WWE

Cody Rhodes was showered with love during "Raw" on Monday ... with fans shouting their support after the WWE Superstar seemingly got shafted out of a major storyline at the hands of The Rock.

The American Nightmare returned to the squared circle for the first time since Friday's controversial SmackDown stare-off between Dwayne Johnson and Roman Reigns ... and the folks in attendance in St. Louis made it known they are on his side.

A bunch of spectators chanted "We want Cody" and "Rocky sucks" during the event ... and after the TV broadcast came to a close, Rhodes addressed his diehard backers.

"For you to want me is special, because I have always wanted you," Cody said on the mic.

"I love you guys so much. I'm sorry I'm an emotional mess."

Rhodes also went to X to acknowledge the outpour of support ... and possibly hinted things may not be as they seem.

"Appreciate the passion, God bless y'all …but Trust me," Rhodes said.

As we previously reported, fans believe Rock jumped the line and will go up against Roman at WrestleMania ... an opportunity Cody earned after winning the Royal Rumble last month.

In fact, San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle -- a massive WWE fan -- addressed the whole ordeal during his Super Bowl presser ... sharing his favorite theories on what might actually happen with Cody's storyline.

La hija de The Rock -la superestrella de NXT Ava- dice que su bandeja de entrada ha sido inundada de hate por la nueva polémica de la WWE que involucra a su famoso padre, alegando que ha estado recibiendo amenazas de muerte.

Los fans de la lucha libre se han levantado en armas tras la aparición de Dwayne Johnson en SmackDown la semana pasada, con muchos criticando el movimiento, ya que aparentemente tiene que ver con Cody Rhodes y Roman Reigns.

Ava es aparentemente intentó calmar las cosa cuando entró a las redes sociales para hacerle frente a la reacción violenta el lunes.

"Ava -Gerente General de NXT- dijo en X: "¿Amenazas de muerte por una situación en la que no tengo nada que ver?... bffr".

Nada está escrito en piedra cuando se trata de The Rock y Roman, pero hay rumores de que los dos podrían enfrentarse en WrestleMania en abril, lo que cabrearía a muchos fans, ya que Cody se ganó ese derecho después de ganar el Royal Rumble el mes pasado.

The Rock's daughter -- NXT Superstar Ava -- says her inbox has been flooded with hate over WWE's new storyline involving her famous pops ... claiming she's been on the receiving end of death threats over the whole ordeal.

Wrestling fans have been up in arms following Dwayne Johnson's appearance on SmackDown last week ... with many criticizing the move as it seemingly derailed what was brewing between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns.

Ava is seemingly catching strays in the process ... 'cause she went to social media to address the backlash on Monday.

"can ya'll just leave me out of this ffs i'm busy running a SHOW," Ava -- NXT's General Manager -- said on X ... adding, "death threats over a situation i have nothing to do with … bffr."

Nothing is set in stone when it comes to Rock and RR, but there are rumblings the two could face off at WrestleMania in April ... which would piss a lot of fans off, as Cody earned that right after winning the Royal Rumble last month.

The Rock may be cooking in the WWE once again ... but some fans aren't super happy about it -- 'cause it seems his return has knocked a major storyline off track.

Here's the deal ... last night, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson got into an intense staredown with current Undisputed WWE Universal champ Roman Reigns at the end of ESPN's WWE SmackDown -- an insane moment seemingly setting up a match between the two wrestlers.

Indeed, rumors have been floating around today that they will fight in the next couple of months -- maybe at WrestleMania in early April -- and the online response ... is a bit lukewarm if we're being totally honest.

Sure, there are diehard Rock supporters who want to see their champ-turned-actor wipe the floor with Reigns ... but a lot of people are pointing to recent Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes and asking why it seems his story's now taking a backseat to The Rock's.

See, right before The Rock came out for his staredown ... CR talked about taking RR's title from him -- a right to challenge Cody earned by winning The Royal Rumble just last week -- and then seemingly stepped aside as he introduced The Rock to the crowd as if to indicate DJ's getting the chance instead of him.

That's all kinda shocking for fans ... 'cause Rhodes has been on the road to Roman for a while now while The Rock only recently hopped back into the ring.

As we previously reported ... Dwayne called out Roman Reigns back in early January during a surprise appearance on RAW during which he asked if he should be sitting at the "head of the table."

So it seems clear The Rock wants the title ... and that's where people are starting to voice their frustration -- because it sounds like the WWE's not really interested in furthering Cody Rhodes' journey anymore. Basically, they've backed a different dawg in the ring, and -- based on the X trend -- fans just aren't totally on board.

The major question here ... is it fair for fans to voice their frustration with The Rock at all? After all, the guy's not writing his own storylines as far as we know, and he's a legend in the sport, so it makes sense the WWE wants to use him.

But, Johnson recently joined the TKO Group board -- the governing body of the WWE and UFC -- and he now holds "The Rock" trademark ... so you could say he's got a lot more agency than your average WWE superstar.

Plus, Johnson's got a bit of a rep as someone who gets what they want in Hollywood. When he was working on "Black Adam," for example, he said he worked his magic to make a standalone film instead of first appearing in "Shazam!" ... a departure from the OG plan.

La Roca puede estar haciendo de las suyas en la WWE una vez más, pero algunos fans no están muy contentos con él porque parece que su regreso ha hecho desaparecer una historia cuyo desenlace que muchos ansiaban ver.

Esta es la cuestión, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson se metió en un intenso cara a cara con el actual campeón indiscutido de la WWE Roman Reigns al final de WWE SmackDown, un momento increíble que aparentemente presagia un combate entre los dos luchadores.

De hecho, los rumores han estado flotando de que ambos podrían pelear en los próximos meses, tal vez en WrestleMania a principios de abril, y la respuesta en línea está siendo un poco tibia si somos completamente honestos.

Por supuesto, hay partidarios acérrimos de La Roca que quieren ver a su campeón convertido barriendo el piso con Reigns, pero mucha gente está señalando al reciente ganador del Royal Rumble Cody Rhodes y preguntándose por qué su historia ha quedado relegada a un segundo plano detrás de La Roca.

Miren esto, justo antes de que La Roca saliera para su cara a cara, Cody Rhodes habló de quitarle el título a Roman Reigns, un derecho que Cody se había ganado la semana pasada tras ganar el Royal Rumble, y luego aparentemente se hizo a un lado mientras presentaba a La Roca frente a la multitud como para decir que Dwayne Johnson iba a recibir la oportunidad en lugar de él.

Todo esto es un poco chocante para los fans porque Rhodes ha estado preparándose para desafiar a Roman desde hace un tiempo, mientras que La Roca saltó solo recientemente de nuevo en el ring.

Como informamos anteriormente, Dwayne desafío a Roman Reigns a principios de enero durante una aparición sorpresa en RAW, donde le preguntó si él debería estar sentado "at the head of the table".

Así que parece claro que La Roca quiere el título, y ahí es donde la gente está empezando a expresar su frustración porque pareciera que la WWE ya no está realmente interesada en promover el viaje de Cody Rhodes. Básicamente, han apoyado a un luchador diferente en el ring, y si miramos lo que está pasando en X, los aficionados simplemente no están totalmente a bordo.

La gran pregunta aquí, ¿es justo que los fans expresen su frustración con La Roca? Después de todo, el tipo no está escribiendo sus propias historias por lo que sabemos, y es una leyenda en el deporte, así que tiene sentido que la WWE quiera usarlo.

Pero, Johnson se unió recientemente al directorio de TKO Grupo -el órgano que gobierna la WWE y UFC- y ahora tiene "The Rock" como una marca registrada, por lo que se podría decir que tiene mucho más agencia que una superestrella promedio de la WWE.

Además, Johnson tiene fama de conseguir lo que quiere en Hollywood. Cuando estaba trabajando en "Black Adam", por ejemplo, dijo que utilizó su magia para hacer una película independiente en lugar de aparecer por primera vez en "Shazam!", una desviación del plan OG.

Vince McMahon is out at WWE.

The wrestling legend tendered his resignation as the Executive Chairman of TKO, the company that owns WWE ... just a day after an explosive lawsuit was filed by a former WWE staffer, alleging McMahon sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions.

78-year-old McMahon released a statement reiterating his innocence with respect to the disturbing allegations but would step down because it's the best move for the wrestling promotion he built decades ago.

"Out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees and Superstars who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately."

McMahon was not running the day-to-day operations for WWE ... but still had a prominent role within TKO. TKO Group Holdings has owned WWE since its purchase in 2023.

Curent WWE president Nick Khan announced the news to his employees late Friday, sending an email to the staffers.

"[Vince McMahon] has tendered his resignation from his positions as TKO Executive Chairman and on the TKO Board of Directors. He will no longer have a role with TKO Group Holdings or WWE," Khan wrote.

The massive shakeup comes after a federal lawsuit was filed in Connecticut on Thursday by Janel Grant ... where she claimed she was subjected to degrading sexual acts at the hands of Vince.

Amid the allegations, Grant accused McMahon of defecating on her during a threesome in 2020.

She says the situation left her "miserable and enraged," though she didn't leave because "in her years of experience with McMahon, she knew her requests to stop would be ignored at best or used to destroy her career and reputation at worst."

Ultimately, Grant claimed McMahon distanced himself from her in early 2022 after his wife Linda McMahon became aware of their alleged relationship.

Some time after, McMahon, according to Grant, agreed to pay her $3 million in exchange for signing a non-disclosure agreement, but she says he failed to pay the full amount.

McMahon has claimed the allegations contained in the lawsuit are meritless, calling the suit "replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth."

Former WWE executive John Laurinaitis was also named in the lawsuit.

Vince McMahon está fuera de la WWE.

La leyenda de la lucha libre presentó su dimisión como Presidente Ejecutivo de TKO, la empresa propietaria de la WWE, justo un día después de que un ex empleado de la organización presentara una explosiva demanda alegando que McMahon la agredió sexualmente en numerosas ocasiones.

McMahon, de 78 años, emitió un comunicado reiterando su inocencia respecto a las inquietantes acusaciones, pero decidió renunciar porque considera que es la mejor decisión para promover la lucha libre que construyó hace décadas.

"Por respeto al Universo de la WWE, al extraordinario negocio de TKO y a sus miembros del consejo y accionistas, socios y electores, y a todos los empleados y superestrellas que ayudaron a convertir a la WWE en el líder mundial que es hoy, he decidido renunciar a mi presidencia ejecutiva y al consejo de administración de TKO, con efecto inmediato."

McMahon no dirigía las operaciones diarias de la WWE, pero seguía teniendo un papel destacado dentro de TKO. TKO Group Holdings ha sido propietaria de la WWE desde su compra en 2023.

El actual presidente de WWE, Nick Khan, anunció la noticia a sus empleados a última hora del viernes, a través de un correo electrónico.

"[Vince McMahon] ha presentado su dimisión de sus cargos como presidente ejecutivo de TKO y en el Consejo de Administración de TKO. Ya no tendrá ningún papel en TKO Group Holdings ni en WWE", escribió Khan.

La masiva reorganización se produce después de que Janel Grant presentara el jueves una demanda federal en Connecticut en la que afirmaba haber sido sometida a actos sexuales degradantes a manos de Vince.

En medio de las acusaciones, Grant acusó a McMahon de defecar sobre ella durante un trío en 2020.

Ella dice que la situación la dejó "miserable y enfurecida", pero no se fue porque "en sus años de experiencia con McMahon, sabía que sus peticiones de parar serían ignoradas en el mejor de los casos o usadas para destruir su carrera y reputación en el peor".

Finalmente, Grant afirmó que McMahon se distanció de ella a principios de 2022 después de que su esposa Linda McMahon se enterara de su supuesta relación.

Algún tiempo después, McMahon, según Grant, acordó pagarle 3 millones de dólares a cambio de firmar un acuerdo de no divulgación. Sin embargo, ella dice que él no pagó la cantidad total.

McMahon ha afirmado que las acusaciones contenidas en la demanda carecen de fundamento y la ha calificado como "repleta de mentiras, obscenos casos inventados que nunca ocurrieron y una distorsión vengativa de la verdad".

El ex ejecutivo de la WWE John Laurinaitis también fue nombrado en la demanda.

Una ex empleada de la WWE está demandando a Vince McMahon, alegando que en repetidas ocasiones la asaltó sexualmente, la traficó sexualmente y luego le pagó para que guardara silencio.

Las inquietantes acusaciones fueron hechas por Janel Grant en una demanda presentada el jueves en un tribunal federal de Connecticut.

En la demanda, Grant dice que conoció a McMahon en 2019 en un momento en que estaba tocando fondo. Ella dice que sus padres acababan de morir y ella estaba luchando por encontrar trabajo.

Sin embargo, dice que después de ser presentada a McMahon a través de un amigo en común, él prometió conseguirle un trabajo en la WWE.

Según la demanda, mientras McMahon le estaba encontrando trabajo en su empresa, poco a poco comenzó a utilizar sus "promesas" para obligarla a actos sexuales.

Grant dice que justo después de que le dijeran que tenía un trabajo de "administradora-coordinadora legal" con un salario de 75.000 dólares dentro de la organización de lucha libre de McMahon, él la "atrapó". Ella alega que "temía una carrera adversa y consecuencias personales y represalias legales si declinaba sus avances sexuales" y comenzó a participar en lo que ella llamó actividad sexual no consentida con él.

Grant dijo en la demanda que el trabajo que le habían dado requería poco trabajo. De hecho, según la demanda, se le asignó un papel adicional en la XFL de McMahon para ayudar a llenar su tiempo.

Grant, sin embargo, afirma en su demandado —McMahon— de repente dejó de referirse a ella como una amiga y "en gran medida dejó de hablar con ella, limitándose al sexting y hablar de fantasías." Ella alega que la obligó a enviarle fotos explícitas, algunas de las cuales ella dice que él compartiría con otros miembros de la WWE. Poco tiempo después, ella dice que él reclutó a otros hombres y comenzó a traficarla sexualmente.

También dice que en mayo de 2020, McMahon organizó un trío con ella y su fisioterapeuta, diciéndole que "perdería una amistad si no seguía adelante". Ella afirma en la demanda que durante el encuentro, él defecó en su cabeza, pero la obligó a continuar realizando actos sexuales con los dos mientras estaba cubierta de heces. Alega que los días siguientes, él le envió un mensaje de texto: "Soy tu único dueño y controlo a quién quiero follarme".

Varios meses después, afirma que McMahon reclutó a John Laurinaitis —una ex superestrella de la WWE que era en ese momento un ejecutivo de alto rango en la empresa— "para unirse a ellos".

Grant afirma que McMahon la presionó para que le enviara fotos explícitas a Laurinaitis. En diciembre de 2020, ella dice que McMahon arregló para que ella también tuviera un trío con Laurinaitis.

Ella dice que los meses posteriores fue trasladada al departamento de relaciones de talentos de la WWE, donde le informaron a Laurinaitis. Una vez que se produjo ese traslado, declaró en su demanda que tanto McMahon como Laurinaitis esperaban "que se comprometiera sexualmente con Laurinaitis, tanto físicamente como con contenido explícito".

En su demanda, Grant afirma que le ordenaron "servirse a sí misma como desayuno para Laurinaitis", en un hotel cercano antes del comienzo de su jornada laboral. Ella también afirma que McMahon le envió mensajes de texto, "Los días en que él esté en la ciudad, quiero que te lo folles cada mañana y más tarde en su oficina también".

Ella dice que los acuerdos la dejaron "miserable y enfurecida", pero "en sus años de experiencia con McMahon, sabía que sus peticiones de parar serían ignoradas en el mejor de los casos o utilizadas para destruir su carrera y reputación en el peor."

Grant declaró en su demanda que en junio de 2021, McMahon y Laurinaitis la violaron en la oficina de Laurinaitis. Ella dice que al comienzo del encuentro, les dijo "No, no, no" y "Por favor, detente", pero afirma que McMahon le dijo: "Tómalo, perra".

Grant dice que una semana más tarde, McMahon la forzó de nuevo sobre una mesa de masaje en la sede de la WWE ... antes de darle 15.000 dólares en tarjetas de regalo de Bloomingdales.

Grant también alegó en su demanda que McMahon la utilizó para ayudarle a fichar a una superestrella de la WWE. La demanda describe el talento como "un atleta de fama mundial y ex campeón de peso pesado de la UFC". El Wall Street Journal informó el jueves que se trataba de Brock Lesnar.

En la demanda, Grant afirma que McMahon le ordenó crear "contenido sexual personalizado" para la superestrella de la WWE. También afirma que él anunció "un encuentro sexual con ella" al luchador mientras intentaba negociar un nuevo contrato.

En última instancia, Grant afirma en su demanda que McMahon se distanció de ella en enero de 2022, alegando que su esposa, Linda McMahon, se había enterado de su relación. Grant dice que todo llevó a McMahon a pedirle que firmara un acuerdo de no divulgación.

En la demanda, Grant dice que aceptó que le pagaran $3 millones para firmar el NDA, pero afirma que después de recibir $1 millón, McMahon no hizo más pagos.

Grant dice que ha quedado traumatizada por todo el calvario y ahora está buscando daños y perjuicios no especificados, así como para que un juez invalide su NDA.

2:22 PM PT -- TKO released a statement on the matter ... saying, "Mr. McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE."

"While this matter predates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the company, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally."

A former WWE employee is suing Vince McMahon ... claiming he repeatedly sexually assaulted her, sex trafficked her -- and then paid her off to stay quiet about it all.

The disturbing allegations were made by Janel Grant in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in a federal court in Connecticut.

In the suit, Grant says she met McMahon back in 2019 ... at a time when she was at rock bottom. She says her parents had just died ... and she was struggling to find work.

However, she says after being introduced to McMahon through a mutual friend, he promised to get her a gig in the WWE.

But, according to the suit, as McMahon was finding her an entry-level role in his company ... he slowly began to use his "life-changing promises" to coerce her into sexual acts.

Grant says just after she was told she had a "legal administrator-coordinator" job with a salary of $75,000 inside McMahon's wrestling org. ... he "trapped her in an impossible situation." She alleges she "feared adverse career and personal consequences and legal retaliation if she declined his advances" -- and began to engage in what she called nonconsensual sexual activity with him.

Grant said in the suit the job she had been given required little work. In fact, according to the lawsuit, she was assigned an additional role in McMahon's XFL to help fill her time.

Grant, though, claims in her suit McMahon suddenly stopped referring to her as a friend ... and "largely stopped talking to [her] outside of sexting and fantasy talk." She alleges he forced her to send him explicit pictures, some of which she says he would share with others in the WWE. A short time later, she says he recruited other men and began sex trafficking her.

She says in May 2020, McMahon organized a threesome with her and her physical therapist ... telling her "he would lose a friendship if she did not go through with it." She claims in the suit that during the encounter, he defecated on her head but made her continue to perform sex acts with the two while she was covered in feces. She alleges in the days following, he texted her "i'm the only one who owns U and controls who I want to f*** U."

Several months later, the suit states, McMahon recruited John Laurinaitis -- a former WWE superstar who was at the time a high-ranking exec in the company -- "to join them."

Grant claims McMahon pressed her to send explicit pictures to Laurinaitis. In December 2020, she says McMahon arranged for her to have a threesome with Laurinaitis as well.

She says in the months afterward, she was moved to the WWE's talent relations department, where she reported to Laurinaitis. Once that move happened, she stated in her suit that there was an expectation from both McMahon and Laurinaitis "that she engage with Laurinaitis sexually, both physically and with explicit content."

In her suit, Grant says she was directed to "serve herself to [Laurinaitis] as 'breakfast'" at a nearby hotel before the start of their work day. She also claims McMahon texted her, "On days when he's in town, I want him to f*** U every morning and later In the office too."

She says the arrangements left her "miserable and enraged," but "in her years of experience with McMahon, she knew her requests to stop would be ignored at best or used to destroy her career and reputation at worst."

Grant stated in her suit that in June 2021, McMahon and Laurinaitis raped her in Laurinaitis' office. She says at the outset of the encounter, she told them "No, no, no" and "Please stop," but claims McMahon told her, "Take it, bitch."

Grant says a week later, McMahon forced himself on her again over a massage table at WWE's headquarters ... before giving her $15,000 in Bloomingdale's gift cards.

Grant also alleged in her suit that McMahon used her to help him sign a WWE Superstar. The suit describes the talent as "a world-famous athlete and former UFC Heavyweight Champion." The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday this was Brock Lesnar.

In the suit, Grant claims McMahon ordered her to create "personalized sexual content" for the WWE Superstar. She also says he advertised "a sexual encounter with her" to the wrestler while trying to negotiate a new booking contract.

Ultimately, Grant claims in her suit McMahon distanced himself from her in January 2022 ... claiming his wife, Linda McMahon, had found out about their relationship. Grant says it all led to McMahon's request that she sign a non-disclosure agreement.

In the lawsuit, Grant says she agreed to be paid $3 million to sign the NDA ... but she claims that after receiving $1 million, McMahon didn't make further payments.

Grant says she's been traumatized from the whole ordeal and is now seeking unspecified damages ... as well as for a judge to invalidate her NDA.

TMZ Sports talked to WWE Hall of Famer, Eric Bischoff, about the implications of the $5 billion Netflix/WWE deal ... and how it could change professional wrestling moving forward.

Bischoff, of course, was an executive at WCW, effectively taking on Vince McMahon in the 90s during the Monday Night Wars.

Bischoff ultimately joined WWE ... where he worked for decades in numerous positions.

WWE fans are going to get real familiar with Netflix and chill on Monday nights soon ... 'cause the wrestling org. just struck a massive deal with the streaming giant to bring "RAW" to the platform in 2025.

The two companies reached a 10-year, $5 BILLION agreement Tuesday to make it all happen ... and both sides said in statements they're thrilled.

"This deal is transformative," TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro said. "It marries the can’t-miss WWE product with Netflix’s extraordinary global reach and locks in significant and predictable economics for many years."

Added Netflix honcho Bela Bajaria, "By combining our reach, recommendations, and fandom with WWE, we’ll be able to deliver more joy and value for their audiences and our members."

"RAW" -- which currently airs on USA Network -- hasn't strayed from cable TV since its inception back in 1993 ... and, according to the WWE, it's been a massive success there, bringing in more than 17 million unique viewers throughout a given year.

But, clearly, both sides think the move to streaming will grow it even further ... with WWE president Nick Khan calling Netflix "the ideal long-term home for Raw’s live, loyal, and ever-growing fan base."

Definitivamente, podemos asegurar que La Roca estaba tramando algo, pues ahora está en la nueva junta de la WWE y tiene los derechos exclusivos de su nombre artístico.

Dwayne Johnson fue anunciado como el nuevo miembro de la junta directiva de TKO, que ahora posee la WWE y la UFC. Como uno de los directivos de la organización, no solo obtendrá algún poder ejecutivo en la toma de decisiones, sino otros beneficios también.

Para empezar, él está recibiendo algunas opciones sobre acciones, que están valoradas en $30 millones, y que se devengan con el tiempo. Y lo que es más importante, se le concederá la marca registrada "The Rock", que ha utilizado durante toda su carrera, desde que estaba en el ring.

Como parte de este nuevo movimiento, Dwayne podrá capitalizar su apodo, en concreto, en lo que respecta a merchandising y regalías de la WWE con el uso de 'The Rock'.

THR informa que parte del acuerdo entre Dwayne y TKO con respecto a los derechos de 'The Rock' implican que TKO obtendrá un acuerdo de licencia exclusiva durante 10 años para utilizar la marca para ciertos productos, y durante ese tiempo, Dwayne no puede licenciarlo a otras empresas que sean competencia de ellos. En otras palabras, recibe la marca, pero la WWE obtendrá una década para llevarse los beneficios.

En la noticia, La Roca dijo: "Mi abuelo, el Alto Jefe Peter Maivia, y mi padre, Rocky 'Soulman' Johnson, nunca habrían pensado que llegaría este día".

We can definitely smell what The Rock is cooking now -- dude's whipped up a mogul souffle ... 'cause he's now on the new WWE board, and he's got exclusive rights to his stage name.

Dwayne Johnson was announced as the newest board of directors member for TKO -- which now owns WWE and UFC as a new one-stop shop entity. As one of the shot-callers of the org, DJ will not only get some executive decision-making power ... but other perks too.

For starters, he's getting some stock options -- which are valued at $30 million, and which will vest over time. More importantly, he's being granted the full trademark to 'The Rock' ... which he has pretty much gone by his entire career, dating back to when he was in the ring.

As part of this new move, Dwayne will get to capitalize on his moniker -- specifically, as it pertains to merchandising/royalties the WWE might make by using 'The Rock' in business.

THR reports that part of the deal between DJ and TKO regarding 'The Rock' rights sees that TKO gets an exclusive licensing deal for 10 years to use the brand for certain products ... and during that time, Dwayne can't go and license it to other companies competitive with them. In other words, he receives the trademark ... but WWE gets a decade to milk it.

The Rock said of the news ... "My grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, and my dad, Rocky ‘Soulman’ Johnson, would’ve never thought this day would come."

WWE Superstar Big E says he still has no clue when he'll compete in the squared circle again ... telling TMZ Sports he's not going to rush into a comeback after suffering his scary neck injury nearly two years ago.

We caught up with 1/3 of The New Day out in NYC this week ... and while the 37-year-old recently reunited with his tag team partners Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston after an extended time apart, it doesn't sound like he will be seeing action anytime soon.

"I don't have a timeline, unfortunately, but thank you for asking," Big E said this week.

As for whether he has any concerns about getting back into his wrestling career, the former champ gave a bit of insight into his mindset.

"I just want to make a smart decision," he added. "I didn't start wrestling to end up in a wheelchair, so I just want to make sure I'm just making the best decision for myself."

Of course, Big E hasn't competed since he broke his neck during a tag-team match on "Smackdown" in March 2022 ... after he was dropped on his head.

But the good news, Big E says his bones are connected again ... which is certainly a step in the right direction.

9:59 AM PT -- Hulk Hogan's wife, Sky Daily, just posted about the crash ... writing, "Last night, after we left dinner in Tampa, we saw a car flip in front of us! I truly admire my husband @hulkhogan and our good buddy @jakerask for springing into action, puncturing the girls airbag, and getting her quickly out of the car. By all appearances, she was unscathed, just really rattled, which is an absolute miracle!"

9:07 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained new photos from the scene of the crash ... and in them, you can see Hulk and his friend playing real-life superheroes.

Take a look at these pics ... which show an up-close-and-personal view of the action. From the looks of it, the accident was as dramatic as you can imagine -- with the teen's car completely flipped upside down ... and her actually stepping out from the vehicle.

In fact, you can also see Hulk's buddy, Jake (the marine), running over to help. It's like something straight out of a movie -- and fortunately, nobody was seriously harmed.

7:17 AM PT -- More startling details about this accident -- TMZ Sports has learned that the driver was a minor ... a 17-year-old girl, who, we're told, was completely rattled by the whole thing.

Our sources also tell us that Hulk Hogan's buddy, Jake, who dove right in on this is actually a Marine!

Hulk Hogan sloughed off his WWE heel persona in real life this weekend -- jumping to the rescue of a woman who got into a horrific car accident ... and TMZ Sports has the pics.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the legendary wrestler, his wife Sky Daily and a friend of theirs were cruising along a highway Sunday evening in Tampa, FL when they witnessed a bad wreck play out right in front of them.

We're told a car erratically swerved across the lanes to catch an exit it was about to miss -- and in the process ... clipped another car, which our sources say flipped over and tumbled.

Hulk and co., our sources explain, pulled over immediately -- with HH and his pal, Jake, rushing over to render aid to the driver ... a woman whom we're told was rattled. Since they were first on the scene, we're told Hulk and Jake actually helped get her out of the car.

Our sources say Jake popped the woman's airbag with some tools that Hulk had on hand -- and they both unbuckled her seatbelt and assisted her in safely leaving the vehicle. We're told paramedics eventually arrived on the scene, and Hulk and his crew looked on.

In the end, our sources say the woman appeared to be okay ... and HH was happy to help.

Pretty terrifying obviously -- and while, thankfully, everyone seemed alright in the end ... you gotta imagine the woman who was saved must've been surprised to see none other than Hulk himself being her personal hero. Again, he's often played the villain in the ring.

Turns out, he's the nicest guy and then some when called upon ... well done, brother!

Logan Paul dice que está comprometiendo más de 2.3 millones de dólares para corregir los errores de su fracasado CryptoZoo y también está presentando una demanda contra la gente que afirma que descarriló su juego.

Logan está cumpliendo su promesa de volver a comprar Base Egg y Base Animal tokens no fungibles de CryptoZoo, por su precio de compra original a través de un sitio web donde los inversores pueden presentar reclamaciones.

Recordemos que Logan anunció el juego CryptoZoo en 2021, facturando el proyecto animado NFT como "un juego muy divertido que hace dinero." Según se informa, el juego se inspiró en Pokémon y a las personas que pagaron $1.100 se les dijo que podían incubar, criar, coleccionar y comercializar híbridos de animales exóticos en la blockchain. La primera tanda de 11.000 NFT se agotó rápidamente, pero CryptoZoo nunca llegó a comercializarse.

Logan dice que tenía "las mejores intenciones" para CryptoZoo y "nunca ganó un solo centavo con el proyecto". Dice que gastó $400K desarrollando el juego y dice que se completó a principios de 2023, pero no fue lanzado debido a "obstáculos con la regulación que no comprendía realmente en un principio".

Logan añade: "Al igual que usted, yo estaba muy decepcionado porque el juego no fue entregado".

Logan dice que su programa de recompra de 2.3 millones de dólares "no está destinado a compensar a aquellos que apostaron en el mercado de criptomonedas y perdieron".

Además de la recompra de NFT, Logan también está tomando medidas legales, alegando en una nueva demanda que el desarrollador principal de CryptoZoo —Eduardo Ibáñez— y el "Crypto King" Jake Greenbaum son los culpables del fracaso del juego y no él.

En los documentos obtenidos por TMZ, una de las primeras banderas rojas en el proyecto ocurrió justo después del día de lanzamiento, con la actividad comercial sospechosa sucediendo, donde parecía docenas de personas ajenas al proyecto que de alguna manera obtuvieron información de la existencia del nuevo mercado de ZOO Tokens.

La demanda afirma que la actividad comercial poco clara hizo que la capitalización de mercado de ZOO Tokens cayera de unos 130 millones de dólares a 26 millones de dólares.

Logan Paul says he's committing more than $2.3 million to right the wrongs of his failed CryptoZoo ... and he's also filing a lawsuit against the folks he claims derailed his game.

Logan's delivering on his promise to buy back Base Egg and Base Animal non-fungible tokens from CryptoZoo for their original purchase price ... via a website where investors can submit claims.

Remember ... Logan announced the CryptoZoo game back in 2021, billing the animated NFT project as "a really fun game that makes you money." The game reportedly drew inspiration from Pokémon and folks who paid .1 Ethereum were told they could hatch, breed, collect and trade  exotic animal hybrids on the blockchain. The first wave of 11,000 NFTs quickly sold out but CryptoZoo was never released.

Logan says he had "only the best possible intentions" for CryptoZoo and "never made a single penny from the project." He says he spent $400K developing the game and says it was completed in early 2023 but wasn't released due to "regulatory hurdles that would need to be cleared that I did not originally understand."

LP adds ... "Like you, I was highly disappointed the game was not delivered."

Logan says his $2.3 million buyback program "is a way for me to make whole those who intended to play CryptoZoo. The buyback is not intended to compensate those who gambled on the crypto market and lost."

In addition to the NFT buyback, Logan is also taking legal action ... claiming in a new lawsuit that CryptoZoo lead developer Eduardo Ibanez and "Crypto King" Jake Greenbaum are to blame for the game's failure and not him.

In the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- one of the first red flags in the project happened just after launch day, with suspicious trading activity happening ... where it appeared dozens of project outsiders somehow got info of the existence of the new market for ZOO Tokens.

The lawsuit claims the sketchy trading activity caused the market capitalization of ZOO Tokens to drop from about $130 million to $26 million.