Bryce AbbeyA four-time NCAA Division II All-American wrestler will be competing on comedian Kevin Hart's "TKO: Total Knock Out" TV series tonight (Aug. 17).
Bryce Abbey, who wrestled at University of Nebraska-Kearney from 2002-05, will be vying for a potential prize purse of $150,000.
Abbey, dubbed the "Wrestling Champ" on "TKO" according to Nebraska.TV, must get through an obstacle course faster than four others, all while they try to take each other down on the CBS prime-time series.
If Abbey scores the fastest time on his episode, he can win a $50,000 cash prize. If his time stacks up as one of the five fastest for the season, he competes in a "Battle Royale" for a chance at an additional $100,000.
Here's how the CBS website describes the summer series: "TKO: Total Knock Out' features people from all walks of life, where one player races through daunting obstacles while four other contestants are manning battle stations along the course, firing over-the-top projectiles in an attempt to knock them off and slow them down."
Abbey's mat background may serve him well in the physical challenges that are integral to "TKO." The Goodland, Kansas native -- who wrestled at 125 pounds for the Lopers -- is one of six UNK wrestlers to earn NCAA All-American honors four times, placing no lower than fifth at four national championships. What's more, Abbey ranks second on the school's all-time wins list with 134 victories, just behind two-time U.S. Olympian Tervel Dlagnev.
Abbey was a member of four teams that placed in the top 10 at the Division II national championships, including a runner-up finish in 2003, and helped the Lopers win the national duals that year.
For all his on-the-mat accomplishments, Abbey was inducted into the UNK Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.
Abbey is still connected to the school where he earned All-American honors as a Lopers wrestler. He currently serves as UNK's Employee Health and Wellness Director and is an assistant professor in the Kinesiology and Sport Science department. He and his family reside in Kearney.
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