Mike PoetaRevWrestling.com recently caught up with Poeta and asked him about his injury and when he expects to return to competition, what his NCAA finals loss to Jordan Leen did to him, what makes Jimmy Kennedy so tough, what wrestlers he enjoys watching and learning from, whether he plans to continue wrestling freestyle after his college wrestling career, and much more.
You have not competed yet this season due to injury. Describe your injury.
Poeta: I've just had some problems with my knee over the summer and it continued on into the season, so it has taken a lot longer to recover than we anticipated. I've been practicing for about two weeks now with no limitation or restrictions … and I feel that I'm better now than I was before I got hurt. It was great for me mentally. I don't think I lost a step or lost a beat. I feel like I'm already starting to wrestle really well.
So will you be back for the Midlands at the end of the month?
Poeta: Most likely not.
Do you have an expected return date?
Poeta: The plan for a long time now has been January 9 against West Virginia. That's been the plan the whole time. But I think it's coming along a lot faster than everyone thought. But I think that's still the plan.
You wrestled Jordan Leen in the NCAA finals, a wrestler you had never faced. Leen came through the bracket as the No. 8 seed. Being that you were one of the favorites to win the weight class, I imagine there some wrestlers you expected you might face in the finals. How surprised were you to see Leen in the NCAA finals?
Mike Poeta (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)I'm going to go back to a specific moment in that NCAA finals match. End of the second period, about 30 seconds left in the period, you get called for fleeing the mat at about the same you're close to securing a takedown on the edge of the mat. What are your thoughts on the call the referee made?
Poeta: The thing is … when you're wrestling and the guy is in on a shot, the point is to counter. When a guy is on a sweep single, to counter the shot and get out of it, you're trying to kick. People who have seen me wrestle know that I don't stall. I'm always trying to score. In that situation, I turned and kicked, turned and kicked. He was still on my leg. I turned back, grabbed his hand, picked him up, and then ended up in on a shot of my own, which was about as clear cut of a takedown as can be. If they're giving Johny Hendricks those takedowns on Ryan Churella a few years back, then mine should have been more than a takedown. The thing is … you can't let the ref decide it. You have to pretend the ref is not there. I shouldn't have let it be that close. But it was a bad call. That's just the way it was. But I shouldn't let one call decide the national finals for me.
What did that loss to Leen in the NCAA finals do to you?
Poeta: It was tough. The following couple days, couple weeks were really tough. All wrestlers put so much into this sport … and to be so close to your dream and not get it, it was very tough. Just like with any loss, it's really motivating. I have a quote in my locker about it. It has just been motivating.
The 157-pound weight class is widely considered to be the strongest of any weight class this season. Four of the top five from last season return, plus some All-Americans from 149 have moved up. What are your thoughts on the overall strength of the weight class this season?
Poeta: There are five or six really tough kids, like you said, but you don't have to wrestle them all. At the national tournament, you're probably only going to wrestle two of them. It is tough. There are a lot of tough kids, but who cares … you have to beat everyone who is in front of you.
If you were in charge of doing rankings, where would you be ranked right now at 157?
Poeta: If I was wrestling, No. 1. I've been sitting out, so I probably wouldn't even put me in there until I wrestle.
Although you were unable to compete at the NWCA All-Star Classic due to injury, you accompanied your teammate, Jimmy Kennedy, to the event. You did that on your own expense and on your own time. Why was it important for you to be there with Jimmy?
Poeta: The wrestling team, and I'm sure it's like this at every school, it's a brotherhood. We're all brothers. We love each other. Our team was wrestling in Missouri, so he was traveling alone. I just wanted to go keep him company and make it a better time for him … and be a workout partner for him if he needed to do anything to make weight or get ready for his match.
In a battle of returning All-Americans, Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois defeated Jayson Ness of Minnesota at the 2008 NWCA All-Star Classic at 133 pounds (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Poeta: Jimmy Kennedy is an animal. There's no other way to put it. Not only is he probably the best wrestler at 133, but add on top of it, he's the most mentally tough kid I've been around since I started wrestling. Other 133-pounders better watch out. This kid is all business.
I saw you in the Faces of the Big Ten commercial. You said that you pick up as much wrestling knowledge as you can from watching successful wrestlers. Who are some of those wrestlers that you enjoy watching and learning from?
Poeta: I love watching (Bouvaisa) Saitiev. Everyone watches Saitiev. But you can't do any of the stuff he does. That's the problem with watching him. I love watching him, but the stuff he does is so unique. He has such a good feel for wrestling. I really can't do any of the stuff he does. I really love watching Stephen Abas and Bryan Snyder. I think Bryan Snyder the most just because I think he wrestles a lot like the way I wrestle. The stuff he does really works for me.
Illinois is 5-0 this season. You were missing several starters at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational when you placed 13th. I think a lot of people are wondering where Illinois fits into the national picture. You have a mix of young, talented wrestlers in your lineup, plus some veteran leadership. How good can this Illinois team be?
Poeta: I think we're a team that can be right up there in the top and be in the hunt. And then we're also a team that could drop back and be nowhere near the top. I think it depends on a lot of individuals. We have guys that can do very, very well. And at the same time, it's night and day. Those same guys might not perform up to their abilities. So honestly it's up in the air. I get more nervous for other guys on my team, especially a guy like Roger Smith-Bergsrud. He's a guy that I wrestle with daily. It's amazing to me how good this kid is … and then he doesn't always show it. If the kid that I wrestle with every day comes out, just like Jimmy Kennedy, he's going to be a scary kid for other wrestlers in his weight class.
Mike Poeta is hoping FILA changes the weight classes (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Poeta: I'm just going to wrestle until I die. I just couldn't imagine doing anything else. I'm going to go until my body tells me to stop. With my knee, I sat out for about four months. This was probably the hardest four months of my life. It's tough being away from it.
What weight class?
Poeta: I'm kind of hoping they switch them around a little bit. I'm one of those guys that is stuck right in the middle. 163 is big for me. When I'm wrestling every day, I'm in the 150s after every practice without really watching what I eat. And 145, that's unmakable. I wouldn't be able to do that. That's too little. So I'm right in between. If there was a low 150s weight class, that would be perfect for me. I'm hoping they switch them around. Otherwise, I'm going to have to sit down and make a decision on the plan going forward.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now