TMZ Sports - Page 50

WWE legend Booker T says Hulk Hogan deserves a 2nd chance in the WWE after his n-word scandal ... and tells TMZ Sports he'd welcome Hogan back with open arms.

Booker T and Hulk have been friends for decades -- and the 53-year-old essentially says Hulk's legacy shouldn't be defined by that racist outburst caught on tape.

"Everbody deserves a second chance," Booker T says ... "It's what life is all about."

As Booker would tell Hogan to his face -- "Man, I would say, 'Welcome back.'"

TMZ Sports previously reported ... Hulk and the WWE are in talks for his return. In fact, the WWE has been taking the temperature of fans to see how he'd be received.

Warren Moon is the only player in the CFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- so, if Johnny Manziel is gonna make it in Canada, there's NO ONE BETTER to listen to than this guy.

TMZ Sports spoke with the 61-year-old legend, who truly believes Manziel can thrive up north and earn his 2nd shot in the NFL ... IF he takes Warren's advice.

But the bigger point ... Moon believes even if Johnny doesn't get back to the NFL, he can have a very long and successful career in Canada, because the game is uniquely suited for him.

It isn't Shaq. It ain't Larry Bird. And it isn't Kobe ... but Lamar Odom DOES have a final member in mind for his NBA dream team's starting five.

The first four are obvious: "Magic Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan, LeBron," he told TMZ Sports outside of Blind Dragon this week.

But the fifth member? Odom -- who was leaving a launch party for Humbly cryptocurrency in L.A. -- has someone off the wall for that spot.

What do you give a UFC legend who just whooped Michael Bisping's ass? A HUGE painting that took 40 hours to finish.

18-year-old Shane Birenbaum -- a big GSP fan who's from Canada -- happened to run into St-Pierre while on vacay in Florida.

GSP and Shane chopped it up ... and the artist showed some of his work to the legendary UFC fighter.

St-Pierre was a fan ... and asked Birenbaum to create a piece of his own. The only instructions ... something dope.

Shane worked off of a photograph taken right before GSP put the hurt on Bisping.

We talked to Shane, who told us he delivered the art -- which took him around 40 hours to finish -- to GSP a few days after his birthday ... a belated bday gift.

It's unclear exactly how much dough GSP dropped ... but Shane says he'd normally charge between $2K and $3K for a similar piece.

GSP told Shane the painting will live at Tristar gym -- where St-Pierre trains -- 'cause it's too dope to hang on a living room wall.

As race car drivers took their positions at the starting line this weekend for 2018's Monaco Grand Prix, celebs also took their places in the stands ... and in front of cameras.

Tons of stars showed up and showed out for the big race Sunday in the South of France, including Tom Brady, Bella Hadid, Hugh Grant, Ron Howard, Kit Harrington, Kris Jenner, Lewis Hamilton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and others.

Some A-listers got more involved in the festivities than others -- Tom and Bella were spotted center stage for a photo-op with what appeared to be drivers. and Kit even hopped into a Formula One race car himself ... suited up and helmeted like he was gonna take a few laps.

Ronda Rousey says she'd be honored to host the Indiana school teacher who risked his life to save his students during a shooting this week ... assuming the guy's a fan of WWE.

We got Ronda touching down in D.C. Sunday ahead of Monday Night Raw in neighboring Richmond, VA, and she tells us she'd have no problem allowing 29-year-old Jason Seaman of Noblesville West Middle School walk her into the ring at one of her matches.

In case you hadn't heard, Jason is being hailed as a hero after he's said to have tackled an unnamed suspect who opened fire in one of his classes Friday, saving countless lives.

Julio Jones ain't going NOWHERE and you can take that to the bank, because the NFL star said it himself ... he's a Falcon forever!!

We got Julio leaving Delilah in WeHo Thursday night and had to ask him what he thought about what Falcons owner Arthur Blank said earlier this week during the NFL owners meetings. ICYMI ... Blank said Julio will be a Falcon forever when asked to address Julio's commitment to the team after he scrubbed Falcons pics from his Instagram account and then skipping organized team activities.

The snub pitched Falcons fans into crisis mode ... but the entire city of Atlanta can rest easy now because Julio just put the issue to rest by telling our guy he will, in fact, be a Falcon forever.

Eric Dickerson says the fact players now have a choice to stay in the locker room for the national anthem is a "good thing" ... but says he would stand if he was still in the league.

"This gives you a choice. I think that's a good thing," Dickerson told TMZ Sports when asked about the NFL's new policy.

"If the guys want to stand they can stand, if the guys that want to stay in the locker room, I think they'll stay in the locker room."

Dickerson's larger point -- the league can't please everybody when it comes to this issue ... and he thinks Roger Goodell and the NFL owners are doing the best they can.

"You can't please everybody. By saying this, you know somebody's not going to like it. It is what it is. It's like religion and raising your kids. Nobody's going to agree with you all the time."

The Pope is gonna be stoked ... 'cause he just got some serious props from the guy who won "Dancing with the Stars!"

Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon -- the first openly gay U.S. athlete to medal in the Winter Olympics -- says he heard about Pope Francis telling a gay man that his sexuality "does not matter" and thinks it's "so awesome!"

Backstory ... Pope Francis had spent some time back in April with a man who was sexually abused by a priest. When the topic of his sexuality came up, the Pope reportedly said, "God made you like this. God loves you like this."

He added, "The Pope loves you like this and you should love yourself and not worry about what people say."

Conor McGregor made a mistake when he attacked a UFC bus -- but it's not like he beat his wife, so fans should give him another chance ... so says MMA legend Bas Rutten.

"There's guys who beat up their wives. Guys who beat up their women," Rutten tells TMZ Sports ... "I think that's way worse, to me, than something like [the bus attack]."

A lot of people are still pissed at Conor for the bus attack in Brooklyn that injured UFC staffers and fighters ... but Rutten says, "We all did things like that."

"I mean, it's Conor McGregor ... He did a lot of good. He got caught up in the moment. Let him figure it out."

"Of course, he's gonna have to pay. He's gonna have to go to court and make everything right," Rutten says ... but Bas is confident Conor will survive that, too.

Tainted meat scandal be damned ... the former President of Mexico Vicente Fox says when it comes to boxing, Canelo Alvarez is the best in the world!

Well, what he really said was, "El mejor del mundo" ... yes, we're bilingual. You're welcome.

FYI, Fox was the Mexican Prez from 2000 to 2006 ... we didn't know he was a boxing fan.

Of course, the issue with Canelo ... dude tested positive for PEDs and backed out of the May 5 Gennady Golovkin rematch.

Alvarez blamed tainted Mexican beef for the positive test and insisted he never intentionally cheated.

Chuck Liddell already has his fight strategy for his 3rd scrap with Tito Ortiz -- "I'm gonna knock his head off."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the 48-year-old MMA legend is coming out of retirement to fight on a MMA card promoted by Oscar De La Hoya -- and can't wait to get back in the cage with his old rival.

"When it's all over with, it's gonna be 3-0," Liddell said ... bragging about the 2 wins he already racked up over Ortiz during their fights back in the mid-2000s.

"He's trying to convince himself he can beat me -- it ain't gonna happen," the Ice Man told us outside a launch party for Humbyl crptocurrency in West Hollywood Monday night.

Ortiz sees the fight going down in a different way ... just last week Tito says he plans to make a couple million dollars "kicking Chuck Liddell's ass."

LeBron James is making his already incredible home even more fit for a king ... 'cause the NBA superstar is adding some crazy renovations to his new Brentwood mansion, TMZ Sports has learned.

ICYMI -- LBJ bought the 15,846 square foot house back in December for $23 mil ... and it came with a theater room, wine cellar, cigar room with air purifying technology and an onyx bar.

But, King James is takin' it even further ... our sources tell us he's adding a basketball court, indoor wine tap (dude LOVES his wine), and is working on the paperwork to get a pizza oven ... while also making changes to the theater and pool.

Remember ... this is LBJ's 2nd Brentwood mansion. After all, he spends his offseasons in L.A. working on his entertainment career (and might be here year-round next season, right Laker fans?).

Chase Elliott's day job is driving a race car 200 freakin' MPH ... but he tells TMZ Sports that ain't nothin' compared to his gig this weekend ... judging the Hooters pageant!!

We talked to the NASCAR star days before this weekend's 22nd Annual Hooters International Pageant in Charlotte, NC -- featuring 80 of the hottest Hooters girls from around the world -- which Elliott is judging.

So, how does meticulously grading dozens of hot chicks compare to driving a race car at ridiculously high speeds?

"I feel like it has to top it, for sure. The challenge of judging that many beautiful ladies is pretty difficult."

FYI -- Chase isn't the only athlete getting in on the fun. UFC star Ovince Saint Preux (who we also talked to), NFL player Mario Addison and NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney are also judging.

While you wait for this year's contest ... enjoy some photos from last year's pageant.

Wanna REALLY piss off an NFL lineman? Here's how ...

Ask 'em -- seriously -- if they can bench press 315 lbs. and then watch their reaction.

Mike Pouncey and Carlos Dunlap were so offended we had the audacity to call their strength into question, they shut us down right in front of Catch in West Hollywood!

Obviously, they were just playin' ... but you can tell they weren't ALL THE WAY playin'.

What's even funnier ... we asked if Odell Beckham's 315-pound bench press should count (because of the 2-finger spot from his trainer) ... and Dunlap hit us with the real talk -- HELL NO!

Don't get it twisted, both Pouncey and Dunlap think Beckham is a stud receiver -- but when it comes to weightlifting, they don't mess around!!!

The woman accusing Nick Diaz of domestic violence claims the UFC star has been using cocaine ... and that's what sent him into a violent rage ... this according to law enforcement sources.

Multiple sources connected to the case tell TMZ Sports ... Diaz's accuser claims she's been in an "on-again, off-again sexual relationship" with Nick for years. But it took a turn for the worse in the last few days ... because she claims Nick has been using cocaine.

The woman told police Nick attacked her at a Las Vegas home Thursday night ... slamming her to the ground and choking her by the neck. Cops were called to the home and found the alleged victim with red marks around her neck and eyes. We're told the woman was transported to a nearby hospital where she was treated for multiple injuries. We're told the victim claimed she suffered a hip injury in the altercation with Diaz.