Tag Archives: Wrestling

JAKE HAGER, FORMERLY KNOWN AS WWE’S JACK SWAGGER, SIGNS EXCLUSIVE MULTI-YEAR DEAL WITH BELLATOR MMA

LOS ANGELES – Bellator is pleased to announce that it has reached a multi-fight, multi-year deal with Jake Hager, who was formerly known as “Jack Swagger” during his nearly nine-year run with WWE. The deal will see Hager make his MMA debut inside a Bellator cage.

 

Hager will compete at heavyweight and is expected to debut in 2018.

 

A native of Perry, Okla., Hager would go on to be a collegiate wrestler at the University of Oklahoma, where he was an All-American and set the school record for most pins at the 285-pound weight class in a single season with 30. Following graduation and a conversation with legendary pro wrestling announcer and fellow Oklahoma Sooner, Jim Ross, Hager made the transition to professional wrestling and signed with WWE.

 

While in WWE, Hager would go on to claim multiple coveted professional titles during his time with the organization, including the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, ECW Championship and WWE United States Championship.

 

After ending his run with the WWE earlier this year, Hager turned his sights toward another avenue, fully focusing on his mixed martial arts skillset and testing himself against some of the best athletes in the world.

 

“This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It’s something that’s a part of me, so it makes sense. I’m very happy with the deal. I’ve felt a lot of love from Bellator,” said Hager. “I think there are certain types of guys who need to be punched in the face and taste blood. I’ve always been a fan of MMA, I’ve been wrestling since I was five-years-old. It’s awesome to be with Bellator. They’re really going to put 100 percent towards it!”

 

“I’m excited to see Jake Hager debut for Bellator in 2018,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “When I heard he was seriously interested in competing in MMA and when you look at what he did at the collegiate level, I was very interested in having him on our roster. I think Jake will expose new fans to Bellator from his previous run with WWE and he will be given every opportunity to prove that he’s the real deal inside the cage.”

 

Hager is the latest in a long line of high-profile signings Bellator has made recently and joins a heavyweight division that will crown a champion in 2018 through the recently announced eight-man Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix.

 

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Former Wrestling Stars Unite

 

(Odessa, FL) Don’t miss the opportunity to pay homage to Stars such as Kevin Sullivan and JJ Dillon, while the history of Championship Wrestling in Florida celebrated once again at CWF Legends FanFest 2 on Saturday, October 28, 2017 from 2:00 PM – 7:30 PM EDT. This event will again take place at the intimate American Legion Hall in Odessa & tickets are again limited to only 200 wrestling fans, guaranteeing everyone a personalized experience.

 

Sullivan, who began his run in CWF during the early 1970s, was also a key player in the 1980s as he and his followers joined “The Darkside.” Kevin went on to book CWF in the 1980’s before going on to perform in the NWA & WCW, where he is also known for booking WCW during The Monday Night Wars.

 

James J. Dillon rose to CWF prominence in 1975 as a wrestler, holding multiple championships in the state before returning as a Manager in the early 80’s and booking CWF for some time. He gained greater fame when he went to the NWA and become the Manager for the legendary “Four Horsemen”. JJ also played huge behind the scenes rolls in both WWE & WCW Talent Management. In addition to Sullivan & Dillon, other CWF Favorites at this event will be Rocky Johnson, Brian Blair, Tony Marino, & Sherri Lee.

 

At the end of the Fanfest portion of this event, we will again honor CWF Legends with a special award ceremony and induction into the CWF Hall Of Fame. Honorees include the man widely considered as the greatest wrestling announcer in the history of the business, Gordon Solie, as well as the top heel in the formation of CWF (and widely considered one of the top heels ever in pro wrestling), The Great Malenko. The friends and families of Mr. Solie and Mr. Malenko will be in attendance to honor these two heroes of CWF! This special CWF HOF award ceremony is open to all in attendance at the Fanfest!

 

Super Tickets to this event are available on a first come, first serve basis and include a photo opportunity and one autograph with all of the listed wrestling legends. Additional autograph opportunities will be made available. This Super Ticket, which includes general admission to the event and a 30 minute Awards Presentation are $55.00.

 

In addition, a Dinner Mega Ticket will be made available to only 50 fans and those fans will be eating a catered dinner with Kevin Sullivan & JJ Dillon. There will be nothing off limits in this, now, 2 Hour conversation and gives you the opportunity to converse over a meal with two of the most knowledgeable talents ever to compete in, not only CWF, but in the entire business. The Dinner Mega Ticket, which includes early admission (30 minutes in advance), a photo op and 2 autographs with all the Fanfest Guests, a 2 Hour catered buffet dinner with Kevin Sullivan & JJ Dillon, a group dinner photo, and VIP Access to the entire event is $125.00.

 

General Admission to the event which will also feature vendors with unique wrestling memorabilia is only $10.00 and includes the Special Awards Ceremony. Other opportunities to meet certain CWF Legends are also available. This is a one night extravaganza that is bound to exceed expectations.

 

Fanfest- Mega Ticket Early Admission: 2:00-2:30pm

Fanfest: 2:30-5pm, Awards Ceremony: 5-5:30pm, Dinner: 5:30-7:30pm

American Legion Post 147

17383 Gunn Highway

Odessa, FL 33556

Tickets Link –www.eventbrite.com/cwf-legends-fanfest-2

NEF TO ONCE AGAIN SPONSOR YOUNG ATHLETE AT USM WRESTLING CLINIC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Gorham, Maine (June 30, 2017) – New England Fights (NEF) announced earlier today that the fight promotion would once again sponsor an athlete at this year’s Brawlin’ Lobsta Wrestling Clinic & Tournament.  The camp is set to take place at the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine (USM) fromJuly 18 to July 22.  As it has done in years past, NEF will select one winner for which the fight promotion will cover tuition to the program.

“This is one of the most important things we do in the community every year,” said NEF matchmaker and co-owner Matt Peterson of Rumford, Maine.  “So many of our promotion’s competitors came from a wrestling background.  Wrestling instills in young athletes a lifelong sense of discipline and hard work, and that is exactly what we want the winner of this contest to take away from the camp this summer.”

Camp instructors Mike Morin and Jon Deupree are both veterans of the MMA cage.  Morin is the head wrestling coach at USM and a two-time All-American during his days competing for the Huskies.  Deupree is an assistant coach with USM and was a two-time NCAA national qualifier.

“Myself and my staff would like to thank NEF for once again sponsoring a local wrestler to attend the Brawlin’ Lobsta Wrestling Camp,” exclaimed Morin. “This is not only directly helping raise the level of wrestling in the state of Maine, it has also helped us at USM jump levels. We look forward to working with all of the wrestlers this year at the camp and in the future.”

Interested contestants are asked to submit a photograph of themselves wrestling to either the NEF Facebook page or via email to newenglandfights@gmail.com along with a brief statement of 100 words or less detailing why they believe the clinic will help them achieve their goals.

New England Fights’ next mixed-martial arts event, “NEF 30: Rumble in Bangor,” will be held at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine on Saturday, August 5, 2017. Tickets are on sale now at www.CrossInsuranceCenter.com.

For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

Queens Wrestling attracts 19 students from 9 states to launch new program.

The Queens University of Charlotte Wrestling Program was started in April with the hiring of U.S. Olympian Ken Chertow. Chertow is a 3x All-American at Penn State and coached at Ohio State and Penn State while also developing and coaching his Gold Medal Training Camp System.

Today Chertow announced his initial recruiting class of nineteen student-athletes from 9 different states – NC, PA, VA, MD, SC, GA, FL, NY and CA.

The Queens Wrestling Team will get together for the first time Sunday, July 2 when they host the Gold Medal Training Camp at Queens July 2-6 as the team will be on campus serving as counselors.

The initial Queens Wrestling recruiting class of 2017 is led by high school All-American Noah Curreri from New York. Noah is a Flo Nationals All American, NY State Finalist and 2x NY State Placewinner with a career record of 133-26.

The Queens recruiting class includes six home state North Carolina wrestlers including two 2X North Carolina State Champions Anthony Toineeta from Cherokee High School and Marcelino Aponte from Jack Britt High School. Another 2x State Champion is Maryland’s Nathan Gainey who is a 3X state finalist and a 2X State Champion from Odenton, MD. Gainey finished his high school career with a record of 139-16.

Below is a breakdown of the entire Queens Roster in weight class order.  

125
Noah Gilbert is a 3x State Placewinner from East Burke HS in Hildebran, NC. Gilbert finished his season with a 49-1 record and finished his career 192-24 making him the record holder for all time wins in Burke County. Gilbert graduated with a 3.5 GPA and is the male athlete of the year at East Burke HS.

Melvin Rubio is a 2x North Carolina State Placewinner at Enka High School.

Alessandro Araujo is a 2x Georgia State Qualifier and transfer student from Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Noah Stoltzfus is a Pennsylvania regional qualifier from Middletown High School.

Nathan Gainey is a 2x Maryland State Champion.

133
Milton Jackson is a North Carolina State Qualifier from Mallard Creek HS with 138 career wins. He was awarded the Senior Male Outstanding Athlete Award winner and won the Excellence Award from Hendricks Lexus Dealership.

Devin Hayes is a California State Qualifier.

141
Daniel Goodwin is a 2x Virginia State Placewinner from Chesapeake, VA with a 4.0 GPA.

Stephon Haliburton is a Florida State Qualifier.

149
Drake Cable is a 2x North Carolina State Placewinner for Robbinsville High School.

Karson Ayres is a California State Qualifier from Fountain Valley, California. He is a 4x league champion and 2x CIF champion.

157
Mack Barnett is a transfer student from Suffolk County Community College in New York.

Steven Hamilton is a South Carolina State Placewinnner from Fort Mill High School.

165
Anthony Toineeta is a 2x North Carolina State Champion from Cherokee High School.

174
Noah Curreri is a Flo Nationals All-American and 2x State Placewinner from New York.

184
Jake Balmas is a North Carolina State Placewinner from Stanfield, NC. Balmas also excels in the Olympic Styles and is a 2x Freestyle state finalist and 3x Greco-Roman state finalist.

197
Benjie Hund is from Marvin Ridge High School near Charlotte.

 286
Jacob Marin is 2017 Florida State Champion at Heavyweight. Jacob finished this year at Wakulla High School with a record of 37-1. Jacob will also be playing Rugby at Queens.

In addition to these 19 wrestlers, the Queens Coaching Staff joining Chertow will include many outstanding coaches including:
-NCAA All-American and Rutgers graduate Tom Tanis
-NCAA All-American and Pitt graduate Zac Thomassueit
-North Carolina State Champion Rob Tate.
-VP of High Point IST Solutions Tim Hennessey
-UNC Chapel Hill graduate and Showmars VP Zach Zitsos
-2x Academic All-American at University of Wisconsin Whitewater Tom Trieloff
-Campbell graduate Paul Renaud,
-Gardner Webb graduate Alex Ventura.

Coach Tanis and Coach Hennessey will also continue to teach at the C2X Commitment to Excellence Wrestling Club in Fort Mill, SC.

Queens will host the Gold Medal Training Camp July 2-6 and the entire staff and team will be joining Coach Chertow and the campers. The team members will be serving as counselors creating a very personalized and beneficial experience.

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Fight Network to Live Broadcast New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s First-Ever U.S. Event this Saturday, July 1 at 8 p.m. ET

For Immediate Release – June 27, 2017

 

NJPW: G1 Special in USA to Air Live on Fight Network in Canada and Globally in Over 30 Countries Across Europe, Africa and the Middle East

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, today announced a live broadcast of NEW JAPAN PROWRESTLING’s first-ever U.S. event – the G1 SPECIAL IN USA – this Saturday, July 1 at 8 p.m. ET from the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif.

Fight Network will televise the 4+ hour event live in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. AXS TV’s NJPW broadcast team – Hall of Famer Jim Ross and former UFC heavyweight champion and NJPW veteran Josh Barnett – will be ringside to call the action.

“Fight Network is the home of NJPW’s weekly English-language series, so our viewers are familiar with the promotion’s exciting talent roster and excellent production value,” said Ariel Shnerer, Director of Programming & Communications for Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., the parent company of Fight Network. “The organization’s inaugural event on U.S. soil is stacked with quality matchups. With Fight Network on free preview across Canada, this is an opportune time to expose our viewers to a historic event on Saturday night.”

Starting at 8 p.m. ET, the G1 SPECIAL IN THE USA will feature the following card:

 

IWGP Heavyweight Championship

Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Cody

 

IWGP Tag-Team Championship

Guerillas of Destiny (c) vs. War Machine

IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship Tournament – Round 1

Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin

Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Juice Robinson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Hangman Page vs. Jay Lethal

8-Man Tag-Team Match

David Finlay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jay White & KUSHIDA vs. Billy Gunn, Sho Tanaka, Yohei Komatsu &Yoshitatsu

8-Man Tag-Team Match

Dragon Lee, Jyushin Thunder Liger, Titan & Volador Jr. vs. BUSHI, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi & SANADA

10-Man Tag-Team Match

BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Marty Scurll, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson & Yujiro Takahashi) vs. CHAOS & ROH (Rocky Romero, Beretta, Will Ospreay Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe)

Fight Network is currently available on free preview on cable carriers across Canada.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

CWF Legends Fanfest presents: “The Assassin Returns to Tampa”

A Special Recognition by Hillsborough County to Cowboy Luttrell & Eddie Graham is an Added Bonus

 

Legendary Professional wrestler, The Assassin #1 returns to Tampa, FL after a 30 year absence to headline an intimate Fanfest in North Tampa on Saturday, June 3. Joining The Assassin (Joe Hamilton) will be his son, former WCW & WWE Referee Nick Patrick, Steve Keirn, Bugsy McGraw, The Cuban Assassin Fidel Sierra (making his 1st ever Fanfest appearance as The Saint), Rick “The Gladiator” Hunter, Lady Maxine (making her first ever Fanfest appearance), plus Vendor Guest Manny Fernandez!

 

Taking place at the intimate American Legion Hall in Odessa, tickets are limited to only 200 wrestling fans, guaranteeing everyone a personalized experience. Super Tickets to this event are available on a first come, first serve basis and include a photo opportunity and one autograph with all of the wrestling legends. Additional autograph opportunities will be made available.(www.eventbrite.com/cwflegendstickets)

 

Following the Fanfest, we will hold a 90 minute CWF Archive Group Cocktail Party. There will be a cash bar and complimentary hor d’oeuvres plus the opportunity to mingle with the Legends plus Special Guests. Furthermore, Stu Schwartz and Sherri Lee will be recognized for their long time contributions to CWF with The legendary Jerry Brisco presenting.

 

Belinda Luttrell Romano, the daughter of CWF Founder Clarence “Cowboy” Luttrell, and Nicole Gossett Alonso, the granddaughter of Eddie Graham, will both be in-person at the CWF Fanfest Cocktail Party as their respective families will be recognized by Hillsborough County for their accomplishments, dedication, and lasting legacies to the Tampa Bay community. Presenting this honor to the Graham & Lutrall families will be long time Tampa area radio personality & Host of the 970 WFLA Morning Drive, Tedd Webb.

 

General Admission to the event which will also feature vendors with unique wrestling memorabilia is only $5.00. Other opportunities to just meet certain CWF Legends are also available. This is a one night extravaganza that is bound to exceed expectations.

Iconic ‘WOS’ British Wrestling to Return to ITV

MANCHESTER | NASHVILLE – ITV Studios Entertainment Manchester announced today that it has teamed up with IMPACT Wrestling, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp.,  to bring WOS Wrestling back to ITV, with an initial commission for a 10-part series.

The commission from ITV’s Helen Warner follows a successful one-off-special, which aired on New Year’s Eve 2016. The Executive Producers for ITV Studios are Tom McLennan and Simon Marsh. Jeff Jarrett, the Chief Creative Officer for IMPACT Wrestling, will be the Executive Producer for IMPACT Wrestling.

Thirty years after the original WOS ended – and legendary stars such as Big Daddy, Mick McManus and Rollerball Rocco left British screens – this new series will feature the very best of today’s wrestlers from the current red-hot U.K. wrestling scene.

They will compete in front of a live audience at the intimate Preston Guild Hall on Thursday 25th May and Friday 26th May (doors 7pm / bell time 7.30pm).

Tickets for these historic shows will go on sale at 9am on Friday 7th April from Gigsandtours.com /Ticketmaster.co.uk / prestonguildhall.co.uk

There will also be a launch event this Monday (27th March) at 2 pm in Manchester, where the full details of the WOS live shows will be announced, including the roster. Press and fans are invited to attend to the launch, which will include a Q&A and meet & greet. Places are extremely limited, to reserve one please email wswaudience@itv.com

This initial commission is part of a comprehensive co-production agreement between ITV Studios and IMPACT Wrestling to relaunch the WOS Wrestling brand, bringing British stars to ITV while leveraging the roster and creative team of IMPACT Wrestling along with its expertise in live event production and international distribution.

“This opportunity to work with ITV Studios to revive this iconic brand in the United Kingdom is a perfect example of the ways in which we intend to leverage our strengths to build our presence in international markets in collaboration with local organizations,” said Ed Nordholm, president of IMPACT Wrestling.

Director of Entertainment, ITV Studios Manchester, Tom McLennan said: “Britain’s wrestling scene is thriving and there has never been a better time to bring it back to ITV after a gap of 30 years.”

Jeff Jarrett, Chief Creative Officer for IMPACT Wrestling, added: “The WOS brand is etched in professional wrestling tradition. My family’s lineage in the industry dates back 70-plus years, so I am honoured for the opportunity to work on reviving the legacy of this historic British series.”

FITE invites fans to join Jim Ross in a LIVE CHAT during ROH 15th Anniversary

FITE TV will stream 16 live events this weekend from the Pro Wrestling, Boxing, MMA and Muay Thai world.

The live action starts Friday 3/10 9pm ET with the Ring of Honor 15th Anniversary where viewers can also interact with Jim Ross who will be in the FITE app chat taking questions and giving his thoughts on the action.

Chat starts on the top of the hour and is available to ROH 15th Anniversary viewers exclusively on the FITE platform.

Full list of events is attached and also on this link:

http://www.fite.tv/events/

Jim Ross exclusively on the FITE chat

Jim Ross LIVE Chat

ROH 15th Anniversary
ROH 15th Anniversary on FITE

USA Men’s And Women’s Wrestlers To Face International Power Japan In New York City’s Times Square May 17 for Beat the Streets Annual Benefit

Select American stars to take Japanese wrestlers in first-time New York dual meet; Youth Wrestlers and High School Wrestlers take The Mat; Benefit Celebration Follows

NEW YORK– Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc. and USA Wrestling announced today that the men’s and women’s national wrestling teams of the United States and Japan will square off in New York City’s Times Square on Wednesday, May 17 in the seventh annual wrestling celebration. This year’s event will take place in Times Square’s Duffy Square (between 46thand 47th streets). Competitors for Team USA, which will include members of the 2016 Olympic team as well as other elite stars, and their Japanese opponents will be announced in the coming weeks.

We welcome our friends and colleagues from Japan to help us spread the word and once again make history with our event in Times Square,” said Beat the Streets Chairman of the Board Mike Novogratz. “We have worked with many nations in our goodwill mission for young people over the years, but bringing both the men’s and women’s elite wrestlers from Japan here for this dual meet will be a unique experience for all, with every dollar helping further our mission of growing the sport of wrestling in New York City across the country and around the world, from the grassroots on up.”

In 2013, the event dubbed “The Rumble on the Rails,” was hosted in historic Grand Central Terminal and featured dual meets between Team USA, Russia and Iran. Playing an important role in the international Keep Olympic Wrestling effort, this historic wrestling event gained international media coverage and helped wrestling retain its status on the Olympic Games program.

The world-class competition has been hosted in Times Square five previous times. In 2011, the United States defeated World Champion Russia, 5-2, the first sports event ever held in historic Times Square. In 2012, another U.S. vs. Russia dual meet was held in Times Square, along with the U.S. Olympic Team Wrestle-off for the 60 kg/132 lbs. position on the U.S. Olympic Team in men’s freestyle. In 2014, Team USA defeated a World All-Star Team in Times Square, 8-3. In 2015, “Salsa in the Square” featured a meeting between Team USA and Team Cuba in the three Olympic styles, held shortly after the historic change in USA and Cuban political relations. Last year the US met Iran in a dual meet in Times Square as a preview to the 2016 Olympic Games.

This will be the eighth straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Benefit activities. In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan.

Top Beat the Streets youth wrestlers will take the mat showcasing their skills in exhibition matches beginning at 3:00 p.m. to kick off the NYC Benefit. For the second straight year, the Benefit will feature the PSAL Girls Freestyle Dual Meet Championships finals, showcasing the two top New York City girl’s freestyle wrestling high school teams from the spring girl’s freestyle season. Then it’s Team USA vs. Japan at 6:00 p.m. with video highlights and special guest appearances followed by the Beat the Streets Benefit Celebration.

Tickets are required for entry and can be purchased at www.btsny.org or 212.245.6570 or by emailing beatthestreets@eventassociatesinc.com. Standing room available for non-ticket holders on first come first serve basis. A ticket is required for the Benefit Celebration at the Marriott Marquis. More details are available at http://www.btsny.org/gala.

The Benefit Celebration will follow the wrestling competition. This unique and electrifying annual event helps Beat the Streets (BTS) raise significant funds to further its mission. Whether it’s providing a safe, constructive outlet for our urban youth, fighting childhood obesity, empowering women, or uniting entire nations, wrestling teaches persistence, dedication, and the value of working hard to achieve one’s goals and creates opportunities for personal and universal growth. BTS currently serve over 3,000 student-athletes every year.

Beat the Streets Wrestling Schedule

In New York City, May 17, 2017

3:00 p.m. – Beat the Streets Youth Exhibition Matches between 46th and 47th Streets

4:45 p.m. – New York City Girl’s Freestyle Dual Meet Championships Finals between 46th and 47th Streets

6:00 p.m. – World Class Wrestling: Team USA vs. Team Japan between 46th and 47th Streets

Followed by Benefit Celebration

About Beat the Streets

The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTS works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to bring the life changing sport of wrestling to over 3,000 New York City student-athletes to help them achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTS and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life lessons of grit, personal responsibility and teamwork, physical fitness and nutrition, and life-long learning. The goal of fostering strong, well-rounded student-athletes is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, life skills workshops, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org.

About USA Wrestling

USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 220,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is James Ravannack, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com

FNU Combat Sports Show: UFC, Bellator and Boxing Recaps/Previews; Dana The Drama Queen; Muhammad Ali Jr. Detained at Florida Airport; Transgender Wrestler Wins Women’s Wrestling Title in Texas

Tom, Rich and Tony recap the major combat sports events from last week, including a major heavyweight showdown between Deontay Wilder and Gerald Washington, a successful title defense by Liam McGeary last Friday at a Dublin, Ireland Bellator show, and a superb comeback by Jarrett Hurd over Tony Harrison. We also look forward to the inaugural women’s featherweight title bout in Bellator tomorrow night and a star-studded UFC 209 fight card including two of the most anticipated co-main events in recent UFC history. Stephen Thompson gets his rematch with UFC Welterweight Champ Tyron Woodley in the main event while Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson fight for a shot to face Conor McGregor for the lightweight title in the co-main event. We also discuss GSP’s comeback fight against Michael Bisping, a transgender female on her way to becoming a male winning a Texas women’s wrestling title, and Muhammad Ali’s son being detained at a Florida airport in early February. Check out our first Full FNU Combat Sports Show hosted on YouTube: