Imperia Entertainment (Pink Sheets: IPEI) President James Hergott announces today that the Xyience Training Center in Las Vegas, Nevada will host open auditions for a movie about the sport of mixed martial arts entitled Never Submit on December 16th and 17th beginning at noon each day.
The Xyience Training Center is owned and operated by John Wood and is home to a number of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Pride Fighting Championship and International Fight League (IFL) competitors, many of which are expected to audition for roles in Never Submit.
According to the movies producer, Cindy Ortiz, “The Xyience Training Center is one of the most popular MMA gyms in Sin City and came highly recommended as a place we should consider inviting to host one of the Never Submit open casting calls. There’s no denying the caliber of athletes associated with the XTC are some of the best in this sport and with Vegas being a hotbed for MMA talent, Imperia is making this stop a two day affair. John Wood runs a top-notch operation and I have no doubt we will be able to cast and fill a number of roles on our list.”
Ames, Ia. - Iowa State’s No. 1 wrestling recruiting class from 2004 had an impressive showing in the new-look Hilton Coliseum Sunday.
The Cyclones (2-0) did not give up a takedown in a 40-0 win over Arizona State.
A crowd of 1,807 in a half-house setting at the arena - a black drape reduced capacity to 9,500 from 14,092 - saw the six freshmen in the lineup post wins, including three pins and a major decision.
It was the first victory in Hilton Coliseum for coach Cael Sanderson, who watched the Cyclones beat Buena Vista 46-0 Nov. 10 at Ames High School.
Iowa State has shut out its first two opponents for the first time since the 1965-66 team opened with a combined 154-0 victory margin in four meets.
Arizona State, coached by former Iowa State assistant Thom Ortiz, collected one individual victory and a total of three takedowns in Saturday’s 39-3 loss at Iowa and Sunday’s shutout.
“We were fortunate in every situation today,” said freshman 125-pounder Nick Fanthorpe. “I guess it shows we wrestle hard and wrestle in every situation. You can’t let up a little bit.”
IOWA CITY, IA - Matt Fields is a likable guy. He’s polite and friendly and generally greets
you with a smile.
Close the doors at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena,
however, and Fields turns ornery and boisterous. And University of Iowa
wrestling coach Tom Brands loves it.
“He is the most volatile, explosive guy in the room,” Brands said of the
junior heavyweight.
A two-time state champion at North Cedar High School from Lowden, Fields
improved to 4-1 Tuesday night with a dual-clinching, 5-0, victory over
Northern Iowa’s Tyler Rhodes. His only loss this year was in the Kaufman-Brand
Open final in Omaha last weekend, 3-2, to Nebraska-Kearney’s Tervel Dlagnev.
“I hate losing and the past couple of years we got accustomed to it,”
Fields said. “I don’t think it’s going to be like that anymore.”
Fields and the Hawkeyes return to the mat today, opening their home dual
season at 1:30 p.m. against No.23 Arizona State. The Sun Devils have three
heavyweights listed as Fields’ possible opponent.
Fields will be ready regardless. He’s approaching his third season with a
fire that puts a rare smile on Brands’ face.
It’s not too often that an opportunity comes into someone’s life in which they have an chance to make a name for themselves in the world of professional sports. The movie “Invincible” staring Mark Wahlberg is a true story of Vince Papale and prime example of someone who had that once-in-a-lifetime chance. Papale who was a middle school teacher and pro football fan was invited to an open tryout for the Philadelphia Eagles football team in 1976. In storybook fashion, Eagle’s coach Dick Vermeil observed his tryout and hired Papale onto the Philadelphia roster because of his speed (40 yard dash in 4.5 seconds) and his allure to the blue collar fans of South Philadelphia.
Albeit a microcosm of the NFL opportunity and stardom that Papale was given, the RPW Qualification Series is no less intriguing as anyone who wanted to try out, including women wrestlers, were invited to compete to become a pro athlete. Wrestlers from around the U.S. and the world showed up to one of four regional qualifiers this past fall and battled hard for a chance to earn a free trip to San Jose, CA and the opportunity to challenge a previous RPW athlete from Season One for their spot on a pro team roster.
LOCK HAVEN — Penn State has found a template to bring college-ready middleweights into its wrestling room.
Look one state west and search for Ohio state champions from schools that wrestle ambitious schedules.
Last year, the template brought the Nittany Lions David Erwin who went 23-8 as a true freshman competing at 165 pounds.
This year, the template has produced Dave Rella who claimed his first college title by going 4-0 during Saturday’s Mat-Town Open at Thomas Field House.
Coincidentally, Rella won his title at 165 pounds, the weight class Erwin abandoned after last season.
And Erwin?
He continued his redshirt season by cruising to the 184-pound title.
Rella and Erwin were the lone members of Penn State’s 20-wrestler unattached contingent to claim titles during the holiday tournament which was staged as an open for the first time in its history.
“This feels good,” Rella said. “There’s a lot of pressure off now. The first couple of weeks wrestling in the room you get banged up a little bit. I have been feeling good. I have my confidence back now.”
The similarities between Rella and Erwin are frightening.
LOCK HAVEN — Bald Eagle Area’s Quentin Wright found a different way to prepare for his junior season.
Wright unofficially started a year filled with lofty goals by competing in Saturday’s Mat Town Open at Thomas Field House.
Wright was the lone high school wrestler participating in the tournament which switched from a team to an open format this season.
“I heard about it a few weeks ago,” Wright said. “My dad is looking to get me some matches because I will get a lot of forfeits this year.”
With his father, Paul, and brother and Lock Haven 165-pounder, Landis, watching his every move, Wright finished 1-2. He found himself in the 157-pound quarterfinals after defeating Penn State’s Jason Lapham 10-5 in the sudden victory period of an opening round bout.
Lapham won Penn State’s 157-pound wrestle-off earlier this month. Wright followed the victory with decision losses to Old Dominion’s Chris Brown and Penn State’s Jon Clemens.
Top teams put on good show
Local fans get to see strong competition
By BRYAN CHU, Staff writer
First published: Sunday, November 26, 2006
GUILDERLAND — Wrestling fans got exactly what they hoped for Saturday at the Journeymen Brute Northeast Duals: a high level of competition and upsets.
Capital Region Neurosurgery
Top-ranked University of Minnesota was shocked in its opening-round meet by 12th-ranked Hofstra 18-17. Hofstra went on to win all four meets it competed in. The Pride were the only team in a field of eight to win all four meets.
“Anytime you can beat the No. 1 team in the country, it’s a great day,” Hofstra coach Tom Shifflet said. “We knew coming into the dual meet it would be neck and neck.”
Minnesota assistant coach Joe Russell sees the early-season loss as a wake-up call.
“Overall, we were disappointed with that early loss,” said Russell, whose Gophers finished 3-1 on the day. “We have to make some changes if we’re going to win (the national title).”
Binghamton University beat Princeton. It was the Bearcats’ first win since Dec. 31, 2003.
Iowa City, Ia. - Alex Grunder said Iowa’s wrestling team on Saturday gave a glimpse of what this winter might hold.
The No. 8 Hawkeyes (2-0) collected 26 takedowns, gave up only three and coasted to a 39-3 win over Arizona State before an announced crowd of 4,905 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The meet was the home debut for Tom Brands as Iowa’s head coach.
Phil Keddy, at 184, and Mario Galanakis, at 133, scored pins, Grunder had a technical fall at 149 and Eric Luedke got a meet-opening major decision at 174 as the Hawkeyes more than doubled their total of 12 takedowns in Tuesday night’s 18-15 win at Northern Iowa.
“I think we all thought we were ready to go (against Northern Iowa) and ready to beat any team that came up against us,” said Grunder, who was one of six Iowa wrestlers who got only one takedown in their match Tuesday night.
“UNI’s a good team and everything like that, but we just feel like we’re a lot better than that. Today we showed that.”
Much of the talk surrounding the Iowa wrestling program in recent months has been about the beginning of the new era, but Saturday felt like old times at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Tom Brands and Dan Gable were sitting side-by-side in the Hawkeye corner. The guy with the striped black and gold scarf was leading the I-O-W-A cheer again. Energy, excitement and optimism were back.
Most of all, though, the Hawkeyes were dominating like they used to dominate.
Iowa won nine matches during a 39-3 demolition of No. 25 Arizona State in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 4,905.
“I think they were looking for something to cheer about,” Brands said after his first home meet as Iowa’s head coach, “and one positive is, we gave them something to cheer about.”
The eighth-ranked Hawkeyes (2-0) gave their fans something to cheer about in every match.
Phil Keddy and Mario Galanakis provided pins. Alex Grunder collected nine of Iowa’s 24 takedowns on his way to a technical fall. Eric Luedke won by major decision. Charlie Falck, Alex Tsirtsis and Dan Erekson bounced back with victories after losing Tuesday at Northern Iowa, and Mark Perry Jr. recovered from a slow start.
- 
LOCK HAVEN — Penn State has found a template to bring college-ready middleweights into its wrestling room.
