sports what sucks most about being incredibly tall!!

The ex-UCF Knights star was towering through LAX on Thursday ... when he gave us the lowdown on the pros and cons of being one of the tallest people on the planet.

Tacko says it comes in handy at the grocery store whenever he needs to reach the top shelves and "look over everything" ... but when it comes to bathing, it really stinks ... 'cause he's taller than the shower!!

Fall -- who had a big showdown with Zion Williamson in the NCAA Tournament last month -- doesn't have a custom shower to accommodate his size just yet ... but if he gets drafted, expect that to be one of his first purchases.

A Legends Football League fan learned the hard way to not storm the field this month ... 'cause a security guard straight-up choked him out for the offense!!!

It all went down on April 5 at Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif., when a couple fans got a little TOO into Seattle's win over the L.A. Temptation.

The guys bum-rushed the turf ... and when they were met by security guards -- the dudes didn't take it easy on them.

One of the guys was immediately put in a chokehold ... and ate a few elbows. The other dude didn't fare much better -- he was grounded and pounded on!!!!

TMZ Sports has obtained police body cam footage showing Conor McGregor being handcuffed and arrested at a private home by Miami Beach PD over the cell phone smashing incident.

The footage was shot on March 11 ... hours after Conor got into it with Ahmed Abdirzak outside the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami.

As we previously reported, McGregor went after Abdirzak around 5:21 AM -- snatching the guy's phone and then stomping it multiple times. McGregor eventually left the premises with Abdirzak's phone.

Abdirzak filed a police report and the Miami Beach PD tracked down McGregor at a private residence nearby -- eventually arresting him just before 10 AM.

In the footage, McGregor is cooperative and quiet as cops instruct him to place his hands behind his back while they place him in handcuffs and put him into a squad car to be transported to jail.

McGregor has since been charged with felony robbery and misdemeanor criminal mischief. If convicted on all counts, Conor faces up to 6 years in prison.

Conor has pled not guilty on all charges. A trial is scheduled to begin in May.

The leaked sex tape allegedly featuring WWE superstar Lana is NOT her -- sources connected to the wrestler tell TMZ Sports.

Multiple reports surfaced Thursday that Lana's personal Snapchat page was hacked -- with some scumbag leaking a private sex tape from the account in an attempt to publicly embarrass her.

But fortunately, sources close to Lana tell us she's adamant she's NOT in the video -- and neither is her WWE superstar husband, Rusev.

In fact, we're told the Snapchat account that published the video does NOT belong to Lana -- though, it was intentionally created to look like it does.

There's a female voice in the sex video -- but as one Lana source puts it, "The voice in the clip is clearly not her."

Bottom line -- sorry, perverts ... not this time.

Naomi Osaka is VERY close to being off the market ... 'cause the #1-ranked women's tennis player in the world is getting REAL close with rapper YBN Cordae!!!

In fact, Cordae made a recent cameo on Naomi's IG -- leading many to think the appearance was their public coming out party.

But, sources close to the two tell TMZ Sports ... while they're spending a lot of time together lately -- and they like each other -- they're not "officially" an item. At least, not yet.

As one source put it, "Just give it a week."

21-year-old Osaka has been a BEAST on the pro tennis circuit -- famously beating Serena Williams at the U.S. Open back in 2018. She was also just named in Time's 100 most influential people.

21-year-old Cordae is a fast-rising star in the rap game -- he's backed by Dr. Dre and recently hung out with Diddy. He's the real deal.

Cordae is part of the YBN collective -- one of the hottest young groups in music. He is also expected to be named to XXL's Freshman list in 2019.

Just this week, Osaka posted a video with Cordae -- and captioned it, "Can’t take this guy anywhereeeee lol"

Forget coming back from a 2-year baseball career to win an NBA championship ... Michael Jordan says Tiger Woods' Masters victory last weekend is the greatest comeback of all-time!!!

"He had to change his game; he had to change his perspective a little bit," M.J. told The Athletic ... "To me, it was the greatest comeback I’ve ever seen."

Of course, Michael knows a thing or two about comebacks ... he ended a 2-year MLB career to return to the hardwood to win 3 straight NBA titles in the 1990s.

But, even Jordan admits that can't compare to what Tiger did this past weekend ... returning from all kinds of injuries and off-the-course issues to be the best golfer in the world again.

"I never thought he’d get back physically,” Jordan said ... “He didn’t think he’d get back physically. But he did it. No one expected him to be back the way he is now."

M.J. added, "He’s probably the only person who believed he could get back. To me, that’s a major accomplishment. To me, it’s unbelievable."

Jordan ain't the only one feeling that way ... everyone from Donald Trump to Tom Brady to Michael Phelps commented on their amazement over TW's 15th major championship win.

As for the debate between who's the greatest athlete of all time between Tiger and Jordan ... we actually asked Scottie Pippen that this week -- and you'll wanna hear his answer ...

Jordan Clarkson is following up on his passionate nightclub speech on the late Nipsey Hussle with a more permanent tribute ... honoring the slain rapper with a tattoo on his body.

As we previously reported ... the Cleveland Cavaliers guard gave an emotional tribute to Nip at a Scottsdale nightclub hours after Hussle was murdered ... calling for an end to gang and gun violence.

Clarkson decided to go one step further to show love for Nip ... getting the rapper's face tattooed on his left arm on Wednesday ... along with "TMC," for Hussle's "The Marathon Continues" slogan.

JC already has a bunch of body art -- he's almost fully covered now -- but this one has to mean a lot to the baller, hitting up Canada-based artist Steve Wiebe for the job.

You've probably seen Wiebe's work before -- he also works with stars like Future, Kelly Oubre Jr., Rita Ora and P.J. Tucker.

Clarkson joins fellow NBAer J.R. Smith with the permanent tribute to Nip ... who also paid homage with body art.

#RIP

Zion Williamson better hope New York doesn't end up with the #1 overall pick ... 'cause Jay Williams tells TMZ Sports he's not confident the Knicks owner would know how to handle a player of his caliber.

"I live in New York City, so obviously everybody wants the answer to be New York. But, I don't know if I trust James Dolan enough with that yet."

And why? Jay -- who was outside The Cabin NYC -- doesn't go into detail, but it's pretty clear he's referencing ALL the missteps Dolan's taken recently ... which includes booting fans for telling him to sell the team.

So, where IS the ideal landing spot for the Duke beast? Jay tells us that's with the Hawks.

"It would be kind of dope to see him in ATL with Trae Young," Williams says.

Of course, Zion doesn't have much of a choice -- he's expected to be the top pick in June's NBA Draft either way -- so, better hope the ping pong balls land the right way!!!

D.L. Hughley thinks it's IMPERATIVE for Florida officials to release the Robert Kraft naked spa video ASAP ... to prove the people running the NFL are just a bunch of hypocrites.

"I think the NFL is hypocritical," Hughley tells TMZ Sports ... "I do. I think that they didn't want Colin Kaepernick to have a job in the NFL because he took a knee."

"Robert Kraft was one of the main detractors. He didn't want him to get a job. He got busted in a prostitution ring. So, apparently, to the NFL ... a black man on one knee is too much, but a hooker or two is alright."

"So, the NFL has a problem with the number of knees you take. So I think we should see. And I think they get a chance to see how hypocritical they are."

Hughley's friend Cedric the Entertainer feels differently ... and explained to us why the judge needs to do everything in his power to BLOCK the tape from going public.

Ronda Rousey was sporting a brand new accessory in New York on Wednesday -- a full cast on her right hand ... essentially confirming reports she broke it during Wrestlemania 35.

The former UFC star was trying to cover up the black cast as she walked into a taping of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" ... but you couldn't miss it.

The 32-year-old's hand was "severely broken" in the April 7 match with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, according to Dave Meltzer ... and there are reports she underwent surgery on Tuesday.

In fact, Ronda posted video of doctors checking out her hand after the match -- she got very emotional when she realized something was wrong (go to 13:00).

Unclear if the alleged injury will delay Ronda's return to the WWE ring -- considering she's taking an indefinite hiatus from the organization to work on starting her family, according to ESPN.

In fact, Rousey posted a photo on Monday with her husband, Travis Browne, saying the two were on an "impregnation vacation."

Seems the "vacation" part is over ...

Ronda has been a SUPERSTAR since joining the WWE back in 2018 -- holding the "Raw" women's championship ... until she lost to Becky Lynch in a Triple Threat match at Wrestlemania.

Scary moment for Green Bay Packers fans ... when Aaron Rodgers almost got TRUCKED Wednesday night at the Milwaukee Bucks playoff game!!

Don't worry ... he's fine. But, good lord.

The Packers QB was sitting courtside with girlfriend Danica Patrick at Fiserv Forum in Wisconsin to watch the Bucks take on the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of their NBA playoff series.

All of the sudden, Bucks shooting guard Pat Connaughton came charging toward the sideline ... and nearly crashed into Green Bay's $134 MILLION man.

Scary considering Rodgers just revealed he played most of the 2018 season with a broken bone in his leg ... and EVERYONE wants a healthy Rodgers this time around.

... especially Packers legend Brett Favre, who recently told us he thinks Rodgers is the best player in football -- better than Tom Brady -- and he's expecting BIG things from the QB in 2019.

Boxing superstar Claressa Shields -- the undisputed middleweight champ -- says she's 100% confident she could beat male fighters ... and she's calling them out by name.

Shields was a BEAST in her title fight this weekend against then-undefeated Christina Hammer -- dominating every round en route to an obvious unanimous decision. It's clear Shields is on another level.

The 24-year-old sensation is now focused on a superfight with the other reigning undisputed female boxing champ, Cecilia Braekhus ... and hopes to set up a PPV fight in the near future.

The two fight at different weight classes but Shields says she's hoping they can meet at 154 pounds and battle it out to determine the greatest pound-for-pound fighter alive.

But, Sheilds doesn't just consider herself the best female fighter alive -- she thinks she's better than most MALE fighters too ... and she's willing to back it up.

"I spar with men. I drop men. I bust [men's noses]. I beat men up all the time," Shields says.

That's when Claressa began naming names ... from Keith Thurman to Gennady Golovkin.

"I think I can beat up Keith Thurman ... I really do."

FYI, Thurman is undefeated with a 29-0-1 record. He's held multiple titles.

"They may be stronger than me, but their boxing ability isn't like mine. GGG, he's older now, but I could give GGG a run for his money."

We asked if she could honestly hang with the brute strength and power of a male fighter -- and again, she wasn't worried.

"Power for power isn't a question because what is boxing? Boxing is the sweet science. It's not about strength ... because people were saying Christina Hammer was stronger than me. They were saying all these girls were stronger than me, but did you not see the head movement that I had during the fight? See the defense? The offense? The traps I set!?"

"If I were to get in there with a man, I would do a lot more of that. And, I do have some power. I'm not gonna say I'm stronger than them, but if I set up the right shots with the right timing?!?!"