The Rumble on the Rails on NBC Sports Network and Universal Sports is a live wrestling event featuring national teams from the USA, Russia and Iran competing at Grand Central Terminal in New York City on Wednesday, May 15. Before you get all excited that Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik are going to be there, it’s not that kind of wrestling. It’s a showcase of Olympic wrestling (which is on the verge of being dropped from the Olympics) held by Beat the Streets, an organization which promotes wrestling for New York City’s urban youth. NBC Sports Network will air USA vs. Iran on Wednesday, May 15, at 3:30pm ET. Universal Sports network airs USA vs. Russia on Wednesday at 6pm ET.
Here’s the press release from the NBC Sports Group:
NBC SPORTS NETWORK TO AIR USA VS. IRAN WRESTLING FROM HISTORIC GRAND CENTRAL STATION IN NEW YORK CITY
“The Rumble on the Rails” Live Dual airs Wednesday, May 15 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Universal Sports to Air USA vs. Russia Wednesday, May 15 at 6 p.m. ET
NEW YORK – May 9, 2013 – USA Wrestling, NBC Sports Network and Universal Sports combine to present “The Rumble on the Rails,” live wrestling featuring the national teams from the USA, Iran and Russia, from Vanderbilt Hall in historic Grand Central Terminal in New York City on Wednesday, May 15.
Fans can see the nationally-televised matches beginning with the USA vs. Iran freestyle wrestling dual meet on NBC Sports Network, 3:30-5 p.m. ET. Calling the action will be play-by-play announcer Jason Knapp, with color commentary from Olympic champion Rulon Gardner and reporter Jimmy Roberts.
NBC Sports Live Extra — the NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will stream NBC Sports Network’s coverage of “Rumble on the Rails” live via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.
For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.
Coverage continues with USA vs. Russia from 6-7:30 p.m. ET on Universal Sports. This event will feature competition in all three Olympic styles of wrestling. It is expected that some experimental wrestling rules will be used, as part of the international effort to improve the sport of wrestling. This match will also be streamed live on UniversalSports.com to authenticated users.
Knapp will handle the play-by-play of this event as well, with reporting from Roberts. The color commentator for this match is yet to be announced.
Lineups for the USA, Iran and Russian teams will be announced shortly.
“The Rumble on the Rails” is part of the annual Beat the Streets Gala, which will be held following the competition at Bryant Park Grill, and raises funds for youth wrestling programs in New York City. It is also a showcase competition as part of World Wrestling Month, which was declared by the international wrestling federation FILA.
This is the second straight year that NBC Sports Network and Universal Sports have aired a major wrestling event affiliated with the Beat the Streets Gala. In June, 2012, these networks both aired “The Grapple in the Big Apple” from Times Square in New York City. ”The Grapple in the Big Apple” featured a USA vs. Russia freestyle dual meet and the U.S. Olympic Team Wrestle-off for the 60 kg/132 lbs. position on the U.S. Olympic Team in men’s freestyle wrestling.
As part of World Wrestling Month, “The Rumble on the Rails” is an important event in the Keep Olympic Wrestling movement, an international effort to retain wrestling as a sport on the program of the 2020 Olympic Games and beyond.
Every culture across the globe has a form of the sport: Sumo in Japan, Kushti in India, Laamb in Senegal, Tigel in Ethiopia, etc… wrestling truly is a global sport.
It costs nothing to participate in. No expensive equipment or sports complexes. This is why the wealthiest and poorest of countries have success in Olympic wrestling.
It is one of the fastest growing Olympic sports for women. In 2004, 20 countries sent women wrestlers to compete. However, in 2012, that number jumped to 42 countries sending women to wrestle in the Olympics.
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