WWE

Wrestling legend Bushwhacker Butch has passed away after a brief illness, his longtime tag team partner Luke announced on Monday. He was 78 years old.

Butch -- real name Bob Miller -- was hospitalized in the ICU on Friday after arriving in Los Angeles for WrestleMania ... which was a result of a "situation with medication," Luke said in an interview over the weekend.

"He flew in from New Zealand on Wednesday, was all good. Friday morning, he was incognito."

Butch started wrestling in New Zealand in 1964 ... and made his way to the States shortly after. Alongside Luke, the Bushwhackers blew up once they signed with the World Wrestling Federation in the late '80s.

Butch was an absolute legend for decades ... and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015 as a member of the Bushwhackers.

Luke released an emotional tribute to Butch just minutes ago ... saying, "Late last night, I lost my friend, brother and tag team partner of over 50 years with the passing of Bob 'Butch' Miller."

"From the early-1970s when we were young mates wrestling for John da Silva in New Zealand, my first impression of Bob 'The Chest' Miller (as he was called in those days) was that he was a first-class redneck, and what bloody redneck he was! But he was also an all-around good guy and a great friend."

"If you were to read the story of my life it would say that I am only child, but it would be wrong," Luke added. "In life I had a brother and his name was Bob Miller. I love you, Bob. Until I see you again, WOOOOAHH YEEEEAAHH!"

A GoFundMe page was set up to help with Butch's medical expenses ... and the funds will now be used to pay for a funeral service.

Miller is survived by his wife, Helen, daughters, Sharon and Kirsten, and his grandchildren.

Here's one for the "wrestling is fake" crowd -- WWE Superstar Finn Balor just showed off the aftermath of getting rocked with a ladder during his Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania ... revealing a massive gash on his head.

Balor suffered the injury in his showdown with Edge on Sunday ... which required WWE medical staffers to pause the match to get him checked out.

Balor and Edge were pretty much torturing each other in the squared-circle, but things took a turn when Edge yeeted a ladder at Balor.

To make matters worse for "The Demon," the match finally resumed ... just for Edge to end up taking the win over Balor.

"Just a flesh wound," Balor joked on social media as he put the cut on full display ... with many wondering in the comment section how he was able to fight through the pain.

It wasn't the only injury to happen during the event -- Shane McMahon tore his quad shortly after entering the ring against The Miz, which led to Snoop Dogg finishing the job.

Here's hoping everyone heals up in time for WM40 in Philly next year!!

The romance between Jake Paul and Jutta Leerdam has taken the next step -- the two are now IG official!!

The Dutch speed skater posted three pics of her and the YouTuber-turned-star-boxer in announcing their relationship status ... one of which showed the two holding hands on a boat.

Jake, meanwhile, threw up two photos of the couple on recent dates ... confirming their relationship as well.

"Im Dutch now," Paul wrote in his caption.

"That's it," Jutta said in hers.

Paul also shared a snap of the two on his IG stories Monday -- showing the couple cuddled up on a beach somewhere.

Of course, Paul was most recently linked to model Julia Rose until last year ... and Jutta previously dated fellow speed skater Koen Verweij.

We broke the story, 26-year-old Paul and 24-year-old Leerdam were spotted kissing on a dinner date in Miami last month ... but it was unclear if it was anything more than just two, hot young people enjoying each other's company.

Seems we've now got our answer ... and we're here for all of it!

Vince McMahon is adamant the scandal that mired his 2022 played absolutely no role in the WWE's merger with the UFC on Monday.

The wrestling icon sat down with CNBC to go in-depth about his decision to form a massive new company with Endeavor, the parent co. of UFC -- and at one point during the conversation, he was asked if the '22 allegations of misconduct impacted his choice to sell his org.

McMahon said firmly they did not -- adding that they didn't push him to make a decision quicker, either.

"I'm always looking into what's best for our stockholders, what's best for the company," the 77-year-old said. "This is the best thing that's happened in a long, long time."

McMahon didn't address the accusations specifically or the WWE's investigation into them ... though he did admit, "I've made mistakes, obviously. Both personally and professionally through my 50-year career."

"I've owned up to every single one of them," he added. "And then, moved on."

McMahon was accused of agreeing to pay millions of dollars to four different women to keep them quiet about their relationships with him. While the probe into the claims was ongoing, McMahon retired as WWE CEO -- but he rejoined the company in January ... revealing he was exploring a potential sale of the org.

LSU hoops star Angel Reese isn't apologizing for taunting Caitlin Clark during the NCAA title game Sunday ... responding by ripping the hypocrites who called her out, but didn't do so for Clark.

The Tigers forward received a ton of backlash after throwing up John Cena's famous "You Can't See Me" hand gesture during LSU's blowout 102-85 win at the American Airlines Center.

FYI, it's the same gesture AP Player of the Year Clark used in the Elite Eight and Final Four.

The difference was the public's reaction ... Clark was praised, while Reese was mostly criticized for failing to show good sportsmanship. But, she's unbothered by the selective outrage.

"All year, I was critiqued about who I was," Reese said during her post-game interview.

"The narrative -- I don’t fit the narrative. I don't fit into the box that y’all want me to be in. 'I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto.' Y’all told me that all year. But, when other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing."

Reese -- who transferred from Maryland to LSU last May -- says this win is for "the girls that look like me," telling them to be "unapologetically you."

"And, that’s what I did it for tonight. It was bigger than me tonight. Twitter is gonna go on a rage every time. And, I’m happy. I feel like I've helped grow women's basketball this year."

Despite the hate Reese is getting, there are a ton of people who've had her back, including LeBron James, who retweeted Emmanuel Acho's comment ripping those who criticized Reese but not Clark.

The Lakers superstar also shared Ryan Clark's message on Twitter, saying, "If you praised Caitlin Clark as competitive, fiery, and passionate for doing the 'You can’t See me' celebration and are criticizing Angel Reese for the same we already know!!"

Shaquille O'Neal also came to the defense of Reese, going at Keith Olbermann, who called Reese a "f***ing idiot."

It was the first-ever NCAA title for the LSU women's hoops team and 4th title for coach Kim Mulkey ... who won three with Baylor before joining the Tigers in 2021.

Congratulations, ladies!!

We covered it all on a recent episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms!

Snoop Dogg just made matters worse for The Miz during WrestleMania 39 on Sunday ... doubling up on the Superstar's beatdown from the night before by wrecking him again!!

It all went down at SoFi Stadium ... when the rap legend brought out Shane McMahon for a surprise appearance.

Shane and Miz went at it for a bit ... but Snoop intervened and set his sights on the WWE Superstar himself!!

Snoop stood over Miz, showboating for a bit before dropping him with a vicious People's Elbow and ending him with a three count.

"This is humiliating!!!" the announcers said as Snoop finished Miz.

The whole interaction came as a surprise ... as Miz was fully expecting a casual interaction with the California icon.

Naturally, the hometown guy had the sold-out crowd losing their minds ... but Snoop played it cool as if he had been in the ring plenty of times before.

Of course, Miz took a beating just hours prior -- when George Kittle and Pat McAfee threw him for a loop to end night one of the annual festivities.

Night 2 of WM39 has been filled with a ton of amazing moments ... and we're only halfway through the show -- so stay tuned for even more highlights.

WrestleMania 39 has turned the page on Night 1 ... and for the opening matches, there sure were a lot of famous faces who wanted to see body slams and piledrivers on the big stage.

Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium was packed to the gills Saturday night -- this as the WWE's biggest stars got in the ring and hit the mat for professional wrestling's biggest event of the year. Of course, tons of Angelenos were in attendance for the event ... celebs included.

Here's just a handful of A-listers who came out for the big show ... Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and the rest of the 'Jackass' boys, Gabriel Iglesias, George Kittle, Indi Hartwell, Becky G, Ryan Garcia, Stephen A. Smith, Kurt Angle, Snoop Dogg, Lil Uzi Vert and more.

Of course, we already know Logan Paul was there (he wrestles for WWE now), as was KSI ... as was Bad Bunny, John Cena and other Hollywood stars.

We've been covering the highlights ... of which there've been many so far -- including upsets, assists and cameos. And yes, there are sure to be even more surprises for Night 2.

WrestleMania has been a staple pitstop for the most notable of personalities for years -- other VIPs who've swung by in the past include Macaulay Culkin, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Mike Tyson, Machine Gun Kelly, Michael Che ... and even Donald Trump (once upon a time).

Logan Paul just took a big loss to Seth "Freakin'" Rollins at WrestleMania on Saturday ... and even with the Maverick's former foe, KSI, making a surprise appearance, it wasn't enough for the social media superstar to get the W.

The whole match was entertainment at its finest ... and the crowd and broadcasters were into the madness from the very beginning.

"Logan proved once again he deserved to be in there with one of the promotion's biggest stars ... and even the announcers stated it was surprising Rollins was having a fight with the 'social media star,'" the broadcast said.

Logan seemingly won the match when he appeared to knock Rollins out cold ... but it simply wasn't enough to secure the win. Seth got back up and responded with some fierce shots of his own ... just to have KSI, Paul's former nemesis-turned-business partner, shock the world by revealing himself in a Prime mascot bottle and entering himself in the bout.

But, it wasn't as it seemed -- as Logan accidentally crushed KSI from the top ropes when he tried to slam Seth Rollins into the announcer's table.

Eventually, Seth got the better of Logan, hitting him with his signature curb stomp finisher -- then pinning him in the middle of the ring ... as 80,000+ fans screamed.

Logan has proven time and again he is way more than that -- and he silenced any remaining doubters with his performance at SoFi Stadium on Saturday ... which also just so happened to be his 28th birthday.

WWE legend Rey Mysterio had a music superstar help him defeat his own son, Dominik, during WrestleMania 39 on Saturday ... with Bad Bunny playing a pivotal part in his win.

The whole match was set to be a star-studded event from the beginning ... with Snoop Dogg helping Rey make his grand entrance at SoFi Stadium.

When the bell rang, it was a hard-fought matchup between father and son ... but one thing that wasn't on Dominik's side was the superstar artist -- the former WWE 24/7 Champion, who patiently awaited his opportunity to help Rey out.

Ultimately, BB's move helped Rey secure the win over Dom ... which restored order to the Mysterio name.

Either way, he still played a huge role in Rey's win.

Bad Bunny is a MASSIVE wrestling fan ... but considering he has Coachella in a few weeks, we take it he was restricted from doing too much inside the ring. WrestleMania 39 has been an event to remember through one night of action ... and we can only imagine what Night 2 will hold.

Bianca Belair could be the next John Cena, Rock or Dave Bautista -- at least, that's what wrestling legend X-Pac thinks ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he sees the current WWE RAW Women's champ moving from the squared circle to the silver screen!!

We spoke with the 50-year-old great out at LAX this week ... and asked the two-time Hall of Fame inductee who he believes could transition into Hollywood post-wrestling career.

After going through of list of WWE stars in his head, Pac finally figured it out ... it's Bianca.

"She's great at everything," Pac told us. "She's a good talker ... she makes her own outfits, bro."

"She's great in the ring. I'm a huge fan. That's who I'm picking."

Of course, Pac (real name Sean Waltman) doesn't see the 33-year-old starting an acting career any time soon -- Belair just made her wrestling debut in 2016 and recently became the longest-reigning Black singles champion in WWE history.

"She's still on her run," Pac added. "When she's done with her run, I think that's available for her. If she wants to."

A WWE star turned actor/actress isn't far-fetched obviously ... The Rock -- who wrestled from 1996 to 2019 -- is one of the highest-paid actors in the nation and his films have grossed over $10.5 billion worldwide.

Cena -- who still wrestles in the WWE -- has been featured in several movies and TV shows, including "Peacemaker." He also won the Action Star of the Year award at CinemaCon.

As for Dave Bautista, he solidified his spot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his part in "Guardians of the Galaxy" ... and has since taken on some wide-ranging roles.

These WWE wrestlers have been putting in the work and ramping up their fitness game, but are YOU well equipped to identify the fighting physiques of WrestleMania 39?!

It's a total Flex Zone here! From gym mirror selfies to post-fight pics ... this year's WrestleMania stars are show ready, and they're ready to put their bods on full display as they've hit the SoFi stadium stage.

And, it ain't just WWE wrestlers in the lineup ... social media personality Logan Paul opted for getting down and dirty this year, and former WWE star John Cena has gotten back into the ring after a two-year hiatus, making this his 6th WrestleMania!

Test your WWE fighting skills by diving into our gallery, and see if you can "takedown" these sweaty shots by guessing the shredded star.

WWE Superstar Austin Theory just shocked the crowd and defeated the legendary John Cena to kick off WrestleMania 39 ... with the United States Champion retaining his belt to beat his childhood idol.

The entire match was insane from start to finish ... with Cena and Theory showing their strengths throughout.

Cena hit Theory with a quick couple of clotheslines in the beginning ... which threw Theory into a tizzy for a bit. Austin quickly regained his composure, and he took over the match for the next several minutes.

It was as back-and-forth as it could get moving forward -- with both Theory and Cena trading insanely hard hits.

Naturally, with Cena being a WWE icon, Theory was met with boos whenever he gained an edge in the match.

Cena and Theory both had opportunities to end the bout early ... but both were able to escape each pin attempt.

Cena ended up tapping out Theory with an STF ... but the referee did not see it, as he was dealing with his own problems.

Ultimately, Theory took down his hero with his second chance and kept his title in the process.

Of course, the match meant so much for Theory ... who told us earlier this week he idolized Cena growing up ... but made sure to point out he has no intention of being a copycat.

WWE wrestler Roman Reigns' poppin' looks have been dominating the spotlight since 2010, and they are "spot" on!

Here's a 21-year-old version of the then broad-shouldered Minnesota Vikings player posing for his headshot in Minneapolis, Minnesota back in 2007 (left). This was just three years before signing with the WWE.

Looking sweaty and ready ... "The Tribal Chief" -- now 37 years old and a whopping 265 pounds -- recently took on Kevin Owens during the WWE Royal Rumble event in San Antonio, Texas (right).

The current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion will go up against 2023 Men's Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes at this year's WrestleMania 39 ... Take the reins, Reigns!

The question here is ...

Gisele Shaw claims WWE HOF'er Rick Steiner hurled transphobic remarks at her during an appearance ... something the event organizers themselves seem to acknowledge happened.

The Impact Wrestling star made the accusation against the famed RS Friday, detailing what she says was an absolute tirade full of hateful language ... targeting her transgender identity. Shaw is a trans woman BTW, and came out as transgender last year at Pride Toronto.

Here's what she had to say about the interaction, which she says happened at WrestleCon Friday ... where Gisele was doing a signing. She writes, "I have been bullied all my life and have never stood up for myself because I’m scared that I would get beat up physically, mentally, or emotionally. The bullies in my life have always silenced me, but that ends today!"

Gisele goes on to say that, while walking to her table, she heard someone shouting, "you’re a man,” “you’re a dude,” “you’re a piece of trash,” “you are filth," and “get the f*** away from here." She didn't know who it was at first, but later says she heard it again -- and saw Steiner.

She says she confronted him about it on the spot -- saying, "Excuse me?" -- but claims he continued to tear her down in front of a lot of people ... including other wrestling talent.

She says other prominent stars were around, but didn't do anything about it. Gisele adds, "I am not writing this because I want sympathy. I am writing this because I am done being bullied to silence. Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility and I am standing up for myself and for other people who go through the exact same situation on a daily basis. I want everyone to know what kind of a deplorable person Rick Steiner is and that this cannot be tolerated. This keeps happening because people let it slide and do not take any action. If you do business with these types of people then I will not do business with you."

The official WrestleCon account apologized for what happened, specifically naming Shaw/the LGBT community -- but not saying Rick's name. They add, "The issue has been addressed and we hope the remainder of the convention can be a positive experience for all."

The Miz -- host of WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium this year -- believes Seth Rollins and Logan Paul's match on "The Grandest Stage of Them All" will be nothing but fireworks ... telling TMZ Sports, "This is going to be a match to be remembered."

We spoke with Miz at LAX ahead of the most significant event in sports entertainment ... and he told us WWE fans are in for a history-making moment when Rollins and Paul clash in the ring.

Miz says Logan -- who he teamed up with for a tag team match against Rey and Dominik Mysterio at last year's WrestleMania -- will have a difficult time trying to beat fan favorite Rollins ... who he eliminated in this year's Royal Rumble match.

"Logan's got his hands tied up with Seth Rollins," Miz said. "Seth Rollins is one of the best technical wrestlers out there. The fans love him and will be behind him at WrestleMania."

"With 90,000 plus screaming for you, I don't think Logan is used to people booing him and telling him he's no good. I know the dedication and heart that Logan has. I've been in the ring with him."

The Miz's prediction that Seth and Logan's match might steal the show speaks volumes about the two competitors. After all, WM's two-night spectacle features superstars like the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and John Cena.

Speaking of Cena ... we asked Miz if there's currently anyone in the WWE who he sees making the transition from the squared circle to the movie screen like so many wrestlers, including John, did, and he answered in vintage Miz fashion.

"I'm still waiting for the role to break me," Miz joked. "The Marine 3,4,5, and 6 didn't do it. I'm waiting for Johnny Cage, but Mortal Combat hasn't called."

Pick up the phone, movie producers!!!

The Street Profits are the greatest tag team in WWE, according to half of the superstar duo, Montez Ford, who isn't going to lay on fake modesty to appear humble.

"This is not even being cocky or arrogant, man, but right now I feel like nobody's touching us, man. I feel like me and Dawks are the complete essence of what a tag team consists of," Montez told Babcock on Friday from the TMZ office.

Ford, along with Angelo Dawkins, stopped by to promote their Fatal 4-Way tag team matchup Saturday night on night one of WrestleMania 39 ... where they're taking on Alpha Academy, The Viking Raiders, and Ricochet and Braun Strowman.

"We got two hybrid athletes, a high flyer and powerhouse, both high flyers and powerhouses. Pretty much know everything he's doing before he even does it and vice versa. We've been doing this so long together it's kinda come like second nature," Montez explained.

The Street Profits -- the former Raw, SmackDown and NXT champs -- say they have a lot of respect for the tag teams they came up watching, but it's their time.

"Granted we idolized and looked up to The New Day, and The Uso's and everything, but there's a new sheriff in town, no pun intended," Ford said, flashing his Jordan 7 Retro "New Sheriff in Town" J's.

We also talked to The Street Profits about Logan Paul ... and the guys say they're thrilled to have him in WWE (not just because he's worked hard and is a cool dude), but he's also brought more fans to the screen.

"I like the fact that he tries to understand and get this and work hard. He loves this as much as we do," Montez said, adding ... "and he's bringing a whole new set of eyes to this."

There's much more ... we also talked to the guys about a possible future in Hollywood (WM is in L.A., after all), and what message they have for their competitors the day before the big match.

Montez also shared what it's like to watch his wife, WWE Superstar Bianca Belair, who is wrestling Asuka on Sunday, compete on the biggest stage.