DALLAS (Dec. 6, 2000) - A limited number of tickets for the 2001 World Championships for Wrestling, to be held Sept. 26-29 in New York's famed Madison Square Garden, are now available at a special Holiday Price by dialing 866-NYC-2001.   
 Two "early-bird" special offers are available through the Holidays: an all-session pass for one person (nine sessions) for $169 or a family package, featuring four all-session passes for $450 (a savings of $226). 
 These are the best prices on the best seats available for this event, and tickets will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis.  This is the absolute lowest-priced ticket offer that will be available for these locations.  The offer expires Dec. 31.  Single-session tickets will not be on sale until February. 
 Additional information on the ticket offer and the World Championships can be located at www.theMat.com. 
 "This is a tremendous chance for the wrestling community to give the gift of wrestling for the Holidays," said Bruce Baumgarntner, USA Wrestling's President and a two-time Olympic Champion.   
 "This offer has been made to the public as soon as possible, so our fans can start planning trips to New York next fall.  The Worlds haven't been in the U.S. since 1995, and they have never been on as big a stage as they will be in New York City and in Madison Square Garden.  This is shaping up to be the biggest wrestling event in U.S. history, and possibly in the history of the sport anywhere," said Baumgartner, who is a native of nearby Haledon, N.J. 
 As part of this offer, everyone that purchases tickets will receive a Rulon Gardner gift card to show that tickets have been purchased (actual tickets will not be printed until March).  The gift card features Gardner wearing a Santa Claus hat. Gardner, a 2000 Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling, was one of the most popular heroes from the Sydney Olympics. 
 The 2001 World Championships for Wrestling will include men's freestyle, men's Greco Roman wrestling and women's freestyle wrestling.  Over 50 countries and over 600 athletes are expected to compete in this event, which will pit the absolute best wrestlers from around the world. Numerous stars from the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games are expected to participate, as well as many athletes training to compete in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. 
 The United States is expected to challenge for team honors in all three styles. The USA won the men's freestyle World team titles in 1993 and 1995 and claimed the most medals in the 1996 Olympic Games. The USA also claimed a Women's World team title in 1999. In Greco-Roman, the USA placed a strong third in the medal count. 
 For more information or to order tickets, dial 866-NYC-2001 or log onto TheMat.com.