WWE

Less than one day before Jeff Hardy was accused of drunkenly driving his car through Florida highways ... the AEW star took a swig from a cup and made a joke that whiskey was "my best friend and my worst enemy."

The 44-year-old wrestler was filmed on Sunday evening making the comment -- some 12 hours or so before cops say he was driving a white Dodge Charger while severely intoxicated in Volusia County.

The video shows Hardy in Orlando for a wrestling convention (one in which his brother, Matt Hardy, also attended) ... singing for several people inside what appeared to be a conference room.

Jeff, discussing lyrics to a song, took a big sip of a drink, turned to the crowd and said, "Whiskey is my best friend and my worst enemy!"

The footage shows he then smiled, while people in the audience chuckled and shouted.

As we reported, Jeff was later arrested at around 9 AM on Monday morning by the Florida Highway Patrol for DUI.

During the stop, officers say he reeked of booze, could hardly stand during questioning, and admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel. They added that two breathalyzer tests revealed he had a BAC of .291 and .294.

Hardy was charged with felony DUI and two other misdemeanors. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter in July.

Jeff Hardy has been suspended by the AEW without pay following his DUI arrest on Monday, the org. announced Tuesday.

"We were able to resume contact with Jeff Hardy this afternoon," AEW President & CEO Tony Khan said in a statement. "AEW does not condone Jeff’s alleged behavior."

Khan said Hardy's ban will last until he successfully completes a treatment program and maintains his sobriety.

Khan added the AEW will "assist him in getting treatment for substance abuse issues, which he has indicated that he's open to receiving."

The 44-year-old wrestler signed with the org. this year after a lengthy run in the WWE -- and is considered one of the company's biggest stars. He was slated to wrestle in an AEW match on Wednesday.

As we reported, Hardy was arrested at around 10 AM on Monday morning in Florida, after cops say he drunkenly drove his car through Volusia County highways. He's since been hit with three charges, including felony DUI.

It's the third time since 2018 that Hardy has been accused of driving while impaired -- he was arrested for the alleged offense in North Carolina in '18 and then again in 2019.

"It was disheartening to hear the news about my brother yesterday," his brother, Matt Hardy -- who also wrestles in the AEW -- said in a statement Tuesday morning.

Three officers were apparently so concerned about the state of Jeff Hardy after they pulled him over on Monday morning, they each drew their guns and pointed them at the AEW star.

The frightening scene was all captured on police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, just before the 44-year-old wrestler was arrested in Volusia County for DUI by the Florida Highway Patrol.

In the footage, you can see after cops stopped Hardy's white Dodge Charger on a freeway after they said it had been swerving all over the road and driving erratically ... they walked to his car and appeared to shout orders at him through his closed windows.

Hardy, though, seemingly didn't comply -- which caused each officer on the scene to pull out their firearm.

Fortunately, Hardy eventually opened his car door without issue ... and the officers were able to get him out of his vehicle without incident.

In the footage, you can see Hardy -- wearing a Jacksonville Jaguars T-shirt -- was not steady on his feet ... and mumbled and whispered responses to the officers.

During questioning, Hardy appeared to admit to drinking shots of Fireball before getting behind the wheel.

Eventually, officers took Hardy away from the busy highway into a nearby parking lot to perform field sobriety tests.

Hardy, though, stumbled throughout each test ... and after several minutes, an officer slapped cuffs on the wrestling star and told him he was "under the arrest for the offense of DUI."

In police documents, officers say they tested Hardy's BAC through a breathalyzer back at the station ... and claim he blew a .291 and a .294.

Hardy bonded out of jail late Monday evening ... but was ultimately, according to court records, hit with three charges, including felony DUI as well as two misdemeanors.

Before Ric Flair doles out one last ass whoopin', the WWE legend's gonna take a few (verbal) jabs from Mike Tyson -- 'cause TMZ Sports has learned Iron Mike will be one of the celebs roasting Nature Boy this summer!

We're told 55-year-old Tyson has signed on to be part of the roast of 73-year-old Flair ... going down July 29 in Nashville, TN ... in front of over 1,000 fans!

Ric and Mike -- two of the absolute greatest in their respective fields -- aren't just buddies, they're also business partners.

In fact, Mike's "Tyson 2.0" cannabis company recently struck a deal with "Ric Flair Drip" ... and the men will be selling different marijuana products (think edibles, etc.)

And, Tyson won't be alone in roasting the 16x world champ ... Starrcast, the company behind the event, tells us they're in the process of locking down other celebs and wrestlers for the roast.

If Ric makes it through the roast, two nights later he's scheduled to wrestle in the final match of his incredible career. His opponent is still being sorted out.

AEW star Jeff Hardy has been arrested again, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Jail records show he was booked in Volusia County, Fla. on Monday morning ... and took a mug shot.

Details surrounding the specific allegations against Hardy are unclear ... but court records show he's been charged with felony DUI, misdemeanor violating restrictions placed on driver's license, as well as misdemeanor driving while license canceled, suspended or revoked.

The records show he's due in court Tuesday for a hearing on the matter.

It's the third time since 2018 that Hardy has been accused of driving while under the influence. In March 2018, he was charged with DWI in North Carolina after getting into a car wreck. He was arrested again for DWI in North Carolina in Oct. 2019.

In the months following the 2019 arrest, Hardy admitted he had problems with substance abuse on the "After The Bell" podcast with Corey Graves ... saying on the show that he was receiving professional help.

Hardy was slated to wrestle with his brother, Matt Hardy, on AEW Dynamite later this week. It's unclear if that match will still go on.

Story developing ...

John Cena made one kid's fantasy into a real-life storybook ending -- showing up to meet a boy who was told his family was fleeing Ukraine ... just to meet the wrestling superstar.

WWE released this video earlier in the week, showing JC pop up in Europe to meet Misha Rohozhyn -- a teenager with Down Syndrome, who was forced to escape his native city of Mariupol in recent months because of the Russian attack.

The story goes ... Misha, who's non-verbal, was confused and distressed about leaving home -- as he didn't quite understand what was happening. So, his mom told him a story to help.

She convinced her son that they had to leave so that they could go have a face-to-face with Cena ... who is Misha's hero. The kid has a ton of attire bearing John's face, so upon hearing this ... he was able to be convinced to embark on the dangerous journey.

As sweet of a sentiment is on its own, it gets even better ... because John was apparently made aware of this teen's dream, and ventured over to Amsterdam -- where they'd successfully fled to -- and closed the loop on what had been promised. Totally. Awesome.

The video itself tells the full story, so we'll let John speak for himself on why he did this and what exactly it means for him ... but more importantly, for Misha.

Looks like this meetup was everything the teen could hope for and then some. Once again, John proves why he's a class act -- especially when it comes to his work with children.

Wrestling star Paige says she's leaving the WWE after more than a decade with the org. ... but she added that she has plans to return to the ring someday.

The 29-year-old -- whose wrestling story was so unique it actually was adapted into the 2019 flick, "Fighting with My Family" -- shared the emotional news in a statement on her Twitter page Friday.

"July 7 will be my last day with WWE," Paige said. "I'm so thankful and I appreciate the opportunities that the company has given me."

"I know after my neck injury taking me out of in-ring status, it was pretty hard to keep me around for as long as you did and for that I'm thankful too."

Paige -- real name Saraya-Jade Bevis -- made her WWE main roster debut in 2014, the night after WrestleMania XXX, and would quickly make history ... defeating AJ Lee to become the youngest Divas champion ever at age 21.

Unfortunately, her promising career was cut short after she sustained a neck injury from a Sasha Banks kick during a six-man tag team match in 2017.

The British superstar retired from in-ring competition onscreen in 2018, but later received exec roles with the org.

Paige -- who has wrestling in her blood (her parents, Julia and Patrick, as well as her brothers, Roy and Zak, were all wrestlers, and even run a promotion in England) -- said in her statement she was sad to close the chapter of her life ... but did tell her fans she'd be inside the squared circle again one day.

"Thank you to the WWE Universe," Paige said. "You guys are the most passionate group of fans I've ever seen. Hope you continue to stay on this journey with me."

Great news for WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes -- the wrestler went under the knife to fix his torn pectoral ... and he's officially on the road to recovery.

Cody's wife, Brandi, shared the news on Twitter Thursday night ... revealing the 36-year old's injury was about as bad as it could get, but everything went well and he's looking forward to getting better.

"The doctor just repaired Cody's pectoral tendon which was torn completely off the bone," Brandi wrote. "Successful surgery. He is on the road to recovery now."

Rhodes reportedly went to see Dr. James Andrews, a renowned surgeon who specializes in dealing with wrestlers and athletes who injure themselves over the years.

Cody initially suffered a slight tear of his pec just days before his scheduled match with Seth Rollins at the "Hell in a Cell" Pay-Per-View.

However, he would suffer a full tear of the muscle -- which spread from his chest to his entire right arm -- while weight training, leaving his status for the event in question.

Rhodes gutted it out and competed -- defeating Rollins inside the relentless structure -- but he paid the price for it, as Seth continually targeted the injured area throughout the match ... as well as the following night on "Monday Night Raw."

WWE Superstars with Rhodes' same injury are typically sidelined anywhere from 3 to 5 months ... but Cody -- son of Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes -- is hoping to return before that timeframe.

WWE superstar The Miz -- a HUGE Cleveland sports fan -- says he ain't droppin' his Browns support due to the Deshaun Watson trade ... but he did tell TMZ Sports he will never wear the QB's jersey.

We got the wrestler out in NYC this week ... and given the new sexual misconduct allegations against Watson this month -- we had to ask if his Browns fandom is still intact.

The Miz said yes -- reminding us that he's been rooting for the NFL team for decades -- but he made it clear, he won't tout Watson as his favorite player.

"Yeah, I'm still a Cleveland Browns fan," the 41-year-old said. "But you're not going to see me wearing a Watson jersey."

The Browns traded for Watson in March and gave him a massive, fully guaranteed $230 MILLION contract ... despite more than 20 women alleging he had been sexually inappropriate with them during massage therapy sessions in the past few years.

Since the trade, two more civil lawsuits have been filed against Watson claiming misconduct -- while other women have came forward to the New York Times to make further allegations against him.

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about all of the new claims during Browns practice on Wednesday, but he told reporters, "I think for me, I'm going to be respectful of the investigation, of the legal proceedings and let that play out."

WWE star Cody Rhodes just showed off more of his gnarly pec injury ... and somehow, it looks even worse than it did when he wrestled Seth Rollins inside a "Hell in a Cell" match over the weekend.

In the photo Rhodes posted of the injury Wednesday morning, you can see the bruising from the torn muscle in his chest now extends all the way from his sternum down to his wrist.

It's pretty gruesome ... especially considering Rhodes also revealed on Tuesday night that it started out as simply a small bruise.

As we reported, Rhodes initially sustained the injury during weight training ... but was able to still wrestle Rollins on Sunday regardless.

In the match, Rhodes withstood multiple strikes to the injury, and eventually beat Rollins.

On Monday, around 24 hours after getting in the ring with Rollins, he was "attacked" by the superstar again on "Monday Night Raw", which put even more stress on the ailment.

Cody Rhodes is built different ... the son of WWE Hall of Famer, Dusty, defeated Seth Rollins in a "Hell in a Cell" match after tearing his pectoral muscle earlier in the day.

WWE announced the news on its "Hell in a Cell" kickoff show ... saying Cody had his right pectoral tendon "completely torn off the bone while weight training."

Still, the 36-year-old wrestling star proceeded to fight Seth ... inside, arguably, the most dangerous match in WWE history.

As the match was about to start, Rhodes took off his robe ... showing off the gruesome injury.

Fans were astonished at how bad Rhodes' injury appeared -- his pec was severely discolored and jarring to the eyes -- but that didn't stop Rollins from laughing at the injury and targeting the area during the match.

Cody even took a kendo stick right on the pec ... leaving him writhing in pain (maybe part of the show, maybe not).

Regardless, fans were super appreciative of Rhodes ... and gave him a standing ovation for the tenacity and resiliency after delivering 3 Cross Rhodes finishers to secure the victory.

Take notes, fellas ... AEW superstar Sammy Guevara popped the question by proposing to his pro wrestling star girlfriend, Tay Conti, at the Eiffel Tower in Paris -- and she said YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guevara, 28, asked Tay, real name Taynara Melo de Carvalho, to be his wife with one of the world's most iconic (and romantic) structures as a backdrop.

In classic, old-school fashion, Sammy got down on one knee before asking Conti -- who he's been dating since December -- to marry him.

26-year-old Conti wore a mauve pink, rose-gold colored dress ... while Sammy sported a green suit, white shirt and a paisley green tie. They looked stunning!

Of course, Tay managed to show off the new rock her future hubby got her, while Sammy held the Brazilian wrestler in his arms with a massive smile.

Sammy and Tay are regularly paired together on AEW programming ... and it appears they have undeniable chemistry both on and off-screen.

Sue Bird's TOGETHXR company has made good on its threats ... its now filed a lawsuit against The Rock's XFL over the league's rebranded logo less than a month after initially claiming it was way too similar to theirs.

The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, was filed on Wednesday -- nearly four weeks after Bird and her fiancée, Megan Rapinoe, threatened to get lawyers involved following the XFL's creation of a new "X" logo.

In the lawsuit, TOGETHXR -- a media org. co-founded by Bird, Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel -- says the football league's logo, which was debuted on April 6, looks and feels "confusingly similar to TOGETHXR's brand and logo."

They included in the docs a side-by-side of the logos ... and said they made "repeated attempts" to contact the XFL and its legal team over it all.

But, in the docs, attorneys for TOGETHXR said the XFL has "failed to acknowledge that it has tread on TOGETHXR's rights" -- and now, they want a court to step in and force the league to stop using the X logo ... plus damages.

Bird and Rapinoe initially brought up their gripe with the logo on April 7 ... with the two star athletes sending loud-and-clear messages to Dwayne Johnson on social media.

"Welp. This is awkward," Rapinoe said in a tweet. "Only thing @TheRock and @XFL2023 are gonna be cookin up is a response to the Cease and Desist and an ENTIRE new brand ID. @togethxr got this on [lock] boys."

Simone Johnson, daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is kickin' ass and takin' names before ever stepping foot in a WWE ring ... hitting back at "fans" criticizing her wrestling name.

On Sunday, the 20-year-old, who signed with WWE in 2020, announced her pro wrestling name would be "Ava Raine" ... which disappointed some fans.

The trolls came out in full force saying "The Pebble" (sigh) would be a more fitting name -- an obvious play on The Rock's on-camera name.

Well, Simone is already following in her father's footsteps, and was quick with the comebacks, saying, "I beg of you guys to find a new joke. Anything."

She went on ... "I probably sound like a broken record & hopefully this is the last I'll mention this, but I don't understand why people being portrayed as separate individuals from their family name is such a heated topic."

"A name doesn't discredit any prior accomplishments from any family."

It's not easy being the child of a WWE legend such as The Rock -- one of the greatest sports entertainers in the world -- and Simone recognizes she'll be judged harshly no matter what she does.

"I could build my entire career around my father & people would still bash me anyway," Simone tweeted.

Simone is a fourth-generation wrestler. Her grandpa (Rock's dad) was Rocky Johnson, and her great-grandfather, Peter "High Chief" Maivia ... both paved the way for Dwayne.

AEW star Jake Atlas has been hit with a domestic violence charge ... after he allegedly scratched his boyfriend following an argument over a sexual encounter.

According to police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, Atlas was arrested on May 23 after cops say the 27-year-old wrestler's boyfriend and a witness told them Atlas became very aggressive following a night of drinking.

Police say while Atlas was out at a bar, his boyfriend joined him there ... and say the boyfriend told them the two eventually "went back to a female friend's house to take part in sexual activities."

But, cops say Atlas' boyfriend told them that after he had paid "more attention" to the female than Atlas -- the 5-foot-11, 230-pound athlete became enraged.

In the docs, officers say the boyfriend and a witness told them Atlas started a "huge verbal argument" -- and then tried to attack the boyfriend multiple times.

In his alleged fits of rage, Atlas was accused of scratching his boyfriend and tearing the man's tank top.

Cops say in the docs when they tried to interview Atlas for his side of the story, "he only wished to talk bad about" his boyfriend instead of being cooperative.

Court records show Atlas -- real name Kenny Sanchez Martinez -- was ultimately charged with domestic violence battery, a misdemeanor. The records show he was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.

He's due back in court for a hearing in the case in late June.

Atlas -- who is openly gay -- wrestled in the WWE from 2019 to 2021. He went on to wrestle with AEW in late 2021, but suffered a significant knee injury in Jan. 2022 and has not returned to the ring since.

Ric Flair is gearing up for his in-ring return ahead of his final wrestling match this summer ... and if you think the WWE legend isn't bustin' his ass in the gym, check out the clip "Nature Boy" just posted.

Naitch shared video of him getting some work in on the rowing machine and the air bike ... in addition to mixing it up with the battle ropes.

"Success Is The Sum Of Small Efforts Repeated Day In And Day Out! WOOOOO!" Flair captioned the workout video.

Of course, the 73-year-old has been doing everything in his power to get in wrestlin' shape ... since announcing the last match of his storied career will be happening in July.

Ric joined Babcock and Mojo on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (weekdays on FS1) and opened up about his motivation for taking another match in his mid-70s.

The 16-time World Heavyweight Champion hasn't competed inside the squared circle since 2011 ... when he fought the icon Sting on TNA Impact Wrestling.

But, despite the 11-year layoff, the "Nature Boy," whose wrestling career began in the '70s, isn't showing any signs of age or ring rust.

In fact, the "dirtiest player in the game" has posted a series of training sessions with former TNA superstar Jay Lethal ... where he shined in vintage Flair fashion.

"I Will Prove Once Again, That To Be The Man, You've Got To Beat The Man!" Flair said at the time.

When we talked to Ric -- who nearly died after a medical emergency in 2019 -- he told us the final match wouldn't be happening if doctors didn't medically clear him.

"I don't have any aches or pains," Ric said. "I know I've had the health issues, but I asked 40 different doctors, and I decided I'm only gonna listen to one."

"Not necessarily the one that was gonna give me the right answer, but that I felt the most comfortable with," he added.

Naitch says he'll never be 100% of the wrestler he was in his prime ... but he says he's pretty damn close, and after watching the new workout footage, we ain't gonna argue with him.