WWE’s WrestleMania 39 takes center stage in Southern California

• March 31, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Professional wrestling has taken over Southern California, installing Inglewood as its temporary headquarters leading up to the WWE’s WrestleMania 39 event this weekend.

WrestleMania serves as the main attraction, but the company has built a whole week of events around its biggest annual event of the calendar year.

“It’s not just WrestleMania, which will be two spectacular nights but it will be a week-long event,” said Bianca Belair, the RAW Women’s Champion. “It’s going to be super fun and fans from all over the world have already made plans to come and attend the events. I’m just excited to be a part of it.”

The big event will take place at SoFi Stadium on April 1-2.

Crypto.com Arena will host three events, including Smackdown (March 31), NXT Stand and Deliver (April 1) and RAW (April 3).

RAW, Smackdown and NXT make up WWE’s weekly television programming each week.

“Los Angeles will see something special,” said WWE Global Ambassador and performer Titus O’Neil. “We take the Super Bowl and we magnify that by about five or 10 times with the pyro, the production value and everything in between.”

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will defend his title against Cody Rhodes in the main event match on April 2.

Both men share a common bond as sons of former pro wrestlers. Cody Rhodes is the son of “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. Sika, one half of “The Wild Samoans” tag team in the 1980s, is the father of Reigns.

WWE announced that WrestleMania 39 had already set the event’s all-time gate record in January before a match was announced. The gross amount is more than $18 million. The company’s previous mark of $17.3 million was set in 2016 for WrestleMania 32 held AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The $5 billion, 70,000-seat sports and entertainment stadium was originally scheduled to host WrestleMania 37 in March 2021 but was rescheduled for 2023 as a result of the pandemic.

It will be the first time WrestleMania has returned to Southern California since 2005, when the event attracted a crowd of 20,193 people and set a Staples Center attendance record at the time.

The main event featured Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the current head of creative at WWE, and Batista, who is known outside of WWE for his role as Drax from the Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy series.

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“This city is no stranger to bright lights but it is somewhat of a stranger when it comes to WrestleMania,” O’Neil said. “We’re excited to be able to come here and the new stadium is amazing. … We’re going to leave a lasting impact not only inside the ring but outside of the ring.”

O’Neil added that WrestleMania 38 taking place at AT&T Stadium generated more than $201 million in economic impact last year.

The company’s future has been a topic of discussion in recent months. WWE founder Vince McMahon is looking to sale WWE for $9 billion, according to a report from Bloomberg. McMahon briefly stepped down as executive chairman of the company in 2022 but was reinstated in January after paying millions to settle claims of sexual misconduct.

The in-ring action begins Friday with WWE Smackdown, followed by the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony.

Rey Mysterio will headline the 2023 class that includes The Great Muta, Stacy Keibler, former referee Tim White and entertainer Andy Kaufman, the latter two being inducted posthumously.

Mysterio, who remains an active competitor for the company, is widely considered one of the greatest luchadors in pro wrestling history. The San Diego native started his career in Mexico at the age of 14 in 1989.

Mysterio has spent 17 years with WWE and was an integral part of the Smackdown brand during the 2000s along with hall of famers such as Eddie Guerrero, Edge and Kurt Angle.

Rey’s son Dominik participated in a storyline in late 2005 that featured Guerrero and Mysterio.

Dominik has since gone on to follow in his father’s footsteps and became a wrestler, appearing again on WWE programming in 2020.

“There’s a ton of pressure,” Dominik said about joining the company. “Those are gigantic shoes to fill and I do what I can and try to give the people what they want.”

Rey and Dominik will compete against one another this weekend.

Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes will main event NXT’s Stand and Deliver Show on the morning of April 1.

The first night of WrestleMania will feature the United States Championship match between defending champion Austin Theory and John Cena.

Cena has returned from the silver screen for another stint with the company and adds a mainstream element to the card. Cena has been one of WWE’s top stars and won his first world championship in 2005 at WrestleMania 21.

Former UFC stars Brock Lesnar, Rhonda Rousey and social media personality Logan Paul are scheduled to compete on the show. Rapper Snoop Dogg will also make an appearance.

Rousey will be one of eight women coming in the WrestleMania Showcase match on Night 2.

“I’m so excited,” Raquel Rodriguez said. “This is the first year that I’ve had an opportunity to be on the card for WrestleMania and to have it here in Los Angeles gives me goosebumps.”

Rodriguez will team up with Liv Morgan as one of four teams in that women’s showcase.

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Photos: WWE stars enjoy day with veterans, kids in advance of Wrestlemania in Inglewood
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5 things to know about SoFi Stadium, the home of Super Bowl LVI
WrestleMania 39: Bianca Belair prepares for title defense against Asuka
Ontario’s Sol Ruca is the NXT woman up in WWE

The “post-Mania” episode of RAW is one of the most anticipated shows of the year because of its rowdy crowd and the likelihood of a surprise return or addition to the roster.

Outside of the ring, several other pro-wrestling-related events will take place throughout the area.

The WrestleMania Superstore opened Thursday and will remain open until Monday at the L.A. Convention Center.

WWE alumni Bret Hart, Ric Flair and Bryan Danielson will be among the notable names making an appearance at WrestleCon. The convention will be held at the Biltmore Millennium Hotel in downtown L.A. on March 31 to April 2.

The Undertaker will make an appearance at The Novo on Friday, after the Hall of Fame ceremony, during his one-man show. The 2022 WWE Hall of Fame inductee will share stories and experiences from a career that spanned over three decades. He’s competed in 27 WrestleMania matches throughout his tenure with the company.

HOW TO WATCH:

WrestleMania 39

When: April 1-2, 5 p.m. PT

Where: SoFi Stadium

TV: Peacock (streaming service)

​ Orange County Register 

Duce Robinson, the top TE recruit in nation, commits to USC

• March 31, 2023

USC made a big recruiting splash, and filled one of its biggest needs for the coming season, on Thursday.

Duce Robinson, the top tight end prospect in the country, committed to the Trojans on Thursday evening, announcing his decision on Instagram. Robinson chose USC over Georgia, Alabama, Texas and Oregon.

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Robinson caught 84 passes for 1,614 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior at Pinnacle High in Phoenix. He averaged 19.2 yards per reception, won jump balls through sheer strength and usually shed tacklers like he was playing against middle schoolers.

Beyond his receiving abilities, he has the frame and technique to be a strong blocker.

Rated the No. 1 tight end and No. 17 overall recruit in the 2023 class according to 247Sports.com, Robinson was a big, late addition to USC’s recruiting class. The Trojans overtook Oregon for the top high school class in the Pac-12, according to Rivals.com.

Recruiting wins can sometimes have more of a long-term impact than they do initially. But Robinson fills an immediate need at USC, which is shorthanded at tight end during its spring camp.

Senior Malcolm Epps transferred from the program last week. Returning starter Lake McRee has impressed head coach Lincoln Riley at camp. Jude Wolfe is still sorting through an injury. Carson Tabaracci has moved from linebacker to tight end to provide depth, and freshman Kade Eldridge rounds out the position room.

Riley was asked how he felt about depth at the position on Tuesday.

“Right now today? Not good,” he responded before praising McRee’s growth this spring. He then added about depth, “It’s going to be good, it’s just currently at this moment right now, not very good.”

Robinson will have some catching up to do in terms of learning the offense when he arrives, but he has the physical gifts to compete for playing time early in his career.

Robinson is also known as a talented baseball player, with the possibility of being an MLB draft pick this coming July. He has stated his desire to play both professional football and baseball.

​ Orange County Register 

Gio Urshela happy with Angels’ decision to give him a continued look at shortstop

• March 31, 2023

OAKLAND — When the Angels acquired Gio Urshela last winter, their plan was to have a versatile player who could play anywhere on the infield. Now, that they’ve reached the season, it looks like they’re going to see how much shortstop he can handle.

Asked how much he can expect Urshela to play shortstop, Manager Phil Nevin said: “I don’t know. He’s playing tonight. That’s the way I look at it. We’ll evaluate it on an everyday basis.”

For Urshela’s part, he’s thrilled with the chance. Although he’s played third base in 548 of his 600 major league games coming into this season, he said during spring training that he was eager to get more chances at shortstop because he’s more involved in every play.

“I’m excited to have this opportunity to play shortstop,” Urshela said before Thursday’s opener. “I feel good. I’m really happy. We’ll see how everything goes.”

Urshela said he has worked on improving his body through better nutrition over the past few years, and he thinks that’s made him quick enough to handle the position.

The Angels also have David Fletcher, who seems likely to start at shortstop whenever Urshela can’t, and probably to go in for defense when the Angels are protecting a lead.

DAVIDSON’S ROLE

Left-hander Tucker Davidson is in the bullpen for now, but he is also first in line to be the Angels’ No. 6 starter when that spot first comes up on April 12.

In the meantime, Davidson said he’s comfortable with a relief role.

“I’m going to do whatever it takes,” he said. “We’re all trying to do the same thing, and that’s win every night.”

The tricky part of Davidson’s role is that he might not be needed much in relief, and he’ll have to somehow stay sharp enough to be ready to start. A reliever can’t throw a full bullpen session the way a starter would in between starts, because he might be needed that night. Davidson said he could throw 10 to 15 pitches at less than full intensity, just to stay sharp, and still be able to pitch that night.

CANNING UPDATE

Right-hander Griffin Canning, who is on the injured list with a groin strain, is not expected to be out for long.

“It’s just a little tweak,” Nevin said, adding that “hopefully he’ll be ready in a short time.”

Canning is eligible to come off the injured list on April 11, which would actually make him a candidate to start on April 12. In order for that to happen, he’d likely need to be healthy enough to pitch in some kind of rehab game within a week.

NOTES

Right-hander Chris Rodriguez, who was placed on the injured list because he’s still slowly recovering from 2021 shoulder surgery, is scheduled to face hitters in simulated games a couple more times before the Angels consider taking another step with him. …

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Nevin said Shohei Ohtani and Ryan Tepera are the only two Angels pitchers who are using PitchCom to call their own pitches. The catchers will call the pitches for the others. …

Nevin said he feels like all of his players got enough work with the pitch timer during spring training and that he’s not concerned about issues now that the games count. “I think they understand it’s there,” he said. “They know it’s there. The flow of the game has been good. I think it’s gonna be just fine.”

UP NEXT

Angels (LHP Patrick Sandoval, 6-9, 2.91 ERA in 2022) at A’s (RHP Shintaro Fujinami, MLB debut), Saturday, 1:07 p.m., RingCentral Coliseum, Bally Sports West, 830 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Santa Anita horse racing consensus picks, Friday, March 31, 2023

• March 31, 2023

The consensus box of Santa Anita horse racing picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Art Wilson, Terry Turrell and Eddie Wilson. Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Friday, March 31, 2023.

Trouble viewing on mobile device? See consensus picks

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​ Orange County Register 

Fryer: Trabuco Hills Invitational an important step for track standouts

• March 31, 2023

The high school track and field season has had some fine meets that have yielded fine marks.

The meat of the season starts this weekend.

The Trabuco Hills Invitational being held Friday and Saturday at Trabuco Hills High is worth watching for many reasons, particularly this one – Rodrick Pleasant is scheduled to make his season debut.

Pleasant, a senior at Serra of Gardena, set a state record in the 100 meters with a time of 10.14 seconds at last year’s CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, the world’s second-fastest wind-legal time run by a 17-year-old in the history of the event. He also won the 100 and 200 at the CIF State Championships last season.

Pleasant is also a football standout, and signed with Oregon, where he plans to be compete in track and football.

The “S” on the front of Pleasant’s track jersey is for “Serra” but it looks like the “S” on Superman’s uniform and that seems appropriate enough.

Pleasant will be among the nine runners in the field for the 100 that is set to go at 10:40 a.m. Saturday. It will be the first of 15 heats in the boys varsity 100 Saturday – the best time from the 15 races will be the 100 champion. Also in Pleasant’s group will be Los Alamitos sophomore Devin Bragg, who was last year’s CIF-SS Division 1 100 champion at 10.35.

Bragg recently returned to Los Alamitos after attending Sierra Canyon for several months.

Rodrick Pleasant (No. 5) of Serra wins the boys 100 meters with a state record-setting time of 10.14 as Devin Bragg of Los Alamitos, left, finished third and Max Thomas of Servite finished fourth at the CIF-SS Track and Field Masters Meet at Moorpark High School on Saturday, May 21, 2022. ( Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Bragg and Pleasant also are entered in the 200 for a head-to-head clash in the first of that event’s 14 sections.

Another Serra athlete scheduled to run at Trabuco, Serra senior Brazil Neal, was 200 champion at last year’s CIF State meet at 23.68. She was second in the 100 at 11.57.

Some of Orange County’s season leaders are in various events. Santa Margarita senior Lidia Major is in the 300 hurdles. Her time of 44.46 is the best in the county this year. Santa Margarita senior Roman Mendoza is in the boys 300 hurdles. His 37.91 is the county’s best in that one.

Fountain Valley senior Jonathan Yu takes his county-leading mark of 45 feet, 2.25 inches into the triple jump.

The girls long jump has two Mission Viejo standouts, seniors Jada Gatlin and Emily Psarras. Also in that event is Jada Faison, one of the impressive freshman girls track and field athletes at Rosary.

The meet begins Friday at 3 p.m. with Friday’s Distance Carnival for the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Saturday’s schedule starts with girls frosh-soph 100 hurdles at 9 a.m. Parking is plentiful at Trabuco Hills High School.

Admission is $9 for adults, $6 for adults 70 and older and for high school students and $3 for all others.

And coming up is the Arcadia Invitational on April 7 and 8 and the Orange County Championships on April 15 and the Mt. SAC Relays on April 14 and 15.

And away we go …

NOTES

Orange County boys basketball player of the year Brandon Benjamin said he transferred from Canyon to Mater Dei to broaden his skills and to get more exposure. As for the exposure reason, Canyon did play this past season in The Classic at Damien, Southern California’s best boys basketball tournament, and in that tournament’s top division, Platinum Division. …

Memory says that Benjamin is the only O.C. boys basketball player to transfer out of his school in the same school year in which he was the county player of the year. …

Among the players it was difficult to not find a place for on the All-Orange County boys basketball team are Tyler Howard of Canyon, Cooper Stearns of Irvine, Alex Stewart of Pacifica Christian, Isaiah Tolmaire of Mission Viejo and Owen Verna of Mater Dei. …

Josh Beaty is the new boys basketball coach at Fountain Valley. Beaty coached Crean Lutheran to a CIF-SS championship in 2018 and most recently coached at Buena Park. He replaces Roger Holmes, who coached the Barons for just the 2022-23 season and will continue as athletic director there. …

The Loara Tournament baseball championship game finally will be played – and how often have we seen this group of words this season – weather and field conditions permitting, Friday at 3 p.m. at Brookhurst Park in Anaheim. Pacifica and Villa Park advanced to the tournament’s championship game. …

The Michelle Carew Classic, which veteran sportswriter Harold Abend calls “the grandmother of all softball tournaments,” was scheduled to begin Wednesday but it’s another outdoor sport messed with by the weather. The tournament, named for the late daughter of all-time baseball great Rod Carew, includes many CalHiSports.com state top 25 teams like No. 1 St. Francis of Mountain View, No. 6 Los Alamitos, No. 7 Marina, No. 8 Orange Lutheran, No. 9 Esperanza and No. 10 Pacifica. The updated schedule can be found online at tourneymachine.com. …

Carissa Quereshi and Saiheron Preciado of Marina and Newport Harbor’s Eduarda Rodrigues were champions this past weekend at the High School Nationals girls wrestling tournament in Virginia. Kylee Golz was a second-place finisher. El Dorado’s Isaiah Quintero was a champion there in the boys tournament.

​ Orange County Register 

Dodgers place Ryan Pepiot on IL with oblique injury to start season

• March 31, 2023

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers announced their season-opening roster Thursday morning with nine players starting out on the injured list.

One of them was an unexpected addition.

Right-hander Ryan Pepiot will open the season on the sidelines with a strained oblique muscle in his left side. Pepiot had been slated to fill Tony Gonsolin’s spot in the starting rotation while Gonsolin recovers from a spring ankle injury. Instead, right-hander Michael Grove will take that spot and make his first start on Monday against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

“I’m pretty disappointed. I’m pretty bummed,” said Pepiot, who had edged Grove in the spring battle for a rotation spot. “It was pretty disappointing coming in yesterday and getting the news.

“It was a dream come true being told I made the roster. But I’m just happy we caught it pretty early so it wouldn’t linger too long.”

Pepiot had one spring start cut short on March 17 against the Cubs when he felt tightness in his lower back. The oblique issue is “different,” he said, and it first cropped up during a night start in Peoria, Ariz., on March 22.

“The back thing in Mesa was just kind of stiffness from sitting between innings,” he said. “That was more lower back. This is all side, ribs.”

Pepiot struggled in his final preseason start, throwing 86 pitches but not getting through four innings in the Freeway Series finale against the Angels.

“The past couple weeks there’s just been a little lingering oblique,” he said. “I tried to throw through it the other day (against the Angels), thought it would be fine. After the first inning, I just felt it even more. Tried to battle through it, probably overcompensated and woke up really sore yesterday.”

Gonsolin has begun throwing off a mound but is not expected back before the end of April after eventually going on a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment. Pepiot will not do any throwing for a few days until the symptoms subside. How long it takes for him to be ready to pitch again remains to be seen.

“When you hear oblique … what that says to us is to be extra careful so it doesn’t linger,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So I think that’s kind of where we’re at with that.”

FINE WINE

All of the Dodgers’ players and coaches found a bottle of wine in their lockers Thursday afternoon – a 2020 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon from Caymus Vineyards. They were Opening Day gifts from veteran outfielder Jason Heyward.

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Heyward said he felt it was “fitting for this group” and equated the wine-making process to a long baseball season, requiring patience, attention to detail and “a lot of grind.”

“At the end of the day, there is positivity at the end of that process,” Heyward said. “It’s something I wanted to give these guys to start, as we have a clean slate. Throughout this grind, we’ve got to have that positivity.”

ALSO

Shortstop Gavin Lux is with the Dodgers for the season-opening homestand and said he expects to be in Los Angeles for at least the first couple of months of his rehab from knee surgery performed three weeks ago. He will move his rehab to the Dodgers’ training complex in Arizona when he is able to do more. For now, his workouts are limited to range-of-motion exercises.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks (RHP Merrill Kelly, 13-8, 3.37 ERA in 2022) at Dodgers (RHP Dustin May, 2-3, 4.50 ERA in 2022), Friday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Two-day OC festival all about making youth water wise

• March 31, 2023

While rain was still falling Thursday, March 30, several thousand students were learning about the importance of conservation for when it doesn’t.

More than 4,500 Orange County students participated in the Children’s Water Education Festival hosted by the Orange County Water District, which manages the region’s groundwater basin.

The third-, fourth- and fifth-graders were able to visit more than 50 hands-on activity booths and lectures, learning about water, pollution and the environment from local and state water agency experts.

“It is important to teach our youth about how to protect our precious resources like water and also to inspire the next generation of water leaders,” Gina Ayala, director of public affairs for the district, said.

This is the two-day festival’s 26th year – it was held on the UC Irvine campus.

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​ Orange County Register 

1-year-old, injured in pursuit that ended in Long Beach crash, is released from hospital

• March 31, 2023

A 1-year-old child injured in a deadly pursuit crash in Long Beach has left the hospital, authorities said on Thursday, March 30.

The conditions of the other five people taken to the hospital were not disclosed.

The pursuit began in Seal Beach on Tuesday, March 28, when, authorities say, Chaz Lamar Long, 39, jumped into the driver’s seat of a car that had been pulled over by Seal Beach police and sped away. A woman, who had been driving, and the child were also inside the 2006 Lexus sedan.

Five minutes later, Long crashed at Second Street and Pacific Coast Highway, entangling eight other vehicles as well.

RELATED COVERAGE: Seal Beach police pursuit ends in crash in Long Beach

Toronto resident Sara Nicole Shorteno, 74, was killed. Long was booked on suspicion of various charges, including murder.

​ Orange County Register