WWE

WWE isn't backing out of the upcoming pay-per-view event in Saudi Arabia -- saying they plan to "continue operations" in the country despite calls from politicians to at least postpone.

The event -- 'Crown Jewel' featuring Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman -- is scheduled to take place in Riyadh on Nov. 2.

Thursday morning, as part of a Q3 earnings report, the company announced the show will move forward as planned.

"WWE has operated in the Middle East for nearly 20 years and has developed a sizable and dedicated fan base," the statement said.

"Considering the heinous crime committed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the Company faced a very difficult decision as it relates to its event scheduled for November 2 in Riyadh. Similar to other U.S.-based companies who plan to continue operations in Saudi Arabia, the Company has decided to uphold its contractual obligations to the General Sports Authority and stage the event."

"Full year 2018 guidance is predicated on the staging of the Riyadh event as scheduled."

Of course, the "heinous crime" is the apparent abduction, torture and murder of former Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Some officials believe Khashoggi's death was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- though the royal family has strongly denied that.

President Donald Trump recently referred to the Saudi account of the killing as the "worst cover up" in history ... after they tried to spin multiple BS stories about how Khashoggi could have died.

WWE's Roman Reigns says his leukemia has returned in a health battle that's he's been fighting for more than 10 years.

Reigns made the solemn announcement on 'Monday Night Raw,' saying his leukemia was back, and that he wouldn't be able to carry out his duties as a wrestler ... and, as such, will have to relinquish the Universal Championship.

Reigns said he'd be heading home to focus on his health and treatment ... adding "I will beat this, I will be back, and you will see me very, very soon." The crowd was noticeably distraught and shocked over the news, but gave him a huge round of applause when he thanked them for their support over the years.

Reigns was diagnosed with leukemia at age 22. He's 33 now.

If you thought Alberto Del Rio was getting back in the cage for clout ... THINK AGAIN!!! 'Cause the ex-WWE superstar tells TMZ Sports he's ready to whoop some serious ass in his MMA comeback!!

The 41-year-old announced his decision to return to MMA for Combate Americas earlier this month ... and he's eyeing a fight in 2019.

ICYMI -- ADR had been in the news for other reasons over the past year -- he had a very public breakup with Paige and was investigated for domestic violence after an airport incident (he was cleared of any wrongdoing).

Alberto says he's been humbled by those incidents ... and that's what got him back in the gym training like a madman.

"For the first time after 19 years, I started doing some sparring with my boxing coach, with my jiu-jitsu coach and I was like, 'damn, I think I can do this again.'"

Del Rio says he even questioned if he'd be able to compete on a professional level again ... but he's not giving up for good reason.

WWE superstar Randy Orton believes it's VERY important for the WWE to move forward with plans to host a major Pay-Per-View event in Saudi Arabia ... despite calls from U.S. officials to hold off.

WWE is scheduled to have the "Crown Jewel" event in Riyadh on Nov. 2 -- something they've been planning for months.

The problem ... Saudi Arabia is under fire for allegedly ordering the torture and murder of former Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Several politicians have called for Vince McMahon to postpone the event until there are clear answers as to the Saudi role in Khashoggi's disappearance.

Several powerful business leaders have distanced themselves from Saudi Arabia, including JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon and Ford Motor Chairman Bill Ford.

Also, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) has called on WWE to reconsider doing business with the country due to a "continuing pattern of abuse of civil rights and civil liberties."

But, Orton doesn't feel the same way -- telling TMZ Sports, "I think we should go. I think the only way to help with change over there is to go and not to cancel the trip."

"That's the goal is to make things better everywhere and I think us NOT going doesn't help. Going helps."

3:35 PM PT -- WWE tells TMZ Sports, "We recently received what appears to be a meritless lawsuit and we will vigorously defend ourselves."

When reached Ric Flair had no comment.

WWE superstar Charlotte Flair is being sued by her ex-husband who claims she defamed him in her new book by falsely claiming he shoots blanks.

It's all in new legal docs filed by Riki Paul Johnson and obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which he goes after Charlotte, her father Ric Flair and the WWE, demanding more than $5 MILLION in damages.

Riki's beef is with the book 'Second Nature' -- which Ric and Charlotte wrote together and released in Sept. 2017.

In his suit, Riki claims the Flairs wrote negatively about his relationship with Charlotte -- and falsely stated that he is sterile and incapable of fathering children.

FYI, Riki and Charlotte -- real name Ashley Fliehr -- were married from 2010 to 2011.

Riki says the allegations in the book have humiliated his family -- including his 3 children -- because they're now the subject of ridicule and shame by people who believe the Flairs.

Riki also claims the book contains "multiple false allegations physical and/or psychological abuse" -- which he believes he can prove based on police reports and dash cam footage.

He also claims the Flairs wrongly claimed he was fired from 2 jobs due to illicit drug use.

In his suit, Riki claims he was intentionally painted as a villain in order to make Charlotte seem like a "victim who overcame personal adversity and domestic abuse."

He also claims WWE was involved in the marketing of the book -- so, they should be held liable as well.

Nikki Bella is going off on Ronda Rousey -- claiming she's done more for women's wrestling than Ronda EVER has ... and says when it comes to the sport, Ronda's the real "Do Nothing Bitch."

The two have been feuding ever since Nikki betrayed Ronda on 'Raw' last week -- teaming up with her sister Brie Bella to stomp Ronda out in the middle of the ring.

Ronda told TMZ Sports the sisters were a bunch of "untrustworthy bitches" and then called them "Do Nothing Bellas" (a twist on her famous "Do Nothing Bitches" line) on social media.

Now, Nikki is firing back ... and even though the storylines are scripted out, this one feels personal.

"You may think I’m a 'DNB' but that’s because you been here for what maybe 20 RAW’s? I’ve been here for almost 12 years," Nikki posted on Instagram.

Nikki says she's been the real leader in changing the sport for the better when it comes to how women are treated in the sport ... and she named names!

"This 'DNB' has been in the ring with Victoria, Natalya, Krissy Vaine, Shantelle Malawski, Taryn Terrell, Brooke Adams, Michelle McCool, Layla, Vickie Guerrero, Melina, Mickie James, Maria, Katie Lea, Jillian Hall, Maryse, Alicia Fox, Gail Kim, Candice Michelle, Beth Phoenix, Rosa Mendes, Eve Torres, Kelly Kelly, Awesome Kong, Naomi, Cameron, Eva Marie, Jojo, Summer Rae, Kaitlyn, Tamina, AJ Lee, Paige, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Carmella, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Riott Squad and more."

She added, "I defended a championship for 301 days. I have executive produced and starred in two reality shows, one about women’s wrestling, while on the road wrestling. I even broke my neck for this business."

"So if you want to talk about a 'DNB' look at yourself, because in this Evolution of women’s wrestling, you’re the 'DNB.'"

Ronda Rousey says Conor McGregor crossed the line promoting UFC 229 -- and injured her friends in the process -- telling TMZ Sports no one should break the law to sell a fight.

"I understand promoting fights and having to sell them. I really do," Ronda says ... "But, I don't think people have to get arrested in order to do that."

"I think I've been able to prove that you can make a fight exciting and make people really wanna see it without crossing any legal lines."

Ronda is obviously referring to the bus attack at Barclays Center -- when Conor and his gang of hooligans smashed up a bus with a steel dolly, injuring several UFC fighters who were inside.

"I think that Khabib jumping out of the Octagon was not as bad as throwing objects at a bus, because my friend Rose Namajunas was on that bus. My friend, Michael Chiesa, missed his fight because [he got cut by the glass]."

When asked if the UFC needs to draw a hard line and punish Khabib harshly for the post-fight melee ... Ronda had some stern words for her former employer.

"I think, if you're gonna draw the line there, you should have drawn it before that."

"I just feel like there has to be equal treatment all the way across the board. I don't think that anyone should get special treatment because they're a bigger draw."

Ronda is echoing the feelings of many critics who believe Conor should have received a substantial punishment from the UFC over the bus attack.

Dana White has insisted Conor has paid dearly -- he was arrested, he's being sued and he can't fight in New York. But, others feel he deserved a substantial suspension and fine as well.

And, Ronda doesn't stop there ... she also says the UFC should come down harder on fighters when it comes to punishing other misdeeds.

"I would be much more strict about everything. I say you get popped for steroids once, you’re banned for life," Ronda says.

"You know, but then again I’m not the promoter of a multi-million dollar organization."

"It’s just you have to think about, you know, from their perspective when is it not worth it anymore? I don’t want the company to be prioritizing this quarter over the next 10 years."

Ronda says she comes from a place of wanting to grow the sport and making it more family friendly.

"I don’t want it to get to the point where people are not buying tickets to go see fights live, because they are afraid of what could happen in the arena."

A lot of people are asking why is 47-year-old David Arquette resurrecting his pro wrestling career nearly 20 years after his stint in WCW??

Well, Diamond Dallas Page says he's got the answer ... and it's all about redeeming himself for participating in one of the worst moments in wrestling history.

Remember, Arquette won the WCW World Heavyweight title back in 2000 as part of a promotion for his movie, "Ready to Rumble."

Fans HATED the stunt and DDP says Arquette's dealt with the shame from the wrestling community ever since.

So, when Arquette approached Page and asked for his advice on how to make thing right, DDP says he told David to do what every other wrestler has to do ... "Pay your dues."

So, DDP and D.A. went to Mexico to train with luchadores -- and he's been working the indy circuit ever since trying match by match to earn his respect.

... and he's looking damn good too!

David Arquette is 47 YEARS OLD -- and flying off the top rope!!!

Check out this footage of Arquette wreckin' shop at Border City Wrestling’s 25th Anniversary Show in Ontario, Canada over the weekend ... it's realley, really impressive.

Arquette was teamed up with his former nemesis RJ City (their tag name is Arquette City), and they took on Halal Beefcake ... two guys who came out in "Scream" masks to taunt Arquette.

The video is great -- Arquette gets double-crossed, takes a middle finger to his face ... and then jumps off the top rope, all captured in footage airing Nov. 9 on Global Wrestling Network.

Remember, Arquette was the WCW Heavyweight champ back in the day -- but that moment is widely regarded as one of the low points in pro wrestling history.

Recently, Arquette went to Mexico to train with luchadores and perfected some pretty advanced wrestling moves.

Not bad, Mr. Arquette ...

Ronda Rousey says she needs to take her WWE cues from Drake -- "No New Friends" -- after getting ambushed and beat up by the Bella Twins on 'Raw' ... but she's already plotting her revenge!

"Nikki Bella, Brie Bella ... they’re a bunch of untrustworthy bitches," Rousey told us while hanging with her husband, Travis Browne, in L.A.

Ronda is taking on Nikki at "WWE Evolution" later this month -- the first-ever all-women's Pay-Per-View event -- and Ronda says her plan is to make Nikki pay!!!

"The most respectful thing for me to do is to go out and beat her right away, right?" Ronda said.

"So, I’m not gonna be respectful."

Ronda says she'll be documenting her journey leading up to the fight on RondaRousey.com -- sharing everything from training plans to fight videos.

WWE Hall of Famer Sunny's first order of business after being released from prison is a total Diva move ... girl went and got herself a mani-pedi!!

Less than 24 hours after getting out of the Carbon County Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania, Tammy Sytch hit up a local shop back in her New Jersey hometown Wednesday to get her nails done.

However, Sunny tells TMZ ... her first selfie as a free woman will have to wait until after her upcoming hair appointment.

The wrestling legend also tells us she feels great, and she's happy to be home with her family and the man she loves.

As for her time behind bars, she says ... "I used the time to my advantage, worked more on my recovery and got in great shape. My probation violation cost me 7.5 months of my freedom, but I met a few good people I will miss. The one thing I won’t miss is the food!"

WWE Hall of Famer Sunny is a free woman after spending most of 2018 behind bars ... TMZ Sports has learned.

45-year-old Tammy Sytch -- considered the first ever WWE Diva -- was arrested in New Jersey back in March following 2 DUI arrests, one in January and another in February.

After the arrests, she blew off multiple court dates and was considered a "fugitive of justice" -- but was eventually taken into custody in New Jersey in March.

Roughly 3 weeks later, Sytch was later transferred to a Pennsylvania jail where she's been locked up ever since.

But now, according to officials at Carbon County Correctional Facility in PA, Sytch was released on parole Tuesday morning.

Sunny has a grocery list of run-ins with the law -- she's had 5 DUI arrests, as well as 5 arrests from 2012 where she was busted for things like burglary and crimes related to domestic violence.

Ronda Rousey knows how John Cena feels -- because she got straight-up blindsided by Nikki Bella on Monday night ... and got her ass kicked in the process.

Rousey and the Bella Twins were part of a 6-way tag team match against the Riott Squad on "WWE Raw" in Chicago ... and things were going great, until Rousey got double-crossed.

After the ref had raised their hands in victory, Nikki hit Ronda with a clothesline from behind ... knocking her to the ground.

Brie Bella then rushed over and continued the beatdown -- stomping her out and throwing her into the steel ring stairs.

Yeah, we know ... fake (blah, blah, blah) -- but watch the video, Ronda's body took some real damage here.

So, what happens next?

Revenge. Sweet, sweet revenge.

WWE superstar Big Show was stoked to watch the NY Jets beat the Broncos this weekend -- but he was FAR more interested in some VIPs at the game who are battling cancer.

Big Show -- along with fellow WWE superstars Bayley and Curt Hawkins -- hit up MetLife Stadium as part of the "Crucial Catch: Intercept Cancer" campaign.

Behind the scenes, the wrestling stars got to hang with the real stars of the game -- the brave kids from Goryeb Children’s Hospital in New Jersey.

Besides the great seats and the cool meet-and-greet with the WWE stars, the kids also served as honorary captains during the coin toss.

The good news ... the Jets emerged victorious -- beating the Broncos 34-16.

We spoke with Big Show about the experience ... and he tells us why spending time with the kids is one of the best parts of being a WWE superstar.

WWE legend Jerry "The King" Lawler says he was inundated with hate mail after attending a Donald Trump rally in Mississippi on Tuesday ... but tells TMZ Sports his haters got it all wrong!

The 68-year-old WWE Hall of Famer was sitting right behind Trump as he went on a pro-Brett Kavanaugh speech on Oct. 2 ... the same event where he mocked Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford.

When we spoke with Lawler at Comic-Con in New York, The King explained that he wasn't necessarily at the rally to support Trump in a political capacity ... but as a friend and former colleague.

"We were asked by some people to go to the rally, and I went and unbelievably received from some social media some actual hate mail just for going to the rally of Donald Trump."

"But, I want to tell everybody ... I wasn't going there to see the President, I was going to see a fellow WWE Hall of Famer ... that's all."

Ex-WWE superstar Alberto Del Rio has announced his plans to return to MMA ... more than 8 YEARS after his last real fight!!

The 41-year-old -- real name Jose Rodriguez -- announced his decision to return to MMA for Combate Americas on Monday ... and he's gunning to get in the cage in 2019.

Del Rio's last MMA fight was a Cage of Combat event back on Feb. 27, 2010 ... when he lost to Yamamoto Hanshi in a 2nd round TKO.

“I’m going to jump back in the cage -- or in the cage for the first time -- because I used to fight in rings in Mexico and in Asia, but never inside the cage,” Del Rio told The MMA Hour.

“So for 2019, I’m going to be doing that. I’m going to be fighting in the cage for Combate Americas, mi familia, mi casa, and I’m not just saying this because my boss is here and he writes my checks."

Del Rio says he expects to fight a big-name MMA star and draw a huge pay-per-view ... but says his opponent has not been made official yet.