WWE

Logan Paul's foray into the sports world goes deeper than the WWE ring ... the star wrestler, along with partner business KSI, continues to kick ass in the drink space, linking up with one of the most valuable franchises in the world, the L.A. Lakers!

Prime Hydration and the Purple and Gold announced the biz deal on social media on Tuesday, revealing the new partnership, writing ... "Lakers x @PrimeHydrate Hydration: Get ready L.A., PRIME Hydration is the new Official Sports Drink of the Los Angeles Lakers."

Of course, it's not the first time Logan and KSI's company has gone into business with a major force in the sports world ... they're also the official sports drink of the UFC, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arsenal, and FC Barcelona, amongst other teams and leagues.

They also work with individual athletes like Patrick Mahomes and Israel Adesanya.

Not too shabby ... and the Lake Show deal positions Prime as an indirect partner with LeBron James.

CJ Perry and Miro have called it quits on their marriage 7+ years after tying the knot ... and unfortunately for the two wrestling stars, this isn't part of an AEW storyline.

TMZ Sports has learned the famous, now-former couple -- who also play a married couple in the ring -- broke up once and for all in winter 2023 ... after years of an on-again, off-again relationship.

The couple said their "I dos" in July 2016 ... a couple of years after they began dating.

We reached out to Perry, formerly known as Lana in WWE, who confirmed the split.

"Miro and I have made the difficult decision to separate after many wonderful years together,  and have decided to move on as friends, and hopefully onscreen characters somewhere down the road," CJ told us.

As for what went wrong, our sources say there wasn't an explosive fight or cheating ... they simply grew apart over the years.

In fact, we're told Perry and Miro, known as Rusev in World Wrestling Entertainment, remain friends and still plan to work together in the future.

It's likely music to the ears of the executives at All Elite Wrestling -- where both are employed -- as the wrestling stars have portrayed themselves as a married couple going back a decade to WWE, through present-day AEW.

CJ and Miro, a former AEW TNT and 3x WWE United States champion, were last photographed out together in public in late 2022... and it's been a couple of months since they've wrestled together on TV.

Neither Perry nor Miro have yet filed for divorce.

John Cena se desnudó en los Oscar... pero ahora sabemos cuánta piel mostró realmente.

El luchador convertido en actor subió al escenario del Teatro Dolby en Hollywood, California, aparentemente desnudo; sin embargo, hay nuevas fotos que demuestran que estaba usando un tapado color piel, en otras palabras, su trasero estaba cubierto después de todo.

Como se puede ver en las nuevas fotos, John estaba totalmente imperturbable por la mínima vestimenta que tuvo que llevar, mientras sonreía fuera del escenario a la espera de que comenzara su segmento hilarante.

Incluso se le vio pidiendo silencio a algunas personas entre bastidores mientras solo llevaba unas sandalias Birkenstock y un impresionante reloj.

Hay que recordar que John no es ajeno a las actuaciones con poco o nada: es famoso por haber luchado sin camiseta y con pantalones cortos vaqueros durante la mayor parte de su carrera en la WWE.

En cuanto a cómo realizó su cambio rápido en el escenario para presentar la categoría de Mejor Vestuario... el video de arriba muestra a varios asistentes de producción de los Oscar cubriendo a John con telas mientras sonaba el montaje de los nominados.

No cabe duda de que el compromiso valió la pena. La aparición de John ha sido aplaudida como uno de los mejores momentos de la noche.

Otros momentos destacados de los Oscar de este año fue Emma Stone acercándose al micrófono durante la actuación de Ryan Gosling con "I'm Just Ken", el intercambio de palabras entre Jimmy Kimmel y Donald Trump en pleno espectáculo y el reencuentro en el escenario de los coprotagonistas de "Twins", Arnold Schwarzenegger y Danny DeVito.

John Cena stripped down to practically nothing to pull off a streaker bit at the Oscars ... but we now know just how much skin he really showed, and what was actually covered up.

The wrestler-turned-actor took to the Dolby Theatre stage in Hollywood, Calif. in nothing but nude-colored modesty wear to make it appear like he was really naked at the annual industry event. In other words, his junk/ass was covered up after all, so he wasn't totally naked.

As you can see from the new photos ... John was totally unfazed by the minimal amount he had to wear -- as he smiled offstage while waiting for his hilarious segment to begin.

He was even snapped shushing a few people behind the scenes while rocking only Birkenstock sandals and an impressive timepiece.

Remember, John is no stranger to performing in little to nothing -- he famously wrestled shirtless while rocking only denim jorts throughout most of his WWE career.

As for how he pulled off his onstage quick change to present the Best Costume Design category ... the video above shows several Oscars production assistants draping John in fabric as the nominee montage played.

And the commitment to the bit has certainly paid off -- JC's appearance has been applauded as one of the night's highlights.

Other notable moments at this year's Oscars include Emma Stone ripping her dress during Ryan Gosling's performance of "I'm Just Ken," Jimmy Kimmel and Donald Trump exchanging words mid-show, and "Twins" costars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito's reuniting onstage.

Ya gotta wonder how John's ex, Nikki Garcia, felt about the bit -- as she was also in attendance working the Oscars red carpet.

Muhammad Ali won't be just a boxing Hall of Famer anymore ... in less than a month, he'll be a WWE one too!!

The wrestling org. announced Monday the legendary pugilist will be inducted into the 2024 class in April ... alongside several others, including Paul Heyman, Bull Nakano and the U.S. Express.

"Known simply as 'The Greatest,'" the WWE said in a statement revealing the news, "Ali's influence transcended sports as his work as an activist, artist, and personality established him as one of the most renowned figures in the entire world."

Ali made several appearances for the WWE in his career ... including back in June 1976, when he competed in an exhibition match against Antonio Inoki in Japan.

That fight -- called "The War of the Worlds," which resulted in a 15-round draw -- was televised to nearly 33,000 fans at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York.

Ali -- who died in 2016 at 74 years old -- also served a special guest referee at WrestleMania in 1984. During the main event -- which featured Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff -- Ali actually landed a punch on Piper.

Just because Paul Heyman is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year doesn't mean he's slowing down anytime soon ... 'cause the wrestling legend tells TMZ Sports in reality, he's just getting started!!

The big news was announced earlier this week ... stating the "Wise Man" would receive top honors when WrestleMania 40 goes down in Philadelphia next month.

Heyman says he turned down several attempts to get into the Hall sooner ... but everything lined up perfectly to get it done this time around -- especially with it being in the City of Brotherly Love, where WCW was based.

Despite the nostalgic aspect of the ceremony, Heyman admitted it's not his style to look back on his journey ... 'cause he's always thinking about what's next.

"I never dwell on the past, I'm always looking into the future, which is another reason why I've never accepted it before," Heyman tells us. "I kind of really look at this as my 'Rookie of the Year' award because I think it's taken 40 years to kind of really figure out this industry and the art of presentation."

Heyman says he really feels like he's firing on all cylinders now ... and he has no plans of slowing down anytime soon -- unless, he jokes, WWE has something to say about it.

As for the day the news broke, Heyman hilariously described it in one word -- "bothersome."

Dave Bautista elogia a Ben Affleck y Jennifer Lopez por ser unos espectadores respetuosos, pero en cuanto a su propia película, Dave no se da muchos créditos.

Nos encontramos con el actor el martes en el aeropuerto de Los Ángeles, donde nuestro fotógrafo sacó a relucir el hecho de que la pareja fue sorprendida recogiendo su propia basura en el cine esta semana mientras veían "Dune 2", la que casualmente protagoniza.

Échale un vistazo, Dave nos dice que lo que Ben y Jen hicieron es bastante sorprendente y dice que él mismo lo hace todo el tiempo.

Cualquiera que no lo haga está faltando el respeto según el actor.

Ahora, en términos de lo exitosa que ha sido "Dune 2" en taquilla... ciertamente lo ha sido, los números no mienten, pero es un logro por el que Dave no quiere ningún crédito en absoluto.

Nos dice que él solo desempeña un pequeño papel en el conjunto y que el éxito de la película no depende de él lo cual es una actitud bastante humilde. Puede que tenga un papel secundario, pero definitivamente es parte de un elenco extraordinario junto a Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, etc.

De hecho, Dave nos dice que está completamente desvinculado de la parte interpretativa de la película.

Dave Bautista is giving kudos to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez for being respectful movie-goers -- but on the topic of his own flick crushing it ... DB ain't handing himself flowers.

We got the actor Tuesday at LAX where our photog brought out the fact that Bennifer got caught picking up their own trash and tidying up at the theaters this week while watching 'Dune 2' ... which just so happens to star in.

Check it out ... Dave tells us that what Ben and Jen did -- namely, cleaning up their own crap -- is SOP as far as he's concerned ... and even says he does it himself all the time.

AKA ... anyone who's not already being anti-slob is screwing the pooch in Dave's eyes.

Now, in terms of how successful 'Dune 2' has been at the box office -- and it certainly has been, numbers don't lie -- it's actually an accomplishment Dave wants no credit for whatsoever.

He tells us he only plays a small part in the larger picture, and the film doing well isn't on him ... which is quite the humble take. He might have a supporting role -- but he's definitely part of the A-list star power attached to this ... as is Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, etc.

In fact ... Dave tells us he's completely detached from the performance side of the film.

Vince McMahon se embolsó más de 400 millones de dólares en un instante el lunes, vendiendo una parte de sus acciones de TKO tras su salida de la compañía por las acusaciones de agresión sexual. Esto según una reciente presentación ante la SEC.

McMahon se deshizo de 5.350.000 acciones -alrededor del 25% de sus acciones- mientras que todavía se aferra a su participación restante en la WWE y la empresa matriz de UFC, que es de alrededor de 15 millones de acciones.

La presentación ante la SEC señala el valor de las acciones en $411.95 millones, aunque podrían llegar cerca de los $436 millones. El precio de las acciones de ayer TKO cerró a $81.67 (veces 5.35 millones de acciones).

La noticia llega un mes después de que el antiguo mandamás dimitiera de su cargo como presidente ejecutivo de TKO como consecuencia de la presentación de una demanda por parte de una antigua empleada, quien lo acusaba de atroces actos sexuales y mala conducta.

McMahon ha mantenido su inocencia, pero sintió que era necesario renunciar "por respeto al Universo WWE".

Esta es la segunda vez que McMahon vende acciones. En noviembre vendió 8.400.000 acciones neto en al alrededor de $700 millones.

Vince McMahon pocketed over $400 million in an instant on Monday ... selling a chunk of his TKO stock following his departure from the company over sexual assault allegations, according to a recent SEC filing.

McMahon dumped 5,350,000 shares -- about 25% of his stock -- while still holding on to his remaining stake in WWE and UFC's parent company, which is around 15 million shares.

The SEC filing notes the value of the stocks at $411.95 million ... though they could be worth closer to $436 million, as yesterday's TKO stock price closed at $81.67 (times 5.35 million shares).

The news comes just over one month after the former honcho resigned from his role as TKO's executive chairman as a result of a former staffer's lawsuit filing ... which accused him of heinous sexual acts and misconduct.

McMahon has maintained his innocence ... but felt it was necessary to step down "out of respect for the WWE Universe."

This is the second big stock dump for McMahon -- back in November, he sold 8,400,000 shares ... netting around $700 million.

Sting was the man of the hour at AEW's Revolution, but Darby Allin at least momentarily stole the show, executing one of the craziest moves you'll see inside the squared circle, front flipping off a 12-foot ladder, before crashing through a glass panel way below on the floor!

It was probably a 13-foot drop from where he stood ... to the glass. Truly insane!

31-year-old Allin got up, back and arm bloodied, body bruised ... but you already know that wasn't going to stop Darby, who is known for his gravity-defying stunts, both inside and outside of the ring.

Darby continued to wrestle ... while occasionally receiving medical attention on the fly.

After the match, DA assured fans he was okay.

"I wanted to come here to let people know I was still alive," Darby said post-match.

"I was in the middle of getting stitched up but I wanted to show everybody that the doctors are on top of it. I'm still breathing," Darby added, "It was crazy because I flipped through it, [the doctors] are like, 'Are you going to be able to continue?' F*** yeah, dude.'"

Back to the ring, despite being banged up, Darby and 64-year-old Sting defeated The Young Bucks and retained their AEW tag team title ... closing out one of the greatest careers in the history of professional wrestling.

And, it's no surprise Allin carried on for Sting ... we talked to Darby last week and he made it clear he was willing to do anything to allow Sting to go out on a high note.

Mission accomplished.

Pro wrestling legend Sting is hanging up his boots after Sunday's big match at AEW Revolution ... a moment so special, tag team partner Darby Allin says it's actually the highlight of his young, but impressive, career -- and he's not even the dude retiring!

"Oh, without a doubt. Without a doubt, it's the biggest [match of my career]," Allen told us, adding, "He's been around longer than I've been alive. Like on top of the wrestling. It's really cool to be a part of it and definitely my biggest match and I'm not taking anything for granted. I'm so grateful for this opportunity, and I'll stop at nothing to prove my loyalty."

Of course, Sting is one of the most legendary wrestlers of all time. Period. WCW, TNA, WWE, and now AEW ... Sting was the man in all the top promotions. He's a WWE and TNA Hall of Famer. He's also won just about every title under the sun.

Wrestling fans have been anticipating the match ... Sting and Darby are fighting The Young Bucks, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson Sunday night in Greensboro, NC.

"I try not to make it about myself at all. I just want to make sure this man's career ends with the respect it deserves, and it's cool to be a part of the end," Darby said of the meaningfulness of the moment.

"I feel like the biggest part of a wrestler's career is the end. If you s*** the bed in the end, people are always gonna remember that. 'Aw, he should've hung up his boots years ago.' But I convinced Sting to come back and wrestle, so I feel it's my duty to make sure that he doesn't embarrass himself."

La leyenda de la lucha libre profesional Sting cuelga las botas después del gran combate del domingo en AEW Revolution, un momento tan especial, que su compañero de tag team Darby Allin dice que es en realidad el punto culminante de su joven, pero impresionante carrera, ¡y ni siquiera es quien se retira!

"Oh, sin duda. Sin duda, es el [combate] más importante de mi carrera", nos dijo Allen y añadió: "Lleva más tiempo aquí que yo vivo. Como en la cima de la lucha libre. Es realmente increíble ser parte de esto, sin duda es mi combate más importante y no doy nada por sentado. Estoy muy agradecido por esta oportunidad y no me detendré ante nada para demostrar mi lealtad".

Por supuesto, Sting es uno de los luchadores más legendarios de todos los tiempos. Y punto. WCW, TNA, WWE y ahora AEW, Sting fue "el hombre" en todas las principales promociones. Está en el Salón de la Fama de la WWE y TNA. También ha ganado casi todos los títulos que existen.

Los fans de la lucha libre han estado anticipando el partido: Sting y Darby, compañeros de tag team estarán luchando contra The Young Bucks, Matthew y Nicholas Jackson el domingo por la noche en Greensboro.

"Trato de no hacer que se trate de mí en absoluto. Solo quiero asegurarme de que la carrera de este hombre termine con el respeto que se merece y es genial ser parte del final", dijo Darby sobre el significado de este momento.

"Creo que la parte más importante de la carrera de un luchador es el final. Si te cagas en la cama al final, la gente siempre lo recordará. 'Debería haber colgado las botas hace años'. Pero yo convencí a Sting para que volviera y luchara, así que siento que es mi deber asegurarme de que no se avergüence de sí mismo."

The Rock is cooking up some serious business moves ... because he's locked up the rights to some of his most famous stage names and catch phrases, all part of his WWE deal.

Dwayne Johnson's recent agreement with the new board, as it turns out, calls for him to own his stage name "The Rock," plus a wide range of other titles and zingers ... which just became public knowledge.

According to an SEC filing, Dwayne legally acquired popular taglines like ... "If you smell what The Rock is cooking" and "Know Your Role and Shut Your Mouth."

DJ also locked up the rights to his various wrestling nicknames and wrestling moves, including ... "The People's Champion," "The People's Elbow," "The Great One," "The Samoan Sensation," "The Brahma Bull" and "The Blue Chipper."

The Rock also owns "Jabroni" and "Candy Ass" ... plus "Roody Poo" ... among other items. Worth noting ... he owns these names/phrases in the context of WWE ... that's it. Everyone else can throw these lines around in public, DJ only has dominion in the wrestling world.

Of course, this is one of the major benefits of Dwayne's deal to become the newest board of directors member for TKO -- which now owns WWE and UFC as a new one-stop shop entity.

As we reported ... The Rock is also getting stock options valued at $30 million and some executive decision-making power. And yes, he's a major shot-caller as a board member now -- so he's got a nice little package of perks to himself ... including things only he can say.

Ex-WWE Superstar Matt Riddle is finally sharing his side of his eventful visit to JFK Airport last year ... claiming cocktails, an ear infection, and an awful travel experience sed his belligerent antics.

As we previously reported, Riddle appeared wasted before catching a flight to Orlando back in September ... grabbing a mic and shouting at passengers during a delay -- the same day he accused a Port Authority police officer of sexual assault.

The former Tag Team Champion explained he felt he was overworked at the time -- doing a four-day tour before flying to India for a one-day event and heading back to the States -- and that all "took a toll on me," he told "The MMA Hour."

On his flight back to the U.S., Riddle said he got a "really bad" ear infection ... and after a few alcoholic bevvies and flight delays, he was dealing with a "perfect storm."

Riddle is taking the whole thing in stride, though ... saying his bad time at the airport made him realize he needed to take a step back and stop working himself so much.

As for the sexual harassment accusation, Riddle also admitted alcohol played a factor ... and while he didn't wish to pursue charges, he now understands that he put himself in that situation.

WWE legend Virgil -- famous for being the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase's personal bodyguard and assistant -- has died, his family announced Wednesday. He was just 61 years old.

Virgil -- real name Michael Jones -- dealt with serious health issues in recent years ... including several strokes and a dementia diagnosis.

Jones made his wrestling debut in 1985 ... and would go on to compete for promotions like Championship Wrestling Association, where he won the heavyweight title, as well as tag team championship with Rocky Johnson.

He then moved to the WWE, where he gained popularity alongside DiBiase ... often carrying his money and protecting him from opponents -- before eventually turning on him at Summerslam 1991 and defeating him at WrestleMania VII.

After a brief stint with the National Wrestling Conference, Jones debuted with WCW under the name Vincent, becoming a member of nWo as the head of security.

He'd continue to work with Hulk Hogan and other notable stars before his departure in 1999.

Jones briefly returned to WWE in 2010 as Ted DiBiase Jr.'s bodyguard ... and went on to make several appearances as Soul Train Jones in AEW.

Those close to Jones say he passed away peacefully at the hospital.

WWE released a statement on Jones' death ... saying, "WWE is saddened to learn that Michael Jones, known to WWE fans as Virgil, has passed away."

"WWE extends its condolences to Jones' family, friends and fans."