Time for a summer smackdown. WWE returning to Sacramento with Saturday Night’s Main Event

Originally published by SacBee.com on May 9, 2022

WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre poses on the background of an arena next to the Saturday Night's Main Event logo.
Courtesy WWE

It’s time to rumble in Sacramento.

World Wrestling Entertainment is bringing its unique brand of professional wrestling back to Golden 1 Center this summer. Saturday Night’s Main Event will take over the downtown arena on July 9, the arena announced Monday.

The non-televised Smackdown-branded show kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will feature a full roster of WWE superstars, including Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, new Smackdown Women’s Champion and former MMA star Ronda Rousey, New Day’s Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi, Smackdown Tag Team Champions The Usos and more.

Also being advertised for the show is Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn and an appearance by Intercontinental Champion Ricochet, whose high-flying, acrobatic moveset is sure to impress.

As always, match cards and wrestler lineups are subject to change.

This will be the first WWE show in Sacramento since Monday Night Raw laid the smackdown at Golden 1 Center in October.

Tickets for the show go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday and start at $20.

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Wrestling fans, are you ready for WWE Hell in a Cell to take Golden 1 Center to Hell?

Originally published by SacBee.com on Oct. 1, 2019 and in the Oct. 4, 2019 print edition on page 4A.

World Wrestling Entertainment is kicking off the spookiest month of the year with its hard-hitting, action-packed brand of entertainment as it transforms Golden 1 Center into Hell.

The Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event is coming to Sacramento just in time for Halloween. Wrestling fans can expect to see their favorite superstars battle it out inside the squared-circle, with some matches featuring the gigantic steel structure known for altering and shortening careers of the men and women brave enough to step inside.

There are several big matches slated for the show but none bigger than the main event, which will take place inside the 15-foot steel cage structure itself. That match will feature Seth Rollins as he takes on “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt for Rollins’ WWE Universal World Heavyweight Championship.

The match was set up after “The Fiend” challenged the winner of the Seth Rollins versus Braun Strowman title match at the September 15 Clash of Champions event, in which Rollins retained his title.

This will be the second pay-per-view match for Bray Wyatt’s new “Fiend” character since his return following a lengthy injury. He stepped in the ring for the first time with his new look, attitude and gimmick at SummerSlam in August, where he defeated Finn Bálor.

This came after months of Wyatt teasing a return with weekly promo videos in the style of a demonic children’s show called “Firefly Funhouse.”

The other headlining match for the show comes in the form of a second match inside the Hell in a Cell cage that will see Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch defend her title against Sasha Banks, who also recently returned with a new attitude after an extended stint away from the ring.

This is a rematch from Clash of Champions after the two collided in what ended in a disqualification when the referee was knocked down and the two ladies fought it out all over the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Banks was declared the winner but Lynch retained her title.

Another huge clash will see Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan team up to take on Bryan’s former running buddy, Erick Rowan, and Rowan’s returning long-time partner Luke Harper in a tag team match.

Daniel Bryan enlisted the help of Rowan – the former Wyatt Family member and former Bludgeon Brother with Luke Harper – when he was WWE Champion to help him retain that title in several defenses earlier this year. But their relationship recently soured when Rowan was accused of orchestrating several attacks on Roman Reigns.

A match between Reigns and Rowan at Clash of Champions included the return of Harper. That led to an attack on Reigns and Bryan by Harper and Rowan on a recent Smackdown episode, perfectly setting up the tag team bout at Hell in a Cell.

WHAT OTHER MATCHES WILL I SEE AT WWE HELL IN A CELL?

As of publication, all the matches for the show have yet to be announced, but WWE pay-per-view events average anywhere from eight matches to 12, so more will surely be added.

A match between former UFC star Brock Lesnar and current WWE Champion Kofi Kingston has been teased in recent weeks as well as a possible Bayley versus Charlotte Flair match for Bayley’s Smackdown Women’s Championship.

The Raw Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, Smackdown Tag Team Champions The Revival, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder, Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakmaura and United States Champion A.J. Styles will likely have matches on the card as well.

Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens, most likely inside Hell in a Cell, is another match that looks like a solid lock. Their rivalry has really heated up in recent weeks and Hell in a Cell might just be the perfect place for it to come to its bitter end.

Another rivalry that’s been heating up in the past couple of weeks is the one between new King of the Ring Baron Corbin and the man he beat for the crown Chad Gable. A definitive end to their conflict could come at Hell in a Cell as well.

Drew Gulak’s Cruiserweight Championship and the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, currently held by Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss, could be part of the show as well. Other superstars who may participate in matches include the likes of Randy Orton, Cedric Alexander, Ali, Rey Mysterio and the recently reintroduced Rusev.

WHAT IS THE HELL IN A CELL MATCH?

The Hell in a Cell match debuted in 1997 and got its own themed pay-per-view event 10 years ago in 2009.

The first Hell in a Cell match, which featured Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker, was a classic. The match became a pro wrestling tradition at the 1998 King of the Ring pay-per-view, when The Undertaker threw Mick “Mankind” Foley off the top of the cell through an announcer’s table, a segment that has been replayed on WWE programming in celebration of the match ever since.

This is the first time the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event comes to Sacramento and the second time it’ll air live from California, with 2015’s event taking place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Last year’s event saw the debut of the red cell – with previous iterations of the chain-linked fencing that makes up the structure being a more traditional silver. The new, more sinister design will most likely make its return this year.

WHEN AND HOW CAN I WATCH ON TV OR FROM MY MOBILE DEVICE?

Hell in a Cell will air live on WWE Network, the pro wrestling company’s Netflix-style service, on Sunday, October 6, at 4 p.m. for the pre-show and 5 p.m. for the main show.

In addition to a team of commentators running down the match card, showing replays of the events leading up to the event and interviewing superstars, the pre-show usually includes a couple matches with some of those being title matches.

Some cable providers still offer WWE shows on the more traditional pay-per-view format, but expect to pay upwards of $49.99 if you go that route. WWE Network runs $9.99 a month, but new subscribers receive their first month free.

WWE Network features streamed live and pre-recorded wrestling events, many years of archival WWE, WCW, ECW and other wrestling footage and original programming, most starring past and present WWE wrestlers. WWE Network is available on the web, mobile devices and several video game consoles and streaming devices such as Roku.

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE

WWE and Ticketmaster are advertising tickets are still available for the event. Tickets start at $25, according to Ticketmaster.

For those attending live, doors open at Golden 1 Center at 3:30 p.m. WWE pay-per-view events tend to last approximately four hours, including the pre-show, so expect to be at the event through about 9 p.m.

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WWE returns to Golden 1 Center this fall with giant cages for its ‘Hell in a Cell’ event

Originally published by SacBee.com on July 23, 2019

Shane McMahon atop the Hell in a Cell in Detroit, MI, in 2017 as he prepares to jump onto an announce table and Kevin Owens.

Get ready to see pro wrestlers battle inside of giant cages this fall at Golden 1 Center when WWE returns to Sacramento for its annual “Hell in a Cell” pay-per-view event.

The show will feature several matches, including some inside WWE’s 20-foot-tall, 5-ton steel cage structure that surrounds the ring.

WWE made a stop in Sacramento on June 11 for an episode of its weekly live show “SmackDown,” but this is the first time the “Hell in a Cell” event will air live from the city.

Local advertisements for the show include top stars Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre, WWE “Raw” Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and WWE Champion Kofi Kingston. The lineup is subject to change, according to WWE.

IF YOU GO

Where: Golden 1 Center at 500 David J. Stern Walk, Sacramento

When: Sunday, Oct. 6, at 3:30 p.m. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.

Admission: Tickets start at $25

Tickets go on sale Friday, July 26. More information can be found here.

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Former Fox 40 anchor Paul Robins to host afternoon drive show for new radio station

Originally published by SacBee.com on Jan. 9, 2019

Radio listeners will soon hear a familiar voice on Sacramento’s 92.5 The Breeze.

Former Fox 40 morning anchor and longtime Sacramento radio personality Paul Robins recently announced he would be leaving the TV station to lead the digital communication and design degree program at William Jessup University.

According to an announcement from iHeartMedia, which operates KBEB-FM 92.5, a station specializing in “relaxing favorites at work,” Robins will begin hosting the station’s afternoon drive show beginning Friday, Feb. 1.

Robins, who is currently traveling overseas with his wife, according to several posts on his Facebook page, will host the show from Jessup’s on-campus studio, which will provide an opportunity for students to gain some hands-on learning experiences with broadcast and digital content.

“I’m absolutely thrilled that Paul has agreed to join 92.5 The Breeze,” Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia in Sacramento Curtiss Johnson said in an announcement. “Nobody in Sacramento knows this music more than Paul Robins. He is a trusted and beloved personality and a downright institution in our city. I can’t wait for him to keep Sacramento relax on the drive home every workday.”

Robins announced his departure from Fox 40 in late November of last year. Robins was with the news station for 10 years, hosting the morning show for much of that time.

In the past, he has reported for PBS’s “America’s Heartland,” a weekly TV program, and appeared on the Discovery Channel. He is also a mystery novelist, according to his website.

In radio, he’s worked for stations in Detroit and Dallas, in addition to Sacramento. Robins is perhaps most well-known for his many years of bantering back and forth on Sacramento radio with co-host Phil Cowan.

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Deadline for Covered California open enrollment quickly approaching

Originally published by SacBee.com on Jan. 9, 2019

Californians hoping to sign up for medical coverage through Covered California have until Tuesday, Jan. 15, when open enrollment ends.

This year’s deadline is earlier than in 2018, when open enrollment for the state ended Jan. 31. Those who sign up for coverage by Jan. 15 will begin receiving benefits on Feb. 1. Those who do not sign up for coverage by Jan. 15 will miss their opportunity to be covered in 2019 unless they qualify for special enrollment.

“Covered California knows that many consumers are deadline driven and often wait until the final few days to sign up for health insurance,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee in an announcement of the organization’s final statewide enrollment tour. “We want to make sure they know that this year’s deadline is earlier than it has been in the past, and they must take action in the next week in order to get the peace of mind and protection they deserve in 2019.”

Open enrollment for most states ended Dec. 21, 2018, after the partial government shutdown extended the deadline from Dec. 15. Covered California reports that more than 238,000 people had signed up for coverage as of that date.

On Monday, The Sacramento Bee reported that California’s new governor, Gavin Newsom, announced plans to institute a state tax penalty on people who don’t have insurance. The federal Affordable Care Act had created a national tax penalty, but Congress voted in 2017 to revoke it, starting with tax returns for 2019 income. 

Additionally, Newsom is seeking approval from the federal government to implement a single-payer health care system in California, which was a focus for Newsom on the campaign trail.

According to Covered California, “the majority of uninsured Californians who are eligible for financial help either do not know or mistakenly think they do not qualify.”

About 90 percent of the people who sign up for a health plan through the exchange receive financial help, with the average person paying about $5 per day for coverage, Covered California said.

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Get cultured for free: Check out 24 Sacramento-area museums as part of Museum Week

Originally published by SacBee.com on Jan. 9, 2019

Punxsutawney Phil may or may not see his shadow this Groundhog Day, but there will be plenty to see and experience around Sacramento on Saturday, Feb. 2, during Free Museum Day.

A total of 24 museums will participate in the 21st annual event. Free admission to the participating locations will begin at 10 a.m. and last through 5 p.m.

Some of the museums participating in Free Museum Day include the California Museum, Sacramento History Museum, Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, Folsom History Museum, the California State Railroad Museum, which recently hosted some of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s inauguration events, and the California Capitol in downtown Sacramento.

A full list of the participating locations is on the official Sacramento Area Museums website.

“Our continuing goal as a collaborative organization is to introduce the community to the amazing array of arts, culture and museum offerings available in the greater Sacramento region,” said Sacramento Area Museums Chair Delta Pick Mello in a press release. 

This year’s event kicks off the organization’s new Museum Week, which is sponsored by Visit Sacramento, Sutter Health and California Family Fitness. Museum Week will feature special attractions each day at select locations through Feb. 8.

According to SAM, some of the Museum Week activities are listed below with the full rundown on sacmuseums.org. Keep in mind that regular admission fees apply for all of the events aside from Free Museum Day.

▪ Sunday, Feb. 3 (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) – The California Automobile Museum offers “Downtown Sunday Drives” in vintage cars.

▪ Monday, Feb. 4 (11 to 11:30 a.m.) – The California State Railroad Museum presents an “All Aboard for Story Time” children’s reading activity.

▪ Tuesday, Feb. 5 (6 to 8:30 p.m.) – Verge Center for the Arts offers a real-life Adult Drop-In Figure Drawing class.

▪ Wednesday, Feb. 6 (10 a.m.) – The California State Library will conduct special guided tours on this day and during Museum Week Tuesday and Thursday. Museum Day tours will be on request.

▪ Thursday, Feb. 7 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) – Locke Art Studio will offer a free Joy Kuo Master silk screen printing demonstration.

▪ Friday, Feb. 8 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) – Sacramento Historic City Cemetery volunteers will be available to answer questions about the cemetery, help visitors find specific graves or assist with their genealogical research.

Though many of the museums are within walking distance of one another, Sacramento Regional Transit is offering free rides on Feb. 2 to help museum attendees get from one museum to the next. A printed or digital event flier, which can be found on the Sac RT website, is required to get a free lift on RT buses and light-rail trains.

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Roommate stole Vacaville man’s lottery ticket, police say. Turns out, it was worth $10 million

Originally published by SacBee.com on Jan. 8, 2019

Should you ever win a big prize playing the lottery, you may want to be careful who you tell.

According to the Vacaville Police Department, after purchasing a $30 California Lottery Scratcher ticket on Dec. 20 from Lucky Grocery Store on Peabody Road, a Vacaville man was excited to learn that he had won $10,000. Or so he thought.

The next day, he took the ticket to the lottery’s district office in Sacramento to cash it in but he was met with the news that the ticket could not be redeemed because it was not a winner. In fact, the ticket had been altered.

Suspecting one of his roommates of stealing the real ticket and replacing it with a fraudulent one, he reported it to the police department. The following day, the man’s roommate, Adul Saosongyang, 35, attempted to turn in the real winning ticket and was informed that the ticket was actually worth $10 million.

Unaware the ticket had been reported stolen, the lottery office began its standard administrative investigation for any winnings of more than $600. Part of the investigation included viewing the surveillance cameras at the store where the ticket was purchased.

Upon visiting the store, they learned the ticket had been reported stolen.

On Monday, following a joint investigation of the District Lottery Office and the Vacaville Police Department, lottery’s investigators invited Saosongyang to its office to collect his winnings. When he arrived, he was arrested.

Saosongyang faces a charge of grand theft.

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No bricks for you! Arden Fair’s Lego store closes its doors

Originally published by SacBee.com on Jan. 8, 2019

Budding architects and lovers of tiny plastic bricks in Sacramento will have to search harder to find their building material of choice.

The Lego store inside the Arden Fair mall has closed it doors. A listing on the official website of the shopping center confirms that the store is no longer open for business.

Nathan Spradlin, senior marketing manager for Arden Fair, did not immediately respond to The Bee for comment, but told Sacramento Business Journal that the store closed over the weekend.

According to that report, Victoria’s Secret offshoot Pink could fill the space along with the neighboring Boost Mobile store, which is slated for closure at the end of January.

Pink already exists elsewhere in the mall, but will be moving to the new location, which will combine the former Lego Store and Boost Mobile into a larger space for the clothing retailer.

One sad fan of the Lego Store took to Twitter and YouTube to offer his “fond farewell” to the location that sold everything from miscellaneous bricks to the biggest sets offered by the toy company.

The nearest Lego Store for capital region is at the Galleria in Roseville.

Fans of the Danish toy maker’s colorful construction sets still have time to check out the Lego art display by Sacramento native David Tracy called “Bricking Bad” through Jan. 12 in Rancho Cordova.

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Raley Field job fair to offer positions in more than a dozen areas

Originally published by SacBee.com on Jan. 8, 2019

Need a job? Love baseball? The Sacramento River Cats may have just the opportunity for you.

The team is hosting a job fair at Raley Field later this month to hire for multiple positions. The hiring event will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 9 a.m. to noon and Saturday, Feb. 9, from 1 to 4 p.m.

According to a Facebook event posting, jobs are available in the concessions stands, parking lot, ticket office and in merchandise sales. Open jobs include positions for cooks, dishwashers, bartenders and groundskeepers, among others. In all, there are jobs up for grabs in 19 areas of the stadium.

It’s important to note that these are seasonal, part-time positions.

Raley Field is located at 400 Ballpark Drive in West Sacramento. Those interested in attending the job fair on either day can find out more from the event’s Facebook page.

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Here’s what to expect at Gavin Newsom’s California Rises wildfire relief concert

Originally published by SacBee.com on Jan. 4, 2019

Gavin Newsom’s inauguration events may go down as the most memorable in the history of the state. Rather, they should at least prove that the governor-elect is more hip than previous officeholders.

On Sunday, Jan. 6, a benefit concert downtown at Golden 1 Center for the California Fire Foundation, which supports firefighters and communities harmed by wildfires, will include performances by Common, Pitbull, X Ambassadors, Betty Who and Cold Weather Sons, a musical duo that was formed as a direct result of the Camp Fire.

The tickets, which run $25 each, are on sale now and will follow a free afternoon event for families where attendees can meet Newsom at the California State Railroad Museum.

The event will also feature kid-friendly activities. It’s one of several inauguration-related events that are scheduled to take place in Sacramento over the weekend with Newsom to be sworn into office Monday.

According to the website for the concert, the goal of the show is “to help fund long-term recovery for the individuals and areas impacted by the 2018 wildfires. California Rises will bring first responders and others impacted by the fires together with our state’s leaders in a celebration of hope, healing and renewal.”

Ranging in genres from hip hop, to rock, to pop, the group of artists chosen for the concert all have connections to political or social activism. For those interested in attending, here’s what to expect from each performer.

Cold Weather Sons

Nathaniel Smith And Miykael Goodwin formed Cold Weather Sons following Smith’s home being destroyed by the Camp Fire in November of last year, according to the duo’s Facebook page.

The musical team wrote a song, which features the sounds of strumming guitars and a country twang, about their beloved town of Paradise. The song is called “One Of These Days” and is a tribute to the town that was mostly wiped out as a result of California’s most devastating wildfire in history.

According to NPR, the song, which was recorded in Nashville, is raising money to benefit victims of the fire.

Common

This won’t be the first time Common will perform at a Gavin Newsom event.

The Grammy-award winning rapper, actor and activist, who is outspoken on many social justice issues and integrates his thoughts on society’s problems into his methodical rhymes with songs like “Glory” from the movie “Selma,” performed along with Cypress Hill and DJ Jazzy Jeff of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” fame at a private event in Sacramento in May 2017.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Common also performed at the former San Francisco mayor’s governorship victory event in Los Angeles this past Novermber, where a Sacramento resident even got up close and personal with the rapper.

Betty Who

An activist on LGBT issues, 27-year-old Australian singer Betty Who hasn’t been shy about her thoughts on the subject.

The singer of hit songs like “Somebody Loves You” is set to belt out her synth-pop tunes at Newsom’s California Rises relief concert.

She’s been dubbed an “Aus-merican” by her mother, according to a report from The Bee’s sister-publication The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., because of the influence she’s taken from some of her favorite American singers. She puts Britney Spears at the top of the list.

“There is no recording artist more than Britney Spears who had such an effect on me. When I was a kid, I was all about Britney and her performance,” she told the News & Observer.

Pitbull

This rapper and activist in the Latino community is known for his fast-paced and hard-hitting songs, including “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho),” and “Give Me Everything” as well as 2013’s No. 1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 song “Timber,” which featured musician Kesha.

According to looktothestars.org, a website dedicated to highlighting “celebrity giving,” Pitbull has supported causes like adoption, fostering, poverty and education. He even opened a charter school in his hometown of Miami in 2013.

Dubbed, “Mr. Education,” he is also a supporter of the Sports Leadership And Management Academy (SLAM).

“If sports is what you love, one way or another, it’s a business you can get involved with,” Pitbull told NPR.

X Ambassadors

X Ambassadors, a New York indie rock band, is no stranger to benefit and tribute concerts.

According to a newspaper in the band’s hometown of Ithaca, X Ambassadors organized and performed at a concert that brought the band back to its roots in September as a tribute to the city.

It should be pretty clear why Newsom chose X Ambassadors for his concert as the band has come out in support of causes like the 2017 women’s marches and Planned Parenthood, issues that are closely-aligned with Newsom’s Democratic values.

The band even produced a single in support of the ACLU, according to a report by Billboard. The band explained to Billboard that the song, titled “Hoping,” was a direct response to President Donald Trump’s actions toward illegal immigration in the United States.

“We will continue to fight against sexism, racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia, xenophobia, and the pervasive intolerance being encouraged under our current administration,” the band told Billboard.

Newsom hasn’t seen eye-to-eye on policy issues with President Donald Trump either.

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