one of the most prestigious independent wrestling tournaments of the year -- Pro Wrestling Guerillas Battle of Los Angeles -- as PWG champion in early September.Its been quite surreal, really

ST. LOUIS -- The NFLs Rams are gone, and attention in St. Louis now turns to soccer with an ownership group pursuing a Major League Soccer expansion team.The effort includes plans to build a $200 million stadium downtown that would require millions of dollars in public funding.The ownership group revealed Thursday is known as SC STL. Paul Edgerley, a partner at the investment firm VantEdge Partners, is lead owner and chairman. Among his partners is Dave Peacock, former president of Anheuser-Busch and a driving force behind the effort last year to build a $1 billion riverfront stadium for the Rams.The football stadium plan died when the NFL in January approved Rams owner Stan Kroenkes request to move the team to Los Angeles. Since the departure of football, efforts to secure an MLS team have escalated.The MLS is already adding two new teams to expand to 24 by the end of the decade, and eventually plans to add four more, league spokesman Dan Courtemanche said. St. Louis is among eight markets that have publicly expressed interest in the four additional expansion slots, Courtemanche said. A timetable for when those cities would join the league has not been determined.Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement that league officials have had very productive meetings with Edgerley and his partners.With its rich soccer heritage, St. Louis has always been a market of great interest to Major League Soccer and SC STL is the ideal ownership group that will provide St. Louis the best opportunity for a future expansion team, Garber said.The open-air stadium would have 20,000 seats with the ability to expand to 28,500. It would sit next to St. Louis Union Station and encompass about 24 acres on land near Interstate 64 currently owned by the Missouri Department of Transportation. The city has an option to buy the site, but the value is still being appraised.SC STL said it would fund much of the stadium construction cost, but St. Louis voters in April would be asked to fund a significant share, up to $80 million, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Specific details on the public portion are still being worked out, but the spokesman for the ownership group, Jim Woodcock, said the stadium will only be built if the league approves a St. Louis team.Getting it on the ballot is no sure thing. Though the NFL plan was eventually approved by city aldermen, the debate was often contentious. Alderman Sam Moore said at one meeting that some residents live in Third World conditions while taxpayers were paying for stadiums. Messages left for Moore on Friday were not immediately returned.The ownership group said it also will work with the state for financial assistance related to site development and infrastructure.The stadium would be within about a mile of two other downtown sports venues -- baseballs Busch Stadium and the Scottrade Center, home of the NHLs Blues. Bulls Jerseys Outlet . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. Womens Bulls Jerseys . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. http://www.cheapbullsjerseyschina.com/chandler-hutchison-jersey/ .S. 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The world got a glimpse of just how good Zack Sabre Jr. was going to be when he wrestled future WWE world heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan eight years ago.Well, not the entire world.A big turning point in my career was wrestling him in front of 80 people in a pub in Coventry [England] in 2008, Sabre told ESPN, laughing.The bout, for independent promotion Triple X Wrestling, was considered a Match of the Year candidate. They wrestled once more in 2009, shortly before Bryan signed with WWE.?Now 29, Sabre is one of the hottest free agents in professional wrestling, and he truly introduced himself on the global stage in WWEs Cruiserweight Classic.People started to take notice of me more when I wrestled him.?But also, when youre in ring with someone so natural who understands professional wrestling so well like Daniel Bryan, you cant help but have some of that rub off on you, Sabre said.?When I was beginning my training, and was starting to absorb and study wrestling, he was someone who really stood out.The pair reunited at the Cruiserweight Classic. Bryan, now retired due to concussion issues, is part of the commentary team for the 32-man tournament on the WWE Network, which has brought together competitors from all corners of the world.Ive been picking his brains about some stuff. Hes given me some good pointers, Sabre said.?His commentary with Mauro Ranallo is remarkable. I love it.To have him involved in the project gives an authenticity to the fans, especially the kind of fans that were already invested in the idea of this tournament. But if youre a fan who isnt familiar with international wrestling, with independent and cruiserweight wrestling, I think having Daniel involved in this project is such a huge benefit.Sabre certainly stands out more than most of the competitors in the Cruiserweight Classic -- not just for his unique Escapology style and technical prowess, which he showcased in a first-round win over Tyson Dux last month -- but also for his physique.The 29-year-old, from Canterbury, England?is 6 feet tall but has a slender build at just 181 pounds -- a far cry from the muscle-bound physiques seen in WWE. Looks can be deceiving, though.The fans have every right to question something, Sabre said. But I feel very confident in the way that I wrestle and the way that I perform, so I think that people will be won over.?Im so passionate about the style. It seems sometimes Im having fun with it, but my second-round match against Drew Gulak will show a grittier aspect of the way that I wrestle, so Im really excited.ddddddddddddThere have been reports that Sabre has already been offered a contract by WWE, with several of his fellow Cruiserweight Classic competitors slated to debut in Raws new cruiserweight division on Sept. 19.But Sabre confirmed to ESPN he still has aspirations on the independent scene.I think its definitely appealing, he said, when asked if he sees his future in the company. What NXT has become, I could definitely see myself in that environment. I would benefit from it.?But I do have a personal journey as a professional wrestler that I want to travel.There are a lot of things I want to achieve.?There are still some bits and pieces that Ive got on coming up. Im very happy doing what Im doing now. I have other aspirations, so well just see what happens.He achieved one of his goals when he faced ex-WWE legend Kurt Angle in June at Bethnal Greens famous York Hall in London.It was an incredible experience, Sabre said. Kurt was a childhood hero of mine. I told my mum when the match was announced and she said, Oh, you used to have a poster of him on your wall.?When you think about his period in WWE, and the high level he became so quickly, its insane. As a fan of him first and foremost, I think it would be nice to see him finish out his career there definitely.For now, Sabre is still part of Revolution Pro Wrestling in the United Kingdom, and hell be heading into one of the most prestigious independent wrestling tournaments of the year -- Pro Wrestling Guerillas Battle of Los Angeles -- as PWG champion in early September.Its been quite surreal, really, Sabre said of his recent exposure. Friends from university and school have popped out of nowhere, people I presumed wouldnt have a clue. Their support reaffirms the scope WWE has, with all these people coming out of the woodwork. Its been very nice to receive support from people, in and out of the wrestling community.It shows WWE is such a global phenomenon. For friends and family that have known Ive been on a wrestling journey for such a long period, WWE is kind of validation to them. Its an achievement in itself, by far the biggest platform Ive been on.He has come a long way from that pub in Coventry, and with the path hes on, Sabre looks to have a long ways yet to go. ' ' '