TMZ Sports - Page 50

"Justin Bieber seems like a wimp" -- UFC star Ben Askren.

Yep, the biggest stars in the UFC are well aware of the possible Tom Cruise vs. Justin Bieber superfight ... and top-ranked welterweight Ben Askren is already picking a winner.

"I'm gonna say Tom Cruise," Askren says ... "Like, Tom Cruise at least seems like he's probably been through some sh*t."

As we previously reported, Bieber's rep, Scooter Braun, recently told Dana White he'd be down to fight FOR REAL if Tom signs on ... and Dana says it would be the biggest Pay-Per-View fight of all time.

Ben agrees ... "That would make a whole bunch of money!"

Meantime, Askren has his fight to worry about ... he's throwing down with Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239 on July 6.

But, if 56-year-old Tom Cruise does agree to fight 25-year-old Bieber, Askren says he'd be down to train the 'Mission Impossible' star ... and he's already got a game plan for him.

"All I'd teach him is [the double leg takedown] and then beat his ass ... little typewriter action on his face!"

Tiger Woods is no longer a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a former employee at Tiger's Florida restaurant, who died last year in a DUI crash.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the estate of Nicholas Immesberger sued The Woods -- along with Tiger and his girlfriend, Erica Herman, the restaurant's GM -- claiming Nicholas was overserved alcohol at the restaurant in the hours before the crash.

In the original suit, the Immesberger estate claimed Nicholas -- who was a bartender -- stayed after a shift on 12/10/2018 and was served to the point of "severe intoxication" before being allowed to get in his car and drive. He crashed and died shortly after.

The family claimed Tiger and Erica knew Nicholas personally -- knew he had an alcohol problem -- and should never have allowed him to be served alcohol.

But, Tiger's attorney, Barry Postman, says the family has had a change of heart when it comes to Woods personally ... and have voluntarily dismissed his name from the lawsuit.

"The decision was clearly appropriate and reflected the fact that Mr. Woods should not have been included in the lawsuit in the first place because he had nothing to do with Mr. Immesberger's death,'' Postman said in a statement.

"While the situation was tragic, the facts will ultimately show that the cause of Mr. Immesberger's car accident were the many decisions made by Mr. Immesberger on the night of his passing.''

Charles Barkley -- who's become extremely political over the years -- says the issue of reparations for slavery is a "serious subject" ... but admits he doesn't see a real clear way to make it happen.

The issue of reparations for the descendants for people enslaved in America has heated up recently -- just last week, there was a heated hearing about reparations at the House of Representatives.

The current debate is over a bill -- H.R. 40 -- which calls for a commission to be created with the mission of studying and coming up with proposals to compensate the descendants of slaves.

There are passionate people on both sides of the argument ... with author/journalist/activist Ta-Nehisi Coates clashing with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell during last week's hearing.

McConnell argued that slavery "happened 150 years ago for whom none of us currently living are responsible."

Coates fired back ... saying the U.S. paid out pensions to the families of Civil War soldiers "well into this century." He also noted the govt. still honors treaties made by people who are long dead.

So, where does Barkley stand on the issue? He's conflicted.

"It's a very difficult subject," Charles said ... "I don't know how you would do it, that's the problem."

"I don't think there's a right or wrong answer ... 'cause I don't know how you would do that actually. I don't know who would get it and who would not get it."

Ex-Dallas Cowboys RB Joseph Randle's rape case has been put on pause ... TMZ Sports has learned a Kansas court is ordering him to take a mental health evaluation to determine if he's fit to be tried.

Randle is accused of raping a woman for hours last September in Sedgwick County, Kansas ... and he's been fighting 11 serious charges in court ever since.

But, the attorneys for Randle -- who's been in and out of jail and mental health facilities for the past few years -- have argued the former NFL player is not in the right state of mind to defend himself.

Now, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett tells us the case has been taken off the docket ... with officials wanting to see if Randle is, in fact, mentally fit to face the charges.

Bennett tells us if Randle is NOT able to pass the testing ... he will be placed in a state mental institution until he can "regain competency."

For his part, Randle said at his last hearing date on Feb. 12 that he did NOT rape his accuser ... saying, "she never said no."

Wanna throw a killer elbow strike like UFC legend Jon Jones?!

Well, good news, the reigning UFC light heavyweight champ came to our office and gave a live demonstration ... right on a TMZ staffer!

Of course, Jones is gearing up to fight Thiago Santos at UFC 239 on July 6 -- and he stopped by the office to talk with the guys from "TMZ Sports" about how he's planning to end Thiago's 4 fight win streak.

Jones hit on a ton of topics during the conversation -- here's a cheat sheet.

On Daniel Cormier ...

Jones doesn't think Cormier will ever agree to fight him for a 3rd time.

"I’ve been hearing things about him fighting [Stipe Miocic] then ending his career fighting me down at light heavyweight, and I don’t believe him," Jones says.

"I don’t think he’s ever going to fight me again."

"I think it’s a lot of pressure for him to get down to the light heavyweight division, and then to get down there, to climb such a mountain and not get to the actual top? It has to be so crushing to come up short against me for a 3rd time, I don’t think he’d put himself through that."

Julian Edelman ... Super Bowl champ -- and Super Dad???

The New England Patriots star says his new documentary, "100%: Julian Edelman," is set to show off his father side ... and he tells TMZ Sports it's the coolest part of the film.

"There's some unbelievable shots of me and my daughter," the wide receiver says ... "That was dope."

Of course, Edelman had a baby girl with Swedish model Ella Rose back in 2016 ... and for one of the first times since, Edelman is giving a rare glimpse of his dad side in the documentary.

Edelman tells us the footage is unbelievable, saying, "It was, like, just great memories."

The documentary -- which shows off Edelman's ride from his ACL tear in 2017 to his PED suspension in 2018 to his Super Bowl MVP performance in 2019 -- is set to air on June 28 on SHOWTIME.

Julian says he was super active in the editing process, and joked he's spent so much time on the project, he's "sick of it!"

By the way, Edelman also spoke with us about Rob Gronkowski earlier in the day ... and ya gotta watch the clip to find out if he'll miss off-the-field Gronk more than on-the-field Gronk!!

Add DeMar DeRozan to the list of athletes against visiting Donald Trump ... 'cause the NBA superstar says even if he was still on the Raptors, he wouldn't celebrate their title at the White House.

Raps coach Nick Nurse said last week the team is setting up a trip to be honored by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ... but said they're undecided on going to 1600 Penn.

However, over the weekend Raptors star Danny Green told Yahoo Sports he's a "hard no" on visiting Trump.

Despite playing for the Spurs now, DeRozan is on board if the team decides not to go ... telling TMZ Sports -- "Sh*t, I wouldn't go, either!"

DeRozan joins a growing group of athletes who have spoken out against visiting Trump -- the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and players like Mookie Betts, David Price and Jackie Bradley Jr. have all been vocal about not going -- just to name a few.

Mark Cuban ain't losing sleep over the controversy in the NBA over the term "owner" -- telling TMZ Sports, "It's not that big a deal."

"If you run a company, own a company, start a company ... you decide [on what to call yourself]," Cuban told us.

Of course, Cuban purchased the Dallas Mavericks back in 2000 and is still listed as "owner" in the team's 2018-19 media guide.

The issue ... several players, including Draymond Green, have voiced concern over the term -- essentially saying it's racially insensitive in a league comprised of mostly black players.

Several teams have moved away from the term -- including the Philadelphia 76ers and the L.A. Clippers -- and even NBA Commish Adam Silver has said he's sensitive to the issue.

In fact, Silver told TMZ Sports the league office is no longer using the term "owner" -- opting for the term "governor" instead. Though Silver made it clear there is no hard rule banning the term in the NBA.

Former WWE star Terri Runnels will NOT go to prison after she brought a loaded gun to the airport ... TMZ Sports has learned prosecutors have dropped the case and she's now off the hook.

We broke the story, Runnels was busted at Tampa International Airport on May 29 when cops say they found a Glock 9mm handgun inside of a sock in the ex-wrestler's backpack.

In the pic of the gun obtained by TMZ Sports -- you can see there were AT LEAST 11 bullets accompanying the firearm.

But, Runnels told cops the whole thing was a genuine mistake -- saying she had forgotten to take the gun out of her bag after she went to kill an armadillo that was digging up her mom's yard.

Officials at the time clearly didn't care ... they hit her with a felony charge of carrying a concealed firearm -- and she was facing up to 5 YEARS in prison.

But, we've learned prosecutors have decided to drop the case issuing a "letter of release" dismissal.

According to court officials, it basically means the case has been dismissed ... but in theory, prosecutors could pick up the case down the road. But again, we're told the odds of that happening are extremely slim.

Runnels mainly worked as a manager during her wrestling career -- working with the likes of The Hardy Boyz, Edge, Christian and most notably her ex-husband, Goldust.

She was married to Goldust (aka Dustin Rhodes aka Dustin Runnels) from 1993 to 1999.

Runnels won the WWE Hardcore Championship back in 2002 -- she's one of only 4 women to hold that title.

How's this for confidence ... Keith Thurman is so certain he's gonna knock out Manny Pacquiao in the 1st or 2nd round, he's putting $10,000 up so he can cash that extra check!!!

Keith and Manny are squaring off at the MGM Grand on July 20 -- in a fight Thurman thinks he'll EASILY win.

"I'm younger. I'm gonna let my hands go in a way that Adrian Broner didn't," Thurman tells TMZ Sports ... "I'm gonna make it a fight!"

Remember, Broner LOST via unanimous decision when he fought Pacman back in January -- Keith says Broner simply didn't come with any offense that night.

As for the bet, Keith says he's already 100% certain he'll get the W ... but wants to put some added pressure on himself to close the show early.

"That's motivation! I can't go 3 minutes going 'tap, tap, tap' when I got $10k on the round!"

Yankees legend Ron Guidry says CC Sabathia deserves a place right next to Derek Jeter in Monument Park ... telling TMZ Sports straight-up, "Why not?!"

CC has been pitching in pinstripes since 2009 ... logging 133 wins, a 3.75 ERA and 1,650 strikeouts -- and Guidry says those numbers should get him a place in center field at Yankees Stadium.

Of course, Guidry knows a thing or two about the honor -- his number is one of only a handful to ever be retired in Monument Park -- and he tells us CC "should be" in there right alongside him.

In fact, the former Cy Young winner -- who's also a 2-time World Series champ and 4-time All-Star -- is so high on Sabathia, he tells us the 38-year-old also belongs in Pro Baseball's Hall of Fame!!!

"Why not?!" Guidry says ... "He should be [in]."

FYI ... CC is a 6-time All-Star with one Cy Young on his resume. He's got 250 career wins and 3,043 total strikeouts.

Florida senator Rick Scott HATES the idea of the Tampa Bay Rays splitting time between Montreal and Florida, telling TMZ Sports, "I hope they can come to an agreement and stay [in FL] full-time."

The Rays have already got permission from MLB officials to explore becoming a two-city team -- the plan would be to play half their home games in Canada and the other half in Tampa Bay.

So, when we spoke with Scott in NYC after his appearance on "Squawk Box," he made it clear he wants the ball club in Florida FULL-TIME!!!

"I just wish them all to stay in Tampa," Scott says.

"Look, Montreal is a beautiful city. I've enjoyed the times I've had the opportunity to visit there. But, I hope Tampa spends all their time in Florida."

Scott says he's sat down with the Rays management team and says they made it clear they want a better stadium and a new location ... but making that a reality is super challenging.

As for the proposed two-city split, Scott says he understands WHY Montreal is pushing for the move -- they've wanted an MLB team in town ever since losing the Expos back in 2004.

"I'm sure they're anxious to get a team just like we're anxious to make sure [the Rays] don't leave."

Of course, the whole reason the Rays are reportedly pondering the move is because their stadium is ancient and fan attendance is alarmingly low.

Phoenix Suns baller Kelly Oubre Jr. traded his jersey for some oversized white robes on Sunday ... and it was all in the name of FASHION!!!

The 6'7" hooper was front and center at the Pigalle Paris Spring/Summer show at Paris Men's Fashion Week ... as part of the brand's collab with Converse.

The event had pretty much everything you could ask for -- people in silver head caps, creative director Stephane Ashpool in a wolf mask ... and of course, the prettiest player in the NBA.

Oubre is easily one of the most stylish players in the league ... and always takes advantage of every opportunity to show off his unique swag.

Wave Papi thanked Ashpool for the opportunity ... saying "Thank you my brother @stephane_ashpool for allowing me to be apart of your vision. Thank you for bringing ART back to Fashion. Amazing Show."

Ric Flair told us he wasn't gonna let his medical scare slow him down ... and he's proving it -- because the WWE legend ordered up a beer this weekend during an outing with his family.

Sporting a shirt with his own face on it (legendary stuff), the 70-year-old strolled into Hamilton's On Magnolia in Alabama (right near Auburn) flanked by his wife, Wendy Barlow.

Inside the restaurant, Flair was all smiles ... toasting his wife with a pint of beer.

Yeah, sippin' on brew may not be exactly what the doctor recommends just one month after undergoing heart surgery ... but Flair has told us he wants to live life to the fullest while he's still here on earth.

As we previously reported, Flair had a procedure to change up his pacemaker after a medical emergency in May.

When we spoke with Ric on the "TMZ Sports" TV show earlier this month, he told us he plans on living another 25 years ... AT LEAST!

The Justin Bieber vs. Tom Cruise hype train has left the station ... with UFC honcho Dana White saying the celebrity superfight would probably be the biggest Pay-Per-View event in combat sports history!!!

TMZ Sports broke the story ... White said he is seriously interested in putting together the Bieber vs. Cruise fight ... after hearing from two "serious people" with connections to the stars that they'd be down to scrap.

And, we're also told Bieber's rep, Scooter Braun, spoke with William Morris Endeavor co-owner Ari Emanuel and Dana White on a secret phone call and said Bieber is "100%" down with it.

So, when White was leaving Craig's in West Hollywood on Sunday night, he told TMZ Sports he thinks there's a real shot this fight goes down.

"Weirder things have happened, let's put it that way," White said.

"I think it would be the biggest purse ever and I think it would be the biggest Pay-Per-View ever too."

White says the situation is still developing and he hasn't heard anything official from Tom's camp yet -- but he's hopeful he'll have more info in the coming days.

Until then, White seems excited to make it happen ... though he's keeping it real when asked about the actual combat.

You think Drake was happy when the Toronto Raptors won the NBA title?

His dad was even HAPPIER -- because Dennis Graham had $100,000 riding on the Raps ... AND WON!!!

"I am the happiest guy in the world," Dennis told us in Hollywood with 2 ladies on his arms.

"I bet $100,000 on the game and I won $300,000!!!"

You see this? Drake's dad is RICH!!! (Okay, *more rich). PIMP HATS AND CHAINS FOR EVERYBODY!!!

There's more ... Dennis also has some advice for the Raptors when it comes to visiting Donald Trump -- DON'T. He thinks the team should meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instead.

"Justin Trudeau is a much classier guy than that IDIOT Donald Trump," Dennis says.

Oh, and Dennis also explains why he wasn't at the Raptors victory parade in Toronto -- telling us he's got big things in the works in Hollywood that took priority.