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Extreme Retribution

AUSTINTOWN — Championship Wrestling Experience will present “Culmination 2” Friday at The Wedge Nightclub in Austintown.

The main event of the evening will feature a three-way dance for the CWE Undisputed Title between Johnny Gargano, Shiima Xion and Josh Prohibition.

ECW Originals Jerry Lynn and Justin Credible come to Austintown to settle a long standing rivalry in an “Extreme Rules” contest.

Raymond Rowe and “The Deviant” Michael Hutter finally meet in the ring after months of vexation.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Call (330) 599-2292 for details

Penguins ink trio

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forwards Kris Beech, Ryan Stone and Bill Thomas to one-year contracts on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Beech was claimed off waivers from Columbus in January. He had five goals and six assists in 25 games with the Blue Jackets and Penguins before a broken wrist ended his season on Feb. 14.

The 23-year-old Stone played six games with the Penguins last season during three call-ups from the Penguins’ American Hockey League team.

Thomas, who played seven games for the Phoenix Coyotes last season, spent most of last season with San Antonio of the AHL.

Mangino gets two years, raise from KU

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas gave coach Mark Mangino a raise and extended his contract two years Tuesday, amending his deal to up his compensation to $2.3 million per year.

The contract now runs through 2012.

Mangino, entering his seventh year at Kansas, was The Associated Press Coach of the Year last season. The Jayhawks went 12-1, including a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl, Kansas’ first BCS bowl victory.

Mangino’s new deal will pay him $1,770,100 per year for professional services rendered, an increase of $500,000. Those services could include educational, public relations and promotional duties assigned by the athletic director.

Mangino’s annual salary of $229,900 remains the same, though he could get additional incentives up to $675,000 in any given year. Mangino also will receive a retention payment of $1.5 million if he remains head coach at Kansas through the end of his contract.

Manningham signed

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Third-round pick Mario Manningham (Warren Harding) signed a four-year contract with the New York Giants on Tuesday, leaving the Super Bowl champions with only two unsigned draft selections.

“The wide receiver position for a rookie is probably one of the most difficult to learn, so we all felt it was important for him not to miss training camp,” Don Yee, Manningham’s agent, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

Yee refused to discuss the value of the contract for the speedy receiver, who caught 137 passes for 2,310 yards and 27 touchdowns at Michigan.

Those statistics should have gotten Manningham drafted earlier, but he slipped to the third round because of off-field problems.

nation

Winter Classic

CHICAGO — It will become officially official today: The NHL will award the 2009 Winter Classic to the Blackhawks, who will play host to Detroit at Wrigley Field on Jan. 1, according to an industry source.

For weeks it has been believed Chicago would land the outdoor game. About the only mystery has been when the puck would drop. It will be at noon, and NBC will televise the game.

The league’s inaugural Winter Classic drew an NHL-record 71,217 to Ralph Wilson Stadium for a Pittsburgh-Buffalo game this past January.

Yankee Stadium was an early favorite for the 2009 game, but logistical concerns, coupled with lobbying from Blackhawks brass and the mayor’s office, turned the stick in Chicago’s direction.

Reyna to retire

NEWARK, N.J. — Former U.S. national captain and current New York Red Bulls midfielder Claudio Reyna plans to announce his retirement today, less than two seasons after returning from Europe to join Major League Soccer.

Reyna was not immediately available for comment, but a person familiar with Reyna’s decision said that the star was retiring from the league.

The person requested anonymity because the official announcement had yet to be made.

Bothered by hamstring and back injuries this season, Reyna played in and started six of 16 games. He last played on May 25 in a 5-1 loss to Chicago. The New Jersey native has no goals or assists in 461 minutes this season.

Vindicator staff/wire reports