TMZ Sports - Page 24

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson wants all the smoke -- the mixed martial artist tells TMZ Sports he's dead serious about fighting Shannon Briggs ... and when he does, "he's gonna f*** him up."

"That guy's a f***ing a**hole," Jackson told us this week. "I want to box and I think that his old ass would be a perfect match to be my first boxing match."

"I'ma f*** him up. I'm sick of that guy. All he does is troll me. Imma f*** him up."

Rampage didn't stop there ... "He think I'm playing with him. He think it's all fun and games. That man 50 years old. He too old to be acting like that," he continued.

Jackson says his desire to clash with the former heavyweight champ came after Briggs called him out following his last loss.

"I told him I wanted to have a boxing match and Shannon agreed to get in there with me," Jackson said. "We putting MMA fans vs. boxing fans."

The feud between Jackson and Briggs ain't new -- last month, they got into a shoving match at a Triad Combat weigh-in (the two were captains of opposite teams) ... an event that pitted MMA fighters against professional boxers.

Jackson tells us that any clash he has with Briggs will be bigger than just pride and ego ... saying that he's gonna show the world that MMA fighters are the best.

"I'm coming to get that respect," Rampage said. "You boxers, y'all don't respect us. Better put some respect on my name."

We might not have to wait much longer to see the former champs lock horns ... 'cause Rampage also told us that we could see the highly anticipated bout sometime in the new year.

Sheriff Brent Lynch -- the top law enforcement official in Owsley County, KY -- was arrested for assault on Thursday after allegedly striking a teenage girl while coaching a girls basketball game.

The incident -- which was captured on camera -- went down in Perry County, KY last Friday. Lynch, a coach for Owsley County, dashed onto the court after players on both teams started fighting.

Lynch is accused of hitting a girl in the face ... and has been charged with 4th-degree assault. The charge carries up to 1 year in jail and a fine, if convicted.

He is currently behind bars in Three Forks Regional Jail ... after he was arrested by his own officers this morning.

The Sherriff -- who assumed office in January 2019 -- is listed as 6', 190 lbs. on his booking sheet. He was booked at 9:59 AM. Prior to serving in his current role, Lynch was a Kentucky State Police officer.

FYI, Owsley is a small county with a population of around 4,000 people in eastern Kentucky.

Movie trailers are so last year ... Netflix partnered with New Balance to create a one-of-a-kind pair of sneakers using pieces of a 4.5 BILLION-year-old meteorite -- all to promote a new film.

The unique white NB 550's contain 34 fragments of the Seymchan meteorite, cut using a water jet, with the New Balance logo being made almost entirely of the Pallasite space rock.

The meteorite was discovered in eastern Russia (search 62°54’ N, 152°26’ E) in the mid-1960s, and experts believe it's likely over 4 billion years old.

The Seymchan meteorite was chosen for the project due to its similarities to the fictional Dibiasky Comet, which is at the center of the "Don’t Look Up" plot.

The film -- set to release Dec. 10 in theaters and Dec. 24 on Netflix -- is about two low-level astronomers who go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy Earth.

The flick features a star-studded cast ... Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Tyler Perry, Meryl Streep, Ariana Grande, and Kid Cudi are some of the A-listers featured in the movie.

L.A. Clippers rookie Brandon Boston Jr. had the best game of his young career against the Celtics on Wednesday ... and dedicated his performance to the late Terrence Clarke.

The guard went off on the Cs in the 114-111 win ... scoring 27 points (including 5 3-pointers, going perfect from the free throw line and earning 4 steals in just 25 minutes off the bench!

The effort resulted in career-highs in points, threes and steals ... and after the game, Boston Jr. devoted the stellar performance to Clarke, his former Kentucky teammate.

"He would of called or screamed," " BJ said to reporters during post-game interviews. "Just excited with a bright smile on his face, just telling me, 'I told you! I told you! You the best in the world! Just keep going.'"

"That's the type of relationship we had."

Boston and Clarke both played college hoops together for the Wildcats -- and were both set to enter the 2021 NBA Draft.

However, Clarke was tragically killed in a car accident in Los Angeles on April 22 -- just months before the draft. Boston witnessed the crash as he was riding behind him.

"He always pushed me to be my best self so I always keep that in the back of my mind," BJ added.

"I actually like dedicated this game [to him] cause he's from Boston and he wanted to play for Boston."

"So, just going out there and carrying that chip on my shoulder. His energy just carried me along the way."

BJ has been honoring his close friend in many ways since his death -- including a tribute tattoo on his left leg featuring Clarke's UK basketball photo and "TC World."

"Jake Paul can go suck a d*** for all I care ... p***y."

Tyson Fury just went the hell off on both Jake AND Logan Paul ... absolutely unleashing on the brothers and calling them "s***house p*****s."

As we previously reported, Jake has been talking a ton of crap after Tyson's brother, Tommy, backed out just 2 weeks before their fight was set to go down in Tampa ... calling the champ and his now-former opponent a "f***ing bitch."

Logan also chimed in ... saying it's a good thing Tommy is handsome, 'cause he's a p***y."

Now, Tyson is firing back at the YouTube superstars ... and boy, he didn't hold back.

"Jake Paul can go suck a d*** for all I care ... p***y," Tyson said. "Him and his brother are s***house p***ies and could never live in my world because they're f***ing bitches."

"And, if you don't like the language, get f***ed."

Yikes.

Tyson says Tommy missing out on the fight is no big deal -- saying there will be plenty more paydays to come.

As for whether he wants to see Tommy and Jake reschedule their fight, Tyson says he has zero interest in what the two boxers do.

A fan shouted a homophobic slur at gay AEW star Anthony Bowens during a match this week ... and it's disgusting.

Bowens -- who publicly came out as bisexual in 2017, but now identifies as gay -- was locked up with Jungle Boy in a 4-on-4 tag team match when the incident took place.

In the video, you can hear the fan yell the hateful words, saying "f*****g f**" ... as JB and Bowens collided in the middle of the ring.

It's unclear exactly who hurled the slur ... but it was heard over the raucous crowd.

Bowens addressed the ugly incident on social media after the event, writing ... "This is why I posted that photo the other day. Stuff like this unfortunately still exists. Not phased, I'll just keep fighting against stuff like this till the day I die.🌈"

Of course, Bowens is referring to a photo he posted on Instagram recently, where he's proudly kissing his BF in front of protestors.

Bowens wrote ... "Standup against hate," tagging both his partner Michael Pavano -- a YouTube star -- as well as GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign in the post.

In 2019, Anthony spoke to Sports Illustrated about the importance of his role in the sport ... representing the LGBTQ+ community.

The "Athlete Of The Year" isn't Super Bowl champ Tom Brady or gold medal-winning gymnast Suni Lee ... it's Simone Biles, according to Time Magazine, who ironically receives the accolade for NOT performing.

It's a controversial pick (check Twitter) by Time ... who selected the 24-year-old, 4x Olympic gold medalist as the recipient of the prestigious honor.

Of course, Biles pulled out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after struggling with mental health issues, including the "Twisties" -- where a gymnast becomes disoriented in the air (dangerous when you're tumbling in the air) -- causing her to pull out of the Games.

At the time, Biles tearfully explained her decision to withdraw, explaining she was seeing a therapist to help battle her "demons," saying "I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being."

Biles was widely celebrated by fellow athletes and fans across the country for putting a spotlight on mental health.

However, there were also detractors who say Biles flat-out quit on her team and country ... insisting there's nothing to celebrate.

Count teammate Suni Lee -- who recently was named "Athlete Of The Year" by Sports Illustrated (along with swimmer Caeleb Dressel) -- firmly on the side of those who say Biles positively changed sports forever.

“What Simone did changed the way we view our well-being, 100%. It showed us that we are more than the sport, that we are human beings who also can have days that are hard. It really humanized us.”

And, Biles is adamant she wouldn't change a thing about how she handled Tokyo.

“I was torn because things weren’t going the way I wanted," Simone told Time, saying, "But looking back, I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

Chelsea soccer player Samantha Kerr ain't fond of fans on the field --- 'cause she straight-up leveled an intruder who interrupted a match this week ... and the video is wild.

It all went down Wednesday night during the 87th minute of the Champions League match between Chelsea vs. Juventus ... when a man in a black jacket and grey sweats walked onto the pitch and tried to get selfies with the players.

His attempt had consequences, 'cause when he walked towards the Chelsea forward, she hit him with a ferocious body check that sent him flying to the turf.

The crowd was very impressed with the 28-year-old's maneuver, yelling "ooooohhh" while the fan was laid out on the ground.

He eventually got up and ran away ... when security finally came through and took him away.

The crazy part?? Kerr was actually penalized for the defensive stop on the intruder ... receiving a yellow card from the refs.

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes spoke about Kerr's actions ... saying, "it should serve as a reminder to us all in our stadiums and with our stewards we've got to put out player protection first."

This is dumb.

UFC superstars Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz -- who made a living off being fearless and smashing faces in the Octagon -- are in their feels over comments made about each other's commentating skills ... and the whole thing is incredibly petty.

Of course, Cruz recently blasted DC's fighting analysis at UFC 269 media day ... saying he mutes the TV when Cormier is on the mic, claiming he doesn't do his homework or watch enough film.

DC confronted the Dominator in a one-on-one sit-down on his YouTube channel Wednesday night ... calling out his fellow fighter for making the comments in public, instead of in private.

"You say so many things privately that I would never say publicly," DC said. "You and I say things privately that we would never say publicly."

Cruz responded by saying there's no "rule" against what he said ... claiming it was meant to hold him accountable and be taken as constructive criticism.

As for how much film DC watches, he admits he doesn't take as much time as Cruz does when preparing to call a fight ... but adamantly denies not being prepared to provide commentary.

But, the criticism wasn't one-sided -- when Cruz asked DC to share his own thoughts, Cormier said he felt Dominick's analysis can be a bit dry.

DC even goes as far as to say Cruz was "wrong" to make the comments in public ... adding, "As a colleague, a professional courtesy, you don't do that to your teammates. You don't go publicly. Those things you don't say in the public."

Overall, both guys make it clear they're still cool despite the beef ... which means the whole thing was pretty trite.

Baby Slice -- aka Kevin Ferguson Jr. -- is putting his MMA career on hold ... 'cause the fighter just signed a deal with Celebrity Boxing, the org.'s CEO tells TMZ Sports.

29-year-old Slice, 3-3 as a professional mixed martial arts fighter with Bellator, recently part with the promotion ... announcing he was transitioning to the boxing ring.

Well, that's now officially official, 'cause Damon Feldman tells us he's signed Ferguson Jr. and is in the process of finding an opponent for him.

Baby Slice will likely fight early next year.

Of course, Baby Slice's dad Kimbo Slice -- who passed away at the age of 42 in June 2016 -- was an absolute legendary streetfighter turned pro MMA star.

Slice rose to fame fighting in backyards across south Florida ... almost always brutally beating his opponent.

Although he wasn't traditionally trained until later in his life, Kimbo more than held his own in the cage ... even beating Ken Shamrock in 2015.

We're told Baby Slice's opponent could be a reality star ... but that he's open to any celeb who wants to step up.

Lamar Odom says he's given up 3 vices after splitting with his fiancée ... insisting he's no longer doing drugs, watching porn, or dating women.

42-year-old Odom broke up with Sabrina Parr late last year ... just months after the couple was engaged to be married. In light of the split, Lamar says he's made some major changes in his life.

"A year ago yesterday I left my ex-fiance' at the W Hotel in Atlanta without notice. When she realized I was gone back to my home in San Diego she was livid. I received over 250 calls and text messages over the course of last December from her wanting to fix us. We were toxic. Independently and collectively," the former star hooper wrote on social media.

Odom says he "hated being alone" ... and "sought solace in marijuana and a slew of random women, not loving any of them, not really wanting to be with any of them, but it beat being lonely."

Then Lamar says he had an epiphany.

"One day, my soul opened up, light bulb went off and I wanted and needed to change for ME! My team had worked hard to get me a fresh start. I had to honor that 🙏🏽"

Odom knew it was time to make some serious life changes ... and that's exactly what he says he did.

"Today, I am free. Drug free. Pornography addiction free. Marijuana free. Relationship free. I am rebuilding a relationship with myself. With my family. I am focused on my faith. My growth. My brand. I am a legend. I own that. I am a recovering addict. I own that too."

It's a big step for the former NBA All-Star.

Of course, Odom overdosed and nearly died after a night of hard partying at Dennis Hof's brothel in Nevada back in 2015.

Lamar has vowed to live a sober life in the past ... but has sometimes struggled to stay clean.

That is, until now, Lamar says ... and it's clear he appreciates the support.

"I truly love you all for loving me"

The Canadian Football League has suspended an Argonauts exec for his involvement in the wild brawl between Toronto players and Hamilton Tiger-Cats fans on Sunday ... after he slapped a spectator and allegedly used a homophobic slur.

"The Canadian Football League has suspended indefinitely John Murphy, Toronto Argonaut Vice-President Player Personnel, following an investigation into his physical and verbal altercation with fans following last Sunday’s Eastern Final," the league announced Wednesday.

The CFL added the investigation into the incident is still under investigation.

As we previously reported, the altercation happened at the end of the Argos' playoff loss to the Ticats, when a few Toronto players hopped a railing and got physical with fans after someone allegedly spit beer in a player's face.

In a video of the altercation, Murphy appears to make contact with a fan who flipped him off during the scrap ... and using the homophobic f-word towards someone else.

Scary moment in the NHL on Tuesday ... Chicago Blackhawks winger Jujhar Khaira was knocked out after taking a violent shoulder to the face -- and he was eventually hospitalized.

The horrifying scene all went down in the second period of the Hawks' game against the Rangers in Chicago ... when Khaira was blindsided by New York star Jacob Trouba.

You can see in footage of the play, Khaira's head slammed hard off the ice after he took the hit ... and he was immediately knocked unconscious.

The 27-year-old laid motionless for several seconds -- and he was ultimately put on a stretcher and taken to a nearby medical facility.

Fortunately, the Blackhawks say Khaira is doing well ... with head coach Derek King telling media members, "He's up. He's talking. He's very responsive."

"I think he wants to get back on the ice," King added with a laugh.

Khaira -- who's played in 18 games for the Blackhawks this season -- is expected to undergo several more tests to figure out just how bad his injuries are.

Legendary wrestler Blackjack Lanza -- who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 -- has died at 86 years old ... Vince McMahon announced Wednesday.

"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Jack Lanza," the famed WWE honcho said in a statement on his social media page. "He was a man's man, respected and beloved by all."

No cause of death has been revealed.

Lanza began his wrestling career in the early 1960s, and gained fame after he formed a tag-team partnership with Blackjack Mulligan.

The two -- who went by the moniker "The Blackjacks" -- became one of the most legendary duos in wrestling history ... eventually going on to star in McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation in the 1970s.

Lanza ultimately retired from wrestling in the 1980s ... but continued to work with McMahon and the WWE for years.

"His loyalty and dedication will never be forgotten," McMahon said.

Lanza had a huge impact on today's biggest wrestling stars ... with Triple H calling Lanza a legend after the two had a meeting back in 2016.

"One of the greatest minds in the business," Triple H said at the time, "thank you for letting me sit under the learning tree."

He added on Wednesday -- "Certain talent will seek certain agents for advice, but EVERYONE sought out Lanza’s."

"The sweetest man but incredibly tough & 100% dedicated to making us better. Jack often didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear, but ALWAYS told you what you needed. I’ll miss you dearly my friend.

One of sports TV's power couples has broken up -- ex-NBA player Jalen Rose filed for divorce from ESPN host Molly Qerim, TMZ Sports has learned.

Court records show Rose filed docs earlier this year ... kickstarting the process to end their 2 and a half year marriage.

Sources tell us the breakup was amicable and both sides remain cordial.

Rose first went public with the "First Take" host in June 2016 ... and they tied the knot at a lowkey NYC ceremony in July 2018.

Jalen filed April 30, 2021 ... just months after the couple starred in a Gatorade commercial together. Jalen says in court docs the marriage broke down irretrievably after Qerim moved to Connecticut.

It should be known -- in the docs, Jalen does not want alimony and doesn't want Molly to have it, either. We're told there was not a prenup and Molly does not want any spousal support.

The breakup signs were all over social media -- Molly previously included "Rose" in her name on Instagram and Twitter, but has recently scrubbed it from her accounts.

On top of that, the couple hadn't been photographed together much at all in the months leading up to the filing ... and Jalen and Molly also haven't posted each other on their pages for months.

However, Qerim has shown public support for Rose even after the filing -- in June, she spoke out about his struggles with deaths in the family in an emotional segment on "First Take."

Rose played in the NBA from 1994-2007 before taking his talents to television. Qerim previously worked at NFL Network.

Ex-Arizona star Frank Sanders just got a tattoo of Kliff Kingsbury -- and it's clear the former Cardinals wideout wasn't trying to hide it, getting a BIG piece done on his arm.

The 48-year-old -- who played for the Cards from 1995 through 2002 -- put the ink on his forearm on Tuesday ... and check it out, it ain't tiny!

Sanders said it measures around 3 inches tall and 6 inches wide ... and features a "K2" to honor the two "Ks" in Kliff Kingsbury's name. The tat also features the letters "PHNX" surrounded by the Cardinals' logo.

As for why Sanders got it -- he had been critical of Kingsbury in the past but promised if the Cardinals scored a win over the San Francisco 49ers back in Week 9, he'd get the tat.