TMZ Sports - Page 50

George Kittle is nowhere near done playing football, but when the time comes to hang up the spikes, he tells TMZ Sports he definitely wouldn't mind transitioning to the WWE!!!

The 49ers star didn't mince many words when the topic was brought up out in Arizona earlier this month ... saying he believes he's got the personality to smoothly jump from the NFL to the wrestling world if and when the time comes.

"Sounds fun!" he told us.

Of course, Kittle is a huge WWE fan ... he's been spotted at events like "Monday Night Raw" through the years, despite the taxing demands of being a professional football player.

The All-Pro tight end even put his wrestling skills on display recently at the NFL's Pro Bowl ... exchanging some moves with his teammate, Kyle Juszczyk.

Kittle's transition to the squared-circle would be pretty awesome ... but it would not be the first time we've seen an NFL tight end try his hand in the WWE.

Rob Gronkowski appeared at WrestleMania 33 ... where he helped his friend and former WWE star Dean "Mojo" Muhtadi win the Andre The Giant Battle Royal.

Gronk had one of the best spots despite not actually competing ... bulldozing through Jinder Mahal and paving the way for Mojo to eliminate Jinder, winning the match.

Dwyane Wade's daughter's been granted the official name and gender change she's wanted ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to new legal docs we obtained, an L.A. County judge just signed off on the new legal identity for Dwyane's transgender 15-year-old.

Dwyane's kid is now legally Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade ... and the judge also ruled in favor of her official gender change from male to female.

Of course, Dwyane and his current wife, Gabrielle Union, have been calling her Zaya for years -- she came out as trans back in 2020. Her petition for the name and gender has been making its way through the courts since last August.

The legal change came with some family drama ... as we first told you, the retired NBA star and his ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches-Wade were at odds over the move. Dwyane said the change was in their child's best interest and ripped Shiovaughn's opposition as "nonsensical."

Darrelle Revis has some advice for Aaron Rodgers if he ends up leaving the Green Bay Packers for the New York Jets ... telling the future Hall of Fame QB "come in humble."

TMZ Sports spoke with Revis amid the rumors that Rodgers could be on the move ... and the former NFL cornerback seems receptive to #12 joining his old squad.

The Jets have emerged as a possible destination for Rodgers if he does, in fact, decide to continue his career elsewhere ... but the NFL world is waiting on the QB to figure out what he wants to do.

Revis -- who starred for the Jets from 2007-2012 -- admitted NYC is a tough market, but he says Rodgers would be able to "weather the storm," adding he can be successful right away.

37-year-old Revis said he thinks Rodgers -- who won a Super Bowl with the Packers in 2011 -- would be a tremendous addition to the weapons the Jets already have.

"I believe he has weapons at every position," said Revis, a 7x Pro Bowler. "As Jets fans. As Jet lovers. We can see some high-scoring games. We can see some big victories."

"Having a superstar quarterback in Rodgers, he can definitely put points on the board very quickly which would help the defense rest much better and they can be more explosive."

We also spoke to DR about Aaron's "darkness retreat," which he reportedly emerged from on Thursday, and Darrelle joked that Rodgers went to "Revis Island" for some alone time.

Jon Jones' family is filled with Super Bowl champs, but the UFC superstar tells TMZ Sports he had zero chance of having a career on the football field -- 'cause he said he "absolutely sucked" at the sport.

Of course, Jones' older brother, Arthur, played 8 seasons as a defensive tackle for the Ravens, Colts, and Commanders ... and his younger bro, Chandler, currently plays defensive end for the Raiders.

With that being said, football is clearly in the Jones DNA ... so when we asked Jon if he could have followed in their footsteps, Bones made no bones about it -- he was ass.

"I absolutely sucked on the football field," Jones told us. "I was no good at all. I didn't play until my senior year [of high school]. I was always on the team, but I never got to play.

Jones -- who holds a 26-1 record in the UFC -- says he just didn't get the Xs and Os, coverages, or play calling behind the game ... and playing Madden didn't help either.

"I sucked at football. I made a hell of a benchwarmer, though," Jones said.

But, don't feel bad for the guy -- Jones ended up becoming one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever ... and he's back in the Octagon on March 4 to face 11-1 Ciryl Gane -- his first fight in over 3 years.

"A lot of people wanted to take a warm-up fight," Jones said. "I'm going right at one of the best talents the UFC has ever seen."

Former Univ. of Georgia stars Knowshown Moreno and Tavarres King are firing back at PETA ... telling TMZ Sports the animal rights org. should kick rocks for demanding their live bulldog mascot be removed from its role.

PETA initially took aim at the school after the National Championship Game earlier this year -- requesting the university retire Uga for good ... calling the dog's position as team mascot cruel to the animal.

But, when we talked with Moreno and King about the situation earlier this month, they both said Uga is living better than some students do!

"I feel like those pets live the best lives!" said Moreno, who played at UGA from 2006 to 2008. "Uga live the life!"

"I don't think folks know how good of a life Uga lives," added King, a receiver for the Bulldogs from 2008 to 2012. "Uga lives a good one."

FYI -- Georgia has used a live mascot since the 1950s ... starting with Uga I. The current mascot is Uga X.

Both Moreno and King said they've personally seen the dogs be treated like royalty, telling us the pups get fed regularly -- and even have first-class seats on team planes.

King also said the mascot's dog house has air conditioning!

Detroit Pistons big man James Wiseman says there's "definitely" room for Mac McClung in the NBA after his performance in the Slam Dunk Contest last week ... telling TMZ Sports the high flyer is a "great player."

24-year-old McClung has bounced around the NBA and G League after going undrafted in 2021, but got another opportunity when he signed a two-way contract with the Sixers right before wowing the entire basketball community with his dunking skills in Utah.

We spoke with Wiseman out at LAX about how Mac can build off his momentum from the dunk contest and remain in the league ... and he thinks the former Georgetown and Texas Tech star can solidify his spot on an NBA roster.

Of course, McClung previously played for the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers on 10-day contracts ... but now many, Wiseman included, believe it's time for Mac to shine in the NBA.

Erin Blanchfield isn't looking to prove herself worthy of a title fight ... she straight up believes she's a superior fighter to Valentina Shevchenko, telling TMZ Sports she plans to dethrone the current champ.

"[Valentina] can be taken down, she can be controlled on the ground and I think my jiu-jitsu is even better. I know I could fight with her anywhere. I'm confident in my striking and my wrestling and my jitsu," 23-year-old Blanchfield, fresh off an impressive 2nd round submission win over Jessica Andrade, told us this week.

The #3 ranked UFC flyweight then continued ... "I think just putting my whole game together, I think I'm more well-rounded in that sense where I can put it all together better and that I'll find that win whenever I can."

We asked Erin if she believes she's done enough to secure a fight for the belt.

"Oh, definitely. I think I've proved myself after this last weekend and I definitely want that title shot next."

Blanchfield vs. Shevchenko is the fight so many fans want to see, but Valentina has business to take care of beforehand. The 34-year-old champion is fighting 29-year-old Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 on March 4 ... where she's a heavy favorite (-600).

FYI, Shevchenko only has 3 losses in her entire career ... and 2 were to Amanda Nunes (some fans feel VS won 1 of the fights). Valentina hasn't lost since 2017 (and hasn't lost to anyone not named Nunes since 2010!). Blanchfield only has one loss on her ledger (in 2019) ... and has an 11-1 record in MMA (5-0 in UFC).

Erin tells us she's rooting for Shevchenko because a loss would almost certainly guarantee a rematch of the 285 scrap between the women, and EB isn't trying to wait. Not to mention, she'd like to be the woman to dethrone the future Hall of Famer.

"I definitely want Valentina to win. I wanna be the one to take that belt from her. She's been a super dominant champ, she's very skilled and having that prestige of taking a belt from someone like Valentina is definitely what I want."

As for how she thinks a fight with the current champ would go ... Blanchfield sees herself winning by any means necessary.

Gervonta Davis has found himself in hot water once again -- the boxing star is now being accused of punching an NYC parking lot attendant in the chest during a heated altercation in March 2022 ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Arturo Jimenez claims he just started his shift at the Edison Park Fast garage around 11 AM on March 8 ... when Tank approached him and asked for the keys to his Cadillac Escalade.

Jimenez says he was working with another customer at the time and had no idea Tank had already asked a different attendant to go fetch his whip ... and Davis grew upset, saying "stop f***ing playing with me."

The worker says Tank then punched him in the chest ... causing "multiple bodily injuries."

The lawsuit states Jimenez's coworker saw the whole incident ... and brought him into the garage office to keep Tank from hurting him even more.

While inside the office, Jimenez claims Tank was visibly pissed, shouting and cursing at them ... demanding his keys, but refusing to pay his parking fee.

After a while, the lawsuit says Tank eventually caved in and paid his fee before driving away from the scene.

Jimenez says he reported the incident to NYPD a day later.

He is suing for unspecified damages ... claiming he was unable to work and has racked up medical bills due to the injuries.

It's yet another troubling accusation made against Davis, who has had a growing list of run-ins with the law recently.

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

The Gervonta 'Tank' Davis vs. Ryan Garcia super fight -- which boxing fans have been begging for -- is finally happening on April 22 ... and it's set to go in Las Vegas!

Tank (28-0, 26 KOs) confirmed the news on Friday by tweeting, "April 22, 2023 Las Vegas It’s on!  #DavisGarcia GOOOOO."

The venue for the highly-anticipated fight is not yet public, but that's irrelevant ... bottom line, Tank and Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) agreed to fight at a catch weight of 136 pounds for a 12-round non-title fight.

It will be a Showtime Pay-Per-View event, in partnership with Al Haymon's PBC, Golden Boy Promotions, and DAZN ... who all worked together to make it happen, according to TalkSport's Michael Benson.

The fight's been years in the making ... and the heat's been ratcheted up, especially lately. Both fighters have gone back and forth, talking crap to one another.

Many fans assumed the fight would never happen (and some still don't believe it will), but Oscar De La Hoya told us in April he was very optimistic about the fight not only happening, but RG easily winning, saying ... "Ryan Garcia wants to knock him out so bad. He's calling it in two rounds."

"Both guys are in their prime. Both guys are undefeated. It's gonna be a great fight," ODLH told us at the time.

But, not everyone expects Ryan to win. In fact, pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez recently told us he expects Tank to win ... citing his experience.

Brittney Griner is picking up right where she left off with the Phoenix Mercury ... smiling from ear-to-ear as she donned the team's uniform once again for a photoshoot.

The Mercury posted a behind-the-scenes look at Griner posing for the cam on Friday ... just days after the WNBA star signed a one-year deal to solidify her return to Phoenix.

In the video shared on the Mercury's official Twitter account, BG was her normal charismatic self ... showing off her dribbling skills and grinning as the cameras fired away.

Griner -- who hasn't played a WNBA game since 2021 -- gave Mercury fans a taste of what they can expect once she hits the court by showing off some behind-the-back passes.

As we previously reported, 32-year-old Griner got back into the swing of things when she showed up to a shoot-around session earlier this week ... and she looked thrilled throughout the workout.

The Mercury have embraced Griner amid her return to the U.S. and the team ... after all, when last seen, BG was one of the most dominant forces in the WNBA.

Griner -- a 6-time All-Star and 2-time Olympic Gold medalist -- led the Mercury to a WNBA championship in 2014 ... and she averaged a career-high 21.9 points per game in 2017.

WWE Superstar Carmella is opening up, talking about the ectopic pregnancy that forced her hiatus from the company ... revealing the situation was so severe, she could've lost her life.

Carmella joined her husband, Corey Graves and his podcast partner, Kevin Patrick on CG's 'After The Bell' podcast ... where she went into detail about the traumatic experience, explaining how the terrible situation forced her into a "deep depression."

"It was so difficult," Carmella recalled of the October 2022 miscarriage.

"It’s insane because not only am I in the emergency room for this crazy medical condition that we have to monitor closely, I was on bed rest for four weeks straight, I couldn’t do anything."

"I’m also processing the loss of our baby. It was a double whammy," the WWE Superstar told Corey and Patrick.

Carmella says she was in a dark place after the medical emergency.

"I was in a deep depression for a while. It was really hard. I felt it was necessary for me to share my story. Even though I had you [Corey], I had my family, I had never felt so alone because it’s like blaming yourself. ‘What did I do wrong?' 'How could I have prevented this?’ It turns out there is nothing I could have done."

FYI, an ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside of the uterus (as opposed to inside the uterus during a healthy pregnancy) usually in a fallopian tube, according to the Mayo Clinic. Ectopic pregnancies cannot proceed, and as Carmella said, can be fatal for the mother.

Carmella -- the 2017 Money in the Bank Women's ladder match winner -- admitted she questioned whether she'd ever feel good again following the tragedy.

"It was a very difficult time and it felt like, my return was up in the air, I didn’t know. 'Am I ever going to go back to work?' 'Am I ever going to feel okay?' 'Am I ever going to feel good enough to get off the damn couch and put some makeup on and feel good about myself?'"

"Luckily, we’re here and on the other side, but it was definitely a difficult journey."

Aside from scores of family and friends helping her reach the other side, Carmella says there was one person in particular who went above and beyond ... Stephanie McMahon.

"I’m gonna get emotional thinking about it. She was so supportive of me through all of it. Reached out to me several times, we had several phone conversations about it."

Carmella says she will be "forever grateful" for what the WWE exec and daughter of Vince McMahon did for her, saying "not only does she preach women empowerment, she practices it."

Carmella made her long-awaited return to WWE earlier this month.

Russell Wilson says he loves Pete Carroll and NEVER wanted him booted out of Seattle ... contradicting a new report claiming the star QB demanded the Seahawks coach be fired.

"I love Pete [Carroll] and he was a father figure to me and [General Manager John Schneider] believed in me and drafted me as well. I never wanted them fired. All any of us wanted was to win," Russell wrote on social media.

"l’ll always have respect for them and love for Seattle."

The statement from the 34-year-old is a direct response to a story published by The Athletic on Friday morning ... which claimed Wilson demanded the two men be fired in February 2022, believing they were holding him back from winning another Super Bowl. The outlet cited league sources.

The report claims Wilson -- who played 10 seasons in Seattle -- had a preferred replacement in mind for Carroll ... Sean Payton, who'd just made the decision to leave the New Orleans Saints after 15 seasons.

If Russ actually did request a trade, team ownership opted to stand behind Pete and John. Team brass met a few days after the alleged request and decided to ship the 9-time Pro Bowler out of Washington via a trade.

Wilson was sent to Denver, where he signed a 5-year, $245 million extension. Russ was bad, and the Broncos had a terrible season, finishing last in the AFC West with a 5-12 record.

In fact, first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired before the season ended ... and interestingly, Payton was hired as the new head coach.

A fan sitting courtside was left crying over spilled beer at the Pacers game on Thursday ... after Malcolm Brogdon crashed into him and knocked over his drink!!

The party foul went down during the Pacers vs. Celtics matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on ... when the Boston guard fell right on top of him in the second quarter.

Brogdon was attempting to stop Bennedict Mathurin from scoring near the hoop ... but ended up fouling him instead.

During the play, Brogdon started to stumble into the crowd at the baseline, where a fan was holding two cups of beer. Despite Mathurin's best attempts to save him, the 6'5" guard collapsed right onto the guy.

The brew spilled EVERYWHERE ... but the good news is the fan was double-fisting, so one cup of beer was saved -- a feat the broadcasters hilariously praised during a replay.

"He was able to save the first one," one of the broadcasters said. "The one in his left hand -- not a chance."

The game was delayed for several minutes as the cleaning crew mopped up the booze ... 'cause ya can't have a bunch of players running around on a wet floor!

Despite the spill and delay, the fans got to witness a thrilling overtime game -- with a bit of trash talk going down between the players.

The Celtics ended up winning 142-138 and are currently leading the Eastern Conference.

Jeff Hardy is putting his most recent legal problem behind him -- the wrestling star's June DUI case in Florida was officially closed on Thursday, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to the Volusia County court records, Hardy submitted a written no contest plea ... meaning he accepted a conviction and punishment for the crime, but didn't admit guilt.

Hardy was sentenced to 38 days in jail ... but was given a 38-day credit for time already served, and had his license suspended for 10 years, according to Wrestling Observer.

The outlet says Hardy was sentenced to two years probation, court-mandated DUI school or drug rehab program, and community service, and he has to pay $4,586 in fines and court fees.

Hardy -- who was suspended by All Elite Wrestling (AEW) a day after he was arrested for his third DUI -- will also have to wear an interlock device for two years.

Jeff -- who starred for WWE and TNA before joining AEW -- was arrested last June after officers from the Florida Highway Patrol found that he was driving under the influence.

FWP officers administered two tests to Hardy and claim he blew a .291 and .294, well above the legal limit (.08) permitted in Florida, and even had to pull out their service weapons during the stop.

Rihanna's halftime performance at Super Bowl LVII caused a ton of outrage for folks watching on TV ... they flooded the FCC with complaints, saying her set was too big on sex.

The overall takeaway from the folks who felt compelled to complain about Rihanna to the feds ... the lyrics and choreography were way too sexualized, with some viewers even comparing it to porn.

TMZ obtained the 103 complaints made to the Federal Communications Commission -- a U.S. government agency that regulates television -- regarding this month's Super Bowl broadcast ... and almost all of them had to do with RiRi's halftime show.

One viewer in California even compared Rihanna's set to Kim Petras and Sam Smith's performance at the Grammys, writing ... "I don't care what someone worships but children shouldn't be exposed to pornography and as an adult I don't wish to see it ... Where has decency gone? How about respect for others and self?"

In Utah, one viewer bitched ... "This year the halftime show was so indecent I had to turn off the TV because of the pornographic content."

Meanwhile, folks across the country clutched pearls over the "overtly sexual dancing" and song content heavy on sexual content.

Rihanna was pregnant so she didn't dance much ... and most of the ire was directed at the background dancers, who some say made gestures that "were patently offensive and completely inappropriate for children."

When RiRi did manage some dance moves, they drew complaints too ... with one viewer in Florida complaining, "She spread her a** cheek at the crack. She rubbed her pants where her labia were three times."

Floyd Mayweather is fighting this weekend, but the boxing legend didn't seem too fazed about the bout on Thursday ... partying it up with Jamie Foxx to celebrate his birthday!!

TBE welcomed all his friends to Restaurant Ours in London to honor his 46th trip around the sun ... and the bash had a ton of booze, an incredible cake -- and of course, huge tributes to the man of the hour.

Foxx looked like the life of the party ... showing off his dance moves while sporting a fancy purple suit.

Mayweather was spotted wearing a Clueless-esque yellow plaid outfit ... posing with a massive bottle of bubbly -- but remember, the guy doesn't drink, so we're assuming it was just for a photo op.

Actor Evan Ross, celeb jeweler Johnny Dang and designer Ozwald Boateng were in attendance ... as well as a ton of beautiful women, including model Ivana Knoll, who documented the rager on her social media page.

The event went down just 48 hours before Floyd is set to enter the ring with reality TV star and former Bellator fighter Aaron Chalmers at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday ... and it sure seems like he's feeling good before the exhibition bout.