WWE

10:45 AM PT -- We're told Okerlund passed away early Wednesday morning. Cause of death is still unclear. Working on it.

8:59 AM PT -- We just spoke with Diamond Dallas Page who praised Okerlund as one of the greatest people in the industry.

Page got emotional as he reflected on Okerlund's life and says he will be missed by all.

"Mean" Gene Okerlund -- the most famous announcer in the history of pro wrestling -- has died, WWE has confirmed. He was 76.

Vince McMahon's company issued a statement saying, "WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Gene Okerlund, the most recognizable interviewer in sports-entertainment history, has passed away at age 76."

Hulk Hogan also commented ... saying, "Mean Gene I love you my brother."

Unclear how he died, but Okerlund had health problems dating back years. He had 2 kidney transplants -- the first one in 1995 and the second in 2004.

Okerlund started as a radio DJ back in Nebraska before taking a job with the American Wrestling Association in 1970.

He moved to WWF in the early '80s and WRESTLED -- famously pinning Mr. Fuji in a tag team match with Hulk Hogan in 1984.

Okerlund was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by Hulk Hogan.

Among his many highlights, Okerlund sang the national anthem at Wrestlemania I back in 1985.

His interviews were legendary -- standing face to face with guys like Andre the Giant, Ultimate Warrior, Ricky Steamboat and others ... and getting the best out of these guys.

He was beloved in wrestling circles for decades. In fact, he served as the best man at The Iron Sheik's wedding!

As for his nickname, Jesse "The Body" Ventura is credited with the name "Mean" Gene.

The tributes from WWE stars are already pouring in ...

Ric Flair -- One Of My Closest Friends Since 1972 Until This Very Sad Day In 2019. Not Only The Greatest Voice And Personality In The History Of Announcing, But A Man Who Touched Everyone’s Life Who Were Fortunate Enough To Know Him. Rest In Peace Knowing No One Will Ever Replace You.

Seth Rollins -- Super bummed about Mean Gene. Literally JUST sat down last week to do an interview about his legacy. He was the most iconic backstage interviewer in wrestling history in my opinion. #RIPMeanGene

Charlotte Flair -- Goodbye, old friend. Thank you for the memories

Stephanie McMahon -- Gene Okerlund was an incredibly rare talent. He made everything and everyone better. #ThankYouMeanGene for all the incredible memories. Our condolences to his family and loved ones.

Ted DiBiase -- WWE universe has lost one of its greatest announcers and truly one of the nicest guys you’d ever know. “Mean” Gene Okerlund, RIP my friend

Stone Cold Steve Austin -- "Just heard Mean Gene Okerlund has passed away. As an interviewer, pitch man, announcer, or host, he was untouchable. Simply the best. Total professional with quick wit, sarcasm, humor, and that golden voice."

Triple H -- "A voice and sound track to an entire era of our industry. He was the star of some of @WWE’s most memorable segments. “Mean Gene” was beloved by all who got to work with him. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."

Big E -- "Mean Gene was the voice of millions of childhoods. Mine certainly. An honor to meet him. Condolences to his family."

Mustafa Ali -- "The voice of my youth. Condolences to his friends and family."

Ligero -- "Extremely sad news to hear of the unfortunate passing of Mean Gene Okerlund. One of the most iconic interviewers and personalities of my childhood, and one of the very best in the business."

Charles Robinson (famous WWE ref) -- "So sad to hear of the passing of one of the greatest voices in wrestling. Mean Gene you will be missed and we will continue to love you. What a true class act. I am very fortunate to work with you."

Bully Ray -- "RIP “Mean” Gene. Thanks for the memories and being a Gentleman. God Bless."

Kevin Owens -- Mean Gene was universally loved by everyone I’ve met that knew him.

Very few people can say that their work will forever be appreciated and remembered. Very few can legitimately claim to be legends in their field.

Those things can undoubtedly be said about him.

Matt Hardy -- RIP to an absolute legend of our industry, @TheGeneOkerlund. "Mean Gene" was incredible in many roles, as he wore many hats throughout his iconic career in pro wrestling. My thoughts are with his family & friends today.

Kurt Angle -- Very seldom does an interviewer become just as popular, and at times even more popular than the superstars he/she interviews. Gene Okerlund was that person. Im saddened to hear of Gene’s passing. It was an honor to know you Gene!

WWE superstar Becky Lynch is already dreaming of "WrestleMania" dominance -- telling us she's dying to "slap the head off Ronda Rousey."

Lynch was supposed to battle Rousey at "Survivor Series" back in November -- but she suffered a serious injury to her face and was pulled from the match.

But, Lynch says she still has a sense of "unfinished business" with Rousey ... and wants to settle things once and for all on April 7 at MetLife Stadium.

Despite the rivalry, Lynch praised Rousey for all that she's done for women's pro wrestling, women's judo and women's MMA ... but warns that she "just hasn't faced a real test yet!"

Meanwhile, Lynch is training her ass off -- recently hitting up Conor McGregor's famous training center in Ireland, the Straight Blast Gym ... where she worked out with Conor's trainer, John Kavanagh.

"John Kavanagh put me through the ringer," Lynch said ... "It was great."

McGregor has raved about Lynch -- praising his fellow Irish superstar publicly and telling her to call "any time you need backup."

So, will the two connect and beat some ass as the greatest Irish tag team ever? Don't rule it out ...

John Cena once again transformed himself into Make-A-Wish's biggest hero ... treating a bunch of kids to a private screening of his new blockbuster flick.

The WWE superstar (along with the good folks at Make-A-Wish) rented out a private theater for 21 kids to see "Bumblebee" in NYC on Thursday ... and judging from the footage, everyone was stoked!

Each kid got swag bags, snacks and drinks and some time to hang with their favorite action hero/wrestling star.

Some of the kids even busted out Cena's legendary "You Can't See Me" move with John right on the red carpet!!

Later on, Cena took some of the kids to the Empire State Building where they posed for more pics -- took in the sights -- and hung out with John's "Bumblebee" costar, Hailee Steinfeld.

Big Cass had to be rushed to a hospital after collapsing and suffering a seizure at a pro wrestling event -- but several fans thought the drama was just part of the show.

Cass was scheduled to wrestle Saturday at Tommy Dreamer's House of Hardcore event in Philly. Several fans tell TMZ Sports ... the former WWE star was about to sit down for a fan meet and greet when the seizure began. We're told BC went down hard and was convulsing on the ground.

While one person did yell for medical attention, most of the fans stood around expecting another wrestler to charge into the scene. We're told they thought it was part of the show -- which also featured, David Arquette, BTW.

Luckily, medics and a doctor responded, the seizure subsided ... and it appears he did not hit his head when he collapsed. Big Cass was released from the WWE earlier this year, allegedly due to issues with alcohol. Dreamer told fans the seizure was not the result of substance abuse.

Cass wasn't able to wrestle, as scheduled, but he was awake and alert when he was transported to a hospital.

WWE legend Sgt. Slaughter says the company was 100% right to have an event in Saudi Arabia ... saying the decision was about entertainment and not politics.

"WWE Crown Jewel" went down in Riyadh on Nov. 2 -- despite calls from prominent politicians, businessmen and even WWE wrestlers to postpone the event in the wake of the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

After the event, WWE hailed it as a success -- others have still been extremely critical.

We got the Sarge in NYC, and the 70-year-old told us he's happy the company held the event, saying making political decisions isn't what the WWE is all about.

"We're an entertainment company. We're not anything to do with politics. We're basically there to entertain everybody. Not just the American people, but people all around the world. That's what we do for a living. That's what makes our company so great."

It's a sticky situation ... John Cena & Daniel Bryant -- two of the biggest stars in the organization -- refused to participate in the event ... but stars like Hulk Hogan, Randy Orton and others were happy to participate.

The Dynamite Kid -- one half of the famed British Bulldogs tag team duo -- has died, his family announced Wednesday.

The wrestler -- real name Tommy Billington -- had been battling health issues for years though his exact cause of death has not been revealed.

He turned 60 years old on Wednesday ... the same day he passed away.

Dynamite made his WWF debut back in 1984 and famously wrestled stars like Bret "The Hitman" Hart and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.

His biggest moment was winning the tag team championship with British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith at Wrestlemania II back in 1986.

The duo defeated The Dream Team of Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake and Greg Valentine on the same night Hulk Hogan defeated King Kong Bundy in a steel cage match.

Dynamite Kid's nephew, Davey Boy Smith Jr. -- a former pro wrestler himself -- issued a statement on his passing Wednesday morning,

"It deeply saddens me to announce the passing of Tom Billington the 'Dynamite Kid.' I was really happy and glad I got to see Dynamite one last time last June in the UK."

"Dynamite was certainly an inspiration to myself and many others and really revolutionized professional Wrestling as we now [sic] it today. He flew high, and gave it his all every match. Thanks for everything and sad to have lost another family member. Rest In Peace Dyno."

If Nikki Bella's date with Peter Kraus had been filmed for "The Bachelorette," it would have ended with him strolling into an SUV without a rose. She just wasn't feeling it ... TMZ has learned.

Our production sources tell us ... while her date looked every bit like an episode of 'Bachelorette' -- which included a ride on a gondola and sipping wine -- fact is, there just weren't any sparks for her to wanna lock down a second date.

The big tell ... we're told Nikki couldn't muster the strength to pucker up and kiss Peter when he made his move. Yup, she left him hanging. We're told she freaked out and screamed "NO!!!" before pulling away.

Bottom line ... Nikki's just not ready to start dating again following her on-again, off-again relationship with John Cena.

As for why she went on the date at all? We're told Nikki's mom is a HUGE 'Bachelor' fan and suggested she give Peter a shot. The date will play out on the new season of "Total Bellas" next year.

For now, we're told Nikki will be laying low on the dating scene, and focusing on her career. Back to the drawing board, Peter.

WWE legend "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan says he's thankful to be alive after a serious medical scare over Thanksgiving weekend ... telling TMZ Sports the whole experience was terrifying.

64-year-old Duggan was hospitalized last week after feeling "out of shape" and sensing a pain in his chest ... and says he had 6-8 people working on him in the ICU at one time.

Turns out ... Hacksaw's heart had gone into atrial fibrillation -- aka AFib -- which, according to medical sites, is an irregular heartbeat that can lead to strokes, blood clots and other heart problems

While it's not necessarily a life-threatening condition ... Hacksaw says it could've been much worse if he didn't take his wife's advice by going straight to the hospital.

"I kinda knew something was wrong, but I was scared to go to the doctor," Hacksaw says. "If there's something wrong, go to the doctor. They can save your life like they might've done mine."

Hacksaw says he's thankful to have WWE friends like Hulk Hogan and Jerry Lawler reach out to check in on him ... as well as his fans who have stuck with him for the past 40 years.

Jesse Ventura needs a little more time to decide whether he wants to run for President, but one thing's crystal clear -- his main goal is booting Donald Trump the hell out of office.

We got the WWE Hall of Famer and ex-Minnesota Gov leaving the Federal Courthouse in Orange County, and asked how serious he is about a 2020 presidential run. He insists he's always serious about that.

Jesse says he's gonna spend a couple months is Mexico mulling it over, but he's already concerned running as the Green Party candidate could take votes away from a Democrat and help Trump win.

Don't worry, Dems -- he has an unconventional plan to satisfy both sides and he's ready to make a deal.

As we reported, Jesse was at the courthouse Wednesday to testify on behalf of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, which is facing racketeering and murder charges. He's been a member since the early '70s and, even though he's been inactive for decades ... he vouched for the club, and told us he might go active again soon.

3:00 PM PT -- We got Jesse as he walked out of the courthouse, surrounded by his Mongol MC "brothers," and he made it clear he never tried to hide his membership in the organization ... even when he was in politics. As he put it, "I don't run from being a Mongol."

1:15 PM PT -- Prosecutors asked Jesse about the Mongols MC allegedly retaliating for the killings of members ... and he said he'd lose respect for them if they didn't. During cross-examination, he conceded every organization has "some bad apples."

On a lighter note, Jesse referred to himself as a "gringo biker" who was never harassed while riding around East L.A. -- noting Mongols membership is about 75% Latino and 25% white.

He's now completed his testimony.

Jesse Ventura has found himself smack-dab in the middle of a real-life "Sons of Anarchy" storyline ... as the feds try to nail a biker gang on racketeering and conspiracy charges.

The legendary pro wrestler and former Minnesota Governor appeared in an Orange County courtroom Wednesday to testify on behalf of the Southern California-based Mongols Motorcycle Club ... of which he's an inactive member.

He was called as an expert witness for gang members who were accused of murder, drug running, robbery, extortion and other crimes. Jesse said under oath when he was a member of the MC he never engaged in criminal activity. He testified he was never asked to commit crimes and never did.

Jesse went on to praise the MC. He stated that joining the Mongols in the '70s helped him transition from the military -- where he was a Navy Seal -- to civilian life, and gave him a "brotherhood to rely on."

Ventura worked his way up to a Sergeant-at-Arms during his short time in the club, before leaving in 1974 to pursue his wrestling career.

It's interesting timing ... we just spoke with Jesse Tuesday, and he told us he's seriously thinking about running for President in 2020 against Trump.

We would say his affiliation with this case might hurt his chances, but controversy and legal trouble didn't deter Trump, so ... let the race begin?

Originally Published -- 10:01 AM PST

Jesse Ventura says he's seriously thinking about running for President of the United States in 2020 -- and says Donald Trump should be scared ... because it would be an ass-kicking!!!

"The [Green Party] has shown some interest," the 67-year-old former Governor of Minnesota told us at LAX ... "I haven't made a decision yet because it's a long time off."

But ... here's where things get good.

"If I do do it, Trump will not have a chance," Ventura says.

"For one, Trump knows wrestling. He participated in two Wrestlemanias. He knows he can never out-talk a wrestler, and he knows I'm the greatest talker wrestling's ever had."

"So, if I go for it he's history, and he knows it!"

That's not all ... Ventura says he's also been keeping his body in great shape and showed us his "6-pack" abs to prove it.

In fact, "The Body" pointed out that Wrestlemania is rumored to be coming to Minneapolis next year -- and says if WWE was smart, they'd call him up to participate.

Bottom line -- Ventura could have a very busy 2019.

WWE superstar Kairi Sane -- former NXT women's champ -- says she's debating whether or not to go to the hospital after coming down with a case of hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

Sane tweeted (translated from Japanese) -- "Although high fever went down, mysterious eczema in hands, feet and mouth this time ... Ouch."

"So when you go to the hospital (hand foot/mouth disease) do you?! (Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease as it is in the United States) If infants are examined Infants under 5 years old suffering illness. Why did you get in my body by mistaking a virus? Lol."

According to the Mayo Clinic, HF&M is a "mild, contagious viral infection common in young children" and it's usually characterized by sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet.

Treatment?

"There's no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Frequent hand-washing and avoiding close contact with people who are infected with hand-foot-and-mouth disease may help reduce your child's risk of infection."

The good news ... Mayo says the symptoms should only last a few days. (Drink lots of water).

Nikki Bella is NOT reuniting or reconciling when it comes to John Cena ... and there's a perfectly logical reason she posted a romantic pic of them, making fans think they're tapping in on their relationship.

Sources close to Nikki tell TMZ ... the WWE superstars are still very much single, despite Nikki posting a shot of her and John cuddling in a hot tub at sunset.

We're told Nikki was simply reminiscing over the past year and thinking back on what she was thankful for -- she posted several pics of other people in her life -- and John was a part of that. Even though they called off their relationship and stopped talking to each other.

Haters will say she was trolling ... but we're told it was just some Thanksgiving reflection.

And yeah, sounds like the sun really has set on their romance. At least they'll always have #TBT if you're jonesin' to see 'em together again.

Hulk Hogan's 65 years old and has wrestled for 4 decades ... but his son, Nick, tells TMZ Sports the WWE Hall of Famer will NEVER RETIRE from the sport he loves.

"He always says he loves it. He loves training. He loves the wrestling business. It runs too deep in his blood. I don't think he'll ever quit," Nick told us at LAX.

Of course, Hulk just made his return to WWE after being fired in 2015 ... appearing at the 'Crown Jewel' event in Saudi Arabia, and you could tell he was back in his element.

Nick agrees ... and says he's still impressed with his dad's athletic ability and physical appearance.

WWE superstar Big Show has been destroying people in the ring for 24 years -- but tells TMZ Sports he ain't slowin' down any time soon!!

At 46 years old, Big Show -- real name Paul Wight -- is still going hard ... but people are wondering how much longer he can handle the wear and tear of the job with his 7'0", 400-pound frame.

The good news for wrestling fans -- dude ain't ready to tap out just yet.

"I signed a new deal last year," Big Show told us at Avra in Beverly Hills ... "I gotta couple of years left. I'm having fun."

Show ain't impervious to injury -- he's still recovering from a tweaked hamstring -- but, overall, the guy is in great shape, feels good and wants to keep going.

We also spoke with Show about his long-rumored showdown with Shaquille O'Neal -- and if the two will EVER square off.

Plus, Show tells us why Charlotte Flair might be the biggest BEAST in all of pro wrestling.

Brock Lesnar's personal "advocate," Paul Heyman, tells TMZ Sports ... the only real thing standing in the way of a UFC fight with Daniel Cormier is the size of his paycheck.

Of course, Brock and DC have been unofficially promoting a fight for months -- but there's no deal in place and Dana White recently told us Cormier's team wants him to retire now.

So, when we saw Heyman -- Lesnar's right-hand man -- we asked what it's gonna take to make the fight happen.

"As long as Daniel Cormier has the balls to step into the Octagon and put his title up against Brock Lesnar, and UFC comes up with the money for Brock Lesnar, I don't see anything that would keep Brock Lesnar from taking the fight."

Cormier has said he will NOT take any fights after his 40th birthday -- March 20, 2019 -- so, if this fight's gonna come together ... they gotta move pretty fast.

And, since Heyman has been so damn successful as an "advocate" in the WWE, we asked what it would take for him to rep Conor McGregor ... if the Irishman chooses to go down that road later in his career.