TMZ Sports - Page 50

Kayla Harrison says she happily resigned with PFL -- but only after company execs proved they were serious about making a super fight with Cris Cyborg, the undefeated MMA star tells TMZ Sports.

31-year-old Harrison -- a 2x PFL tourney winner -- has made it clear she wants to fight the best (think Cyborg and Amanda Nunes) ... so when Kayla recently hit the free-agent market, she talked to Bellator and UFC.

But, the 12-0 fighter says the PFL bosses convinced her they could put together a Harrison-Cyborg fight in the near future.

"PFL and I talked in depth about that and they let me know in no uncertain terms that they are gonna -- Cyborg only has two fights left on her contract, but also I know that they're very open to talking with Bellator," Harrison tells us.

"They're very open to co-promoting, cross-promoting, streaming, Pay Per Viewing, CBS, ESPN, they're open to all of it."

36-year-old Cyborg -- who's only lost twice since turning pro in 2005 -- is laying her title on the line, fighting Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 279 in April. But, after that, it's clear Kayla believes there's a path to make the fight.

And, Harrison, a 2x Olympic gold medalist, believes she's ready ... and has been for some time.

"To be frank, honestly, and blunt, I am ready now to test myself. I feel like I've been held back by my coaches, by my advisors for a while. I've been ready, I've been chomping at the bit, I've been ready to go out there and test myself."

Along with the new deal comes a whole bunch of money, too (PFL described it as a “historic new contract”). But, Kayla says the cash comes second to her legacy.

"After talking to [PFL Founder] Donn Davis, I do feel really hopeful. I think that he really wants to make the [Cyborg] fight happen. I think that's he's innovative, I think that he knows that this is very important to me."

Tom Brady's retirement lasted 2 months -- the 7-time Super Bowl champ just announced he will be returning to the NFL for his 23rd season.

"These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands," Brady -- who will be 45 before the 2022 begins -- shockingly said in a tweet on Sunday.

"That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible."

"I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG."

The rumors of Brady's return started pretty much immediately after he confirmed the news on Feb. 1 ... and his comments in the weeks following certainly made it seem as if he wasn't done for good.

In fact, just one week later, Brady flirted with the idea of coming back ... telling Jim Gray "never say never."

The Bucs were clearly in favor of a TB12 return ... with general manager Jason Licht saying the team would "leave the light on" for him.

The Bucs went 13-4 last season before losing to the Los Angeles Rams, who went on to win the Super Bowl.

Brady definitely showed no signs of slowing down last season -- he led the league with 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdowns ... and threw just 12 interceptions.

The timing is important -- free agents can sign with new teams starting Monday afternoon ... and the Bucs have more than 20 players hitting free agency.

Kyrie Irving is throwing NYC's vaccine mandate policy right back in its face on primetime TV -- taking in a home game, maskless, from the stands ... but not able to step onto the court.

The awkward scene played out live Sunday during the Nets' home game against Knicks ... which was being carried by ESPN. During the 2nd quarter, the camera panned to KI, who was shaking hands with people down near the bottom of the stands, and then going up to his seat a few rows up.

In this capacity -- as a spectator -- he's totally okay to not wear a mask and move about ... as that is now NYC's policy on events like this, regardless of vaccine status. However, their rule pertaining to private employees hasn't changed -- namely, those folks have to be vaccinated, and Kyrie isn't.

Still ... the irony of the sitch reeks of hypocrisy, but more importantly ... it reeks of a lack of common sense, something that Doris Burke and other announcers broached with trepidation ... because, if we're being honest, the regulations here just don't make sense anymore.

Kyrie's former teammate, LeBron James, was not as shy about expressing his indignation over NYC's backwards thinking. In response to someone pointing out what a joke this is, he wrote ... "FACTS FACTS FACTS!! It literally makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE!!! They say if common sense was common then we’d all have it. Ain’t that the truth."

LBJ has been outspoken on the pandemic, especially the further into it we've gotten. Remember, it was just in December that he suggested the latest strains were more like the flu or the cold than anything else ... something he was slammed for at the time, as some felt he was downplaying the seriousness of the virus.

Scott Hall -- one of WWE's biggest superstars from the 20th century -- is reportedly on life support ... this after major surgery complications.

The news was reported Sunday by PW Torch, which says Hall is clinging to life at a hospital in Georgia ... following a procedure to work on his broken hip. According to the outlet, SH suffered three heart attacks Saturday night.

PWT reports the heart attacks come on the heels of his hip surgery last week, which they say caused a complication when a blood clot got loose in the midst of operating.

Hall is one of the bona fide living legends of pro wrestling still active today. He rose to prominence in the '90s through the WWF playing the character Razor Ramon ... and then went on to assume his actual name in the WCW.

He's also one of the founding members of the wrestling stable New World Order (nWo) ... alongside Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash -- who portrayed themselves as wrestling outcasts looking to take the sport over in street gang, tough-guy fashion.

Hall is a multi-time champ -- he's won multiple titles with the WCW, including several tag team championships, and at least four with WWF. He's also competed in multiple WrestleMania events over the years ... and was even due to appear at this year's showdown.

Despite stepping away from WWE in the early 2000s, he continued to wrestle professionally until about 2010, at which point he semi-retired ... but still stayed active within WWE. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame twice ... once as a solo act in 2014 and again as a new member in 2020.

Naomi Osaka lost her tennis match Saturday, but that wasn't the worst part of her day ... a heckler set off a chain of events that reduced the tennis star to tears.

Naomi was playing Veronika Kudermetova at the Indian Wells Tourney outside Palm Springs, when a woman in the stands screamed, "Naomi, you suck!" The fans started screaming at the woman, and rocked Naomi.

She was losing 3-0 in the first set when she begged the ump to let her take the mic and talk to the audience, promising, "I just want to say something. I'm not going to curse. I don't curse. It's just weighing on my heart."

Officials would not oblige, but vowed to boot the heckler if she dared tried it again.

It was too late for Naomi ... she lost the first set 6-0 and the second 6-4.

After losing, Naomi asked again, and this time she got the mic, telling the crowd, "To be honest, I've been heckled before. It didn't really bother me. But heckled here, like, I've watched a video of Venus and Serena get heckled here, and if you've never watched it, you should watch it. I don't know why, but it went into my head and got replayed a lot."

Patrick Mahomes is a married man -- the NFL superstar quarterback just tied the knot with his high school sweetheart, Brittany Matthews ... and the ceremony looked incredible!!

The Mahomeses had their closest friends and family in attendance for the wedding ... including Patrick's Chiefs teammates.

The QB's younger brother, Jackson, was best man ... and All-Pro bestie Travis Kelce was also a groomsman.

Brittany's closest friends were part of her bridal party ... and Kelce and his GF, Kayla, were spotted dancing it up with the happy couple at the reception -- with both NFL stars wearing colorful outfits.

Patrick and Brittany first started dating back in high school ... and have been together ever since.

The newly wedded couple welcomed their 1-year-old daughter, Sterling Skye, in 2021 ... who adorably served as flower girl for the ceremony.

Edgar Berlanga is back ... the first-round knockout king from Brooklyn is returning to the ring after tearing his bicep last year, and Fat Joe's walking him to the squared circle next Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

The 24-year-old power puncher told TMZ Sports headlining in his hometown of New York, after rehabbing to come back from a torn left biceps injury, feels surreal.

"It still feels fake," Edgar told us. "I still feel like I'm the undercard of another fighter, but I'm a happy man."

And, he won't just have Joe -- a NYC legend -- by his side as he makes his way to the ring ... 'cause Edgar says a bunch of celebs, from musicians to hoopers, have hit him up for the ticket hookup.

"All the celebs is coming out," Edgar said. "They hit me up like 'yo, we tryna be there, I wanna support.'" "Knicks players [Obi Toppin] is hittin' me, so I'm like 'aight.'"

"Sup with the tickets?" Toppin asked Edgar.

"I said 'like bro, that's your home,' and he's like 'nah bro I need to be there.'" "I'm like 'say no more, I gotchu.'"

The New York native tells us rappers Fabolous, Jim Jones, Maino and Dave East are pulling up to MSG to watch him fight, too.

We last saw Edgar -- aka "The Chosen One" -- in a ring back in October 2021 ... when he defeated Marcelo Esteban Coceres in 10-rounds via unanimous decision, after surviving a knockdown earlier in the fight.

Edgar -- who started his pro career with 16 consecutive first-round knockouts (unreal) -- says he knew the day would come when the streak would end, but he's not sweating it because he wants the ring time.

Berlanga will put his undefeated 18-0 (16 KO's) record on the line when he steps inside the ring against his opponent veteran boxer Steve Rolls.

"March 19 I'm looking to explode, bro! Getcha popcorn ready like I always say, 'cause it's fire coming, for real."

Rich Paul is giving actor Damson Idris -- who's playing the NBA super-agent in a biopic about his life -- a big stamp of approval ... telling TMZ Sports he's a huge fan (and friend) of the "Snowfall" star.

We talked to the 40-year-old agent as he left LAX Thursday night ... and we asked Rich about the upcoming film about his life, and the actor who will portray him.

"I like Damson a lot. He's a great friend of mine," Paul said, adding, "Damson's great man, he's doing a great job. That's my brother."

Not much, if anything, was known about the project or its cast until Idris recently broke the news during an appearance on "The Breakfast Club."

"I am about to play Rich Paul," Idris announced on the show.

"It is time we start cherishing black moguls and Rich is someone that people need to know. This guy has completely changed the game, and I'm happy and fortunate to call him a big brother, and I can't wait to honor his story."

Paul, LeBron James' longtime agent, has a fascinating story. He met LBJ at an airport in Akron, Ohio when he was in his early 20s, and James was 18.

The story goes ... Rich approached Lebron and tried to sell him some throwback jerseys. The guys obviously hit it off, and fast forward almost 20 years, Paul has become one of the most respected and powerful agents in the entire sports world.

And, Paul -- who also reps the likes of Anthony Davis, John Wall, Ben Simmons and other stars -- isn't just a superagent ... he's a celebrity in his own right.

Case and point ... Rich dates Adele.

Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev isn't the main event at UFC 273, but it's the fight everyone's dying to see ... and Durinho says he'd love to flatline the undefeated fighter, he believes the highly anticipated fight will be a slugfest.

"The perfect scenario, I'll go there and take the guy out with a punch. Boom, knockout! That was the perfect scenario but I think it's gonna be a war. I don't think it's gonna be that easy. I think that guy's a dog, he's gonna come hungry, excited trying to put on a show," Gilbert told TMZ Sports.

27-year-old Chimaev burst onto the UFC scene in 2020 ... amassing a 4-0 record (10-0 overall) in Dana White's promotion, all while becoming a huge star.

All but one of Khamzat's fights have ended in the first round (the other ended just a minute into the 2nd round) ... and the man has literally been hit just two times.

But, #11 ranked Chimaev hasn't faced a top 10 opponent ... and certainly no one like Burns, Gilbert says.

"I think [Khamzat's] very tough, I think he's very good, but let's be honest, he's never seen on one on my caliber, grappling wise, jiu-jitsu, striking, speed, in a lot of actual experience. I've been there many times in the UFC title fights, many events. I think I have a lot of experience but I see that guy very, very tough -- very, very dangerous. I'll take him very seriously."

FYI, the 35-year-old fighter is the #2 ranked UFC welterweight ... and has beat the likes of Tyron Woodley, Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson and Demian Maia.

Delonte West is attempting a hoops comeback ... the former NBA player who's battled addiction and legal issues over the years tried out for the Big 3 today -- and it's pretty great to see.

38-year-old West was in Washington D.C. at the Athletic Republic for tryouts for the 3-on-3 league that mostly features retired NBA stars.

Guys like Joe Johnson, Reggie Evans, and Leandro Barbosa played in the Big 3 last season.

No word yet on how Delonte performed at the tryout (West looked good knocking down a couple 3s) ... but just the fact he's out there is encouraging.

West -- who last played in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2011-2012 season -- has had several run-ins with the cops over the years since leaving basketball.

Just a few months back, in October, Delonte was arrested outside a police station in Palm Beach County, FL for allegedly banging on the door of the station, before cursing out cops.

But, Delonte -- who has battled addiction -- worked very hard to get himself back on track (with the help of supporters like Mark Cuban).

We broke the story a few weeks back that West was busting his ass in the gym in an effort to prepare for today's tryout.

During his time in the NBA, West -- the 24th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft -- was no scrub. DW played 8 seasons for the Celtics, SuperSonics and Cavs ... in addition to the Mavs. He averaged 10 points, 3 rebounds and nearly 4 assists a game for his career.

It's not yet known if Delonte will make a team ... but just the fact he's out there is the real win here.

WWE superstar Big E suffered a horrific injury Friday night ... a broken neck.

It went down on "Smackdown" in Birmingham, Alabama, when Big E was in the throes of a tag team match. Ridge Holland gabbed E in a belly-to-belly suplex and it did not go as planned. He landed on his head and that was the end of the match.

Big E was taken out of the arena by stretcher and rushed to a nearby hospital.

It's pretty amazing ... recording a video for his fans hours after the injury in his hospital bed, reassuring everyone ... "I can move all of my digits, that's always a good thing, strength feels fine. But unfortunately, right now they tell me my neck is broken, so there's that."

Quavo's ready to showcase his hoop skills ... telling TMZ Sports that the directors for the reboot of "White Men Can't Jump" starring fellow rapper Jack Harlow need to give him a ring  -- 'cause he wants to play the role of Wesley Snipes.

We caught up with the "Bad and Boujee" MC at LAX after it was announced that Jack will be acting in the remake of the film ... and Quavo told us he's dead serious about wanting to be cast in the movie alongside Harlow.

"I think they need to call me, so me and Jack Harlow can do it," Huncho said.

"I need to play Wesley Snipes' role."

The movie -- which was originally released in 1992 -- tells the story of Billy Hoyle played by Woody Harrelson, and Sidney Deane played by Snipes, abandoning their on-court rivalry to team up together and hustle other guys.

The film was wildly popular ... meaning Harlow -- who landed the lead role in his first-ever screen audition -- has big shoes to fill. But, Huncho seems to think the rap star will do well on set.

"Jack Harlow's amazing," Quavo said. "He can do everything."

Of course, Quavo is no stranger to actual ballin' ... he's routinely traded buckets with some of the industry's biggest names -- such as Drake and Justin Bieber.

Huncho has also become a fixture in the NBA's annual All-Star Celebrity Game ... winning MVP honors in 2018 after dropping 19-points in an impressive performance.

Jason "White Chocolate" Williams is wrong ... Kobe Bryant's not only in the top five greatest Lakers of all time -- he's number one!

... that's according to former Los Angeles Lakers center (and former Kobe teammate) John Salley, who tells TMZ Sports there is no better Laker ever than the Black Mamba.

"Kobe is the greatest Laker of all time," Salley said outside of LAX this week.

Of course, Williams is clearly not in agreement with Salley -- because he said on the popular basketball podcast "Players Choice" earlier this month that he wasn't sure if Kobe belonged even in the top-five Laker conversation.

Williams didn't elaborate on why ... but he said he knew the opinion would ruffle feathers.

Salley wasn't pissed about the former NBA point guard's hot take -- but he made it clear to us, Kobe is his No. 1 all-time.

"When you say greatest Laker, I'm just going to go with Jerry West, then it was Magic Johnson," the four-time champion said. "And then, 20 years of Kobe changed the whole attitude."

Mo Alie-Cox might be a free agent this offseason, but he's hoping to stay put ... telling TMZ Sports he'd love to re-sign with the Colts!!

The 28-year-old has played in Indianapolis since signing on as an undrafted free agent in 2017 ... after starring as a college basketball player at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Alie-Cox has developed into a solid player over the first four seasons of his career -- last year, he banked in 316 yards and 4 touchdowns after signing a one-year deal for $3 million.

Alie-Cox is now at liberty to sign with any team he wants as he hits free agency ... but he tells us, he'd rather keep it going in Indy.

"I'd love to go back to Indy," AC told us this week. "Been there for my whole career."

"That's the only place I know, so if they extend an offer or the right opportunity presents itself, I would definitely love to go back."

Of course, we had to ask about the rumors of MAC going over to the NFC to play with Eagles QB Jalen Hurts ... and that was news to him.

"Shoot, I haven't heard me going to Philly," he said.

It would make sense -- Alie-Cox's former Colts TE coach, Jason Michael, and OC, Nick Sirianni, are running things in Philly now .. and they could use more talent at the position.

But, Mo says he hasn't heard anything about it -- and it's clear he loves Indy.

Today marks the day of daylight saving time ... a time for celebrities like Eva Longoria, Alex Rodriguez, and Busy Philipps to take on new heights as they bounce their way to the top!

If you follow Eva on Instagram you know she deserves the 10.0 for best jumps, and based on the picture ... a stellar score for her cheeky tramp attire.

Deshaun Watson will NOT face criminal charges in Texas in relation to accusations of sexual misconduct made by 9 massage therapists ... a grand jury determined on Friday.

26-year-old Watson was accused of groping, touching himself and making inappropriate comments and requests by more than 20 women over the past few years.

Watson's case was presented in Harris County on Friday ... and the grand jury returned 9 no bills for each criminal complaint.

The Harris County DA's office released a statement ... saying, "After a Harris County grand jury was presented all the evidence and had the opportunity to hear from all witnesses, grand jurors declined to indict Deshaun Watson."

"Grand jury proceedings are secret by law, so no information related to their inquiry may be disclosed."

Worth noting -- prosecutors in Harris County are the only ones who presented a case in front of a grand jury ... but Watson also faced accusations in Georgia, California and Arizona. It's unclear whether the women in those states will pursue criminal charges.

Watson still has a long legal battle ahead of him ... as he's facing a mountain of lawsuits filed by his accusers.

Watson has adamantly denied any wrongdoing ... and his attorney, Rusty Hardin, claimed encounters were consensual.

The timing is crucial for Watson's football career ... as NFL free agency starts next week.

Watson's in the middle of a 4-year, $156 million deal ... but teams will be making moves and his criminal status will certainly make an impact on whether he finds a new home.

It doesn't mean Watson is out of the woods just yet -- the NFL released a statement saying it is still investigating.