WWE

Jimmy Uso clearly believes another Johnson is going to be dominating in WWE rings for a long, long time ... telling TMZ Sports after seeing The Rock's daughter make her debut this week, he's convinced she's going to be a STAR.

Simone Johnson made her first-ever mark in a WWE ring on Tuesday ... revealing herself as "Ava Raine" on NXT and cutting a promo that had the crowd in attendance going wild.

Uso told us out at LAX this week that he was blown away by the 21-year-old's chops ... saying he thinks it won't be long before she's a household name just like Dad.

"The sky is the limit," Jimmy said. "She's got the workhorse in her like we all do. It runs deep in the blood, and I'm excited for her future."

"I can't wait to see where this takes her."

Uso says if/when she gets called up from NXT to the main roster ... he'll have no issues taking her under his wing -- because, after all, they are basically family.

"Anyway the family can get it, I'm all for it," said Jimmy, who wrestles in a group called "The Bloodline" with his brother, Jey, and WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, who is Dwayne Johnson's cousin. "I'm ready to see what she can do. I'm ready for her to pop off and represent the bloodline."

Do you smell what The Rock's daughter is cookin'?!?

WWE fans finally do ... 'cause Dwayne Johnson's offspring just made her in-ring debut with the org. on Tuesday night -- and the crowd was feeling it!!

21-year-old Simone Johnson unveiled herself as "Ava Raine" during the WWE's NXT program ... crushing a promo where she was revealed to be the fourth member of wrestler Joe Gacy's stable, Schism.

Simone had made some appearances on the shows before -- but only as a hooded figure. When she finally lifted her mask, though, fans went nuts.

Simone -- who initially signed with WWE in Feb. 2020 -- told the crowd during her segment that she sees the Schism group as a family ... adding that they complete her.

She didn't compete in her debut, which is what most wrestling fans are waiting for ... but, seeing her in a WWE ring was still an awesome moment.

Of course, the road to the ring Tuesday didn't come without adversity -- in May, Simone faced backlash for revealing she'd wrestle under a moniker not related to Dwayne's "The Rock" character.

Simone took on her critics headfirst -- acknowledging that even if she caved to the pressure to build her career around her father and their family, she would still be criticized harshly.

WWE legend Kevin Nash is opening up about his son's tragic death ... saying 26-year-old Tristen suffered a seizure in his bedroom and went into cardiac arrest before passing away.

Nash detailed Tristen's final moments on his "Kliq This" podcast on Monday ... revealing they both decided to give up drinking alcohol cold turkey just days earlier.

63-year-old Nash says EMTs were able to revive Tristen as they transported him to the hospital ... where he was hooked up to a breathing tube.

Despite the efforts of the doctors and nurses, Nash later received the news that Tristen was in a coma and would not survive.

Nash says he and his wife were present as Tristen took his last breath ... adding he "looked so gorgeous."

Nash is deeply emotional throughout the podcast ... but hopes sharing his story will help others going through similar situations.

Nash says Ric Flair -- who also lost his son, Reid -- reached out to give advice after Tristen passed ... which he believes was far more beneficial than any sort of professional help.

As we previously reported, Tristen passed away on Wednesday. He was 26 years old.

Shawn Michaels got a chance to train Logan Paul one-on-one... and the WWE legend was so impressed with the YouTuber's talent and commitment to wrestling, he tells us he's down to train Logan anytime!

Michaels joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... and the Hall of Famer says he was shocked with 27-year-old Paul's performance at WrestleMania 38.

"I saw him at WrestleMania and just thought he did a fantastic job," Michaels said. "I was honestly like everybody else at 'Mania, a fan, and I thought he did a heckuva job."

Logan, a big fan of the Heartbreak Kid, expressed interest in training with the legendary wrestler ... and on Thursday the men finally got together at the WWE Performance Center in Florida.

"Just getting a chance to speak with him, clearly, he's a bright young man," Shawn says, adding, "He's fully committed to what he does, and certainly fully committed to this, and I appreciate that."

Physically, Michaels was also impressed ... "[Logan's] clearly athletic as heck. So he's naturally gifted in a lot of areas."

And, because Logan was such a good student, Shawn had a blast.

"It was a heckuva lot of fun. I thought it was incredibly productive. I will say I'm someone who knows of him, but didn't know too much about him, but I've come to appreciate and like him quite a bit cause again he's very passionate about this and committed, and again, when you got that kind of moldable clay to work with, it's really fun."

As far as working together in the future, Shawn says he's open and willing to train Logan again.

"Our performance center down here will be open to him anytime, and if there's anything I can do to help him," Michaels says.

Sara Lee's husband, Westin Blake, is breaking his silence over the wrestling star's tragic death ... sharing an absolutely heartbreaking letter to his late wife on Friday.

As we previously reported, the former "Tough Enough" winner passed away at 30 years old earlier this month ... a death that shocked the entire wrestling community.

The former WWE Superstar -- who had three children with Lee -- poured his heart out in the emotional Instagram post ... sharing a picture of them together.

"I loved you from the first moment I saw you," Blake said on Instagram. "I would always say that you were an angel walking on this earth."

"Beautiful, compassionate, strong and so loving. An angel that blessed me with 3 of the most beautiful children I could imagine."

Blake -- real name Cory Weston -- praised Lee for being the backbone of their family ... and leaving an impact on all who knew her.

"I really don’t know what to say in these uncertain times. I just know that death can’t take away the memories we made."

"I can’t promise that I will stop grieving but I know now, that you’re free. I can’t thank you enough for giving me the best years of my life so far."

"❤️ I LOVE YOU SARA❤️"

Ric Flair is on the fence about whether he'll ever wrestle again ... telling TMZ Sports he'll "never say never" to taking another match -- but for right now, he's retired.

Of course, the 73-year-old Nature Boy and his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo whooped Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett in what was billed as his "Last Match" back in July ... but as recently as September, he's flirted with the idea of coming back once again.

We spoke with Flair about whether he's 100% done ... and even Naitch isn't too sure if he'll ever return.

"I don't know," Flair told us out in LA this week. "I've already promised [I was done] once. Right now, I'm not doing anything. But, never say never."

Flair even gives us a flex to prove he definitely still has the muscles -- but given the health issues he had leading up to and during the last match, it's understandable why he's not adamantly vowing to come back.

Flair previously said he passed out twice from dehydration during the event ... and leading up to it, he had plantar fasciitis.

In the meantime, Naitch -- who was hanging with manager Darren Prince -- has been working alongside Mike Tyson for his "Ric Flair Drip" cannabis ... and he says it's been "raining money" since his partnership with Tyson 2.0.

If it really is the end of Flair in the ring ... he had one of the most memorable careers ever.

WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash's son, Tristen, who recently started working with his father's podcast, tragically passed away this week ... it was announced Thursday.

He was only 26 years old.

No cause of death has been revealed.

Sean Ross Sapp shared a statement on behalf of Tristen's parents, Kevin and Tamara, confirming the terrible news -- adding the family is asking for privacy during this difficult time.

Tristen's death comes seven months after Kevin lost one of his best friends in the wrestling industry, Scott Hall, who died earlier this year at 63.

Today actually would have been Scott's 64th birthday.

Rest in peace.

WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry -- who earned the title of "World's Strongest Man" in 2002 -- says his son Jacob, will be an even better athlete than he was ... telling TMZ Sports the kid can already squat 600 pounds!!

Henry spoke glowingly about 16-year-old Jacob and his many talents in an interview with TMZ Sports ... telling us how proud he was of the high school junior for constantly striving to get better without needing a push from his father.

"Football-wise, he's already ahead of me," Henry said. "He's a really dominant player, impossible to block one-on-one. He took 28 double teams against the number one offensive line in the state and the best football team in the state of Texas."

"I know what Jacob is and what he's gonna be. I'm just looking forward to seeing it happen. He'll definitely be a better athlete than I am."

Henry said Jacob also has a bright future in wrestling, adding he understands the psychology of the sport and the subtle nuances that go into performing inside the squared circle.

Mark says Jacob's athletic prowess isn't the only impressive thing about him -- he says the kid can sing, too!!

"He's such a well-rounded kid," Henry said. "[He] loves God more than anything, and I just wanna see him have every outlet that he wants to try his hand in."

Sorry, America ... Dwayne Johnson will NOT be the next President of the United States, 'cause The Rock just slammed the door on a future political run for the most powerful office in the world.

Remember, the actor and former WWE Superstar admitted he was considering running for the job after 46% of the people polled in the U.S. favored Johnson for the role.

Wrestling stars like The Undertaker even supported Johnson ... telling us last year, "I think he can be the uniter that people are looking for."

But, on Friday, Johnson shut down all the POTUS talk.

"It's off the table. Yes, it is off the table," the 50-year-old said in a teaser clip of an interview with CBS Sunday Morning.

"I love our country and everyone in it. I also love being a daddy."

Johnson -- who has three daughters -- says he understands the job comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility and would require sacrificing too much family time.

"I know what it was like to be on the road and be so busy that I was absent for a lot of years when my first daughter [was] growing up."

"So, my number one priority is my daughters. Sure, CEO sounds great but the number one thing I want to be is a daddy. That's it."

FYI, Johnson's eldest daughter Simone Garcia is following in her father's footsteps ... she signed with the WWE in 2020.

AEW star Saraya, formerly known as Paige in the WWE, has reportedly been cleared to wrestle again ... after she initially retired from the sport back in 2018 due to a neck injury.

Saraya -- who made her AEW debut on the "Grand Slam" Dynamite Episode on Sept. 21 -- has been cleared by AEW's ringside physician Dr. Michael Sampson, according to Dave Meltzer.

The doc's decision will now pave the way for Saraya to step into real competition in the squared circle again -- something she hasn't done since 2017, when she was injured during a six-woman tag team match.

She had attempted to make a recovery immediately following the injury ... but in 2018, at 25 years old, she stepped away from the sport seemingly for good.

It appears she's now recovered enough to be able to get after it again without significant risk of re-injury.

The 30-year-old could be headed for a match with Britt Baker now -- as the two have already been intertwined in an AEW storyline.

Earlier this week, they got into an altercation in the ring -- potentially setting up a future match.

Sara Lee -- a past winner of WWE's famous 'Tough Enough' show -- has sadly died at 30 years old, her mother announced Thursday.

No cause of death was revealed.

"It is with heavy hearts we wanted to share that our Sara Weston has gone to be with Jesus," Terri Lee said in a heartbreaking post on social media.

"We are all in shock and arrangements are not complete. We ask that you respectfully let our family mourn."

Sara competed on 'Tough Enough' during the show's sixth season back in 2015. She was lauded for her strength, and outlasted all of the other females on the program to earn a one-year contract from the WWE.

She wrestled for the org. for most of 2016, but was ultimately released in September of that year. She went on to wrestle on the independent circuit.

Sara married former WWE wrestler Wesley Blake in 2017 ... and the couple had three kids together.

Sara had just posted a gym selfie on her Instagram page earlier this week, writing in the caption, "Celebrating finally being healthy enough to go to the gym 2 days in a row 👏🥳 first ever sinus infection kicked my butt."

We may have just found the world's biggest Dwayne Johnson fan ... a man in Mexico absolutely lost it, breaking down in tears as "The Rock" signed his WWE belt, and it was super sweet.

It all went down this week during Johnson's #BlackAdamWorldTour ... where he was promoting his upcoming superhero film.

DJ shared the clip on Instagram ... showing fans in Mexico City eagerly waiting to meet the actor -- and one of 'em had a WWE belt for the former wrestler to sign.

Johnson LOVES his fans and was more than happy to autograph the belt ... and that's when the guy is overcome with emotions to the point he starts shaking and praying.

"Thank you! Thank you, Rock! Thank you," the fan says, giving DJ a handshake.

"An emotional night," Johnson wrote in the caption, "Lots of tears of joy."

"Even my cold, dark soul gets a little emotional when I see people start to break and cry. It's a beautiful thing. THANK YOU MEXICO I love you back."

This memorable moment comes just a week after a younger fan met with the 50-year-old after waiting 2 hours.

And, like in Mexico City, the young girl, Carol, cried while they took photos and video together.

"This awesome girl (Carol) waited two hours to finally meet BLACK ADAM⚡️," Johnson said, "His heart may be cold and black, but it still beats 🖤 Especially, for kids."

"The Dolphins did not take care of you. The fact they put you out there, frankly, If I were [Tua], I would not go back and play for the Dolphins, because this was not just a failure of the medical team, this was a failure of the coaching staff, and failure of ownership."

That's Chris Nowinski, one of the world's foremost experts on traumatic brain injuries, very much NOT mincing his words when it comes to the future of 24-year-old Dolphins quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.

And, whether it's in a Dolphins jersey or any of the other 31 teams, Nowinski believes Tua shouldn't see the field for a single snap the rest of the season.

"My advice would be, having been through it and knowing so many dead athlete stories where there was suicide or some aspect of CTE or some traumatic brain injury, do not go back this season."

Of course, the second-year signal caller was on the receiving end of an incredibly scary hit Thursday night ... as the Fins played the Bengals in Cincinnati.

After being slammed to the ground, Tagovailoa appeared to immediately lose consciousness ... and it was clear something was wrong.

Tua was placed on a stretcher and left the stadium in an ambulance, where he was taken to a local Cincy hospital for treatment.

To make matters worse, the game was only five days after Tagovailoa seemingly suffered a head injury against the Bills (Chris says he showed five signs of a potential concussion), but was allowed to return to the game.

As for his current condition, Tua was released from the hospital and was able to fly back to Miami, per reports ... where he's said to be resting at home in good spirits.

But, Chris says this is anything but a story with a happy ending ... 'cause there's real risk of long-term impact, and that's why Nowinski says Tua shouldn't play again this season.

If you're at all familiar with traumatic brain injuries and CTE, you've likely heard of Nowinski. The former WWE wrestler had his career cut short after sustaining a head injury ... and he recognized the sports world misunderstood the injury.

Chris went on to earn his Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience, and he co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation and the Boston University CTE Center ... where his work has been celebrated across the world.

Nowinski also had strong words for first-year Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel ... who told media after the game ... "the best news we can give is that everything is checked out that he didn't have anything more serious than a concussion."

"This is a statement of no faith in the coach," Chris flatly said.

"Really what he should be saying is it's nothing more serious than a traumatic brain injury that caused decerebrate posturing which is very rare, and a sign of a very serious injury."

There's much more. Nowinski also explains Tua's hand placement following the scary injury, and lays out the long-term effects with which he may now be forced to live.

Dwight Howard tells TMZ Sports he's dead serious about his interest in joining the WWE -- explaining he'd trade the basketball court for the wrestling ring this year if the offer was right.

Howard showed back in July he certainly has the chops to cut it in the squared circle -- delivering an epic promo after crashing a WWE tryout in Nashville.

And, when we got him out at LAX this week, he made it clear that wasn't just a one-off thing ... telling us he really has a desire to eventually go head-to-head with Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley and the rest of the WWE's best in the near future.

In fact, Dwight said if the offer to wrestle in the WWE was better than one an NBA team could give him -- he'd have no qualms taking it.

"Whatever opportunity is best," the NBA free agent said.

As for what kind of personality Dwight would have in the org. -- he said he could be both a hero and a villain.

Triple H, meanwhile, seems to be down to give him the shot ... in a recent interview, WWE's CCO said all Dwight would have to do is give him a call and they could get things rolling.

“The ball’s in his court,” Triple H said ... "He came by our tryouts in Nashville, was incredibly entertaining, jumping in promos by himself and then with others -- incredibly entertaining."

Cody Rhodes is champing at the bit to return to WWE ... telling TMZ Sports the torn pec muscle he suffered has him more motivated than ever to step foot back inside the ring.

And, when we spoke to the WWE Superstar at LAX earlier this week, he told us he's getting closer to making his highly anticipated return.

"They know I'm stupid, and I'd try to test it," Rhodes told us, adding, "I got in my mind where I want to be, and I think a lot of fans have in their mind where I'd like to be, and that's hopefully where it's at."

Despite the serious injury, Rhodes return to the company has been awesome ... as they've embraced him with open arms.

"They've treated me like the house that built me," Rhodes said. "And honestly, it was amazing. "We were back, and everything was rolling so fast. And then I tore my pec."

"It was like the best three months of my life," he continued. "Hopefully, get back to that soon."

Rhodes tore his pectoral muscle while weight training before his match against Seth Rollins at "Hell in a Cell," and joked he was told he had the strength of an 11-year-old.

Rhodes isn't rushing his return, despite badly wanting to wrestle again ... but when he returns, he's intent on capturing the magic he had with the fans pre-injury.

Trish Stratus was rushed into surgery last week after experiencing severe pain in her stomach ... but, thankfully, she is now on the road to recovery.

The WWE legend shared the scary experience with her followers on her social media page on Sunday, saying after a 10-hour travel day, she felt pain so intense that it prompted her to go to the ER.

While there, she said she found out her appendix was "about to burst."

"I’m really glad I went to check it out," Trish said on her Instagram, "you know to avoid the whole dying thing."

Trish -- who said she initially thought nothing of the pain but decided to go to the doc after it kept getting worse -- posted videos of herself on a hospital bed both before and after the procedure. She seemed to be in good spirits in both clips, and said afterward "recovery hasn’t been too bad so far, definitely manageable."

"Got 3 new scars to add to my body badges and one less organ," she said ... adding, "Turns out it’s an organ that serves no function so good riddance old pal."

The 46-year-old -- who was inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame in 2013 -- is now encouraging people to check in with their doctors about stomach pain instead of waiting until it's too late to intervene.

"A reminder that if you ever have a nagging pain in your lower right quadrant - do go to emergency," she wrote.