TMZ Sports - Page 50

X-Pac is back!!

The 2x WWE Hall of Famer, who's been out of the squared circle for years, tells TMZ Sports he will wrestle Friday night under the independent promotion, Game Changer Wrestling.

"I'm returning to the ring for the first time in about 3 years," X-Pac told Babcock and Mojo on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1).

Then the wrestling legend dropped this bomb ... "I had ACL surgery last year. I had a torn ACL for about 14 years."

X-Pac, government name Sean Waltman, has been living life with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Now that the injury was repaired, Waltman says he expects to put on a helluva show in the ring.

"This is my first match back where I can actually do some good, really good stuff in there."

And, X-Pac believes he's still got it ... but when he no longer does, that's when he'll walk away for good.

"I expect it to go well," he says, adding ... "and if it does, I'm going to have matches until I can't have good matches anymore."

X-Pac's been in the biz for over 30 years ... wrestling for everyone from WWF, WCW, WWE, and TNA, just to name a few.

He was inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame twice -- once in 2013 and again in 2020 -- the second time around as a member of the wildly popular "NWO" faction.

The NWO AKA "New World Order" was a group that featured some of the industry's biggest stars -- Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall, also known as Razor Ramon.

Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley were spotted out together in Los Angeles earlier this week ... despite reports the world-famous couple broke off their engagement and called it quits on the relationship.

38-year-old Rodgers and 30-year-old Woodley were seen by a fan -- who posted about the encounter on Twitter -- at Erewhon market on Tuesday.

The couple/former couple sat down for breakfast, sitting outside at a table together, according to E! News. They didn't stay very long.

Seeing Aaron and Shailene together is surprising ... because they reportedly recently broke up after nearly 2 years of dating.

The couple announced they were engaged in February 2021.

At the time of the reported break up, People reported both were busy people and wanted to focus on their careers.

But, then Rodgers posted a mushy Instagram message about Woodley, writing ... "Thanks for always having my back, for the incredible kindness you show me and everyone you meet, and for showing me what unconditional love looks like, I love you and am grateful for you."

Doesn't sound like a couple who's broken up.

The NFL MVP also went on Pat McAfee's show and continued to gush over Shailene ... while never directly saying whether they were still together.

So, they may be engaged ... or they may be broken up.

Kobe and Gigi Bryant's legacy continues to live on -- the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation released a hoodie celebrating the two this week ... and it sold it out in less than 24 minutes.

Thursday -- 02/24 -- was a symbolic day for the Bryant family because it features the jersey numbers Gigi and Kobe wore during their basketball career.

Vanessa Bryant says Champion donated the hoodies to support the Mamba & Mambacita Sports store launch ... and judging from how quickly they went, supporters couldn't wait to get their hands on them.

Vanessa says the hoodie is for a good cause ... with 100% of the proceeds going to support the Foundation's mission of creating equal opportunity for underserved boys and girls in athletics.

The MMSF Reverse Weave Pullover hoodie is all black ... and features the Mamba & Mambacita logo on the front in white.

The hood and sleeve feature the numbers 2, 8, and 24 ... commemorating each jersey number Kobe and Gigi wore when they hit the hardwood.

"Special thanks to Champion for donating this merchandise to our foundation," Vanessa wrote in a post on Instagram.

"Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years. We are overwhelmed with gratitude. Our hoodie sold out in less than 24 minutes 🖤🤍."

The NBA continues to pay tribute to the late Terrence Clarke ... by gifting his mother an honorary Rising Star jersey from the 2022 All-Star Weekend.

Clarke's mom, Osmine, shared the news on Instagram ... saying she received her son's All-Star gear from Klutch Sports -- the agency TC signed with before his tragic death last April.

"Thanks 🙏🏾 to Klutch team for sending me T's jerseys," Osmine said, "I'm so sorry 😢 he wasn't able to showcase his talent before leaving us."

"Thanks again for all who made this possible a through STAR 🌟 looking over us love ❤️ you 5"

Clarke -- who played for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2020 -- passed away after a horrific car accident in Los Angeles on April 22 ... months before the 2021 NBA Draft.

The NBA has preserved the 6'8" guard's legacy ever since ... making him an honorary pick at the draft and bringing his family on stage to accept his draft hat.

The league also teamed up with the Celtics to renovate the Boston Centers for Youth & Families Vine St.'s basketball court ... where Clarke grew up playing hoops.

The court features his initials, Wildcats jersey #5 and his famous quote -- "I want to be that guy for everyone in the city."

Patrick Mahomes pulled out all the stops for his big bachelor party dinner -- eating massive, high-quality steaks and drinking 100-year-old booze in Vegas with his closest friends!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Super Bowl champ and his buds -- including some of his NFL teammates -- hit up Carversteak at Resorts World on Thursday ... and feasted a wagyu tomahawk rib chop with his name and Chiefs logo branded on the bone!!

We're told the guys downed Louis XIII cognac to kick off the bash ... which comes with AT LEAST a 4-figure price tag. Sheesh.

Along with the tomahawk, Mahomes and the gang chowed down on wagyu cheesesteak bites, ribeye, seared crab cakes, striploin, mac and cheese and more throughout the night ... before taking things to the Rose Rooftop for some shots of Michael Jordan's Cincoro tequila.

What's really cool?? Resorts World projected a MASSIVE picture of Pat and Brittany Matthews on its 100k-square-foot screen ... congratulating the couple on their upcoming marriage.

We're told Mahomes' Chiefs teammates Travis Kelce, Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Orlando Brown Jr. are in town for the fun ... so it's bound to be a great time.

As for Brittany, she's enjoying her last few days of freedom with her gal pals ... posting up with them before heading out on the town as well.

Powerful moment before the Nuggets and Kings game Thursday -- the teams, including Ukrainian-born Sacramento center, Alex Len, locked arms in a show of solidarity as war rages on in Ukraine.

Len is 1 of 2 NBA players from Ukraine. Svi Mykhailiuk, a forward from the Toronto Raptors, is the other player.

The show of unity between the teams comes in the wake of Russia launching a violent military attack in Ukraine ... sparking international condemnation and concern over the situation on the ground in eastern Europe.

It's obviously been a very difficult time for Len ... and he clearly appreciated his teammates and the opposing players on the Nuggets for the gesture.

"Thank you to my Kings family and the Denver Nuggets for your solidarity and support of Ukraine tonight," Alex wrote on Instagram.

Len also shared a joint statement on social media with Mykhailiuk condemning the awful attacks perpetrated by the Russian military.

"Ukraine is a peaceful, sovereign state inhabited by people who want to decide their own destiny. We pray for our families, friends, relatives, and all the people who are in the territory of Ukraine."

"We hope for an end to this terrible war as soon as possible. "Dear fellow Ukrainians, Hold on! Our strength is in unity! We are with you!"

Alvin Gentry -- head coach of the Kings -- spoke with reporters before the game ... telling the media he had a team meeting with Len, and the coach asked for prayers for his loved ones.

"I just like for you guys to kinda keep him in your prayers and hopefully his family is going to remain safe."

Hall of Fame boxers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko are preparing for the biggest fight of their lives -- the Ukrainian brothers are vowing to defend their country from the Russian attacks.

Wladimir spoke out about the invasion of his country on Thursday ... condemning Putin's actions and pledging to join in the fight with the Ukrainian people against the Russian regime.

"I am writing to you from Kyiv, the capital of a country at war, a country being attacked and invaded from all sides," the former heavyweight champ said. "It is not 'the war of Ukraine,' it is Putin's war."

"Putin wants to call into question the geopolitical balance across the whole of Europe, he dreams of being the defender of the Slavic peoples wherever they live, and he wants to restore a fallen empire whose demise he has never accepted."

Wladimir went on to say the Ukrainian people have chosen democracy, but he knows democracy is a fragile regime and him and his brother, Vitali, are ready to fight for it.

Vitali -- the mayor of Kyiv -- told "Good Morning Britain" in an interview he was "prepared to take up arms" if need be to halt the Russian invasion.

The Klitschko brothers also released a passionate video ... calling on all countries to observe what's happening and unite against Russia.

Arnold Schwarzenegger -- a longtime friend of the Klitschko bros. -- sent a message of gratitude to the boxing legends ... lauding them for their courage in the midst of this difficult time.

Formula 1 will NOT return to Russia in September ... with organizers saying it is "impossible" to hold the event in Sochi following the attack on Ukraine.

"We are watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation," the org. said in a statement Friday.

"On Thursday evening Formula 1, the FIA, and the teams discussed the position of our sport, and the conclusion is, including the view of all relevant stakeholders, that it is impossible to hold the Russian Grand Prix in the current circumstances."

As we previously reported, superstars like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen voiced their opposition to holding the race in Sochi after Russia attacked Ukraine ... with the 4-time champ saying, "I think it’s wrong to race in that country."

The Russian G.P. has been on the F1 schedule since 2014 ... and Vladimir Putin has attended the event in the past -- even handing out the trophy to winners on the podium, including Lewis Hamilton and Valtterri Bottas.

8 years removed from official in-ring action, WWE star Corey Graves tells TMZ Sports he has officially been cleared by doctors, and is now permitted to continue kicking asses in the squared circle -- but will he do it?!

We talked to Corey and WWE Superstar fiancée Carmella about everything from great news from the docs to their upcoming reality show (more on that later!).

"I went and spent some time with doctors middle of last year. I kinda got the itch. This is one of the first times I'm saying this publicly. I have been medically cleared to compete," Corey tells us.

"It's not an immediate goal of mine, it was just something I needed to know for my own sanity. My journey in the ring got cut short and it's kinda eaten at me for years, always wondering what if, what if there's a chance, what if there's an opportunity ... so I went and did the necessary steps and it turns out I'm more okay than I thought I was."

Graves last wrestled in March 2014. Months after his final match, WWE announced the Superstar was retiring from in-ring action and moving over to the broadcast booth ... after reportedly sustaining several concussions.

At the time, Corey said he was just content with working again, telling WWE.com ... "These last eight months have been up and down, emotionally, but I’m really looking forward to being part of the show again."

Speaking of shows ... Corey and Carmella are starring in their very own digital reality show, and it looks awesome.

And, they say it all came to be organically ... starting with a spontaneous Instagram Live sesh. Fans were into it ... so they launched a podcast, "Bare With Us." Then came the partnership with WWE ... and a real deal show.

"The podcast allowed fans to see us in a different light. We wanted to shed light on normal things that couples argue over, fight over, whether it's issues in the bedroom, chores at the house, and who's responsible for what chores at the house. For us, we just wanted to maintain that authenticity from our podcast onto the show, and that's what we're doing."

"We're really excited for the fans to get to know us in real life, and not just these larger-than-life personalities they see on TV."

Jaxson Hayes faced a judge in L.A. stemming from his July arrest on Thursday ... and the Pelicans center entered a no contest plea for a resisting arrest and false imprisonment charge, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 21-year-old former Texas star was facing 10 other charges ... but the judge dismissed them.

Hayes was arrested on July 28 after LAPD responded to a reported domestic incident at a home where Hayes was staying. When officers arrived, cops say Hayes refused to allow them inside ... and a scuffle ensued.

At least one police officer sustained an injury during the struggle.

While cops were fighting with the 6'10" player -- who was tased during the scuffle -- Hayes was heard telling officers he couldn't breathe (LAPD is currently conducting a "use of force" investigation to determine if appropriate force was used).

Although Hayes did not plead guilty, a no contest plea would still end up with a conviction on his record.

Each of the two charges carries up to 364 days in jail, a fine or both.

Winnie Harlow and Kyle Kuzma were either working on their MMA ground game or packing on the PDA on vacation this week ... and we're assuming it's the latter.

Harlow posted a steamy collection of hot shots to her IG on Thursday ... where the 27-year-old model is seen straddling her 26-year-old Wizards star boyfriend while laid out on the beach somewhere in paradise.

It was clearly a great All-Star break for Kuz and Harlow -- they also enjoyed a boat ride while on the long trip ... and you can see the hooper smiling as he holds a cigar and a handful of his lady.

The couple was definitely into each other -- a good sign that their reconciliation is going extremely well since their break up last August.

Remember, the two split right around the time Kuz was traded from the Lakers to D.C. ... but they got back together 5 months later.

As we previously reported, the two first became an item after Kuz slid into Harlow's DMs ... and they became one of the first quarantine couples to surface during the pandemic.

If the Russian Grand Prix goes down as planned in September, Sebastian Vettel won't be there -- the 4-time Formula 1 champ says he will boycott the race over the attack on Ukraine.

"For myself, my opinion is I should not go, I will not go," the Aston Martin driver said Thursday. "I think it’s wrong to race in that country."

"I’m sorry for the people, innocent people who are losing their lives, getting killed for stupid reasons under a very strange and mad leadership."

34-year-old Vettel says he was in disbelief over the development ... and calls it "horrible" to witness.

"I'm just really shocked and sad to see what's going on. We will see going forward, but I think my decision is already made."

The Russian GP is currently slated to go down on September 25 ... but F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said the org. will meet to determine whether or not to pull the race following the recent developments.

"Formula One is closely watching the very fluid developments like many others and at this time has no further comment on the race scheduled for September," F1 said in a statement.

"We will continue to monitor the situation very closely."

Vettel isn't the only champ sounding off on the Russia/Ukraine conflict -- Red Bull's Max Verstappen also weighed in on Thursday.

"When a country is at war it's not correct to race there, that's for sure."

Bronny James isn't just following in his father's footsteps on the basketball court ... he's also inherited pops business acumen -- the high school phenom just landed a deal with PSD underwear, and will release a signature collection later this year.

LeBron James' oldest son -- who has ambitions of playing in the NBA one day -- isn't wasting any time securing the bag.

PSD announced news of the huge signing on Thursday ... officially welcoming Bronny to their family.

FYI, 17-year-old Bronny Jr. -- a star on the Sierra Canyon basketball team -- is the youngest athlete entrepreneur to partner with the underwear company, according to PSD.

And, the partnership just makes sense ... Bronny says he's been rockin' PSD's draws for as long as he can remember.

Bronny now joins a star-studded roster at PSD -- Ja Morant, Deebo Samuel, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Bubba Wallace are already affiliated with the brand.

Now, the plan is for Bronny to link up with the company's design team and create signature pieces that'll be available in stores in spring.

"I’m looking forward to sharing my ideas and input to create some pretty unique pieces.”

Paul George is opening up about his struggles in the NBA bubble ... saying he couldn't sleep for 2 WEEKS -- and it played a huge role in his performance on the court.

The Clippers forward joined former teammate Serge Ibaka on his "How Hungry Are You?" cooking show recently ... and detailed how mentally and physically taxing his time at the Disney World campus in Orlando was in 2020.

"A lot of it was just weighing on me," George told Ibaka. "For one, I wasn't sleeping. No lie, I probably went a good week and a half, 2 weeks of 0 sleep. I would lay in bed and my mind would be racing."

PG told Serge that his lack of sleep was so concerning, he tried using different solutions -- from taking naps to therapy to using sleeping gummies to remedy the problem.

Of course, George was pretty inconsistent throughout the 2020 NBA playoffs ... and he says it was extra tough on him because there was no way to escape.

Ultimately, Paul admits his sleep deprivation negatively affected his performance on the court ... but he's not making excuses for blowing a 3-1 series lead against the Denver Nuggets.

"I ain't gon' make no excuses on it ... he said. "We just blew it."

The Union of European Football Associations is not playing around -- the soccer org. is taking swift action and is expected to move its Champions League Final out of Russia after the country launched an attack on Ukraine.

The Final was originally scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 28 at Krestsovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg ... but according to reports, that's no longer the case.

UEFA wasted no time kickstarting the search for a replacement host shortly after the news broke ... releasing a statement saying the matter will be addressed on Friday.

The org. released a statement ... saying, "Following the evolution of the situation between Russia and Ukraine, the UEFA president has called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee for 10 a.m. CET [4 a.m. ET] on Friday 25 February."

UEFA officials say the purpose of the meeting is "to evaluate the situation and take all necessary decisions" ... and that they'll release further information after the conclusion of the conference.

The governing body for European football expressed serious concern over what's happening between the neighboring countries ... condemning Russia's military-style invasion of Ukraine.

"UEFA shares the international community’s significant concern for the security situation developing in Europe," the Union said in a statement.

The statement continued ... "As the governing body of European football, we are dealing with this situation with the utmost seriousness and urgency."

Miesha Tate is more than just an MMA champ, now -- she just took the crown as the winner of "Celebrity Big Brother!!"

Tate -- a former UFC Women's bantamweight champion -- beat houseguests like Lamar Odom, Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu, Todrick Hall and singer Chris Kirkpatrick over the course of 3 weeks to finish on top.

Tate was the lone survivor after winning a 7-1 vote against Hall in the season finale on Wednesday ... and she told TooFab she still can't believe it really happened.

"It's like somebody pinch me -- not even sure if this is real right now," Tate said.

Tate admits that she wasn't super confident she would win it all ... and thought the votes would be way closer.

"I really thought the votes were gonna be 50-50," Tate said.

The 35-year-old also commented on her relationship with the runner-up ... saying Hall was the "yin to my yang" throughout the competition.

"He was my homie in that house," Tate said. "He was funny and sweet. He just was able to offer me a different perspective on life."

Now that it's all over, Tate is ready to go home to her two children, Amaia and Daxton.

"I just want to kiss my babies. I wanna hold them and squeeze them until they beg me to put them down."

The 19-8 UFC fighter is the first athlete to win 'CBB' ... following singer Tamar Braxton and actress Marissa Jaret Winokur.