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    Mark Palmer •

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    Former MSU wrestler Jacobs wins 2018 World Catch Wrestling title

    Curran Jacobs, a two-time NCAA qualifier for Michigan State and MMA fighter, claimed the title at the 2018 Snake Pit USA Catch Wrestling Association World Championships this weekend in Hamilton, N.J.

    Curran Jacobs
    A predecessor to today's modern folkstyle and freestyle wrestling, catch wrestling is the product of old-style catch-as-catch-can wrestling. Matches can last up to 20 minutes. For this event, it was "no holds barred"; in fact, catch wrestlers may use joint lock submission holds.

    Jacobs, 29, came out on top of an eight-man field to win the championships.

    In the first round, Jacobs defeated Johnny Buck by Rear Naked Choke in overtime. Then, in the semifinals, Jacobs used a Rear Naked Choke on Erik Hammer to advance to the finals. In the title bout, the former Spartan 174-pound matman defeated Brandon Ruiz by Rear Naked Choke in the third overtime round to become champion.

    Jacobs provided some perspective on the demands of participating in an event with this caliber of competition in a rugged sport.

    "I was the lightest guy in the entire tournament," Jacobs told InterMat. "So I knew going in I would have to dig deep. I've always said victory starts from the heart, and that's what I used to win these matches against these titans."

    "I wrestled for a total of an hour and 37 minutes, with just ten minutes to rest between matches," Jacobs continued. "This is the greatest war I've ever been in."

    Jacobs posted this message on his Facebook page under a photo of his finals rival, Brandon Ruiz: "This is the man I met in the finals. I knew he was going to be an absolute monster and when you look at what he has accomplished, you stand in awe. So much respect to Brandon Ruiz. This match was one for the century."

    In addition to paying respect to his opponents, Curran Jacobs cited his own team as instrumental in his victory.

    "I could not have done this without Roger Chandler, head wrestling coach for the Michigan State Spartans," Jacobs said to InterMat. "My submission wrestling coach Andrew Peterson, and my strength training and conditioning coach, Korey Wertz. I had the best team behind me."

    Jacobs has been competing in major catch wrestling events for a number of years. Exactly one year ago, the Michigan native was crowned champ at the 2017 Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament in Humboldt, Iowa.
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