WWE

From the squared circle ... to the silver screen?!?

AEW star Chris Jericho is proving once again to be a man of many talents -- landing a starring role in an upcoming wrestling-themed horror flick called "Dark Match."

The pro wrestler, who actually recently had a supporting role as "Burke" in the film "Terrifier 2," will be acting in the movie alongside a star-studded cast that includes Ayisha Issa, Steven Ogg, Sara Canning, Jonathan Cherry and Michael Eklund.

The Dept.9 Studios flick seems scary as hell ... it's said to be about a small-time wrestling company that finds itself in a whole lot of trouble with a cult leader after accepting a gig in a remote area.

Jericho tweeted about it on Friday, saying he was "Stoked about this!"

According to Deadline, the movie recently concluded filming in Edmonton, Canada, a place Chris is familiar with, given his Canadian roots.

The wrestling vet has always excelled whenever he's been in front of a camera ... especially with a mic in his hand, so it's not surprising to see him landing a big role.

Gronk is BACK on the football field!!!

Recently retired NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski will have Tampa Bay Buccaneer fans drooling over the idea of a comeback ... after the tight end was spotted on the gridiron in Orlando over the weekend.

It's a clip that will have folks wondering if the 4-time Super Bowl champ has the itch to return to his day job ... considering he's still in incredible shape.

But, don't expect the 33-year-old to pull a Tom Brady and return to the league just yet ... 'cause he wasn't running routes and catching passes -- he was lining up for some field goals with his buddy/TMZ Sports TV show co-host Mojo Muhtadi.

The guys were at Camping World Stadium to check out a Pop Warner football game ... and we're told Gronk decided to hop on the gridiron and show off his boot.

Gronk's no Justin Tucker, but it doesn't matter -- he was still able to get the pigskin between the pipes for a successful attempt.

Gronk also had some fun talking to some of the kids at the game ... even joining their huddle for a cute moment.

WWE Hall of Famer Barry Windham, the maternal uncle of WWE star Bray Wyatt and former WWE wrestler Bo Dallas, suffered a heart attack over the weekend and is now in the ICU.

According to a GoFund Me campaign created by Barry's niece, Mika Rotunda, the 62-year-old went into cardiac arrest while traveling through an airport in Atlanta.

Mika says her uncle underwent an emergency procedure to save his life ... adding the wrestling legend's future is uncertain.

Windham, son of Robert Deroy Windham, better known by his ring name Blackjack Mulligan, was a household name in National Wrestling Alliance and WCW.

One of the most memorable moments of Barry's career was when the 4-time NWA/WCW tag team champion turned heel on Lex Luger and joined the Four Horsemen.

The Four Horsemen was a wrestling group originally in NWA and later WCW ... that consisted of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard.

Windham was inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame in 2012 alongside Flair, J.J. Dillon, Arn Anderson, and Blanchard.

AEW star Saraya says she always had dreams and aspirations of competing in the ring again after suffering a career-threatening neck injury in 2016 -- but admits she never expected it would happen.

"I wasn't expecting to wrestle at all," Saraya told Mojo during a recent interview on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs daily on FS1).

"That wasn't in the back of my head. I always wanted to go back into wrestling, but with Edge and Stone Cold, they waited years before even trying to think about getting back in the ring."

The 30-year-old former WWE Superstar says she received the green light to compete in the squared circle from a renowned doctor in L.A., paving the way for her to return to in-ring competition after a five-year hiatus.

"Halloween, I went in there, and the doctor was straight-up like, 'Let's get you an X-ray,'" Saraya said. "He checked the X-ray and was like, 'These are pretty good, but you can't trust the X-rays. You have to go in with the MRIs and the CT to triple-check.'"

Saraya says she told AEW exec Tony Khan she was interested in competing during the negotiation process with the promotion ... in addition to being an on-screen personality, which she was relegated to in her waning years with WWE after the injury.

Saraya admits when she first debuted in AEW, she was concerned the fans wouldn't be as receptive to her since they were familiar with her character, Paige, in WWE, but she was pleasantly surprised with how much support she received.

"That was the biggest pop I ever got in my whole career," Saraya said. "I was like, 'Oh, my gosh! And I'm Saraya. And I'm trending for the first time in my career as Saraya,'" she continued.

Scooby Wright -- the ex-NFL linebacker and former University of Arizona football star -- is now trying his hand at a different contact sport ... auditioning to become the WWE's next big superstar!!

The wrestling org. invited the former Wildcat to attend tryouts at IMG Academy in Florida this week as part of the company's new recruitment strategy ... and, Scooby sure seemed to impress while there.

One of the 30-plus athletes -- 17 of which were former college football players -- who showed up, the 28-year-old moved around the ring just like he did on the football field.

Wright learned the fundamentals from on-site coaches, including how to absorb blows when hitting the mat. He even got some wisdom imparted to him from Matthew Jason Bloom, a veteran in the industry who wrestled under various monikers during different stints with the WWE.

No word yet on how the execs felt about the former backer ... but the dude has rarely ever disappointed in his athletic life -- so we're sure things went well.

If you need a refresher, the former two-star recruit balled out during his college career at UofA ... recording a staggering 270 total tackles, 17 sacks, five forced fumbles and an interception in 30 career games.

He went on to be picked by the Cardinals in the 7th round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

WWE Superstar Mansoor missed (yes, missed!) Saudi Arabia's stunning World Cup upset over Argentina -- all because he didn't expect his home country to win -- and now he's feeling serious regret!

TMZ Sports spoke with the first-ever Saudi wrestler to compete with WWE and asked him about one of the most shocking upsets in World Cup history (Saudi Arabia beat Argentina, 2-1 Tuesday morning).

"I'm very embarrassed to say, I feel like a really bad fairweather fan," Mansoor said. "I remember being like, 'Oh, man, it's the World Cup, Saudi Arabia's got their first match, I can't wait to see it. I'm going to wake up at 5 AM and watch this.'"

"Then I was like, 'Argentina, I think I'll sleep in.' But shockingly, they pulled through," Mansoor told us ... "Nobody saw this coming. Nobody in Saudi Arabia and nobody in the world."

"You can't write a better story than that," Mansoor said.

FYI, Saudi is ranked as one of the worst teams in the tourney ... while Argentina is regarded as one of the top 3. But, as the saying goes ... that's why you play the game.

"The biggest underdog upset in the history of the sport. Something like this is probably never going to happen again."

He continued ... "I'm just happy to be alive for it. I just wished I watched it live, but still, it's amazing."

As you'd expect, it's not just Mansoor who's thrilled with how the game turned out. The people in Saudi Arabia went absolutely wild after the game ... from shooting guns in the air (don't try this) to literally ripping a door off the hinges, fans were pumped!

Jake Paul and Julia Rose kept the clothing to a minimum during their trip to Hawaii this week ... putting their bodies on display in a set of incredibly hot pics.

The Problem Child and his model GF jetted over to the Aloha State for some R&R  ... and the dude definitely deserved it after whooping Anderson Silva AND making his WWE debut at Crown Jewel recently.

During their stay, Paul and Rose decided to turn their jungle excursion into a photo shoot ... with the two stripping to their suits and hopping under a waterfall to pose for the camera.

At one point, Paul even propped Julia up on his shoulder ... and naturally, he was grinning from ear-to-ear.

The couple is known to show off in front of the camera -- Paul has even gone buck nekkid with Julia in the past ... getting down to his birthday suit to celebrate his 25th birthday.

Paul and Rose have been going strong since early 2019 ... and aside from a brief break, have been inseparable ever since.

Heads up, Jimmy and Jey Uso ... Logan Paul tells TMZ Sports if his little bro, Jake Paul, joined him full-time in the WWE -- the two would make for an unstoppable tag team!!!

Logan told us out at LAX this week that the combo of the two Paul brothers in the squared circle would be so insane ... he doesn't think there'd be anybody who could possibly doubt their potential in the wrestling org.

"I think it'd be crazy, right?" the 27-year-old said. "I don't think that's deniable. That would be an amazing -- yeah, that would be incredible."

Despite only joining the WWE a few months ago, Logan has already proven himself to be a bonafide star ... going toe-to-toe with Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel earlier this month.

In fact, The Miz just told us this week that he was blown away by what he saw there ... calling Logan "incredible."

But, even though Jake made an appearance during Logan's big championship bout with Reigns -- he's yet to fully show if he's got the same ability as his big bro.

Clearly, Logan thinks he does.

As for Logan's career going forward, he told us he ain't done with boxing despite all the WWE success -- explaining if it weren't for an injury, he would be fighting again soon.

The Miz says the WWE is big enough for TWO Paul bros ... telling TMZ Sports if Jake ever wanted to follow Logan's lead and have a career in the squared circle, he can be just as great as the Maverick!!

We spoke with Miz out at LAX this week ... and given Logan's meteoric success in the promotion -- after all, the dude just went toe-to-toe with Roman Reigns -- we had to ask if the Problem Child could become a problem in the WWE as well.

"If he has the heart, the dedication and the mind to step in and do what Logan did to get to where he is, then [the] sky's the limit," the former WWE Champ said.

"Logan was the fastest person I've ever trained that got it," he continued. "It was incredible. He's been able to do a lot of great things."

Miz applauded Logan for his ability to pick up the craft quickly ... especially after going up against the Undisputed WWE Universal Champ in just his third fight.

"For him to come into WWE in a short amount of time to learn what he's learned is incredible," Miz said. "If Jake can do the same, that's a pretty good tag team."

Miz says if Jake ever competed with his brother inside a WWE ring, it will take time to develop chemistry with one another ... which only comes over time.

"I think they're used to that kind of entertainment aspect, but it's getting the stuff inside the ring down," Miz says.

Ultimately, Miz knows Jake receives a lot of flack despite his undefeated boxing record, but he believes the 25-year-old can enjoy success in the WWE, too, if he applies himself.

"If he dedicates himself to WWE and what we do, who knows? I could see it. It would be great."

Ric Flair came up with a convenient way to get everyone high on his signature weed ... by using his own ganja blower to get smoke in fans' faces!!

The WWE legend threw on one of his famous robes and got the party started in a recent video ... saying, "Ric Flair Drip go Wooooooooooo!!"

The Nature Boy then used the weed blower (if that's what it's called) to blow potent smoke in the faces of those around him ... and you can tell the 73-year-old was having the time of his life.

"Let’s Wake Up To Ric Flair 💧! See You Soon Vegas! WOOOOO!," the 16-time World Heavyweight Champion captioned the video.

As you know, Ric joined his friend, Mike Tyson, in the cannabis business earlier this year, with the former heavyweight boxer collaborating with Naitch on his "Ric Flair Drip" line.

In September, the two icons linked up for an epic toking sesh ... smoking blunts after attending a cannabis conference in Chicago.

According to Benzinga, Ric's cannabis line includes many products that pay homage to Flair's fondness of flowers, vape cartridges, sweets, pre-rolls, and flower jars.

Flair is taking his brand to Sin City next ... and it appears the Hall of Famer isn't coming empty-handed.

WWE star Omos -- on the heels of his big match against Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel ---- returned home to Nigeria for the first time in 14 years to surprise his family ... and the video of the encounter is one of the sweetest things you'll see!

TMZ Sports has video of the 7'3", 400-plus pound athlete sneaking into his family home (hard to do when you're a freakin' giant!) in Lagos ... the first time he's been there since 2008.

A camera crew captured the moment 28-year-old Omos was spotted by his family ... and predictably, he was immediately met with hugs, kisses and even some tears from his loved ones.

We're told ... Omos' family had no idea he would surprise them, hence the shocked reaction.

Omos -- real name Tolulope "Jordan" Omogbehin -- was just in Saudia Arabia for WWE Crown Jewel, where he went toe-to-toe with Strowman in a battle of the giants.

We're also told ... the Nigerian Giant is expected to make a major announcement while in Lagos visiting his fam -- though, any news will be hard to top his surprise visit.

Omos signed with WWE in 2019 and was the WWE Raw tag team champion with AJ Styles -- but his reuniting with his family is one of the proudest moments of his career.

Logan Paul was left with a torn meniscus and MCL after going up against Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel ... but don't feel too bad for the guy, 'cause he had his model girlfriend, Nina Agdal, to take care of him!!

The Maverick shared his injury status after losing to the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion in Saudi Arabia over the weekend ... posting a pic showing his iced-up knee with the Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover girl sitting nearby.

Logan was pretty beat up after the entertaining matchup ... and had to be wheelchaired through the airport to catch his flight.

"Best girlfriend ever," Paul said as Agdal pushed him.

Paul got an MRI as soon as he touched back down on U.S. soil ... but we're told he does not know the full extent of his injuries just yet.

Logan showed off his insane athleticism on Saturday ... but ultimately, he could not come away with the win.

Instant. Classic.

Logan Paul knew he was in for the fight of his life against Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel ... and even though he got an assist from his brother, Jake, he couldn't come away with the championship.

Logan proved once again he belonged in the ring on Saturday ... showing off his remarkable athleticism against the undisputed WWE Universal Champion in an incredibly entertaining fight.

Logan paid homage to WWE legend Eddie Guerrero -- as he did in his WrestleMania 38 match -- by hitting Reigns with a frog splash off the top rope through the announcer's table.

The craziest part ... he did it with a phone in his hand, recording the entire stunt -- talk about insane!!

Logan also showed Shawn Michaels some appreciation ... when he attempted to hit the WWE champ with The Heartbreak Kid's signature sweet chin music finisher -- though he was unsuccessful.

As we previously teased ... the "Problem Child" was in Saudi Arabia to watch his brother ahead of the biggest match of his life -- but also to look out for Logan in case he ran into any trouble against Reigns.

Well, that moment arose when the Usos -- a part of "The Bloodline" group with Roman -- started attacking Logan's entourage, who had been sitting ringside.

Jimmy and Jey Uso then started beating up Logan's buddies in the ring ... when suddenly, Jake hit the stage and walked down to the ring to confront the Usos while his "It's Everyday Bro" song blared through the speakers.

The undefeated 6-0 boxer got into the ring without hesitation and even dropped one of the undisputed tag team champs!!

Logan's performance had social media buzzin' ... his former boxing nemesis and Internet celebrity KSI was thoroughly pleased with the spectacle, tweeting, "What a match, bro."

Jake Paul is fresh off beating Anderson Silva ... but could he actually help his brother, Logan, come away with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, too?!?!

It certainly looks like a possibility ... with the Problem Child touching down in Saudi Arabia for the Maverick's huge Crown Jewel match against Roman Reigns!

It's a huge moment for Logan -- it's just his third WWE fight ever ... and he's going up against one of the greatest wrestlers in the promotion's history, who's currently the longest-reigning Universal Champion ever.

There have been rumblings Jake could make a surprise debut if Logan runs into trouble ... which would certainly be electric.

But, RR wouldn't be alone -- the Usos are also reportedly slated to be in attendance for the event.

TMZ Sports previously spoke with Logan AND Jake about the possibility of joining forces in the WWE ... and they both loved the idea.

Roman has previously talked about their abilities as well ... praising the two for what they've been able to do in their respective careers.

Nikki Bella is convinced Logan Paul can be the next huge thing in the WWE ... telling TMZ Sports she believes the former YouTuber is "the total package" in the ring.

We spoke with Nikki, who was with her sister, Brie, out in LA this week ... and she raved about Paul's potential -- just days before he's slated to fight Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship in Saudi Arabia.

"He's an amazing wrestler," Nikki said of Jake's older bro. "I think he proved that at WrestleMania. He's a good storyteller. He has charisma. He speaks well on the mic."

"Like, he's the total package as a WWE superstar."

Brie cosigned ... adding, "He has all the tools to be a big star there."

Brie did, though, say Logan will have to continue to work hard to reach his sky-high potential ... telling us the biz ain't exactly easy.

As for if there's any harboring of ill will toward the 27-year-old receiving a championship opportunity this early into his WWE career -- the "Total Divas" stars told us they certainly wouldn't feel bitter about it at all.

"In the entertainment business, nothing is fair, but that's life," said Brie, before Nikki added, "The crowd reacts to him, and you got to listen to your fans, and the fans want it."

WWE superstar Carmella says after spending 12 hours in an emergency room on Saturday, she sadly suffered a miscarriage.

The 35-year-old announced the news on her Instagram page Monday morning ... calling it all "devastating."

The wrestler -- real name Leah Van Dale -- says she began feeling "sharp pains on my left side" over the weekend, and went to the hospital. Following a battery of tests, she learned she had an ectopic pregnancy, and would lose her baby.

"The reason I’m sharing all of this is because in the moment it feels so isolating," Carmella said in a caption on a photograph of her in a hospital bed. "Why doesn’t anyone ever talk about this?"

"For anyone dealing with ANY type of pregnancy loss," she added, "I want you to know your feelings and emotions are valid, there is NOTHING wrong with you and you are not alone. ❤️."

Tragically, Carmella revealed this is the second time she's had to experience this -- announcing in her post that she had previously suffered a miscarriage in September.