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Miami Herald
Are you ready for a local combat sports trifecta? CCW, PFL, WWE, Florida Panthers are
By Jim Varsallone,
2 days ago
South Florida, get ready for an action packed combat sports trifecta.
PFL MMA Playoffs on Friday, Aug. 16 on ESPN from Hard Rock Live near Hollywood.
Coastal Championship Wrestling on Saturday, Aug. 17 at MidFlorida Event Center in Port St. Lucie.
“WWE Monday Night Raw” on Aug. 19 on USA Network from American Bank Arena in Sunrise.
WWE in Sunrise, home of Stanley Cup champs
For the first time in 11 years, WWE’s flagship TV series “Monday Night Raw” on USA Network emanates from the Amerant Bank Arena, home of the NHL Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers in Sunrise.
Great timing. Prior to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, WWE announced the release of its first officially licensed NHL product, a WWE Stanley Cup champions legacy title belt (for purchase) commemorating the winner of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.
Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk celebrated the team’s historic NHL Stanley Cup Championship on Fort Lauderdale Beach with the cup and that stellar WWE/NHL legacy belt. Photo Via Social Media
The locals won for the first time in their franchise history, and Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk celebrated the historic Game 7 win in Sunrise with the cup and that stellar belt during a special ceremony on Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Florida Panthers alum Roberto Luongo, who works behind the scenes for the team, is a big WWE fan, attending shows in South Florida. WWE Monday Night Raw is Aug. 19 at Amerant Bank Arena, home of the NHL Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. Photo By Jim Varsallone
Florida Panthers alum Roberto Luongo, who currently works for the team behind the scenes and is also a huge WWE fan, did so, too.
WWE Superstar Kevin Owens (with the WWE/NHL title belt) attended Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. Photo via Social Media
WWE Superstar Kevin Owens, who is from Montreal, was at Game 7 with his dad and son in Sunrise with the belt. He did some TV guest spots from there to talk about the belt, hockey and WWE. Very cool. He’s a SmackDown guy, but maybe the hockey ties here will also bring him to Raw for one night.
Liv Morgan of the Judgment Day is the WWE Raw women’s champion. She also held prior the WWE SmackDown women’s title. She is a Money in the Bank winner and a two-time WWE women’s tag team champion. With Judgment Day, WWE Monday Night Raw on USA Network is Aug. 19 from Amerant Bank Arena, home of the NHL Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in (South Florida) Sunrise. Photo By Jim Varsallone
WWE Raw Women’s Champ Liv Morgan (also a former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champ) will be there. She is a big sports fan, having thrown out the first pitch at a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park and singing “Roll Out The Barrel” at a Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field.
Morgan is now part of Judgment Day along with her on-air love “Dirty” Dom Mysterio, WWE Tag Champs Finn Balor & JD McDonagh and the apple-endorsed Carlito.
Prior to her aligning with Judgment Day, here is my video interview with WWE Raw Women’s Champ Liv Morgan.
WWE World Champ Gunther will be there, too. The ultra talented WWE superstar beat Damian Priest for the title at SummerSlam earlier in the month in Cleveland. Balor turned on Priest there, costing him the title and a spot in Judgment Day. Ironically earlier at SummerSlam, Mysterio did the same to Rhea Ripley, siding with the champ Morgan at the end of that title match. Ripley out of Judgment Day. Morgan in.
WWE World Champ Gunther is a WWE superstar deserving of main title, main event status. He will lead WWE into Sunrise for the first time in 11 years for Monday Night Raw on the USA Network. Photo By Jim Varsallone
“The Ring General” Gunther will defend his title against “The Viper” Randy Orton at WWE’s Bash in Berlin on Aug. 31 in Germany, Gunther, who is from Austria, currently resides in New Jersey with his wife, former pro wrestler Jinny Couture.
A few weeks away, what will Gunther and Orton have in store for fans on Aug. 19?
Gunther is the longest reigning NXT UK champ and longest reigning WWE Intercontinental champ. “The King General,” he also won the WWE King of the Ring in May.
Gunther leads the faction Imperium with the German-born Ludwig Kasier, who does an outstanding job introducing Gunther at WWE shows. Kaiser, who is also a very good wrestler, is now in a program with former champ Sheamus, the first Irish-born world champ in WWE history.
WWE’s Blake Howard, who is (South Florida) CCW alum Blake Chadwick, a (Boca Raton) Florida Atlantic University grad, will be in Sunrise, too, commentating some matches (taped for Peacock), prior to Raw. He works with WWE Hall of Famer Road Dogg Jesse James (“WWE Main Event”) and Byron Saxton (“WWE Level Up”).
WWE Monday Night Raw
Monday, Aug. 19
Bell time 7:30 p.m.
TV start time 8 p.m. USA Network
Amerant Bank Arena
1 Panther Pkwy, Sunrise, FL 33323
For the first time in 11 years, “WWE Monday Night Raw” on USA Network is in Sunrise at the Amerant Bank Arena, home of the NHL Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers.
*Raw roster includes: WWE World Champ Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, The Judgment Day (WWE Raw Women’s Champ Liv Morgan, “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio, WWE Tag Champs Finn Balor & JD McDonagh, Carlito), Randy Orton, Drew Mcintyre, CM Punk, Natalya, Intercontinental Champ Bron Breakker, Sami Zayn, Iyo SKy, Kairi Sane, Dakota Kai, Seth Rollins, “Big” Bronson Reed, Jey Uso, WWE Women’s Tag Champs The Unholy Union (Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn), The Awesome Truth (The Miz & Ron Killings), Zelina Vega, American Made (Chad Gable & The Creed Brothers), Sheamus, Otis, Kayden Carter, Katana Chance, The New Day (Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, Odyssey Jones), Ivy Nile, The Final Testament (Karrion Kross, Scarlett Boudreaux, Akam, Rezar, Paul Ellering), Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark, The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy/Bo Dallas, Rambling Rabbit/Erick Rowan, Mercy The Buzzard/Dexter Lumis, Huskus The Pig/Joe Gacy, Abby The Witch/Nikki Cross) and more.
WWE Superstar CM Punk will be at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise for WWE Monday Night Raw on Aug. 19 on USA Network.
The PFL MMA semifinals in the men’s light heavyweight and men’s lightweight divisions will be contested on Friday, Aug. 16 inside Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood.
The semifinal winners advance to the championships TBD, where each division winner earns a title belt and $1-million.
Quite unique, PFL offers a regular season and playoff format in various men’s and women’s division.
PFL MMA Playoffs on Friday, Aug. 16 from Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood, Florida.
Main card
Semifinal: Light Heavyweight: Impa Kasanganay of Kill Cliff FC vs. Josh Silveira of American Top Team (main event)
NOTE: Kasanganay was born to Congolese immigrants in Fort Lauderdale. Born in Miami, Silveira is a (Fort Lauderdale) Cardinal Gibbons High School graduate, and his father is legendary MMA fighter, trainer, American Top Team co-founder Conan.
Semifinal: Light Heavyweight: Rob Wilkinson vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov of American Top Team
Semifinal: Lightweight: Gadzhi Rabadanov vs. Michael Dufort
Semifinal: Lightweight: Brent Primus vs. Clay Collard
Lightweight: Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Korey Taylor
Prelims
Light Heavyweight: Former PFL Champ Antonio Carlos Jr. of American Top Team vs. Karl Albrektsson
Bantamweight: Danny Sabatello of American Top Team vs. Lazaro Dayron
Lightweight: Mads Burnell vs. Elvin Espinoza of Kill Cliff FC
Light Heavyweight: Thad Jean vs. Chris Brown.
Women’s Featherweight: Michelle Montague of American Top Team vs. Marilia Morais
Featherweight: Jordan Oliver vs. Braydon Akeo
CCW Summer Glory in Port St. Lucie
Coastal Championship Wrestling, the longest running indie pro wrestling group in Florida and one of the longest in North America, presents Summer Glory in South Florida on Saturday, Aug. 17 at the MidFlorida Event Center, 9221 SE Event Center Place in Port St. Lucie.
CCW presents Summer Glory
Saturday, Aug. 17
Bell time 8 p.m.
MidFlorida Event Center
9221 SE Event Center Place, Port St. Lucie, FL 34952
(General Admission: $20) (General VIP: $35)
(Enzo Amore Meet & Greet: $50)
Here is my video interview with CCW’s Nelio Cuomo Costa.
CCW roster includes: CCW Champ & AEW alum QT Marshall, CCW Women’s Champ Ruthie Jay of the NWA, CCW Southeastern Champ Meto, CCW Tag Team Champs Danny Briggs (WWE NXT alum Danny Burch) & Stallion Rogers, WWE NXT alum Mikey Spandex & DMC, CCW Cruiserweight Champ Ozzy Kilmeister, Skitz, The Qrown, Eddie Valentine, Joe Garcia, Alex Chamberlain, Chico Adams, Amber Nova, Alan S2S Martinez, Domino, Beastman, Ariel Dominguez, AEW Spanish Commentator Ariel Levy, Vinicious, Jai Vidal of TNA Wrestling, Marina Tucker (WOW Penelope Pink), Dr. Eric Christopher, 5-Star ERA (Ricky Martinez & ERA), Jackal Stevens, ECW alum Bill Fonzie Alfonso, Elliott Qrow, WWE alum Gangrel, Cha Cha Charlie and more.
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