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Raquel Rodriguez agrees with Charlotte Flair on age 'double standard' between male and female wrestlers

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Raquel Rodriguez agrees with Charlotte Flair on age 'double standard' between male and female wrestlers

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Charlotte Flair pushed back on what she believed was a double standard in the pro wrestling industry when it came to her age and any notion she’s at the back end of her career.

She pointed to several of her male colleagues, including Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, CM Punk and John Cena in a column for The Players’ Tribune. 

She wrote that the next step for female competitors “isn’t the same amount of TV segments, or main events, or titles or money or opportunities as men. The next big step is the same amount of years as men.”

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Raquel Rodriguez slams Chelsea Green during Wrestlemania 39 Night 2 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., April 2, 2023. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)

Raquel Rodriguez, who will be a part of the all-female premium live event, Evolution, on Sunday, told Fox News Digital in a recent interview she agreed with Flair’s assessment and praised the legendary pro wrestler for her vulnerability and bravery for putting her heart on the line.

“I do agree with her,” Rodriguez said. “I do agree there is a little bit of a double standard there. I do feel like, because we are women, we are told, at a certain age, ‘You have to stop. At a certain age, you should be thinking about other things, having kids, getting married, whatever it is. At a certain age, you shouldn’t be pushed in the main story anymore. You had your time. 

“I do see something wrong with that because there are men on the other side that are aging gracefully, and aging like fine wine and so are the women. But they are getting used a little more and put in these situations where the women just have to keep trying to compete and constantly being put in that pressure cooker of performing and accelerating, and it is difficult.”

Raquel Rodriguez enters the ring during Monday Night RAW at Nationwide Arena June 23, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio.  (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)

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WWE STAR DREW MCINTYRE TALKS PUTTING HIMSELF UNDER THE MICROSCOPE TO GET BACK INTO SHAPE BEFORE RETURN

Rodriguez explained that with aging comes longer times to rest and recuperate, and the potential of performing like a gymnast in the ring lessens.

“It is difficult because, you know, with age also comes more need of rest and recuperation. And we can’t do as many things like these beautiful gymnasts that are in NXT flipping in and outside of the ring,” she said. 

“Older women, they are not going to be able to accomplish those kinds of feats, but there is other ways and purposes that our superstars can continue to perform and provide for the WWE company, and I see that for all of our women. 

“They are so talented, and it has taken so much time and so much hard work to build their start to where it is at. And I think they deserve to keep their start up there and to have it pushed even more if their work ethic and their stars is asking for it, yeah 100%.”

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Rodriguez will be a part of Evolution this time around. She was still in the WWE Performance Center for the first all-female premium live event in 2016.

Raquel Rodriguez during the Women’s Royal Rumble at WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Feb. 1, 2025. (Joe Camporeale/Imagn Images)

She and Roxanne Perez will defend their tag-team titles in a fatal four-way match against Flair and Alexa Bliss, Sol Ruca and Zaria and Kairi Sane and Asuka.

The event begins Sunday.

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Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza wins 2025 Heisman Trophy

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Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza wins 2025 Heisman Trophy

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Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza became the first Hoosier to win the coveted Heisman Trophy, college football’s most prestigious award.

Mendoza claimed 2,392 first-place votes, beating Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (1,435 votes), Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (719 votes) and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (432 votes).

Mendoza guided the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking and the top seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket, throwing for 2,980 yards and a nation-best 33 touchdown passes while also running for six scores. 

Indiana, the last unbeaten team in major college football, will play a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game in the Rose Bowl Jan. 1.

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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza runs off the field after a game against Wisconsin Nov. 15, 2025, in Bloomington, Ind (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Mendoza, the Hoosiers’ first-year starter after transferring from California, is the triggerman for an offense that surpassed program records for touchdowns and points set during last season’s surprise run to the CFP.

A redshirt junior, the once lightly recruited Miami native is the second Heisman finalist in school history, joining 1989 runner-up Anthony Thompson. The trophy was established in 1935.

NO 2 INDIANA CAPS OFF COMEBACK WIN OVER PENN STATE WITH SENSATIONAL TOUCHDOWN, KEEPS UNDEFEATED SEASON ALIVE

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Mendoza is the seventh Indiana player to earn a top 10 finish in Heisman balloting, and it marks another first in program history. It now has had players in the top 10 of Heisman voting in back-to-back years. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke was ninth last year.

Quarterbacks have won the Heisman four of the last five years. Travis Hunter of Colorado, who played wide receiver and cornerback, won last season.

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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza throws before a game against Wisconsin Nov. 15, 2025, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Mendoza was named The Associated Press Player of the Year earlier this week and picked up the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards Friday night while Love won the Doak Walker Award.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Prep talk: The Shaws enjoy a memorable basketball moment at Oak Park

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Prep talk: The Shaws enjoy a memorable basketball moment at Oak Park

Sometimes it can be difficult when a high school coach also has his son on the team, but then there are those unforgettable moments that make every second spent together magical. Such a moment happened on Friday night for Oak Park basketball coach Aaron Shaw and his son, sophomore guard Grant Shaw.

Grant made a three-pointer from beyond the top of the key as the buzzer sounded to give host Oak Park a 54-51 win over rival Agoura.

Then, for some unknown reason at the time, Grant ran in the opposite direction, followed by his teammates and delirious Oak Park fans. There were so many people celebrating he ended up pushed into the gym foyer.

Watching from the bench was his father, who didn’t understand why his son was headed out of the gym. “The coaches were asking, ‘Where is he going?’” he said.

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It turns out the surge of people celebrating forced Grant into the foyer. His father reminded him afterward to perhaps next time stay in the gym.

But make no mistake about, Aaron has won two Southern Section titles as a coach, and this moment ranks up among the best.

“Proud dad moment,” he said.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

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Navy tops Army with late touchdown as Trump’s attendance in Baltimore sparks protests

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Navy tops Army with late touchdown as Trump’s attendance in Baltimore sparks protests

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For the second year in a row, the Navy Midshipmen have won the Commander-in-Chief Trophy.

The Midshipmen earned a gutsy 17-16 victory over Army in one of the greatest rivalries in sports.

Navy got out to a scorching-hot start, as they scored a touchdown on their first drive, with Blake Horvath rushing for 45 of the 75 yards on the drive and running in for the score. He also had an 11-yard pass.

 

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President Donald Trump greets players after the coin toss and before the start of the 126th Army-Navy Game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen at M&T Bank Stadium, Saturday, in Baltimore, Md. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Army, though, answered right back with an identical drive, going 13 plays for 75 yards — this one ended with Cale Hellums punching one in.

Navy’s offense was stalled for a long while after, as their next three drives ended in a punt, fumble, and interception. In the meantime, the Black Knights were able to tack on three more field goals to go up, 16-7. Late in the third, the Midshipmen finally added more points on the scoreboard with a field goal that cut their deficit to three.

Early in the fourth, Navy forced an Army interception. Navy had the ball at the goal line but fumbled on a quarterback sneak, losing seven yards. Horvath hit Eli Heidenrich in the end zone, though, and the ensuing kick gave the Midshipmen their first lead since the first drive of the game. 

Navy promptly forced a three-and-out and got the ball back with less than five minutes to go. Navy lost a fumble when trying for a first down that would have iced the game, but the play was reviewed, and the call was reversed. Thus, Navy had a fourth-and-1 and kept the offense on the field. They got the first down that iced the game.

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US President Donald Trump tosses a coin before the college football game between the US Army and Navy in Baltimore, Maryland, on December 13, 2025.  (Photo by Alex Wroblewski / AFP via Getty Images)

CHICAGO RADIO HOST RIPS CUBS PLAYER FOR TURNING POINT EVENT ATTENDANCE, LIKENS IT TO ‘NAZI-ADJACENT PEP RALLY’

With the win, Navy earned the Commander-in-Chief trophy by also defeating Air Force earlier in the year.

The game was its usual old-school ground-and-pound style of football, as there were only 24 pass attempts compared to 86 runs.

President Donald Trump attended the game for the seventh time, and his second in as many years since being elected again. Trump participated in the coin flip, but not before protesters wielded lewd signs opposing Trump on the street leading up to the stadium. 

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Protests were expected for the game in the blue city, as Trump has suggested sending the National Guard to Baltimore to help address the city’s rampant crime. Baltimore consistently ranks among U.S. cities with high crime rates, often appearing in the top 5 for violent crimes, especially homicides and robberies. 

U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd-L) walks onto the field for the 126th Army-Navy Game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen on Dec. 13, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. The teams are competing for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, with President Trump attending the rivalry for the second consecutive year.  (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

The protests against Trump also come on the same day that officials said two U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. interpreter were killed in an ambush attack in Syria. 

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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