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Nothing irrelevant about the Patrick Mahomes vs. Brock Purdy Super Bowl showdown

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Nothing irrelevant about the Patrick Mahomes vs. Brock Purdy Super Bowl showdown

Talk about a couple of one-armed bandits.

On one side, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a two-time NFL and Super Bowl most valuable player.

On the other, San Francisco’s Brock Purdy, the onetime “Mr. Irrelevant” who finished this season with a league-best passer rating of 113.0.

Both will be on display on the NFL’s biggest stage Sunday in a Super Bowl rematch from the 2019 season, when the Chiefs overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to claim the Lombardi Trophy.

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That game was in South Florida, which has hosted more Super Bowls (11) than any region. This one for the first time is in Las Vegas, a city the NFL once shunned but has increasingly embraced amid changing views on legalized sports betting.

“The integrity of our game is critical,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “And so we spend a lot of time focusing on that, educating, making sure that all of our personnel are aware of our gambling policies, in this case or any other policy that can affect the integrity of our game.”

It’s not unusual for the Super Bowl spotlight to be trained on the quarterbacks. But they will share that Sunday with pop superstar Taylor Swift, expected to be jetting in from her Eras Tour in Japan to support her boyfriend, Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce.

“Internally for us in the locker room is not that big of a deal,” Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker said of the romance that has captured worldwide attention. “But whenever I go to my phone and click on the news you see Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. When I got to meet her around New Year’s, she was just so humble and down to earth. She was very nice.”

Kelce, meanwhile, is zeroed in on the task at hand.

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Asked about the drive for another championship, he said: “That expectation has become a demand at this point. I know the years that we haven’t won since we won our first one have felt like the biggest losses of my life. So it’s just having that mentality year in, year out, and putting the expectations on yourself, making sure that no one puts higher expectations on us more than us. We’re here to win this thing, baby. That’s for sure.”

San Francisco made it to the NFC championship game last season but came unraveled in Philadelphia after losing Purdy to a serious elbow injury. This year, the 49ers are favored by 2½ points thanks in part to the play of running back Christian McCaffrey, the league’s offensive player of the year, who has 25 touchdowns from scrimmage this season (including playoffs), the most in franchise history.

The Chiefs are playing in their fourth Super Bowl in five years, and have the chance to become the first franchise to win back-to-back titles since the New England Patriots in 2003 and ’04.

San Francisco has won five Super Bowls, but the last of those victories came in the 1994 season, almost five years before Purdy was born.

“When you’re young and naive, you think when you go so early in your career it’s like, ‘Man, this is just what it’s like, you go to the Super Bowl every year,’” said 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, who got there in his second season. “That’s not what the case is.”

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Mahomes is already being compared by some people to NFL great Tom Brady, even though their styles are markedly different. Brady retired with seven Super Bowl rings — three in his first four seasons.

“I’m not even close to halfway, so I haven’t put a lot of thought into it,” Mahomes said of the comparisons. “I mean, your goal is to be the best player that you can be. I know I’m blessed to be around a lot of great players. And so, right now, it’s doing whatever I can to beat a great 49ers team and try to get that third ring. And then if you ask me that question in 15 years, and I’ll see if I can get close to seven. But seven seems like a long ways away still.”

Whereas Chiefs coach Andy Reid has won two Super Bowls and is destined to wind up in the Hall of Fame, the 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan is still looking for his first. Shanahan has a chance to refashion his legacy, bruised by fourth-quarter Super Bowl collapses against New England (when he was Atlanta’s offensive coordinator) and Kansas City in Super Bowl LI.

“I’ve been able to coach in two Super Bowls and both of them are heartbreaking,” he conceded. “Those things last a while. But it’s all about getting back there again, and that’s what I’m excited for today.”

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Becky Lynch enters exclusive WWE club with Women’s Intercontinental Championship win at WrestleMania 42

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Becky Lynch enters exclusive WWE club with Women’s Intercontinental Championship win at WrestleMania 42

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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)

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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)

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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.

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Letters to Sports: Clippers were oh so close, yet so far

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Letters to Sports: Clippers were oh so close, yet so far

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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

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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
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‘The Naked Gun’ actor Paul Walter Hauser bloodies opponent at Maple Leaf Pro’s first US show

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‘The Naked Gun’ actor Paul Walter Hauser bloodies opponent at Maple Leaf Pro’s first US show

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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)

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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

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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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