It’s the heat of the moment. While most fans are usually civilized, many of them toe the line sometimes. And many times, those who revere the game and their teams, when the outcome is unfavorable, are irked by the players and vice versa. We saw it firsthand when the Rams receiver Puka Nacua’s elder brother, WR Samson Nacua, was caught slapping a fan on camera after their 27-32 loss to the Battlehawks. The 27-year-old plays for the Michigan Panthers in the UFL. It must have been a tough loss for him. And the anger was misplaced on a fan, who was leaning over a railing in the Dome at America’s Center.
The footage showed the receiver having an animated exchange with the fan, who was hysterical. They were seen in a heated exchange when the receiver lunged towards the fan and slapped him. It was brutal; the voice could be heard even through the noise of the stadium. The No. 86 WR quickly made his exit from the scene. But the reaction of his teammate, WR Adonis Alexander, left everyone in splits.
He was a silent spectator of the whole exchange. But when Samson slapped the fan, he pointed a finger at him, mocking him and laughing hard before leaving the scene. Nacua senior turned around and yelled some choicest words while stepping in reverse. Alexander was more pumped. He kept his finger pointed at the fan while laughing hard.
Michigan Panthers WR Samson Nacua got in a confrontation with a fan post-game and slapped him across the face
His brother is #Rams Puka Nacua
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) April 27, 2025
The UFL launched an investigation into the matter following the incident. They released an official statement that read, “The UFL is aware of the incident that took place last evening at the conclusion of the Michigan Panthers vs. St. Louis Battlehawks game in St. Louis. League officials are currently investigating the matter.”
Although the UFL is investigating the matter, the incident has divided the league. While some trolled the fan for being aggressive, others are against the UFL receiver.
Fans split over Samson Nacua Slapgate
The slap gate incident is not new to the sport of football. But the reverse has also happened a few times. In 2022, then Cardinals QB Kyler Murray was slapped by a fan after week 3 victory against Raiders. Although he forgave the fan, the NFL world was not happy. All those memories hit a rewind in on Sunday, the 27th of April.
After Samson Nacua’s misstep, one fan wanted the UFL to take strict action and mentioned, “Fine him, sue him and suspend him.” Chucky needs to meet the guillotine which will definitely happen if the league finds any wrongdoing on his part. But a few fans didn’t want to wait around for any investigation to confer and conclude a verdict on the player and instead, wanted punishment first. They didn’t care if the player was provoked or not, they didn’t want a repetition of such an incident. One fan commented, “Zero tolerance for stuff like that they should cut them.”
Fine him , sue him and suspend him .
— angrycardsfan (@angrycards) April 27, 2025
Another fan had just a 3-word message that completely summed up the legal consequences. He wrote, “Easy assault case ” The agonized fan can most certainly use the viral video as evidence in the court of law. But, not everyone is siding with the fan. Some patrons of the game believe that for the player to react in such a manner, the fan must have overstepped a line that provoked him. One fan sided with the UFL WR and wrote, “talk that shit get hit/ simple.”
While Samson Nacua seemed agitated on adrenaline, the fan was more animated. He was talking back to the player. Another fan concluded the player innocent and mentioned, “I’m sure the fan deserved it.” While the league is investigating the Panthers’ teammate and other people present at the scene, another fan defended the player while replying, “What’s the problem? Talk shit and play stupid games you get slapped across the face.”
However, such things do tank the player’s image more often than not. No league anticipates such things to happen.
The post NFL Divided Against Puka Nacua’s Brother’s Violent Decision as UFL Investigates Samson Nacua’s Altercation With Fan appeared first on EssentiallySports.
