WWE

WWE Superstar The Miz says he's 100% down to play the legendary Johnny Cage in the next "Mortal Kombat" movie ... telling TMZ Sports he'd put his blood, sweat and tears into perfecting the role.

Of course, the beloved Cage was left out of the iconic video game franchise's reboot movie that dropped last month ... but SPOILER ALERT: the ending teased the hell out of him being in a possible sequel.

M.K. nerds have started a social media campaign to see the WWE Superstar play the sunglassed badass in a future flick... with Miz tweeting out for M.K. producers to call his agent.

But, the champ tells us he's not kidding about wanting the role ... telling us he'd love to give the fans what they want.

"Honestly ... if I have a shot at it, I would definitely want to make sure that I give everything that I possibly can to make sure that not only the production company, the director are happy with the character that I get, but also the fans because they are the ones that are so adamant about Johnny Cage being in the movie," The Miz told us at LAX this week.

"This is an iconic character in the 'Mortal Kombat' franchise and it needs to be done right. If I'm the person to do it, then so be it. I'm ready to go!"

We know what you're thinkin' -- Miz is more of a wrestler than a karate guy like J.C. ... but he says he'd do whatever it takes to execute each move like the real Cage would.

The role would be a full-circle moment for The Miz ... who says he spent countless hours playing M.K. while growing up.

"I remember playing this game when I was a kid. Sega Genesis, I would never play Super Nintendo because it didn't have the blood, but I always played the Sega Genesis version and I remember playing as Johnny Cage."

"And, to see this kinda all happen, it'd be like a dream come true."

Miz could have some competition, though -- it sounds like Ryan Reynolds is also trying to throw his hat in the ring.

Wrestling legends Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash (Diesel) were WWF Tag Team champs in the mid-'90s ... but initially got linked up together 'cause Nash's WCW character reminded the "Heartbreak Kid" of ... Andrew Dice Clay!!

Yes, Michaels was a HUGE fan of the "Diceman" ... and that's why he tells TMZ Sports that's what instantly attracted him to Nash's "Vinnie Vegas" character -- and ultimately gave birth to "Two Dudes with Attitudes."

"I had seen him on WCW as Vinnie Vegas. I can remember at that time coming off believing that Andrew Dice Clay was the funniest, and he sorta had an aspect of that in Vinnie Vegas," Michaels' says.

"Seeing it, and then, of course, quite some time later talking to Rick Steiner about it, and him mentioning [Kevin] and wanting to have a bodyguard for me."

Shawn was down, so Nash's "Diesel" character became his bodyguard. Together, they were 2x WWF Tag Team champions ... in addition to having a ton of success individually.

Michaels was a 2x Intercontinental champ ... while Diesel was Heavyweight champ and Intercontinental champ.

"There certainly were times we brought out the best in one another from an in the ring standpoint, and taking ourselves to a new level," Shawn says ... "Maybe less so personally. We were kinda troublemakers. But, to look back on it now, I'm very fond."

It's been decades since the men teamed up in the squared circle ... but the duo will be featured in an upcoming doc called "WWE Untold: Dudes With Attitudes" -- airing May 2 on Peacock.

Chicago Bears legend Steve McMichael -- who later became a pro wrestling star -- has been diagnosed with ALS and is already paralyzed from the shoulders down.

The 63-year-old -- who was a key part of the famous 1985 Bears championship team -- revealed the diagnosis to the Chicago Tribune ... admitting, "This ain't ever how I envisioned [my life] was going to end."

"Mongo" McMichael was a 5-time All-Pro during his 14-year NFL career and was named one of the 100 Greatest Chicago Bears of All Time.

He later became a star pro wrestler with a stint in the WWE in 1995 before moving over to WCW where he took on the likes of Bill Goldberg and Ric Flair.

Steve was diagnosed with ALS -- also known as Lou Gehrig's disease -- back in February ... and unfortunately, it's ravaging his body rather quickly.

ALS is an "always fatal" progressive neurodegenerative disease -- that essentially shuts down the body's ability to function. Average life expectancy is 2 to 5 years from diagnosis, according to ALS.org.

According to Steve's official GoFundMe page, Steve's wife Misty "feeds him and supports him with all hygiene needs."

Steve is losing function in his legs -- and the Chicago Bears actually bought him a special custom wheelchair to help him get around.

Despite his medical situation, McMichael is still cracking jokes about the diagnosis ... telling The Tribute, "I thought I was ready for anything. But man, this will sneak up on you like a cheap-shotting Green Bay Packer."

BADDEST BABY ON THE PLANET!!

UFC legend Ronda Rousey just announced she's 4 months pregnant -- and she's fired up!!!

Ronda and her husband, ex-UFC fighter Travis Browne, made the announcement in a video Wednesday morning ... saying, "Umm, how do I put this? Pow, 4 months pregnant!"

Ronda explained, "I've been pregnant since January -- so 4 months, baby bump! I can't hide it anymore so it's time to show it off."

Ronda and Travis have been talking about wanting to have children for the past few years -- she even took a hiatus from her gig with WWE back in 2019 to focus on starting a family.

Ronda said in the video there's "much more to the story" behind the pregnancy -- but didn't want to focus on those details just yet.

For the record, Ronda and Travis have NOT revealed the gender yet -- but insist they will break that news soon.

Due date -- September 22!

Ronda sent a message to her fans saying, "Thank you everybody for all the well wishes and all the positivity to get to this point."

"Baddest baby on the planet coming to you soon!"

Congrats!!!

Ronda is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time -- she was the UFC's inaugural women's bantamweight champion and defended the belt 6 times!

Before her MMA career, she was a decorated judo athlete -- who won the bronze medal for the U.S. at the 2008 Olympics.

Stone Cold Steve Austin can let out a big ole "Hell Yeah!" after parting ways with his stunning Marina del Rey home.

The WWE legend unloaded his 4-bedroom home for a cool $3,395,000 and the new homeowners are in for a treat. Stone Cold's place is 3,000 square feet of pure bliss ... it's decked out with a sparkling pool, hot tub and a sprawling yard ... perfect for some backyard wrestling.

Steve remodeled the place a few years back, sprucing up the kitchen with Viking appliances, Waterstone fixtures and countertops made from Ceasarstone and quartzite.

There's a double-sided fireplace in the living room, and the master bedroom comes with a powder room and a soaking tub.

Stone Cold's old stomping grounds are ready for the work-from-home life too ... the place has a spacious office accessed by big, barn doors.

Here's WWE superstar The Miz breaking character to heap some well-deserved praise on Bad Bunny -- admitting the music superstar's performance at WrestleMania was legitimately incredible.

Miz and Bad Bunny have been beefing for months as part of the storyline leading up to WM37 this past weekend -- and when they stepped in the ring to throw down, Bunny was spectacular.

He pulled off everything from a vertical suplex to a Canadian Destroyer (look it up!) ... and even frog splashed off the top rope! It was awesome!

Eventually, Bunny pinned Miz for the win -- but the former WWE champ says he ain't bitter -- it was a true honor just to share the ring with BB.

"Not only did he earn my respect, I think he earned the WWE Universe's respect. I think he earned backstage's respect. I think he earned everybody's respect in what some are calling 'The Best Celebrity Match at WrestleMania in History!'"

Miz says what he's most impressed by is Bunny's work ethic -- BB busted his ass for months at the WWE Performance Center to get ready for 'Mania ... and the hard work clearly paid off.

Sadly, Bunny's run with the WWE is probably over ... at least for now (he's got the whole music thing to get back to) -- but Miz isn't ruling out a future appearance.

"Ya never know when he'll come back! I think he had a great experience, I think everyone had a great experience with him."

WWE Superstar Bianca Belair was overcome with emotion after making history Saturday night as part of the first 'WrestleMania' main event to feature 2 black female superstars.

... and when we spoke with her moments after the match, Bianca didn't hold back -- thanking her role models like Gail Devers and Flo Jo for inspiring her to chase her dreams!!

This whole video is just awesome -- you can feel Bianca's authentic excitement as she begins to realize she's the new 'SmackDown' women's champion!!!

Bianca took on Sasha Banks at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Saturday night -- ultimately dethroning the champ in a match that's being hailed as one of the best moments of the entire 'WrestleMania 37' weekend.

"This is the most amazing feeling ever," Bianca told us moments after the match ... "It's just something that I can't put into words."

When we brought up the historical significance, Bianca told us she felt blessed and honored -- and credited WWE for making it happen.

"It's so important. I always say representation is not a request. Representation is a requirement and WWE is a perfect example of how people should follow by propelling women and representing women and treating women in sports and in the world."

"It's an amazing moment to stand in the ring with Sasha Banks -- it was the first time two African-American women have had a title match at 'WrestleMania' and [it was the] main event."

Belair continued, "It's more than just about us. It's about women and Black women and two alpha women -- and representing and being role models. My role models inspired me and they're the reason why I'm here today."

Belair shouted out track stars Gail Devers and Florence Griffith Joyner -- along with Team USA gymnastics legend Dominique Dawes.

"They completely changed the trajectory of my life and where my life went," Belair said.

"I'm just so grateful to be able to contribute ... and do the same for others like my role models did for me."

Bad Bunny proved he's more than just an international music superstar, he's got a spot as one of the best celebs to fight in the WWE too ... shocking fans at his WrestleMania debut.

Night one of the wrestling world's Super Bowl kicked off Saturday in Tampa, FL. Nasty weather delayed the event for about 30 minutes, which eventually kicked off in front of 25,000 fans at Raymond James Stadium.

Among the matches were a tag-team bout with Bad Bunny and Damian Priest facing off against The Miz -- who Bunny's been feuding with over the last couple weeks -- and John Morrison.

Bunny stunned the crowd, pulling off some impressive high-flying and acrobatic moves before eventually getting the win.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager has a warning to pro wrestlers who want a crack at the UFC legend -- be careful what you wish for!!

Now that Khabib has retired from MMA, the big question everyone is asking ... what’s he gonna do next?

A crossover into WWE seems like a natural fit -- and Khabib’s manager Ali Abdelaziz tells us Nurmagomedov will gladly smash anyone who has the stones to get in the ring.

"Let’s be real, [if] any of these soft steroid freaks wanted to go ahead and have a wrestling match with Khabib and they wanna get beat up for real, they know who they need to call," Ali tells us.

"He’ll go there and he’ll smash John Cena’s face. No problem."

Tons of MMA fighters have successfully transitioned into pro wrestling -- and they’re usually super successful at it. From Ronda Rousey to Ken Shamrock to Bobby Lashley and more.

As for now, Khabib has made the transition to coaching ... sharing his expertise with fighters like Luke Rockhold, who recently told us the champ is looking to follow in his father's footsteps as a legendary coach.

Ali explains why Khabib is such a natural in the switch to coaching ... saying, "He got no egos, he loves his friends, he loves his peers and he's there for them."

"You're gonna see a lot of new generation coming from his team. They're probably going to dominate the UFC or MMA in general."

Before these tiny tots made it big time in professional wrestling, they were just a bunch of kids focusing on growing up!

From playing dress-up and posing for school pictures to running around in the yard ... These kids had no clue what was ahead!

Little did they know back then that they would all be superstars ... And that some of them would be throwing it down at this year's WrestleMania 37.

Take a trip down memory lane and try to see if you can recognize any of these WWE cute kids!

Bad Bunny is ready to shut up all of his wrestling critics -- he's been busting his ass to get ready for WrestleMania ... and Drew McIntyre admits he's seriously impressed.

The WWE superstar says he's aware of some wrestlers in the company who aren't happy with Bad Bunny getting a prime match against The Miz during the biggest event of the year ... but those people need to get over it.

"Realistically, this is going to draw a lot of new eyes," McIntyre said on "TMZ Live" ... "He's not somebody that's just showing up for a paycheck. He doesn't have to. He's done pretty well in his chosen field of music, [he] won a Grammy."

Bad Bunny -- one of the biggest music stars in the world -- is a lifelong pro wrestling fan who's now in a major storyline with The Miz, which will come to a head this weekend at WrestleMania 37.

Some people have criticized Bunny's athletic ability. Others say he needs to work on his mic game.

But, Drew says he's been working out like a maniac at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando ... and insists Bunny will "shock a lot of people" when he steps in the ring.

"He's there week in, week out. I've been observing him from afar, he has a genuine passion for this. He's putting the work in, he's training almost every single day."

The other major storyline for WrestleMania 37 has to do with WWE allowing 25,000 fans to attend the event at Raymond James Stadium in person each night.

McIntyre says Vince McMahon and his team have spared no expense to keep the venue safe.

"It's gonna be a phenomenal event. For the fans watching at home, this is really cool not just in the sense that it's WrestleMania, it's such a spectacle."

WrestleMania 37 is kicking off this weekend and we're getting the competition started, and seeing which pro wrestler you're backing in each round!

We've put together a gallery of pics for you to scroll through and pick your favs! From Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair and Mike "The Miz" vs. Damian Priest, to Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro ... there's 37 matchups this weekend, and just as many votes to cast here!

In the first round here we've got Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley ... Click on the pic to vote who'd you rather, and scroll through the rest to see who else is going head-to-head!

If Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson does indeed run for U.S. President as he's hinted he might, he nearly has all the votes needed to win already ... at least based on a new poll.

The former WWE superstar turned Hollywood A-lister has the support of 46 percent of adult Americans if he were to make a Presidential run in 2024 ... according to a recent online poll of 30,138 potential voters between April 2 and April 4.

The same poll found 29 percent would support dual campaigns by The Rock for POTUS and Matthew McConaughey for Texas Governor ... something the actor's also suggested he's considering.

Other notable poll results include 30% support for Angelina Jolie for Prez, 27% for Oprah ... and a shockingly low 22% for Tom Hanks.

Overall though, nearly 2 out of 3 adults polled said they believe celebs make good politicians if they have a good team and possess "political aptitude."

As ridiculous as that may seem to some, it also makes sense. Ex-Prez Donald Trump still has major support in the Republican party, and several other past Hollywood stars went on to make big political splashes ... Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, Al Franken and Ronald Reagan, just to name a few.

As for the Rock ... he's been floating the idea of a White House run since 2016, and added fuel to the fire on 'Ellen' in 2017 and 'The Late Show' in 2018 by continuing to say he's seriously considering it.

The NBA hardwood looked more like the squared circle Tuesday ... 'cause Lakers star Dennis Schroder was taken down by a "WWE" move in a tiff with the Raptors -- and he was NOT happy about it.

The wild scene all went down in the first quarter of L.A.'s game against Toronto ... when Dennis fouled OG Anunoby HARD to prevent the guy from scoring points.

In Dennis' mind, the play was perfectly acceptable -- he said later in the night it was simply just a smart basketball move to stop a possible and-one play.

Anunoby, though, clearly disagreed ... because he was so pissed over the grab -- he straight-up flipped Schroder with a textbook wrestling move!!!

Dennis landed squarely on his back, and a brawl was nearly incited -- with Montrezl Harrell rushing into the play for a pushing and shoving match.

The refs ultimately separated everybody and ejected Anunoby and Harrell ... and Dennis was still HOT over it all after the game.

"I don't know what to say," Dennis told reporters. "He didn't get hurt. I mean, I just tried to foul him hard so he don't get an and-one. That's it. That was my intent."

"But what he did, it's just unnecessary. You got to go to the 'WWE' with that. That wasn't basketball. That's it."

"I think it's interesting for sure."

That's CM Punk weighing in on Chris Jericho's upcoming interview on WWE Network ... the first time Jericho will appear on a WWE platform since leaving the company in 2018.

"Honestly, my major reaction and opinion on it is I think that it shows Vince McMahon isn't afraid of AEW at all because if he was, he wouldn't allow that to happen."

Wow!

FYI, Jericho currently works for WWE rival All Elite Wrestling (he's a former AEW World Champion) -- and everyone is waiting to hear what he has to say about his former and current employer when he sits down with Stone Cold Steve Austin for his "Broken Skull Sessions" show, set to air on WWE Network (and NBC Peacock) on on April 11.

For the most part, WWE doesn't really play into feuds with rival wrestling promotions -- but Jericho was a staple in Vince McMahon's operation for nearly 20 years ... and a massive fan favorite.

So, how will things go down when Jericho gets in the hot seat? CM Punk has some thoughts ...

"It feels like it's gonna be softball questions. I don't know if they're going to ask Jericho all the tough questions -- and nor do I think that they possibly should."

He adds, "It will probably just be like a feel-good interview. They'll talk about Jericho's past at WWE, I'm sure they'll mention AEW but they won't get into the hard questions that I think a lot of people would be interested in."

Ultimately, Punk thinks the interview is a win for both sides.

"Anytime anybody's talking about you, it's good. There will be people who don't know AEW exists who will watch it and say 'Oh wow cool, I didn't know that, I just thought Jericho was retired.' But, there is also something to be said about keeping your guys special and the only place you can see the superstar is on my television show. It's new age and I think both companies need all the eyeballs they can get at the moment so kudos to everybody involved."

BONUS! We also spoke with Punk about a possible return to the MMA cage for a 3rd pro fight ... and while he acknowledges it's unlikely, he's not shutting the door completely.

"There's a lot more gray in this beard than there was even a year ago. I never say never but I'm 42, I'm getting a little long in the tooth especially for MMA."