WWE

Ric Flair says his wife, Wendy Barlow, is "100 percent" the reason The Nature Boy is alive today ... telling TMZ Sports, "She's responsible for all of it."

Ric's had some close calls when it comes to his health the last few years ... he was on death's doorstep in 2017 and just a few months ago he needed a heart procedure to keep his ticker going.

Flair says the docs obviously did a great job piecing him together ... but tells us Wendy truly deserves all the credit for getting him back to being a jet flyin' son of a gun!!

"Doctors 20, her 80," Flair says of Wendy ... "No, 90-10. She's responsible for all of it."

As for how he's feeling now, after the heart procedure in May, Naitch tells us he's doing great ... saying, "Best I've been in 10 years!"

By the way, we also talked to Ric about Taylor Swift's new song, "The Man," and ya gotta hear why Flair has some issues with it.

Hint: As Wendy says, "Ya gotta beat the man to be the man!"

Rob Gronkowski ain't retired from WHOOPIN' THAT ASS ... 'cause the ex-NFL superstar tells TMZ Sports he wants a WWE fight against his "wimp" friend Mojo Rawley!!!

The 30-year-old knows his way around the ring ... he famously helped Rawley win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33 in 2017.

So, when the ex-Patriots tight end was out in NYC promoting his partnership with CBDMedic earlier this week, we had to ask if a full-time gig with WWE was in his future.

"My friend's in there and he's a little wimp, so I gotta go in that ring and whoop his ass!!!" Gronk tells us ... referring to his former partner as "Mojo 'Small Piece' Rawley!!!"

It's been a hot topic for YEARS ... given Gronk is a freak of nature and is hella charismatic. So, the fact that he called out his first fight opponent is a big deal.

But, as we previously reported ... Gronk says he's keeping his NFL window open, saying he could return if the desire comes back.

WWE superstars Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch are both officially off the market ... the wrestlers just got engaged!!!

Seth and Becky announced the big news Thursday over social media ... with Becky calling Seth's beachfront proposal the happiest day of her life.

The super cute couple is definitely moving fast ... they started seeing each other earlier this year, and in May they finally went public with their relationship. Seth and Becky were friends for a while before things turned romantic.

These are some kickass couple ... Seth is the WWE Universal Champion and the WWE RAW Tag Team Champion, while Becky is the WWE RAW Women's Champion.

Looks like Becky is in it for the long haul ... she says they're going to be together for the rest of her life. Seth's been engaged before, but he never tied the knot, and this will be Becky's first marriage.

Congrats!!!

Georgia-born Ron Simmons is best known as the championship-winning, All-American heavyweight wrestler in the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in the early '90s and was one half of the tag-team duo Doom and went on to be a part of the Nation of Domination in the WWF.

Before his fame in the wrestling ring, Simmons was famous on the football field ... Ron got into the gridiron games as a nose guard at Florida State University with coach Bobby Bowden and went on to play in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns for two seasons.

Simmons was inducted into the WWE Wrestling Hall of Fame back in 2012.

Surprise! The Rock is a married man -- he finally worked up the courage to say "I do" to his longtime girlfriend, and it went down in his home state of Hawaii.

Dwayne Johnson and Lauren Hashian tied the knot Sunday after more than a decade of dating, and they both wore white -- a beautiful full-length gown and veil for her ... and a button-down with white pants for him to really rock the island vibes.

The Rock shared the big news Monday morning, writing on IG, "We do. August 18th, 2019. Hawaii. Pōmaikaʻi (blessed)." He also shared a pic of himself dipping Lauren into a romantic kiss with an ocean backdrop.

His acting partner, Kevin Hart, was one of the first to congratulate him on wifing up Lauren.

The couple's been together since 2007, and they have 2 daughters together -- 3-year-old Jasmine and 1-year-old Tiana. Johnson also has an 18-year-old daughter from a previous marriage.

As for the timing of the wedding, it comes just weeks after The Rock announced he "quietly retired" from wrestling.

Congrats!

WWE superstar Lana knows her best foot forward is a Bundle of Joy -- and that's not a reference to her bikini ... it's her dog's name. Although, her bikini is pretty damn joyful too.

Lana was strolling on Venice Beach this week in true hot girl summer fashion. Her bedazzled pink 2-piece would be enough to draw attention up and down the beach -- but she had a bonus accessory.

Lana's famous Pomsky -- a Pomeranian-Siberian Husky mix -- soaked up some rays with a leash to match Lana's swimwear.

BTW, don't get it twisted ... BoJ is a legit famous bitch!!! She has more than 18k followers on Instagram. Point being, this is the duo you not only deserve, but NEED, as summer sadly winds down.

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper's daughter Teal Piper is following in her legendary father's footsteps ... and TMZ Sports has obtained training footage showing her first in-ring action.

We've learned Piper has signed on with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss' WOW (Women Of Wrestling) promotion ... where she'll wrestle at live events and appear on season 2 of their TV show.

Remember, Piper told us she's debuting later this month at an AEW event -- but for now, that's just a 1-time appearance -- so the WOW deal shows she's all-in on wrestling.

In the footage we obtained -- taken at a training center in Long Beach, CA -- Piper is learning the wrestling basics in the squared circle.

We're told she's been training alongside the other WOW performers ... several times a week.

Roddy was a wrestling legend who unexpectedly passed away in July of 2015 at the age of 61.

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper's daughter is following in the footsteps of her legendary father -- becoming a professional wrestler -- and her only regret is he isn't here to watch her perform.

TMZ Sports talked to Teal Piper (real name Ariel Teal Toombs) ... who at 34 years old will make her wrestling debut for AEW on August 31.

"A million percent regret not taking this opportunity before," ... Piper told us ... adding, "It is very heartbreaking, and very nostalgic and intense feeling being in this world without him."

Roddy unexpectedly passed away back in July 2015 ... at the age of 61.

Teal says her dad woulda been pumped about her gettin' in the biz ... but also protective over his daughter.

"I think my dad would be very excited for me. He's always been so supportive of the stuff I do."

"But, on the flip side of that, he's always kept me far away from wrestling. He was always worried about the heat he would get as a heel, the fans in the industry, so he kept me and my sister, specifically, in a bubble."

Piper's in the deep end now ... 'cause her first match is a 21-woman Casino Battle Royal -- with the winner getting a title shot.

Dwayne Johnson has always been rockin' good looks!

Here's a 29-year-old version of the former professional wrestler spotted showing off his shady side during an event for his movie, "The Mummy Returns," in Santa Monica back in 2001 (left).

18 years later ... the now 47-year-old actor is the father to three daughters. Johnson spent 8 years in the WWE before pursuing acting as a full time career. Johnson is now an action movie icon and was recently photographed looking better than ever at the premiere of his new film "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw" in Hollywood earlier this past month (right).

These looks never took a cheat day.

The question is ...

DO YOU SMEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL ... another WWE superstar in the making?

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson certainly does ... explaining why the Scottish Psychopath -- aka Drew McIntyre -- could be the next big thing in pro wrestling!

The People's Champ was out in NYC promoting his new flick, 'Hobbs & Shaw,' when he stopped to tell Adam Glyn why he thinks McIntyre has superstar potential.

"I think he's got a great look, great build," Rock says ... noting that he's only getting BETTER every time he steps in the ring.

Rock even offered up some advice to McIntyre ... reminding him to "[continue] to hone in on his craft and connect with the audience which is always the most important thing."

McIntyre is 34 years old and he's already built an impressive resume -- former NXT Champion, former WWE Intercontinental Champion and 2-time Tag Team Champion.

McIntyre has been dreaming of being a pro wrestling superstar since he was a kid and began training at 15 years old. He made his WWE debut back in 2007.

WWE legend Jerry Lawler thinks officials in Tennessee and a local sheriff are responsible for his son's 2018 death ... and now he's "seeking justice" in a new $3 MILLION lawsuit, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Brian Christopher Lawler -- AKA Grandmaster Sexay -- died by hanging himself in his jail cell in July 29, 2018 following an arrest for DUI and evading police. He was only 46.

But, Jerry claims his death could have easily been prevented -- if officials would have followed proper protocol when dealing with a person they KNEW had a history of suicide attempts.

Lawler's attorney, Jeffrey Rosenblum, tells TMZ Sports ... Brian -- who suffered from depression -- told officers during his 2018 arrest that he had attempted suicide in 2013 and 2015.

But, when Christopher was put in a jail cell for the 2018 arrest, officials at the Hardeman County Sheriff's Dept. made no effort to protect him from himself, Rosenblum says.

Rosenblum says Christopher was attacked by another inmate during his confinement -- and suffered a head injury, left eye gash and a possible concussion. But, Rosenblum says officials refused to get him medical help.

Instead, Lawler was allegedly placed in solitary confinement with his shoes and shoe laces -- and the cell had two large bolts sticking out of a high point on one of the cell walls.

Lawler ultimately used his laces and the bolts to hang himself, Rosenblum says.

Before his death, Rosenblum alleges that Lawler repeatedly cried out for help and screamed that he needed to go to the hospital ... but never received the medical attention he requested.

Rosenblum says the family has filed a lawsuit in the hopes of holding officials accountable -- and any money they are awarded will go toward supporting Brian's son.

He also wants an apology from the Sheriff's Dept. and a court order "requiring Hardeman County to correct their unconstitutional deficiencies so that no other family has to go through what this family has had to endure over the past year."

As for the $3 mil, Rosenblum says that number is for compensatory damages "with an additional award of punitive damages to be determined by the jury for the benefit of Brian’s minor son."

John Cena is fully involved ... fully involved with his girlfriend, Shay Shariatzadeh.

John and Shay could not keep their hands and lips off each other as they dined Friday night at a Tampa restaurant, Ocean Prime.

They've been together since March ... so his former GF, Nikki Bella, is far, far away in his rear view. They broke up almost exactly a year ago. You'll recall, there was a thing over babies ... she wanted one, he didn't, he changed his mind, she wasn't moved by that, etc. etc.

BTW ... Shay is Canadian. She works as a product manager for a tech company in Vancouver.

If you're interested ... they ordered steak, potatoes, salad, a bottle of wine and a chocolate desert. And, get this ... they were at the table for 4 HOURS!!! She was holding his hand a lot and they laughed and talked through the evening.

Baker Mayfield shouldn't be judged based off his drunken arrest in 2017 ... so says Stone Cold Steve Austin, who tells TMZ Sports the Browns QB is a "class act" with a great head on his shoulders.

We spoke with the WWE legend -- who got to hang out with Bake for his new show "Straight Up Steve Austin" -- and says he had a great time with the signal-caller ... noting BM isn't the villain some people make him out to be.

"It was awesome. That kid's got such a presence about him. What a head on his shoulders and the way he puts things into perspective," Austin says.

Of course ... Baker was arrested in Arkansas back in February 2017 ... where he was infamously blasted by a cop who caught him immediately after he tried to run from being questioned.

Austin says that one little action is not who Baker is ... praising the 24-year-old's character during their time together.

"(He) had a little slip up in Arkansas a lot of people like to bring up. Man, that one little action ... this kid is a class act. Super savvy. very alpha. Guys rally around him because he's such a gamer."

"As a young man, boy, I'll tell you what -- he has a lot of composure and a lot of 'it' factor, x factor, very charismatic and very confident."

WWE superstar Jimmy Uso was arrested for driving under the influence near Pensacola, Florida early Thursday morning ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Details surrounding the arrest are unclear but here's what we know so far -- the 33-year-old was booked at 3:04 AM and the charge on the police website says DUI -- driving with an unlawful blood alcohol level.

Unclear what cops say Uso's BAC was at the time of the arrest -- we're working on it.

Cops say Uso -- real name Jonathan Fatu -- is still behind bars. His bond was set at $1,000.

WWE has been in Florida this week -- 'Raw' was in Tampa on Monday, 'Smackdown' was in Miami on Tuesday.

Uso has a history with the law ... back in February, Jimmy was arrested after allegedly getting into a drunken dispute with cops in Detroit. They claim Jimmy "squared up" as if he was going to fight the police. He was arrested for disorderly conduct and obstruction.

In fact, just on Monday, John Cena clowned Uso's mug shot from his February arrest during 'Raw' ... and Uso was smiling about it.

Uso is WWE royalty -- he's the son of WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi and he's married to WWE superstar Naomi. He's also one half of the famous Uso Brothers tag team with his brother, Jey Uso.

The Uso Brothers are 6-time WWE tag team champs.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wants Hawaii's tallest mountain to be left alone ... joining protests to halt construction of a giant telescope atop Mauna Kea.

The Rock was in Hawaii Wednesday on the 10th day of protests at the base of Mauna Kea ... as natives continue mounting pressure to block the construction of a 30-meter telescope. Dwayne -- who is Samoan but grew up in Honolulu as a child -- told the crowd, "I stand with you."

The issue ... Native Hawaiian groups are concerned the construction will harm a site they consider to be sacred. Construction of the $1.4 billion project was supposed to begin in 2015 but opposition to it was also intense back then ... and the project never broke ground.

Hulk Hogan's a legend who put wrestling on the map, but he ain't the greatest of all-time ... at least not according to WWE HOF'er Stone Cold Steve Austin.

The guy who wears that crown ... is none other than the Nature Boy, Ric Flair.

"He's the absolute greatest of all-time to ever lace up a pair of boots, and the greatest world champ of all-time."

TMZ Sports talked to Stone Cold -- hours before WWE's Monday Night Raw Reunion (featuring Hulk, Ric and other pro wrestling legends) -- about his relationship with the 70-year-old icon.

Remember, Flair previously told us Austin was one of the people he credited with helping him get through his latest serious health scare.

It's clear, Austin has big love for Hulk ... but he has a special place in his heart for Ric.

"Hulk Hogan was such a huge name in his right with putting wrestling on the map, what he did, and taking it to the heights he did. But, Ric is someone I really hold near and dear to me" ... Stone Cold told us.

"Many people know Ric better than I do, but we've become such good friends and I have such admiration for him. I've been down in the dumps too and I've had guys reach out to me and it's helped me out when I've been in a bad time. So, any kind of support that i can be there for Ric, I'm glad. I'm proud to be his friend, a close friend. And, I wish him nothing but the best."