WWE

Jeff Hardy is back ... The Charismatic Enigma made his first AEW appearance Wednesday night since the company suspended him for his DUI arrest in Florida last June.

Hardy surprised wrestling fans at the Milwaukee Panther Arena in Wisconsin ... coming to the rescue of his brother, Matt Hardy, who had been getting beaten up in the ring.

Big Bill and Lee Moriarty blindsided Matt, Hook, and Isiah Kassidy ... but Jeff's music hit out of nowhere, and he ran out from backstage with a steel chair in hand, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Jeff whooped everyone in the ring ... and then threw the chair at Lee's face. He later hit the wrestler with his signature twist of fate maneuver and a legendary Swanton Bomb.

"I am unbelievably proud of my brother @JEFFHARDYBRAND," Matt tweeted about Jeff's emotional comeback afterward.

Of course, Matt said earlier this week that Jeff's return was imminent following the legend's recent eye surgery -- though he expected it to be about 6-8 weeks from now ... not days!!

Matt reassured fans that Jeff's been caring for himself during his time away from the squared circle ... and his appearance in the ring on Wednesday night proved he has been doing just that.

Logan Paul's wrestling career is just getting started -- the Maverick has officially signed a new contract with WWE ... just days after his stunning WrestleMania performance.

The 28-year-old initially signed a multi-fight deal with the promotion in June 2022 ... and after incredible outings at WrestleMania, Crown Jewel and Royal Rumble, the move was a no-brainer.

Logan shared the news on social media minutes ago ... holding his contract and snapping a pic with WWE chief content officer Triple H, who posed with his signature "point."

"A proven Superstar on the biggest stage," Triple H said on Monday. "Can't wait to see what's next for @LoganPaul"

The Internet superstar's match against Seth "Freakin'" Rollins was one of the biggest highlights of WM39 at SoFi Stadium ... but despite a surprise appearance from his Prime business partner, KSI, he wasn't able to leave with his hand raised.

Logan has won the entire wrestling community over ... with some of the biggest names in the sport applauding his ability to show off his athleticism in the squared circle.

Booker T thinks WWE joining forces with UFC's parent company will pay enormous dividends for both sides -- telling TMZ Sports, "It's going to be good for everybody."

We spoke with Booker -- a commentator on WrestleMania 39's kickoff show this past weekend -- at LAX fresh off Endeavor and WWE merging to create a new, publicly traded company valued at $21.4 billion ... and asked him if he could see any crossover happening with the superstars between the two respective sports entertainment brands.

"Of course," Booker said. "I think the UFC always needed a little more entertainment in their life. I think WWE will definitely add to that flavor. It's going to be good for everybody."

"UFC fans already gravitate to WWE. Daniel Cormier was at the NXT show a couple [of] days ago. Those guys and WWE, they go together. Great tag team."

As we previously reported, Vince McMahon sold WWE -- the business he purchased from his father in 1982 -- to Endeavor ... after serving as the chairman and CEO of the sports entertainment conglomerate for over 40 years.

McMahon will now serve as the executive chairman of the board with Endeavor. Meanwhile, Dana White will continue in his current role as UFC President, with Ari Emanuel as the new group's CEO.

Booker told us UFC legends like Tito Ortiz and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, with their larger-than-life personalities, gave UFC the flare it needed ... adding he could see guys Colby Covington and Conor McGregor crossing over to the WWE.

"You look at a guy like Colby Covington, who's very controversial and chaotic. I think he'll fit in perfectly," the WWE Hall of Famer said.

The five-time World Heavyweight Champion says athletes like Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle are anomalies ... but he's predicting that with the new joint deal in place, we'll see some guys from UFC working with the WWE.

An all-out brawl erupted outside a Texas nightclub in a scene that sort of looked like a WWE Royal Rumble ... and most of it was caught on video.

Footage of the wild fight shows a group of mostly scantily clad women going at it in a San Antonio parking lot near Privat Social Club. Of course, there were many observers watching and recording the lunacy with their cell phones.

The video opened with a young woman grabbing another female by her hair and whipping her to the ground. The two wrestled on the asphalt while throwing punches at one another.

Then a security guard picked up a third woman and body-slammed her to the ground, causing her cash to go flying into the air.

Back to the first two women. One pulverized the other with her fists until, finally, someone stepped in and broke it up.

Two more women were featured kicking each other's butts with one dragging the other around the parking lot.

Security guards managed to get the situation under control before anyone got seriously hurt.

San Antonio Police arrived on scene after everything had calmed down. Cops said the fight originally started between a woman and a security guard for unknown reasons. The guard maced the woman, who then left the location as hell broke loose.

Tony Yayo -- the rapper who inspired John Cena's famous "You Can't See Me" gesture -- is speaking out against those criticizing LSU hoops star Angel Reese for waving her hand toward Iowa star Caitlin Clark ... saying, "When a Black girl do it, it's a problem, but when a white girl do it, it's not a problem."

TMZ Sports spoke with the G-Unit MC -- who was trending this past week after Reese's celebration during last Sunday's NCAA championship game -- and he told us the criticism she's been receiving is "kind of crazy."

Yayo said trash-talking in sports is part of the game ... adding he understands the emotions athletes experience when competing, especially for a national championship.

Yayo -- who recently wrapped up a tour with 50 Cent and is gearing up to release new music this summer -- said Reese is popularizing women's basketball ... and she's elevating the sport to newer heights.

"You got Lil Wayne calling her phone," Yayo said. "You got Boosie excited over LSU. This championship was big. Everybody knows who Angel Reese is now, as well as Caitlin Clark."

Tony said he's proud of how Reese has handled herself during the controversy ... and doesn't want it to diminish what the LSU Tigers accomplished, winning the program's first NCAA women's basketball national championship.

"I just don't want all this stuff to overshadow the win," Yayo said. "There are other people on the team. There's a great coach [Kim Mulkey] over there. I'm definitely looking up to anybody that's a role model to Black women in this world."

Diamond Dallas Page says he was overcome with emotion watching Cody Rhodes fight Roman Reigns for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship at WrestleMania ... and tells TMZ Sports despite Cody coming up short, he knows he'll eventually win the title.

We spoke to DDP at LAX on Wednesday ... and the king of the Diamond Cutter told us he thinks Cody losing to Roman on "The Grandest Stage of Them All" will make him even more popular amongst WWE fans.

"When you're really over ... When it's done right [and] when the people are behind it, it doesn't matter who wins or loses," Page said. "He went and made AEW. Came back to here [WWE]. They were so happy to have him back because they knew what a talent he was."

"I couldn't be any prouder of the cat," Page added. "Very emotional for me."

Of course, some wrestling fans were confused by WWE's decision to keep the title on Reigns instead of giving it to Cody, who won the Royal Rumble in January -- but Page believes it's inevitable Rhodes becomes WWE champ ... explaining this is a part of the process.

Page feels Cody has no reason to be disappointed he didn't win Sunday. DDP said Cody's father, Dusty Rhodes, is proud of his performance in the main event against Reigns, who needed help from The Bloodline and Paul Heyman to defeat the American Nightmare.

DDP praised Cody for how he responded after tearing his pectoral muscle last summer before a match against Seth Rollins ... and for rehabbing as hard as possible to put himself in a position to be in the main event at WrestleMania.

WWE apologized on Friday for showing a photograph of the Auschwitz concentration camp where more than 1 million Jews were murdered ... during a WrestleMania promo Saturday night.

The company faced backlash from fans, media, and even the Auschwitz Memorial once it became clear they used the image to promote the Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio match.

But now, the WWE is apologizing, saying they had no idea the image was used.

"We had no knowledge of what was depicted. As soon as we learned, it was removed immediately,” the company told The Washington Post.

It remains to be seen if the explanation will be enough ... the Auschwitz Memorial ripped into WWE before the apology, saying, "The fact that Auschwitz image was used to promote a WWE match is hard to call 'an editing mistake.'"

"Exploiting the site that became a symbol of enormous human tragedy is shameless and insults the memory of all victims of Auschwitz."

According to Auschwitz Memorial's website, the Germans established Auschwitz in 1940 in German-occupied Poland during World War II, and it was the largest of the Nazi concentration camps.

Jeff Hardy has maintained a low profile since resolving his DUI case in late February -- but now the suspended AEW star has finally resurfaced after his most recent legal troubles, chatting up a wrestling fan, and even posing for a pic.

A fan posted a photo of him and Hardy in Oak Island, NC, ... with the caption, "Met @JEFFHARDYBRAND while vacationing today. Could not have been more generous and likable. He just had eye surgery, get well soon!"

We talked to the fan who told us Hardy told him he recently had eye surgery ... and you can see what looks like a scar under his right eye.

The fan told us he didn't want to ask too many questions, as Hardy was with his family.

You'll recall ... Hardy submitted a written no-contest plea for the DUI he got last summer -- meaning he accepted a conviction and punishment for the crime but didn't admit guilt.

Hardy -- one-half of the famed Hardy Boyz tag team -- was sentenced to two years probation, court-mandated DUI school or drug rehab program and community service.

Jeff -- who reportedly had his license suspended for ten years by the judge -- will have to wear an interlock device for two years and pay $4,586 in fines and court fees.

Finn Balor needed 14 staples to close the huge head gash he suffered during his Hell in a Cell match with Edge at WrestleMania 39 ... and if you didn't believe it, the WWE Superstar is providing the gnarly photographic evidence.

Balor posted pics of the staples he received following his brutal match with the Rated R superstar ... and the images of all his injuries are not for the faint of heart.

Remember ... Edge threw a ladder at Finn during their match on Sunday, causing the Demon King to bleed profusely from his head -- and the contest to be temporarily stopped.

WWE referees and medical staff tended to Finn immediately ... but the damage was already done, and Balor's body marks just go to show how physical his match was.

Balor and Edge have been engulfed in a rivalry for a while ... and you can tell by the level of physicality each Superstar was out to prove something to the other.

Finn's head wasn't the only part of his body affected at WrestleMania ... Edge hit Balor with several kendo sticks multiple times throughout the night, leaving his back bruised.

It wasn't all one-sided -- Finn had his fair share of moments against Edge, most notably when he put him through a table and delivered his signature Coup de Grace finisher.

In the end, it didn't matter -- Edge pinned Balor after finishing him off with his famous ConChairTo, but Finn earned the respect of many WWE fans for his gutsy performance.

Angel Reese has an unlikely ally ... Iowa star Caitlin Clark is coming to the defense of the newly crowned NCAA champ, straight up saying "I don't think there should be any criticism for what she did."

Of course, 21-year-old Clark found herself at the center of the biggest sports story in the country on Monday, after 20-year-old Reese threw up John Cena's famed "You Can't See Me" celly right in CC's face during the waning seconds of Sunday's women's national championship game.

Reese was instantly attacked online, with many people calling her actions unsportsmanlike. Defenders of Angel pointed to Caitlin's use of the Cena celebration during the very same NCAA tourney. Clark's defenders pointed out she didn't do it in her opponent's face. And, the debate raged on.

But, now Clark is weighing in ... and hopefully putting an end to the debate -- was Angel right or wrong.

"I think the biggest thing is we're all competitive. We all show our emotions in a different way. Angel is a tremendous, tremendous player. I have nothing but respect for her. I love her game, the way she rebounds the ball, scores the ball is absolutely incredible. I'm a big fan of her and even the entire LSU team," Clark said during an interview with ESPN.

"Like I said, they played an amazing game so I don't think there should be any criticism for what she did. I honestly didn't see it when the game was going on and like I said, I haven't been on social media really at all."

FYI, despite the criticism (there was also a bunch of support), after the game, Reese made it clear she wasn't going to apologize.

Caitlin also addressed Jill Biden's recent comments, where she remarked she'd tell her husband, President Joe Biden to invite the losing Iowa team because "they played such a good game."

FLOTUS was destroyed for the comment ... as it's customary for the winner of a championship, never the loser, to head to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave for some face time with the prez.

"I don't think runner-ups usually go to the White House. I think LSU should, you know, enjoy that moment for them."

So, debate settled??? Probably not.

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

Bad Bunny may want to think twice next time about attending a WWE event the night after WrestleMania weekend ... 'cause the Latin music superstar got choke slammed through a table, and it appeared to hurt like hell.

Bunny was at Crypto.com Arena Monday night just 48 hours after he helped Rey Mysterio defeat his son, Dominik, at WrestleMania 39. But, Dominik, with his partner Damian Priest, had revenge on their mind.

Dominik approached Bunny, who had front-row seats, and tried to push him -- but Bunny dropped Dominik to the ground with a right hand, not once, but twice during the segment.

Priest -- a third of the Judgement Day stable -- grabbed Bunny from where he was standing, threw him over the barricade, then delivered a chokeslam to the three-time Grammy Award-winning artist through the announcer's table.

Bunny appeared shaken up after the spot, grabbing his neck as he writhed in pain on the ground, but eventually, he returned to his feet and walked backstage with help from WWE referees.

Of course, Bad Bunny's fans were happy to see he wasn't hurt since the 29-year-old is headlining Coachella in a few weeks.

Bunny is also hosting WWE Backlash in Puerto Rico in May -- and given the feud he and Dominik are currently engulfed in, the event should make for must-see TV.

The WWE and the UFC are merging into one ... now forming a $21 billion company.

Endeavor, the parent co. of UFC, announced the move on Monday morning ... revealing its shareholders will own 51 percent of the new org. WWE shareholders, meanwhile, will own 49 percent.

Vince McMahon will hold the title of Executive Chairman of the Board with the new group -- while Dana White will continue as the President of UFC. Ari Emanuel, the CEO of Endeavor, will be the head honcho of it all.

McMahon said in a statement Monday he was thrilled over the news.

"Together, we will be a $21+ billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity," McMahon said.

"The new company will be well positioned to maximize the value of our combined media rights, enhance sponsorship monetization, develop new forms of content and pursue other strategic mergers and acquisitions to further bolster our strong stable of brands."

White also said Monday he was overjoyed with the merger ... adding, "Vince is a savage in the wrestling space, Ari is a beast at what he does, and then add what we at UFC bring to the table and there is no limit to what this company can accomplish in the next few years."

The move comes following a rocky year for McMahon, who retired as WWE CEO last July -- only to come back in January. At the time of his return, he revealed he would explore all opportunities for a sale of the company.

The newly formed org. does not yet have a name.

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.