# Check this out



## JDenz (Dec 24, 2002)

The announcements have been coming fast and furious for a new sporting event called the Titan Games. Essentially this is a pre-Olympic event that focuses on the combat sports. It will take place Feb. 13-15 at the Event Center at San Jose State University. 

A recent press release promises, 'The 2003 Titan Games will take us back to a simpler time; a competition stripped of such glamour sports as swimming, basketball and gymnastics, and focused on combative sports steeped in Olympic history and teeming with intriguing and flamboyant personalities.' It goes on, 'The 'Road To Athens' for Americas elite boxers, fencers, shot putters, wrestlers, weightlifters and judo, taekwondo and karate athletes matches them up with the worlds powers in each of these respective sports.' 

At the Titan Games, an elite American freestyle team will face teams from two countries known as powerhouses of wrestling, Russia and Cuba. The American team has already been announced: 

Titan Games U.S. Freestyle Wrestling Team 
55 kg/119 lbs. - Stephen Abas, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) 
60 kg/132 lbs. - Eric Guerrero, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) 
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Chris Bono, Gilbert, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) 
74 kg/163 lbs. - Casey Cunningham, Mount Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids) 
84 kg/185 lbs. - Cael Sanderson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) 
96 kg/211.25 lbs. - Tim Hartung, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Kerry McCoy, Bethlehem, Pa. (New York AC) 
Coach - National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson, Colorado Springs, Colo. 

This past weekend, Chris Bono and Kerry McCoy were in New York for the New York Athletic Club Christmas Tournament. While only Chris wrestled, winning his weight class, and Kerry was there to record the results for TheMat.com, both indicated that they are looking forward to wrestling in this event (more later in the week on this tournament). 

Now comes yet another critical announcement that will hopefully not be lost in the holiday frenzy: ESPN2 will present a tape-delayed broadcast of highlights of the Titan Games on March 29 and 30. 

Since the press release specifically mentions that Cael Sanderson and Eric Guerrero will be wrestling, it is expected that these shows will include at least some wrestling. 

Since the NCAA Div. 1 College Wrestling National Championships will be held the week before, and the finals are expected to be broadcast on same-day tape delay, that could make two weekends in a row that ESPN2 features wrestling.. 

Below is the press release announcing the plans to televise the Titan Games: 


ESPN2 Slated To Televise Inaugural Titan Games; Broadcast Set For March 29-30, 2003 

by Kevin Neuendorf - U.S. Olympic Committee 

For Immediate Release 
December 21, 2002 

Colorado Springs, Colo.  The United States Olympic Committee and ESPN announced today an agreement to televise the USOCs inaugural Titan Games, a world-class combat sport competition in a multi-sport format, on ESPN2. The agreement gives ESPN2 full broadcast rights for the Olympic Games preview. 

Developed by the USOC in partnership with the affiliated National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and hosted by the San Jose Sports Authority and the City of San Jose, the Titan Games, scheduled for February 13-15, 2003, will feature a 'USA versus the World' format in dual and triangular meets. The Titan Games venue will accommodate four platforms with competition continuously happening on at least three. Elite boxers, fencers, shot putters, wrestlers, weightlifters and judo, taekwondo and karate athletes will be matched up with the world's best in each of their respective sports. 

ESPN2 will delay broadcast the event with hour-long programs on March 29, 3:00  4:00 p.m. (ET), and March 30, 4:30  5:30 p.m. (ET), immediately following the NCAAs Womens Basketball East Regional final. 

'We are proud to partner with ESPN2 to televise the Titan Games,' said USOC Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Ward. 'With the ESPN2 broadcast, some of the best athletes in the world will be showcased in pre-Olympic competition. The Titan Games competition will be an important step to our athletes getting prepared for Athens in 2004.' 

The Titan Games format is the first of its kind and will be staged over three finals-only sessions at the 5,000-seat Event Center at San Jose State University. Team and individual winners will be named by sport and weight classification, with the honor of 'Ultimate Titan' up for grabs. 

The list of marquee participants, both from the U.S. and around the world, continues to grow as the countdown for the Titan Games is already underway. To date, the event has secured competitors from Mexico, Vietnam, Cuba, Russia, Puerto Rico, China and Hungary. The U.S. mens freestyle wrestling team was announced Friday, Dec. 20 as college legend Cael Sanderson and local wrestling phenom Eric Guerrero are set to compete. The next team announcement comes Jan. 3 with USA Weightlifting selections. 

Pre-sale tickets for The Titan Games will be available at www.ticketmaster.com and directly through the involved National Governing Bodies beginning December 23  January 15, 2003. Olympic fans using their Visa card to purchase tickets will receive an additional $4 off the pre-sale ticket price. All ticket holders will also receive a free 2002 Olympic Winter Games beret.


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## ace (Dec 29, 2002)

Per Haps Submisson Wrestling 
Will some day be an event 

If They could everstanderise the event 

What about Pankration i know
this will be an event at the 2004 Olyipics???

Guess will have to wait an see


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## arnisador (Dec 29, 2002)

Sounds like a neat event!


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## JDenz (Dec 29, 2002)

Ya it should be interesting


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