Best to ever beat you (more post-NCAA banter)

[Truzzcat]

12 minutes ago, Paul158 said:

Aren't they about 50 lbs apart in weight? Where you just a practice?

I did not hit puberty until I was going into my senior year, I wrestled Austin at a dual camp in 9th grade and then trent my Sneior year. I wrestled 106,106,126,160.

[Paul158]

14 minutes ago, Truzzcat said:

I did not hit puberty until I was going into my senior year, I wrestled Austin at a dual camp in 9th grade and then trent my Sneior year. I wrestled 106,106,126,160.

107,126,138,138.  College 158 and 167. Were you there for the Lee vs DeSanto match? Best wrestlers i have wrestled. Roy Oliver 3- time AA. Sunkist open L 7 to 3. Keith Stearns NCAA Champ 2-time AA.  AAU Nationals 4 to 2 in overtime. But the toughest guy was Joe Tice at CKLV. he was about 5years older World cup champ. Had beat Chuck Yagla, Iowa 2- time NCAA Champ recently. I was 18-year-old freshman. It was in the finals. He was really good. Honorable Mention Ed Torrejon 2 time NCAA div.2 champ L 8 to 3.

[MPhillips]

 

[Idaho]

9 hours ago, Hillbilly Jim said:

No—where was he from?

He spent his first two years in another state, then moved to PA and won two state titles for Trinity in 85/86 and 86/87. Went on to PSU where I believe he was a 2x AA. Good guy.

[george]

I didn’t start wrestling until 9th grade.  Got better over the years and won a HS state championship my senior year of HS.

In college, I had only one varsity college match.  Freshman year at a NAIA/D3 school.  I’m the backup 134.  Last week of 1st semester.  Coach says 142 has a 0.8 gpa and cannot wrestle.  Off the team.  Tells me I’m going to start my first match against WVU in 2 days.  But…We’re putting the starting 134 in to win at 134/142 so I need to weigh in at 134.

Match day.  I get bumped to 142 against WVU starter.  First period, I shoot a takedown in first 30 seconds, but WVU hits me in a cradle and I fight/flop for 2 ½ minutes to end the period down 0-5.  2nd period, I take bottom.  I reverse WVU kid and throw in legs.  Force a power half for 2 back!  I’m only losing 4-5!  Then… I get too high, WVU catches my head, pulls me over, and pins me.

I come off the mat. Coach grabs me and says, “You scored!  You scored!” and he's all excited.   I’m pissed at coach.  What the hell did he expect?  Why is he so surprised?  I’m supposed to score and try to win.  But…I’m stupid and naïve. Find out later, my opponent:  Scott Collins, WVU’s first National Champion.   He was only a freshman that year and didn’t win D1 until his senior year, but I can say I scored 4 points against him
 

[Gene Mills Fan]

On 4/7/2025 at 4:50 PM, MPhillips said:

 

thanks for sharing

[Leg rider]

12 hours ago, george said:

I didn’t start wrestling until 9th grade.  Got better over the years and won a HS state championship my senior year of HS.

In college, I had only one varsity college match.  Freshman year at a NAIA/D3 school.  I’m the backup 134.  Last week of 1st semester.  Coach says 142 has a 0.8 gpa and cannot wrestle.  Off the team.  Tells me I’m going to start my first match against WVU in 2 days.  But…We’re putting the starting 134 in to win at 134/142 so I need to weigh in at 134.

Match day.  I get bumped to 142 against WVU starter.  First period, I shoot a takedown in first 30 seconds, but WVU hits me in a cradle and I fight/flop for 2 ½ minutes to end the period down 0-5.  2nd period, I take bottom.  I reverse WVU kid and throw in legs.  Force a power half for 2 back!  I’m only losing 4-5!  Then… I get too high, WVU catches my head, pulls me over, and pins me.

I come off the mat. Coach grabs me and says, “You scored!  You scored!” and he's all excited.   I’m pissed at coach.  What the hell did he expect?  Why is he so surprised?  I’m supposed to score and try to win.  But…I’m stupid and naïve. Find out later, my opponent:  Scott Collins, WVU’s first National Champion.   He was only a freshman that year and didn’t win D1 until his senior year, but I can say I scored 4 points against him
 

Awesome story, I also started wrestling in 9th grade and also ended up with a State championship as a senior, though I ended up being a D1 practice dummy. I did beat an All American in practice once on the opposite of your story, he tried to throw in legs and got too high and I managed to pin him (I knew how to defend legs because as my screenname indicates I liked to ride legs myself)

[BruceyB]

On 4/6/2025 at 4:35 PM, ExBSUfan said:

Tyler Graff ended up having the best overall accolades.

I beat him in Greco and ended up wrestling him in freestyle at the same tournament, he punished me for beating him.

other notable losses of mine are Matt Kyler, Brian Owen, Tyler Caldwell, and Tony Mustari. I had been teched multiple times in my wrestling career, but the way Tony Mustari teched me was brutal. He could have been charged with assault and nobody would have questioned it.

If Brian Owen's career wasn't derailed with a spinal fusion his sophomore year of high school.. he was something. I'm interested in how the years worked out that you wrestle both Brian Owen and Tyler Caldwell though. What ages?

[ExBSUfan]

14 hours ago, BruceyB said:

If Brian Owen's career wasn't derailed with a spinal fusion his sophomore year of high school.. he was something. I'm interested in how the years worked out that you wrestle both Brian Owen and Tyler Caldwell though. What ages?

Man, it’s been a long time. I wrestled Brian Owen a few times, Fargo and Vegas. Probably 2004/2005. It’s hard to remember exactly when, I would have wrestled Tyler Caldwell at Cadet duals or Fargo. And yep, it’s definitely a shame Brian Owen got injured, he was a talented wrestler.

[Yellow_Medal]

Tyler Graff ended up having the best overall accolades.
I beat him in Greco and ended up wrestling him in freestyle at the same tournament, he punished me for beating him.
other notable losses of mine are Matt Kyler, Brian Owen, Tyler Caldwell, and Tony Mustari. I had been teched multiple times in my wrestling career, but the way Tony Mustari teched me was brutal. He could have been charged with assault and nobody would have questioned it.

Mustari was fun to watch. The Golden era of CO high school wrestling. Tom Clum, Kyle Sands, etc.

Best to beat me, probably Seth Wright. Juco champ and DII champ

[ExBSUfan]

25 minutes ago, Yellow_Medal said:

Mustari was fun to watch. The Golden era of CO high school wrestling. Tom Clum, Kyle Sands, etc.

Best to beat me, probably Seth Wright. Juco champ and DII champ

I’ve met Seth Wright a time or two. Nice guy and a stud wrestler. I believe he runs a club in eastern Idaho now

[Yellow_Medal]

I’ve met Seth Wright a time or two. Nice guy and a stud wrestler. I believe he runs a club in eastern Idaho now

The Wright bros are good dudes for sure

[ExBSUfan]

21 hours ago, BruceyB said:

If Brian Owen's career wasn't derailed with a spinal fusion his sophomore year of high school.. he was something. I'm interested in how the years worked out that you wrestle both Brian Owen and Tyler Caldwell though. What ages?

I did a little research when I had time. I didn’t officially find my results against Tyler Caldwell, but I did see Tyler Graff, Matt Kyler, Tyler Clark, and Brian Owen all in my bracket at Fargo 2004 98# weight class. Caldwell wrestled 98 at Cadet Duals that year as well.

I think Caldwell was the only wrestler out of the above listed that didn’t win a Fargo title. He was a stud though, as were the others. That’s the best answer I have for you as to when we would have competed.

 

 

[Xmas32]

The first time we traveled out of state for a big name tournament was when we went to The Beast Of The East. I ended up getting matched up with Kurt Backes from Blair Academy who went on to wrestle at Iowa State. It did not go well for me.

[Wrasslin]

I mean, I've lost to a bunch of people, according to a scoreboard (pfff). . .but I was making in-match adjustments, had momentum, and would have won if the matches were like, a minute longer. Two particularly egregious ones that I'd like to have a redo are: 

• Kelvin (not Kevin) Jackson - 1995 NCAA Champ - dude was hard to score on and stalled for the last 2 minutes
• Dave Nieradka - 2X NCAA All-American (1993-1994) - He loved my legs so much he couldn't quit touching them. He only finished like, 83% of his shots though 

 

[steamboat_charlie]

19 minutes ago, Wrasslin said:

I mean, I've lost to a bunch of people, according to a scoreboard (pfff). . .but I was making in-match adjustments, had momentum, and would have won if the matches were like, a minute longer. Two particularly egregious ones that I'd like to have a redo are: 

• Kelvin (not Kevin) Jackson - 1995 NCAA Champ - dude was hard to score on and stalled for the last 2 minutes
• Dave Nieradka - 2X NCAA All-American (1993-1994) - He loved my legs so much he couldn't quit touching them. He only finished like, 83% of his shots though 

Never lost a match.  Ran out of time once or twice, though. 

[bnwtwg]

I give the "best" title to the only person with a world championship to their name.

When I was in high school, I went to an offseason practice at Eastern Illinois University when they still had a program. There was a 2x AA alum that was back working with some of the college guys and I got an invite to come to the room for some workouts. So anyways this dude doesn't really focus on wrestling anymore and I've got a solid 30-40 pounds on him but he just absolutely beats the crap out of me. And then, because I was a moron in high school, I said or did something that I thought was innocent but apparently lit a fire under his ass because we went on feet again and he took a short swing that literally knocked me out for a hot minute.

So anyways, I get to tell my kids that the coolest thing that ever happened to me is that I got my ass kicked by Matt Hughes and I learned a valuable life lesson that day that you should absolutely never run your mouth and the only time you ever can get away with it is on an anonymous internet forum... if you're lucky.