ESPN ANNOUNCES TENTATIVE TELEVISION SCHEDULE FOR THREE USA WRESTLING EVENTS TO AIR THIS SUMMER: FREESTYLE WORLD CUP, DAN GABLE CLASSIC AND U.S. NATIONALSESPN has notified USA Wrestling of the tentative broadcast schedule for three major wrestling events which will be aired nationally on ESPN and ESPN2 this summer.
All three events were produced on a taped-delayed basis by USA Sports Broadcasting, the broadcast division of USA Wrestling.
The 1999 Avista Corp. XXVII World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling will be aired on ESPN one time, and on ESPN2 one time.
The one-hour show is scheduled to be shown on ESPN2 on Tuesday, June 8 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The ESPN showing of the World Cup will be on Monday, June 28 at 4:30 p.m. EDT.
The Avista Corp. XXVII World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling was originally held in Spokane, Wash., April 4-5. The broadcast will feature the exciting championship dual meet between the United States and Iran.
The broadcast team for the World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling included veteran play-by-play announcer Lon McEachern, Olympic Champion Jeff Blatnick and USA Wrestling Executive Director Jim Scherr.
The 1999 Dan Gable Classic, which was a USA vs. Iran World Dual meet, is scheduled for one airing on ESPN2. The tentative broadcast date on ESPN2 is Thursday, June 10 at 4:00 p.m. EDT.
The Dan Gable Classic was originally held in Des Moines, Iowa on April 8. Many top international stars from both Iran and the United States participated in the event. Iran is the reigning World Freestyle Champion team, and the United States won World team titles in 1993 and 1995.
The broadcast team for the Dan Gable Classic included McEachern and Blatnick.
The 1999 U.S. National Wrestling Championships will be presented as a one-hour show on ESPN2. The first air date for the U.S. Nationals is Tuesday, July 20 at 3:00 p.m. A second airing on ESPN2 is tentatively set for September. Exact broadcast information on the September show will be announced at a later date.
This competition, which features the best wrestlers in the nation, was originally held at Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., April 30-May 1. Exciting gold-medal matches in freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's wrestling will be highlighted.
The broadcast team for the 1999 U.S. Nationals Championships included McEachern and Scherr, plus Olympic gold medalists Bruce Baumgartner, Tom Brands and Kendall Cross.
These are tentative airdates and are subject to change. The schedule could be altered if the NHL playoffs end sooner than expected. Please check your local listings for broadcast times in your area.
USA Sports Broadcasting is the broadcast division of USA Wrestling, which produces a variety of amateur sports events and video projects.
For more information on USA Sports Broadcasting's activities and an updated schedule of televised events, visit USA Sports Broadcasting web page at usasportsbroadcasting.com
1999 USA WRESTLING EVENTS ON NATIONAL TELEVISION
Freestyle World Cup on ESPN2, Tuesday, June 8 at 4:00 p.m. EDT
Dan Gable Classic on ESPN2, Thursday, June 10 at 4:00 p.m. EDT
Freestyle World Cup on ESPN, Monday, June 28 at 4:30 p.m. EDT
U.S. Nationals on ESPN2, Tuesday, July 20 at 3:00 p.m. EDT
U.S. Nationals on ESPN2, date and time in September to be announced