WWE

WAP meets WWE??

The crossover of the ages could happen if WWE Superstars Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez get their wish ... 'cause the Women's Tag Team Champions just revealed their dream wrestling match is against Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion!!

Morgan and Raquel were in Puerto Rico for Backlash when they laid down the gauntlet to Cardi and Meg while speaking to WrestlingNews, officially putting the award-winning MCs on notice.

Liv was asked which two celebrities she and Raquel would love to go toe to toe with in the squared circle ... and she answered without hesitation, "We’re talking Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. We want them."

Rodriguez added, "They’ve had a little interaction with some of our other Superstars. They’re always interacting on Twitter, so I think they would be more than willing to come and have a little fun with Liv and I."

On the surface, it seems like an unfair fight if we're talking inside the ring. After all, Morgan and Rodriguez are on top of their game after defeating Hall of Famer Trish Stratus and "The Man" Becky Lynch for the Women's Tag Team Championship.

But, Morgan told the outlet she and Rodriguez aren't trying to disrespect the two "WAP" artists by challenging them to a match ... and said how much they adore Cardi and Meg.

“I’m sure they are both highly athletic, so this is our official call out, but we love you guys," Morgan said. "It’s not in a mean way. We love you.”

It appears the Cincinnati mayor is taking Travis Kelce's advice by knowing his role and shutting his mouth ... 'cause Aftab Pureval just helped the Bengals announce their Week 17 matchup with the K.C. Chiefs -- and poked fun at his misfired trash talk in the process.

The team just dropped the funny clip on Wednesday ... showing newly-acquired offensive tackle Orlando Brown helping him record the promo inside his office.

"The Bengals play the Chiefs Week 17 ... and I've got nothing else to add," Pureval said in the clip.

When the mayor asked Brown how he did, the lineman jokes it "was better than the last time."

Remember, Pureval put his foot in his mouth days before last season's AFC Championship Game ... calling on Joe Burrow to take a paternity test to determine if he's Patrick Mahomes' dad, as he was 3-0 in head-to-head matchups at the time.

But, as we all know, the Chiefs ended up coming away with the 23-20 win ... and Kelce made sure to call out the Cincy mayor right after the game by channeling his inner Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

"Know your role and shut your mouth, you jabroni!!" Kelce said after the game.

Bad Bunny impressed Kendall Jenner in addition to millions of wrestling fans Saturday night, after defeating Damian Priest in a featured event.

BB made his grand entrance to his 2017 hit, "Chambea," as fans sang along.

The show went down in Bad Bunny's OG stomping ground ... Puerto Rico.

Kendall's BF is on a roll ... he defeated The Miz in a tag team match at WrestleMania 37.

It's kinda interesting ... both Bad Bunny and Priest are from Puerto Rico, but the crowd was squarely on BB's side.

Former WWE wrestler Sara Lee -- a past winner of the org's famous "Tough Enough" show -- died by suicide in October ... this according to a new autopsy report, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office documents, officials say Lee ingested a lethal combination of alcohol and pills. They added that the former wrestler had left "letters of intent at the scene" before her death.

According to officials in the documents, Lee had bruises and abrasions on her head and body at the time of her passing -- though they suspected she may have suffered the injuries in a fall or falls while in an intoxicated state.

She was just 30 years old.

News of her death seven months ago rocked the wrestling world ... with the WWE saying in a statement at the time that it was heartbroken.

"As a former 'Tough Enough' winner, Lee served as an inspiration to many in the sports-entertainment world," the WWE said. "WWE offers its heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and fans."

Lee participated in season six of "Tough Enough" in 2015 and earned a one-year contract with the WWE from it. She wrestled for the org for most of 2016, but moved on to the independent circuit a short time later.

In 2017, she married WWE wrestler Wesley Blake ... and the couple had three kids together. Days after her death, Blake penned an emotional note to Sara on his Instagram page ... writing, "You were a motivator, a best friend, a sister, a daughter, an aunt, the back bone of our family, and (my favorite), my wife."

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

RIP.

Trinity Fatu -- formerly known as Naomi in WWE -- is officially making her return to the wrestling ring, but the squared circle isn't the end goal ... 'cause the wrestling superstar wants to act on stage in a Broadway play!

"Before I became a wrestler," Trinity told TMZ Sports' Mojo Muhtadi, "My dream was to be on Broadway. I love theatre. To dance since I was 8 years old. I sing. That was always an aspiration and dream of mine."

Fatu says along the way, she fell in love with wrestling ... and being the superstar she is, it dominated her life.

"Once you get the wrestling bug, it kind of takes over your whole everything, and that's what happened. So, literally, the last 13 years has been all about wrestling and I kind of got away from it, but it's always been in the back of my mind as something, if I ever had the opportunity, I'd do it."

Trinity says now that she's in a different place (no longer with WWE), she again focusing on making her ultimate dream a reality.

"Now that I am where I am in my life, I've definitely been pursuing it. Going to New York as much as I can, taking dance classes, taking acting classes, and just really trying to learn more about the craft. Broadway, Off-Broadway, I just want to be in it."

But, that doesn't mean the pro wrestling star is giving up on kicking ass in the ring. In fact, Trinity will make her highly-anticipated return with Impact Wrestling on Thursday.

Naturally, her best friend Mercedes Moné -- who was just over in Japan competing for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) -- traveled back to the United States to support her.

Remember, Trinity and Moné were suspended indefinitely after they walked out of "Monday Night Raw" last May and were stripped of their women's tag team titles, effectively ending their WWE careers.

The Impact match airs tonight, but was already taped ... and the 35-year-old former 2x-Smackdown Women's Champion admitted she felt pressure in her debut match, especially after Tamina and CM Punk surprised her at the show.

However, their support gave her the confidence to overcome her fears after the long layoff.

"It was everything," Trinity said.

"It gave me that extra boost I needed to follow through and really do it. I was so scared. Mercedes being there. She was there with me the entire weekend. Helping me pick out my outfits."

Trinity's back in the ring, and hopefully, will grace a Broadway stage sometime soon!

The South Carolina man who stalked and attempted to kidnap WWE superstar Sonya Deville was sentenced to 15 years in prison, TMZ Sports has learned.

On Tuesday Phillip A. Thomas II pled guilty to several charges, including attempted kidnapping, armed burglary, and aggravated stalking ... all in connection to Deville.

In August 2020, Thomas, who, according to prosecutors, was "obsessed" with Deville, drove from South Carolina to Lutz, Florida, where Sonya lives, to kidnap the WWE wrestler.

According to FOX13, Thomas entered Deville's home just before 3 AM, armed with a knife, plastic zip ties, duct tape, and pepper spray.

The outlet reports Deville -- real name Daria Rae Berenato -- fled and called 911 once she saw Thomas ... who made entry into her home. When cops arrived, Thomas was still inside the home.

In the months leading up to the break-in, Thomas also sent threatening messages on social media to 29-year-old Deville, according to prosecutors.

Deville was so shaken up by the terrifying situation ... she's had to resort to carrying a gun. In fact, she was arrested for unlawful weapon possession in New Jersey in February.

As for Thomas II, after his 15 years in prison, he will be on probation for 15 years.

WWE star Carmella -- the Princess of Staten Island -- announced Monday she and her husband Corey Graves are expecting a child ... after previously suffering two miscarriages last year.

The 35-year-old former WWE Smackdown Women's Champion shared the exciting news by posting pics of her and Graves together, showing off her growing baby bump.

"After every storm there is a rainbow 🌈 our little miracle is due this november and we couldn’t be more thrilled," she wrote on Instagram.

Carmella -- whose real name is Leah Van Dale -- told "Good Morning America" she's been trying to main a positive mindset now that the couple is expecting after experiencing miscarriages in September and October last year.

"It's just all been such a whirlwind," Carmella said. "I think because of my past, it was hard to get excited off the bat about this one, but I was cautiously optimistic."

In February, Carmella revealed on Corey's 'After The Bell' podcast with Kevin Patrick that she had to step away from WWE because she had an ectopic pregnancy.

Carmella said she was "in a deep depression" for a while because she didn't know if she'd ever feel healthy enough to compete again. However, support from Stephanie McMahon kept her grounded and gave her the confidence she needed to return to the WWE.

Despite feeling nauseous and more tired than usual, Carmella told GMA this pregnancy has "been really good." Still, her excitement is mixed with apprehension because of her recent medical scares.

Meanwhile, Graves was "shocked" and "surprised" when Carmella told him their family was increasing, but the 39-year-old WWE commentator is excited to be a father!

Conor McGregor stole the show Saturday night at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship ... and the spirits clearly moved him.

Conor was on hand to watch Mike Perry defeat Luke Rockhold, who threw in the towel after his teeth got messed up in the brawl.

Conor, who was sipping, then swigging, his Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, toasted the crowd at the 1stBank Center and the crowd ate it up.

But McGregor wasn't done ... Perry invited him into the ring and they faked a face-off. That's when the Irish champ grabbed Perry's BKFC belt ... a move that would ordinarily have triggered another fight, except this one was for s**** and giggles. They stared each other down, WWE style, and that was that.

As for Conor ... he's been sidelined with an injury for 2 years, but he's expected to fight Michael Chandler soon.

Travis Kelce might be in the midst of one of the greatest NFL careers ever ... but the Kansas City Chiefs star tells TMZ Sports he has his eye on another endeavor -- the WWE.

Now, he clearly ain't ready to hang up his cleats in exchange for wrestling boots ... but the two-time Super Bowl champ said this week he definitely wants some kind of role with the org. -- and he hopes it happens sooner than later.

Kelce told us he's been inspired to seek out the job after he watched his good buddy, George Kittle, have a blast in the ring earlier this month.

"My guy George Kittle was at WrestleMania throwing clotheslines left and right, man," Kelce said. "It was awesome to see him go nuts."

So, Kelce said he's hit up his pal The Miz -- who actually lost to Pat McAfee at WrestleMania due to interference from Kittle -- and he told us he's working with the WWE Superstar to try to get some sort of action in the WWE soon.

"Hopefully," the 33-year-old tight end said, "we can brew something into fruition here."

Of course, Kelce doesn't have exactly all the time in the world to mix it up in the ring ... he's gone nonstop this offseason, hosting "Saturday Night Live," throwing ceremonial pitches at Guardians games and even making an appearance at Thursday's NFL draft.

Mercedes Moné is no longer the IWGP Women's Champion ... but the wrestling star already knows how she wants to get over the devastating loss when she returns to the United States -- by smoking a blunt with her cousin and WrestleMania 39 host, Snoop Dogg.

"I cannot wait to come back to the U.S.A. so I can roll up a big one, smoke one, roll one again, and go to Long Beach, baby, where you can go to my cousin's house, Snoop Dogggggggggg," Mercedes told Dean "Mojo" Muhtadi during an interview with TMZ Sports.

Moné lost her IWGP Women's Championship to Mayu Iwatani at the Stardom All Star Grand Queendom event in Tokyo, Japan. Still, despite dropping the title, Mercedes told us that wrestling fans in Japan treat her like royalty.

Mercedes -- formerly known as Sasha Banks in the WWE -- told us she got rocked early into her contest with Iwatani, resulting in her having difficulty seeing, and described the fight with Iwatani as the "hardest-hitting" match of her 13-year career.

"I got this big ass balloon on my face in the first five seconds, and I just couldn't believe it," Moné said. "But I told myself, 'Mercedes, you have to finish. You're in Japan. The fans are chanting for you.' This balloon in my eye, I couldn't f****** see. That's why I couldn't kick out."

Mercedes told us she has one match left on her contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) on May 21 in Long Beach at Resurgence, meaning she'll be a free agent again and have to decide where she wants to continue her wrestling career.

When we spoke to Mercedes in March, "The Mandalorian" TV star told us she recently inked a deal with United Talent Agency (UTA). Since then, Mercedes says her success inside the squared circle has translated outside the ring, and things are aligning for her as an actress.

Shane McMahon is back in the gym just weeks after tearing his quad at WrestleMania 39 ... and the WWE talent was in great company -- 'cause he was sweatin' it out with All-Pro Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry!!

Shane -- donning a large brace on his left leg -- posted video of his workout on Tuesday ... showing him going through a series of exercises as he attacks his rehab.

The two were accompanied by famous athletic trainer Melvin Sanders -- who works with all the biggest names in the NFL -- as well as Luke Miller, who is Dak Prescott and Zeke Elliott's physical therapist.

Remember, Shane-O-Mac -- who hadn't appeared on WWE programming since the 2022 Royal Rumble -- came out during a segment featuring The Miz and Snoop Dogg at WrestleMania at SoFi Stadium.

Snoop set up an impromptu match between Shane and The Miz ... but it was called off after McMahon tore his quadriceps.

53-year-old McMahon suffered the injury after his knee buckled following a leapfrog -- but thankfully, WWE's medical team was able to intervene swiftly.

Snoop Dogg ended up saving the day -- he fought Miz in place of Shane ... and defeated the former WWE champion using The Rock's signature "People's Elbow" finisher.

Shane has a reputation for his death-defying stunts over his career -- and has always prided himself on staying in shape in case the moment arises to entertain WWE fans.

Three weeks after getting chokeslammed through a table by Damian Priest, Bad Bunny got his revenge on the WWE superstar ... cracking him over and over with a kendo stick live on Monday Night Raw!!!

The scene at Allstate Arena in Chicago was wild ... Bad Bunny showed up out of nowhere after Priest was DQ'ed from his fight with Rey Mysterio -- and then went into full-on attack mode.

The "Tití Me Preguntó" singer beat the hell out Priest with the wooden weapon -- hitting him right in the ribs and the back ... before he chased him out of the ring.

The attack, though, didn't stop there -- Bad Bunny got in a few more swings ... before Priest hightailed it out of the area.

Eventually, the rapper grabbed a microphone ... and challenged the wrestler to a street fight at WWE Backlash -- a Pay-Per-View event set to go down on May 6 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

"Damian, I don't know if you know," Bunny said, "but I'm not hosting Backlash anymore. Now, I'm going to Puerto Rico to kick your ass. May 6. Backlash. In mi casa, Puerto Rico. Damian Priest. Bad Bunny. In a street fight."

Seems Priest accepted ... and now the two will finally look to settle some beef that's been stewing ever since the WWE talent chokeslammed Bad Bunny through a table on Raw earlier this month.

Of course, things weren't always contentious between Bunny and Priest. In 2021, they actually teamed together at WrestleMania 37 to defeat The Miz and John Morrison, and Bunny had one of the highlights of the match when he hit the Canadian Destroyer on Morrison.

Haley and Hanna Cavinder's college basketball careers are over, but they could have a bright future in professional wrestling ... so says WWE Hall of Famer Booker T, who tells TMZ Sports the twins can succeed in the industry if they remain a dominant duo.

We spoke to Booker about the Internet sensations -- whose agent, Jeff Hoffman, confirmed earlier this week they would start training at the WWE Performance Center -- and the wrestling legend shared some words of encouragement for the sisters as they embark on their new journey.

"The best advice I can give to siblings is [to] learn this craft and stick together because it will be a ride," Booker said. "It's going to be a journey. This is a marathon. You got to be ready to run the long haul."

After Haley and Hanna -- who helped Miami reach the Elite 8 this past season -- announced they would not return to The U for a fifth season, speculation grew about the next endeavors the twins would pursue.

"We love the WWE," Haley said during their appearance on The Today Show last week. "The fan base, the sport, the fitness side of it ... they’re great, our partner, and we’re very excited in a future with them."

Of course, Booker T -- a five-time WCW champion -- knows what it feels like to break into the wrestling business with a sibling. The King of the Spinaroonie was one half of the legendary "Harlem Heat" tag team with his real-life brother, Stevie Ray.

In April 2013, Booker was inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame. Harlem Heat reunited for one final match in February 2015, where they won the ROW Tag Team Championship and were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame together as part of the 2019 class.

If the Cavinder twins ever make it to WWE's roster, they won't be the first set of trailblazing twins. Nikki and Brie Garcia -- formerly known as the Bella Twins -- and Jimmy and Jey Uso created a blueprint for how siblings can dominate in professional wrestling.

"These young ladies that are coming in," Booker said, "they are so athletic."

"So much more athletic than the crop when I came up. I see this business going in a really great direction."

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson continues to prove why he's "The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment" -- a 2022 Panini WWE Black Prizm card featuring The Brahma Bull sold for $126,000 at auction, the highest-selling WWE trading card of all time.

PWCC officials tell TMZ Sports they brokered the historic sale Thursday night ... and say the card's exclusivity -- it's the only one that exists -- is why it sold for so much.

"This is arguably the best WWE trading card in existence," said Jesse Craig, Vice President of Sales at PWCC. "Cards like this rarely surface for public sale since they are so scarce. And when scarcity outweighs public demand, you see record prices."

"This was the perfect combination to drive that demand," Craig added.

The card is considered a 1/1 masterpiece with a grade of Near Mint 7. It features a holofoil image of The Rock -- AKA "The Great One" -- slamming the Texas Rattlesnake, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, to the mat with what appears to be his signature "Rock Bottom" finisher.

Of course, The Rock and Stone Cold had one of the most storied rivalries in WWE history, culminating in a trilogy of matches that were instant classics at WrestleMania 15, 17, and 19.

When Rock and Austin weren't colliding in the squared circle on "The Grandest Stage of Them All," the two WWE Hall of Famers entertained the WWE Universe with their skills on the microphone, cutting some of the most legendary promos over their careers.

Both Rock and Austin have had successful careers post-WWE -- Dwayne is an A-list actor, and Steve Austin started a podcast and released his first beer (Broken Skull) -- but the magic the two created inside the ring shows why cards like these are in high demand.

WrestleMania 39 is over ... but Dolph Ziggler is already eyeing a spot on next year's card, telling TMZ Sports he's down to fight UFC star Conor McGregor on "The Grandest Stage of Them All" at WrestleMania.

We spoke to Dolph -- whose last WrestleMania match was in 2020 against Otis -- out in Beverly Hills recently ... and the former WWE Intercontinental Champion is already imagining what a feud with McGregor looks like on the heels of the WWE and UFC merger.

"Why not make it a best of 3?" Ziggler asked. "Octagon. Boxing match. Wrestling. Fighting. WWE. And then set it all up for the best out of seven at WrestleMania."

"That's just where the money is, but not everybody can go and back it up. But some of us can," said Ziggler, the 2012 men's Money in the Bank ladder match winner.

ICYMI -- McGregor posted a pic of him holding a WWE and UFC championship belt with the hashtag, "It's inevitable," one day before WWE sold to UFC's parent company, Endeavor.

After Vince McMahon announced he sold WWE and joined forces with UFC to create a new $21 billion sports company ... Ziggler wasted no time going after The Notorious.

"ABSOLUTELY AMAZING #WrestleMania PS: If I can drop 45 more pounds, I can drop anyone talking trash! seems even easier to get the deal done now, right @TheNotoriousMMA," Ziggler tweeted.

So, will we see Ziggler vs. McGregor at WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia next April?!?

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.