(Columbus, Ohio) Cage Fighter, NUWAY Wrestling, and Tiffin Mats are proud to present the AGON Wrestling Championships II on December 22, 2013 in Flint, Michigan. With a card that features national appeal with local and regional rivalries; competitive professional wrestling at the highest level will be on display at the Perani Arena & Event Center. Cage Fighter and NUWAY will sponsor a live webcast of the event on the AGON website, www.AGONWC.com.
In the headline bout of the evening Michigan native and two-time NCAA champion Brent Metcalf will square off against three-time NCAA All-American Chris Bono. Other matches on the second card include Kellen Russell against Andy Simmons, Max Askren versus Sam Wendland, and Cam Simaz against Ben Bennett.
A media conference call will be held on Monday at 2:00 pm (EST) on December 9, 2013. AGON co-founder Mike DiSabato and wrestlers Brent Metcalf, Chris Bono, and Max Askren will be participating in the call and available to respond to questions.
The AGON Wrestling Championships were formed in 2013 by a consortium of former Division I wrestlers that recognized the tragic implications of the International Olympic Committee’s decision to remove wrestling from the core program of the Olympic Games. As a result the AGON Wrestling Championships were created to bring a twenty-first century model to the world’s oldest sport.
In March 2013, over 850,000 Americans watched the2013 NCAA Finals on ESPN proving that wrestling is popular in prime time and a viable programming option for broadcast television in the United States. AGON was created to serve two purposes, to provide paid competitive opportunities for the highest level wrestlers while packaging, marketing, and presenting those competitions in a professional format that can be distributed across today’s global media landscape.
The Metcalf versus Bono main event bout may have as much appeal in Michigan as it does in Iowa. Metcalf, an undefeated four-time state champion for Davison HS, wrestled at Iowa while Bono wrestled at Iowa State; each coached at their alma mater’s after graduation. While they never saw each other on the mat as opponents in college, Bono coached against Metcalf when he was a Hawkeye wrestler. Both wrestlers are active on the Senior freestyle circuit and each has represented Team USA at the World Championships. Metcalf is currently an assistant coach at Iowa and Bono is the head at South Dakota State.
In a match-up of former Michigan state champions and collegiate NCAA All-Americans, Central Michigan’s Ben Bennett will face Cornell’s Cam Simaz. Bennett, a three-time state champion for Rockford HS, became the first four-time All-American for the Chippewa in 2013 while Simaz, a three-time state champion for Allegan HS, was also a four-time All-American for the Big Red and the 2012 NCAA champion.
Another match with major Michigan appeal is Kellen Russell versus Andy Simmons, Wolverine versus Spartan. Russell, a New Jersey native, was a two-time NCAA champion and a three-time All-American for Michigan while Simmons, an undefeated four-time state champion at Williamston HS, was a two-time NCAA All-Americans for Michigan State.
The Spartans will also be represented in the competition when first year assistant coach Sam Wendland squares off against Max Askren. Wendland, a four year starter and a two-time NCAA qualifier at Wyoming, will face a tough opponent in Askren, a three-time NCAA All-American and 2010 NCAA champion.
The AGON Wrestling Championships I was held in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 27, 2013 with MMA superstar and wrestling legend Ben Askren headlining the night. The current Bellator middleweight champion and a 2008 Olympian, Askren was dominant in beating Quentin Wright 22-8. Former NCAA champions Jay Borschel, Jordan Oliver, and Stephen Abas each won their first matches on the card. Borschel defeated Aaron Simpson 11-3; Oliver shut out Lance Palmer 8-0; while Abas, a 2004 Olympian, narrowly edged Nick Simmons 2-1.
The AGON Wrestling Championship II will conclude a full day of wrestling in the Perani Arena & Event Center. The day will get started with the annual MIWAY Mat Mayhem youth wrestling tournament and a dual between perennial Michigan powers, Lowell and Davison high schools. For more information on the dual or the youth wrestling tournament, please visit http://www.nuwaywrestling.com.
To participate in the AGON Wrestling Championships conference call at 2:00 pm on December 9, please email the moderator Kevin Schlosser atkevin.schlosser@whetstonewc.org to request an invitation. After your request is received, media members will be emailed instructions on how to participate and an agenda for the call. If you need more information or you have any additional questions, please contact Kevin Schlosser by phone at 614-578-9336.
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