Sports
Puka Nacua's rapid ascent an inspiration to Polynesian athletes and Hawaiian fans
WAILUKU, Hawaii — From the moment the Rams landed in Maui, Puka Nacua embraced the spotlight and provided sunshine vibes.
The star receiver, with several colorful leis draping his shoulders, turned heads upon arrival at a Monday night luau.
The next morning, flag football players excitedly buzzed “It’s Puka!” as he entered War Memorial Stadium for a Rams workout and clinic. That afternoon, autograph seekers lined up 100-deep for an exclusive afternoon Puka-centric event at a team pop-up store.
On Wednesday, several thousands of fans showed up to see the Rams’ public workout, dozens of them wearing Nacua jerseys.
Nacua, who is of Hawaiian, Samoan and Portuguese descent, welcomed the attention with open arms.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua signs autographs for fans after minicamp practice in Wailuku, Hawaii, on Tuesday.
(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)
“These are people who have similar backgrounds to me,” Nacua said this week. “This is how I was raised — to call everybody Auntie and Uncle, and to be with them and give hugs and kisses, and to eat a lot of food with them.
“This feels like home.”
Nacua, 24, is clearly comfortable in his role.
He is the latest Polynesian NFL star, joining players such as Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell and Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jordan Mailata.
Nacua burst onto the NFL scene in 2023 with a record-setting rookie season. His boundless enthusiasm, physical style and daring athletic catches thrilled fans and showed Polynesian athletes that opportunity and success at a so-called skill position was in their grasp.
Linebacker Junior Seau, safety Troy Polamalu and center Kevin Mawae are Polynesian players enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Nacua is respectful of the players who paved the way for his opportunity, citing Marcus Mariota, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Polamalu as just a few of the many that led the way.
He aims to show that opportunity exists beyond “the trenches” for aspiring Polynesian athletes.
“It makes it super exciting,” he said, “because the skill positions are coming.”
The influence of Polynesian pro players dates to the 1940s, when offensive lineman Al Lolotai played for Washington. In the 1950s, offensive lineman Charlie Ane twice made the Pro Bowl and won two NFL championships with the Detroit Lions.
Ane returned to Hawaii and tutored a young offensive lineman named Norm Chow. Chow played at Utah and coached as an assistant at Brigham Young, North Carolina State, USC, the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, UCLA and Utah before Hawaii in 2011 made him the first Asian American head coach at a major college program.
Watching Nacua’s ascent has been gratifying for the Hawaiian-born Chow.
“It’s a cool deal,” Chow said. “He’s a tough guy.”
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, left, shares a laugh with linebacker Tony Fields II during organized team activities in Woodland Hills on June 3.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Toughness was a hallmark for Polynesian players such as Jesse Sapolu, an interior lineman on four San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl-title teams. Sapolu was twice voted to the Pro Bowl during a career that spanned from 1983 to 1997.
In those days, Sapolu said a dearth of Polynesian players in the NFL led him to study the schedule each year and identify the teams that included Polynesians.
“I’d look five weeks down the line at the roster,” Sapolu said, “and put it in the back of my mind, ‘I can’t wait for that week so I can say hello to that person.’”
Sapolu is the co-founder and chairman of the Hawaii-based Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. He has known Nacua since 2019, when Nacua played in the organization’s annual high school All-Star game. As an ambassador for the 49ers, Sapolu was on the sideline at Levi’s Stadium in 2023 when Nacua broke the NFL record for catches and receiving yards by a rookie.
“This generation is looking at this picture with a broader lens,” Sapolu said. “We still have the top linemen … but now we’ve got the Puka Nacuas coming up that Polynesian kids can say ‘Hey, you know, not only can I be big and strong, I can also be skinny and fast and go out there and do things that Puka is doing.’”
Manti Te’o grew up in Hawaii. In 2009, he was one of the most highly recruited players in the U.S. before going on to star at linebacker for Notre Dame and playing eight NFL seasons.
Te’o, an NFL Network analyst, has a home in Utah. He recalls watching Nacua play at BYU, where he displayed tenacity, physicality and fearlessness that harked to Smith-Schuster, the former USC star who has played eight NFL seasons. Nacua’s humility and the way he represented his family and community also stood out, Te’o said.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan participates in a rookie minicamp on April 25. The former Servite High School standout was selected eighth overall in the 2025 NFL draft.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
Nacua’s success might have helped pave the way for former Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan, selected by the Carolina Panthers with the eighth pick in the 2025 draft.
“They’re starting to believe that they can be more than just the typical O-lineman,” Te’o said. “It’s nice to see that transition and progression.”
Mariota helped lay the groundwork. He grew up in Hawaii, starred at quarterback for Oregon, became the first Polynesian player to win the Heisman Trophy and was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the second pick in the 2015 draft.
Mariota, who will begin his second season with the Washington Commanders, pointed to Jack “The Throwin’ Samoan” Thompson, Jason Gesser, Timmy Chang and Darnell Arceneaux as Samoan and Hawaiian-born quarterbacks who paved the way for him.
“I really value some of these guys that played before me, and what they were able to do, and what they went through to allow me to even have the chance to play quarterback,” Mariota said.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua runs a passing route at organized team activities on June 3.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns rookie Dillon Gabriel followed Mariota to play quarterback in college and the NFL.
Now, Nacua is showing other Polynesian athletes that they don’t have to be “loopholed” to play as a lineman or linebacker, Mariota said.
“Guys like Puka and guys across the league are really taking this Polynesian generation to the next level,” Mariota said. “So, it’s cool to see him, and I’m excited to see what’s next because this is just the beginning.”
This fall, Jayden Maiava is expected to start at quarterback for USC, Nico Iamaleava for UCLA.
Maiava said Mariota and Tagovailoa “set the example and set the tone” for him as a quarterback.
Nacua’s example as a Rams receiver also inspires, he said.
“Just to wake up and hit that standard he sets every single day,” Maiava said. “It’s something to look up to and gives a young kid like me something to strive for, and one day hope we can get there.”
The Rams returned to Hawaii for the first time since 2019, when they played a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Oahu.
In Maui, they opened a pop-up for five days in Wailea that featured merchandise designed by Aaron Kai, an Hawaiian artist who lives in Los Angeles.
Sales were brisk, but the main event was Nacua’s appearance.
Joshua Cabjuan traveled from Oahu to Maui to have Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua sign a replica of Nacua’s high school jersey.
(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)
Joshua Cabjuan, 21, of Oahu purchased caps, a hoodie and other items. He said he met Nacua at the Polynesian Bowl a few years ago, so he brought a replica of Nacua’s Orem (Utah) high school jersey to be signed.
“He was really excited, like, ‘Whoa, this is crazy — I haven’t seen this in so long,’” Cabjuan said.
Kristin Domingo of Maui had always been a Lakers and Dodgers fan. Becoming a Rams and Nacua fan, she said, naturally followed.
“We support anyone who comes from the islands or is of Hawaiian descent,” she said after Nacua signed a jersey.
And what does she like about Nacua?
“He’s an excellent wide receiver,” she said. “He kicks ass on the field.”
Kiara Nishimura, left, and Peyton Koerte of Kauai hold up jerseys autographed by Puka Nacua.
(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)
Peyton Koerte, 12, and Kiara Nishimura, 14, from Kauai each emerged with a signed Nacua jersey.
Why Nacua?
“We picked him for our draft in fantasy football,” Peyton said.
For decades the NFL’s Pro Bowl was played in Hawaii.
Te’o remembers watching players such as Rams stars Kurt Warner and Isaac Bruce in person.
“To see them play allowed me to dream big,” Te’o said.
Nacua hopes the Rams’ visit to Maui has a similar effect, and that it uplifts an island that was ravaged by the 2023 wildfire that destroyed much of Lahaina.
In remarks at the Rams welcome luau, Maui County Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr. noted that the team donated more than $260,000 in initial relief and helped spur donations from other pro teams of $450,000 to the American Red Cross.
He also recalled attending a football camp in Maui overseen by former Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel in the 1970s.
“Thank you for what you’re going to do for our youth in the next couple of days, uplifting them and teaching them,” he said, adding that perhaps the next Puka Nacua might be among the attendees.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua shakes hands with a youth flag football player during a clinic drill at Rams minicamp on Tuesday.
(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)
Nacua was thankful to help play a role in healing.
“To know the support that you want to give to those people who are going through that issue, and to see how it can change and bring the community closer together in that time, I think our team has felt that,” Nacua said.
Nacua once looked up to players such as Mariota and Smith-Schuster. Now, young players are looking up to him.
“The discipline to have the consistency to go out there and perform very well, I feel like those are things that are staples in the Polynesian community,” he said.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua runs a drill at the team’s minicamp in Maui on Tuesday.
(Bryce Todd / Los Angeles Rams)
Nacua will return to Los Angeles and begin preparing for training camp and a season of high expectations. The Rams are regarded as potential Super Bowl contenders, with an offense that includes star quarterback Matthew Stafford and new star receiver Davante Adams.
But Nacua will not soon forget his time in Maui.
And he will have plenty of reminders.
“I’m sure I’m going to have 50 leis by the time I go home,” he said.
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Pro wrestling is often known for its storyline-driven entertainment coupled with hard-hitting and high-flying action in the ring that leads to a crescendo that makes fans feel some kind of emotion. The major companies each try to drive to that moment.
Sometimes, a unique venue adds to the excitement of a show, especially for smaller independent pro wrestling companies who are trying to engage an audience for a few hours at a time. On July 14, Fight Factory Wrestling is going back to the beach for The War on the Shore 3.
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Fight Factory Wrestling hosted The War on the Shore 2 in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, last year. (Provided to Fox News Digital)
The event will take place near Martell’s Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, bringing professional wrestling to the beach. Joey Janela, Ben Bishop, Jack Vaughn, Richard Holliday, Steve Maclin, Jay Lethal, Sent 2 Slauter, Lady Frost, Allie Katch, Steph De Lander and others are among those billed to be in matches for the event.
Dave Sturchio, one of the minds behind Fight Factory Wrestling with Chris Payne, talked to Fox News Digital about getting started in the sport. He said him and Payne initially got started wrestling in 2012 but as time went on, the two went their own way. The two came back together in 2024 to do the “Fight Factory Podcast.” He said Payne had aspirations to do a wrestling show on the beach – akin to World Championship Wrestling’s Bash at the Beach.
Sturchio said he called Payne to follow through on doing a beach show despite some apprehension about getting involved into the creative side of the sport. Sturchio said when he first approached the venue about the event, there was a little hesitation, but when he came back with a plan, the venue agreed.
“As the buzz started to develop and build over prepping for the show, I said to Payne, ‘I don’t know if this is a one off. I think that we have something here,’” Sturchio said. “And Payne and I, we’ve been in the industry since 2012, we’re life-long fans, I’m already an entrepreneur at heart, so how can I take my entrepreneurial stuff for the last three-four years of being my own boss, how do I spin this into becoming a pro wrestling promoter?”
Sturchio said that teaming with Payne allowed for the stars to align and to give each other a shot at building something great. He said the response from the first War on the Shore in 2024 was “overwhelming.”
Fight Factory Wrestling’s Dave Sturchio on the microphone at The War on the Shore 2. (Provided to Fox News Digital)
“We were like, this is actually kind of crazy. People are actually jones-ing for some wrestling in the summer. Typically, when you go to a VFW or your gymnasiums, independent wrestling kind of takes off and they don’t run as much in the summer because it’s hot. So, I said, if anything, nobody is going to run against us and unfortunately for us, we were put on a Tuesday night and we were like, ‘Jesus Christ, there’s no way anybody is going to show up on a Tuesday.’
“Turns out, nobody is really doing anything on a Tuesday. It was very easy to book the wrestlers in that regard because nobody else had anything going on. … First year was great. I think the best testament that we got was we booked Matt Cardona to be one of our featured guests on the first one and that’s when he tore his pec. So, he was out of action for a little while but he promised us that he would still show up.”
Sturchio said Cardona was blown away and thought he and Payne had been running shows for a while.
“If you’re going to blow away Matt Cardona, I think we got something. It was off to the races, man,” he added.
Now, Sturchio and Payne are set to put on their third War on the Shore in New Jersey and the card couldn’t be more interesting.
“This year, we really stacked the deck,” he told Fox News Digital. “Some professional wrestling shows you go to on the independents, there are those lulls. Matches where you’re like, ‘Oh, they’re giving this guy a chance over here and they’re gonna give this guy a chance over there.’
“This year, I told Payne, look, based off of everybody that we’ve booked so far, for me, and some independent wrestlers don’t want to hear this, we’re trying to build a roster, build a core roster. Meaning, if we used you before and you’ve done good work, we’re gonna use you again. Instead of saying, hey, random guy over here, who I don’t know who you are, but let’s give you a shot. So we’re trying to build stories and there are a lot of stories that are culminating.”
Sturchio pointed to a number of matches that fans should be eager to see. One specifically is the reformation of The Heavenly Bodies tag team with Justin and Mark Corino.
Pro wrestling fans back Point Pleasant, New Jersey, for The War on the Shore 2. (Provided to Fox News Digital)
“Those guys are reuniting for the first time in seven years,” he said. “They’re friends of mine, I came up with them. They were my first tag team opponents and I’ve known these guys forever and they’re near and dear to my heart.”
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Lady Frost will be in action against De Lander and Katch. Bishop defends the Fight Factory Premier Championship against Holliday and Vaughn. Janela will take on Jay Lethal for the first time ever and the event will feature a rumble and a tiki totem on a pole, which will act as Fight Factory Wrestling’s “Money in the Bank” type of gimmick.
“The card is stacked. I’m very excited about all of it. There’s not one lull,” Sturchio said. “We’re just going to roll right through and I think it’s going to be one of those nights that we remember for a very, very long time.”
Everyone knew going in that Lionel Messi would be the narrative centerpiece of the 2026 World Cup. Easily the most recognized name in the competition, Messi is considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time and, as the captain of 2022 winner Argentina, he is the reigning World Cup champ. At 18, he scored his first World Cup goal in 2006 and has competed in every World Cup since. He celebrated his 39th birthday before this year’s knockout rounds began, so it’s not unreasonable to assume that this will be his last.
No matter what Messi did, or failed to do, it would be News. Everyone with even a passing interest in the event knew this. Including me.
But I didn’t expect to completely fall for the guy. He’s a professional male athlete, for heaven’s sake, and I don’t emotionally invest in professional male athletes. Admire some of them, sure; watch with bated breath and then scream in astonishment when they pull off some amazing feat or another, absolutely. But the only athletes that have ever touched my heart have been women — Nadia Comăneci; Billie Jean King and the Title IX-sparking stars of women’s tennis; Dorothy Hamill; Brandi Chastain and 1999 Women’s World Cup winners; Venus and Serena Williams; Simone Biles; Caitlin Clark.
But here I am, at age 62, truly, madly, deeply in love with Lionel Messi.
I know, I know, me and half the world. Which normally would serve as an effective prophylactic. I am habitually wary of super-intense fandoms and the men who inspire them; stadiums filled with people chanting a single name inevitably set off internal alarm bells. As I have asked several times in columns throughout the years, how many “heroes” must we watch falter under pressure or be exposed for decidedly unheroic acts before we wise up and get out of the pedestal-placement business?
Yet here I am, stalking him on Instagram, up all hours flicking through interviews and career highlight clips. (I even watched the Apple TV docuseries “Messi Meets America”!) Here I am, literally praying to God, who clearly has more important things to do, for Argentina to advance and screaming Messi’s name every time he scores, assists or pretty much does anything at all.
In a matter of weeks, I have become addicted not just to watching the man play but seeing how he reacts when a shot is made or a game won.
Every World Cup player is happy when they or their team scores, but Messi is delighted. Like a kid seeing a puppy under the tree on Christmas morning. Like he cannot believe this wonderful thing that has just happened even if he was the one who sweat and ran and defied physics to make it happen.
His smile is infectious and even when he is running toward the stands, arms spread wide, after making some impossible shot or other, it never seems self-congratulatory. He is simply filled with joy and wants to spread it around. The field, the stadium, the world.
And his hugs. Long, deep, radiating emotion, utterly unself-conscious. Everyone needs to find someone who hugs them like Messi hugs people — teammates, coaches, opposing players, young fans. I could watch videos of him hugging his mentor and former teammate Ronaldinho or Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni all day long. (I’m not saying I have, nor am I saying I haven’t.)
Sometimes the hype gets a bit nauseating — former teammates who claim he never makes a mistake, commentators who refer to him as superhuman (despite the fact that he has missed as many penalty kicks as he has made in this World Cup). Whether Messi himself agrees that he is the GOAT is none of my business, but he doesn’t act like many sports stars who have received similar adulation. He doesn’t peacock, he doesn’t preen; he is visibly angry with himself when he doesn’t produce. He isn’t perfect — in various past games, he has gotten into heated disputes and shoving matches and famously (and many believe deservedly) taunted Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal during World Cup 2022. But for a man who has been such a star for so long, he presents himself as simply a player among players. The captain, certainly, but not the most important person on the field.
That is the most lovable, and superhuman, thing about him.
It feels pretty basic, not to mention embarrassing, to have a sudden summer crush on Messi, but I don’t care. He’s married to his childhood sweetheart, has three adorable sons and a picture of his mother tattooed on his back. He lets his teammates hoist him in the air and allows sports commentators to regularly (and lovingly) refer to him as “Little Messi.” He gets angry sometimes, but in this tournament he has yet to noticeably hector the refs or rumble with his opponents. He wants to win, obviously, but his joy comes from playing the game well rather than defeating another team.
That’s why, despite my newfound addiction to Messi delight, the moment I loved him best was when he didn’t celebrate at all. In the round of 32, Argentina (No. 2 in FIFA rankings) seemed guaranteed a win over Cape Verde (67). But even with Messi’s early goal, the game was a nail-biter, with Cape Verde scoring two brilliant goals while their goalie Vozinha made eight saves, including four shots (one of them a free kick) from Messi. After Argentina won in additional playing time, there was none of the usual jubilation. Instead, a subdued Messi walked to the midfield to shake hands with his opponents, a sign of exhaustion, no doubt, but also of respect. He hugged Vozinha and told him that his country should be proud of him.
The exuberance was back Tuesday, however, when, after trailing Egypt for most of the round of 16 game, Argentina managed to pull off the comeback of the tournament, going from a 0-2 deficit to a 3-2 win after the 79th minute, with Messi scoring the tying goal.
This time, the smiles, the hugs, the radiant joy filling Atlanta Stadium could have powered the entire state of Georgia. This time, Messi was so happy, he wept.
So did I. The World Cup is over in less than two weeks, and France and Spain are currently the 1-2 favorites to win the thing. My love for Messi is, after all, just a summer romance.
And as with any summer romance, I want it to last forever.
Sports
Donovan Mitchell signs massive $273M Cavaliers extension as LeBron James return speculation grows
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Donovan Mitchell got quite a payday from the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday, agreeing to a four-year, $273 million maximum extension, which includes a full trade kicker and player option for the 2030-31 season.
While Mitchell could’ve waited one more year to get a potential five-year, $353 million deal, the 29-year-old wasted no time signing an extension on the first day he was eligible to do so this summer.
It’s hard for Cleveland not to want to build its team around Mitchell now and for the foreseeable future. He has been an All-Star seven straight seasons, which includes three with the Utah Jazz before he was traded to Cleveland during the 2022 offseason.
Donovan Mitchell (45) of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to pass the ball during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies Feb. 2, 2023, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. (David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
He has averaged 26.7 points in four seasons with the Cavaliers, including 27.9 last season, and has made an All-NBA team in three of his four years.
Mitchell also noted having “unfinished business” after the team got swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.
Mitchell was heading into the 2026-27 season on the last guaranteed season of his previous contract before a 2027 player option kicked in.
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Now, the bigger question for the Cavaliers: Does Mitchell’s contract extension hurt or help their chances of yet another reunion with LeBron James?
The 41-year-old has made it clear he will be playing elsewhere for the 2026-27 NBA season, marking the end of his eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, hasn’t indicated where he might be heading, but reports have indicated his agent, Rich Paul, is actively looking at specific teams.
LeBron James (6) of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a foul call during the second half of a game against Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena Jan. 12, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Among them is the Cavaliers, as the man from Akron, Ohio, has played a significant role in the franchise’s history, including an NBA title in 2016. If this is James’ final NBA run, why not do it where it all began, where he returned after his successful stint with the Miami Heat and where he can close the book on a one-of-a-kind career?
However, other teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors have been rumored and debated about.
Of course, the salary cap and staying within its parameters is a big deal for NBA teams. While a Cavaliers fan could view Mitchell’s max extension as a bad thing for James to land back in Cleveland, it is not believed it will affect their chances at signing him.
As for James’ NBA title chances, the Cavaliers did reach the Eastern Conference finals, and the 41-year-old wouldn’t have to be the center of attention in terms of offensive playmaking. Mitchell and Evan Mobley can lead the way there, while Jarrett Allen protects the rim down low.
The Cavaliers and James Harden, whom they acquired before the trade deadline last season, are reportedly negotiating a team-friendly deal as well to keep their salary cap at bay.
Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of the second round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 17, 2026 in Detroit. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
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Whether the big fish will be landed, bringing “The Chosen One” back to his roots one last time remains to be seen.
Mitchell has left no doubt, though, where his future lies in the NBA, and he will look to get that unfinished business squared away in Cleveland.
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