BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP AT AT&T STADIUM

Arizona State University Blowing through Iowa State after the second half of play ending in 45-19 game.

MEET ANICKA NEWELL 3X OLYMPIAN

A Pro Athlete born and raised in Denton, Texas. Holding dual citizenship through her Canadian Parents. Competed with Texas State University where she was a two time Sun Belt Conference Pole Vault Champion and setting a conference record. She also competed in the Olympics not once, twice but three times. Leading into the finals but landing short from a Gold medal.

We got to Meet Anicka and had some questions to ask some questions.

First was what got you into Pole Vault?

I got thrown into it by my high school coach. He knew my gymnast background and figured it be something great for me to try and made me do it! I didn’t love it at first, It took a long time before I developed a real passion for it.

Second Question was Can you walk us through your mental process right before a big jump?

It involves a lot of positive self talk and going over all my cues in my head. That I am trying to hit. I have a lot of nervous energy and the most important thing for me is to be intentional and make my butterflies fly in formation.

Third question what’s the technical aspect of pole vaulting that most people underestimate and overlook?

People overlook EVERY aspect of Pole Vault. Pole Vault is the hardest event of track and field BECAUSE of how technical it is. You wouldn't even begin to believe how much is involved or how many factors there are that you have to account for before during and after EVERY SINGLE JUMP.

Fourth question was how do you handle pressure from high stakes competitions especially in the olympic stage?

I handle pressure by becoming my toughest persona. Gotta bring that dog in me out to play and unleash the beast because competition is no time for the timid. If you are not ready to play with the big dogs then stay on the porch.

Last question was what has been your most challenging setback in Pole Vaulting and how did you overcome it?

The most challenging setback is the MINDSET. Specifically fear, I have had to really understand how to not just handle fears but attack them head on and that has taken A LOT of years of mental Practice.

I will say when you see her she is very intimidating but once you get to know her she is the sweetest athlete with the biggest heart of all time.

Under the white-hot lights of Allegiant Stadium, the air felt heavier than usual—like history itself had taken a seat ringside. Sixty thousand fans buzzed with the same impossible question on their lips: What happens when Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford finally collide?

The bell rang, sharp and unforgiving.

Canelo walked forward first, chin tucked, shoulders rolling, the calm of a man who had carried boxing on his back for more than a decade. Every step thudded with menace. Across from him, Crawford floated—switching stances, eyes cool, mind already three moves ahead. He looked less like a fighter and more like a puzzle that refused to be solved.

Round 1–3:
Canelo tested the body early, hooks digging into Crawford’s ribs like a debt collector demanding payment. The crowd roared with every thump. Crawford answered not with power, but precision—check hooks, quick jabs, angles that made Canelo reset. It was a chess match disguised as a street fight.

Round 4–6:
Momentum shifted. Crawford switched southpaw and began threading left hands through Canelo’s guard. For the first time in years, Canelo blinked—just once—but the crowd noticed. Canelo responded the only way he knew how: pressure. He cut the ring, cornered Crawford, and unleashed a brutal combination to the body that echoed through the stadium. Crawford smiled. Not because it didn’t hurt—but because he knew he belonged here.

Round 7–9:
The fight turned savage. Canelo’s right hand snapped Crawford’s head back in the eighth, sending a gasp through the crowd. Crawford fired back immediately, a laser-straight counter that froze Canelo in place. Sweat flew, gloves cracked, and neither man gave an inch. This wasn’t just about belts anymore. This was about legacy.

Round 10:
Crawford found something. A rhythm. A timing. He began stepping just outside Canelo’s power and punishing him with combinations—three, four punches at a time. Canelo’s guard stayed tight, but the shots were sneaking through. The crowd split down the middle, half chanting “Canelo!” the other half screaming “Bud!”

Round 11:
Canelo dug deep. A left hook to the liver bent Crawford for a heartbeat—the most dangerous moment of the fight. But Crawford refused to fall. He tied up, survived, and nodded as if to say, Is that all you’ve got?

Round 12:
They met in the center of the ring. No running. No clinching. Just truth. Punches flew until the final bell drowned everything out.

Silence.

Then the judges read the cards.

A razor-thin split decision.

When the winner was announced, neither man celebrated wildly. Canelo raised a glove. Crawford bowed his head, then smiled. They embraced—not as rivals, but as warriors who had dared to answer boxing’s hardest question.

And long after the lights dimmed, fans argued in bars, online, and in their dreams—because some fights don’t end when the bell rings.

They live forever. 🥊

The Lone Star Showdown

Austin burned bright that night.

Under the lights of DKR, the roar of 100,000 Longhorns turned the stadium into sacred ground. Every snap carried history. Every hit shook the state.

Texas struck first—power, speed, and belief crashing into the end zone. The defense answered with fury, shutting down hope and igniting the crowd. When the game tightened in the fourth, the Longhorns never blinked. One perfect throw. One fearless catch. The moment that broke the night open.

As the clock hit zero, the stadium erupted. Players locked arms. Fans sang through tears and triumph.

Texas won—but more than that, Texas reminded everyone who they are.

Forever. 🤘