TMZ Sports - Page 50

And STILL -- Roman Reigns just defeated Cody Rhodes to retain the WWE Universal Championship on Sunday ... in a match that was nothing short of an instant classic.

The two started the fight with an intense stare-down before going at it ... and Cody took the quick advantage, forcing Roman to take a breather outside the ring.

After a pep talk from his manager, Paul Heyman, RR got back in the ring and into the action ... moving Cody around at his will.

The match was as back and forth as it gets from there ... and the Bloodline, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn even made an appearance.

Of course, Roman was the Universal Champion for over 900 days ... but the match meant even more to Cody, who previously told TMZ Sports he was hoping to do something his legendary family hadn't done and win the main event at WM.

Cody was clearly emotional after the loss ... and many felt he did more than enough to win.

WrestleMania 39 has turned the page on Night 1 ... and for the opening matches, there sure were a lot of famous faces who wanted to see body slams and piledrivers on the big stage.

Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium was packed to the gills Saturday night -- this as the WWE's biggest stars got in the ring and hit the mat for professional wrestling's biggest event of the year. Of course, tons of Angelenos were in attendance for the event ... celebs included.

Here's just a handful of A-listers who came out for the big show ... Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and the rest of the 'Jackass' boys, Gabriel Iglesias, George Kittle, Indi Hartwell, Becky G, Ryan Garcia, Stephen A. Smith, Kurt Angle, Snoop Dogg, Lil Uzi Vert and more.

Of course, we already know Logan Paul was there (he wrestles for WWE now), as was KSI ... as was Bad Bunny, John Cena and other Hollywood stars.

We've been covering the highlights ... of which there've been many so far -- including upsets, assists and cameos. And yes, there are sure to be even more surprises for Night 2.

WrestleMania has been a staple pitstop for the most notable of personalities for years -- other VIPs who've swung by in the past include Macaulay Culkin, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Mike Tyson, Machine Gun Kelly, Michael Che ... and even Donald Trump (once upon a time).

Pat McAfee made a surprise appearance at WrestleMania 39 Saturday night … challenging The Miz — who was hosting the extravaganza — to a match … and the former NFL star walked away with the victory, thanks to some help from 49ers tight end George Kittle!

McAfee came out at SoFi Stadium dressed for a fight ...  accepting rap icon Snoop Dogg's challenge for someone to compete against Miz on "The Grandest Stage of Them All" -- and the 80,000+ WWE fans loved the idea of the impromptu match.

Pat and Miz began fighting ... but at one point during the match, Miz got in Kittle's face -- who had been sitting ringside -- pushing the All-Pro TE ... and setting the stage for GK to make his WrestleMania debut.

Kittle — a longtime WWE fan — responded by jumping over the barricade ... and looked like a natural, delivering a clothesline to the self-proclaimed most must-see WWE champion in the history of professional wrestling.

Kittle and McAfee would eventually throw Miz back in the ring ... where Pat would finish off WrestleMania's host with a punt kick to the face -- defeating him in the middle of the ring.

Of course, Kittle's involvement during WM39 isn't the first time an NFL superstar tight end has had a WrestleMania moment. In 2017, Rob Gronkowski helped his friend, Dean "Mojo" Muhtadi win the Andre The Giant Battle Royal.

Like Kittle, Gronk, too, jumped the barricade, entered the ring, and bulldozed Jinder Mahal ... which gave Mojo the opening he needed to eliminate Mahal and win the match.

Logan Paul just took a big loss to Seth "Freakin'" Rollins at WrestleMania on Saturday ... and even with the Maverick's former foe, KSI, making a surprise appearance, it wasn't enough for the social media superstar to get the W.

The whole match was entertainment at its finest ... and the crowd and broadcasters were into the madness from the very beginning.

"Logan proved once again he deserved to be in there with one of the promotion's biggest stars ... and even the announcers stated it was surprising Rollins was having a fight with the 'social media star,'" the broadcast said.

Logan seemingly won the match when he appeared to knock Rollins out cold ... but it simply wasn't enough to secure the win. Seth got back up and responded with some fierce shots of his own ... just to have KSI, Paul's former nemesis-turned-business partner, shock the world by revealing himself in a Prime mascot bottle and entering himself in the bout.

But, it wasn't as it seemed -- as Logan accidentally crushed KSI from the top ropes when he tried to slam Seth Rollins into the announcer's table.

Eventually, Seth got the better of Logan, hitting him with his signature curb stomp finisher -- then pinning him in the middle of the ring ... as 80,000+ fans screamed.

Logan has proven time and again he is way more than that -- and he silenced any remaining doubters with his performance at SoFi Stadium on Saturday ... which also just so happened to be his 28th birthday.

Brittney Griner weighed in on Russia's detainment of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, saying she's greatly concerned for his safety and urging President Biden to do everything he can to bring him home.

The Women's National Basketball Association star took to Instagram Saturday night to show her support for Gershkovich, who was taken into custody by Russian authorities last Thursday and accused of spying.

As you know, Griner was convicted by a Russian court for possessing cannabis oil in 2022, and she spent 10 months in a Russian jail before the Biden administration got her released in a prisoner swap.

Griner and her wife, Cherelle, wrote, “Our hearts are filled with great concern for Evan Gershkovich and his family since Evan's detainment in Russia."They continued, “Every American who is taken is ours to fight for and every American returned is a win for us all."

The couple then called on Biden to use every tool at his disposal to bring Gershkovich home, as well as all Americans who have been wrongfully detained abroad. Gershkovich was the first US journalist to be detained in Russia on an espionage charge since the Cold War.

The Wall Street Journal has denied the spying charge and demanded the immediate release of Gershkovich.

President Biden sent a blunt message Friday to Russia to "Let him go," referring to Gershkovich. Vice President Kamala Harris said she's "deeply concerned" about the arrest amid rising tensions with Moscow over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

WWE legend Rey Mysterio had a music superstar help him defeat his own son, Dominik, during WrestleMania 39 on Saturday ... with Bad Bunny playing a pivotal part in his win.

The whole match was set to be a star-studded event from the beginning ... with Snoop Dogg helping Rey make his grand entrance at SoFi Stadium.

When the bell rang, it was a hard-fought matchup between father and son ... but one thing that wasn't on Dominik's side was the superstar artist -- the former WWE 24/7 Champion, who patiently awaited his opportunity to help Rey out.

Ultimately, BB's move helped Rey secure the win over Dom ... which restored order to the Mysterio name.

Either way, he still played a huge role in Rey's win.

Bad Bunny is a MASSIVE wrestling fan ... but considering he has Coachella in a few weeks, we take it he was restricted from doing too much inside the ring. WrestleMania 39 has been an event to remember through one night of action ... and we can only imagine what Night 2 will hold.

A stripper's twerkin' sesh at a Chicago Bulls game is bringing her big money ... 'cause after her dance in a suite at the United Center went viral earlier this week -- she tells TMZ Sports business has been boomin'!!!

The stripper, Pretty Rebel, went off in the middle of the Lakers vs. Bulls game on Wednesday ... and when video of her performance hit the internet -- fans couldn't take their eyes off of it.

The footage -- which showed Pretty Rebel in a red two-piece twerking and doing splits on the suite floor -- has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times!!

Pretty Rebel -- who was actually hired for her friend Jazz's birthday -- said she had a blast at the game ... and since it all went down, her phone has been blowing up!

"I've gotten so many requests for more bookings," Pretty Rebel tells us.

The United Center, meanwhile wasn't too pleased over it all, officials for the venue said her moves violated their fan code of conduct and "appropriate steps to address the matter" have been taken.

But, Pretty Rebel told us she hasn't heard anything from the team or its stadium, as of yet.

Bianca Belair could be the next John Cena, Rock or Dave Bautista -- at least, that's what wrestling legend X-Pac thinks ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he sees the current WWE RAW Women's champ moving from the squared circle to the silver screen!!

We spoke with the 50-year-old great out at LAX this week ... and asked the two-time Hall of Fame inductee who he believes could transition into Hollywood post-wrestling career.

After going through of list of WWE stars in his head, Pac finally figured it out ... it's Bianca.

"She's great at everything," Pac told us. "She's a good talker ... she makes her own outfits, bro."

"She's great in the ring. I'm a huge fan. That's who I'm picking."

Of course, Pac (real name Sean Waltman) doesn't see the 33-year-old starting an acting career any time soon -- Belair just made her wrestling debut in 2016 and recently became the longest-reigning Black singles champion in WWE history.

"She's still on her run," Pac added. "When she's done with her run, I think that's available for her. If she wants to."

A WWE star turned actor/actress isn't far-fetched obviously ... The Rock -- who wrestled from 1996 to 2019 -- is one of the highest-paid actors in the nation and his films have grossed over $10.5 billion worldwide.

Cena -- who still wrestles in the WWE -- has been featured in several movies and TV shows, including "Peacemaker." He also won the Action Star of the Year award at CinemaCon.

As for Dave Bautista, he solidified his spot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his part in "Guardians of the Galaxy" ... and has since taken on some wide-ranging roles.

These WWE wrestlers have been putting in the work and ramping up their fitness game, but are YOU well equipped to identify the fighting physiques of WrestleMania 39?!

It's a total Flex Zone here! From gym mirror selfies to post-fight pics ... this year's WrestleMania stars are show ready, and they're ready to put their bods on full display as they've hit the SoFi stadium stage.

And, it ain't just WWE wrestlers in the lineup ... social media personality Logan Paul opted for getting down and dirty this year, and former WWE star John Cena has gotten back into the ring after a two-year hiatus, making this his 6th WrestleMania!

Test your WWE fighting skills by diving into our gallery, and see if you can "takedown" these sweaty shots by guessing the shredded star.

WWE Superstar Austin Theory just shocked the crowd and defeated the legendary John Cena to kick off WrestleMania 39 ... with the United States Champion retaining his belt to beat his childhood idol.

The entire match was insane from start to finish ... with Cena and Theory showing their strengths throughout.

Cena hit Theory with a quick couple of clotheslines in the beginning ... which threw Theory into a tizzy for a bit. Austin quickly regained his composure, and he took over the match for the next several minutes.

It was as back-and-forth as it could get moving forward -- with both Theory and Cena trading insanely hard hits.

Naturally, with Cena being a WWE icon, Theory was met with boos whenever he gained an edge in the match.

Cena and Theory both had opportunities to end the bout early ... but both were able to escape each pin attempt.

Cena ended up tapping out Theory with an STF ... but the referee did not see it, as he was dealing with his own problems.

Ultimately, Theory took down his hero with his second chance and kept his title in the process.

Of course, the match meant so much for Theory ... who told us earlier this week he idolized Cena growing up ... but made sure to point out he has no intention of being a copycat.

WWE wrestler Roman Reigns' poppin' looks have been dominating the spotlight since 2010, and they are "spot" on!

Here's a 21-year-old version of the then broad-shouldered Minnesota Vikings player posing for his headshot in Minneapolis, Minnesota back in 2007 (left). This was just three years before signing with the WWE.

Looking sweaty and ready ... "The Tribal Chief" -- now 37 years old and a whopping 265 pounds -- recently took on Kevin Owens during the WWE Royal Rumble event in San Antonio, Texas (right).

The current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion will go up against 2023 Men's Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes at this year's WrestleMania 39 ... Take the reins, Reigns!

The question here is ...

Gisele Shaw claims WWE HOF'er Rick Steiner hurled transphobic remarks at her during an appearance ... something the event organizers themselves seem to acknowledge happened.

The Impact Wrestling star made the accusation against the famed RS Friday, detailing what she says was an absolute tirade full of hateful language ... targeting her transgender identity. Shaw is a trans woman BTW, and came out as transgender last year at Pride Toronto.

Here's what she had to say about the interaction, which she says happened at WrestleCon Friday ... where Gisele was doing a signing. She writes, "I have been bullied all my life and have never stood up for myself because I’m scared that I would get beat up physically, mentally, or emotionally. The bullies in my life have always silenced me, but that ends today!"

Gisele goes on to say that, while walking to her table, she heard someone shouting, "you’re a man,” “you’re a dude,” “you’re a piece of trash,” “you are filth," and “get the f*** away from here." She didn't know who it was at first, but later says she heard it again -- and saw Steiner.

She says she confronted him about it on the spot -- saying, "Excuse me?" -- but claims he continued to tear her down in front of a lot of people ... including other wrestling talent.

She says other prominent stars were around, but didn't do anything about it. Gisele adds, "I am not writing this because I want sympathy. I am writing this because I am done being bullied to silence. Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility and I am standing up for myself and for other people who go through the exact same situation on a daily basis. I want everyone to know what kind of a deplorable person Rick Steiner is and that this cannot be tolerated. This keeps happening because people let it slide and do not take any action. If you do business with these types of people then I will not do business with you."

The official WrestleCon account apologized for what happened, specifically naming Shaw/the LGBT community -- but not saying Rick's name. They add, "The issue has been addressed and we hope the remainder of the convention can be a positive experience for all."

The Miz -- host of WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium this year -- believes Seth Rollins and Logan Paul's match on "The Grandest Stage of Them All" will be nothing but fireworks ... telling TMZ Sports, "This is going to be a match to be remembered."

We spoke with Miz at LAX ahead of the most significant event in sports entertainment ... and he told us WWE fans are in for a history-making moment when Rollins and Paul clash in the ring.

Miz says Logan -- who he teamed up with for a tag team match against Rey and Dominik Mysterio at last year's WrestleMania -- will have a difficult time trying to beat fan favorite Rollins ... who he eliminated in this year's Royal Rumble match.

"Logan's got his hands tied up with Seth Rollins," Miz said. "Seth Rollins is one of the best technical wrestlers out there. The fans love him and will be behind him at WrestleMania."

"With 90,000 plus screaming for you, I don't think Logan is used to people booing him and telling him he's no good. I know the dedication and heart that Logan has. I've been in the ring with him."

The Miz's prediction that Seth and Logan's match might steal the show speaks volumes about the two competitors. After all, WM's two-night spectacle features superstars like the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and John Cena.

Speaking of Cena ... we asked Miz if there's currently anyone in the WWE who he sees making the transition from the squared circle to the movie screen like so many wrestlers, including John, did, and he answered in vintage Miz fashion.

"I'm still waiting for the role to break me," Miz joked. "The Marine 3,4,5, and 6 didn't do it. I'm waiting for Johnny Cage, but Mortal Combat hasn't called."

Pick up the phone, movie producers!!!

John Smoltz is all in on the MLB's new rule changes ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks they're going to have a huge, positive impact on the game.

"With the rule changes to get the game action-packed again," the Braves legend said, "I think it's going to be phenomenal."

The league introduced a slew of new regulations for 2023 ... putting a timer on pitchers and hitters, making bases bigger and banning teams from implementing defensive shifts in their infields.

They've only been in place for two days (outside of spring training) ... but Smoltz is already loving what he's seeing.

In fact, the 55-year-old ex-Atlanta closer says he wishes there was a pitch clock back in his day!!

"Everything about what's gone on, and what is going on, is going to be, at the end of the day, people are going to look back and go, 'What an exciting year,'" the Hall of Famer said.

Smoltz also sent a message to the baseball purists who have been upset with the changes -- explaining they're really no different than the implementation of shot clocks in the NBA and play clocks in the NFL.

Francis Ngannou is still a free agent -- arguably the biggest in the combat sports world -- and although he has a ton of options on the table, MMA legend Randy Couture tells us the former UFC heavyweight champ should press pause on boxing, and sign with PFL.

TMZ Sports talked to Couture, UFC Hall of Famer and current Professional Fighters League commentator, ahead of Saturday's PFL 1 in Las Vegas (more on that in a minute), when the conversation turned to 36-year-old Ngannou's fighting future.

"Honestly, I'm hopeful that we do get him signed [to PFL]," Randy said.

Couture says PFL, which has traditionally aired for free on cable, will soon start putting on pay-per-view shows, and Randy believes that could draw big stars.

"I think that's where you're going to see stars like Kayla Harrison show up, and hopefully maybe Francis and some of these other big-named guys that we have. It's going to be interesting to see where he shows up. Obviously, there are other promotions with opportunities, I know Bellator is still on the playing field. He could end up going back [to the UFC]. Everybody wants to see him fight Jon Jones. I'm one of those guys, too."

Of course, Francis last fought at UFC 270 in January 2022 when he defeated Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision after a competitive 5-round fight. Unfortunately, Ngannou and Dana White couldn't agree on a new contract, so Francis and the UFC went their separate ways.

"I'm glad that Francis is stepping up, standing up for himself, demanding some advocacy that we as fighters deserve. It wasn't about the money, they're gonna make him out to be some greedy kid that wasn't just enough money, and I just don't think that's accurate, that's not what's really going on. So, good for Francis, I hope he ends up where he wants to be."

Where he wants to be could also be a boxing ring. Ngannou, the hardest puncher in all MMA, has flirted with the idea of switching sports ... with Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury being rumored opponents.

Randy, who once fought heavyweight champion James Toney in MMA in 2010 (Couture won via first-round submission), says that might not be the best idea.

"There's some chatter in the professional boxing world that he might show up there. Some people are talking about potentially fighting him. I honestly feel like he has some work to do there to be operating at that level."

Randy continued ... "Those guys have been entrenched in professional boxing as long as he's been doing MMA and stuff. He's always gonna have a puncher's chance, he's got that power. But those guys are as technical of boxers as I've seen in the sport in a long time."

The Street Profits are the greatest tag team in WWE, according to half of the superstar duo, Montez Ford, who isn't going to lay on fake modesty to appear humble.

"This is not even being cocky or arrogant, man, but right now I feel like nobody's touching us, man. I feel like me and Dawks are the complete essence of what a tag team consists of," Montez told Babcock on Friday from the TMZ office.

Ford, along with Angelo Dawkins, stopped by to promote their Fatal 4-Way tag team matchup Saturday night on night one of WrestleMania 39 ... where they're taking on Alpha Academy, The Viking Raiders, and Ricochet and Braun Strowman.

"We got two hybrid athletes, a high flyer and powerhouse, both high flyers and powerhouses. Pretty much know everything he's doing before he even does it and vice versa. We've been doing this so long together it's kinda come like second nature," Montez explained.

The Street Profits -- the former Raw, SmackDown and NXT champs -- say they have a lot of respect for the tag teams they came up watching, but it's their time.

"Granted we idolized and looked up to The New Day, and The Uso's and everything, but there's a new sheriff in town, no pun intended," Ford said, flashing his Jordan 7 Retro "New Sheriff in Town" J's.

We also talked to The Street Profits about Logan Paul ... and the guys say they're thrilled to have him in WWE (not just because he's worked hard and is a cool dude), but he's also brought more fans to the screen.

"I like the fact that he tries to understand and get this and work hard. He loves this as much as we do," Montez said, adding ... "and he's bringing a whole new set of eyes to this."

There's much more ... we also talked to the guys about a possible future in Hollywood (WM is in L.A., after all), and what message they have for their competitors the day before the big match.

Montez also shared what it's like to watch his wife, WWE Superstar Bianca Belair, who is wrestling Asuka on Sunday, compete on the biggest stage.