Best match ever at each weight class

[Perry]

Overall I think the Ironside/kolat match at all star was the best 133# of all time. The very end of ness/Dennis was epic to be sure. Vito vs rby and fix both were up there in recent memory. Steiber/olive is another infamous good one..

 

149# will always be metcalf/caldwell to me.

 

285# steveson vs parris after parris said on social media that he was coming for gable. Steveson absolutely took that personally and it was great. Snyder/gwiz and snyder/coon were two other great ones in the last couple decades that stand put at hvy.

 

Will add more thoughts later

[Gus]

1 hour ago, jchapman said:

Lewis was looking to score during every single second of that match.  

The combination of strength and hips from Randy Lewis must have been insane. He did stuff that should not work in JV matches against Olympians.

[Fadzaev2]

19 hours ago, Gus said:

141 - Randy Lewis vs Jim Gibbons (Dual Meet

That's when Randy got hurt seriously?????   Dislocated elbow.

[jchapman]

12 minutes ago, Fadzaev2 said:

That's when Randy got hurt seriously?????   Dislocated elbow.

No Randy got hurt his senior year.

[Fadzaev2]

Has to be one of the most exciting of all time....McIlravy was a freshman and came out of red shirt late.....He came in @ 142 and Terry Steiner went up to 150 and won it there.  Iowa won the NCAA's 123 to PSU's 87.  Other matches I'll always remember....John Fritz over P. Milkovich 1975....great duckunder, and Jimmy Haines over Mike McArthur @ 118 1977.

[Fadzaev2]

19 hours ago, Gus said:

141 - Randy Lewis vs Jim Gibbons (Dual Meet

 

26 minutes ago, Fadzaev2 said:

That's when Randy got hurt seriously?????   Dislocated elbow.

 

14 minutes ago, jchapman said:

No Randy got hurt his senior year.

Ok ....you're talking their junior year @ Hilton Coliseum....I was talking their match the next year in Hawkeye Carver......and there's a history behind that match....it goes back to the Midlands earlier that season.....I'm actually friends with both of those guys and the history was documented on some Iowa Public Television Video....maybe the 15th anniversary of IPTV.  Jim Gibbons filled me in on more history at a dinner one night.

Edited March 30, 2023 by Fadzaev2

[11986]

14 minutes ago, Fadzaev2 said:

Has to be one of the most exciting of all time....McIlravy was a freshman and came out of red shirt late.....He came in @ 142 and Terry Steiner went up to 150 and won it there.  Iowa won the NCAA's 123 to PSU's 87.  Other matches I'll always remember....John Fritz over P. Milkovich 1975....great duckunder, and Jimmy Haines over Mike McArthur @ 118 1977.

I thought the other Steiner dropped to 134 so Lincoln had a spot at 142. 

[jackwebster]

23 hours ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

 

197    Kilgore vs. Foster (2011 NCAAs) 
 

Heart-breaker

[scourge165]

21 hours ago, Gus said:

141 - Randy Lewis vs Jim Gibbons (Dual Meet

Just watched that one.

ONE of Mcllravy's matches has to be in there. The 16-15 NCAA Win as a True Freshmen in 1993, or the OT win vs Bono with an incredible scramble in 1997.

Both great matches. 

Edit-Sorry...little late, but...great minds minds and all that. 

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by scourge165

[scourge165]

1 hour ago, 11986 said:

I thought the other Steiner dropped to 134 so Lincoln had a spot at 142. 

Yup, Troy I think dropped down to fit Mcllravy in and had to go into a bracket with Kolat and TJ Jaworski(a loaded bracket, but he was still the #1 seed). 

[scourge165]

5 hours ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

Watched these and several others last night, to my wife's chagrin. All great matches. I love Youtube.

 

Is there a video of the full match anywhere?

This is crazy, when the topic of best Wrestlers of All-Time was brought up, I called an old coach who watched all these guys and we ended up bullshitting for about an hour...and then sent me a bunch of matches. 

This was one of them, Randy Lewis vs John Smith was another. Shultz. I got a lot of background on these guys I didn't know...

[ionel]

25 minutes ago, scourge165 said:

Just watched that one.

ONE of Mcllravy's matches has to be in there. The 16-15 NCAA Win as a True Freshmen in 1993, or the OT win vs Bono with an incredible scramble in 1997.

Both great matches. 

Edit-Sorry...little late, but...great minds minds and all that. 

 

I prefer this one:

 

[scourge165]

5 minutes ago, ionel said:

I prefer this one:

 

This was a great one also. Mcllravy only had one finals match that wasn't a barnburner. 

 

[Gus]

19 minutes ago, scourge165 said:

This is crazy, when the topic of best Wrestlers of All-Time was brought up, I called an old coach who watched all these guys and we ended up bullshitting for about an hour...and then sent me a bunch of matches. 

This was one of them, Randy Lewis vs John Smith was another. Shultz. I got a lot of background on these guys I didn't know...

Randy Lewis vs John Smith in Topeka and then at the trials were awesome matches. Two guys at or near their peak going at it. Whoever won trials was going to be an Olympic champion. 

[scourge165]

20 minutes ago, Gus said:

Randy Lewis vs John Smith in Topeka and then at the trials were awesome matches. Two guys at or near their peak going at it. Whoever won trials was going to be an Olympic champion. 

Yup...I didn't have the appropriate amount of respect for Lewis until I got a little more background and went back and watched him.

I just got a good recommendation(actually a few more). 

HWT-Jon Lewellyn vs Kurt Angle
Stopped Angle from winning that 3rd title(a magic # for HWTs it seems).

 

 

[scourge165]

And this one just came in...an INCREDIBLE scramble at the end of this match...

(Both the Nate Carr vs Kenny Monday Matches as well).

[creek chub]

Mehki Lewis vs Cenzo

[Fadzaev2]

2 hours ago, 11986 said:

I thought the other Steiner dropped to 134 so Lincoln had a spot at 142. 

You are right!!!  http://www.wrestlingstats.com/ncaa/pdf/brackets/NCAA 1993.pdf

 

[Threadkilla]

2 hours ago, Fadzaev2 said:

You are right!!!  http://www.wrestlingstats.com/ncaa/pdf/brackets/NCAA 1993.pdf

 

 

Steiner vs Sunderland was a great match as well.  

[scourge165]

23 minutes ago, Threadkilla said:

 

Steiner vs Sunderland was a great match as well.  

Controversial ending...kinda. It did appear to be a TD to me. But it's more the way they wait to call it until after Gable goes nuts.

 

[lu_alum]

On 3/29/2023 at 3:13 PM, CHROMEBIRD said:

Not necessarily talking about the greatest wrestlers, but the greatest, most exciting, most memorable matches. I'm having a tough time thinking of good ones outside of NCAAs because the stakes are so high, but I imagine many here will have some better ideas

165    Hendricks vs. Churella (2006 NCAAs) 

I'd take Cenzo v, IMar at 165.  Suggest you mute the volume to avoid having to hear Byers' call.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1253352818051113

[scourge165]

20 minutes ago, lu_alum said:

I'd take Cenzo v, IMar at 165.  Suggest you mute the volume to avoid having to hear Byers' call.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1253352818051113

Imar was on his way to becoming a 4X champ at that point. Joseph's potential legacy took a MASSIVE hit with the loss of that 2020 season. He had a chance to be a 1/1/2/1 and in the discussion for all-time greats. 

But...it was a helluva match. And I can hate Byers at times(just as I can strongly dislike anyone who's such a homer and calling games against my team) I do respect the passion he brings! That dude is a fun listen...as long as you don't have a dog in the fight. 

[lu_alum]

5 minutes ago, scourge165 said:

Imar was on his way to becoming a 4X champ at that point. Joseph's potential legacy took a MASSIVE hit with the loss of that 2020 season. He had a chance to be a 1/1/2/1 and in the discussion for all-time greats. 

But...it was a helluva match. And I can hate Byers at times(just as I can strongly dislike anyone who's such a homer and calling games against my team) I do respect the passion he brings! That dude is a fun listen...as long as you don't have a dog in the fight. 

Definitely a great match.  I can see myself in the video, watching from my front row seat.

[scourge165]

10 minutes ago, lu_alum said:

Definitely a great match.  I can see myself in the video, watching from my front row seat.

Well, that's both awesome...and sucks...you are an Illini fan, right?

Imar looked unbeatable...then a Freshmen comes along...until HE gets beat.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

Here's the full video of I-Mart v Cenzo...