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March 24, 2025

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“Reese Sends Powerful Message to Juju”

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"Reese Sends Powerful Message to Juju"

Julian ‘Juju’ Reese has been playing with something to prove all season. From the moment his sister, Angel Reese, said he’d have a big year, the Maryland forward has backed it up. Now, he’s leading the Terps on a deep tournament run, proving he belongs among college basketball’s best.

Maryland’s road to the Sweet 16 hasn’t been easy. They finished the regular season 26-8 and made a strong push in the Big Ten tournament before falling to Michigan in the final. As the No. 4 seed in the West Regional, they had to grind for every win. First up? A tough battle against the No. 13 Grand Canyon. Julian set the tone with 18 points and nine rebounds in a hard-fought win. But the next game was the real test.

Things started rocky for Maryland. They trailed by 12 in the first half and were down seven at halftime. But then came the comeback, fueled by their height advantage and sheer refusal to go home early. With six seconds left, Colorado State’s Jalen Lake unleashed a rainbow three-pointer, giving the Rams a 71-70 lead. Terps fans were sweating. But freshman big man, Derik Queen, wasn’t about to let a Cinderella story happen on his watch. The 6-foot-10 center calmly drilled a fadeaway jumper off the glass as the buzzer sounded, sending the Terps to the Sweet 16 for the 15th time in program history.

The crowd went wild. And Angel? She was right there celebrating. She hopped on X and fired off a four-word message: “Sweet 16. Let’s Dance! GO TERPS!”—a rallying cry that was more than just sibling pride. It was sure to spark motivation in the entire camp, as they now prepare to face No. 1 seed Florida in the West Region semifinals.

Coming to Julian, he wasn’t just padding the stats sheet- he was making history. He entered the game with a deficit of five rebounds to hit the 1,000 mark. And if you know Julian, you know he wastes no time! Snatching the milestone with 5:32 left in the first half, he entered a very exclusive club. Let’s put it this way—before tonight, the entire membership list read: Len Elmore. Now? It’s Len Elmore and Julian Reese. The Terps made sure to celebrate accordingly: “Len Elmore. Julian Reese. The only Terps with 1,000 career rebounds. Congrats, Juju!”

Never stopping and with 22 seconds left, the 6-foot-9 junior forward muscled his way to a crucial offensive rebound, then coolly drained two free throws to give Maryland a 70-68 lead. “Big rebounds in big games are becoming a Reese family tradition,” wrote the Associated Press. Pretty spot on!

Rebounding does run in the family. Angel Restarted her college career at Maryland before becoming a star at LSU. As a sophomore with the Terrapins women’s team in 2022, she led Maryland to the Sweet 16, averaging 17.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Her standout performance came against No. 1 seed Stanford, where she posted 25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in a 72-66 loss. “A healthy Maryland is a scary Maryland,” she said ahead of that game, something that still resonates. Though she transferred to LSU—a move she described as needing “to see something different”—her ties to the program and her Baltimore roots remain unbreakable.

Julian plays with that same fire. He dominated against Colorado State with 15 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 5-for-7 from the field and hitting all five free throws, battling the likes of Colorado State’s Rashaan Mbemba with an edge honed from his Baltimore youth.

“I played with the boys and my brother,” Angel once said of those days, “I used to win all the time. And I used to trash talk. They hated it.” That competitive fire, now present in Julian too, was forged on their driveway hoop under the watchful eye of their mother, Angel Reese Sr., who also used to play. “My mom had to take [the hoop] down because me and him used to literally go at it and kill each other,” Angel recalled in an ESPN feature. After the game, Julian too reflected on the intensity that fuels both him and Angel. “I know she’s probably going crazy,” he said. “We just play with so much intensity and wear our feelings on our sleeves. I just didn’t want that to be our last game.”

Now, Julian is leading Maryland’s March Madness run while Angel dominates in the WNBA and Unrivaled’s 3×3 league. The Reese siblings keep pushing each other. But the job’s not done. Next up? No. 1 seed Florida.

Angel Reese’s brother and team ready for the Florida showdown

Maryland is now heading to the Sweet 16. And they’ve got their biggest test yet—No. 1 seed Florida. A spot in the Elite Eight is on the line. The Terps will need every ounce of Julian’s fire to keep dancing.

Reese has been the heart of this Maryland squad. He’s not just a dominant big man; he’s a leader. But it’s not just Juju. Freshman Derik Queen proved he’s built for the moment, sinking the buzzer-beater that kept the Terps alive. Jahmir Young has been Maryland’s go-to scorer all season. The backcourt duo of DeShawn Harris-Smith and Ian Martinez has stepped up in big moments. This team is clicking at the right time.

But moving forward, they will have to remember that the Gators don’t just win—they dominate. Of their 32 wins, 25 have been by double digits. They’ve handled top-tier teams like Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia with ease. Their balanced attack, led by Walter Clayton Jr., makes them a nightmare to defend. Clayton, a former Iona standout, has been a force, averaging 17.7 points per game while shooting nearly 40% from three. Against UConn, he showed his clutch gene, scoring eight of his 23 points in the final minutes.

 

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Basketball

“Why UCLA’s Star Said No to the WNBA”

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"Why UCLA’s Star Said No to the WNBA"

 

Angel Reese will have to wait another year to get revenge on Lauren Betts.

The 6-foot-7 junior is hoping to inspire No.1 seed UCLA to March Madness glory off the back of a first ever Big Ten Championship.

She could not have gotten off to a much better start.

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Betts only needed to play 25 minutes as the Bruins breezed past the Southern Jaguars 84-46.

Richmond put up more of a fight on Sunday but couldn’t contain the rising star, who put up a historic 30 points and 14 rebounds in 32 minutes.

Betts is the first UCLA player ever to hit 30 with at least 10 boards and coach Cori Close gave her her flowers with a late substitution and standing ovation.

“She’s an absolute generational player … an elite player,” Close said. “She’s incredibly competitive. She affects the game in so many ways on both offense and defense. I mean the list goes on and on.

“The scouting report starts with Lauren every time. And so it’s really almost an impossible task [to guard her]. And our other players are the beneficiary of the attention that she draws every single night.”

“Lauren just makes the game easy for everyone on this team,” point guard Kiki Rice added.

“And I think her ability to shoulder so much weight and just do that on a consistent basis and show up for us every single day is something we really admire.”

Last year, the Bruins were beaten in the Sweet 16 stage by LSU.

At the end of the first quarter with the score at 15-15, former Tigers center Reese fought with Betts — one of few women who tower over the 6-foot-3 WNBA star — and came down without the ball.

Chicago Sky sophomore Reese ended up with a bloodied nose after being caught by the Bruins talisman’s elbow.

No foul was called but LSU had the last laugh as Reese finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds in a 78-69 victory.

The defending champion ended up losing to Caitlin Clark’s Iowa in the next round.

Reese followed No.1 pick Clark into the WNBA after Chicago selected her seventh overall and she went on to enjoy a strong rookie season.

Betts was projected to be a top-five pick if she declared for this year’s Draft but will stay in California instead as she eyes a family reunion.

Her sister Sienna — a 6-foot-4 high school standout — signed with the Bruins in November.

“College is the best years of your life, and so I don’t think I’d ever give that up,” Betts said. “Why not be spoiled for a whole another year?

“The way the coaches take care of us in this program, like, how comfortable I am here, and I think that the friendships I’ve created — I’d want to do that for another year.

“I want to win a national championship, obviously, if not this year, then obviously next year, but hopefully we could just do it both times.

“I think that I would be crazy if I gave up the opportunity to play with my sister, so obviously, I’m going to come back next year.”

Betts is averaging 20.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks this season after taking time off in January 2024 — two months before the defeat to LSU — to focus on her mental health.

“I got into a state, the lowest state I’ve ever felt in my entire life,” she told ESPN. “To a point where I was like, ‘I can’t be here. Like, I can’t be here. I can’t do life anymore.

I’m in my hospital gown, sitting in that bed, and I’m watching them play, and I’m like, ‘I can’t believe this is happening right now. That was a huge wake-up call for me. I was like, ‘I need help.’

“I have to put myself first. This is my life. Like, this is my health. It’s way bigger than basketball.”

After battling her demons, Betts is a different prospect this year.

The only team to beat UCLA this season is USC, who won the first two encounters between the powerhouses.

But in the Big Ten Championship finale, Betts and the Bruins came out on top of the Trojans, who are led by standout Juju Watkins.

“I don’t think you guys understand… I am so freaking proud of this team,” Betts said as confetti rained from the rafters. “We earned that game. We worked our butts off. We stayed together. We learned. We could have given up after we lost to them back-to-back.

We would not be denied this game. And I’m so freaking proud of everybody. This means so much to UCLA.”

With the gifted 21-year-old at the top of her game, few would bet against UCLA going all the way in 2025. When she links up with her sister, all Betts are off.

 

 

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“‘He’s a Monster’ – Jake Paul’s Big Admission”

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"‘He’s a Monster’ – Jake Paul’s Big Admission"

 

JAKE PAUL has revealed the one “monster” boxer he will never fight.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer sent social media into a frenzy when he called out Anthony Joshua on his podcast.

And the two later shared a phone call and teased a shock fight in 2026 on their social media channels.

Paul made the callout while joined by former super-middleweight world champion David Benavidez – nicknamed the Mexican Monster.

The Arizona-born light-heavyweight is 30-0 with 24 knockouts and renowned for his dazzling speed and punch power.

So Paul had no problem admitting to Benavidez’s face that he would not go anywhere near fighting him.

He said: “(My manager) is talking about all these potential fights, and I’m like, ‘Yes, no,’ and the only no is you.

“I will not fight this f***ing guy, he’s a fucking monster. I’m just gonna f***ing die, bro. I know my boundaries.

“But here’s the thing, I want to fight Anthony Joshua – exclusive – because I know that I will f***ing beat Anthony Joshua’s ass.

“He doesn’t have a chin and he has no skill and he’s stiff. And I love you, Anthony, we’re friends, all this s***, but I want to fight you.

“I will beat Canelo, I will beat a lot of f***ing people, I will not beat David Benavidez. I would get torn up, bro. This guy is different. He’s different.”

Benavidez, 28, most recently beat David Morrell to win the interim WBC and WBA titles.

Paul, 28, meanwhile defeated Mike Tyson, 58, in his last bout but it was marred in controversy due to the age gap between them.

After the fight – which was viewed by more than 100MILLION on Netflix – Paul’s team opened the door to a potential AJ fight.

Paul weighed a career-heaviest 227lb (16st 2lb) for his eight-round points win over Tyson.

Joshua, 35, was 252.5lb (18st) for his September KO loss to Daniel Dubois meaning there is still a TWO STONE difference with Paul.

And promoter Eddie Hearn revealed AJ is board for the fight.

Hearn said: “To be honest, I look at it and I think Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua — for me, we’d do it for the banter.

“AJ would fight Jake Paul. He’d fight anyone to be honest with you. If Jake Paul wants to step up and fight Anthony Joshua, he’ll need the relevant insurance.

“The only thing that was disappointing was he says 2026. That’s like me saying, LA Olympics for the surfing in 2028, I’ll be there.’

“Do it in 2025 if you really want to do it. You’re not going to get really much better at this stage.

“I don’t know. Those two have spoken, I spoke to AJ this morning, he went, ‘Listen, of course I’d fight him.’

“[Joshua] said, ‘Why not?’ I said, ‘What do you want me to say when I’m asked about it?’

“He said, ‘Tell everyone I’ll fight anyone, any time, it’s not a problem for me.’”

 

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BOXING

“Tears Flow After Jake Paul’s $1M Move”

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"Tears Flow After Jake Paul’s $1M Move"

Jake Paul has posted new footage of his proposal to Jutta Leerdam and it is believed he forked out $1 million for the engagement ring.

The pair have been together through the ups and downs of Paul’s boxing career so far, including his recent victory over Mike Tyson.

And this week ‘El Gallo’ announced that he and Leerdam were now engaged.

He posted a picture of himself proposing in front of a picturesque backdrop, on one knee with a ring in his hand.

But the American has now shared new footage of the moment he proposed.

The pair were seen both wiping tears away from their face with Paul clearly struggling to contain his emotion during the romantic moment.

Paul then embraced Leerdam as their engagement became official.

He wrote as the caption: “The most magical day of our lives, 03-21-25.”

During the moment, he presented Leerdam with a diamond ring, which is said to be worth close to $1 million.

It was examined by jewellery experts and believed to be ten-carat natural diamonds, which take the ring’s value to seven figures.

Paul and Leerdam have become huge names and regularly travel around the world to support each other’s careers.

Most recently he was present to support the Dutch star as she scooped three medals in the latest Speed Skating Single Distances Championship.

She will now have a busy year with marriage to Paul to come alongside her quest to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Paul himself is set to have a busy time in the boxing ring despite missing out on a huge showdown with Canelo Alvarez.

The ‘Problem Child’ has even held talks with Gervonta Davis over an exhibition but that will now likely be delayed.

In his most recent call-out, Paul decided to make an ambitious offer to face heavyweight Anthony Joshua.

The pair have held talks in a bizarre phone call, which could see a fight land in 2026.

And Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has refused to rule it out.

“To be honest, I look at it and I think Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua—for me, we’d do it for the banter,” he said.

“‘A.J.’ would fight Jake Paul. He’d fight anyone to be honest with you. If Jake Paul wants to step up and fight Anthony Joshua, he’ll need the relevant insurance.

“The only thing that was disappointing was he says 2026. That’s like me saying, ‘LA Olympics for the surfing in 2028, I’ll be there.’

 

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Joshua vs Paul: Unthinkable Ending

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Joshua vs Paul: Unthinkable Ending

Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul has been teased to take place in 2026 – but we’ve already seen the outcome.

Joshua is a two-time heavyweight world champion who has achieved it all in the sport, but has yet to pencil in his next fight after losing to Daniel Dubois.

After beating heavyweight icon Mike Tyson in a huge event, YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul is after more big names.

He called out Joshua to a surprising clash, which would likely be a mega commercial event.

Paul insisted he could beat the hard-hitting Briton, despite his limited experience which would make him a huge underdog.

The pair then jumped on a phone call and hashed out a surprising plan for a fight, which they teased could take place next year.

But classic video game EA Sports Fight Night has already solved the outcome if the pair were to touch gloves.

Joshua stepped in carrying a huge size advantage over Paul, who stands five inches smaller.

And it was clear from the opening bell, as expected if the pair do meet, that Joshua was in control.

He used his size from the opening round and Paul was unable to close the distance at all.

The British powerhouse continued his domination through the second round before finding his breakthrough in the third period.

With 15 seconds of the stanza remaining, in a quite realistic outcome, Joshua detonated the trademark uppercut but with his left hand.

It crushed easily through the guard and dropped Paul flat on to his back.

Luckily he was able to climb to his feet and survive, despite likely never having felt that level of power before.

Unfortunately for Paul the onslaught continued, and in the sixth round Joshua dropped him again.

It was a body shot this time, which surprisingly appeared to hit his arm, but he collapsed to the canvas again.

He showed a quite remarkable level of ability to climb off the canvas, and it is unclear if he could do so in real life.

Paul was only in there matter of seconds as Joshua unloaded a huge right hook which sent Paul out cold.

He crashed to the canvas motionless and the referee counted before seeing that the fight was stopped.

Joshua celebrated wildly, perhaps too much so given their skill gap, but it was an easy win.

That is likely how many of the boxing fraternity would expect proceedings to pan out.

The former champion will be hugely confident of beating Paul, and if this outcome doesn’t unfold, it could be the biggest upset in boxing history.

 

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