WWE begins new Endeavor after merger with UFC amid record-setting WrestleMania weekend in Inglewood

• April 4, 2023

INGLEWOOD — While a multi-billion-dollar deal for the future of the company was being quietly brokered backstage, the WWE provided waves of over-the-top action that spurred eight hours of  boisterous emotions for the 161,892 fans throughout the two-night WrestleMania 39 event over the weekend at SoFi Stadium.

WrestleMania is the company’s biggest event of the year — essentially the Super Bowl for this brand og sports entertainment — and results in the conclusion of several of its top scripted storylines.

But this year’s event — which WWE officials on Monday said shattered company records for attendance, revenue, sponsorships, charitable contributions and social-media activity — marked the start of a new chapter in the company’s history, not in the arena but in the boardroom.

The company made headlines for months on the business pages, with news of then-embattled WWE founder Vince McMahon’s abrupt but short-lived retirement — spurred by reports that he paid more than $12 million in hush money to women in hopes of keeping them quiet about alleged sexual misconduct — and eventual return as executive chairman in January.

McMahon returned, he said, to orchestrate discussions of the WWE being available for purchase. His asking price: $9 billion.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 02: (L-R) Brock Lesnar wrestles Omos during WrestleMania Goes Hollywood at SoFi Stadium on April 02, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

A deal appeared to emerge over Wrestlemania weekend, Endeavor, parent company of the UFC cage-fighting dynasty, reportedly signed an agreement to merge with the WWE.

“Together, we will be a $21+ billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity,” McMahon said in a statement Monday.

McMahon and Ari Emanuel, CEO of the American mixed martial arts promotion, sat down for an interview with CNBC on Monday morning to confirm the pact.

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“We’ve known each other for 23 years,” Emanuel said of his relationship with McMahon during the interview. “There’s a lot of trust here.”

WWE’s chief content officer Paul Levesque — a popular retired grappler better known to fans as “Triple H,” who is married to McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie — said during the WrestleMania press conference on Sunday that he was unable to confirm the reports of the sale but finished the conference saying “No matter what happens, WWE is going nowhere.” More details on the merger spread out into media reports Sunday and on into Monday, streaming into the eventual conformation of the deal.

McMahon, who built his father’s regional wrestling promotion into an international juggernaut, and Levesque, who is in charge of mapping out the actual story lines and matches, are expected to retain their leadership roles with WWE. Nick Khan will become WWE’s president while longtime combat-sports baron Dana White will remain his role as UFC president.

Though one business is tightly scripted and the other brutally spontaneous, there is consistent  crossover between the worlds of WW and UFC. For example, former UFC competitors Ronda Rousey and Brock Lesnar recorded victories in their respective matches on Sunday.

Meanwhile, on the spectacularly decked out floor of SoFi, the two-day show delighted its fan base.

WWE saw four of its six champions successfully defend their titles over the weekend, including top-billed villain Roman Reigns, who earned a pinfall victory over Cody Rhodes to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event. Reigns has held the titles for 945 consecutive days, a record for the current WWE era.

Reigns has worked together with members of his family — all wrestlers of Samoan descent with ties to the sport’s fabled Anoa’i dynasty — to create one of the strongest-ever storyline factions, known as “The Bloodline,” in the company.

The main event drew a split reaction of cheers and jeers throughout the match until its jaw-dropping conclusion. Some fans were jumping around, including one who was seen jumping on the chairs in excitement holding his replica championship belts in the air to celebrate, while others were in complete shock.

Over 80,000 attend the first night of WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., Saturday, April 1, 2023. It was announced Monday that Endeavor had signed an agreement with WWE to form a new, publicly listed company that will house UFC and WWE under one roof. (WWE via AP)

“This portion of my career has been the most fulfilling,” Reigns said during the WrestleMania press conference. “By being able to dive deep into this with Paul (Heyman), to bring my family along and lift them up and put them in a position to showcase their talent and potential to the point that we are the main event both nights of WrestleMania.”

Solo Sikoa and twins Jimmy and Jey Uso — all second-generation pro-wrestling brothers, sons of Hall of Fame star Rikishi — interfered in various points in the match to help give Reigns the advantage he needed to fend off Rhodes. Longtime Canadian cohorts Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn also made an appearance to defend Rhodes and remove the Usos from the match.

Zayn and Owens had stood tall as the new undisputed tag team champions on Night 1 of WrestleMania, after successfully defending the Usos.

Snarling, black-clad “heel” Rhea Ripley’s victory over Charlotte Flair — a multiple-time champ and daughter of wrestling legend “Nature Boy” Ric Flair who recently wrestled his final match — for the Smackdown Women’s Championship was the second of two title changes on Saturday.

Bianca Belair successfully defends the RAW Women’s Championship against Asuka at WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium on April 2, 2023. (Photo courtesy of WWE)

Ripley was the only member of her sinister “Judgment Day” faction to have a successful outing with Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio losing their respective matches.

Balor was unable to defeat Hall of Fame star Edge in a “Hell in a Cell” match contested in a towering black cage. Balor did suffer a wound to his head — medics sealed with wound with staples right there in the ring — required staples but Levesque stated that he was going to be OK.

Second-generation teen star gone wrong Dominik Mysterio challenged his father, San Diego-based Rey Mysterio Jr.

It was a big weekend for the Mysterio family, with Rey being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday at Crypto.com Arena. The elder Mysterio, known for his high-flying stunts and colorful array of masks, is widely considered one of the greatest-ever Latino luchadores, after launching his career in Mexico at the age of 14 in 1989.

Snoop Dogg during WrestleMania Goes Hollywood at SoFi Stadium on April 02, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The local area was well represented with legendary Long Beach-born rapper Snoop Dogg cohosting the show.

Snoop also got to engage in a little impromptu ring action, staging an improvised knockout of co-host The Miz after his competitor — Shane McMahon, the son of WWE boss Vince McMahon, who hadn’t seen in-ring action in many months — was felled by a injury mere moments into his match. Levesque confirmed Shane McMahon had suffered a torn quadricep.

The Divas of Compton, a local youth dance troupe, also made an high-stepping appearance performing before Bianca Belair’s successful defense of her RAW Women’s Championship against Asuka and improving to 3-0 at WrestleMania. The local dancers were decked out in flashy Bianca-inspired garb, including her trademark braid.

“They were amazing,” said Belair about the dance team. “Just being able to meet them and during rehearsals when I first got to meet them I was tearing up. … they are going to do amazing things and I just wanted to bring them out.”

WWE star Bianca Belair performs with members of the Divas of Compton dance troupe at Wrestlemania on Sunday. Photo: WWE

Belair was impressed with the way the team handled themselves on a big stage and in front of so many people.

“They are 7 to 12 years old on this stage and not intimidated by being in front of 80,000 people and thousands of people watching on Peacock. They were amazing and I wanted to give them the stage and let them shine bright. … Representation is so important. They are my ‘why.’”

WrestleMania 39 results:

Night One

WWE United States Championship: Austin Theory def. John Cena
Fatal Four-Way Showcase: The Street Profits def. Alpha Academy,. Viking Raiders and Ricochet & Braun Strowman
Seth Rollins def. Logan Paul
Rey Mysterio def. Dominik Mysterio
Becky Lynch & Lita & Trish Stratus def. Damage CNTRL
Smackdown Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley def. Charlotte Flair
Pat McAfee def. The Miz
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship: Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens def. The Usos

Night Two

Brock Lesnar def. Omos
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther def. Drew McIntyre and Sheamus
Fatal Four-Way Showcase: Ronda Rousey and Shayna Bazler def. Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez, Natalya & Shotzi, and Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green
Snoop Dogg def. the Miz
Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair def. Asuka
Hell in a Cell: Edge def. Finn Balor
WWE Undisputed Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def. Cody Rhodes

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​ Orange County Register 

CIF-SS boys tennis polls, April 3

• April 4, 2023

CIF-SS BOYS TENNIS POLLS

(Selected by the CIF-SS Tennis Committee)

Open Division/Division 1

1. University

2. Peninsula

3. Palos Verdes

4. Corona del Mar

5. Woodbridge

6. Harvard Westlake

7. Claremont

8. Loyola

9. Beckman

10. Portola

Others: Westlake, Calabasas, Brentwood, Northwood, Servite, San Marino, Arcadia, Newbury Park, Foothill, Mira Costa

DIVISION 2

1. Sage Hill

2. Edison

3. Huntington Beach

4. JSerra

5. El Dorado

6. Ayala

7. Yorba Linda

8. Great Oak

9. Redlands

10. Buckley

Others: Burbank, Chaminade, Culver City, San Juan Hills

DIVISION 3

1. Cypress

2. Mater Dei

3. Tesoro

4. Santiago/Corona

5. Oaks Christian

6. Whitney

7. Cerritos

8. Campbell Hall

9. St. Margaret’s

10. Nordhoff

Others: Crossroads, Murrieta Valley, South Pasadena, Oxford Academy, Roosevelt

DIVISION 4

1. Long Beach Wilson

2. Mark Keppel

3. Rancho Alamitos

4. San Gabriel

5. El Segundo

6. Jurupa Valley

7. West Covina

8. San Dimas

9.Wilson/Hacienda Heights

10T. El Segundo

10T. Yucca Valley

Others: Fullerton, Oakwood, Village Christian, Warren

DIVISION 5

1. Schurr

2. Garden Grove

3. Whittier

4. Villanova Prep

5. Segerstrom

6. Arroyo

7. Costa Mesa

8. Northview

9. Hillcrest

10. Chino

Others: Chaparral, Chaffey, Beaumont, Barstow, Temescal Canyon

​ Orange County Register 

CIF-SS boys volleyball polls, April 3

• April 4, 2023

CIF-SS BOYS VOLLEYBALL POLLS

(Selected by the CIF-SS Boys Volleyball Committee)

DIVISION 1/2

1. Loyola

2. Newport Harbor

3. Corona del Mar

4. Huntington Beach

5. Beckman

6. Mira Costa

7. Mater Dei

8. Edison

9. Servite

10. Tesoro

11T. Wilson/LB

11T. Santa Barbara

13. San Marcos

14. Redondo

15. St. Francis

16. Canyon/Anaheim

17. San Clemente

18. South Torrance

19. Upland

20. Los Alamitos

DIVISION 3

1. St. Margaret’s

2. Trabuco Hills

3. Mission Viejo

4. El Segundo

5. Alemany

6. Newbury Park

7. Oak Park

8. St. John Bosco

9. South Pasadena

10. Fountain Valley

DIVISION 4

1. Claremont

2. Hart

3. Crossroads

4. Quartz Hill

5. Troy

6. Calvary Chapel/Santa Ana

7. Cathedral

8. Ramona

9. Pasadena Poly

10. Dana Hills

Others: Norco, El Dorado, Village Christian, Diamond Ranch

DIVISION 5

1. Wiseburn Da Vinci

2. Chino Hills

3. Rancho Verde

4. Paraclete

5. JW North

6. Godinez

7. Nordhoff

8. Western Christian

9. Vista Del Lago

10. Temescal Canyon

Others: St. Anthony, Magnolia, Firebaugh, Ganesha, Fullerton, Garey

DIVISION 6

1. Fontana

2. Samueli Academy

3. Leuzinger

4. Glendale Adventist Academy

5. Wildwood

6. Southlands Christian

7. Pacifica Christian/Santa Monica

8. Santa Clarita Christian

9. Pilgrim

10. Hawthorne Math/Science

Others: Trinity Classical Acad., CAMS, Nuview Bridge, Vasquez, Summit, Geffen Academy/UCLA

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County baseball stat leaders through April 1

• April 4, 2023

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Orange County baseball stats leaders through Saturday, April 1.

To be included, teams must have their stats up to date on the MaxPreps.com leaderboards.

BATTING AVERAGE

Name, school
Avg.
Hits
AB

John Uchytil, Estancia
.545
30
55

Keenan Anzai, Mission Viejo
.521
25
48

Jack Boucher, Mission Viejo
.520
26
50

Cole Lefebvre, Estancia
.500
30
60

Spencer Carty, La Habra
.500
9
18

Connor Sunderland, Fullerton
.489
23
47

Waylon Pipia, Calvary Chapel
.485
16
33

Jonathan Rodriguez, Valencia
.478
11
23

Anthony Lopez, Saddleback
.476
10
21

RUNS BATTED IN

Name, school
RBI
PA
GP

Grady Jackson, Costa Mesa
26
70
16

John Uchytil, Estancia
21
66
16

Sam Stute, Costa Mesa
20
64
15

James De La O, Estancia
20
64
16

Connor Sunderland, Fullerton
20
58
14

Wylan Rottschafer, Costa Mesa
18
72
16

Malachi Meni, Fullerton
18
54
14

Matt Anderson, Costa Mesa
17
60
16

Nate Norman, Fullerton
17
57
14

Rylan Morris, Sunny Hills
16
53
13

Caleb Robeck, Costa Mesa
16
53
16

Tyler Holland, Mission Viejo
16
52
16

Cole Lefebvre, Costa Mesa
15
70
16

Gavin Grahovac, Villa Park
14
66
15

Michael Joyce, Costa Mesa
14
62
16

Anthony DeMarco, Woodbridge
14
58
16

Zach Brown, Villa Park
14
56
15

Aidan Espinoza, Huntington Beach
13
71
18

Austen Barnett, University
13
53
15

Aiden Comte, Costa Mesa
13
51
16

SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

Name, school
Slugging %
AB
TB

Connor Sunderland, Fullerton
.915
47
43

Chase Brunson, San Clemente
.854
41
35

John Uchytil, Estancia
.836
55
46

Joshua Delgado, Santa Ana
.821
28
23

Lucas Marinelli, Portola
.794
34
27

Waylon Pipia, Calvary Chapel
.788
33
26

Gavin Grahovac, Villa Park
.764
55
42

Anthony Lopez, Saddleback
.762
21
16

Cole Lefebvre, Estancia
.700
60
42

David Domingo, Valencia
.690
29
20

Julien Juarez, Bolsa Grande
.667
36
24

EARNED-RUN AVERAGE

Name, school
ERA
IP
ER

Griffin Naess, Laguna Beach
0.00
26.0
0

Jaden Yoon, Buena Park
0.00
13.1
0

Nick Sandstedt, El Dorado
0.28
24.2
1

Andrew Mits, Estancia
0.34
41.2
2

Tyler Onofre, Kennedy
0.42
16.2
1

Luke Acuna, San Clemente
0.43
16.1
1

Andrew Parker, Foothill
0.47
44.1
3

Anthony Lopez, Buena Park
0.47
15.0
1

Matthew Kuromoto, Woodbridge
0.55
38.0
3

Andrew Grove, Villa Park
0.58
12.0
1

Tyler Bellerose, Huntington Beach
0.68
20.2
2

Cooper Berger, University
0.70
30.0
3

Jared Day, La Habra
0.76
27.2
3

Brandon Luu, Villa Park
0.80
35.0
4

Joon Lee, Irvine
0.81
43.1
4

Alex Mascaro, El Modena
0.84
25.0
3

STRIKEOUTS

Name, school
K
BF
IP

Andrew Mits, Estancia
58
166
41.2

Brandon Luu, Villa Park
51
137
35.0

Landon Martin, Sonora
50
172
42.2

Dominic Viglione, Newport Harbor
49
160
34.1

Joon Lee, Irvine
45
175
43.1

Zach Brown, Villa Park
41
114
28.2

Andrew Parker, Foothill
40
189
44.1

Matthew Kuromoto, Woodbridge
39
148
38.0

Michael Joyce, Costa Mesa
38
155
35.1

Griffin Naess, Laguna Beach
37
99
26.0

Carson Lane, Huntington Beach
35
115
24.2

Matthew Viveros, La Habra
35
49
25.0

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County pharmacist sentenced to 15 years for her role in $11 million scheme

• April 3, 2023

A former Orange County pharmacist was sentenced on Monday, April 3, to 15 years behind bars for her role in a fraud that bilked the U.S. military’s healthcare plan out of more than $11 million.

Sandy Mai Trang Nguyen, 43, of Irvine was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II. He also ordered her to pay $11.1 million in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Nguyen was convicted in November of 21 counts of healthcare fraud and one count of obstruction of a federal audit.

The scheme involved the filling of more than 1,000 bogus prescriptions for compounded medications at the expense of the Tricare healthcare plan.

Compounded drugs are tailor-made products doctors may prescribe when the Food and Drug Administration-approved alternative does not meet the health needs of a patient.

Nguyen was the lead pharmacist at the now-shuttered Irvine Wellness Pharmacy. From late 2014 to May 2015, Nguyen and others under her supervision filled about 1,150 compounded prescriptions for pain, scarring and migraines with Tricare funding reimbursements of tens of thousands of dollars per prescription.

Prosecutors said the bulk of the prescriptions were directed to the pharmacy by so-called marketers who received kickbacks of nearly 50% of the Tricare reimbursements.

According to prosecutors, beneficiaries were solicited to provide their Tricare insurance information for medications they did not need, and most were never examined by a physician.

The jury in Los Angeles federal court heard that Nguyen knew the prescriptions were written by doctors who didn’t live in the same state as the supposed beneficiaries. In some cases multiple members of the same families received the same medications. In one case, a 13-year-old boy in Chicago received the same prescription as an 86-year-old woman in Orange County who turned out to be Nguyen’s grandmother, prosecutors said.

The pharmacy billed beneficiaries for hundreds of dollars in required co-payments, but they balked at the payments, saying they understood the medications were fully covered by Tricare. The total co-payments due during the scheme exceeded $16,000, but the pharmacy never collected them.

Nguyen obstructed a federal audit by providing bogus, cut-and-pasted prescriptions to cover-up Tricare’s effort to validate millions of dollars paid for the same prescriptions.

Last month, Marcus Armstrong, 56, of Miami was sentenced by Wright to 9 1/2 years in federal prison for his role in the scheme. Armstrong was once the director of operations at the Irvine pharmacy. He pleaded guilty in October to two counts of paying illegal kickbacks for healthcare referrals.

Co-defendants Leslie Andre Ezidore, 53, of West Los Angeles and Alexander Michael Semenik, 51, of Las Vegas have pleaded guilty to felony charges in this case and await sentencing.

​ Orange County Register 

The BeachLife Ranch country music fest will return to Redondo Beach in the fall

• April 3, 2023

The boots will be hitting the sand at Redondo Beach’s Seaside Lagoon once again as the BeachLife Ranch Country & Americana Festival makes a comeback this fall.

The three-day BeachLife Ranch event is the sister fest of the more modern rock and reggae-focused BeachLife Festival, which also takes place at Seaside Lagoon May 5-7.

Festival promoters have yet to announce the lineup for the 2023 edition of BeachLife Ranch, but tickets are now on sale for the event, which is slated to take place Sept. 22-24. Passes are $299 for general three-day admission; $379 for general admission plus; $699 for weekend VIP; $995 for weekend Admiral passes; and $2,999 for Outlaw three-day passes. All ticket options are available now at beachliferanch.frontgatetickets.com.

Besides multiple music stages, BeachLife Ranch will include the SideStage Experience, a pop-up restaurant on the side of the main stage where people eat a prix-fixe menu created by well-known chefs. For the country version of BeachLife, the food will feature barbecue and smoked meats.

The festival made its debut last year with three stages and a lineup that included Brandi Carlile, Dierks Bentley, Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real, Greensky Bluegrass and Songs of Waylon Jennings, which featured Shooter Jennings and other musicians performing songs by his late father.

It also featured non-country acts as well, including folk rock band The Lumineers, alternative rock band Wilco and day one headliners, soul-pop stars Daryl Hall & John Oates. There was mechanical bull riding and since line dancing is a staple at country fests, it included a hootenanny held in a barn area where instructors taught guests how to move in those boots.

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​ Orange County Register 

It’s official: California Sierra snowpack ties all-time record

• April 3, 2023

California water officials gathered at Echo Summit south of Lake Tahoe this morning for a high-profile snowpack reading, which confirmed what an army of snow-sensors scattered across the Sierra already show: the statewide snowpack is tied with 1952 as the biggest haul since official records began in 1950.

On Monday, the statewide snowpack reached an astonishing 237% of normal compared to historical data for this date. The record-tying snowpack is a stunning turnaround from a year ago, when the official April snowpack measure was one of the lowest readings ever, at just 35% of normal.

Technically Monday’s snowpack reading came two days after April 1 — the typical date against which snowpack readings are compared. On April 1, the statewide snowpack measure was at 233% of normal, which was a few percentage points shy of the 1952 record.

But here’s the thing about all these snowpack readings; California has way more stations collecting snowpack data now than it did in 1952. And the data they collect with modern technology is far more accurate.

Also, what’s considered ‘normal’ for an April 1 snowpack reading has changed over time. “Normal” April 1 snowpack in 1952 was calculated based on data from 1946 to 1995. But “normal” nowadays is calculated based on data from 1991 to 2020. The California Department of Water Resources, which compiles all the snowpack data, has used five different definitions of ‘normal’ since 1950, making it difficult to easily compare years. Why, you may ask, do they keep changing the definition of what’s considered normal come April 1? The shifting average is designed “to keep pace with climate change,” according to Sean de Guzman, manager of the California Department of Water Resources’ monthly snow surveys.

Regardless of how you measure it, though, this year’s massive bounty is great news for the drought, which has ended in most of the Golden State. Around a third of California’s water supply comes from melting snowpack.

But many experts are expressing growing concern that warm temperatures in the Sierra this spring could trigger cataclysmic flooding. They are particularly worried about snowmelt-fueled flooding in the Southern Sierra, where the snowpack was at a record-breaking 306% of normal on Monday.

“Once you get up above some level, you are mostly concerned with how fast it melts rather than how big is the snowpack,” said Jay Lund, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Davis. “If we get a real warm spell that comes through and melts it all real fast, you’ll see much more flooding potential.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Former LA Clippers’ Luke Kennard selling Tarzana home for $6 million

• April 3, 2023

NBA guard Luke Kennard is selling his modern farmhouse in Tarzana for $5.995 million.

Shortly after the Los Angeles Clippers sent Kennard to the Memphis Grizzlies in February, he listed his five-bedroom, 7,015-square-foot residence with eight bathrooms.

Property records show he bought it newly built in July 2021 for $5.5 million.

Sited on a half-acre lot, the house opens onto a two-story foyer with a staircase.

European oak flooring and cedar add finishing touches to the expansive floor plan for everyday living and entertaining.

Amenities include a wet bar, a movie theater and a gym. There’s a living room, dining room and gourmet kitchen with two central islands that flows into the family room. There, pocket doors open to the outdoor living space.

Upstairs is the primary suite, which is anchored by a fireplace and features a custom walk-in closet and a bathroom with a soaking tub, a double shower and a makeup vanity. A balcony overlooks the resort-style backyard with an infinity pool and spa, a full outdoor kitchen, a cabana with a bathroom and an expansive grassy area.

Kevin Stewart and Jon Grauman of Bond Collective hold the listing.

Kennard, 26, is a 6-foot-5-inch left-hander who played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. His professional career began in 2017 when the Detroit Pistons drafted him. In 2020, he was traded to the L.A. Clippers.

He has played for the Memphis Grizzlies since February.

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​ Orange County Register