WWE

WrestleMania 40 is set in motion this weekend with WWE's most amped-up wrestlers, and TMZ is kicking off the madness by seeing which pro wrestler you'd pick out of a HOT N' SWEATY match!

Stepping into the ring ... the highly-anticipated face-off between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins teaming up against Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Roman Reigns. Remember, if The Rock and Roman take the reins and win, tomorrow's main event will be held under Bloodline Rules!

And, the women are also MORE than ready for a total knockout like Rhea Ripley -- the current World Champion known for her Riptide Finisher -- versus Becky Lynch who's deemed as one of the greatest of ALL TIME!

Scary moment for Cody Rhodes in the leadup to this weekend's WrestleMania in Philadelphia -- he says his tour bus caught on fire ... but, thankfully, he made it out unscathed.

The American Nightmare told Pat McAfee on Friday morning the blaze started just hours earlier -- at around 1 AM -- just as he had settled into his bed to get a little bit of shuteye.

Rhodes says his driver noticed the flames -- and urged him to get out quickly. The 38-year-old WWE Superstar says he then grabbed a few pictures and his 'Mania boots -- before jetting off the ride.

Rhodes said the vehicle didn't burn down completely -- but, "it was up in a big fireball for a moment."

Fortunately, he said there were no injuries ... and he gave a big shoutout to the Philadelphia Fire Department for assisting in putting out the blaze.

Rhodes is slated to wrestle twice in the WWE's Super Bowl ... taking on The Rock and Roman Reigns with Seth Rollins on Saturday night -- and then wrestling against Reigns on Sunday night.

Rhodes says he didn't take the blaze as a bad omen -- especially considering The Rock beat him down in front of that bus just a few days ago -- in fact, he told McAfee he was viewing it as just the opposite.

"I think the universe was saying, 'Hey, we're going to set your bus on fire and you're still going to go in and wipe the floor with The Bloodline on Saturday,'" he said.

"'You're still going to do it.'"

The Rock isn't pleased with current-day America, and will NOT be endorsing Joe Biden ... as the President vies for a second term in The White House.

Remember, Johnson, with influence over hundreds of millions of fans, threw his support behind Biden ahead of the 2020 election ... a big get at the time for the presidential hopeful.

Biden, who is struggling with approval ratings in the gutter (56% of Americans disapprove of POTUS' job performance) and poor polling numbers, could certainly use the help ... but it ain't coming. At least, not from the WWE legend.

El ex luchador estadounidense Kurt Angle, conocido sobre todo por su dominio y habilidad en el cuadrilátero como luchador de estilo libre, tenía poco más de 20 años cuando empezó a conquistar el universo de la lucha libre en los años noventa.

Ganar la medalla de oro en los Juegos Olímpicos de Atlanta 1996 fue sin duda uno de los hitos de su carrera, pero también arrasó en WrestleMania a principios de la década de 2000.

Kurt es solo uno de los cuatro que han conseguido el título de "Grand Slam Amateur", ganando los Nacionales Junior, la NCAA, los Campeonatos del Mundo y los Juegos Olímpicos, pero su mayor triunfo es ver a sus hijos continuar su legado en la lucha libre.

Former American wrestler Kurt Angle -- most known for his domination and skillset in the ring as a freestyle wrestler -- was in his late 20s when he first started winning over the wrestling universe back in the '90s.

Taking home a gold medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics was definitely a career highlight for Angle, but he also took the WrestleMania stage by storm in the early 2000s.

Kurt is only one of four to hold the 'Amateur Grand Slam' title -- winning the Junior Nationals, NCAA, World Championships and the Olympics, but his biggest win is watching his kids carry on his wrestling legacy.

La superestrella de la WWE -Chelsea Green- se ha metido en un pequeño "lío caliente". La ex Women's Tag Team Champion afirma que fue expulsada de un hotel de Nueva York esta semana, y ella cree que es porque el personal pensó que era una scort.

Green -que estuvo en la ciudad para el "Monday Night Raw"- expuso las acusaciones en redes sociales el miércoles, diciendo que estaba tratando de tener una noche agradable en la Gran Manzana, pero sus planes se descarrilaron cuando la seguridad del hotel la señaló por su apariencia.

TMZ Sports habló con Green, y ella explicó lo que pasó en detalle.

WWE Superstar Chelsea Green has found herself in a bit of a "hot mess" -- the former Women's Tag Team Champion claims she was booted from an NYC hotel this week ... and she believes it's because staffers thought she was an escort.

Green -- who was in town for "Monday Night Raw" -- laid out the shocking allegations on social media on Wednesday ... saying she was trying to have a nice night out in the Big Apple, but her plans were derailed when hotel security singled her out over her appearance.

TMZ Sports spoke to Green ... and she further explained what went down in detail.

Dwayne Johnson is a man of his word, and so is one of his biggest fans ... 'cause after a chance meeting at a store, the guy got the WWE Superstar's autograph tattooed on him -- and now he's getting a free ride to WrestleMania!

Johnson was shopping at Target last week when he ran into Ruben Rodriguez, a lifelong fan, and his young daughter.

Rodriguez told Johnson that if he signed his arm, he would make it permanent ... heading almost straight to his tattoo artist. After all, DJ's his "childhood hero."

Rodriguez revealed the new ink on social media earlier this week ... and when Johnson saw it, he lost it!

"Dude holy s*** you did it!!" The Rock replied on X. "That’s the authentic real deal signature & bull right there! Looks amazing!"

DJ was so impressed, he decided to hook up Rodriguez's family with an all expenses paid trip to Philadelphia for WrestleMania ... going down this weekend in the City of Brotherly Love.

"You’re a man of your word, and so is the Final Boss…  Pack your bags - because you and your daughter are coming to @wwe #WrestleMania," Johnson said.

"Your tickets, flight, hotel, transportation, and food - are all on me! My team will be reaching out. See you in Philly brother."

Rodriguez is obviously stoked ... and says he's "forever grateful."

It's not the first time The Rock's presence has had a profound effect on a fan ... an adult fan broke down in tears after Johnson signed his WWE belt during the Black Adam World Tour in 2022.

WWE Superstar Becky Lynch is opening up about her relationship with longtime frenemy Charlotte Flair … telling TMZ Sports the undercurrent of all of it is "love."

We caught up with The Man in New York City while she was promoting her new book, "The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl" ... and the four-time WWE women's champion went in-depth about the ups and downs she's had with Ric's daughter.

Lynch and Flair -- who spent time on NXT together before moving on to WWE's main roster -- were tight at points ... but, it was fractured at points too.

Lynch, however, revealed she and Flair are now in a good spot -- so much so, Becky actually devoted several pages of her book to the Queen.

"She's been a huge part of my journey in every capacity and such an important part, as best friends, as then enemies and a fallout," Lynch said. "I talk about that [in my book] from my perspective ... but also the undercurrent of all of it is love."

"It's always the people that you love the most that maybe hurt you the most, I know I've hurt her and it's been reciprocal. But, when I think you can come back from all of that, that's the special thing."

Big Time Becks also had some words for her Mania opponent, Rhea Ripley, warning Mami she better enjoy her last few weeks as champ.

"I’ll earn it," Lynch told us. "I’ll beat the bejesus out of her -- make her question why she ever showed up to Philadelphia."

Whatever Lynch’s gameplan is at the showcase of immortals must be viscous ... as she says her daughter might be traumatized if she watches.

"Hopefully she won't be watching too closely 'cause I think she might be a little scared of her mommy if she sees what she does to Rhea Ripley," Lynch said.

If Jason Kelce gets bored of sitting on the couch all day in retirement, he's got an open invite to take his talents to the squared circle... 'cause WWE Superstar The Miz tells TMZ Sports he wants to turn the Eagles legend into the next big thing in wrestling!!

We caught up with Miz out at LAX this week ... and asked if he expected a cameo appearance from Jason and his brother, Travis, when WrestleMania 40 makes its way to Philly, where the Eagles center played for 13 years.

Miz wouldn't spill any beans ... but said it would be a "home run" if they rolled through. He DID, however, admit he wants to lend his knowledge to the 36-year-old All-Pro center in preparation for a wrestling career.

"He could be very dangerous in a WWE ring -- not only with just the athleticism and the part of the wrestling, which I think he can absolutely do," Miz said this week.

"I watched him jump up at a Bills game from, like, down and jump up into a window, and I was like, 'Oh my God, this guy is 300 pounds, how did he do that? That’s incredible.'"

Outside of being an athletic specimen, Miz said Jason would be a natural on the mic ... which is just as important when it comes to wrestling.

Worth noting -- Miz helped Logan Paul (who's also from the Buckeye State) get his footing in the sport back in 2022 ... and now, the Maverick is one of the most popular names in WWE.

Miz previously flirted with the idea of the Kelces getting into wrestling ... saying back in December they'd be one helluva tag team.

It's clear Miz is at least hoping the Kelces check out WrestleMania in Philly next month ... but it may be a bit before we see them hop in the ring -- if ever. Although, Jason sported a luchador mask after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl ... so who knows!!

Diamond Dallas Page might not be where he is today if it weren't for Paul Heyman ... 'cause DDP tells TMZ Sports the legendary wrestling personality actually helped launch his career!!

Page said the assist came many decades ago ... after Diamond sent the American Wrestling Association -- where Heyman worked at the time as "Paul E. Dangerously" -- an audition tape of him "managing" a group of aspiring wrestlers.

Initially, Page said the org. laughed at the submission ... after it found out neither he nor the wrestlers he filmed with had any sort of real experience.

But, DDP said after Heyman left the Association for the National Wrestling Alliance ... AWA execs gave him a call about potentially filling Heyman's boisterous void.

Of course, DDP stepped in ... and the rest was history.

"If Paul Heyman does not leave there," Page said, "that spot never opens up. So I have always been a Heyman guy."

Page went on to congratulate Heyman on his upcoming induction to the WWE Hall of Fame -- adding he believes the microphone maestro could have made it even without his most recent twenty-or-so years in the squared circle!!

Paul Walter Hauser is just hours away from fighting Matt Cardona ... YES, the star actor is trading in his Emmy Award for a singlet (or maybe not, but ya get the point!), and he's got a stern warning for the pro wrestling star!

Underestimate me and pay the price.

TMZ Sports' Mojo Muhtadi chopped it up with the "Black Bird" star ahead of Saturday's match at Pro Wrestling Revolver's "Ready or Not!" event in Clive, Iowa.

Cardona has a lifetime more of experience in the squared circle, so, how's Paul, a huge wrestling fan, prepping for the scrap?

"How do I prepare for a guy like that? It's about focus. I don't need to be [retired wrestler and AEW producer] Dean Malenko and know 1,000 holds. I need to be Paul Hauser," the actor told us.

"I've studied tapes on Matt. I know when the boot's coming. I know when he's trying to cheat. I know when he's trying to 'play possum.' I've watched him. I know. I think he's underestimating me and I think that's to my advantage."

Hauser is so pumped for the match with MC, formerly known as Zack Ryder with WWE (Zack and Mojo made up the Hype Bros), he teased the match during the biggest moment of his acting career -- while accepting his Emmy for Oustanding Supporting Actor -- saying he would "beat Matt Cardona!"

Hauser also wanted to make it clear he's taking this match seriously.

"I just know one thing, I respect the business. I'm learning the craft and I should definitely not be underestimated."

"So, to you, Matt Cardona, I know you're watching. You're probably Googling yourself 86 times a day and you'll find this link, so, I'm telling you do not underestimate me or maybe you should because then I will come up with the 1-2-3, be it a knockout elbow, a small package -- double entendre -- 'cause Matt also has a small package."

Con sus 1,90 de altura y sus 90 kilos de peso, será mejor que tengas cuidado con este fornido hermano, ¿puedes encontrar las diferencias en estas dos imágenes de Dwayne "la Roca" Johnson? ¡Solo hay una forma de averiguarlo!

El grandulón se pasó por el programa "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", a principios de esta semana con un aspecto fresco y tranquilo. Saludó amistosamente a sus fans de la mano y lució una sonrisa de oreja a oreja, mientras la estrella de la WWE les decía a todos aloha.

¿Puedes poner tu dedo en estos discretos cambios? ¡NO IMPORTA SI PUEDES!

Comin' in hot at 6'4" and 260 lbs, you better watch out for this beefy bro ... Can you rock with the shakeups in these two images of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson? There's only one way to find out!

The big guy stopped by "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" earlier this week lookin' cool, calm and cut AF! He flashed a friendly wave and pearly bright whites to fans, as the WWE star spread some aloha.

Can put your finger on the discreet changes ... IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU CAN!

NFL superstar quarterback first ... Vice President of The United States of America next?

If things go the way Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hopes, that could be how life turns out for Aaron Rodgers, because the presidential hopeful confirmed Tuesday the Jets' signal-caller is at the "top" of his running mate list.

According to the New York Times, RFK Jr. said he's been communicating with Rodgers for most of the last month, and they've talked about the role ... and Rodgers is said to be interested.

Of course, the two -- who share similar stances on vaccines and other issues -- have grown close recently, with Rodgers throwing his support behind the independent candidate publicly multiple times in the last few months.

It's unclear, however, just how Rodgers would do his New York Jets job if he were to join the ticket with Kennedy.

The election is in November ... when football is in full swing.

The NYT also reported Tuesday that former WWE star and actor Jesse "The Body" Ventura is a strong candidate to be on the ticket.

The 70-year-old -- who has reportedly also considered Andrew Yang, Rand Paul, and Tulsi Gabbard for the role -- is expected to name his official running mate within the next few weeks.

Whoever RFK Jr. ultimately chooses, he's got an uphill battle ahead, despite polling strongly for an Independent.

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.