Few athletes in America currently carry the cache of Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, now a 40-point scorer in both the Elite Eight and the Final Four. And few musicians in America currently carry the cache of Taylor Swift, headliner of a much-hyped tour behind 2022âs hit Midnights.
It almost makes sense that their paths would cross.
Swift performed Friday and is scheduled to perform Saturday and Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texasâthe same weekend as the Hawkeyesâ bid for the national championship, scheduled for Sunday afternoon against LSU at American Airlines Center in nearby Dallas.
Saturday afternoon, it was pointed out to Clark that the get-in for the national title game was $428, against a $308 get-in price for Swift’s shows.
âHey! Iâm going to her in June! She should stay for the game tomorrow!” Clark responded.
Youâve prob heard that @taylorswift13 is in Dallas tonight (and tomorrow). Tickets for her start at $308 according to Vivid Seats. Tickets for @CaitlinClark22 & the title game: $428
CCâs reaction to this: âHey! Iâm going to her in June! She should stay for the game tomorrow!â
â Lindsay Schnell (@Lindsay_Schnell) April 1, 2023
With or without Swift in attendance, Clark is poised to put on a show. She’s averaged 32 points, six rebounds and 10 assists per game over the course of an NCAA tournament to remember.
Cody Rhodesâs career has been defined by betting on himself to do the improbable. At WrestleMania 39, heâs poised for his biggest cash-in yet.
Rhodes will attempt to win the undisputed WWE universal championship when he challenges Roman Reigns in the main event of Night 2 of WWEâs signature event at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., this Sunday.
When he returned to WWE one year ago, Rhodes made it clear he was on a mission to fulfill his familyâs destiny. He was back in WWE to do the one thing that his legendary father Dusty Rhodes was never able to do: become WWE world champion. It was a lofty goalâbut no one should have doubted Rhodes given his track record.
There have been at least three pivotal moments in his career when Rhodes went against conventional wisdom and decided to bet on himself. The first was when Rhodes left WWE in 2016. Playing the comedy character Stardust at the time, Rhodes felt âdead insideâ and like he was capable of more. The safe move would have been to stay in WWE, hoping that management would one day see him as the main-eventer he saw himself as. Instead, Rhodes left a stable job with the biggest wrestling company in the world and decided to chart his own path.
Rhodes found success outside of WWE, competing in promotions like ROH, NJPW and indies across the world. No matter if it was the Tokyo Dome or a small-time local event, Rhodes made sure to carry himself like a star. He treated every match as an opportunity to prove himself. With Kevin Owens helping to connect them, Rhodes formed a friendship with The Young Bucks. Itâs a connection that would end up changing the course of wrestling history. Seeing that there was a boom in non-WWE wrestling, it was time for Rhodes to place another bet on himself. He worked with The Young Bucks to promote All In, a September 2018 event that would become the first non-WWE pro wrestling show in the United States to draw a crowd of 10,000 fans since WCW closed its doors in â01.
All In was just the beginning. In 2019, Tony Khan launched AEW with Rhodes, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega serving as executive vice presidents. AEW becoming WWEâs biggest competition in nearly two decades meant that Rhodesâs legacy was now secure. He would always be remembered as one of the most important wrestlers of his era.
But just three years later, Rhodes was ready to gamble again. In his most surprising move to date, Rhodes announced he was leaving AEW. He left behind an executive position and a comfortable spot in AEW to return to WWE. In AEW, Rhodes made the mistake of taking himself out of the world title picture. He was too focused on the management side of the business instead of the goals he still wanted to accomplish in the ring. Rhodes realized that mistake and made the world title his priority when returning to WWE.
Given the tribalistic nature of wrestling fans, Rhodes risked becoming a punch line if his WWE return failed. There were no guarantees that WWE wouldnât sour on him once he got back in the company. But, aside from having to spend much of 2022 out of action with a torn pectoral muscle, Rhodesâs return has gone perfectly. He became the top babyface in WWE. He won this yearâs menâs Royal Rumble match. And heâs now on the verge of ending the most dominant WWE world championship reign of the modern era. Rhodes has done the work to get himself to this point. Through sheer force of will, Rhodes made himself a WWE main-eventer. Coming from a wrestling dynasty and getting help from friends along the way definitely helped, but Rhodesâs story should be an example to wrestlers everywhere. You can accomplish anything if youâre determined enough.
Night 2 of WrestleMania 39 will stream live on Peacock starting at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday. Hereâs a full rundown of the lineup, along with predictions for each of the six matches.
Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes for the undisputed WWE universal championship
Is it a lock that Rhodes is going to defeat Reigns? With a title reign this dominant, fans wonât be certain that Reigns is losing until it actually happens. You can come up with reasons why Reigns might retain. A loss at WrestleMania means that Reignsâs title run would end just short of 1,000 days. Thatâs a significant milestone that WWE would be passing up on. And as much as Rhodes is a great option to conquer Reigns, he isnât a perfect option. At 37 years old, Rhodes is the same age as Reigns. Heâs not a young star whoâs going to win the world title and then lead WWE into a new era.
But perfect shouldnât be the enemy of good. There is no up-and-coming star in WWE right now whoâs on the verge of becoming the next Steve Austin or The Rock. Rhodes is capable of being the face of WWE for the next several years. This is his moment to win the world title.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes wins
Bianca Belair vs. Asuka for the Raw womenâs championship
Bianca Belair would have been better off if WWE decided to go with Rhea Ripley as her WrestleMania challenger. But despite a weak build, Belair vs. Asuka could be one of the best matches on either night of WrestleMania. Belairâs title reign is at the one-year mark after defeating Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38. WWE has recently been focused on rebuilding Asuka into the most unstoppable wrestler in the womenâs division. Itâs a match that could go either way. Even if Belair manages to escape with a victory, itâs possible she loses the title to Asuka at Mayâs Backlash pay-per-view.
Prediction: Bianca Belair retains
Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus for the intercontinental championship
A triple-threat match gives WWE the opportunity to have Gunther drop the intercontinental title without actually losing. Gunther has had a year of total dominance on the main roster, never being pinned or submitted. That streak should remain intact until he challenges for the world title. Gunther would be a great SummerSlam opponent for Rhodes.
Gunther vs. Sheamus at Clash at the Castle was the best WWE match that took place in 2022. With another hard-hitting brawler added to the mix, they should steal the show again Sunday. Sheamus has been on a journey to win the intercontinental title, the championship that has eluded him throughout his WWE career. Heâll finally accomplish that when he pins Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania.
Prediction: Sheamus wins
Hell in a Cell match: Edge vs. Finn BĂĄlor
Edgeâs feud with The Judgment Day will finally come to an end when he faces Finn BĂĄlor inside Hell in a Cell. Itâs only the fourth time a Hell in a Cell match will take place at WrestleMania.
The Judgment Day turned against Edge when BĂĄlor joined the faction last June. The most recent chapter of their rivalry saw Edge team with Beth Phoenix to defeat BĂĄlor and Ripley at Elimination Chamber. Having BĂĄlor take back-to-back losses would be a mistake, especially with BĂĄlor using his âDemonâ persona for WrestleMania. This is an opportunity for WWE to reestablish the Demon character as something special. WWE should be building up BĂĄlor for a potential world title challenge.
Prediction: Finn BĂĄlor wins
Brock Lesnar vs. Omos
Brock Lesnar vs. Omos seemed like a baffling booking decision when it was announced. From headlining WrestleMania last year to now facing Omos in the mid-card, itâs definitely a step down for Lesnar. But their feud has actually been pretty enjoyable. An unstoppable force like Lesnar vs. an immovable object like the (legitimately) 7’3″ Omos is classic pro wrestling. Lesnar has worked hard to make the audience question whether he can actually beat Omos. This has a chance to be legitimately fun. If not, itâll hopefully at least be a fun trainwreck.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins
WrestleMania Showcase match: Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya and Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler vs. Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green
Itâs strange to see Ronda Rousey in such a low spot on the WrestleMania card. Rousey suffering a fractured arm may have contributed to that, but she doesnât feel like the superstar she was during her first run with WWE. Sheâs just another person on the roster now.
There arenât any official stakes to this Showcase match, but whoever wins will likely be in line for a shot at the womenâs tag team titles. If Rousey isnât going to need to take time off for her injury, she and Shayna Baszler should win. Rousey and Baszler challenging Becky Lynch and Lita is a match that should have been on WrestleMania.
The 28-year-old two-time Pro Bowl running back has bounced around a bit since his back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons in 2018 and â19 with the Broncos.
Lindsay played for Houston and Miami in 2021 and with the Colts last season, but failed to make a significant impact in either stop. Lindsay has rushed for just 298 total yards and one touchdown over the last two years, and will now latch onto a role in the XFL to try to revive his professional prospects.
The Sea Dragons are second in the XFL in rushing, and at 5â2 are second in the XFL North behind the D.C. Defenders.
Lindsay should have plenty of opportunities to showcase his talent as he hopes to prove that heâs still got something left in the tank.
Kyle Busch gave his thoughts on Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastainâs incident at COTA, and Ross Chastain reacts to Buschâs comment on him needing glasses.
Daniel Suarez repeatedly said his issue wasnât solely with teammate Ross Chastain. âIf we donât fix it, weâre going to make this embarrassing circus even bigger.â What Suarez and Chastain said Saturday about mending fences.
This week, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced its class of 2023, which includes Heat legend Dwyane Wade. The former shooting guard became the first player drafted by Miami to receive the honor, and the latest member to get in on the first ballot and to be voted in unanimously.
Wade posted a video on Twitter of Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo calling him to deliver the news, and Wade expressed how excited he was about the moment to both the viewers and to his family.
âThatâs the call that Iâve watched people get for a long time,â he said.
The father of four then told his children they have to change his name in their phones from âdadâ to âHOF.â
Wade will be inducted into a class that includes Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, Gregg Popovich and Becky Hammon. His enshrinement ceremony will take place on August 12 in Springfield, Mass.Â
On the court, French center Victor Wembanyama is being billed as one of the best NBA draft prospects of his generation, renowned for his unprecedented versatility at the height of 7â5â.
As it turns out, that versatility extends to social media, too.
Wembanyama delivered a perfectly deadpan April Fools’ Day joke on Twitter Saturday morning, doubtlessly horrifying fans of the many teams gunning for his draft rights in the process.
On Thursday, parody account Buttcrack Sports tweeted that Wembanyama would not declare for the 2023 NBA draft, and instead would keep playing for Metropolitans 92 in Levallois-Perret, France.
Two days later, Wembanyama appeared to jokingly confirm the speculation.
“Yes indeed,” he tweeted, tagging Metropolitans 92 and adding a prayer emoji for good measure.
