Fights

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.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is addressing his gym beatdown for the first time ... ripping his attackers as "nothing but cowardly."

The rainbow-haired rapper broke his silence Friday with a social media post saying, "what happen here was nothing but cowardly."

Tekashi says he's not mad about being jumped at an LA Fitness in South Florida, explaining ... "In the street there's no rules so I can't say they were wrong." Still, he says it wasn't a fair fight.

6ix9ine took some more shots at the three men arrested over the attack -- Rafael Medina Jr., Octavious Medina and Anthony Maldonado -- saying ... "Just imagine having nothing to do with a situation and feel obligated to make it your business. (Very weird)."

Tekashi also claims he's been walking around without security for the last two years and says people see him out in public all the time. He says, "I really never hid from anything."

The beatdown sent Tekashi to the hospital but he says he's "happy to be here still."

In his P.S. he takes a parting shot at his attackers -- one of whom law enforcement says is a known gang member -- saying ... "I never knew we respected jumping people. When did that ever become a W???"

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!!!

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."

WrestleMania 39 kicks off this weekend with the ultimate "Showcase of Immortals" and TMZ is ready to dive into all the action by seeing which pro wrestler you'd choose out of a HOT head-to-head lineup!

First up stepping into the ring ... you've got the highly-anticipated match between Logan Paul vs. Seth Rollins. Things may get hostile because Rollins is seeking revenge as Paul has knocked him out twice before!!!

And, who will win the battle between SmackDown Women's Champ Charlotte Flair -- who continues to follow in her father, Ric Flair's legendary footsteps -- going up against Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley?

You now have front-row access to all the sweaty action, because we've assembled a gallery of matches for you to pick your winning wrestlers. Be prepared to see a graphic face-off between this year's headliners, Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes ... and that's just the beginning!

Click on the pic to vote Who You's Rather, and keep on scrolling through the rest to see who else is going at it!

Angels star Anthony Rendon -- a former World Series champion -- was involved in a heated confrontation with an A's supporter following L.A.'s loss on Thursday ... one where he grabbed the fan and then attempted to take a swipe at the guy's face.

The altercation happened just seconds after the Halos lost at RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, 2-1 -- when Rendon believed a fan had called him "a bitch" near their dugout.

The L.A. third baseman was so upset over it, he locked his hand around the guy's tee, and pulled him down to the railing.

Video shows Rendon said to the man, while still grabbing his shirt, "You called me a bitch, huh?"

When the guy responded that he did not, the baseball player added, "Yeah, you did. Yeah, you did. Yeah, motherf*****."

Rendon then let go of the man, but made a clear attempt to hit the guy in the face after he released the shirt.

Fortunately, the man pulled away before Rendon could make contact.

The 32-year-old MLB star then said, "Get your bitch-ass out of here" -- before he headed into the locker room without further incident.

It's not known if the Angels are aware of the tiff -- the team told us on Friday morning it had no comment.

The Oakland Police Dept., meanwhile, said Friday it is not investigating the matter ... explaining in a statement, "No victim(s) reached out to the Oakland Police Department regarding this incident."

It's been a frustrating few seasons for Rendon since he left the Washington Nationals in 2019 and inked a seven-year, $245 million contract with L.A. ... as he's battled multiple injuries, which have limited him to just 158 games over the past four years.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is wasting no time seizing the moment now that his attackers are behind bars ... with the rollout of a new music video and dishing out a ton of cash.

The rainbow-haired rapper dropped "Bori" Friday, along with a music video -- shot in Cuba -- which features images of 6ix9ine receiving medical treatment and giving away $50k in American dollars to the locals.

The brunt of 6ix9ine's injuries appears to be severe during the time of filming. In one scene, he brandishes a bloodshot right eye, and shows him getting an MRI in the hospital.

"Bori" features Cuban singer Lenier and while the track doesn't address the gym attack, it does speak on his love/hate dynamic while also speaking on his love for philanthropy.

Law enforcement personnel in Miami are still probing into the last week's attack but feel they nabbed the responsible culprits -- Rafael Medina Jr., Octavious Medina and Anthony Maldonado -- and claim to have significant evidence that Rafael is a notorious chief within the Latin Kings criminal org.

One of the men arrested in Tekashi 6ix9ine's gym beatdown is a high-ranking member of the Latin Kings gang ... at least according to the deputies who busted him.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff says Rafael Medina Jr., the oldest of the three men arrested for assaulting and robbing Tekashi, is a documented Latin Kings gang member who, for several years, has held a high-ranking position within the gang.

The sheriff says their Gang Unit Detectives have evidence Medina Jr. is an "Inca" within the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Latin Kings ... meaning he's the chapter's president.

And, get this, the sheriff says the Latin Kings have a rich history of being allies with the Bloods Gang ... which is notable because Tekashi famously flipped on Blood gang members in federal court.

What's more, the sheriff says Medina Jr. was convicted on felony charges in the mid-2000s as part of a federal gang RICO case regarding the Latin Kings.

TMZ broke the story ... three men beat the crap out of the New York rapper earlier this month while he was in the sauna at an LA Fitness in South Florida. Surveillance video from the gym shows the trio making a beeline for Tekashi as soon as they enter the facility.

According to the arrest affidavit, the guys on video beating 6ix9ine are Medina Jr, his son, Octavious Medina, and a third man, Anthony Maldonado.

The sheriff says Maldonado is a member at LA Fitness and got Octavious into the gym as a guest, Octavious then let his father into the gym.

As for the robbery charges ... the men are accused of taking Tekashi's $3,000 Balenciaga shoes, an iPhone, and the $1,200 key fob to his Lamborghini. They were booked Thursday evening and processed into county jail.

Tekashi 6ix9ine should be sleeping a little easier tonight 'cause cops say they have the three men who beat the crap out of him in custody!

A rep for the Palm Beach Sheriff Office tells TMZ ... detectives rounded up Rafael Medina, Jr., Octavious Medina and Anthony Maldonado for assaulting and robbing the New York rapper. The suspects were being booked Thursday evening and processed into county jail.

TMZ broke the story ... three men assaulted the rapper earlier this month while he was in the sauna at an LA Fitness in South Florida. Surveillance video showed them make a beeline for him as soon as they entered the gym.

It's unclear if the suspects have any connection with the gang members Tekashi flipped on in federal court.

Despite the threat of retaliation after he testified, 6ix9ine hardly went into hiding once he finished his abbreviated prison sentence. He returned to making music and trolling his enemies on social media.

Even after the gym attack, he claimed he wouldn't increase his security because he saw the incident as a fluke.

It will be interesting to see if he returns to his regular gym routine now that his alleged attackers are behind bars.

TMZ Hip Hop has obtained new video inside Yo Gotti's Memphis restaurant, and it shows the all-out brawl that prompted the deadly mass shooting that left 2 dead and 5 injured.

In the footage, a crowded corridor inside Prive restaurant sets the scene for Wednesday night's melee which seems to center around one man in a red jacket, and another in a blue one. There's a tense standoff between 5 to 8 people when the guy in red slams into the whole group, and someone tosses a drink ... and then it's total chaos.

The guy in the blue jacket was actually on crutches, but hands them to a woman and then joins the fight … repeatedly throwing punch after punch and dunking a chair on the man in red’s head after he'd been knocked to the floor.

It looks like security attempts to separate people, and the fight spills outside in the parking lot … where the video starts with one man already gunned down, and the guy in blue hopping on one foot yelling at onlookers. He then opens fire with what appears to be a semi-automatic weapon hitting a man in black several times.

The footage shows him hobbling away from the scene as 2 bodies lay on the pavement.

As we reported, 2 people were pronounced dead and law enforcement officials tell us they’re still looking for suspects. We know Yo Gotti was not at the restaurant ... in fact, we're told he wasn't even in Memphis at the time.

More bad news for Willie McGinest ... the Patriots legend is now reportedly out of his job at NFL Network -- nearly four months after he attacked a man at an L.A. restaurant.

McGinest had been serving an indefinite suspension from his role as an NFLN analyst over the Dec. 9 beatdown at Delilah ... but, according to Front Office Sports, he was officially let go this week as part of the network's recent wave of big cuts.

We've reached out to NFL Network for comment ... but so far, no word back yet.

Of course, McGinest's job status is likely the least of his worries at the moment -- he's still facing two felony charges in the case that carry serious prison time if he's convicted on both counts.

He's also been sued by the alleged victim, who claimed he suffered serious and permanent injuries in the melee.

For his part, 51-year-old McGinest said he was sorry for his actions at the restaurant ... saying, "I feel horrible for my actions and take full responsibility."

Justin Gaethje's gearing up for a title run, and the UFC star tells us he has the power to dethrone champ Islam Makhachev ... but he knows he has to earn the fight, and he's ready to run through Dustin Poirier to prove his worthiness!

34-year-old Gaethje, the #3 ranked UFC lightweight, joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... where we talked about everything from who he wants next, to how he'd fare against the current champ, to how much longer he sees himself fighting, and Conor McGregor recently calling him "handicap" on Twitter.

On who Gaethje, who is coming off a dominating win over fellow contender Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286 in March, wants next:

"I think that's the obvious choice, Dustin. He's sitting at number 2 right now, I gave the new guys a chance and I proved that I am elite, and I need to fight elite fighters to fight for a belt. I think Dustin's the obvious choice. I think the loser of Dariush and Oliveira is also an option, but outside of those two, I do not see an option."

FYI, Justin and Dustin fought back in 2018 ... a classic fight that Poirier won by fourth-round TKO.

Of course, Islam, who was just in battle with 145 lb. king Alex Volkanovski (Makhachev won by the thinnest margin), is the lightweight champ. We asked Justin how a fight between the men would look.

"I think [Islam is] a hard fight for anybody. Just create damage. I'd have to fight the perfect fight," Gaethje told us, adding he recognizes he wouldn't be on the Dagestani fighter's level when it comes to "submission grappling," but Justin believes with his power, he can shut anyone's lights out.

"I think I can knock him out. I think I can knock anybody out with the power that I possess."

We asked Gaethje, who lost by submission to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020 at UFC 254, to compare The Eagle and Makhachev.

"I think they're very similar. I think the biggest difference is Islam has been finished. He's lost a fight. He's been finished. So that aura of invincibility is there, but it's not based on 100% facts like Khabib has, I think that's the biggest factor, the biggest difference."

We also talked to Gaethje about retirement.

"I have never thought about retirement. I haven't thought about my life after retirement. I'm still working for the goal that I've set for myself," Justin said, explaining he has faith that his family and friends would tell him when it's time to hang up the gloves. But, that's likely years away, according to JG, who believes he's just hitting his stride as a fighter.

"34, I think we are at our peak, mentally, physically. Between 34 and 36, so I can't see myself being done in the next two years. I'd say two to four years is def a timeline that makes sense. I'm not trying to fight when I'm 40, and after 36, I don't see myself getting better."

Lastly, Conor recently tweeted "Justin Gaethje is a handicap," before deleting the message shortly after. We asked JG for his reaction.

"One of my best approaches in life is to make everybody think you're stupid and then go into a conversation or situation where you can take advantage of everybody feeling like that. It plays perfectly into my hands. I love when people think I'm handicapped or dumb -- that's not a guy, I don't believe I'll ever fight him."

Gaethje vs. McGregor is a fight fans clamored over for years ... but Justin says the guy simply doesn't want to step foot in The Octagon with him.

Jamirah Shutes -- the Univ. of Memphis women's basketball player who was hit with a criminal charge last week after socking an opponent in the face following a game -- pled not guilty in the case on Wednesday, TMZ Sports has learned.

Shutes' attorney, Steven Crossmock, appeared in court in Ohio on the Tigers player's behalf to submit the plea. He did not immediately have a comment on the case following the proceedings.

She's now tentatively due back in court for another hearing in the case next month.

As we reported, Shutes was charged with assault on Friday ... one day after she punched Bowling Green State Univ. star Elissa Brett in the handshake line following their round of 16 game in the women's NIT.

Brett suffered swelling in her right eye as a result of the punch, according to cops, but she was able to play in BGSU's win over Florida on Monday.

It's still unclear what prompted the strike.

Jim Jones is a proud gym rat but when it comes to rats in the gym ... he doesn't have a whole lot to say!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the Dipset Capo promoting his new "Back In My Prime" album ... but he immediately burst out laughing and hit a meannnn Milly Rock when we asked his thoughts about 6ix9ine's now infamous lopsided brawl inside an LA Fitness gym.

Tekashi 6ix9nine and Jim have a pretty contentious past ... thanks to 6ix9ine repeatedly attempting to get him arrested after the two clashed several years ago.

Jim finally did offer up some insight in between his hitting the whoa ... and suggested Tekashi's choice of a public gym wasn't the brightest and is certain that would never happen in the facilities he works out at.

The Harlem rapper is currently plotting his own line of Vamp Fitt gyms, and frequents New Jersey's Impact Zone with fellow artists Fabolous, Dave East and Maino ... but discouraged knuckleheads from attempting to pull similar stunts in his sanctuary. You've been warned!!!

Biaggio Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali's MMA fighting grandson, may have gotten into the family business, but the PFL star doesn't fight exactly like his legendary grandpa ... "He always said 'Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.' I want to sting like a scorpion!"

"Honestly, that is what I would say my style's like," Ali Walsh told Babcock in a sit-down with TMZ Sports. "You float, you're light, you're smooth, and when you go, it hurts, it stings. That's the kind of style I want to portray."

And, that's exactly what he's done so far in his handful of MMA fights. After losing his first-ever contest by rear naked choke, Biaggio's looked incredibly impressive -- and powerful -- in the cage.

First, he defeated Bradley Seaver by TKO in under three minutes in August 2022. Shortly after, Biaggio signed with PFL. They pitted him against Tom Graesser ... who only lasted 45 seconds with Ali Walsh during their November 2022 contest.

The potentially scary part is that he's only had three amateur fights, and only started training a few years back.

"I think I'm improving a lot. I believe I was blessed with an athletic ability. An ability to adapt, too. I've just been improving. Staying consistent. I've been grappling, wrestling, doing jiu-jitsu., striking, just blending all the martial arts because that's what you have to do in MMA," Biaggio said.

We also asked Biaggio what his grandfather would've thought about MMA (some boxing purists hate the sport), and Ali Walsh says his grandpa not only would've been into mixed martial arts, but he would've connected with one fighter in particular -- The Notorious.

"I think he would've been a big fan of MMA, especially at the time when Conor [McGregor] was in his featherweight run, doing his peak trash talk. He would've loved it."

We also talked to Biaggio about the pressure of being a fighter related to "The Greatest," when he plans to turn pro, what he wants to accomplish as a fighter (and beyond) and much more!

Tekashi 6ix9ine's baby mama says he didn't just embarrass himself by getting jumped at the gym ... he embarrassed his daughter, too.

Sara Molina, through her rep, tells TMZ ... Tekashi's very public altercations have been sad to see, adding their seven-year-old daughter, Saraiyah, will eventually see the ways he's acted when she grows up.

Although he did nothing wrong when he was beaten at an L.A. Fitness, Sara believes he was reckless by not having security, especially given his history of public altercations.

She also points out he was recently kicked out of the World Baseball Classic because he was heavily intoxicated. Sara says she's surprised 69 has been walking around like he can't be touched, and the beatdown proves he's misguided.

Sara's been concerned with their daughter's safety ever since Tekashi started beefing with other rappers years ago. Sara claims Tekashi hasn't reached out about Saraiyah since late last year ... but she's doing fine, regardless.

All things considered, Sara tells us she's more focused on Trump getting indicted than Tekashi getting jumped at LA Fitness ... but she's hoping her baby daddy will get the help she says he needs.