TMZ Sports - Page 28

FINALLY, THE ROCK HAS COME BACK TO ... PRO FOOTBALL!?

The WWE legend just teamed up with an investment group to snatch up Vince McMahon's XFL league for $15 million, the league confirms in a statement.

The league had filed for bankruptcy after being resurrected for the 2020 season -- and was supposed to be auctioned off to highest bidder on Monday.

But, Dwayne Johnson and his partners -- Dany Garcia (Rock's business partner and ex-wife) and partners at RedBird Capital (led by Gerry Cardinale) -- swooped in and bought it up this weekend before it hit the auction block.

The deal must now be approved in bankruptcy court on Friday -- and if everything goes smoothly, it could close by August 21.

The Rock (along with Dany) and RedBird are reportedly 50/50 partners in the deal.

Remember, the XFL got off to a pretty decent start in 2020 -- but COVID essentially served as a death sentence to the league, forcing it to shut down in March.

The league filed for chapter 11 in April -- listing $10 to $50 million in debts.

The Rock issued a statement saying, "The acquisition of the XFL with my talented partners, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale, is an investment for me that’s rooted deeply in two things - my passion for the game and my desire to always take care of the fans."

"With pride and gratitude for all that I’ve built with my own two hands, I plan to apply these callouses to the XFL, and look forward to creating something special for the players, fans, and everyone involved for the love of football."

The plan is to relaunch the league -- but so far, no timetable has been set.

As for The Rock, he famously played college football at the University of Miami back in the day before becoming a global pro wrestling superstar with Vince McMahon's WWE.

The last man to fight Mike Tyson says he's down to run it back -- with Kevin McBride telling TMZ Sports, "Let's get it on!"

Of course, McBride is the man who sent Tyson into retirement when the Irishman dominated Iron Mike so badly in their 2005 matchup, Tyson quit on his stool before the 7th round.

After the fight, a then 38-year-old Tyson told the media he lost his passion for boxing and wanted to move on with his life.

McBride continued fighting professionally until 2011 and now works as a laborer at a tree company -- primarily doing heavy lifting.

Now, Mike is 54 and coming out of retirement for an exhibition with Roy Jones Jr. ... and McBride says once that's done, HE WANTS NEXT!

"Let's get it on! Definitely would love to fight him again," 47-year-old McBride tells us.

"Nobody can rule out anything in this world because that's life. It would be explosive to fight Mike Tyson again and I'm sure Mike would love to rectify his loss and I would just love to jump in the ring again with him."

Plus, McBride says the payday would be awesome -- he could use the cash to help put his kids through college.

In fact, Kevin says his boss at the Brendan Hoarty Tree Services company is fully supportive of rematch with Mike -- and already promised him time off so he could properly train again.

There's more ... we also spoke with Kevin about how that victory over the baddest man on the planet changed his life forever.

Emmitt Smith and his beauty queen wife, Pat, have announced they're separating -- just months after celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary.

"We are publicly sharing that after much contemplation and prayer, we have decided to separate," the 51-year-old Hall of Famer announced in a joint statement with Pat.

"We will continue to move forward with love and compassion for one another, as co-parents and friends."

"We will work together in the best interests of our children, our family, community and businesses."

The Dallas Cowboys legend married Pat -- a former Miss Virginia USA beauty queen -- back in April 2000. They have 3 children together.

the breakup is shocking considering Pat had just written a pretty emotional love letter to Emmitt for their 20th anniversary ... saying, "Hubby, I love you so dearly and I'm extremely grateful for all that we have built together and for the love that we share together."

Jonathan Isaac -- the Magic player who stood for the national anthem and did not wear a BLM shirt before Orlando's game last Friday -- has torn his ACL and will miss the rest of the season, the team announced Sunday.

Isaac gained national attention just 3 days ago ... when he became the league's first player in the NBA bubble restart to stand for the anthem.

Wearing his Magic jersey and warmup sweats ... Isaac stood with his hands behind his back and bowed his head during the song -- and after the game, he explained he didn't participate in the demonstration with his teammates for religious reasons.

But, Isaac, playing in just his second game since the Friday gesture ... drove the lane against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday and blew out his knee.

The video is tough to watch ... Isaac's leg buckled -- and afterward, the Magic said the 22-year-old is now "out indefinitely and his return to the court will depend on how he responds to treatment and rehabilitation."

Isaac had started 32 games for Orlando this season ... and averaged 11.9 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game.

Only one other player, meanwhile, followed in Isaac's anthem-standing footsteps in the NBA's restart this past weekend ... Miami Heat's Meyers Leonard also stood for the song before his game Saturday.

After the move, Leonard -- who said he supports the BLM movement -- told ESPN, "Our world right now is black and white. There is a line in the sand, and it says if I don't kneel, then I'm not with Black Lives Matter. That is not true."

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich also chose to stand for the anthem before San Antonio's game Friday night as well.

"Proper hiking attire not required 😎"

No lies detected here -- 'cause recently retired tennis superstar Caroline Wozniacki did an impromptu photo shoot while on a hike in France ... and all she needed was a tiny yellow bikini!!

The 30-year-old and her ex-NBA player husband, David Lee, are enjoying a "Staycation" in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France ... just a quick 30-minute drive from one of their homes in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.

Wozniacki and Lee recently had their 1-year wedding anniversary in June and celebrated her birthday last month ... so there's been a LOT to celebrate!!

Of course, Wozniacki decided to hang up her racket back in January ... but there's no retirement bod here -- her abs are as hard as the rocks she's laying on!!

The former #1-ranked tennis player has been a fan of bikinis for years -- see here, here and here -- and even posed in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue back in 2015.

Nice to see nothing has changed in retirement life!!

It's Tom Brady's 43rd birthday today -- soooo .... avocado ice cream cake for everyone!??!

The Tampa Bay Bucs QB is about to enter his 21st season in the NFL as the oldest active QB in the league. He's among the oldest to EVER play the game.

To celebrate his special day, Tom's supermodel wife, Gisele, posted a mushy birthday note to her hubby:

"Happy birthday love of my life! You are the best dad, the best partner and the best friend."

She added, "We are so lucky to have you in our lives and we are looking forward to all the adventures ahead. We love you so much!"

Brady -- who famously uses an iPhone 6 from 2014 -- joked about his birthday on Twitter saying, "Thank you for the bday wishes!! Might treat myself to a new iPhone this year."

It's not like he can't afford it ...

FYI, Doug Flutie played pro football until he was 43. Vinny Testaverde, Steve DeBerg and Warren Moon played until they were 44.

George Blanda played until he was 48!

Awful start to Philadelphia Eagles training camp ... head coach Doug Pederson has tested positive for coronavirus and is now self-quarantining away from the team.

The NFL squad made the announcement Sunday ... saying the 52-year-old is both "asymptomatic and doing well."

But, the Eagles added he's isolating ... and say people he's come into contact with at the Eagles practice facility recently will now have to follow protocols and testing before they can return.

Of course, it's a big deal for Philly ... training camps are getting underway this month -- and the Eagles will now have to figure out a way to maneuver through practices and workouts with a head coach they can only communicate with virtually.

Pederson is just the second NFL head coach to test positive for COVID-19 ... New Orleans Saints head man Sean Payton came down with the virus in March.

Payton had said he felt like he had the flu ... but was cleared a couple weeks later and has repeatedly said he's had no lingering effects from the virus.

LeBron James has taken his talents to the typewriter -- the Lakers superstar is now a children's book author!!

King James is set to release "I Promise" on August 11 -- a 40-page picture book featuring "upbeat, rhyming text," based on a poem written by LeBron.

The artwork was all done by famed illustrator Nina Mata -- who also worked with Team USA Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez on her kids book, "She's Got This."

Bron says the title is in inspired by his "I Promise" program -- which "motivates children everywhere to always #StriveForGreatness."

Of course, Bron opened his "I Promise" school for at-risk children in Akron back in 2018 ... where students made huge gains in statewide testing after the first year!

LBJ's book is super positive -- with simple, inspiring messages like:

"I promise to use my voice and stand up for what's right."

"I promise to ask for help whenever I need it."

"I promise to be me."

Oh, and Bron is also dropping a companion audiobook read by his mom, Gloria James!

Bron spoke about the project ... saying, "Books have the ability to teach, inspire, and bring people together. That's why these books, and the opportunity to get children and parents reading together, mean so much to me."

But, this isn't a one-and-done project for the King ... James is also working on a "middle grade" book which is due in 2021.

The NY Mets are concerned about their star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes -- saying he didn't show up to the ballpark for Sunday's game -- and hasn't checked in with team officials.

In other words, they're concerned he may have gone missing.

The Mets are currently playing the Braves in Atlanta. Cespedes WAS in attendance for Saturday's game ... but never made it back to the field on Sunday.

The Mets issued a statement saying ... "As of game time, Yoenis Céspedes has not reported to the ballpark today. He did not reach out to management with any explanation for his absence. Our attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful."

Everyone's hoping there's a simple explanation for the situation ... like YS overslept his alarm -- but obviously, there are much more serious concerns at this point.

34-year-old Cespedes is a 2x All-Star and one of the most important players on the Mets.

Mike Tyson says he WILL be trying to knock out Roy Jones Jr. when they step in the ring in Sept. ... claiming his mentality is still "search and destroy."

The issue is, the head of the California State Athletic Commission recently told the media the guys will be going EASY on each other and WON'T be headhunting.

So, who ya gonna believe?!!?

Here's what CSAC executive director Andy Foster told Yahoo Sports -- "This isn’t a situation where they’re going out there to try to take each other’s heads off. They’re just going to be in there moving around the ring and letting fans see these legends."

But, when we saw Tyson leaving a training session in L.A. on Saturday, it didn't seem like he got that memo.

"This is search and destroy and I’m looking forward to recapturing my glory," a hulking Mike Tyson told us.

When we asked specifically if he'll be looking for a knockout, Tyson told us, "If the opportunity comes, I'm always looking for it."

Tyson is 54 and hasn't fought since a 2005 loss to Kevin McBride ... and that concerns boxing legend George Foreman who recently told TMZ Sports he's worried someone might get seriously hurt.

Mike appreciates George's concern -- but says, "Don't worry about us."

"[George] wasn't worried about getting hurt when he went on his tour of coming back and fighting."

Foreman famously retired at 28 -- and after a 10-year layoff, mounted a legendary comeback at 38. He became the heavyweight champ at 45 and finally retired for good in '97 at age 48.

Tyson says both he and Jones know exactly what they're getting themselves into -- "We're both professionals. We know how to handle ourselves and whatever happens, happens."

He adds, "The fighting game is what I'm about and hurting people is what I'm about."

We've seen the training videos -- Tyson still looks like he could do some serious damage.

As for Roy, he told us he's expecting Tyson to be headhunting from the opening bell -- but insists he's got a HUGE conditioning advantage over Mike.

TMZ Sports has obtained police footage of the moment cops busted MLB catcher Reese McGuire for allegedly masturbating in public ... and it's SUPER AWKWARD.

First off, police say cameras malfunctioned in the process of recording the video, which is why most of the picture is black ... but you can still hear audio of McGuire's encounter with officers in a strip mall parking lot in Dunedin, Fla. on Feb. 7.

The conversation begins with cops asking the 25-year-old Toronto Blue Jays player if he was aware that people had called them saying they had seen him while he was half-naked in his car pleasuring himself.

McGuire tried to explain the situation ... before telling the cops, "I realized, what an idiot. What a dumb place to be hanging out."

That's when one of the officers asked the MLB player straight-up, "Why would you come to a parking lot just to masturbate?"

Reese responded, "I just, I don't know."

To his credit, McGuire went on to tell the officer he was SUPER sorry for the incident ... saying, "I've realized that I made a mistake having my pants down and doing what I was doing ... I really am apologetic. And, I know I shouldn't have been doing this."

McGuire was eventually charged with 1st-degree misdemeanor exposure of sexual organs and was facing up to 1 year in jail if convicted.

Reese, though, cut a deal with prosecutors earlier this month ... pleading no contest to a reduced 2nd-degree misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

In exchange, a spokesperson for the State Attorney's Office in Pinellas County told us his punishment was nothing more than fines and court costs.

Undefeated boxing star Travell Mazion was speeding around a curve when he crossed over the centerline and slammed head-on into oncoming traffic ... this according to the crash report obtained by TMZ Sports.

Mazion -- who was just 24 years old -- was fatally injured in the July 15 wreck in Travis County, Texas at around 9:40 p.m.

In the crash report ... cops say the weather was clear and the road was dry -- but they add it was a dark and not well-lit area.

Officers say in the report, Mazion was speeding as he entered into a curve in the roadway ... crossed the centerline, clipped a car and then crashed head-on into another vehicle.

The report doesn't say how fast Mazion was going ... but the cops say he WAS wearing a seatbelt.

According to the report, Mazion was pronounced dead just a few minutes after the crash. He was not tested for drugs or alcohol at the scene.

The driver of the other car -- a 61-year-old male -- was pronounced deceased at a local hospital hours later.

Mazion was 17-0 as a pro -- and most recently defeated Fernando Castaneda in San Antonio in January. He was considered a rising star in the sport, and was once backed by NFL All-Pro Von Miller.

Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, which repped the fighter, said of Travell after the crash, "Mazion was a kind, charismatic young man who lit up every room he walked into and brought excitement to fans inside the ring."

The new NHL season during the pandemic has begun -- and we're already seeing some changes, as well as some traditions of combat ... and the latter ain't a good look.

Saturday marked the beginning of the 2020 season, which is being played in only two Canadian hub cities -- Toronto and Edmonton. Hockey is following in the footsteps of the NBA ... which is also being played in a bubble, unlike MLB and soon ... the NFL as well.

Anyway, two things of note went down to kick things off -- first off, we got our first glimpse of a classic hockey fistfight on the ice ... something that's actually allowed in the sport. Justin Williams and Ryan Strome -- of the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers respectively -- went at it during their match, coming to blows, until referees eventually broke it up.

Neither guy was wearing a mask -- and no, we're not talking hockey masks or helmets. No distancing either ... so yeah, they were puffing particles right at each other, which ain't safe. On the flip side, they're all technically quarantined -- so perhaps no harm no foul?

At any rate, it was interesting to see ... even in the pandemic, old habits die hard in some sports.

Second, we saw the first showing of kneeling for Black Lives Matter -- but the gesture didn't go down en masse. It was just Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild, who gave a speech before the National Anthem was played ... and got some shoulder support from two Blackhawks and Oilers players.

Metta World Peace doesn't knock Jonathan Isaac for not kneeling for Black Lives Matter -- in fact, he says he'd probably do the same thing if he was still in the league.

MWP was at LAX Friday night when he dished his thoughts on the controversy -- namely, that the Orlando Magic player was the only one so far to not kneel during the National Anthem. According to Metta, the dude's entitled to his opinion.

He takes it even further though, telling our photog he probably wouldn't get on bended knee either if he was still playing. Metta tries explaining his rationale, saying he doesn't want to kneel for his enemy. Hard to say what he means, but we'll let him explain.

It sounds like he does support BLM -- shoot, we've seen the guy at protests early and often -- but it could be that he just doesn't believe in kneeling for anyone or any cause, period. Jonathan said he wouldn't kneel because it went against his Christian beliefs.

Metta's view seems to echo what Charles Barkley said earlier this week -- guys not kneeling doesn't necessarily make them bad people.

J. Cole is currently training his ass off in hopes of getting a shot to make an NBA roster ... so says Master P, who offered the rap star some pretty sound advice.

First, let's talk J. Cole -- the "No Role Models" rapper was a solid hooper back in high school and famously tried out for St. Johns during his stint in college, but ultimately decided to focus on music.

Cole is a regular on the celebrity basketball circuit and is widely known as one of the best non-pro celebrity ballers in the country.

The 35-year-old recently hooked up with Master P for a Puma commercial where it's strongly insinuated that Cole is training for a shot with an NBA team ... which makes sense since P basically did the same thing back in the day.

Master P says he earned an NBA contract with 2 different teams in the '90s -- after he was already a famous rap mogul -- and he knows what it takes to get to the top level.

P -- whose music and hoops careers are documented in BET's "No Limit Chronicles" -- tells TMZ Sports he had a lengthy conversation with J. Cole about his hoop dreams ... and says he's convinced the rapper is dead serious.

"When I talked to J. Cole, he was like 'You know, big dog you did it. What do you think I would have to do to make it happen?'"

"I said to get one of these NBA jerseys, it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be a lot of hate, it's gonna be a lot of people not believing in you but you know J. Cole -- he got the right size, he in the gym!"

"But, what I told him ... this a different time we're in. They're going to pick you apart! You're gonna have to be able to hit every shot and if you don't hit every shot, they -- you know in the NBA, they don't hit every shot but they believe in them. So, you're gonna have to go somewhere where the team really believe in you and the players believe in you."

P says Cole won't get a pass just because he's famous -- in fact, he'll have to work even harder than everyone else to prove he's for real.

"They've been putting their whole life into this. So, you're gonna have to prove you're worthy of being on that court."

P adds, "I believe in him and I believe that he's a youngster that has a lot of desire."

Bottom line -- P says if Cole does get an opportunity, he's gonna have to show out.

"Either you're gonna be good enough to play or you're gonna get exposed."