Tag: wrestling

Chiefs OL Trey Smith made an appearance at the first night of WrestleMania XL

Kansas City #Chiefs offensive lineman Trey Smith made an appearance at WrestleMania XL on Saturday

The Kansas City Chiefs are making their mark not only on the football field but also in professional wrestling. Starting guard Trey Smith was a special guest of the WWE on the first night of WrestleMania XL on Saturday to reflect on a dark moment from the aftermath of last season’s Super Bowl championship.

The fatal shooting at the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory parade was devastating. During the tragedy, the Chiefs offensive lineman recounted his heroic story of protecting a young fan.

“This little boy was with his father and was a little hysterical; he’s just panicked. He’s scared. He doesn’t know what’s going on,” said Smith during his interview with “Good Morning America.” “I had the WWE belt on me the entire parade. I was thinking, ‘What can I do to help him out?’ I handed him the belt like, ‘Hey buddy, you’re the champion. No one’s gonna hurt you. Don’t worry. No one’s gonna hurt you, man. We got your back.’ We just started talking about wrestling.”

Smith was at ringside on Saturday alongside his biggest fan, Joey Borgonzi, and spoke with Tom Rinaldi about bringing their story to wrestling’s biggest event.

“Hey, man, I’m getting goosebumps being here,” Smith said. “Think about being a little kid watching wrestling growing up. It’s really special. You know, last time we came to Philadelphia, my rookie year, we had a great day for the Chiefs, so it’s really cool being here today, especially with my buddy Joey.”

Smith smiled at the prospect of becoming a wrestler after football. He didn’t have to look far for an example, as recently retired Eagles legend Jason Kelce and teammate Lane Johnson appeared at WrestleMania, interfering in a match later in the show.

Former Chiefs rookie camp invitee Steven Borden Jr. helped father Sting in his final wrestling match

Former Chiefs rookie camp invitee Steven Borden Jr. helped father Sting in his final wrestling match

The Kansas City Chiefs have had many unique players come through the franchise to eventually go on to other endeavors beyond football. A player who spent time in a rookie minicamp for the Chiefs recently made news in the wrestling world alongside his iconic father.

The Legendary wrestler Sting ended his in-ring career last Sunday in the main event of AEW’s Revolution pay-per-view event in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The 64-year-old icon was joined in his final match by his sons, one of whom was a training camp invitee for the Chiefs in 2015. Steven Borden Jr. was a rookie trying to make the Chiefs after a notable college career at the University of Kentucky.

Borden Jr. dressed in his father’s memorable gear and face paint, assisting in Sting’s tag team championship victory over the Young Bucks with his partner Darby Allin.

The late Terez Paylor from the Kansas City Star spoke with Borden Jr. at the 2015 Chiefs rookie minicamp about his father’s legacy pushing him.

“People usually ask me, does that bother you, does that upset you? It’s never bothered me,” Borden Jr. said. “It’s actually been one of those things that has pushed me my entire life. You see what your dad has done; you want to beat him out.”

Borden Jr. didn’t make the roster that included a tight end room featuring Travis Kelce, who made his first Pro Bowl that season.

Watch: Girl wrestler becomes 1st to win Arizona state championship against boys

Arizona high school wrestler Audrey Jimenez become the first girl to win an Arizona state title against boys, and then followed with a Pan-Am medal.

A senior high school wrestler in Tucson, Arizona, made history last week as she became the first girl to win the state’s top title while competing against boys.

Audrey Jimenez of Sunnyside High School (Tucson, Ariz.) won the Division I title at 106 pounds against male competitors, defeating four opponents to help the team win its seventh straight boys’ team championship.

Jimenez, who won three straight girls individual championships, filed an appeal with the Arizona Interscholastic Association to wrestle on the boys side this year. She and Everest Leydecker of Desert Vista (Phoenix) were given the go-ahead to compete against boys.

“For me, wrestling against the boys is going to test me a little bit more,” Jimenez told the Arizona Republic in December. “Either way, wrestling against the boys or the girls, I’m happy to represent Sunnyside.”

See highlights of her victory here:

According to FloWrestling, Sunnyside won with 312 points and had 13 total placers, eight of whom were champions.

Just days later, she was back on the mat in the Pan-American Championships, securing third place against Canadian Katie Dutchak.

It was a remarkable way to tie a bow on a dynamic high school wrestling career. Jimenez, a top wrestling recruit, could have graduated early but chose to stay for her senior season in hopes of competing in the boys division, according to FloWrestling. Her decision and hard work paid off.

Watch: Middle school (!) wrestling parents fight in the stands

Wrestling parents fight.

In the do-or-die world of New Jersey middle school wrestling, even parents get in on the action.

It is unclear what happened at this event in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. And just want to underscore once again that this was a middle school match.

There isn’t much to be said here about this incident, right? While the start of the melee is unclear, the fallout seems rather significant.

Punches being thrown, coaches yelling. Parents streaming onto the floor. The dual-meet is stopped. Kids watching parents go at it.

This isn’t what wrestling should be about at any level.

New Jersey is a premier wrestling state, routinely funneling athletes top programs such as Penn State, Iowa, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, Rutgers as well as the Ivy League. Wrestling is taken seriously in New Jersey, but this is unwarranted at any level.

(Warning: There is some adult language in this video. Viewer discretion is advised).

 

The actual cause of the fight remains a bit murky. A scan of social media only seems to involve fingerpointing at a group of fans, but leads nowhere in terms of the cause for the fighting between the parents.

How to watch No. 27 North Carolina wrestling at the 2023 Soldier Salute

Want to watch #TarHeels wrestling compete against the best in the country? The two-day 2023 Soldier Salute tournament will be streamed live on B1G+.

Get ready for collegiate wrestling action on Friday, Dec. 29, and Saturday, Dec. 30, featuring No. 27 North Carolina at the 2023 Soldier Salute.

The second annual Soldier Salute, set to take place at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, will include competitors from 10 ranked teams in the Intermat’s top 30 including No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Missouri, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 13 South Dakota State, No. 15 Navy, No. 16 Oregon State, No. 25 Northern Iowa and No. 27 North Carolina.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch UNC wrestling in the 2023 Soldier Salute” link=”https://bit.ly/SoldierSession3″]

With all three losses this season coming against ranked teams, the Tar Heels have an opportunity to pick up multiple big wins throughout the tournament.

The Soldier Salute is hosted by the Iowa City Area Sports Commission and 100% of the annual tournament proceeds will be split between the United Service Organizations (USO) and a development fund targeted towards the continued growth of high school girls wrestling.

If you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place. Individual mat cameras will be available for all four sessions of the Soldier Salute. All action will be airing on B1G+.

Soldier Salute Schedule

Date Session Time (E.T) How to watch
Fri, Dec. 29 Session 1 11 a.m. Watch Session 1
Fri, Dec. 29 Session 2 4:30 p.m. Watch Session 2
Sat, Dec. 30 Session 3 12 p.m. Watch Session 3
Sat, Dec. 30 Session 4 6 p.m. Watch Session 4

[afflinkbutton text=”Stream North Carolina wrestling in the 2023 Soldier Salute on B1G+” link=”https://bit.ly/SoldierSession3″]

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How to watch No. 10 Michigan wrestling at 2023 Midlands Championships

Want to watch #Wolverines wrestling compete against the best in the country? The two-day 2023 Midlands Championships will be streamed live on B1G+.

Get ready for collegiate wrestling action on Friday, Dec. 29, and Saturday, Dec. 30 at the 2023 Midlands Championships, featuring the undefeated No. 10 Michigan Wolverines.

The 59th annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, set to take place at the NOW Arena in Hoffmann Estates, Ill, will include competitors from 13 ranked teams in the Intermat’s top 30 including No. 3 Missouri, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 9 Virginia Tech, No. 10 Michigan, No. 14 Rutgers, No. 16 Oregon State, No. 17 Pitt, No. 19 Arizona state, No. 20 Penn,  No. 23 West Virginia, No. 24 Illinois, No. 28 Lehigh and No. 30 Wisconsin.

If you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place. Big Ten Network veteran wrestling broadcasters Shane Sparks and Jim Gibbons will anchor the Midlands Championships coverage on B1G+.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Michigan at the 2023 Midlands Championships” link=”https://bit.ly/MidlandsSession3″]

Midlands Championships Schedule

Date Session Time (EST) How to watch
Fri, Dec. 29 Session 1 10:30 a.m. Watch Session 1
Fri, Dec. 29 Session 2 8 p.m. Watch Session 2
Sat, Dec. 30 Session 3 12 p.m. Watch Session 3
Sat, Dec. 30 Session 4 7:05 p.m. Watch Session 4

For the first two sessions on Dec. 29, B1G+ will feature 10 individual mat cameras along with whip-around coverage focused on the best action at a given moment.

On Dec. 30, B1G+ will once again be home to individual mat cameras for both the men’s and women’s divisions in sessions three and four, along with the whip-around feed.

[afflinkbutton text=”Stream Michigan wrestling on B1G+” link=”https://bit.ly/MidlandsSession3″]

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How to watch Wisconsin wrestling at 2023 Midlands Championships

Want to watch #Badgers wrestling compete against the best in the country? The two-day 2023 Midlands Championships will be streamed live on B1G+.

Get ready for collegiate wrestling action on Friday, Dec. 29, and Saturday, Dec. 30 at the 2023 Midlands Championships, featuring the No. 30 Wisconsin Badgers.

The 59th annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, set to take place at the NOW Arena in Hoffmann Estates, Ill, will include competitors from 13 ranked teams in the Intermat’s top 30 including No. 3 Missouri, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 9 Virginia Tech, No. 10 Michigan, No. 14 Rutgers, No. 16 Oregon State, No. 17 Pitt, No. 19 Arizona state, No. 20 Penn,  No. 23 West Virginia, No. 24 Illinois, No. 28 Lehigh and No. 30 Wisconsin.

If you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place. Big Ten Network veteran wrestling broadcasters Shane Sparks and Jim Gibbons will anchor the Midlands Championships coverage on B1G+.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Wisconsin at the 2023 Midlands Championships” link=”https://bit.ly/MidlandsSession3″]

Midlands Championships Schedule

Date Session Time (EST) How to watch
Fri, Dec. 29 Session 1 10:30 a.m. Watch Session 1
Fri, Dec. 29 Session 2 8 p.m. Watch Session 2
Sat, Dec. 30 Session 3 12 p.m. Watch Session 3
Sat, Dec. 30 Session 4 7:05 p.m. Watch Session 4

For the first two sessions on Dec. 29, B1G+ will feature 10 individual mat cameras along with whip-around coverage focused on the best action at a given moment.

On Dec. 30, B1G+ will once again be home to individual mat cameras for both the men’s and women’s divisions in sessions three and four, along with the whip-around feed.

Wisconsin is riding a three-match winning streak, and their only loss this season came against No. 5 Iowa State.

[afflinkbutton text=”Stream Wisconsin wrestling on B1G+” link=”https://bit.ly/MidlandsSession3″]

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Badgers Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Carmichael Arena will undergo upgrades this summer

Carmichael Arena is set to upgrade to help enhance the atmosphere for women’s basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and wrestling events.

After a season of sellouts, largely thanks to the North Carolina women’s basketball program, Carmichael Arena will undergo serious upgrades per the school.

This morning it was announced that the experience at Carmichael will be “enhanced” for fans as they made some significant changes. The upgrades include installing new LED video boards for women’s basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and wrestling events.

In the press release, Carolina Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham explained why the school had taken steps to enhance the experience at Carmichael Arena.

We want to make our game day experience as energetic, memorable, and as fun as it can be for our student-athletes, coaches, and community, and these upgrades are a huge step forward,” said Cunningham. “Our staff is already planning creative ways to use the new lighting systems and video displays, and we will continue to evaluate the in-game experience at Carmichael Arena to draw new visitors and keep our fans coming back.”

The upgrades are expected to be completed this Fall.

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