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Want to start an argument among amateur wrestling fans?
Ask them to name the five best wrestlers of all time.
Another way to get fans fired up: let them weigh in on greatest wrestling movies of all time.
WIN Magazine columnist Kyle Klingman weighed in with his picks for the top five mat movies in the publication's August 15, 2018 issue. Klingman took a look at 16 films which incorporate amateur wrestling as a major aspect. (Note: For his list, Klingman makes it clear that he did not consider documentaries, nor Hollywood movies such as "Born on the Fourth of July" which have a wrestling scene but focus on other issues.)
WIN's winners
Kyle Klingman's five greatest wrestling movies:
After reading Kyle Klingman's column in WIN Magazine, we got to thinking: what have others said?
FivePointMove.com offers its top five mat movies
In April 2016, Timothy Hands of FivePointMove.com -- an amateur wrestling website with the focus on Greco-Roman -- shared his list of the top five amateur wrestling films of all time, opening his feature article with these thoughts:
"We all love amateur wrestling movies. For one, there's just not enough of them.
"Sure, football has plenty, boxing always translates to cinema very well, and even baseball and basketball show up on the big screen. But wrestling? More specifically, amateur wrestling? The well is pretty dry.
"Even despite that, there are enough of them out there that deserve some mentioning. We should note that while this list is not all that serious, we do stand by any reasoning for a movie's inclusion ..."
As with Klingman's list, Hands said of his compilation, "We're not focusing on documentaries, so please save your Dan Gable SportsCentury complaints. This is a different deal." (That said, Hands did include one documentary.)
However, unlike Klingman, Hands presents his list in reverse order ... saving the best for last, so to speak.
The Wrestling Insider Facebook group poll
It's a safe bet to assume there have been countless discussion threads in wrestling forums -- and "official" polls -- which have allowed wrestling fans to weigh in on their favorite movies featuring amateur wrestling. One of the most recent was set up at The Wrestling Insider group on Facebook in mid-August 2018.
As of Monday evening, Aug. 20, "Vision Quest" was the top vote-getter -- and runaway favorite -- with 302 votes. In a distant second was "Foxcatcher" with 28 votes, followed by "Legendary" with 21 votes. In fourth place was "Pinned", a documentary on Lance Palmer's high school wrestling career, with 8 votes. "Spooner", a Disney film about an escaped forger who blends into society by becoming a high school wrestling coach, had 3 votes ... and "The Hardest Six" -- a 30-minute wrestling film from 2013 now available for viewing online -- with one vote.
The debate will never end ...
There will always be lists, polls, articles -- and discussion and debates -- about which amateur wrestling movies are "best." Each of us has our own criteria as to what makes a wrestling movie "great." For many of us, it's the authenticity of the action on the mat -- does it look like an actual wrestling match? Is the plot plausible ... and believable? If it's based on a true story ... how true is it? (In his WIN Magazine article, Kyle Klingman described a biopic with a thrilling Hollywood ending that was pure fantasy, with a championship match had had no resemblance to what really happened to the actual wrestler.) Or are there basic "issues" that would earn any movie a "thumbs down" -- bad acting, bad script, irritating soundtrack?
Even though wrestling movies are rather rare, every so often a new one emerges. As of this writing, "The Last Champion" may be about to be released to eager amateur wrestling fans everywhere. Here's how this new movie is described in at its official website:
"Inspired by films such as 'Hoosiers', 'Rudy', and 'Rocky', 'The Last Champion' is a story of redemption, courage, love, and forgiveness.
"For years my co-writers (wife Hallie Todd and daughter Ivy Withrow) and I have wanted to do a project like 'The Last Champion'. As collaborators, we were able to bring our individual perspectives to the piece while sharing a common vision for the final product. We've always been moved by films with great underdog characters and wanted to write something that entire families could watch and enjoy together." -- Glenn Withrow, Director
If you're like me, you'll be eager to see "The Last Champion" and see where it ranks among YOUR favorite amateur wrestling movies ... thus continuing the discussion and debate and ranking.
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