Logan Paul Hits Insane Stunt In Royal Rumble Debut ... Cody Rhodes Wins
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Logan Paul returned to the WWE for the first time since he tore his MCL against Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel -- and the Youtuber-turned-boxer-turned-pro wrestler stole the show in his Royal Rumble debut.
WHAT DID WE JUST WITNESS?!?@LoganPaul and @KingRicochet just blew our minds at #RoyalRumble with an unbelievable moment! 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/V5HIMhT0yQ
— WWE (@WWE) January 29, 2023 @WWE
Logan -- who's been out of action since November -- entered his first-ever Royal Rumble match as the second-to-last entrant (#29) ... and immediately made his impact felt.
The Maverick had one of the best spots in the match ... when he collided with WWE superstar and high-flyer Ricochet in a jaw-dropping moment, sending over 51,000 fans into a frenzy at the Alamodome in Texas.
Logan and Ricochet -- positioned on the top rope opposite one another -- launched their bodies at each other ... and collided mid-air in the middle of the ring.
WWE's Cody Rhodes Shows Off Gruesome Pec Injury Days After 'Hell In A Cell' Match
The spot in the match was sick -- and the WWE universe showed their appreciation for the high-risk stunt, cheering both men for pulling off the maneuver.
Ricochet has a flair for flying off the top rope ... but the encounter between him and Logan was remarkable, considering the last time WWE fans saw Paul inside the squared circle was over two months ago.
Another incredible moment during the Rumble match came when Cody Rhodes, son of WWE legend Dusty Rhodes, returned to the ring after being sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle injury since June.
A dream has become reality at #RoyalRumble.
— WWE (@WWE) January 29, 2023 @WWE
Congratulations to the undeniable @CodyRhodes, you EARNED it. pic.twitter.com/v4YBiLYE2M
Cody was the last person to enter the Rumble match ... and eliminated Logan, who tossed Seth Rollins, a prohibited favorite to win the contest, over the top rope.
In the end, Rhodes came out victorious ... eliminating WWE intercontinental champion Gunther -- who spent over an hour in the match -- and punching his ticket to challenge for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium.
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Yung Gravy Rick-Rolled in Court ... Sued by Rick Astley for 'Betty (Get Money)'
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Yung Gravy is getting a legal Rick-rolling from the man himself ... Rick Astley is suing the up-and-coming rapper for allegedly ripping off the singer's voice from his most popular hit.
Astley filed legal docs Thursday in L.A. claiming Gravy's hugely popular "Betty (Get Money)" uses an impersonated version of his own voice from 1987's "Never Gonna Give You Up."
In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Astley says Gravy and his producers -- including Dillon Francis -- "conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley's voice throughout the song." He's also suing Nick Seeley (aka Popnick), the vocal impersonator.
Astley says he never gave Gravy, or anyone involved in "Betty (Get Money)," permission to use or impersonate his voice -- and because Gravy did so, he's spoiled any future chance for Rick to collaborate with another artist in the future.
We should say, however, Gravy did license the instrumental from Astley's '80s hit ... just not his voice.
What's more ... Astley's lawsuit points to some examples where Gravy allegedly claimed he knew he was in murky territory for impersonating Rick, including an interview with Billboard where he said he "basically remade" Rick's voice, "because it makes it easier legally."
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"Never Gonna Give You Up" was a huge hit for Astley, shooting to the #1 spot. "Betty" has been Gravy's most successful song thus far -- reaching Gold in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
Astley is suing for millions of dollars.
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The Miz Praises Steph's Time At WWE ... Did 'A Lot For Company'
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The Miz is reflecting on Stephanie McMahon's time at WWE ... telling TMZ Sports he'll always be thankful for her leadership and the impact she had on his career.
"For me, she's always been one of the people you can talk to," Miz said at LAX this week. "She's done a lot for the company, and she's a really good person as well."
Miz shares one example of Steph's positive influence ... saying she green-lit one of his ideas -- The "Dirt Sheet" video series with John Morrison -- which would eventually pave the way for WWE's YouTube channel.
FYI -- WWE now has nearly 93 million subscribers on the platform ... by far the most of any sports-related account.
But, it's not just the wrestling business that impressed Miz -- he also praises Stephanie for creating Connor's Cure, a foundation specializing in pediatric cancer research. Stephanie was inspired to create the charity after Connor Michalek, an 8-year-old WWE fan died from medulloblastoma, a rare tumor that affects the brain and spinal cord.
Stephanie and her husband, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, founded the organization after Connor passed away in 2014 ... and have raised $3.8 million and assisted over 500 families worldwide, according to the org.'s official website.
As we previously reported, Stephanie resigned from her role as Co-CEO of WWE a few days after her father, Vince McMahon, returned from his sixth-month hiatus.
Despite the shakeup, Miz says he's excited about the company's future and is encouraged by the profound impact the Superstars have on people's lives.
"Whoever is at the head at the time, we're just trying to do our job as WWE Superstars to make people happy and give them something to remember."
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Anderson Silva I Didn't Take A Dive Against Jake Paul ... Open To Rematch
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Anderson Silva wants everyone to stop talking nonsense ASAP ... telling TMZ Sports he did NOT take a dive against Jake Paul last year -- the Problem Child simply beat him fair and square.
Several talking heads in the combat sports community have refused to believe the 26-year-old YouTube superstar beat a legend like Silva back in October ... claiming he faked getting knocked down so Paul would end up with his hand raised.
But, Spider is shutting down all that talk ... saying people need to respect what Paul can do in the boxing ring.
"The people don't give credit to Jake," Silva told us at LAX. "Jake is a very young guy, he's very determined and training hard every day."
Silva says the loss is actually a good thing ... because he can take what he did wrong and improve on it in the future.
"I didn't have the strategy correct and I lost the fight and that's amazing because I continue to learn, continue to accept the new technique with my coach, and that's great."
Silva even has a message for his former opponent ... saying, "Jake, continue to do your job, bro. You're doing amazing. I love you!"
So, what's next for Silva?? He's got a fight coming up in Dubai ... but says he'd be open to a rematch with Paul down the road.
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YouTuber Corey Struve Arrested for Public Intoxication & Attacking Cop ... She Denies Misconduct, Claims Injury
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Corey Struve -- a YouTube mom/influencer who famously posts about her brood -- was in a not-so-family-friendly state this weekend -- according to cops, who claim she attacked one of their own ... but she says she's the one who got roughed up.
According to the Monterey County Sheriff's Department, the 37-year-old best known as half of the Trav and Cor YouTube channel, was arrested Sunday near Pebble Beach, CA on suspicion of a number of crimes ... including public intoxication, trespassing, resisting arrest and battery on an officer.
Law enforcement sources tell us Corey was drinking at a bar near the golf course to celebrate her birthday, which we're told led to her getting belligerent and security eventually asking her to go back to her room. She was staying at a hotel there.
Cops say they were called when she refused to go back to her room, and officers told her she'd be arrested if she didn't scram. We're told she still refused to leave, and ended up kicking one of the arresting officers.
Whatever went down, Struve's mug shot certainly looks like she wasn't happy about it.
Now, a source close to Corey tells us, she was "celebrating her bday with her parents (her kid were not there) and alcohol was consumed. Corey did not resist arrest and was slammed to the floor in handcuffs without her Miranda Rights being read to her. Although this behavior is out of character for her, Corey strongly denies misconduct against a police officer and has retained legal counsel."
What's more ... Struve claims to have suffered injuries to her shoulder, arm and face during the incident, a source tells us officers really roughed her up during the arrest.
Her attorney, Scott Erdbacher, tells us, "I am concerned about how much aggression was used against my client while she was handcuffed. My concern at this point is about Corey's well being and her injuries are currently being catalogued by a medical specialist including head to toe bruising, numbness and loss of mobility to her left arm."
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The incident is a 180 from her peppy, cheerful appearances on social media -- where she's often cheesin' it up with her hubby, Travis Talbott and their 3 children. Their YouTube account boasts an impressive 6.2 million subscribers, and the fam is tight with Jake Paul.
Their videos have racked up over a billion total views for their pranks, reaction vids and skits -- not to mention music videos for their singin' kiddos.
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'All Gas No Brakes' Star Andrew Callaghan Apologizes ... Talks Consent, Therapy
Andrew Callaghan is speaking for himself regarding sexual misconduct allegations that have been hurled his way -- saying sorry to those affected, while also stepping back.
The host of "All Gas No Breaks" -- as well as HBO's new mockumentary, 'This Place Rules' -- posted a public video Sunday on a YouTube channel that he seems to have just created. It's a 4-minute plus clip, where he outright apologizes to people he's hurt in this saga.
Callaghan says he's been in a state of shock/denial these past several days after allegations made against him -- namely, a handful of women who've come forward to claim he had sex with them only after wearing them down, among other alleged sexual impropriety.
Now that he's had time to reflect, however, Callaghan says he realizes he's been engaging in toxic pursuits of women for years ... noting there's a difference between someone saying "no" and an enthusiastic partner who's clearly consenting to sexual relations.
He says this has forced him to reevaluate some things in his life, and vows to start therapy sessions immediately. Callaghan also urges other young men who've been jumping to his defense to stop and look in the mirror as well -- as this is part of a much larger convo.
Callaghan does note there's some context missing from some of the stories told about him -- and some depictions, he says, are false ... but doesn't go into detail about what those are.
We'd previously been told that one accuser, Caroline Elise, had allegedly demanded money from Callaghan before going public -- something our sources say he refused to cave to, which prompted her to post the now-viral video where she details an encounter with him.
Callaghan also apologized to his fellow collaborators -- this after a couple EPs on his HBO project denounced him and said they had no plans to work with him in the near future.
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KSI Dillon Danis Banned From Misfits Boxing ... I'll Slap Him If I See Him
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1/13/23
KSI says Dillon Danis is persona non grata at all future Misfits Boxing events ... telling TMZ Sports if he ever sees the MMA fighter again, he'll "probably slap him in the face for all the disrespect he gave me."
As we previously reported, Danis backed out of his fight against KSI just days before the event was slated to go down in London ... with Misfits promoter Mams Taylor claiming his team told him Conor McGregor's buddy was underprepared to enter the ring.
We spoke with the 4-0-1 boxer about the whole ordeal ... and he's slamming the door on ever setting up another bout with Danis.
"No, I don't," KSI said this week. "I want him to go into irrelevancy. I don't want anything to do with him anymore. He's banned from Misfits. I don't ever want to see him anywhere near Misfits."
"I'm never gonna fight him, and if I see him, I'll probably slap him in the face for all the disrespect he gave me throughout this buildup."
Of course, FaZe Temper stepped up in Danis' place ... and will now face KSI at the OVO Arena Wembley on Saturday instead.
KSI says the FaZe Clan co-founder is no easy matchup ... but is confident his skills can outlast anyone in the social media circle.
KSI also talked about his future plans in the sport ... and he says he's aiming to finally fight Jake Paul in 2023, and gives us a time frame on when he expects it to go down.
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Logan Paul My Pet Pig Wasn't 'Irresponsibly Rehomed' By Me ... Before Gentle Barn Rescue
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Logan Paul says he did nothing wrong with his former pet pig, who is now being cared for by an animal sanctuary ... Logan says he gave the pig a good home before it was rescued.
The YouTube star joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and talked about his former pet pig, Pearl, who is now being looked after by the Gentle Barn rescue.
Logan says he owned Pearl for a couple years and gave her a good life at his home in Encino, CA ... saying he would even cuddle and sleep with the animal and made sure she had "the best life."
But, when Logan moved to Puerto Rico during the pandemic, he says he sent Pearl to live at a horse ranch in Santa Clarita, CA because he wasn't permitted to bring her with him. Logan says Pearl received amazing care at the ranch.
Logan says Pearl lived at the horse ranch for 10 months but had to be rehomed again when the ranch owner moved out of state -- he says he was unaware of the rehoming.
Gentle Barn posted a TikTok Monday about Pearl's rescue, claiming she was "irresponsibly rehomed" and was found alone in a field next to a dead pig.
Logan says he only found out about Pearl's situation when the video came out, and he says he checked his records and is certain he didn't rehome the pig irresponsibly.
Logan's also claiming innocence on the second pig that was allegedly found dead next to Pearl ... he says the farmer denies knowing about a second pig and says Pearl was transferred to the farm alone.
TMZ broke the story ... Logan reached out to Gentle Barn after the video surfaced, explaining Pearl's history with him and pledging to help with her care.
Logan says the Pearl saga was unpredictable and unforeseen ... and if he could, he would go back in time and tell himself not to buy a baby pig.
While Logan admits the entire situation "sucks" ... he tells us why he wants to reunite with Pearl, if possible.
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Jake Paul Signs Contract With PFL ... Makes Offer To Nate Diaz
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Jake Paul is officially kickstarting his MMA career -- the Problem Child just signed a multi-year, multi-fight deal with the Professional Fighters League ... and he's already making his first offer to Nate Diaz.
Paul shared the news on his YouTube channel early Thursday morning ... saying not only is he going to fight for the PFL, but he will also serve as the organization's Head of Fighter Advocacy, where he will help market fighters and recruit new talent.
Paul says he wanted to be an MMA fighter before he ever ventured into boxing ... given his wrestling background growing up in Ohio.
Paul has shown off his MMA training in the past ... posting videos from Jay Glazer's Unbreakable gym. It doesn't sound like Jake is immediately ready for a fight ... but makes it clear he's serious about the new journey.
Paul says he is also teaming up with PFL honchos to launch the PFL PPV Super Fights division ... which will give fighters 50% of revenue.
DECEMBER 2022
In his announcement video, Paul -- who's 6-0 in the ring, with impressive wins over former UFC stars like Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva -- disclosed a two-fight offer he made to Nate Diaz ... where the two would first face off in a boxing match, and then fight in the PFL six months later.
"Nate Diaz, I'm down to fight you in your own damn sport," Paul says. It's a two-fight deal. Let's make it happen."
"I've already disrupted boxing," Paul says. "And now, it's time to disrupt MMA. I know this is such a tough sport, and it's not going to be easy. But, if I can do it in boxing, I can do it in MMA."
This doesn't mean Paul is done with boxing, though -- he says he still fully intends to be a world champion in the sport.
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YOUTUBE STAR JENNA MARBLES HUSBAND PEPPER SPRAYS ALLEGED STALKER ... Confrontation at Family Home
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YouTube star Jenna Marbles and her new husband had a scary start to their new year ... because cops say an alleged stalker showed up at their home and took some pepper spray to the face!!!
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops were called Monday to the newlywed's San Fernando Valley home after a female fan showed up looking for Jenna's husband, Julien Solomita, and things got heated.
We're told the woman showed up uninvited to the home twice Monday, and Julien pepper sprayed her twice.
Our sources say LAPD came across the woman on their way over to the home, and we're told officers ended up calling an ambulance because she'd been pepper sprayed. We're told she was taken to a local hospital to get checked out.
Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Jenna was upstairs during the incident and the couple, who just got married last month, are safe and okay and have no clue who this woman is.
The pepper spray may be the least of the woman's worries ... our sources say once she's released from the hospital, she will be taken to jail and booked for felony stalking.
We reached out to Jenna's camp ... so far no word back.
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YouTube Star Keenan Cahill Dead at 27
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YouTube powerhouse Keenan Cahill, famous for his lip-synch videos with celebrities, has died.
Keenan's manager, David Graham, tells TMZ ... Keenan had open heart surgery on Dec. 15 but there were complications from the procedure and he was put on life support. We're told Keenan died Thursday afternoon in a Chicago hospital after being taken off life support.
Keenan had a huge following on social media ... we're told he was one of the first YouTube influencers to rack up over 500 million views on his channel.
50 Cent actually helped take Keenan's career to the next level ... they did a surprise collab on the rapper's "Down On Me" song, opening the door for Keenan to work with other celebs.
Keenan's Rolodex was pretty impressive ... he also worked with Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, David Guetta, Britney Spears, Jason Derulo, LMFAO and Tyra Banks, just to name a few.
Keenan was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder when he was a baby, Maroteaux–Lamy syndrome, a progressive condition that causes organs and tissues to enlarge, become scarred or inflamed. Some people who have Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome can also have heart issues, which appears to be the case here.
He was 27.
RIP
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YouTube TV Lands NFL Sunday Ticket ... Reported $2.5 Billion-Per-Year Deal
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NFL Sunday Ticket has a new home -- the league's game broadcast package is moving to YouTube TV starting next season ... and the deal is reportedly worth a whopping $2.5 BILLION a year.
There was an intense bidding war to secure the rights to the popular subscription-based product ... with ESPN, Apple and Amazon pursuing an agreement.
The NFL made the move official on Thursday ... with commissioner Roger Goodell releasing a statement on the decision to go with Google, which owns YouTube TV.
"We're excited to bring NFL Sunday Ticket to YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels and usher in a new era of how fans across the United States watch and follow the NFL," the commish said.
"For a number of years we have been focused on increased digital distribution of our games and this partnership is yet another example of us looking towards the future and building the next generation of NFL fans."
Sunday Ticket will now be available as an add-on package with YouTube TV ... as well as standalone à la carte on the streaming platform's Primetime channels.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft -- the chairman of the league's media committee -- also spoke about the deal ... saying, "As the ways fans enjoy NFL football evolve in a changing media landscape, partnerships with innovators like YouTube will ensure that more games are available to more fan."
"This partnership will grow our game for future generations and allow them to follow their favorite sport."
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JoJo Siwa Throws Shade At Ex-GF Avery Cyrus ... I Was Used for Clout!!!
JoJo Siwa appears to be taking some thinly-veiled jabs at her ex-girlfriend ... posting a video about being used on the heels of splitting with Avery Cyrus.
The YouTube star hopped on TikTok Tuesday to post a clip with a voiceover to talk about being used in a relationship -- acting out a scenario where two people break things off.
Text on her video reads, "But I love you, why are you breaking up with me??!!!" ... JoJo responds, "you told one of my best friends that you were excited to be dating me bc you're 'growing your career and wanna get to the top'..."
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Of course, this had a lot of folks on social media talking and pointing the finger at her ex-girlfriend Avery. Avery and JoJo reportedly called off their relationship earlier this month after three months of dating ... announcing they were better off as friends.
The TikTok isn't the first time JoJo has seemingly thrown shade at Avery, recently sharing an emotional video about her recent heartbreak. In the vid, her mom asks "why are you upset" and she goes on a rant about being used.
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JoJo yells, "Because I got used, for views and for clout!"... "I got tricked into being told I was in love and I got f***ing played".
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Avery Cyrus became a social media star, after rising to fame on TikTok. She currently has 8.4M followers, while JoJo has 45.1M.
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The Liver King Lifts Weights in L.A. Traffic ... And Yeah, I'm Still Juicing
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The Liver King isn't going to let his steroids scandal bring him down -- in fact, he's stepping right up ... to TMZ ... to explain that he's still on the juice. 💀
We got Brian Johnson -- the influencer behind the internet personality -- out on Rodeo Dr. Saturday, where the dude was shirtless (per usual) and about to start pumping iron in front of everybody ... which he promptly did, right in the middle of traffic. Dead lifts, baby!
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After a few reps, we invited TLK to come chat with our Celebrity Tour patrons ... and he did. Before hopping on, though, we asked him some hard questions -- like why he lied about not being on the stuff for years, and why folks should believe anything he says now.
He's got answers for all that, basically saying ... look, believe me or don't -- but my workout regimen and supplement program will get ya jacked and feeling great. That's basically his message.
Then, a bombshell ... Liver King admits he's still on 'roids!!! When we ask why -- especially since it's caused him so much reputational damage -- he says he has to ween off it, and that he can't just cut it out cold turkey.
If you're unfamiliar with this whole saga ... Brian recently copped to being on steroids, this after years of denying it and insisting that his program was the only thing giving him results on his physique.
He still backs his core tenets of fitness and nutrition -- including eating liver -- and he's gonna keep on keeping on, we suppose. Flex on 'em, dude. 💪🏽
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Jake Paul Drops Deestroying In Sparring Sesh ... 'That MF Got Hands'
DECEMBER 2022
Internet star Deestroying got deestroyed in the boxing ring this week ... and it was all at the hands of Jake Paul!!
The 26-year-old former football player -- who has millions of followers on social media -- bravely went up against the 6-0 pugilist in a sparring session in Puerto Rico ... and the Problem Child made easy work of his buddy.
In the short clip, Jake lays it on Dee with two hard body shots ... which force him to lie down on the canvas before Paul could even break a sweat.
"Boxed Jake Paul today," Dee -- real name Donald De La Haye -- said on IG. "Safe to say that MF got hands."
"You're crazy bruh 😂🤣" Jake added.
11/29/22
Of course, the REAL opponent Jake wants to face off against in the ring is Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett ... who is fresh off a controversial win over Jared Gordon at UFC 282.
Jake has offered Paddy $1 million to fly to P.R. for a sparring session on Jan. 5 ... but as of right now, it's unclear if the UFC star will take him up on it.
Ice up, Dee.
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Liver King Undergoes Tests To Prove Abs Are Real ... After Steroid Confession
The Liver King's gimmick might not be 100% legit, but his abs certainly appear to be ... 'cause a top plastic surgeon says the fitness influencer's shredded core is NOT fake.
Along with being accused of using steroids (which just so happened to be true), people have speculated LK's washboard abs were actually a result of implants.
In hopes of putting an end to all the speculation, Liver King -- real name Brian Johnson -- hit up Dr. Daniel Barrett, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, to administer a series of tests.
"I have an obligation to my tribe (you)... to take massive goddam action and do whatever it takes to earn back your trust," Johnson wrote on Instagram about the visit to the doc.
In LK's video, you see Dr. Barrett prodding at LK's abs with his fingers and a machine ... and eventually, he concludes that based on his expertise and what he sees and feels, there's no indication Liver King has ab implants.
Remember, Johnson, who was already a millionaire long before the viral Liver King persona was created, had to come clean about his steroid use after YouTuber More Plates More Dates exposed the "ancestral lifestyle" influencer.
Liver King's entire sales pitch was built on his "9 ancestral tenets" that he credited for his incredible physique -- but after he got exposed, many questioned if it was all a huge lie.
For what it's worth ... once he got caught, Brian admitted that he used steroids ... saying that he "f***ed up" and that he "misled a lot of people."
Recently, Johnson said on "TMZ Live" he fully expects his company's sales to be affected by his lies ... but what's most important to him, as he tries to regain the trust of his supporters, is that they're eating and living the right way.
All that being said, the tests don't confirm whether or not LK has had any ab etching done ... which is a procedure that sucks unwanted fat from the tummy to showcase the muscles more clearly.
Etching or no etching -- doc says there are no implants.