WWE

WWE's newest Superstar Logan Paul is getting candid about his experience as a professional wrestler ... saying he knows what the naysayers may think about his new gig, but in reality -- "the s*** is hard!!!"

The Maverick is jumping right into the action after inking a deal with the promotion ... and is currently gearing up for a big match against his former tag team partner, The Miz, at SummerSlam in Nashville on Saturday.

Now that he's gotten a few months under his belt as a high-flying tough guy, TMZ Sports asked if there are any misconceptions about WWE he'd like to set straight ... and the YouTube superstar sounded off on anyone thinking the job is a cakewalk.

"Yeah dog, the s*** is hard!!" Logan tells us. "The s*** is so hard! I come from the non-WWE Universe. So, I know what people say about it, I know what people think about it before I entered. Like, I came from that place. And, now that I'm in it, my jaw has dropped."

"It is such a difficult discipline that your body is simply not used to unless you do it for years."

Logan says he's been blown away by what his peers are able to accomplish in the squared circle ... teases he may have some insane moves of his own he may try out in the future.

But, Paul says it's so much more than just being able to perform with your body -- there's a whole 'nother can of worms wrestlers have to master.

"You can't just be a performer, physically," Logan adds. "You have to be a showman. You have to go out there and get people excited with your voice, and then show up on the day and perform physically, and fight someone. It's difficult."

WWE legend Ric Flair isn't mincing his words when it comes to his feelings on the retirement of Vince McMahon ... outright saying he hates it!

76-year-old McMahon retired last week after decades as Chairman and CEO of WWE ... so when Nature Boy joined the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airing weeknights on FS1) this week, we asked him if his former boss should've stayed on the job.

"Yes, I think he's one of a kind and I've said this," Flair tells us, adding Vince has made a lot of careers thanks to his genius.

"He's made so many people rich and he's literally has made chicken salad out of a lot of chicken s**t. Mojo knows what I'm talking about. He's made a lot of people rich."

Flair went on to say he doesn't condone the allegations against McMahon (Vince is being investigated by a law firm hired by WWE for allegedly paying off several former female employees with whom he allegedly had relationships).

"I mean they're just trying to murder him now and who knows and all. I'm certainly not defending anything that's negative and I'm not taking a side on the issue that apparently has been brought up but I know as a person and what he did for me, there's nobody like him."

As for the future of the world's top wrestling organization (McMahon bought the company from his dad in 1982), Flair says the company is in great hands with Vince's daughter and current WWE executive, Stephanie McMahon.

"I think Stephanie's a genius!"

As for Ric, it's a huge week for the 2x WWE Hall of Famer ... on Sunday, Flair will enter the squared circle as a competitor for the last time in his incredible career.

Some retired players go into coaching, others broadcasting ... but when Dwight Howard finally hangs up the J's, the NBA star has a future as a WWE Superstar, if he wants it, 'cause the 7 footer just showed up to a WWE tryout and cut an incredible promo.

TMZ Sports has video of the 36-year-old 8x NBA All-Star crashing tryouts in Nashville (WWE's in TN for SummerSlam) ... where he went all out on stage in front of Triple H and other company execs.

Howard channeled Sho'nuff (whom he was previously for Halloween) -- the bad guy from the 1985 movie "The Last Dragon" -- and he killed it!

Dwight, a big-time pro wrestling fan, is buddies with WWE Superstar Titus O'Neil, so Howard decided to hop on a flight to Tennessee ... to catch some big-time wrestling matches.

While a bunch of college athletes are in town trying out, we're told Dwight was just having some fun (he isn't ready for basketball retirement just yet). But, that doesn't mean you won't see him in the ring sometime in the future.

"I think it is something in my future. I love the WWE. I love wrestling," Howard told Arash Markazi.

"I'm grateful and thankful for this opportunity to be here and just witness this whole thing, tryouts, and everything. Hopefully one day in the future, I'll actually be in the ring, wrestling and holding up a belt."

And, it sounds like the feeling's mutual ... a source from WWE told us "the promo was a good start!"

Ric Flair had a lot to WOOOOOO about Thursday ... the WWE legend showed up to Tennessee Titans training camp, and Derrick Henry and the squad were pumped!

The Nature Boy is in Nashville for the last wrestling match of his esteemed career ... so when 73-year-old Flair received an invite to camp, he pulled up, and spent some time with the players.

Of course, Naitch broke the team down ... to a bunch of woooooo's!

Flair told reporters at Saint Thomas Sports Park his favorite player is on the Titans, so when the invite came in, he wasn't going to say no.

"My favorite player in the NFL right now is Derrick Henry," Flair said. "Hated him at Alabama but I love him here."

Flair continued to sing the praises of the guy many consider the best back in the league.

"I didn't realize he had that speed. I didn't see that in college."

Ric even compared him to a future Hall of Famer.

"Yeah I mean 2,000 yards [a year] -- think about it. That puts him in the same class as Adrian Peterson. That's big-time stuff."

Henry also talked to reporters, telling them it was "pretty cool" to have Flair at practice ... 'cause Ric's someone Derrick used to watch on TV as a kid.

"He's a legend in the WWE world," Henry said.

"I watched him on TV growing up for a long time so it's surreal to meet people like him and come out here and let 'em talk to us after practice."

Flair's 'Last Match' goes down on July 31 ... where Ric will team up with his son-in-law, Andrade, and take on Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.

Wrestling star Hornswoggle -- who was born with a genetic condition that causes dwarfism -- says Jerry Jones should not have said he was sorry for using the m-word earlier this week ... explaining to TMZ Sports he doesn't find the term to be offensive.

Swoggle -- real name Dylan Postl -- broke it all down for us just a day after the Dallas Cowboys owner used the word while making a joke about one of his former employees who had passed away in May.

"You didn't need to apologize to me, Jerry Jones," the ex-WWE superstar said. "I'm a fan of yours for using the word because I use the word. Because I'm OK, and I don't take myself too seriously."

In his joke about Larry Lacewell, Jones said he wanted to "get me somebody, a m*****" to dress up like Dallas' former Director of College and Pro Scouting and stand next to him at practices.

Little People of America -- regarded as the largest dwarfism support organization in the world -- was appalled by the comment, and demanded an apology. Jones issued a mea culpa a short time later.

Hornswoggle, though, says he hopes Jerry continues to use the word -- telling us, "He's not using it in a derogatory way. That's my thing. He's not making fun of the community with how he's using it."

Swoggle added, "If you get offended by something like that, you're taking yourself way too seriously. We're all human. We all bleed the same blood. It's just ridiculous to me."

There might not be a Polamalu in the NFL anymore ... but there could be one in WWE rings soon -- 'cause TMZ Sports has learned Troy Polamalu's nephew, Talati Polamalu, is trying out for the wrestling org!

The younger Polamalu -- who's currently a rising senior offensive lineman at Georgetown -- hit Nashville this week to showcase his stuff for WWE execs (including Triple H, Big E and Paul Heyman!) in the days leading up to this weekend's SummerSlam event.

The college football player jumped on stage and tried to get the crowd going by asking them for a "Talofa!" and an "Aloha!"

Talati then explained he wants to be a role model in the WWE for overweight kids ... saying, "Look at me. You can do this. You can do whatever you want, you just got to put the work in."

We've yet to see Talati's moves in the ring -- but there's a strong chance they look pretty good ... 'cause, after all, the 21-year-old has wrestling in his blood.

He not only participated in the sport in high school, but his aunt is WWE superstar Tamina Snuka.

And, of course, his uncle is Troy -- so ya know the 6-foot-3, 324-pounder is athletic as hell.

WWE Superstar Liv Morgan had some nice things to say about Ronda Rousey ahead of their big match at SummerSlam ... but although she respects her opponent, there's no way in hell she's giving up her belt!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the current SmackDown champ as she prepares to fight Ronda at WWE's summer classic ... and her message to the former UFC star-turned-wrestler was extremely clear.

"Ronda, I respect you," Morgan started. "You’ve done so much for women in sports and women in WWE. But I love this [belt] more than you, bitch. So this title is coming home with me."

Earlier this month, Liv won the "Money in the Bank" ladder match -- where she competed against 6 other worthy opponents ... which guaranteed her a title opportunity on her terms.

That same night, she turned in her "Money in the Bank" briefcase and challenged Rousey -- who had just defeated Natalya in a grueling match -- for her title.

Liv made quick work of Rousey ... pinning the self-proclaimed "baddest woman on the planet," which set the stage for their rematch, where Ronda will look to exact revenge on 28-year-old Morgan.

As for how Liv's been adjusting to life since being crowned champ at MITB ... she admits she feels an onus to represent WWE in the best possible light in and out of the ring.

"I feel more of a responsibility now," Morgan said. "I feel like I’ve always worked hard. I’ve always been willing to put in the extra work. So that aspect doesn’t feel any different."

"But just more of a, I guess, responsibility to represent the company," she continued.

Vince McMahon -- the longtime chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment -- is retiring from his role with the company, he announced Friday.

"As I approach 77 years old, I feel it's time for me to retire as Chairman and CEO of WWE," McMahon said in a statement.

"Throughout the years, it's been a privilege to help WWE bring you joy, inspire you, thrill you, surprise you, and always entertain you."

"I would like to thank my family for mightily contributing to our success, and I would also like to thank all of our past and present Superstars and employees for their dedication and passion for our brand."

Vince bought the company from his father, Vincent J. McMahon in 1982 ... and has been the face of the brand ever since.

Vince was responsible for the "Attitude Era" in the 1990s, which turned professional wrestling into a mainstream phenomenon ... and helped Superstars like The Undertaker, Kane, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Chyna and more become household names.

The billionaire is also the mastermind behind WrestleMania ... which just had its 38th installment this past April.

McMahon bought WWE's biggest competitor, World Championship Wrestling, in 2001 ... making his company the most dominant organization in the sport.

"Most importantly, I would like to thank our fans for allowing us into your homes every week and being your choice of entertainment," he added. "I hold the deepest appreciation and admiration for our generations of fans all over the world who have liked, currently like, and sometimes even love our form of Sports Entertainment."

Vince recently stepped away from his role as chairman and CEO ... amid an investigation into alleged misconduct. His daughter, Stephanie, was named interim CEO and interim Chairwoman.

The investigation comes after a report claiming McMahon allegedly agreed to pay $12 million in "hush money" to 4 different women over a 16-year time period ... so they would not discuss their relationships with him.

McMahon appeared on "WWE SmackDown!" shortly after he voluntarily stepped down ... and made a speech that felt like a goodbye message to fans.

Story developing ...

Bianca Belair has high praise for Logan Paul ... telling TMZ Sports the newly signed Superstar is such a "natural," he could become WWE champ one day!

We spoke with the Raw Women's Champion in NYC on Friday ... and asked about the potential of the social media star and boxer turned professional wrestler.

"I can see it," said Belair, who's no stranger to capturing WWE gold. "Anything can happen in WWE. [Logan's] proven himself time and time again in the ring, so I'm excited to see what he does."

Bianca raved about how Logan, who made his in-ring debut in a tag-team match with The Miz against Rey and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 38 this past April, is a fast learner who knows how to connect with the WWE universe.

"I think he’s a natural," 33-year-old Belair said. "I think that he thrives being in front of the camera. [He] Thrives being in front of the audience."

"And so, being in WWE, it's none like none other, so you have to be a special type of person to thrive in it."

"And he's doing that," she added.

Bianca also defended The Rock's daughter, Simone, who recently made her wrestling debut using the name Ava Raine -- a name some fans aren't too fond of.

"I love the name."

"I love the name, Ava. I’m excited for her. I was in NXT a little bit when she first came, and I've always been excited for her debut."

It's official ... TMZ Sports has learned WWE legend Ric Flair is teaming up with his son-in-law, Andrade, to fight Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal in his "last match" ever.

For months, there had been speculation about who'd join Flair inside the ring for arguably the biggest night of his career ... so it's fitting he chose his daughter Charlotte's husband, Andrade.

As for their opponents, Flair and Jarrett have history going back to their WCW, WWE, and eventually the TNA days. Ric and Lethal have a close relationship inside and outside the squared circle, as Jay has been training with the "Nature Boy" ahead of the big match.

Lethal has been one of the men responsible for helping Flair regain his in-ring confidence ... exchanging bumps with the 73-year-old Hall of Famer, who hasn't lost much of the mojo that made him one of the greatest entertainers in wrestling history.

As Flair prepares to take one final strut down the aisle as a performer, he recently told Mojo and Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show he was medically cleared by his doctor, so he isn't all that concerned about his health failing during the match.

Flair -- who has a pacemaker and takes blood thinners after nearly dying several years back -- says he won't take his medication the day of the big match.

As for what to expect in the squared circle, Naitch told us while he'll never be the exact same competitor he was in his heyday, he's still got more than enough to go out there and put on a great performance.

"I'll never run at 100% again. But, I'll be running at 80, 85%," Ric told us in late May.

The spectacle of Flair -- a 16-time World Heavyweight Champion -- wrestling at this stage in his life has garnered the admiration and respect of his contemporaries like Booker T, who lauded the "dirtiest player in the game" for having the desire to perform in his 70s.

"What Ric Flair is doing, he's doing that because he loves this business, man," Booker T recently told us.

"Ric Flair told me a long time ago that he would never retire. That's that guy, man."

John Cena and Shay Shariatzadeh -- two years after legally marrying -- are finally getting the blowout wedding bash that was postponed by COVID ... and TMZ Sports has a photo of the couple!

The photograph captured 45-year-old Cena and 33-year-old Shay as they headed into The Vancouver Club -- one of the nicest venues in the city -- Friday afternoon in Canada.

It's unclear if John and Shay were headed to the actual wedding ceremony or a rehearsal.

Shay -- who is from Vancouver -- wore a white halter cut, backless dress ... and John rocked a navy suit with camel-colored oxfords.

As we previously reported, the couple tied the knot during a private ceremony in Tampa on October 12, 2020. Unfortunately, the pandemic put a damper on the couple's plans ... and they couldn't have a big party to celebrate the nuptials.

Fast forward to this weekend ... and it's finally time to bring the family and friends together, for what's expected to be a star-studded event.

John and Shay began dating in 2019 ... following Cena's split with former fiancée Nikki Bella in 2018.

It's no surprise John and Shay wound up taking a walk down the aisle. The relationship seemed destined for success from the start ... proof being a makeout sesh at a local restaurant shortly after they began seeing one another.

Big E doesn't know if he'll ever wrestle again after breaking his neck in March ... and that's perfectly okay with the WWE Superstar, who tells us he's "at peace" with the way his 13-year career played out.

The 36-year-old 8x tag team champ (WWE champ and 2x Intercontinental Champ, too) joined the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) ... where Mojo and Babcock asked the wrestler for a health update.

“I’m doing really well," E said.

"I can live my life pretty normally. But [my necks] not in a position where I should be ramming my head against other things, immovable objects. So wrestling doesn't make sense right now."

And, E says things could've turned out far different.

"I feel great. Don't have any nerve issues, don't have any weakness, don't have any atrophy. I got real lucky cause it could've been a lot worse."

E broke his neck in March when Ridge Holland attempted a belly-to-belly suplex. It wasn't just his career that was in doubt ... there was concern the injury could severely alter E's life.

Months later, the former champ tells us doctors are taking a "wait and see approach" with his recovery and will reevaluate his progress after the 1 year anniversary of the injury. Meaning fans of the near 300-pounder shouldn't expect to see him competing in a WWE ring anytime soon.

"For me right now, March of next year is very far off. So, I don’t want to spend a lot of time worrying or stressing about that. I’m just kind of living my life," E said.

"I’ve been with this company for 13 years. That means a lot of Saturdays and Sundays in Poughkeepsie and Kalamazoo and most random towns. But, now I get to live my life a little bit and see some friends and I’m enjoying just being human.”

We asked E if he'd be content if he was never able to wrestle again ... and ultimately, he believes the answer is yes.

"Yeah, I think so. Honestly, my philosophy as a human being is learning to be content with whatever life brings you. I'm so grateful to not be in a wheelchair, but if I was, I would have to adjust to life in a wheelchair. That's just how I am programmed."

E continued ... "If I spend hours or days or weeks kind of mourning where I'm at in life, and not being what I wanted to be, that doesn't serve me."

Although Big E has been trying to make the most of his newfound "free time" ... the star wrestler admits he's tired of being in the house, which is why he was thrilled Triple H asked him to be a part of a WWE tryout for college athletes in the days before SummerSlam on July 30.

Vince McMahon -- longtime chairman and chief executive of WWE -- agreed to pay $12 million in "hush money" to 4 different women over a 16-year time period, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The paper claims all of the women were formerly associated with WWE ... and all signed agreements with McMahon preventing them from discussing their relationship with the now 76-year-old billionaire.

One of the reported settlements included a $7.5 million payment to a former wrestler ... who according to WSJ, claimed McMahon coerced her into giving him oral sex. Ultimately, Vince allegedly declined to re-sign the wrestler to a new deal after she refused further sexual encounters.

In 2018, the wrestler and her lawyer allegedly approached McMahon and negotiated a $7.5 million settlement in exchange for her silence.

There were two other previously unknown, alleged payouts made by Vince to former female employees. Each of those women reportedly received around $1 million. Those instances reportedly occurred around 2006 and 2008.

The new report comes on the heels of another WSJ story which led to McMahon voluntarily stepping down from his post at the helm of the wrestling promotion. In that instance, Vince reportedly agreed to pay a former WWE paralegal $3 million after they had an affair following her hiring in 2019.

WWE's Board of Directors -- where Vince sits as the director -- recently hired an outside law firm to investigate the allegations. Despite being at the center of the inquiry, McMahon has said he's "committed to doing everything in my power to help the Special Committee complete its work."

It's unclear what the latest developments will mean for that investigation.

Meanwhile, Vince's daughter, Stephanie, is back with the company as interim CEO and interim chairwoman after briefly taking a leave of absence "to focus on family."

Booker T tells TMZ Sports his wrestling days are long behind him ... however, he respects a guy like Ric Flair, who, at age 73, will be lacing up his boots and stepping in the ring to fight one final match later this summer.

"I have no itch to scratch," Booker T said when asked about possibly coming out of retirement. "I've scratched every itch that I want to scratch as for as getting back inside the squared circle."

"What Ric Flair is doing, he's doing that because he loves this business, man. Ric Flair told me a long time ago that he would never retire. That's that guy, man."

As we reported, Ric is slated to wrestle one final time on July 31 against an undisclosed opponent, despite admitting he has some concerns that prior health issues might crop up in the ring.

57-year-old Booker T is clearly impressed by Flair's tenacity ... telling us, "He's gonna come in and go out in a blaze of glory. You can only respect that."

Booker also reflected on the first time he ever wrestled the Nature Boy -- it was a WCW Saturday night taping that he got thrown into at the last minute.

"Half of the time, I didn't know if I was coming or going just because he was telling me one thing, and he was doing another," Booker said.

The former heavyweight champ said he learned so much from sharing the ring with Naitch that night ... recalling he was like a "sponge" just trying to soak up all the knowledge Flair was imparting.

Booker may no longer be an in-ring performer ... but he remains an integral part of WWE's storytelling as a commentator, which is why the King of the Spinarooni has been tapped to host a new series called "WWE Rivals."

Valerie Loureda tells TMZ Sports a fight with Ronda Rousey in WWE is her dream match ... and now that she's officially signed to the wrestling giant, she's determined to make it happen!!

We spoke with Loureda -- who officially became a member of WWE on Wednesday -- and asked her if there was one particular opponent she was eyeing before debuting on the main roster ... and she said yes, telling us, "Definitely, Ronda."

"She tweeted the other day 'Who's next?' and before I even found out I was getting a contract with WWE, I tweeted back, 'me,'" Loureda said of Rousey. "And that's the goal I have one day."

Valerie and Ronda both have MMA backgrounds ... and, in fact, Loureda says seeing Ronda fight back in the early 2010s inspired her to want to do the same.

"I never watched MMA before in my life," Loureda said, "and just so happens, Ronda was fighting, and I saw a beautiful woman fighting in a cage ... and I got goosebumps."

"I said, 'Nana, if she's doing that, I can do it too,' and that's really what gave me all that fire and passion inside of me to begin my martial arts journey."

Valerie -- who grew up an expert in taekwondo -- knows the transition from the cage to the squared circle will be a tough one, but she said if she ever gets in the ring with Ronda ... there will be fireworks.

Dave Bautista is so furious over Roe V. Wade being overturned ... he's now begging men to get off their asses and speak up about women's rights, clearly believing it'll help avoid similar situations in the future.

"Every f**ing man needs to be louder about the rights of women," the former WWE champion said.

The "Guardians of the Galaxy" star made the urging at The Henry out in L.A. earlier this week ... just days after the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe V. Wade, the 50-year-old precedent that legalized abortion nationwide.

Bautista was very obviously still PO'ed over the decision ... and said flat-out that men should be doing and saying more to make sure women are not marginalized.

"[They should be] speaking out," he said. "Be f***ing loud."

This is not the first time the 53-year-old has taken a strong pro-abortion rights stance ... back in 2021, he said in a tweet if you disagree with him, he's "not open to discussion about" it.