WWE

Add The Miz to the list of WWE Superstars battling in the Royal Rumble ... 'cause Mr. Money In The Bank tells TMZ Sports he's wrestling, and is ready to kick everyone's ass!!

The Royal Rumble is one of WWE's biggest events of the year ... and is set to go down January 31st at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL.

WWE has announced Daniel Bryan, Bobby Lashley, A.J. Styles, Randy Orton, and Otis will wrestle in the 30-man match.

But, when The Miz and Asuka Zoom-bombed the "TMZ Sports" TV show (totally catching us off-guard!!) ... The Miz threw his hat in the squared circle.

"I'm gonna give you some breaking news here on TMZ Sports. I, the Miz, the must-see Superstar of all-time, Mr. Money In The Bank, is entering the Royal Rumble this year!"

The 19x WWE champ continued ... "Now, what does that mean? That means I have to basically throw 29 other Superstars over the top row in order to win. Once you win that match, you get to main event WrestleMania. I've main event-ed WrestleMania before and I wanna do it again."

All the wrestling talk ... makes ya hungry.

Good thing Asuka's a spokesperson for Cup Noodles Stir Fry -- who along with The Miz -- introduced Nissin's new Hot Garlic Chicken and Teriyaki Chicken flavors.

Remember, the Raw Women's Champ is so passionate about the product ... she once dressed up like the packaging (see below).

It's a new take on takeout with soupless, microwaveable meals that only takes a few minutes to cook up ... and The Miz says that's ideal for 2 super busy professional wrestlers -- and everyone else who's crazy busy.

WWE Star Shad Gaspard's widow claims the Venice Beach lifeguards on duty the day her husband died left him to fend for himself ... and she wants L.A. and California to pay for her loss.

Siliana Gaspard filed a wrongful death suit ... alleging the lifeguards weren't up to snuff in protecting Shad from drowning, which she says happened on the government's watch.

In her docs, obtained by TMZ, Siliana claims there wasn't sufficient signage on Venice Beach the day Shad died to warn him of the dangers of strong currents with the potential to take him under.

Not only that, but she claims the lifeguard towers that day were significantly understaffed and the lifeguards negligently opted to only save their 10-year-old son ... and left Shad "in the water to die."

You'll recall ... Shad had apparently instructed lifeguards to focus on saving his son, but had gone under the surface when they returned for him.

He was missing for a few days before his body washed up onshore -- but he was, deservedly, hailed for his heroism and sacrifice to save his child.

It's interesting ... after the tragedy, Siliana praised the lifeguards and divers who attempted to save and locate Shad, saying ... "We’d like to once again thank the lifeguards, coastguard, divers, fire and police departments for their efforts."

Based on the lawsuit, it seems she's had a change of heart.

The wrestling ring looked more like the set of an action movie Sunday night ... with a WWE superstar being LIT ON FIRE to end a highly-anticipated main event!!

And, just like a movie, the whole thing was not real and scripted ... but it was still insane to watch!!!

Bray Wyatt's "The Fiend" character was squaring off with Randy Orton in a "Firefly Funhouse Inferno" match -- where, in order to win, a wrestler has to set the other on fire.

And, after several minutes of brawling ... Orton did just that to Wyatt!!

Randy took control of the match, pushed Wyatt into some flames, and then did his signature "RKO" finishing move on the superstar to "KO" him.

That's when Randy doused Wyatt in gasoline and dropped a match on him!!!

The visuals were INSANE -- Wyatt's body went up in flames ... and announcers played up the moment by begging Orton to stop!!

WWE legend Pat Patterson -- the man who created the "Royal Rumble" -- has died, the organization confirmed. He was 79.

"WWE extends its condolences to Patterson’s family and friends," the company said Wednesday in a statement.

Patterson -- who considered himself wrestling's "first gay superstar" -- was a key part of WWE for decades, widely known as Vince McMahon's right-hand man.

He began wrestling in the 1950s -- and finally joined up with WWE in the late '70s, where he famously engaged in a series of awesome matches with Sgt. Slaughter. Pat became the company's first Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion in 1979.

Patterson later became a color commentator for WWE -- and continued to work in the ring and in the booth until he retired in 1984.

At that point, Patterson joined McMahon as a WWE exec -- and in 1988, he pitched the idea for the Royal Rumble.

In his book -- "Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE" -- Patterson explained how the Rumble came to be.

"The first Royal Rumble was on January 24, 1988, in Hamilton, Ontario. The difference between WWE’s Royal Rumble and a traditional over-the-top rope battle royal is that the participants come into the match at two-minute intervals -- not all at the same time at the beginning of the match. I wanted to create something special."

Pat famously came out as gay during a 2014 episode of "WWE Legends House" ... opening up in front of guys like Roddy Piper and Jimmy Hart. It was a powerful moment.

Patterson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996.

RIP

The tributes are already pouring in ...

Vince McMahon -- "Pat Patterson was more than the first Intercontinental Champion & father of the Royal Rumble Match. He helped lay the foundation for WWE as we know it. His mentorship shaped careers, his creativity sparked innovation and his friendship lifted spirits. Love you, Pat. We miss you."

The Rock -- "Rough phone calls to get this morning to tell me, our dear family member, Pat Patterson who was my pro wrestling mentor and father figure has passed away."

"He was also responsible for calling Vince McMahon when I was training to become a pro wrestler (my $7 bucks days) and said, 'Vince you gotta see this kid work in the ring.'"

"Vince flew me to RAW a few weeks later and I had my first match EVER in Corpus Christie, Texas. The rest is history and years later, here I am writing this post."

Triple H -- "No words can describe what he gave to us. His body as an in-ring performer, his mind as a storyteller, and his spirit as a beloved member of our large WWE family. I will miss him for so many reasons ... it’s never goodbye, it’s see ya down the road. Love you, Pat. Abooze."

Shane McMahon -- "I can not express how crushed I feel right now with the loss of Pat Patterson. A true member of my family, mentor and dear friend. I love you Pat. God speed."

Jim Ross -- Just heard of the passing this morning if the great, Pat Patterson. True legend of the pro wrestling business.  A wonderful mentor who taught me so much. RIP old friend."

After 3 decades, it was the final bell for The Undertaker at WWE's Survivor Series on Sunday night -- and the final sendoff was killer.

Vince McMahon appeared in the center of the ring to announce The Dead Man one last time ... and he was clearly emotional about it.

“Tonight marks the end of an era," McMahon said ... "An end of an era of the most storied career in history, it'll never be duplicated."

He continued, "They say nothing lasts forever. I think they’re wrong -- because the legacy of The Undertaker will live on eternally!"

That's when the lights went dim and fire began to explode all over the arena -- a dramatic setting for Taker's final ring walk.

Once he got in the ring, Taker -- real name Mark Calaway -- only said a few words, but he made 'em count.

"My time has come to let The Undertaker Rest. In. Peace."

That's when a hologram of Taker's former manager, Paul Bearer, appeared.

Bearer -- real name Bill Moody -- passed away back in 2013.

It was a nice tribute to both Taker's career -- and a show of respect for Moody, who played a pivotal role in shaping Taker's character back in the day.

After the show, several WWE superstars paid respect to Taker on social media.

John Cena -- "After three decades of @undertaker committing wholeheartedly to the @WWE, tonight we bear witness to the end of an extraordinary body of work. For all the in ring moments and as a member of the @WWEUniverse, I say #ThankYouTaker!"

The Rock -- "30yrs ago today, he made his iconic #SurvivorSeries debut. Like EVERYONE - I was in awe as a rookie in the @WWE when his first words pierced my soul as he walked in the dressing room and said, “Muthaf**ka” True story! Honored to share the ring w you, my brother. #ThankYouTaker

WWE superstar, reality TV legend ... and now, wedding singer?!

The Miz tells TMZ Sports he's ready to add that last item to his resume ... saying he deserves the role at Alexa Bliss' and Ryan Cabrera's upcoming nuptials -- 'cause he helped set them up!!

The 40-year-old has been buds with Cabrera for nearly two decades -- and after he met Bliss through the WWE, he says he basically helped bring the two together.

Now, as somewhat of a reward, he says he's gunnin' to belt out some tunes at their impending reception!!

"Ryan played mine and [my wife] Maryse's wedding, like he played our first song -- our first dance," The Miz told us. "So, I think it's only right for me to return the favor."

And, if it ends up going down ... The Miz says don't expect him to be all that bad!!

The WWE star says all the lessons he learned putting out his "Hey Hey" diss track prior to WrestleMania this year should give him a leg up if it comes time to grab the mic at the wedding.

"To have me play your wedding, he did it for me, I should do it for him!" The Miz says. "It's just tit for tat."

As for the newly engaged couple, The Miz says he's straight-up thrilled they've found love with each other ... telling us, "They're happy. That's all that matters!"

Ex-WWE champ Alberto Del Rio is adamantly denying new allegations he routinely physically abused his ex-girlfriend, Paige ... insisting she was the aggressor during their tumultuous relationship.

Earlier this week, Paige had publicly accused Alberto -- real name Jose Rodriguez Chucuan -- of terrorizing her on a regular basis before they broke up in 2017.

During an interview on GAW TV, Paige described the cycle of abuse -- saying the incidents escalated from once every few weeks to daily attacks.

"It's like it's up to 6, 7 hours a day you're literally trapped in a certain room and getting your ass beat every couple of minutes, you know what I mean?"

Paige -- real name Saraya Bevis -- also noted Alberto is currently facing criminal charges in Texas for allegedly attacking a different ex-girlfriend back in May, something she chalks up to "karma."

"Karma's a real thing and you put out what you receive -- and right now, he's receiving it."

We contacted Alberto for comment -- and not only did he deny the allegations, Del Rio insisted he's the real victim.

"It was the other way around," Del Rio tells TMZ Sports ... "I have the evidence. Not just words."

Del Rio says he's considering taking legal action against Paige for defamation -- and issued this comment to her.

"I would say Raya, why? Why? Why are you doing this Raya? And, I'm not calling you Paige because you were never Paige to me, you were Raya."

"Why would you hurt me in a moment like this?"

Here's reason #1,000,001 why The Rock is tougher than you ...

Dwayne Johnson suffered a pretty gnarly gym injury Monday requiring stitches to close a wound on his face.

But, instead of cryin' about it -- he tasted his own blood and went right back to work!!!

The former WWE superstar said he suffered the wound throwing around some heavy weights -- and in a video, he revealed his eye was swollen and bloody.

But, in true tough guy fashion ... The Rock licked the blood off his face and said, "That's good. That's real good. Back to work."

!!!!!!

Johnson later explained he got nicked up tossing 50-pound chains ... and said the wound was so bad, he needed stitches.

Though the 48-year-old said he didn't go under the needle and thread until AFTER the workout was done ... 'cause, duh.

"We ain't playing tiddlywinks and we ain't reciting nursery rhymes," Dwayne said ... before later writing, "Taste your own blood, keep working out and stitch up later - rules of the house."

Who's ready for leg day now?!

Eric Andre was seriously injured -- and hospitalized -- after a wrestling stung gone wrong with John Cena ... and it's all on video.

The comedian revealed the whole story on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" ... saying he was shooting a bit for "The Eric Andre Show" which required Cena to hulk out and throw him through a shelf.

Kimmel watched the footage and asked Eric if the stunt hurt as badly as it looked.

"John Cena did the stunt right, but we prepped for the stunt wrong. And, that metal shelf came over and clocked me in the head," Andre said ... "And, I got concussed."

Andre says he went to the hospital immediately -- noting, "I had like a Fred Flintstone, like Bugs Bunny [welt] on the side of my head."

The good news ... Andre seems to be okay now and was joking about it with Kimmel.

"They did a CAT scan, and I haven’t been able to speak English since. I memorized this interview phonetically, actually."

Yeah, we know pro wrestling is fake ... but the stunts are VERY real and come with real risks.

Just ask WWE superstar Ridge Holland -- who underwent REAL surgery after suffering a gruesome injury on live TV earlier this month.

Listen up, Daniel Cormier -- The Miz is handing out some free advice about making the switch to WWE ... telling TMZ Sports the retired UFC champ better be ready to work his ass off!!!

Remember, the MMA legend is a HUGE pro wrestling fan ... and recently revealed he is in talks with Vince McMahon to possibly join the org. as a commentator.

We spoke to The Miz about the potential road ahead for DC ... and he ain't sugarcoating anything.

"It's very difficult," he tells us. "Not many people are able to do it. Not many people can be as successful as Ronda Rousey was, which she came in and really did a tremendous job just acclimating to our style of professional wrestling."

Of course, DC said his role with WWE would be on the mic ... but let's be real. This dude *has* to get in the ring at some point, right?!

Miz says it'll be "fantastic" if DC follows Ronda's success into WWE ... but makes it clear he wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't work out, saying, "some people just can't get it."

"Honestly, it's one of the hardest jobs I've ever seen in entertainment because it's life, it's in your face, it's athleticism, it's entertainment."

"You have to have all these different realms and bring them all into one."

As for WWE, there's clear interest on their side as well -- honcho Triple H has praised DC in the past ... and even told us, "we'd love to do something with him if the time is right."

John Cena is a MARRIED MAN -- tying the knot with his girlfriend Shay Shariatzadeh in Tampa, Florida ... official records show.

The couple began dating back in early 2019, following Cena's high profile split with ex-fiancee Nikki Bella in 2018.

Cena and Shariatzadeh got very serious very quickly -- and were spotted making out all over town for the past year!

Apparently, the two got engaged on the down-low -- and filed for a marriage certificate in Florida in early October.

And, according to official documents obtained by TMZ Sports, they swapped "I Dos" on Oct. 12 in a ceremony in Tampa.  News of the marriage was first reported by PWInsider.

BTW ... Shay was born in Iran but is a Canadian citizen. She works as a product manager for a tech company in Vancouver.

Cena is a pretty famous wrestler, actor, rapper and male g-string enthusiast (seriously!).

We reached out to Cena's camp for comment -- but you know, he's probably off doing newlywed things.

Mazel tov!

This is Cena's second wedding, he was previously married to Elizabeth Huberdeau from 2009 to 2012.

Cena dated Bella for roughly 6 years but they split because he didn't want children at the time and Nikki wanted to start a family.

She has since had a son with new boyfriend Artem Chigvintsev.

Horrible moment for rising WWE star Ridge Holland -- who appeared to suffer a very real, very painful injury during a match on live TV.

The 32-year-old ex-rugby player from England had just defeated Danny Burch during an "NXT" match — triggering a post-match brawl between Ridge and Burch’s pal, Oney Lorcan.

While Ridge was outside the ring, Lorcan launched a leaping attack — but Ridge’s left leg appeared to buckle while trying to catch Oney.

Ridge immediately collapsed and one of the refs working the match threw up an "X" arm gesture, typically the signal for a real injury.

The pro wrestler was loaded onto a stretcher and taken away -- but Ridge did give a thumbs up on the way out.

"It's hard to see something like this, it's a scary situation," announcer Vic Joseph said on-air.

Beth Phoenix added, "Terrible to watch the footage back. Always unfortunate when we have to see an injury here. Best of luck to Ridge Holland."

So far, no official word on Ridge's injury -- but WWE tweeted out after the match, "Wishing you a speedy recovery."

Ridge -- real name Luke Menzies -- began his pro wrestling career in 2016 and signed with WWE in 2018.

Ex-WWE star Ryback is threatening a legal war with Ezekiel Elliott ... claiming the Cowboys player has NO RIGHT to get a "Feed Me" trademark -- despite the RB's new tat.

"I'll tie him up for years," Ryback said this week. "He ain't using it. So he better get a good tattoo artist to go have him cover that sh*tty tattoo up on his stomach."

If you're unfamiliar, Ryback popularized the phrase "Feed Me More" during his time in the WWE -- and it became so big, crowds chanted it at arenas for YEARS.

Ryback claims he now owns the trademark for the phrase ... and when he heard Elliott applied for a similar "Feed Me" trademark this month, he was straight-up PISSED.

"This is exactly my phrase," Ryback said. "It's exactly. And it's the same meaning. And that will cause confusion."

Ryback says he believes Elliott -- a wrestling fanatic -- actually STOLE his whole "Feed Me" bit from watching him in the squared circle.

To be fair, this isn't anything new for Zeke ... he's been doing his "Feed Me" routine since he entered the NFL in 2016 -- and even got a massive tat on his belly to immortalize it this offseason.

Unclear how the trademark office will rule on the decision, but Ryback says he's more than willing to fight the legal battle against Elliott over the phrase.

In the meantime, he's slamming the NFL All-Pro for even attempting to make the move.

"I think it's low-life, scum sh*t, quite frankly," Ryback said ... "You're literally trying to latch onto somebody else's brand and then take it and make it your own."

WWE icon Joseph Laurinaitis, AKA Road Warrior Animal, died Tuesday night of natural causes ... TMZ Sports has confirmed. He was 60 years old.

Law enforcement tells us, the wrestling legend -- who was one half of the famous Road Warriors tag team -- passed away at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, MO.

We're told cops received a call at around 11:49 PM from Laurinaitis' wife ... but when deputies arrived on scene -- emergency personnel had already declared the ex-wrestler deceased.

Laurinaitis is considered one of the best in-ring performers of all-time -- he wrestled for most of his WWE career with Road Warrior Hawk and won multiple tag team championships as The Road Warriors/Legion of Doom.

He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.

"RIP Animal,love you my brother," Hulk Hogan said in a statement Wednesday morning. "I know you and Hawk have a lot of unfinished business to take care of! God speed and blessings to your beautiful family,one love4Life."

Laurinaitis' son, James Laurinaitis, was a superstar linebacker at Ohio State who was picked in the 2nd-round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Rams.

Joseph, meanwhile, was known for his face paint and spiked shoulder pads ... as well as his imposing frame -- he was 6-foot-2, 300-plus pounds.

As a team with Road Warrior Hawk (who died of a heart attack in 2003) ... Laurinaitis famously headlined several HUGE WWE events.

RIP

Daniel Cormier is figuring out life after his UFC fighting career ... revealing he's been in talks with WWE!!

The former heavyweight champ is famously a die-hard WWE fan who has been watching pro wrestling for decades ... so it seems a move to the squared circle would be a perfect fit with Cormier.

In fact, the UFC legend told Sports Illustrated the conversations have begun.

"We’ve been talking," Cormier told SI. "We’ve spoken to some of the people over there in very, very early conversations. WWE is a company I’ve watched and loved my entire life."

DC says his skills as a UFC commentator would transition perfectly with WWE.

"Put me at the commentary table," Cormier added. "Let me call the matches for six months and tell you how great these wrestlers are in the ring. I would love that, and I wouldn’t be faking it. WWE is something I’ve loved my entire life."

The feeling is mutual ... WWE honcho Triple H recently told us they're huge fans of Cormier "we'd love to do something with him if the time is right.

Triple H made a point to say that he would be respectful of DC's professional relationship with UFC and would work with Dana White to make sure everyone is on the same page.

"I DID NOT MURDER THAT MAN!!!"

That's pro wrestling legend Marty Jannetty outright denying he murdered a man when the was 13-years-old ... insisting he made up the tale as part of a "damn wrestling storyline."

Remember, 60-year-old Jannetty -- one half of the WWF tag team, The Rockers -- had initially claimed he used a brick to fend off an attempted rapist behind a bowling alley 47 years ago ... killing the man in the process.

Jannetty even went on the Boston Wrestling Sports Show and suggested he dumped the body in the Chattahoochee River sometime around 1973.

In fact, the Columbus Police Dept. in Georgia even opened a probe into the apparent killing.

But now, Jannetty says the whole story was just a goof -- a made-up plot for pro wrestling -- and he spelled it out Tuesday in a new Facebook post.

"It was just the beginning of a damn wrestling storyline ... but OH MY GOD, OMG. Didn't the WORLD buy it??!!"

"It got so hot I had to drop it ... when my Columbus, Ga. Police Department got involved, I knew I had to drop it."

Jannetty says once cops got involved, he was "red-flagged"
by TSA -- and was recently pulled out of line at an airport in Atlanta while traveling to Boston.

"I wanted to call the good people at the Columbus Police Department and tell them, 'nah nah, don't waste tax payers money nor your valuable time..it was just a wrestling storyline.'"

Jannetty says looking back, he should have looped in the police about the murder story line before going public ... "but that ain't how I do it."

As for the story line ... Jannetty says it was all supposed to culminate in a wresting match with a former corrections officer -- "If he wins, he takes me in, in peace. If I win, he leave me alone, in peace ... but sadly now, we'll not get to do that storyline."