entertainment aspect of the game, Franklin said. And then

LONDON -- It might be billed as a one-off, two-night special, but dont think for a minute that WWE hasnt got its eyes on bedding down with a permanent presence in the United Kingdom.Paul Triple H Levesque, WWE executive VP of talent, live events & creative, pulled no punches when asked about WWEs ambitions for all of its brands across the pond.Well do 30-ish events here in the coming year, and were putting together plans now for the next four years, and really trying to stamp what we do here for the long term, Levesque told ESPN.The latest WWE brand to be launched, the United Kingdom Championship tournament, was announced in a bombshell news conference at Londons O2 Arena on Thursday morning.Although Levesque told ESPN that plans for the 16-man, single elimination competition -- which will take place live on the WWE Network Jan. 14-15 in Blackpool, England -- have been in the works for over a year, the timing of the announcement is certainly intriguing.Free-to-air U.K. terrestrial television channel ITV recently commissioned a one-off wrestling special, under the old World of Sport Wrestling banner that used to air in the 1980s, with the pilot set to be screened on New Years Eve in a prime-time slot.If the show is successful, it could become a regular staple of ITVs lineup. But while World of Sport Wrestling is looking to lock performers down to contracts, William Regal confirmed to What Culture Pro Wrestling in London that talent featuring in the U.K. Championship tournament will be free to work for other U.K. promotions.WWE has always had a very special relationship with the U.K., and I think this is another step in that relationship, of putting our foot on the ground and not only saying this is our home away from home, its our home, Levesque added.Thats the goal, is to become a weekly show. Hopefully we can make that work out, a weekly show that can feature the best of the U.K. talent and put that out there in a way that gives talent here a clear path into the WWE. Starting here and moving up the line and going through things. I think thats a huge opportunity and will help everybody down the line.With the popularity of cable television declining in the United States, and streaming platforms on the rise, it makes sense that WWE could be preparing the groundwork for a global territory system.The U.K. Championship tournament will no doubt provide a pipeline of local talent to WWEs developmental promotion, NXT, and Mexico, Japan and Canada would be obvious candidates in which to set up similar promotions.Its a way for us to get more talent, period, talent that want to lace up boots and put on trunks and do this, Levesque said. One of the things I found five years ago when we started this process [of the WWE Network], was giving people a pathway to get to the WWE. It gives us a platform like nothing else to go and do this type of content. I think you see that with NXT becoming its own brand, and the cruiserweights with 205 Live. That same process is beginning to happen there. And this is another step in that direction. Theres a systematic approach.[Before] it kind of was this pipe dream. You hear people like?Finn Balor?or Nigel McGuinness say, It was always my dream, but just how do you do it, right? You just kind of do what?you do and you do it for so long that maybe someone will see me or maybe Ill get my stuff in the right persons hands, but how?Balor did eventually make it to WWE in 2014, via NXT, after having wrestled for 14 years on the independent circuit, including eight years in New Japan Pro Wrestling.McGuinness, on the other hand, saw his in-ring career ended prematurely by health issues in 2011, after a deal with WWE fell through in 2009 for the same reason. But he will commentate on the U.K. Championship tournament alongside Michael Cole and Regal at the Empress Ballroom.Whether its a Pete Dunne or a Trent Seven or a Wolfgang, or any of the guys in this tournament -- theyre good, theyre really good, and youre gonna see that here, Levesque said. Were taking these guys and giving them the platform to show the world what they can do so they can fulfill their dreams and be a part of the WWE.People can put it out there in any way they want. Success is not just measured by getting to that, theres a lot of successful people [outside WWE], but I think anybody with any level of success, if you said, Would you like to be at Wrestlemania in front of 100,000 people? its a different level of success.Many of the 16 men competing in the U.K. Championship tournament have been pooled from Insane Championship Wrestling, Progress and Revolution Pro.Going forward, Levesque said WWE will work with the U.K. independent promotions to cultivate talent and provide them with a global platform.The only way you get better at this is by doing it and getting to those big dances and doing this with more pressure on you, he added. As they progress, theyre going from there to NXT or to Raw or SmackDown and making their way up that ladder.And to me now, if Im a kid looking at that, and Im sitting at Raw, now that burns into my head -- Im gonna do this for a living. Heres what I gotta do. I get trained, I go here, I go there. Theres my way to the top. It gives you a goal.There are several names conspicuous by their absence from the U.K. Championship tournament -- the three British stars not under a WWE banner who are most known to global audiences. Zack Sabre Jr. competed in the Cruiserweight Classic this past summer but is not believed to be tied down to a deal anywhere. Theres a definitive reason for Ring of Honor duo Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay (who also has a contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling), as those contracts restrict them from competing for WWE.Levesque confirmed to ESPN, though, that a name like Ospreay is definitely on WWEs radar.Will Ospreay is an amazing talent, he said. Theres a lot of amazing talent out there. When theyre available, when its the right time for them, I wanna work with all of them.Its funny to me people say things along the lines of this guy is an amazing talent but maybe hes not the right fit, or this guy doesnt have the experience. If theyre great at this, then talent is talent, Levesque continued. I wanna bring in the best talent; I wanna help them be better. I wanna take our process and help them be the best they can be.Some people go like, Oh, they try to fix things. We dont try to fix things, we try to make them better. I learn something new every single day about the business because it changes on a daily basis. Anybody [who] thinks they dont have anything to learn in this business is crazy. Black Friday Shoes Deals . PAUL, Minn. Black Friday Shoes China . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. https://www.shoesblackfriday.com/ . Calgary scored on the first shift, and Michael Cammalleri scored twice as the Flames cruised to a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Black Friday Shoes Store . 24 Baylor in a Big 12 clash between teams trending in opposite directions. Andrew Wiggins made 10-of-12 from the foul line and scored 17 for Kansas (14-4, 5-0 Big 12), which capped a stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents unscathed. Cheap Black Friday Shoes . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Two seasons of ugly offense at Penn State had head coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions in need of more than just a change of scheme.The first job facing new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead was bringing some positive vibes to Happy Valley.He brings a ton of energy to this offense. That was something I think that kind of revitalized our offense, quarterback Trace McSorley said.Penn State unveils its new spread offense Saturday against Kent State. After the Nittany Lions finished 7-6 and ranked 13th in the Big Ten in total offense in each of Franklins first two seasons, Penn State fans are not likely to have much patience for growing pains.Moorheads ability to deliver an offense that can help the Nittany Lions close the gap on Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State in the Big Ten East will likely play a huge part in determining Franklins future at Penn State.Moorhead, the former FCS head coach at Fordham and offensive coordinator at UConn, seems keenly aware of the enormity of his task and not at all overwhelmed by it.Ive called plays in double overtime to beat Notre Dame, he said. (But) you really understand the situation youre getting into when you become a Big Ten offensive coordinator, particularly taking over an offense that has struggled a little bit.I do understand the ramifications and the immediacy to produce results not just at this level but at this time in history for this program.The last four seasons at Fordham, Moorhead went 38-13 with three playoff appearances and the most prolific offenses in his alma maters history. Before that, he worked under Randy Edsall at Connecticut, where his offenses were more traditional and pro-style. The way his former boss preferred.The 42-year-old Moorhead first landed on Franklins radar a couple years ago at a coaching clinic in his native Pittsburgh.He gets up there and not only do I enjoy his presentation and do we align when it comes to concepts, when it comes to spacing, when it comes to West Coast philosophies in the passing game, but also a lot of the things that hes saying and how hes articulating the message and the passion that he has for it and the energy that he has for it and the cconfidence that he has in it, Franklin said.dddddddddddd Right away, I kind of wrote him down.Franklin dismisses the idea this up-tempo offense that will feature mobile quarterbacks is what he wanted but could not have when Christian Hackenberg, a second-round draft choice by the Jets, was the quarterback at Penn State the last two seasons. Franklin points to his background as an assistant coach with the Green Bay Packers and his stints at Kansas State and Maryland as proof he can work well with drop-back passers.Still, the roster Franklin has built while being handcuffed by NCAA scholarship sanctions dropped on Penn State after the Jerry Sandusky scandal suggests a more new-school approach.I think what it really came down to was embracing the direction of where football is going right now. The speed of the game. The style of the game. The excitement of the game. The entertainment aspect of the game, Franklin said. And then I think more so than anything else it is based on our personnel right now.With scholarship limits gone, an offensive line that struggled mightily to protect Hackenberg at least now has major-college football depth. There is skill position talent. Especially Saquon Barkley, who ran for 1,076 yards as a freshman last season.The new offense is simplified without being simple. Long play calls are out, replaced by hand signals and a word or two at the line of scrimmage. The offensive line is asked to do less problem solving. Moorhead has not only gotten rid of huddles, he has banned the word.Hell always yell sideline congregation, McSorley said.Penn State will play up-tempo, but dont expect Oregon-level blur.We are not a tempo team that runs plays for the sake of running them, Moorhead said. We utilize four different tempos. Its not about running the wrong play quickly. Its about running the right play against the look that we are presented as quickly as we can.Getting it right as quickly as possible is also the best way to describe whats expected of Moorhead this season.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP ' ' '