WWE

"I love you, Sheik. I love you forever."

That's Sgt. Slaughter on the death of his rival turned stable partner, and most importantly close friend, The Iron Sheik ... who passed away at the age of 81 on Wednesday.

TMZ Sports talked to the WWE Hall of Famer about his friend's passing ... from Sheik's impact on the sport (and some of its biggest stars like Hulk Hogan) to how they met decades ago.

"I met [Sheik] when he was going through the training camp in Minnesota with Verne Gagne, along with Ric Flair," Slaughter explained, talking about his first interaction in the 1970s with the Iranian-born wrestler.

FYI, Gagne was a trainer and promoter who ran the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association (AWA).

Sgt. says he became fast friends with Sheik and the guys even worked together at his dad's roofing company.

The Iron Sheik was one of the greatest heels pro wrestling has ever seen and, although he was playing a character, fans take this seriously. We asked Slaughter if the hate ever got to Sheik.

"Never difficult [on Sheik]. It fueled the fire. It just fueled the fire," the HOF told us.

Slaughter also talked about Sheik's love for his family -- his wife and kids.

"He was a character. I was a character. But we both had families and we loved our families."

Tragically, Sheik lost one of his daughters in the early 2000s ... and despite missing his friend, Sgt. Slaughter, fighting back tears, says he's happy knowing he'll finally be reunited with his child.

"God bless him. He's finally gonna see his daughter that he lost. Love you Sheik. Love you forever."

Wrestling legend The Iron Sheik, a former heavyweight champ and WWE Hall of Famer, has died at the age of 81, reps for the wrestler announced.

"Today, we gather with heavy hearts to bid farewell to a true legend, a force of nature, and an iconic figure who left an incredible mark on the world of professional wrestling. It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of The Iron Sheik, but we also take solace in knowing that he departed this world peacefully, leaving behind a legacy that will endure for generations to come," a statement on his social media page read.

Sheik, real name Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, was born in Iran in 1942 and was known as one of the biggest heels to ever step foot in the squared circle. He was also a former champ, beating Bob Backlund in 1983 and securing the title.

The Iron Sheik was one of Hulk Hogan's first rivals ... and it was Hogan who ultimately defeated Sheik for the belt, giving rise to Hulkamania.

Sheik was also a WWF Tag Team champion, winning the strap with Nikolai Volkoff in 1985.

In 2005, Sheik was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Sgt. Slaughter, longtime rival and former partner.

World Wrestling Entertainment released a statement on his passing, saying "WWE is saddened to hear of the passing of WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik, and extends its condolences to his family, friends, and fans."

The Rock posted a heartfelt tribute to Sheik, recounting a story back when he was a rookie wrestler.

Booker T also weighed in, offering condolences, writing, "My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of @the_ironsheik. He is one of the very best to ever to do it. God speed."

Actor Ken Jeong also shared a personal interaction he had with Sheik ... saying, "Will never forget when @the_ironsheik checked in at the start of the pandemic. Rest in peace, and much love to his family."

In true Sheik fashion, the last tweet sent from his account, just hours before his passing, was "F*** THE WILDFIRES"

Sheik is survived by his wife of 47 years, Caryl, and his children.

R.I.P.

Haley and Hanna Cavinder seem to be one step closer to finding their next careers ... the former college hoopers made their first WWE appearances on Tuesday night -- and actually teased a future as a wrestling tag team too!!

The Cavinder twins -- who just retired from basketball in April -- didn't exactly mix it up in the squared circle at the WWE NXT event in Orlando ... but they were still front and center on the broadcast for a brief moment nonetheless.

Following Thea Hail's epic battle royal win -- one in which she outlasted 17 other women to score the huge victory -- Haley and Hanna raced into the ring to be a part of the celebration.

At one point during the post-match party, the two ex-Univ. of Miami ballers held up Hail ... cheesin' for cameras as the commentator noted their presence.

Before the event began, the two sisters got the red carpet treatment on a tour of the facility too ... with their last name being featured on video boards around the arena.

In sharing images from the tour, Haley actually hinted she and Hanna could partner in a WWE ring soon -- writing that the twins were "your new fav tag team."

Of course, the twins have been affiliated with the WWE for a while now ... they inked name, image and likeness deals with the org. back in 2021 -- though now that they're done hooping, there's speculation they could make real runs at being in-ring stars soon.

Israel Adesanya just earned the first submission win of his career ... 'cause the UFC star made Logan Paul tap out during a fierce training session!!

The Maverick has been working out with Izzy, the middleweight champion, and pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski in Puerto Rico this week ... where the two champs have been helping the YouTuber-turned-boxer work on his MMA skills.

By the looks of it, it's been a humbling experience for Logan ... but what do you expect when he's going up against two of the baddest dudes in combat sports?!?

In video of one of the workouts, Logan is on top of Izzy, fighting like hell as Adesanya methodically put him in a Triangle choke, forcing the WWE Superstar to tap.

Logan seemed pretty satisfied with the attempt, though ... saying, "I almost made it out!" with a big smile on his face.

It's been quite the crash course for Paul, who says Israel -- who's more known for his incredibly precise striking than ground game -- has been helping him learn how to kick as well.

Logan -- a decorated high school wrestler -- has expressed interest in MMA in the past ... and his brother, Jake, recently signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

Sammy Guevara just wrestled in the biggest match of his career, and the wrestling star says he was freakin' out before stepping inside the squared circle ... but it had virtually nothing to do with his big title fight.

Nope ... Sammy says he was scared to death to announce he and his wife, fellow AEW star Tay Melo, were expecting their first baby!!

If you missed it, Guevara and Melo made a grand entrance before his Double or Nothing championship match at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas last Sunday ... using cue cards to announce their first bundle of joy was on the way.

Sammy and Tay joined us on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) where Guevara revealed the couple wanted to announce the pregnancy to the fans in a creative way ... and came up with the idea of doing it before his historic match against Darby Allin, Jack Darby, and the champ, Maxwell Jacob Friedman in the main event.

"I was personally more excited for the entrance," Guevara said. "I feel like we were like opposite. She was more nervous for me for the match, and I was more nervous, excited for the entrance."

Guevara says he didn't know how fans would receive the news ... especially since the couple hasn't always been a crowd favorite, and admits he almost got caught up while in the ring thinking about the bombshell reveal.

"I had to snap out of it," Sammy said. "I almost started crying. It was just very surreal. Us four young guys, wrestling for the world title and then right before that, going out there and announcing we're having a baby."

"The crowd's coming back around on me," Sammy said. "We were not always the most loved people out there. For them to give us that big reaction. Everyone's happy, showing us the love. It was just like, overwhelming in a way where I was like, ok, we gotta get back into it."

Alexa Bliss and Ryan Cabrera just got the surprise of a lifetime recently -- the WWE Superstar and singer have a baby on the way!!

Bliss revealed the exciting news on Instagram early Tuesday morning ... admitting the pregnancy was not necessarily planned, but they couldn't be happier nonetheless.

As part of the reveal, Alexa posted a cute pic of her sonogram and a white onesie that fittingly reads, "Best Oops Ever!"

"The best moments in life are the completely unexpected 💖💙 Baby Cabrera arriving December 2023!!!" 31-year-old Bliss captioned the post.

Alexa also shared a pic kissing Ryan as they held wine glasses with a sign that read, "Do Not Refill Untill (sic) December."

The former two-time Smackdown Women's Champion married the 40-year-old "On the Way Down" singer in April 2022 ... and have been quite the power couple ever since.

Alexa's pregnancy announcement was received with overwhelming support ... with Liv Morgan, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus and Bianca Belair publicly congratulating her.

Hulk Hogan heaped a ton of praise on Roman Reigns ... saying the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, whose title reign rivals some of WWE's all-time greats, has not only revitalized professional wrestling but has reminded him of his glory days.

"He's kept the art form alive," Hogan told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1). "He has stepped up and got away from this choreographed looking, jumping, two guys doing the same thing and diving through the hoops."

Hogan credits Roman, who became the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion after defeating Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38 last year, for taking the profession "back to where it should be."

"Big man. Big moves. Main event moves," Hogan added.

Hogan -- who once held the WWE Championship for 1,474 days -- also shared a story of how he held Roman at one of his family's events when he was a toddler ... and praised Reigns for embodying the wrestling style that propelled him to superstardom in the 1980s and 90s.

Reigns, AKA "The Tribal Chief," has gone toe-to-toe with the best superstars on WWE's roster, including Lesnar, John Cena, Drew McIntyre, Braun Stroman, and Cody Rhodes, en route to becoming one of the longest-reigning champions in WWE history.

Hulk Hogan will never forget the impact pro wrestling legend Billy Graham had on his life, saying Graham's influence on his career is one of the main reasons he became one of the greatest icons in WWE history!

Hogan reflected on his relationship with Billy after the 79-year-old wrestling legend died last week, recalling how he would take his father to watch Billy's matches  ... and was captivated by BG's larger-than-life personality on the microphone and stellar physique.

"I want to be just like him," Hulk used to tell his dad, referring to Graham, as he watched in awe whenever "Superstar" would flex his biceps at events.

Hogan says he modeled his career after Graham, a former WWE Champion, and WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, aka "The American Dream."

"I stole a little bit from each of them," Hogan told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

Hogan said he and Billy became good friends over the years and shared a full circle moment  ... telling a story of how Graham came to watch him in the main event at Madison Square Garden after years of watching Billy headline shows.

"We just bonded and just got along great," Hogan said.

One of Hogan's career highlights was when he joined forces with Graham, a moment The Hulkster appreciates all these years later when he reflects on his wrestling legacy.

Tina Turner's death sent shockwaves throughout the sports world ... with several legendary athletes paying tribute to the iconic singer.

Magic Johnson shared a few words shortly after the news broke ... praising her as a performer and sharing a throwback picture together.

"Rest in peace to one of my favorite artists of all time, the legendary queen of rock n' roll Tina Turner," Johnson tweeted. "I’ve seen her many many times and hands down, she gave one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. She always gave you your moneys worth."

LeBron James and Lisa Leslie also mourned Turner's passing ... with Leslie calling her "a true icon." James added ... "Rest in Paradise Queen Tina!!!!"

Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith also paid homage to Turner ... sharing a snap of her with a pair of heart and prayer hands emojis.

WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair acknowledged Tina's legacy ... posting a picture of the legendary musician with the caption, "RIP."

Another WWE great, The Iron Sheik, shared his condolences, too ... writing, "Tina Turner I love you with all my heart. The song The Best is true for you. God bless you forever I love you."

No, Goldberg didn't get into a WWE hardcore match on Tuesday ... but he certainly looked like he did -- suffering a gnarly head wound while out on his farm in Texas.

A rep for the wrestling legend tells TMZ Sports ... Goldberg was getting work done on his property, when he accidentally knocked his noggin on his tractor -- opening up a big gash near his forehead.

In photos of the injury that the 56-year-old shared on his social media page ... you can see the cut was so bad, it poured blood everywhere.

Fortunately, Goldberg told us it was nothing serious ... explaining it was all "just a flesh wound."

In fact, in true Goldberg fashion, he said he's simply super gluing the thing shut!!!

Of course, bleeding profusely isn't anything new for the WWE Hall of Famer ... he's found himself leaking in the squared circle more often than not over the years.

Hulk Hogan has endured 28 surgeries over the last decade after years of wrestling injuries ravaged his body ... but the WWE Hall of Famer tells us thanks to his THC and CBD use, he feels better than he has in 45 years!

"I always joke about I didn't get the memo that this stuff was 'fake' and after the 10 back surgery and two knees and two hips, it's just a situation of you do get hurt out there all the time," Hogan told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

Hogan continued, flat out saying ... "I feel better than I've ever felt at 69 years old, I feel like I'm 25 again."

If you know anything about Hulk's physical ailments (Hogan's publicly talked about enduring horrific pain on a daily basis), it's truly an incredible comeback.

"It definitely helped me because as I said the slow walk back from the prescription drugs ended with me downing the Tylenol and the Advil and Aleve's and finally even that wasn't working for me," Hogan said.

"As I moved away from that and got into the CBD world, it really changed the game from my sleep to the inflammation, the way my wrists and my joints hurt, across the board, it helped me with my health."

In fact, Hulk is such a proponent of THC and CBD, he's actually launching his own brand with the company behind Mike Tyson's "Tyson 2.0" and Ric Flair's "Ric Flair Drip," Carma HoldCo.

"When I saw what Ric and Mike were doing, I instantly wanted to get on the team because you use CBD for energy, for sleep, for fitness -- it just made sense. It's a logical extension of where I already was but this is the safe way to approach things instead of that wild card way of doctor's prescription stuff. It just didn't make sense anymore."

Hulk's new partner, Chad Bronstein, Carma's President, also joined us to preview the new health and wellness brand ... which he says will feature not just CBD and THC products but also "functional mushrooms."

Mercedes Moné may have given us a preview of things to come when she fights this weekend ... 'cause the former WWE Superstar beat the s*** out of "Mojo" Muhtadi, making the TMZ Sports cohost tap out with her signature "Statement Maker" finisher.

Moné will fight Stephanie Vaquer, a Chilean professional wrestler, at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, CA, on Sunday, during New Japan Pro Wrestling's "Resurgence" ... in the first round of the Strong Women's Championship Tournament.

But, first, she sent a message to her challenger ... at the expense of Mojo!

Muhtadi went to give Mercedes, his good friend, a high five, but she turned it into the "Statement Maker" (aka the "Bank Statement" in the WWE), a maneuver she's used on countless opponents throughout her wrestling career, culminating in multiple championships.

Mercedes also broke down this weekend's tourney ... explaining a win over Stephanie would catapult her to the championship match against her translator from Japan, Momo Kohgo, or AEW wrestler Willow Nightingale, to crown the first-ever NJPW Strong Women's champ.

Following her split from WWE, Mercedes returned to the ring in February ... and was an instant hit in NJPW, where she defeated Kairi to win the IWGP Championship in her debut.

Unfortunately, Moné dropped the title to Mayu Iwatani at the Stardom All Star Grand Queendom event in Tokyo in April.

If the sports TV biz somehow doesn't work out for Pat McAfee ... he's got a HUGE future as a WWE wrestler -- at least, that's according to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who gushed over the former NFL punter's work in the squared circle earlier this week.

The Texas Rattlesnake couldn't have heaped more praise on the 36-year-old when talking to us about the ex-Indianapolis Colt ... saying the guy simply has a sky-high ceiling in the WWE if he would ever join the org. full-time.

Austin, of course, would know a thing or two about the topic ... not only is he a WWE legend himself -- but he got a firsthand look at the way McAfee worked in the ring at WrestleMania 38 last year, and he was blown away.

"Pat has a natural feel for the business," Stone Cold said. "Epic performer. Great on the stick. Athletically, that match he had with [Austin] Theory was awesome."

Austin also had big praise for the way McAfee took his "Stone Cold" Stunner during their wild, beer-filled meetup in the 'Mania 38 ring.

In fact, Stone Cold said it was one of the three most memorable Stunners he's ever performed.

"I think he's amazing," Austin said of McAfee. "He's very entertaining. And, as a human being, I like him a whole lot."

McAfee, though, appears to be all-in on his television career at the moment ... his "The Pat McAfee Show" has taken off -- gaining so much popularity, it was actually just acquired by ESPN.

AEW star Dustin Rhodes -- formerly known as Goldust in the WWE -- is celebrating 15 years of sobriety ... saying he's thankful he turned his life around and is in a much better place now.

"Today is a day that I am most proud of," Dustin tweeted. "Today is 15 yrs clean and sober from drugs and alcohol."

Understandably, Rhodes -- who previously opened up about his struggles with cocaine, pills and alcohol in his book, "Cross Rhodes: Goldust, Out of The Darkness" -- says the road to recovery was far from easy ... but the programs set in place allowed him to reach the incredible milestone.

"I thank God for this second chance and new lease on life," Rhodes added. "I choose not to turn around and take a walk with the devil. I am clean from him, 1 day at a time. #KeepSteppin #Perseverance #CleanIsCool."

Dustin -- son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes and older brother to current WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes -- received a ton of support for his courage and determination ... including a nice message from fellow wrestler Matt Hardy.

"A remarkable achievement, my friend," Matt tweeted. "You’re an inspiration for so many people that are waging this war on a daily basis. Happy for ya & super proud of your discipline."

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is sharing his fond memories of "Superstar" Billy Graham and the huge impact he had on professional wrestling ... after the WWE Hall of Famer passed away on Wednesday.

"I watched his career very intently," Austin told TMZ Sports this week. "He started becoming so entertaining with his promos that the crowd was starting to like him, which is what happened to me."

"He was great. He was all about the showmanship of it and the physique, and he was a different vibe and a helluva promo. He influenced a whole lot of people."

Billy died Wednesday with his wife, Valerie, and their daughter by his side ... after battling "very serious health issues" that left him hospitalized in the ICU for three weeks.

Despite now being gone, it's clear Graham will not be forgotten ... fellow Superstars like Ric Flair, X-Pac, and Bubba Ray Dudley have all expressed condolences after his death.

The WWE Universe is mourning the loss of "Superstar" Billy Graham ... who passed away on Wednesday, with tributes honoring the life and legacy of the late great WWE legend.

"Nature Boy" Ric Flair, whom Graham mentored, was among the first to give the Hall of Famer his flowers, thanking him for all he did for his career.

Graham also mentored Jesse Ventura, who too remembered his friend ... "There wouldn't be a Jesse 'The Body' Ventura without the in-ring success and trailblazing showmanship of Superstar Billy Graham."

"One of my proudest wrestling memories was having the honor of being inducted into the same WWE Hall of Fame class as Graham. Rest In Power Superstar."

Paul Heyman credited Billy with being the wrestler who made Vince McMahon realize WWWF/WWF/WWE performers were more than just professional wrestlers, but also superstars, too.

"A most heartfelt RIP to the man of the hour, the man with the power, too sweet to be sour!" Heyman tweeted.

Other WWE legends, including Iron Sheik, Bully Ray aka Bubba Ray Dudley, Sgt. Slaughter and X-Pac also reflected on the former bodybuilder's life.

As we reported on Wednesday, Billy's family told us he died after being taken off life support with his daughter and wife, Valerie, by his side.

Billy's health had been in steady decline -- he was suffering from congestive heart failure, diabetes, hearing loss, and a significant infection in his ears and skull.

Billy was inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame in 2004.

He was 79.