The Silent Gladiators Book Review

The Silent Gladiators, a new and controversial biography by Nicholas A. Hopping, provides a matside perspective of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Freestyle Team as its members endure a grueling training cycle and compete on the world stage in Athens, Greece.

The book focuses on the athletes and coaches, but the author becomes part of the story as he sacrifices four years of his life disregarding previous obligations while sleeping on floors, sitting in airports, writing in sleazy bars, and generally living like a bum for sake of the book. The book's preface (opening with "Wrestling is not sexy â€¦") tells a parallel struggle for both the author and the sport of wrestling to gain respect. It also provides insight into Hopping's passion for the sport, and his internal drive to write the best damn wrestling book ever.

Despite the self-promotion, The Silent Gladiators really is about the 2004 U.S. Freestyle team and the individual stories connected to it. There is Cael Sanderson, whose four-year dominance at Iowa State made him the next American wrestling hero.

Expectations of being the best in the world begin to wear on Sanderson and he questions his commitment to the sport. "I don't know what I'm doing here!?" he wonders out loud to his coach (Bobby Douglas) and brother (Cody) after losing the first of three challenge matches to Lee Fullhart at the 2004 Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis. Like any good Rocky movie, Sanderson finds a way to beat the imposing Fullhart to make the team.

Lee Fullhart (Tech-Fall.com)

It's hard not to root for Sanderson, but you have to feel for Fullhart, who has not recovered from the disappointment of the loss. As the author states, "Fullhart would have traded the result of that match for five years of his life, for a chunk of his future, for anything the sporting gods were willing to bargain because for anyone who ever knew a bit about his sport could tell you, wrestling gets inside the mind, it layers itself into the veins, the blood, the heart and every fiber of muscle in the body."

The Silent Gladiators has a logical flow, and Hopping makes it easy for even non-wrestling fans to connect the dots. The book opens with a snapshot of the 2003 World Championships held at Madison Square Garden in New York. A one-chapter description of the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs precedes a chapter dedicated to its ring bearer: U.S. Olympic Head Coach Kevin Jackson. Hopping makes a valiant attempt to describe wrestling as the ultimate sport, leaving one completely exposed for his talent, preparation, and character. According to the author, unlike most sports, wrestling does not discriminate based upon size, color, creed, origin, or personality. He illustrates the contrasting style of the Iowa and Oklahoma State programs, which cannot be accomplished without some insight into the personalities and accomplishments of Dan Gable and John Smith, respectively.

Like any fan frustrated by the poor coverage and general awareness, Hopping expresses the need for a savior to bring wrestling from the depths of obscurity to the forefront of the public eye, which leads to a chapter dedicated to Sanderson, and inevitably his rivalry with Fullhart. The book continues in similar fashion, introducing key characters and providing the background for their stories: Stephen Abas, Eric Guerrero, Jamill Kelly, Sammie Henson, Joe Williams, Yoshi Nakamura, Stephen Mocco, Kerry McCoy, and Mo Lawal.

The first section of the book ends in Las Vegas with the crowing of seven national champions at the U.S. Open.

Stephen Abas

There's the California contingent of Stephen Abas, Eric Guerrero, and Jamill Kelly, teammates on the 1995 Junior National team. Each wrestler has a different road to Athens. Abas becomes the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed starter for the U.S. team after knocking off Sammie Henson. (Sitting in the stands at the 2008 Olympic Team Trials, I couldn't help but feel a role reversal: Abas looking like the grizzled veteran and Henry Cejudo looking like the hope of the future.) Guererro, dominant within the U.S. at every age-group level, never able to replicate the same success on the international stage. Kelly, the "stepchild" of the team, defeats three former NCAA champs along the way (Chris Bono, Lincoln McIlravy, and Bill Zadick) and finds the confidence he always lacked in college and begins to realize his potential.

Then there's Kerry McCoy, one man who was able to defeat 1999 World champion Stephen Neal. Ironically, this accomplishment could have been his Achilles heel. In 2001, Neal retired from amateur wrestling to pursue a professional football career with the New England Patriots. The author explains that "once Neal left to play in the NFL, Kerry McCoy lost his truest companion towards achieving gold. McCoy had nobody left to fight, nobody left to be challenged by, and now to McCoy the U.S. heavyweight title didn't mean a thing."

At 163 pounds, Joe Williams is considered one of the most physically gifted wrestlers of all time. After dominating the U.S. scene for six years, Williams finally qualifies for his first Olympic team. However, there is a hint of foreshadowing as Hopping describes Williams as passive and nonchalant at times, a trait that has left fans frustrated for years.

Daniel Cormier possesses unharnessed power but lacks the same type of discipline as his teammates. His character has been tested through a lifetime of adversity, including the death of his daughter Kaedyn.

The book progresses through the Olympic training cycle at the USOC, and culminates in Athens. It is here that Hopping reflects upon the sacrifices he made during his competitive days as a wrestler and now as an author.

"The journey was boring, daring, inspiring, pathetic, but I had made it (to Athens)."

In Athens, Sanderson fulfills his prophecy, knocking off rival Yoel Romero of Cuba and benefiting from the upset loss of Russian Sajid Sajidov in the semifinals before winning the gold medal. For Sanderson, it is the culmination of a lifetime of training and the final chapter in his wrestling career. For Sajidov, considered one of the best wrestlers in the world, winning a bronze medal is no consolation.

The experience is bittersweet for the California connection. Abas is overmatched in the gold medal finals by 20-year-old phenom Adam Batirov of Russia. Guerrero loses in the first round of the Olympics to the Mongolian. Kelly turns his weakness in the clinch into his biggest asset, winning a controversial match against heavily favored Makhach Murtazaliev of Russia in the semifinals before losing in the gold medal match against three-time World champ Elbrus Tedeev of Ukraine. Like Sanderson, the Olympic experience marked the end of Kelly's competitive career, and left the public wondering not "who?" but "how many (world medals could he have won)?"

McCoy is never able to replicate the same success that Neal did at the international level, but Kevin Jackson sees it differently: "Somewhere along the line, Kerry got soft on me." I think even McCoy would consider his performance at the Olympics disappointing.

Williams shows no sense of urgency in his quarterfinals match before losing on criteria. "I would have rather seen him come out of the first period down by 1 or 2 points. That way, he would be aggressive. Even with 20 seconds left, he didn't attack," states Jackson after the match. This perceived nonchalant attitude left fans frustrated and confused for years. How could someone that showed so much talent and flashes of brilliance not step it up when he needed?

Cormier shows flashes of excellence before losing to Khadjimourat Gatsalov of Russia in the semifinals, and squandering a lead in the bronze medal match. Hopping gives a prophetic summary of Cormier's training habits, which may have cost him two Olympic medals: "Cormier trains in cycles, pushing hard for several weeks at a time before a competition, and generally eating whatever he wants â€¦ Cormier will get far overweight between tournaments, in the 230-pound range, before having to cut extensive weight to make the 211-pound classification." This assessment left me shaking my head following the news that Cormier was considered medically ineligible to compete at the 2008 Olympics due to extreme weight loss.

The book's focal point is the U.S. team, but the best chapters are dedicated to the Russian wrestling scene and its most dominant wrestler over the past 20 years: Bouvaisa Saitiev.

Hopping explains that Russian wrestlers view themselves as warriors and survivors -- descendants of history's greatest conqueror, Ghengis Khan. Because of their skill and prestige, wrestlers are often used as bodyguards by high profile politicians and mafia leaders. The life stories of some of Russia's most notorious wrestlers read like an episode of The Sopranos. Their president Mikhail Mamiashvili, a three-time World and Olympic Greco Roman champion, could even land a role in Hollywood considering his shaved head, imposing figure, and ferocity.

Hopping compares the contrast between the U.S. and Russian wrestlers. "While most American wrestlers remain obscure and struggle to make finances meet, Russian athletes are treated like national heroes and metal arch gates are built in their hometown if they win Olympic gold." Let's not forget about the benefits: with financial backing from the largest bank in Russian, various philanthropists, and ties to the booming oil industry, the Russian Sporting Federation is able to reward it's wrestlers with $500,000 for an Olympic gold medal and $4,000 and $3,000 per month for World and European titles, respectively.

Bouvaisa Saitiev

But Saitiev's story is the golden nugget in The Silent Gladiators. Born in Chechnya in 1975, Saitiev endured two wars with Russia that left his country in shambles. Considered one of the most accomplished wrestlers of all-time, his success and fame helped bridge the gap between these two areas following the fall of the Soviet regime, making it possible for Chechen wrestlers to train in Krasnoyarsk. Despite winning all but one world-level championship since 1995 at the time, Saitiev dreams of wrestling the perfect match. Only when reminded, does Saitiev recall one of the few times he has lost in his life -- when he was upset 4-3 at the 2000 Olympics to American Brandon Slay.

"I let this person take me down in the second round," said Saitiev. "I didn't even know who he was. I had to look him up on the Internet. I don't think he should've been in the Olympics at all, he was like a plane fly-by. He flew in, flew out, and didn't have much to offer. Maybe they fed him something. He appeared, caused havoc, and disappeared. Kind of like that Rulon Gardner, but Rulon at least fights there somewhere. That Slay guy disappeared for good. He's not even worth my thoughts. If someone asks me a question about him only then do I remember, otherwise he doesn't exist for me."

The reader gets a deeper look at Saitiev as a man wanting to blend into society but recognized as a celebrity. A man who escapes in poetry and fishing, who wants to live a clean life, who wants to know God. Hopping gives the reader a glimpse into the soul of one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.

"Saitiev, the Chechen fighter, does not move like the other athletes on the mat, he doesn't think like most of them either. Before stepping on (the mat), Saitiev recites a Boris Pasternak poem to himself. Saitiev is a complex man with complex thoughts. He walked with the authority of a fighter but appeared more driven by finding personal truth in a sport than winning shiny medals."

The Silent Gladiators is an intriguing read for anyone interested in the sport of wrestling, and a masterpiece for anyone familiar with its main characters. The author could have benefited from a few more revisions as the editing is atrocious, but the inspirational quotes and Roman numerals introducing each chapter are a nice touch.

Nicholas Hopping

The book reminded me, as a former wrestler, of the dedication and sacrifice that each wrestler makes, successful or otherwise. As a fan, gaining insight into the personality of some of the sport's biggest stars makes me feel as though I was along for the ride. The chapters dedicated to Saitiev left me awestruck and thankful that Hopping included a Russian angle to a sometimes overly patriotic sport.

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