Tag Archives: championship

Lakers Named ‘Perfect’ Trade Candidate For 3-And-D, 20 PPG Star

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Though the Los Angeles Lakers are second in the West and have their trio of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves back together, there is still always room for improvement through a trade. While Los Angeles has done a lot to create this 2025-26 roster, perimeter defense and three-point shooting remain the biggest issues for the team. While James, Doncic, and Reaves all expect to lead the Lakers for at least the remainder of this season, Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick have multiple players they can move on from and upgrade. But specifically, Rui Hachimura remains a looming candidate, and according to Tyler Watts of LakeShowLife, the Lakers could target Trey Murphy of the New Orleans Pelicans as a perfect upgrade at the forward position. “The Los Angeles Lakers want to jump into title contention, and could pull off the perfect move by trading Rui Hachimura for Trey Murphy III,” he wrote on a potential Lakers-Pelicans trade. “The Pelicans are last in the Western Conference standings and headed toward the lottery. They should be open for business ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Fans may think Murphy is out of the Lakers’ price range, but getting strong value for Hachimura could change that.” Though without any national spotlight, for the second year in a row, Murphy is averaging at least 20 points per game, along with six rebounds and three assists on 46/37/94 shooting splits. The wing from Virginia is making roughly $28 million per year, but with his increasing value, his contract could be a steal. Lakers Mock Trade For Trey Murphy While Hachimura remains a consistent and solid player in his own right, it’s hard to see him as anything but a role player at best. The Lakers have made it clear they are vying for a championship now, and though a trade for Murphy could be costly, the 6’8” forward could be the missing piece. “The 25-year-old is the perfect fit for the Lakers’ timeline. He could join Luka and Austin Reaves as the franchise’s core pieces for the next decade,” Watts wrote. “This would give Los Angeles the horses to compete for a championship this season and make them a title threat into the 2030s.” Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Trey Murphy III and Karlo Matkovi Chicago Bulls Receive: Rui Hachimura New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Kevin Huerter, Maxi Kleber, two 1st round picks, two swaps, 2032 2nd round pick. The haul for New Orleans would be big, but as they are last in the Western Conference with just two wins, there’s a possibility the asking price could drop. For Chicago, they get an upgrade at the wing with someone who offers a bit more stability. But for the Lakers, adding Murphy changes the direction of the team. They haven’t shown too much interest in developing young prospects or having a top pick in general, so it is easy to see Pelinka sending out their draft capital to guarantee a roster can compete with teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder or Denver Nuggets. “Now is the time to get [Doncic] a potential wing co-star, who is locked into a cheap contract until 2029,” Watts added. “The Los Angeles Lakers should only trade Rui Hachimura if they are getting a significant upgrade. Trey Murphy III certainly offers that.” Another Pelicans Star Could Be On The Table Though Murphy might be too rich for the Lakers’ blood, the potential of the Pelicans having a ‘fire sale‘ similar to the Sacramento Kings remains a strong possibility. While a Murphy trade might hold too much risk in this new era for Los Angeles, New Orleans might have another player whom they could make an offer for. “Is there really any trade target more perfect for the Los Angeles Lakers than Herb Jones?” Svyatoslav Rovenchuk wrote in a similar article about a Lakers trade idea for one of the Pelicans’ other top young players. “Jones is the type of 3-and-D star who would immediately raise the Lakers’ ceiling. His $13. 9 million makes him an easy player to match salaries for as well.” While the counting stats, 9. 5 points, 3. 8 rebounds, 2. 3 assists, aren’t amazing, Jones is a top-tier pest named to the All-Defensive First Team just two years ago. His 36. 2% three-point shooting percentage also wouldn’t hurt the last-place shooting Lakers, but more importantly, he would become the team’s number one wing defender. A deal for Jones would also likely include Hachimura to match the salaries, but with defense at a premium, the forward from Alabama would also have a high price tag.
https://heavy.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-lakers/perfect-candidate-murphy-jones-trade-rumors/

Here’s Alabama’s path to an SEC Championship Game appearance

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The Iron Bowl will all but determine Alabama’s postseason fate. That’s the case for the College Football Playoff and now, somewhat officially, the SEC Championship Game. With the results of SEC games Saturday, Alabama appears set to lock up a spot in the conference title game so long as it beats Auburn next weekend. In the scenario where Texas A&M beats Texas and grabs the top spot, the second spot is essentially left up to Alabama, Ole Miss and Georgia. The result in the Egg Bowl doesn’t matter, though, for the Crimson Tide. If Ole Miss wins, Alabama will still have the advantage over the Rebels and Georgia based on the tiebreaker of conference opponent win percentage. But if Ole Miss loses to Mississippi State, Alabama would still get the second spot because Ole Miss would have two conference losses, knocking it out of conference title contention. As a result, the second spot would come down to Alabama and Georgia, and the Crimson Tide has the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bulldogs; Alabama beat Georgia in September. Using this helpful unofficial tiebreaker calculator, there doesn’t appear to be another game result that can change Alabama having the advantage over Ole Miss and Georgia in conference opponent win percentage. Vanderbilt defeating Kentucky 45-17 was the biggest result Saturday in helping ensure that. In the scenario Texas beats Texas A&M next week, Alabama would still get one of the two spots in the SEC Championship Game. In that scenario, where Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss are all 7-1 in conference play, it would come down to conference opponent win percentage. Georgia would have the edge over the other three teams and get the first spot. Alabama would get the second spot, having a better conference opponent win percentage than Ole Miss and Texas A&M. So, Alabama is all but headed to Atlanta, so long as it beats Auburn first. Easy enough, right?.
https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2025/11/heres-alabamas-path-to-an-sec-championship-game-appearance.html

Martin completes redemption tour with 8-Player Division 1 football state title win over Montabella

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The final stop on the Martin redemption tour was successful, making the hours at practice and on the farm worthwhile. The Clippers, who were knocked out in the second round of the 2024 playoffs, earned their third state title in four years, running past Blanchard Montabella for a 52-8 win Saturday in the 2025 8-Player Division 1 championship game at Northern Michigan University. “From Day One, we wanted to redeem ourselves,” Martin coach Brad Blauvelt said. “It was heartbreaking last year. We thought we could win four in a row. We wanted to get back this year and finish it right. “This senior class was special. They’re friends. They hung out with each other. I was super tight with them. They helped me move. They worked on my farm. I will miss these seniors.” The Clippers won the 2022 state title, beating Merrill, 74-24, before tacking on the 2023 championship with a 30-26 win over Indian River Inland Lakes. But Martin lost to Mendon, 26-22, in a 2024 regional final. In Saturday’s state final, Montabella scored first, with Brady Kieff running for a 3-yard touchdown and a 2-point conversion. “They came out swinging for sure,” Blauvelt said. “There were a couple mistakes on that first drive. We didn’t panic. These boys have been in so many tough situations a couple years ago where we won. Once we settled in, we were OK.” Senior quarterback Haylen Buell, who played in Martin’s previous two state finals, was more than OK. Buell capped his career with three touchdown runs and a TD pass against the 11-2 Mustangs. Buell finished with 179 yards rushing on nine carries and completed 7 of 7 passes for 134 yards, with one interception. “He was a monster today, and he has been all season,” Blauvelt said. “He wanted the third title. He was the driving force. I talk a lot about the senior class and how special they were. They wanted it. Haylen likes football. He likes to be physical, and that mindset rubbed off on everyone.” After Montabella’s opening touchdown, Martin answered with a 3-yard run and 2-point conversion by Buell for an 8-8 tie after one quarter. The Clippers took over the game in the second quarter, scoring 30 points for a 38-8 halftime lead. Bryer Watson began the scoring with an 81-yard TD run, with Buell tacking on a 44-yard TD run. After Seth Toris ran for a 1-yard score, Buell found Anderson Keeler for a 25-yard touchdown pass. Toris also ran for a pair of 2-point conversions. Elkins, who ran for a 2-pointer in the second quarter, scored on a 52-yard run in the third quarter, with Buell hitting Watson for the conversion. Buell finished the scoring with a 62-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. Martin totaled 498 yards of offense, including 364 on the ground. Montabella was held to 101 yards rushing and 87 passing. Watson added six carries for 111 yards for the Clippers, with Ethan Greene catching four passes for 23 yards. Watson added two catches for 68 yards. Isaac Suk paced the Martin defense with six tackles, while Buell added five unassisted tackles and two assists. Noah Carlson had five tackles for Montabella, which made its first state final appearance. Gabriel Kauffman led Montabella with eight carries for 54 yards, completing 9 of 22 passes for 87 yards. “This class, this team was special,” Blauvelt said. “Before the season, we asked them to play with great effort, be selfless and be a teammate. “And they did.”.
https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2025/11/martin-completes-redemption-tour-with-8-player-division-1-football-state-title-win-over-montabella.html

10 things we’re watching in Patriots’ Week 12 matchup with Bengals

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The Bengals are preparing to face a much different Patriots team than the one they played in Week 1 of last season. The Patriots were able to come away with the victory in Jerod Mayo’s first game as head coach, but they only managed to win three more games all season. The Patriots now are 9-2, riding an eight-game winning streak and are tied with the best record in the AFC as they get set to take on the 3-7 Bengals. The Bengals are just three years removed from a conference championship loss, and it’s been just four years since their last Super Bowl appearance. It’s amazing how quickly things can flip in the NFL. One thing is for certain: The Patriots are in much, much better shape this year with Mike Vrabel as their head coach, Josh McDaniels as the offensive coordinator and Drake Maye, not Jacoby Brissett, starting at quarterback. Here’s what we’re watching on Sunday at 1 p. m. in Cincinnati: • The Bengals reportedly will not activate quarterback Joe Burrow from injured reserve in time for Sunday’s game, despite his return to full participation in practice earlier this week. That means Joe Flacco will continue to start. It’s debatable how comfortable Burrow would have looked in a rusty return to the field coming off of a turf toe injury, but this is still a win for the Patriots. Burrow, at this best, is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. Flacco has been solid since joining the Bengals, but he’s got a 1-4 record with Cincinnati, and he’s 2-7 on the season, including his time with the Browns. • The Patriots don’t need to worry about Ja’Marr Chase this week, since he made the inadvisable decision to spit at Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey last week and got himself suspended. But they will still need to cover Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, a popular target for the Patriots in free agency until he was franchised and went on to sign a contract extension with the Bengals. On third down and critical situations, expect Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez to shadow Higgins, who’s the Bengals’ No. 2 receiver but is as talented and high-powered as a No. 1. Higgins has 35 catches for 544 yards with seven touchdowns this season. The Bengals’ other wide receivers are Andrei Iosivas and Mitchell Tinsley. • Running back Chase Brown’s numbers don’t jump off the page, but the Bengals rank fourth in rushing DVOA, second in EPA/rush and eighth in rushing success rate. Their offensive line is just 21st in ESPN’s run block success rate, and Brown ranks 25th in rush yards over expected, so there’s something funky going on there. The Patriots’ run defense has been tremendous this season, but they did appear to miss Milton Williams after he left last week’s win over the Jets. Expect his snaps to be split between Khyiris Tonga and Cory Durden. Rookies Joshua Farmer and Eric Gregory also could take on bigger roles. • Williams is the Patriots’ best or second-best defender, with Gonzalez being his biggest competition. The Patriots do have nice depth at defensive tackle behind starter Christian Barmore, however. Tonga and Durden are having career years, and Farmer and Gregory have had solid moments. • The Bengals’ pass-block win rate ranks just 29th this season, per ESPN, and they’re 23rd in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency. The Patriots’ pass rush has been inconsistent this season, and losing Williams for the next four games will hurt. On the edge, K’Lavon Chaisson is also having a career year with 6. 5 sacks through 10 games. Fellow starting outside linebacker Harold Landry III has slowed in recent weeks. Could the Patriots give rookies Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson more opportunities? Ponder, an undrafted free agent, has sacks in two straight games. Swinson, a fifth-round pick, was signed off of the practice squad and could be set to make his NFL debut against the Bengals. • The Patriots’ offense should be back at full strength this week with wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) and running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) back. Boutte, one of the league’s best deep threats, has missed the last two games. Stevenson has been out for three games. The Patriots weathered the storm without those two, but facing the league’s worst defense, per DVOA, it could be a highly productive day for the offense. • Boutte will likely take his reps back from rookie Kyle Williams, who caught a 72-yard touchdown against the Buccaneers but was otherwise ineffective in Boutte’s place. Maye and Boutte had forged an impressive downfield connection through the first half of the season. • Rookie TreVeyon Henderson took on a much larger role in Stevenson’s absence. Prior to Stevenson’s injury, Henderson was largely a change-of-pace back. Henderson had a 147-yard, two-touchdown performance in Week 10 and scored three touchdowns in Week 11. He’s not built for an every-down role, but his effectiveness and big-play ability should cut into Stevenson’s playing time. Without any inside information, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them split snaps. • Two key Bengals defenders, defensive end Trey Hendrickson and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, are also out. Without Hendrickson rushing from the right side, rookie left tackle Will Campbell shouldn’t have an overly difficult matchup this week. Maye has been sacked a lot this season, but he reiterated this week that most of those were his fault. The Patriots’ offensive line has been much, much better this year. • This should be a blowout. Game prediction: Patriots win 38-13 against an undermanned Bengals team.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/11/22/10-things-were-watching-in-patriots-week-12-matchup-with-bengals/

Ramapo football flips the script, defeats Phillipsburg in Group 4 semifinals

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When Casey Grusser stepped off the bus he was immediately hit with the bitter memories of the last time he and his Ramapo teammates walked into Phillipsburg’s Maloney Stadium. It was a 35-6 loss, a result that has remained in the back of his mind for the 52 weeks since then. “Coming off the bus. I was like, man, we lost here last year,” Grusser said. “I don’t want this to happen again. “It’s really nostalgic coming back here. I know we lost last year, so I had that feeling in my mouth right as I’m getting off the bus today. All the other guys did as well. We really needed this one today and we did just that.” With memories from that lost lingering, Grusser and Ramapo not only flipped the script but rewrote the narrative about their physicality, with a 41-20 victory over Phillipsburg in the NJSIAA Group 4 semifinals. Ramapo (11-1) scored touchdowns on six of its first seven possessions as it totaled 344 yards of total offense, including 158 on the ground. Ramapo will now play for the Group 4 championship 3 p. m. Nov. 30 at Rutgers University against the winner of Saturday’s Winslow-Brick Memorial matchup. “I’d be lying to you if I said that we haven’t talked about coming back here and getting a chance to play them again,” Ramapo head coach Nick Guttuso said. “And look, Phillipsburg, I got the utmost respect for their program, for their tradition. But we have a great tradition too, and I’m really thrilled that our kids came out and prepared all year because like I said, our offseason was focused on how can we get a little bit better if we get back in this position to win the game.” Ramapo (11-1) held a 14-10 lead late in the second quarter, when it made a pair of game changing plays in the final minute. With Phillipsburg (10-2) driving and threatening to enter the intermission with a lead, linebacker Jack Schneider intercepted a pass at the 40 and returned it to the Phillipsburg 38 with 38 seconds left. Following Schneider’s sixth interception of the season, Grusser completed an 11-yard pass to Salvatore Livoti, scrambled for nine yards, then completed consecutive passes to Joseph Yessis to bring the ball to the 8 with nine seconds remaining. On the final play of the half, Grusser stepped back to pass, then took off, lunging towards the end zone and with an outstretched right arm, crossed the goal line to make it 21-10. “I just had to make a play myself,” said Grusser, who completed 16 of 17 passes for 186 yards. “Nobody was really open on the right side, so I just made a play and got it for the touchdown. ” Building off the momentum of the score, Ramapo added to its lead with Gino Gorga’s second rushing TD of the night. Phillipsburg trimmed the deficit to 11 with Sam Dech’s second 1-yard rushing score of the game late in the third quarter. The host Stateliners never got closer as Liam Hayward’s power rushing combined with a pair of fourth quarter TD pass by Grusser to Yessis and Mike Viksjo put the game away. “You can’t turn the ball over against a really good team,” Phillipsburg head coach Frank Duffy said. “You can’t have self-inflicted wounds, you can’t have turnovers against good teams. You got to be able to stop the run. We didn’t do that. So all the things that go into winning football that we’ve done consistently all year, we just didn’t do tonight.” Hayward, who opened the scoring with a 3-yard rushing TD just 61 seconds into the game, ran for 84 of his 107 yards in the second half behind the blocking of Peter Amerio, Finn Kirwan, Luke Gurba, Matthew Shifar and Harrison Kearney. As a team, Ramapo ran for 110 second half yards on just 17 carries in the second half. Despite holding the ball for just 15: 27, it was the seventh time this season Ramapo scored 40 or more points. Phillipsburg was able to control the clock with its own power rushing attack, as Dech (21 carries for 145 yards) carried the ball eight consecutive plays, and nine times overall in a seven-plus minute first quarter drive that culminated in Dech’s 1-yard touchdown. Phillipsburg now sets its sights on its annual Thanksgiving showdown with Easton, unsatisfied with a season that produced a second consecutive sectional title. “They don’t give you parades for getting this far. They give you parades for finishing the job,” said Duffy. “This is what the deal is here. So, we expect to be here every single year. “The reality is you really can’t (dwell on this loss), you got to get back to work. We’ve got the biggest game on our schedule and our most important game coming up on Thursday.”.
https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/highschoolsports/2025/11/ramapo-football-flips-the-script-defeats-phillipsburg-in-group-4-semifinals.html

BYU wins in familiar, dramatic fashion to advance to Sweet 16

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For the second weekend in a row, No. 5 seeded BYU advanced in the NCAA women’s soccer tournament on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw. This time the Cougars took down No. 4 seed UCLA Friday night at Stanford, topping the Bruins 4-2 in the shootout and propelling BYU to its sixth Sweet 16 appearance in its last 10 seasons. Much like the week before, BYU junior goalkeeper Chelsea Peterson came up big for the Cougars in penalty kicks Friday. Peterson, who became BYU’s starter less than a month ago, blocked the first two UCLA attempts. The Cougars, on the other hand, scored on all of their tries, shortening the shootout to just four attempts by each team. Despite being outshot on the night 27-17 and giving up 10 corner kicks, BYU kept pace with the Bruins, using an impressive defensive effort to claim the upset. The two sides met earlier this season in August at South Field, the Cougars earning the victory on a first half penalty kick from junior forward Ellie Walbruch. The squads kept each other scoreless the rest of the way that evening, playing to a 1-0 final. They picked up right where they left off in August on Friday, blanking each other in the first half. It marked just the 10th goal the Bruins had given up all season, but the fourth consecutive match that the Los Angeles school had allowed a score. In the 81st minute, however, UCLA redshirt senior midfielder Emma Egizii equalized, recovering a Cougar deflection in the box off her own shot before drilling a second-touch goal inside the far post. Despite BYU’s struggles to control the ball for the better portion of the rest of the match, the Cougars did just enough to put themselves back into another shootout. Following the shootout, the Bruins’ season comes to an end. They finished the year at 12-5-4. In contrast, BYU continues its improbable run and remains undefeated in its last six matches, having won the Big 12’s postseason championship earlier this month before advancing past Utah State last week in the first round of the NCAA tournament. BYU will look to continue its upward trend as it moves onward, awaiting the winner of No. 1 seed Stanford and No. 8 seed Alabama later Friday night. Whichever team they play, the Cougars’ Sweet 16 matchup is set to begin Monday afternoon at 2 p. m. MST.
https://www.deseret.com/sports/2025/11/21/byu-cougars-ucla-bruins-ncaa-soccer-second-round-recap/

Encinitas surfer Alyssa Spencer wins third SurferGirl Surf Pro

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Encinitas professional surfer Alyssa Spencer won SurferGirl Surf Pro on Nov. 9 in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. The World Surf League Qualifying Series (QS) win was the 22-year-old Spencer’s third time in her career donning the Super Girl cape, the first ever to do it at the QS level, tying Hawaiian surfer Coco Ho. “Incredibly blessed to be a part of such an amazing event,” Spencer posted on Instagram, celebrating her historic win. “I attended my first SuperGirl Pro when I was seven years old, bright eyed, and dreaming of doing what those girls were doing one day. It was also my very first QS event I did at 12 years old where I finally got to surf against some of my idols. Over the years these events have inspired and pushed me in so many ways and been a huge part of my career.” The SuperGirl victory was also Spencer’s second this month, going back-to-back after winning the La Marginal Surfing Pro in Arecibo, Puerto Rico on Nov. 2. According to a press release, Spencer now moves to number one in the North American region in the QS tier, and currently sits in the 11th spot on the Challenger Series with the hopes of returning to the WSL Championship Tour, the highest level of surf competition. “I’m just always trying to have fun. I love surfing so much, and having fun is what it’s all about,” said Spencer in the news release. “I would just say thank you so much (to Coco Ho) for all the inspiration that she gave me. It’s really special to have my name right there next to hers as the only two girls to have won three. I came close in Oceanside, and I really wanted to get it here, so I’m so grateful it happened. I miss my family and thank you to my mom, dad, my grandma, and my brother for watching. I love you guys.”.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/11/21/encinitas-surfer-alyssa-spencer-wins-third-surfergirl-surf-pro/

AJ Lee speaks out after WWE RAW return: “This is inappropriate and it is harassment”

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WWE legend AJ Lee recently spoke out against harassment after her massive return to television on the latest edition of Monday Night RAW. The former Divas Champion asked a fan to take down their inappropriate post. On the latest edition of RAW, Becky Lynch locked horns with Maxxine Dupri with the Women’s Intercontinental Championship on the line. Dupri put on an incredible display of action inside the ring, but for the most part, the bout was in The Man’s control. Thanks for the submission! The tide turned in The Alpha Academy star’s favor in the last stages of the match after AJ Lee made her surprising return to WWE TV. to speak out against online harassment by a fan, who uploaded an AI-edited photo of himself kissing the former Divas Champion. Lee called out the fan and asked him to take down the inappropriate tweet. “This is inappropriate and it is harassment. Please delete,” she wrote. Check out her post below: CM Punk talked about AJ Lee’s WWE return During a recent edition of the Mostly Sports With Mark Titus and Brandon Walker podcast, CM Punk said it was “super awesome” to have his wife, AJ Lee, back in WWE. The Best in the World added that he wanted Lee to experience how different the current locker room was and how she has inspired so many women to chase their dreams of becoming a wrestler. “It’s awesome. Super, super awesome. I’m just excited that she gets to experience like what a different place it is now and like how much it’s changed and like how her influence has, you know, created all these other women to follow their dreams. Like it’s been amazing, it’s been fun,” he said. It remains to be seen what the Triple H-led creative team has planned for AJ Lee’s future in WWE.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe/news-aj-lee-speaks-wwe-raw-return-this-inappropriate-harassment

Check out the behind-the-scenes drama at ONE Championship’s massive ONE 173 event in Tokyo last weekend

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ONE 173: Superbon vs Noiri was everything it was built out to be, delivering the biggest martial arts event of 2025 to fight fans worldwide. With 16 memorable bouts inside the packed Ariake Arena in Tokyo last November 16, the star-studded night was a martial arts fan’s dream event featuring the highest levels of MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling. Apart from the five world titles hanging in the balance, there were also plenty of inspiring redemption stories that filled out the rest of the card. The night belonged to Superbon, who unified the ONE featherweight kickboxing world titles with a striking masterclass against hometown bet Masaaki Noiri in the headlining act. Meanwhile, Yuya Wakamatsu also proved he is the best 135-pound fighter in the world by finishing Joshua Pacio in the co-main event. Perhaps the most emotional moment of the magical night featured Takeru Segawa redeeming himself to the Japanese fans with a vintage performance by knocking out Denis Puric. Also captured was Stamp Fairtex’s roller coaster of emotions in her first fight in two years after recovering from a career-threatening injury. Marat Grigorian and Rukiya Anpo’s heated rivalry also reached its conclusion, while Yuki Yoza shot to superstardom by beating the mighty Superlek. Watch the full vlog here: ONE Championship confirms return to Tokyo in 2026 ONE Championship continues to bring grand spectacles to ‘The Land of the Rising Sun’. Fresh off the massive success of ONE 173, the home of martial arts confirmed it will be returning to the Ariake Arena for ONE 175 on April 29, 2026. ONE Championship confirmed on its social media pages: “Mark your calendars 🗓️ ONE Championship returns to Ariake Arena in Tokyo on April 29, 2026 for ONE 175!” While nothing is set in stone yet, this event will be the perfect avenue for Takeru’s retirement fight against Rodtang.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-check-behind-the-scenes-drama-one-championship-s-massive-one-173-event-tokyo-last-weekend

Floating soccer pitch hits SF Bay ahead of National Women’s Soccer championship this weekend

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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Drive along San Francisco’s waterfront in the coming days, and you might see an unexpected sight: a soccer pitch on a barge. It’s there to celebrate the upcoming National Women’s Soccer Championship. “Being able to see the cityscape and being able to share the excitement for NWSL’s championship week here in the Bay Area is what we’re all about,” said Brendan Hannan. The floating field will host a series of events beginning Thursday. All of them are designed to help get fans involved and excited ahead of the big game. Hannan is a spokesperson for the NWSL. He believes this weekend’s events will help increase the league’s visibility and popularity. MORE: NFL, Bay Area Host Committee announce venues for Super Bowl 60 events “Some of the best players in the world play in our league here, and this is the opportunity to see the showcase of that,” Hannan said. Women’s professional sports, and especially soccer, have been exploding in popularity. Matthew Atencio, of the Center for Sport and Social Justice at Cal State East Bay, says the trend has been years in the making. “We’re coming up on just over 50 years since Title IX legislation, gender equity in sports. And I really think we’re seeing the fruits of that legislation now with the explosion of professional women’s sports,” Atencio said. This weekend’s soccer championship is only the first of several big sporting events that will happen in the Bay Area. MORE: Bay FC soccer game makes history with new attendance record of 40, 000 people at SF’s Oracle Park Next year, our region will also host the World Cup as well as the Super Bowl. Those events are expected to bring increased tourism and revenue into our region. But local officials hope they also help shape the Bay Area’s image of being a major sports hub. “I think this is a great sports town and a great sports community. You have sort of all of the great history within the sport here,” Hannan said. The NWSL championship game will take place Saturday at 5 p. m.
https://abc7news.com/post/floating-soccer-pitch-hits-san-francisco-bay-ahead-national-womens-league-championship-weekend/18176995/