TMZ Sports - Page 12

Tyron Woodley, Nate Robinson and the Houston Rockets mascot all now have something in common -- each has been knocked out by Jake Paul!!

The Problem Child added "Clutch" to his KO victim list in a hilarious scene at the Rockets vs. Timberwolves game in Houston on Sunday -- moments after the furry mascot challenged Paul to a "fight" near his seat.

In video of the "altercation" posted to his social media page Monday, you can see the Houston mascot came over to Jake with some comically large gloves on and challenged him to a boxing match.

At one point, the mascot appeared to tag Jake in the arm -- which got the YouTuber out of his chair.

Jake then quickly put Clutch into his place, hitting the bear to the floor with a big right hand.

Paul talked a little smack and went back to his seat -- and fans found the interaction hilarious.

Of course, the punch was all scripted and the mascot is OK ... but Jake still had fun with it all on his Instagram page -- writing in the video's caption, "Will Smith'd em."

If you thought dropping $5.2 million on a piece of cardboard was a lot, Logan Paul says he paid even more to keep his beloved, rare Pokémon card safe -- shelling out $80k for its iced-out pendant case!!

Paul -- who bought the PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator for $5,275,000 and then wore it around his neck at WrestleMania -- is opening up about his Guinness World Record-breaking purchase on Monday ... saying it was a transaction more than a year in the making.

The Maverick says he completely understands spending that kinda coin on a piece of cardboard is "absurd" ... but offers his reasoning behind pulling the trigger.

"The Pikachu Illustrator is the rarest Pokémon card in the world," Paul says. "Only 39 of them exist, and this is the ONLY PSA 10 (perfect condition). Until this weekend, there were no pictures or videos of this card ANYWHERE."

Logan says he was able to track down the owner of the card last year, spent months negotiating ... and then finally made his way to Dubai to make the purchase.

Logan later turned the card into an $80k wearable piece ... which he debuted alongside the Miz at Mania on Saturday.

The case is completely decked out in diamonds and gold ... including a shiny Pokeball bail.

NFL tight end Zach Ertz and his wife, Julie, just shared some exciting news on Monday -- the married couple is having a baby!!

The Arizona Cardinals and USWNT stars dropped the news on Instagram ... with the two posting photos of Julie's baby bump, and Zach kissing her growing tummy.

"Adding to our starting lineup ... Baby Ertz!" Zach captioned the pics.

The 10-year NFL veteran has been with the U.S. women's national team defender for nearly a decade ... and tied the knot in March 2017.

Of course, Julie was there to celebrate with Zach after Super Bowl LVII, which he won as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ertz had one of the key plays in the game when he caught what proved to be the go-ahead touchdown from Nick Foles ... propelling Philly over New England in the end.

Julie is a star in her own right -- the two-time Olympian and one-time Olympic gold medalist is one of the most decorated in her position.

Although the baby isn't here yet, having a football and soccer star as parents means the sky is the limit when it comes to sports ... if that's what the youngin' is into, of course.

Former Buffalo Bills defensive end Alex Carrington was Tased during a wild altercation with cops early Monday morning -- before he was arrested and booked on gun charges and more, police in New York announced on Monday.

According to the Niagara County Sheriff's Office, Carrington was pulled over at 1:34 AM in Lockport after officers say he was was speeding and had no headlight.

Cops say during the stop, they suspected 34-year-old Carrington was drunk -- and asked him to get out of his car so they could initiate field sobriety tests.

According to cops, though, Carrington did not comply -- and officers say the situation turned tense, because they claim they saw a gun magazine in plain view in the pocket of his driver's side door while they were trying to get him out of the vehicle.

Cops say at one point, Carrington appeared to try to restart his car and flee the scene. But that's when officers say they Tased him and eventually got him out of the car.

Officers say as they were pulling him from the ride, they noticed he had a loaded Glock 17 hidden underneath his leg. They also say they found "two more loaded, high capacity magazines" within the car before they impounded it.

Carrington was ultimately taken to a nearby station, where he was booked on two criminal possession of a weapon charges, as well as resisting arrest, driving while intoxicated and more.

Carrington posed for a mug shot at the station -- and records show he's still in custody.

Pat McAfee had a crazy night -- the former NFL punter won his debut match against Austin Theory, fought WWE boss Vince McMahon, and got a "stunner" by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin ... all while wowing the crowd with his athleticism at WrestleMania 38!!

McAfee -- who spent 8 seasons in the NFL, but is now a member of Smackdown's broadcast team -- fought Vince's protégé in his first-ever match in WWE.

The 34-year-old made a grand entrance flanked by Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders ... punting a football into the crowd on his way to the ring.

McAfee's entrance was only the beginning of what turned out to be a historical moment -- once Pat got in the ring to mix it up with Theory, it was clear he came to do more than just hold his own ... he came to win.

Pat attempted a series of high-risk maneuvers -- moves generally left to the pros -- including sticking a landing on his feet after Theory pushed him off the top rope.

McAfee regained his composure, sprang to the top rope, and delivered a massive superplex to Theory.

The WWE universe was in disbelief at what they witnessed ... especially since Pat attempted Jeff Hardy's signature "Swanton Bomb" in the same match.

McAfee rolled up Theory from behind  -- pinning him 1,2,3 -- but he wasn't done yet.

Vince then got in on the action ... and the 76-year-old challenged Pat to another match in front of the raucous crowd.

Theory blindsided Pat by attacking him from behind ... giving McMahon the upper hand in his impromptu bout with the commentator.

Vinny Mac got the best of Pat -- with help from Theory, of course -- and began celebrating, but the sounds of glass shattering went off ... and WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin made his way to the ring to kick some ass.

In vintage Austin fashion, the Texas Rattlesnake hit Theory with a Stone Cold stunner and hit Vince with a stunner, as well ... after sharing a beer with his old nemesis.

Steve asked Pat to join him in some celebratory beers for his incredible WM performance -- and the two chugged some cold ones before Stone Cold hit McAfee with a stunner of his own -- and Pat sold it well.

Lewis Hamilton has no fear -- the Formula 1 superstar spent his free weekend jumping out of planes in Dubai ... and the video is breathtaking.

The 37-year-old Mercedes driver shared several videos from his skydiving trip on Sunday ... showing off his bravery with flips, T-poses, and other wild maneuvers.

Hamilton did a total of 10 jumps during his Sunday off from racing, according to Joe Pompliano ... calling it his "ideal" way to enjoy time away from the track.

While his tricks in the air were smooth, his 2022 season has been a bit bumpy -- after a podium finish in Bahrain, Hamilton finished 10th in Saudi Arabia last Sunday.

Hamilton will try to get back to his usual self at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend ... in hopes of gaining ground on Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz in the driver standings.

There's still a ton of season left, so don't be surprised if Hamilton finds his way back to the top ... especially after this adrenaline boost.

Univ. of South Carolina students lost their minds after the school's women's basketball team won the NCAA title on Sunday ... with many stripping down to their undies and jumping into a campus fountain!!!

The wild party all happened just moments after the Gamecocks dominated UConn in a 64-49 win on Sunday ... with students choosing to celebrate the title in a wet way.

You can see in video from the scene ... students surrounded the fountain outside of Thomas Cooper Library before jumping into it. One fan actually came prepared -- and rocked a speedo for the occasion!

Fans celebrated at the school all night -- with others lighting off fireworks and climbing into trees.

Of course, this ain't the first time Gamecocks fans went all out for their women's hoops team -- you'll recall, fans got drenched in the same fountain in 2017 when they won their first title.

And, it appears the campus might need to get used to parties like this -- because coach Dawn Staley -- a former 6x WNBA All-Star point guard -- has turned the SC program around since she arrived in 2008.

The Gamecocks have won 6 SEC titles, been to four Final Fours and won two championships -- and look poised to be a powerhouse going forward for the foreseeable future.

Tiger Woods took yet another big step this weekend toward competing in this week's Masters -- hitting the course on Sunday for hours ... and looking VERY pleased with his results.

The Masters posted footage of the golf superstar while he was out at Augusta -- showing Woods taking a bunch of swings and smiling big as he took yet another practice spin around the course.

Woods has still not officially committed to playing in the prestigious event -- a tournament he's won five times in his career -- but it's clear, things appear to be trending toward him returning this week.

In other videos of Tiger at the course on Sunday, he didn't seem to have any issues swinging or walking around on his surgically repaired leg.

Woods has a press conference set for Tuesday morning at Augusta -- one in which many believe he'll formally announce his comeback.

Tiger did release a statement Sunday prior to hitting the course for his practice work -- saying it will be "a game-time decision on whether I compete."

As we reported, Woods has only played in one event since he mangled his leg in a February 2021 car crash ... looking good at the PNC Championship with his son Charlie Woods.

Johnny Knoxville just pulled off the unthinkable -- the "Jackass" star defeated WWE superstar Sami Zayn in their "anything goes match" at WrestleMania 38 ... with shocking help from his friend Wee Man.

The famous stunt performer just wrestled in his first WWE match -- against bitter rival Sami -- and not only did he hold his own, but he walked away with the W, too.

The former intercontinental champ, Zayn, dominated Johnny for most of the match -- but the tables turned when Knoxville got some much needed help from Chris Pontius AKA "Party Boy" and fan-favorite Wee Man.

Knoxville, who's known for being the KING of pranks, had some special props and traps set up underneath the ring just for Sami.

One of the highlights of the match came when Chris emerged out of nowhere -- Sami looked like he had seen a ghost -- stripped down to his speedos ... and started dancing on Zayn in true party boy fashion.

Zayn disposed of Party Boy -- but Wee Man was there to save the day. The feisty stuntman blindsided Sami when he appeared from underneath the ring ... unleashing a flurry of punches on the pro wrestler.

Knox and Wee Man would join forces back in the ring, where it became a 2-on-1 handicap match (unofficially) ... and Wee Man stole the show when he body slammed Zayn in the middle of the ring at AT&T Stadium.

The crowd absolutely ate it up ... going wild at the impressive feat of strength from the stuntman -- giving Knoxville the upper hand for the first time in the match.

Johnny had one more trick up his sleeve before he put Sami out of his misery. The comedic genius unveiled a life-size mouse trap, put Sami on it, then actually trapped Zayn on it ... as he pinned him 1,2,3.

Ja Morant just had one of the best jewelry shopping sprees ever -- he copped a bunch of expensive diamonds ... and then shot tequila with Gunna!!!

The fun time all went down at the Icebox jewelry store in Atlanta last week ... when the NBA star came to the famous showroom to get some of his old pieces cleaned up and to shop for more.

TMZ Sports has learned ... as the 22-year-old was browsing items -- they brought out Don Julio 1942, and everyone had a shot.

Later, "Drip Too Hard" rapper Gunna entered the shop -- and he, too, got in on the drinking!

The interaction between the guys was awesome -- they chatted it up about jewelry and admired some of the pieces in the store.

Eventually, we're told Morant copped several items -- a 14MM Miami Cuban bracelet, three other diamond bracelets and two diamond rings.

He also got a leather Icebox travel case to carry all his new bling ... and we're told his overall shopping spree bill came out to over $55K!

LeBron James might soon pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time scorer, but the dude still has a long way to go to be truly great as a role model ... so say KAJ.

The Lakers legend shared his pointed criticism at LBJ Sunday amid his presentation of a new trophy bearing his name ... which he bestowed upon Carmelo Anthony for his social justice work during the 2021-22 season.

It seems that after the ceremony, Kareem stuck around and talked to reporters ... who asked him how he felt about the idea of LeBron overtaking him as the points leader, which is likely to happen sometime next season -- barring any prolonged sitting out on LeBron's part.

Kareem said he had no problem with Bron taking the mantle, but where he (still) has issues is with LeBron's legacy as a whole -- including his off-the-court comments/antics/stances ... some of which Kareem said were "beneath him" in the grand scheme of things.

While he praised LeBron for some philanthropy work he's done -- including sending TONS of kids to college on his dime -- Kareem said there are still some things the King should be embarrassed about.

He's also quoted as saying this ... "Some of the things he's done and said are really beneath him, as far as I can see." Kareem adds, "Some of the great things that he's done, he's standing on both sides of the fence almost, you know? It makes it hard for me to accept that when he's committed himself to a different take on everything. It's hard to figure out where he's standing. You've got to check him out every time."

Now, as for what exactly Kareem may be referring to -- it's no secret if you've been following along. Dude's been openly critical about LeBron's apparent vaccine hesitancy, not to mention his waffling on where he stands with COVID in general, a la that Spider-Man meme.

At the time, Kareem wrote an essay ... saying LeBron's joke was a blow to his legacy, asking he do better -- especially as a leader in the Black community. He's also opined about LeBron celebrating on the court (particularly in dancing), saying that's not G.O.A.T.-worthy.

Channing Crowder thinks there's no way Ciara would leave a guy like Future to get with Russell Wilson -- at least not without some money motives behind the move ... yikes.

The ex-linebacker made the inflammatory comments on a recent episode of his podcast "The Pivot," where they were talking about the Broncos QB and his wife ... whom Crowder apparently feels is in the wrong relationship, invoking her ex of several years now.

We'll let CC speak for himself here, because he says a lot ... and much of it is pretty mean. He calls Russ a "square" and speculates Ciara is only with him for cash.

He also theorizes there's just no way Ciara would ditch someone like Future and get with Russ -- who's seen as his polar opposite -- unless there was something deeper fueling her ... because he thinks all women have a type, and believes Ciara's shown her cards.

On Sunday, Crowder doubled down on his "goofball" jabs -- posting an old photo of Russ at the NFL draft in 2012 next to his then-GF Ashton Meem, whom he mocked in the pod.

Of course, he got strong pushback from his fellow podcasters ... who tell him that women want peace, and that Ciara and Russ are perfectly happy together -- as they've been married since 2016 and have kids together.

Sooo, it seems the proof is in the pudding here ... namely, the fact they've stayed together this long proves Crowder's train of thought isn't actually supported by reality. Russ and Ciara have been couple goals for a very long time now -- and yet, this narrative persists.

Russ, meanwhile, appears to have responded to all the renewed chatter ... albeit cryptically.

He tweeted Sunday, "'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.' Galatians 5:22-23 NIV."

It was bedlam on the streets of Chapel Hill Saturday night, after the Tar Heels snagged a spot in the NCAA men's basketball National Championship game.

10 people, and maybe more, were hurt after the game ... 4 were injured badly enough to require hospitalization.

Chapel Hill cops planned for a big celebration -- shutting down streets in advance -- but it got out of hand as it turned into a wild block party. There were around 40,000 fans who were reveling in the Tar Heels 81-77 win over Duke in the Final Four.

It got real when some fans started bonfires in the streets.

So, now the real dead ... North Carolina faces off with the Kansas Jayhawks Monday for the brass ring. Ya gotta wonder who Chapel Hill cops will be routing for!

Logan Paul looked like a total natural in the squared-circle at WrestleMania 38 just now ... dominating his tag team match with The Miz -- and coming away with the win.

Logan and Miz were in control throughout the match against Rey Mysterio and his son, Dominik at AT&T Stadium in Arlington ... and the whole thing was filled with action.

The Maverick's performance was a display of his true athletic ability -- he executed some of the most challenging wrestling moves in the book ... including jumping off the top rope.

Worth noting -- at one point, Mysterio tried to pay homage to his friend, Eddie Guerrero, by hitting Miz with Eddie's signature "Three Amigos" move ... but wasn't able to complete the third suplex.

Logan, however, flipped the script -- not only did he hit Mysterio with a "Three Amigos" of his own, he then hit Rey with a "Frog Splash" ... which was also one of Guerrero's moves.

Logan -- who came out wearing a $5.2 million super-rare Pokémon card around his neck -- and Miz rocked matching yellow and black 'fits for the match ... and they looked damn good.

But, in true Heel form, Miz hit Logan with his finisher move -- the Skull-Crushing finale -- after being declared winners ... much to the delight of the crowd, who booed Paul throughout the match.

Sergey Kovalev is the latest pro fighter who wants a piece of Jake Paul ... the ex-boxing champ tells TMZ Sports he's down to fight the YouTuber after his next scheduled match.

"Fight with Jake Paul? I'm ready," the 39-year-old former light heavyweight champion said. "And I will knock him out."

Paul has insisted he wants somebody with a name brand for his next bout -- and while Sergey might not have the biggest social media following, he certainly has the resume Paul is looking for.

"Krusher" is 34-4-1 in his 39 career fights -- and has a win over boxing legend Bernard Hopkins on his resume. He's also fought Canelo Alvarez and Andre Ward in his impressive career.

Kovalev says he's all for trying to add Paul to that list of opponents -- saying he'll be happy to try to make the fight after he returns from his long layoff against Tervel Pulev in May.

"Let me make my comeback fight," Kovalev said, "and then we can do any fight."

He added, "Any day."

WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar's grappling looks have been front and center since 2002, and they are Brock solid!

Here's a 30-year-old version of the then 265-pound pro fighter back in 2008, posing at a UFC photo shoot in Minneapolis, Minnesota (left). Brock's 2008 season concluded with two wins, beating Randy Couture and Heath Herring, and one loss to Frank Mir.

"The Beast Incarnate" ... now 44 years old and 286 pounds ... recently shared a selfie of himself in the gym, working on his stacked physique, as he gears up for WrestleMania 38 (right). The current WWE Champion will be going up against Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

Brock-n-roll!

The question here is ...