Sports
Jared Goff and Lions continue to defy history, setting up showdown with 49ers
Jared Goff versus Everybody.
The Detroit Lions quarterback came out on the winning side Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — and fellow No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield — and now faces the other end of the spectrum.
The Lions are headed to the NFC championship game to play at the San Francisco 49ers, led by quarterback Brock Purdy, the last player selected in the 2022 draft.
In the AFC title game, it’s Kansas City at Baltimore for the right to play in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.
The Chiefs, who held on for a 27-24 victory at Buffalo, are headed for their sixth consecutive AFC championship game. That ties them for the second-longest such streak in NFL history.
Goff is already treading on historic ground. His Lions won back-to-back playoff games for the first time since 1957, having knocked off his old team, the Rams, in the wild-card round followed by a 31-23 divisional win over Tampa Bay.
The Lions made the NFC title game during the 1991 season, but began in the divisional round so they needed just one postseason win to get to the doorstep of the Super Bowl. This time, it took two wins.
The top-seeded 49ers, who will play at 3:30 p.m. PST Sunday, open as seven-point favorites.
Detroit is one of four teams to never have played in a Super Bowl, along with Cleveland, Houston and Jacksonville. Goff stood on the turf at Ford Field after the victory and soaked in the appreciation from the towel-twirling crowd.
Detroit linebacker Derrick Barnes (55) celebrates with teammates after intercepting a pass from Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield to seal the Lions’ win Sunday.
(Rick Osentoski / Associated Press)
“They’re the best,” he said. “Look around right now. They’re not going to leave here for quite some time. And this is our last one in front of them and they were special tonight as they were last week. But they deserve it. They deserve this. They deserve to enjoy this and hope to give them a lot more moving forward.”
Goff is 3-6 in his starts against the 49ers, the first nine of those coming in his years with the Rams. He grew up in the Bay Area as a 49ers fan and played collegiately at Cal, where the Rams made him the No. 1 pick in 2016.
“I get to go back home … play in front of some friends and family,” he said on the NBC broadcast. “[The 49ers] are a great team and it will be a great matchup.”
San Francisco advanced to the conference championship game Saturday night with a closer-than-expected, 24-21 victory over Green Bay.
The AFC matchup pits two-time most valuable player Patrick Mahomes and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, in line for his second MVP honor. They kick off at noon.
For the second consecutive year, the Bills lost at home in the divisional round.
“The defense, they turned it on in that fourth quarter,” Mahomes said of his teammates in the CBS postgame interview. “That is a great offense and a great football player in [Bills quarterback] Josh Allen, and a great team. They were going up and down the field, and the defense said, `Enough is enough.’ They got the stops.”
Sports
Becky Lynch enters exclusive WWE club with Women’s Intercontinental Championship win at WrestleMania 42
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LAS VEGAS – Becky Lynch entered an atmosphere no other WWE women’s superstar has ever reached as she won the Women’s Intercontinental Championship over AJ Lee on Saturday night at WrestleMania 42.
Lynch became the first person to hold the Women’s Intercontinental Championship three times after she pinned Lee. She first won the title against Lyra Valkyria in June 2025 and then again against Maxxine Dupri in November.
Becky Lynch celebrates with the belt after defeating AJ Lee during their women’s Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
She dropped the belt to Lee at the Elimination Chamber, sparking a monthslong feud with her.
Lee gave Lynch the chance at the title in the weeks prior to WrestleMania 42. But it appeared Lee played right into Lynch’s plans. Despite arguing with referee Jessica Carr for most of the match, Lynch was able to tactfully tear down a rope buckle and use it to her advantage.
Lynch hit Lee with a Manhandle Slam and pinned her for the win.
WWE STARS REVEAL WHAT MAKES WRESTLEMANIA SO SPECIAL: ‘IT’S THE SUPER BOWL OF PRO WRESTLING’
AJ Lee reacts after losing to Becky Lynch in their Women’s Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
It’s the second straight year Lynch will leave Las Vegas as champion. She returned to WWE at WrestleMania 41, teaming with Valkyria, to win the women’s tag titles. She will now leave Allegiant Stadium as the women’s intercontinental champion.
Lynch is now a seven-time women’s champion, three-time women’s intercontinental champion and two-time tag team champion.
Becky Lynch withstands AJ Lee during their Women’s Intercontinental Championship match on night one of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Lee’s reign as champion ended really before it could really begin. WrestleMania 42 was her first appearance at the event in 11 years. It’s unclear where Lee will go from here.
Sports
Letters to Sports: Clippers were oh so close, yet so far
The Clippers’ season has come to an end but better than anyone expected. No consolation but a great job by head coach Tyronn Lue for guiding the Clippers from a disastrous 6-21 start and finishing with more than 40 wins.
Coach Lue led the team, overcoming major obstacles throughout the season with a player investigation, injuries, internal strife and major roster changes at the trade deadline. As usual for Clipper fans, wait till next year.
Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos
The Clippers are the NBA’s version of Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle With You.” Yes, they have had 15 straight seasons of playing .500 or better, and owner Steve Ballmer has brought them respectability, but for their entire 56-year existence — which has contained many clowns and jokers — they still have never [attained] their goal of winning (or even reaching) the NBA Finals.
Ken Feldman
Tarzana
Sports
‘The Naked Gun’ actor Paul Walter Hauser bloodies opponent at Maple Leaf Pro’s first US show
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LAS VEGAS – Paul Walter Hauser is an actor who has been in “The Naked Gun,” “Blackbird,” and “Richard Jewell.” But on Friday night at Maple Leaf Pro’s first U.S. event, MLP Multiverse, there was no acting going on.
Hauser squared off against QT Marshall in a sin city street fight at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. It was the final show of Slam Fest. The two pro wrestlers pulled out all the stops and left the ring in complete disarray.
Paul Walter Hauser competed against QT Marshall at Maple Leaf Pro Multiverse on April 18, 2026 in Las Vegas. (Fox News Digital)
It was a rematch of their brawl at Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor event. Marshall went on the attack first, throwing in all kinds of foreign objects into the ring, including a piece of wood wrapped with barbed wire, a table, a cane, chairs and even a door was brought into the match.
Hauser was able to regain momentum in the match. He set up the barbed-wire object in the corner. Marshall countered and was trying to whip Hauser into the barbed wire. However, Hauser stopped himself. As Marshall tried to take Hauser by surprise, the movie star avoided Marshall and tossed him into the barbed wire.
Marshall was busted open, but wasn’t done. Hauser was trying to inflict more pain. He set up a table near one corner of the ring and poured thumbtacks on top of it. Marshall was able to powerbomb Hauser through the tacked table.
Paul Walter Hauser is pictured on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. (Nathan Congleton/NBC)
BLUE PANTHER AND ÚLTIMO GUERRERO STEAL THE SHOW AT CMLL’S FIRST-EVER US EVENT IN LAS VEGAS
Hauser was left with thumbtacks in his back and one in his head. He managed to power through and put Marshall into a sharpshooter. Marshall tapped out. Hauser picked up the victory.
Hauser got his start in pro wrestling in 2023 at Pro Wrestling Revolver. He worked his way through appearances at All Elite Wrestling before he signed with Major League Wrestling in 2024.
He’s currently Progress Wrestling’s Progress proteus champion.
Elsewhere, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) world heavyweight champion Hechicero defended his championship against Jonathan Gresham, Maple Leaf Pro Canadian women’s champion Gisele Shaw fended off Shotzi Blackheart, Persephone and surprise entrant Killer Kelly to keep the title.
Mistico, Mascara Dorada and Amazing Red defeated The Rascalz at Maple Leaf Pro Multiverse on April 18, 2026 in Las Vegas. (Fox News Digital)
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The show started with Subculture, the tag team duo of Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster, defeated Vaughn Vertigo and Guy Cool. The Demand’s Ricochet, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona defeated Sidney Akeem, Michael Oku and Rich Swaan, Steve Borden defeated Kiran Gray and Mistico, Mascara Dorada, Amazing Red defeated The Rascalz – Desmond Xavier, Zachary Wentz and Myron Reed.
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