TMZ Sports - Page 39

The WWE Universe is mourning the loss of "Superstar" Billy Graham ... who passed away on Wednesday, with tributes honoring the life and legacy of the late great WWE legend.

"Nature Boy" Ric Flair, whom Graham mentored, was among the first to give the Hall of Famer his flowers, thanking him for all he did for his career.

Graham also mentored Jesse Ventura, who too remembered his friend ... "There wouldn't be a Jesse 'The Body' Ventura without the in-ring success and trailblazing showmanship of Superstar Billy Graham."

"One of my proudest wrestling memories was having the honor of being inducted into the same WWE Hall of Fame class as Graham. Rest In Power Superstar."

Paul Heyman credited Billy with being the wrestler who made Vince McMahon realize WWWF/WWF/WWE performers were more than just professional wrestlers, but also superstars, too.

"A most heartfelt RIP to the man of the hour, the man with the power, too sweet to be sour!" Heyman tweeted.

Other WWE legends, including Iron Sheik, Bully Ray aka Bubba Ray Dudley, Sgt. Slaughter and X-Pac also reflected on the former bodybuilder's life.

As we reported on Wednesday, Billy's family told us he died after being taken off life support with his daughter and wife, Valerie, by his side.

Billy's health had been in steady decline -- he was suffering from congestive heart failure, diabetes, hearing loss, and a significant infection in his ears and skull.

Billy was inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame in 2004.

He was 79.

WWE Hall of Famer "Superstar" Billy Graham has died ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Billy's family tells us he died Wednesday after being taken off life support. We're told Billy's wife and daughter were by his side when he passed.

As we reported ... Billy's wife Valerie announced Monday he had been in the ICU for three weeks as a result of various health issues. She said doctors wanted to take Billy off life support Monday night, but she initially refused.

Known for his prowess as a wrestler and a bodybuilder, Billy rose to fame back in the day wrestling for the American Wrestling Association and later the World Wrestling Federation.

Billy mentored big-time wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, Scott Steiner, Ric Flair and Jesse Ventura ... and in 2004 the WWE inducted Billy into its Hall of Fame.

Billy's recent health issues took a toll on his body ... his family says he lost 45 pounds while suffering from congestive heart failure, diabetes, hearing loss, and a significant infection in his ears and skull.

We're also told his kidneys were failing.

Tributes are now pouring in from across the wrestling world ... with Ric tweeting, "THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR INFLUENCE On My Career!"

Billy was 79.

Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones may be on life support, but it's not dead ... and if the UFC is ever down to cross-promote an event with the PFL, "The Predator" says he only needs a couple of months for a scrap with the man most believe is the greatest ever!

"I'd be ready in two or three months from that moment I agree with that," 36-year-old Ngannou told TMZ Sports late Monday.

Francis reiterated ... he wants Jon, and always has.

"I'd be on board. Listen, first of all, I always claim for this Jon Jones fight, I always wanted Jon Jones fight and then it seem like they didn't want to make this Jon Jones fight happen."

Of course, despite months of negotiations, a deal never came together between Francis, Jon, and the UFC.

Ngannou believes UFC was using the Jones fight as bait to get him to sign with the promotion.

"Until they wanna use Jon Jones as leverage to play me and that wasn't something that was going to happen. The Jon Jones fight wasn't just coming as a fight," Francis said, adding ... "He came with strings attached. That's what I would say. Jon Jones fight was coming with strings attached which was the thing that I couldn't take it just like that."

Despite the fact Ngannou is now with PFL and it's likely hell would freeze over before the companies worked together, that hasn't stopped the two MMA stars from continuing to talk about each other.

In fact, Bones tweeted on Tuesday ... "Calling yourself the baddest man on the planet from across the street, who does that? Lol"

Francis then responded ... "Then cross the street"

Sophia Culpo is seemingly using a Billie Eilish song to throw more shade at her ex-boyfriend, Braxton Berrios ... showing off her pipes as she covered a breakup tune.

The younger sister of former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo teamed up with her brother, Gus, to perform the popular hit "Happier Than Ever" for her Instagram followers on Wednesday ... something she referred to as "free therapy."

The song -- which features a ton of super-emotional lyrics about being treated poorly in a relationship -- makes a lot of sense considering what Culpo said about their breakup.

Just last month, SC claimed the Miami Dolphins receiver lost her trust ... which came amid rumors he moved on with social media influencer Alix Earle.

In fact, Braxton was spotted celebrating Earle's college graduation earlier this week ... so it appears they are moving forward with their relationship.

Gus seemed to confirm the speculation ... sharing a tongue-in-cheek comment below Sophia's post.

"Wow," Sophia's bro said. "I can only speculate but IF this were about someONE or someTHING/events that possibly transpired, I would not be feeling very good at this given moment in time tbh. Just my opinion."

Zac Gallen is used to doing a pretty good Randy Johnson impression on the mound ... but on Wednesday, he imitated The Big Unit in a way no pitcher ever wants to -- by killing a bird with a pitch.

The Diamondbacks ace threw the unfortunate toss as he and other Arizona players were warming up before their afternoon game against the A's in Oakland.

You can see in video captured by a camera stationed in the Coliseum's outfield ... as Gallen rocketed what appeared to be a curveball to his catcher -- he inadvertently struck a bird that was flying nearby.

The footage shows the feathered foe immediately crumpled to the grass after being hit -- and according to Bally Sports Arizona, it did not survive.

The BSA broadcast also reported Gallen felt pretty crummy over it all afterward.

Of course, Zac is far from the first Arizona player to kill a bird with a throw ... you'll recall, back in 2001, Johnson destroyed a dove with a fastball in a spring training game.

Like Zac, Randy didn't find much amusement in the moment at all.

Kim Zolciak says she's witnessed her estranged husband, Kroy Biermann, smoke pot -- and she's afraid for her kids' safety -- asking a judge to step in and force him to get a drug test.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Zolciak says she's got serious concerns for the safety and well-being of her 4 minor kids while in Kroy's care ... and she points to his marijuana smoking as the source of her fear.

Zolciak is asking the judge to force Kroy to submit to a five-panel hair follicle drug screen ... and that he not cut or remove any of his hair until the screen is complete.

TMZ broke the story ... both Kim and Kroy filed separate petitions for divorce last week. Both are asking for sole physical custody of their kids ... and Kroy's asking for sole legal custody as well.

We were also the first to report the estranged couple's financial problems, owing more than $1 million to the IRS. In his divorce docs, Kroy asks Kim to retain all financial documents -- including expense reports as well as income and tax records.

Kim states she and Kroy are still living under the same roof with their kids, the same home that went into foreclosure earlier this year ... but you gotta imagine tensions are running high between the two.

No, Dustin Johnson didn't hurt his back earlier this year swinging a club -- instead, he strongly insinuated Wednesday it was a different kind of stroke that caused the injury.

Johnson was out in New York getting ready for the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club when he was peppered with a few questions about the muscle pull that yanked him from the Saudi International golf tournament back in February.

The 38-year-old former Masters champ didn't explain fully what caused the problem ... but he sure hinted it had something to do with fooling around with his wife, Paulina Gretzky.

Check out video of the exchange with a reporter ... when the media member asked the LIV star if he had gotten hurt playing golf or "lifting up" one of his children -- Johnson broke out a huge, wry grin.

"Yeah, lifting up a kid," he said, stifling a laugh. "Just a bigger kid."

The remark left the room full of journalists in stitches ... and the ear-to-ear smile that Johnson continued to wear didn't require any further follow-ups.

Of course, Johnson could've been talking about something completely different ... but both he and Paulina have had all day to clarify the comments -- yet the two have remained tight-lipped.

Becky Hammon spent a portion of her Wednesday defending herself ... saying she believes she did not cross any lines when talking about the pregnancy of Dearica Hamby.

The Las Vegas head coach opened up about the situation for several minutes on a Zoom call with reporters -- just one day after the WNBA suspended her for two games over a convo it said she had with Hamby, one of her former Aces players.

In her talk with media members, Hammon did admit she asked Hamby about the pregnancy ... but did not believe it was an inappropriate interaction. She claimed the WNBA explained to her that just asking the question itself violated a Respect in the Workplace policy.

She also said she "handled Dearica with care from day one when she told me" about the pregnancy ... however, she believes everything changed in January after Vegas traded Hamby to Los Angeles.

"Once I make the phone call that the decision's been made to move her," Hammon said, "that's when everything fell apart."

You'll recall, after the swap went through, Hamby ripped the Las Vegas team on her social media page, accusing it of bullying her, discriminating against her, and manipulating her over her pregnancy.

But, Hammon said Wednesday none of that was true.

"We made the decision to move Hamby because we could get three bodies in for her one contract," Hammon said. "I think it's very evident who we signed and why we made the move, but [her pregnancy] was never an issue and it was never the reason she was traded. It just wasn't. It came down to math and business. That's all it was. Nothing personal."

Hammon -- who many believe will ultimately become the first female head coach in NBA history -- added, "I had a great relationship with Hamby the whole time, which is probably why she felt the way she did. It feels like a betrayal. It’s a crappy part of my job, but somebody’s got to be the bearer of bad news."

The Aces, meanwhile, were docked a 2025 draft pick following the WNBA's investigation into the matter ... but they said in a statement late Tuesday that they did not agree with the league's findings.

"We stand behind Coach Hammon as she continues to lead the Las Vegas Aces," the team said.

Logan Paul and Nina Agdal just hit a special milestone in their relationship -- the couple is celebrating their one-year anniversary together ... and the WWE Superstar penned his model girlfriend a special tribute in honor of the big day.

"One very special year with my Danish queen @ninaagdal," Logan said on Instagram on Wednesday ... sharing several romantic shots of them embracing over the past 12 months.

As we previously reported, Logan and Nina were first spotted in public at Novikov in London last June ... showing PDA as they grabbed dinner with their friends.

Speaking of friends, Logan's podcast cohost Mike Majlak took credit in the comments for setting them up ... saying, "i literally made this happen i want equity in this relationship too."

Logan and Nina have been attached at the hip ever since ... with Nina being his biggest supporter at all his WWE matches and other business events.

Agdal also recently showed serious love for Logan ... saying, "Obsessed with this boy 💘."

It looks like their special day will be filled with boating, bubbly and caviar ... and, of course, tons of bottles of Logan's Prime drink.

Amazing news ... Jeremy Lin says despite the horrifying head injury he suffered during a basketball game on Sunday, he's now doing OK -- and expects to make a complete recovery soon.

The ex-NBA star provided the awesome update in a video on his Instagram page Wednesday ... saying after undergoing a battery of tests and imaging this week, docs have told him he'll have "no long-term issues" following the scary concussion he sustained just three days ago.

In fact, the 34-year-old said he'll be cleared to hoop again in two-to-four weeks.

"I'm on the mend," he said.

Lin was initially hurt during a Taiwan P. League+ game over the weekend ... when he took an elbow to the face and then smacked his head on the hardwood as he fell to the ground.

The play was horrifying -- Lin's body appeared to have a fencing response to the blow. He was then ushered to the hospital, but, thankfully, he was discharged and able to return to the arena to root on his team.

Lin joked about the entire saga on his IG page -- writing, "As one of loved ones reminded me today, there werent too many brain cells to begin with lol."

Shakira and Gisele Bündchen are both hot off relationships with two of the biggest athletes in the world, and they've seemingly struck up a close friendship ... bringing their kids together for one big dinner date.

The Colombian singer and the Brazilian supermodel were spotted Tuesday grabbing a bite to eat at Makoto restaurant in Miami. The dinner date was complete with GB's kids Vivian and Benjamin, as well as Shakira's sons -- Sasha and Milan.

We're told Gisele arrived at the sushi eatery around 7:15 PM, and Shakira pulled up about 10 minutes later. Once inside, they ordered a variety of rolls, hamachi, and salads for the table.

Of course, Shakira and Gisele are both single moms now after ending their relationships with their high-profile partners last year.

Shakira split from her soccer star BF Gerard Piqué after 11 years together, and Gisele filed for divorce from NFL star Tom Brady last October after 13 years of marriage.

Now, both ladies are moving on with their lives ... and perhaps finding comfort in each other.

Three Sports Illustrated swimsuit models walk onto a baseball field ...

Okay, so there's no joke here ... but that's what actually happened before the Mets game on Tuesday ... with Brooks Nader, Christen Harper and Camille Kostek all throwing out the ceremonial first pitch!!

The trio of beauties all threw right-handed pitches to Mets players Drew Smith, Tylor Megill and Eduardo Escobar before the matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays ... and did so in style with custom Mets jerseys.

Unlike Dr. Fauci, Conor McGregor and 50 Cent, they did pretty well ... and Harper even joked that she was the Mets' next starting pitcher!!

It's been a good week for the ladies -- Nader landed the cover of the 2023 swimsuit edition ... while Kostek, who is dating former NFL star Rob Gronkowski, returned for her sixth issue.

Harper also appeared in the magazine for the third time ... and her fiancé, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, was hyped.

"So proud 😊 🔥🔥🔥," the NFL star said on her IG post.

Despite Brooks, Christen and Camille gracing the Mets with their presence, the home team lost, 8-5 ... and fans booed Justin Verlander for his struggles.

Draymond Green is opening up about the Warriors' second-round playoff exit ... saying his squad would still be alive IF he hadn't socked Jordan Poole in the face before the season started.

Green spoke to Stephen A. Smith Tuesday night during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Nuggets, and was honest about where he thinks things went wrong this season.

"We're not playing right now because when you speak about the fouling, when you think about all of the slippage that we had as a team on the road, not being able to come together. None of those things happen if that doesn't happen," Green told Smith, referring to when he punched the Warriors guard in the face in October.

Draymond continued ... "None of those things happen if that doesn't happen, because the voice that I am and the departments that I lead this team in, there was a ton of slippage due to me sitting back, me not saying anything, me trying to allow that situation to play itself out and give it time to heal."

Green -- the emotional catalyst during the Warriors' dynasty -- said he felt like he lost his voice as a leader after the Poole incident ... and, as a result, it caused a "ton of slippage" throughout the season.

Green went on to say it wasn't until February that he felt comfortable being the Draymond that helped the team win four titles. But, at that point, too much time had passed, and the Dubs had developed bad habits, thwarting any possible hopes of repeating as NBA champs.

"If that slippage has been going on that long, you are who you are at that point. You've built those habits. You've built bad habits. That is who you are now. So to try to correct them then. It's like, 'OK, you may get a little better.' We did. We ended up in the second round of the playoffs but not at a championship level."

Earlier on Tuesday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr echoed the same sentiments as Draymond during his end-of-the-season interview with the media ... saying Green punching Poole "compromised things."

Formula One fans will not see their favorite drivers back on the track this week -- the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy has been scrapped due to severe weather and flooding in the area.

F1 announced the decision on Wednesday ... saying after speaking with the FIA, local officials and the race host, it was best to cancel all events slated for this weekend.

"The Formula 1 community wants to send its thoughts to the people and communities affected by the recent events in the Emilia-Romagna region," F1 said minutes ago. "We also want to pay tribute to the work of the emergency services who are doing everything they can to help those in need."

The Emilia-Romagna region has been hit hard with heavy rainfall and flooding this week ... resulting in at least eight deaths and thousands of residents being forced to evacuate.

F1 said it would be impossible to keep fans, the drivers and teams and officials safe while going through with the event ... adding, "It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time."

Defending champion Max Verstappen addressed the decision to cancel ... saying he supports the move and is sending his thoughts to those affected by the flooding.

"We wish you all strength to ensure your safety throughout this period," the Red Bull superstar said.

The Toronto Blue Jays will have to do a little outfield redecorating today ... and it's all 'cause Aaron Judge hit a baseball so hard, it damaged a sign at their stadium!!

The Yankees captain slugged the blast in the top of the eighth inning of NY's tilt with Toronto at the Rogers Centre on Tuesday night ... and the ball traveled so far and with so much velocity, that when it landed, it smashed through a maple leaf ad that had been hung in deep center field.

Check out the footage of the moonshot home run -- you can see when it came down, it took off a corner of the billboard ... leaving fans in the area in disbelief.

According to the MLB's Statcast, the exit velocity on Judge's swing was 113.1 MPH -- and the ball went a total of 448 feet -- making it one of the most powerful dingers that's been hit so far this year.

No word yet on who'll have to pay for the damage -- but if does come out of Judge's pocket ... it's certainly a check he won't mind writing.

The two-run bomb ultimately gave the Pinstripes a 5-3 win ... an extra sweet feeling for the outfielder, given that the Blue Jays had essentially accused him of cheating just a day earlier.

If you missed it, Judge was seen on camera looking off to NY's dugout a couple times during one of his at-bats on Monday ... before hitting a home run. The side-eye caused a ton of chirping from Toronto's locker room.

Judge insisted he was simply looking at his teammate to get them to calm down during his AB -- but the Blue Jays didn't seem to be buying it ... 'cause they were sure upset at the Yanks throughout Tuesday's game.

"My mama keep telling me to stop, I can't -- the second time they caught me with that gun, damn, I feel like Ja Morant."

Ja Morant's recent scandal is already getting the rap treatment ... with Vic Mensa dropping some timely lyrics just days after the Grizzlies star was suspended for flashing a gun on social media for a second time.

Mensa was out in NYC on Tuesday when TMZ Sports got his thoughts on the All-Star guard brandishing a weapon on Instagram Live ... and after revealing his tongue-in-cheek bars, Vic got serious about the situation.

"I think God blessed Ja Morant, man," the "$WISH" M.C. said Tuesday. "I pray that that brother gets it together and he figures it out because he's too brilliant and so talented. He's got a gift, he's got a real gift. So, I don't want to see him have to go down that path because he's so good."

"I think God blessed him," he added. "I'm not gonna say anything to disparage him. There's enough people doing that."

Many people are starting to wonder whether Morant is trying too hard to emulate rappers like NBA YoungBoy -- the artist he was vibing along to in the most recent clip -- given his recent off-court troubles ... but Mensa makes it clear the blame falls solely on Ja, not the music.

"Ultimately, NBA YoungBoy, he's just telling his truth and doing his thing."

Some ex-NBA stars have ripped into Morant for his second gun incident ... with Stephen Jackson referring to it as a "moron move," and Chandler Parsons calling for a year-long suspension.

Ja has since addressed the gun video ... saying he knows he has disappointed those who look up to him, and promising to continue to work on himself.

Mensa said he will support Ja as he deals with his impending punishment ... and even joked about switching up his music taste.