Sports
Is Tuli Tuipulotu the next Joey Bosa for the Chargers? Edge rusher 'does it all'
Tuli Tuipulotu is still finding his voice.
Naturally, he speaks through force on the field — a relentless pass rusher with a patented spin move that is disruptive to most offenses. Yet the third-year edge rusher for the Chargers remains reserved and soft-spoken in the locker room, still growing into his presence.
“He’s a quiet dude,” said Khalil Mack. “But when he speaks up, everybody listens.”
In the past, the homegrown talent — a Lawndale High product who played just 10 minutes from the Chargers’ facility — identified himself as an “underdog.” Now, he’s coming into his own vocally, stepping out of that label and doing it so convincingly that Mack, a future Hall of Famer, wants even more from him.
“When we’re on the field, signals being called on the sidelines, he kind of calls it,” Mack added. “He’s always been that guy anyway. Just to hear him speak in the room and speak in a group, amongst the defense, everybody hears him loud and clear.”
Since his rookie year, Tuipulotu has filled in as a spot starter. But with franchise stalwart Joey Bosa’s departure to Buffalo in the offseason, Tuipulotu could be primed for a breakout season, becoming a central piece in what was the top-ranked defense last season.
Even with more snaps and higher expectations, his standard hasn’t changed.
“I’ve been starting since my rookie year, and if that’s my role this year, then it’s going to feel the same,” Tuipulotu said. “I don’t think it’s anything different from what I’ve been doing.”
What has changed is Tuipulotu’s role as a leader.
“That comes with credibility,” he said. “You can’t just talk and not have stuff to back you up. I wouldn’t say I’ve been talking too much, but I’ve been talking enough.”
Last season, Tuipulotu boosted his credibility by filling in for Mack, who missed time because of an injury, and Bosa, who could never get fully healthy when trying to return from injury.
Despite starting just nine games, Tuipulotu logged 732 defensive snaps — a heavy workload that showcased his rising potential. He led the Chargers with 8½ sacks and emerged as a key piece of a defense that ranked top seven in total sacks (46).
The conversation now shifts to Tuipulotu’s ceiling. With Bosa gone, he’ll take over a starting role and see a major uptick in snaps. Still, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and veterans such as Mack remain measured — careful not to pile too much pressure or expectation on the 22-year-old.
Chargers linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu (45) pursues Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) last season at SoFi Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“You wish you could clone and have a bunch of him.”
— Ryan Ficken, Chargers special teams coach, on Tuli Tuipulotu
Even so, those around him can’t help but be impressed by his playmaking ability and growing comfort in Year 2 of Minter’s system.
“The really good players — can they do what you want them to do, but also have that little magic where sometimes they go outside of their realm and make a play?” Minter said. “They’ve always been that way, and he can be that.”
Opposite him on the edge, Mack says he is “taking all the steps and is playing all the different roles — inside, outside, dropping [into coverage]. He does it all.”
“I want to see him ball and make plays this year,” Mack added. “Not putting too much on him. I know what I expect from him this year … [It’s] just letting it happen naturally, just putting the action to it and not speaking on it too much.”
Early in his career, Tuipulotu’s versatility kept him on the field, particularly on special teams — a role that might now take a back seat despite his influence.
As a backup, he logged 339 snaps on kickoff and field-goal units, second most on the team. While Tuipulotu stays willing to contribute wherever needed, his coaches remain cautious, careful not to overextend him or slow his defensive development.
“You wish you could clone and have a bunch of him,” special teams coach Ryan Ficken said. “But there’s some give and take. Now you gotta take [his starting role] into consideration. … He wants to do it all. He wants to play on all those phases, and it’s just going to depend on the situation.”
Those around Tuipulotu are noticing his growing confidence — through his actions on the field and his voice off it. Building that confidence has been a key focus early in training camp, and he aims to carry it through the season.
With his elevated responsibilities, confidence will be key to his success as he steps into a new position that comes with leadership expectations and greater demands. For now, though, he isn’t making it bigger than it needs to be.
“It’s a game,” Tuipulotu said, nonchalantly. “It’s not hard to go out there and do your best. This is what we do. This is what we love to do.”
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LAS VEGAS – Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio were once brothers in arms in the Judgment Day. The two helped the faction run “Monday Night Raw” for several years.
As championships and opportunities came and went, the rift between Balor and Mysterio grew. It came to a head when Balor caused Mysterio to lose the Intercontinental Championship to Penta. Balor leaving the Judgment Day left Mysterio and Liv Morgan as the leaders with JD McDonagh, Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez sticking around.
Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The latter four chose to ride with Mysterio and attacked Balor on one episode of Raw.
The bitter war led to a match Sunday night at WrestleMania 42. To make matters more interesting, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce made the match a street fight hours before the show was set to begin.
Balor had vowed to bring the “Demon” out and he certainly did.
JACOB FATU PUTS DREW MCINTYRE IN THE ‘REAR VIEW’ IN UNSANCTIONED MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA 42
Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Balor made his way to the ring in his “Demon” gear, dripping with red and black paint. Mysterio was in a mask with other Mysterio supporters.
The two then proceeded to beat the crud out of each other.
Mysterio wrapped Balor’s head in between a chair and hit a 619 on him. He tried to pin Balor, but to no avail. At another point, Mysterio tossed Balor through a table set up in the corner.
As many have learned, it’s hard to keep your demons down. Mysterio learned the hard way.
Balor would not give up. Balor clotheslined Mysterio, hit him with a chair multiple times before wrapping his head in between the chair and drop-kicking him into the corner. Balor put Mysterio onto a table and hit the Coup de Grâce for the win.
Dominik Mysterio is introduced before his match against Finn Balor during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Balor excised his own demons, while Mysterio is still haunted.
DENVER — What do you know? The once-stampeding Dodgers have been caged by the Colorado Rockies.
With a 9-6 loss Sunday at Coors Field, the two-time defending World Series champions lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Dodgers again couldn’t hold a lead, letting the Rockies tee off for 15 hits.
Nor could the Dodgers keep up offensively at the hitter-friendly park — though they put some pressure on in the ninth inning, when Shohei Ohtani led off with a ground-rule double and the Dodgers scored twice to cut the lead to three runs. Then the new guy, Ryan Ward, made the final out in his big league debut, robbed of a hit and a chance to keep chipping away by a diving Troy Johnston in right field.
Before that, the Rockies — who beat the Dodgers twice in 13 meetings all of last season — chased starter Roki Sasaki from the game in the fifth inning and then ruffled the Dodgers’ relievers. That included closer Edwin Díaz, who came on in the eighth and promptly gave up three singles, a walk and two runs before being pulled with the Dodgers trailing 8-4.
Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki gave up three runs on seven hits in 4-2/3 innings Sunday against the Rockies in Denver.
(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
He and Blake Treinen combined to face eight batters without getting an out.
“They both weren’t sharp,” said manager Dave Roberts, who had theories but not many answers — though he did have real concern, especially about Díaz, who recently had his right knee checked out by the medical staff.
Roberts said the closer wanted to pitch after nine days off, even though it wasn’t a save situation. But his velocity was slightly down (95.4 mph vs. 95.8) and so, “today was a tough evaluation,” the manager said.
“It really was,” Roberts said. “Because, you know, I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really.”
And losing for the second time to the Rockies, who are now 9-13? Being in danger of losing their four-game series, after arriving in Denver without having lost to a National League opponent, against a club that hasn’t made the postseason since 2018?
It’s well below the bar the Dodgers have set, and it added a bitter note to Ward’s otherwise sweet debut.
Ward punched a big league clock for the first time wearing No. 67 and cranked his first hit off Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen in the fourth inning, lining a changeup to right field for a single that scored Andy Pages, made it 3-0 and got the 20-some members of Ward’s party up, jumping in place, hugging and high-fiving.
“When I was on first base, I got to see them all jumping around up there,” Ward said. “That was a pretty special moment.”
He also singled in the sixth and swung on the first pitch in his first at-bat, a fly out in the third inning.
The Dodgers gave Sasaki a 2-0 lead in the third. Alex Freeland drove in Hyeseong Kim, and Shohei Ohtani doubled in Freeland — and extended his career-best on-base streak to 51 games, moving past Willie Keeler into third place in Dodgers history.
Sasaki went 4-2/3 innings, threw 78 pitches and gave up three runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking two. His ERA after his fourth start: 6.11, worst in the six-man rotation.
The Dodgers fell behind 6-5 in the seventh when Treinen — who was cleared Friday after he was struck in the head by a batted ball during batting practice — gave up four consecutive hits, including a two-run home run by Mickey Moniak.
The result likely will be a minor detail when Ward tells the story years from now about getting the call after first baseman Freddie Freeman was placed on the paternity list.
The Dodgers’ No. 19 prospect and reigning Pacific Coast League MVP spent the last seven years in the minors. Last season, he hit 36 home runs and drove in 122 runs with a .937 on-base-plus-slugging percentage for triple-A Oklahoma City, and he has a 1.020 OPS and four homers this year.
Ward made it a point to improve his chase rate, draw more walks and get on base more frequently, everything the Dodgers asked of him. He also passed the broadest patience test.
“The plate discipline, being a better hitter … he’s done all that,” Roberts said. “He’s improved his defense. But honestly, for me, just not to let his lack of opportunity in the big leagues deter him. That’s easy when you get frustrated and let it affect performance, and he hasn’t done that.”
If anything, Ward said, the waiting made him better.
“I used it to keep going. ‘OK, if I’m not there yet, what do I have to do to get there?’” he said. “‘What part of my game do I need to work on to keep getting better?’
“I used it as fire to keep working.”
That will be the Dodgers’ assignment too.
In the finale of the four-game series Monday, the Dodgers are expected to start left-hander Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) against Colorado left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63).
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LAS VEGAS – Danhausen’s curse may be real after all – just ask Stephen A. Smith and the New York Mets.
While the latter dropped their 10th game in a row, Smith got his share of the curse on Saturday night during Night 1 of WrestleMania 42. Smith was in attendance for WWE’s premier event of the year and heard massive boos from the crowd.
Stephen A. Smith attends WrestleMania 42: Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)
Smith was sitting ringside to watch the action. The ESPN star appeared on the videoboard above the ring at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. He appeared to embrace the reaction and smiled through it.
The boos came after Danhausen appeared on “First Take” on Friday – much to the chagrin of the sports pundit. Smith appeared perplexed by Danhausen’s appearance. Smith said he heard about Danhausen and called him a “bad luck charm.”
Danhausen said Smith had been “rude” to him and put the dreaded “curse” on the commentator.
WWE STAR DANHAUSEN SAYS METS ‘CURSE’ ISN’T EXACTLY LIFTED AS TEAM DROPS NINTH STRAIGHT GAME
Stephen A. Smith attends WrestleMania 42: Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)
Smith is far from the only one dealing with the effects of the “curse.”
Danhausen agreed to “un-curse” the Mets during their losing streak. However, he told Fox News Digital earlier this week that there was a reason why the curse’s removal didn’t take full effect.
“I did un-curse the Mets. But it didn’t work because, I believe it was Brian Gewirtz who did not pay Danhausen. He did not send me my money so it did not take full effect,” Danhausen said. “Once I have the money, perhaps it will actually work because right now it’s probably about a half of an un-cursing. It’s like a layaway situation.”
Danhausen enters the arena before his match against Kit Wilson during SmackDown at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on April 10, 2026. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
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On “Friday Night SmackDown,” WWE stars like The Miz and Kit Wilson were also targets of Danhausen’s curse.
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