(Columbus, Ohio) - The AGON Wrestling Championships will present AGON IV in Lemoore, California on Saturday, March 15. Stephen Abas will square off against Shawn Bunch in the main event and in other action Chris Honeycutt will wrestle Ryan Halsey; Todd Schavrienbattles Cody Bollinger, and Ben Kjar faces Gabe Flores. AGON IV will be held in conjunction with the California NUWAY Youth State Wrestling Championships at Lenmore High School.
Tickets for the event are available for 15.00 each and are available online at AGONwc.com website or at the box office at the day of the show. The event will also be webcast live at AGONwc.com
Wrestling icon Stephen Abas is no stranger to California wrestling fans as a three-time NCAA champion for the Fresno State Bulldogs. A 2004 Olympic Silver medalist, the California native was a two-time US World Team member and has posted a 3-0 record in mixed martial arts. Abasdefeated Nick Simmons 2-1 at AGON I. His opponent in the main event, Shawn Bunch, was a two-time NCAA All-American at Edinboro.
While Bunch has not medaled internationally he was one of the best American wrestlers for over five years as a 2009 US World Team member, runner-up at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Trials, and the runner-up at the 2010 and 2011 World Team Trials. Like Abas, he transitioned into MMA and Shawn is currently 2-1 fighting for Bellator.
On the undercard, two-time NCAA All-American Chris Honeycutt will wrestle four-time NCAA qualifier Ryan Halsey. Honeycutt, currently 3-0 in MMA was a 2012 NCAA finalist for Edinboro while Halsey was a four-year starter at Cal Poly and a former college coach at UC-Bakersfield.
Todd Schavrien, a 2011 NCAA All-American, will face mma veteran Cody Bollinger. Schavrien, a four-year starter at Missouri, chose to focus on wrestling in college and is currently on staff for the Tigers. A California native, Bollinger took another path as a high school wrestler at Sultana HS, making his mixed martial arts debut at 16 and wrestling at Cerritos College in 2010. Bollinger built a 12-2 record over the years and earned a spot on the Ultimate Fighter 18 in 2013.
The final match on the AGON IV card pits California native Gabe Flores against Utah wrestling icon Ben Kjar. After a decorated career at Clovis High School that included an individual and a team title, Flores was a four-year starter at University of Illinois. A three-time Utah state champion, Kjar was a four-year starter at Utah Valley, winner of over 130 varsity matches, and the first-ever NCAA All-American for the Wolverines.
AGON IV marks the final AGON event in their inaugural season. AGON I was held in Las Vegas, Nevada in October; AGON II was in Flint, Michigan in December; and AGON III was in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Please visit AGONwc.com to see the schedule for season two during the summer of 2014.
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