InterMat Staff

Ed Piccola (right) has been missing since May 30 A search is underway for a former wrestler and long-time coach from New Jersey who has been missing for more than week and whose car was found abandoned in Virginia this past weekend. Ed Piccola, 36, described as a "standout wrestler" in high school who has been coaching at a wrestling training facility in New Jersey, was last seen in at a restaurant and brew pub in Sparta, N.J. on Wednesday evening, May 30. His cell phone was found the next day on the Lake Mohawk Boardwalk. A missing person's report was filed on Friday, June 1 after he failed to show up for work. On Sunday, June 3, Piccola's car was located in Luray, Va., straight west of Washington, D.C. and about a five-hour drive southwest of the New Jersey restaurant where he was last seen, according to the New Jersey Herald of Newton, N.J. Police in Virginia are using bloodhounds and helicopters to try to locate Piccola. Piccola is described as a white male, 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing between 140 and 160 pounds. He has no known ties to Page County, Virginia where his car was found, according to police. Piccola was a four-year varsity wrestler for Sparta High School from 1997 to 2000. Since graduation, he has worked as a wrestling coach at a number of places, including as an assistant at his high school for five years, and, most recently, at Buxton Athletic Training Center in Randolph, N.J., where the company's website indicates he has been involved for more than a decade and has traveled the country working with athletes of all skill levels. The Training Center is run by Jeff Buxton, long-time head wrestling coach at the nationally-ranked Blair Academy in New Jersey. Among other staff members at the facility: Lehigh NCAA heavyweight champ Zach Rey, and University of Maryland All-American Hudson Taylor. Anyone with information as to Piccola's whereabouts is asked to call the Hopatcong Borough Police Department at 973-398-5000. For updates, check out his sister Holly's Facebook page which is sharing information on the search for Piccola.

The first-ever Celebrate Wrestling event was held May 30 at a conference center in Princeton, N.J. The Princeton (N.J.) chapter of Wrestlers In Business Network (WIBN) has created a winning new way to celebrate the oldest and greatest sport ... and those who participate in it. The first-ever Celebrate Wrestling event -- held May 30 at a conference center in Princeton, N.J. -- was designed to celebrate the sport by honoring excellence from wrestlers and coaches within the area. Chris AyresThe evening began on a solemn note by honoring the late Chris Hixon, head wrestling coach and athletic director at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who was one of 17 killed in the mass shooting at the Parkland, Fla. school on Feb. 12. The heroic actions of the 49-year-old Hixon -- a Florida native who had served as a U.S. Naval reservist in Iraq in 2007 -- saved the lives of countless students and teachers at Stoneman Douglas. An American flag fashioned of metal and inscribed with a message honoring coach Hixon's heroism will be presented to the Florida school. Next, Celebrate Wrestling featured inspirational speeches from the head wrestling coaches of three NCAA Division I schools located in the area. Rider University's John Hangey talked about taking over a program after the retirement of the previous head coach ... Scott Goodale of Rutgers addressed the challenge of building a team with the help of assistant coaches ... and Chris Ayres shared the story of rebuilding the wrestling program at Princeton University. In addition, special guest Leigh Jaynes-Provisor, Team USA women's freestyle wrestler who won a bronze medal at the 2015 World championships, captivated the audience with her personal story of overcoming a harrowing childhood thanks in large part to her participation in wrestling, first as the only girl on her high school wrestling team ... then as a member of the USA Wrestling women's freestyle squad. Matt Kolodzik, Nick Suriano and Scott Delvecchio The evening concluded by honoring area wrestlers who had achieved greatness during the 2017-18 wrestling season. Fourteen local high school wrestlers who were crowned champions at a local county tournament were presented with medals. In addition, three wrestlers who earned All-American honors for New Jersey-based schools at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were also acknowledged: Rutgers' Nick Suriano, runner-up at 125 pounds, and Scott Delvecchio, who placed sixth at 133 pounds for Rutgers ... and Matt Kolodzik, Princeton's 149 pounder who came in third in his bracket. Why a Celebrate Wrestling event? Joe Savino of Wrestlers In Business Network's Princeton chapter had a number of reasons in mind for organizing the first-ever Celebrate Wrestling event. "I grew up as a wrestler on Long Island, where we had an honors award dinner each year," Savino told InterMat. "It had a positive, lifelong impact on me. In addition to having wrestlers be honored for their achievements on the mat, it was a great opportunity to meet coaches and business leaders and other significant individuals within the sport and the local community." "For young wrestlers in particular, it was a positive experience to see what others are able to accomplish, and provide that 'push' to do great things in the coming season and perhaps be honored at next year's event." "I believe it was about time that wrestlers in this part of New Jersey be acknowledged for their achievements and celebrated by their peers," Savino continued. "That's one of the goals of the Celebrate Wrestling event." "The mission of Wrestlers In Business Network is 'to support wrestlers in all ways.' We at the Princeton chapter believe that Celebrate Wrestling is one way we can remain true to that mission, and help grow the sport." "Wrestlers In Business Network wants to make clear that we support wrestling in all forms -- youth, high school, college, and beyond," Savino continued. "We want to make the sport more inclusive. We're supporting efforts to have girls wrestling sanctioned in New Jersey. And, we wanted to make this event inclusive, by making a point of inviting girls who wrestle to participate, as well as by featuring Leigh-Jaynes-Provisor as an inspirational guest speaker. The girls in attendance really enjoyed being a part of the event." "New Jersey as a whole has a great reputation for strong amateur wrestling programs," said Savino. However, our county is not traditionally thought of as a 'hotbed' for wrestling. We're working to change that narrative in our county. We're striving to build on our successes so that younger wrestlers can see what's being accomplished, and add to that success in the future. For example, for high school freshmen to see older wrestlers in high school and college be acknowledged for their on-the-mat achievements, they can be inspired to achieve greatness of their own." Mark Savino and Joe Savino The Princeton chapter of WIBN plan to host a Celebrate Wrestling event next spring. And they see it as the type of event that others might want to use as a model for their own end-of-season celebrations to not only acknowledge and honor success within their own region, but also help generate excitement within their respective communities -- especially among prospective wrestlers, male and female -- to help grow participation and interest in the oldest and greatest sport. Joe Savino has one bit of advice for others considering putting on a similar event. "It does take a total team effort to host these events successfully. With that in mind, I would thank our WIBN local board for doing such a great job to make a truly memorable, meaningful event."

Whitney Conder and Victoria Anthony will battle in the second match at Final X June 23 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) USA Wrestling and FloWrestling have announced the order of the bouts for Final X at Lehigh, which is set for Grace Hall on the campus of Lehigh University on Saturday, June 23, with the main card starting at 7 p.m., and preliminary action at 5 p.m. The event will determine the 2018 U.S. Senior World Teams in men's and women's freestyle wrestling, featuring the nation's top two athletes in the seven weight classes on the card. It will be a best-of-three series in each weight class, with the winner earning a spot on Team USA at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, October 20-28. To purchase tickets go to the tickets tab on the official Final X website: www.FinalX.tv The final match on the card will feature 2016 Olympic champion and two-time World champion Helen Maroulis of the Sunkist Kids will face 2018 Junior World Team member Alex Hedrick of the Titan Mercury WC at 57 kg. Maroulis, who has won five World or Olympic medals for Team USA, was the first American woman to win an Olympic wrestling gold medal. She won four WCWA college national titles, three for Simon Fraser and one at Missouri Baptist. Hedrick currently attends Simon Fraser, where she was a WCWA runner-up as a freshman and burst on the Senior scene by winning the 2018 U.S. Open. Fans don't want to be late because the first main card matchup is expected to be explosive. 2018 U.S. Open champion Joe Colon of the Titan Mercury WC will battle past Cornell NCAA champion Nahshon Garrett of the Sunkist Kids at 61 kg. The Colon vs. Garrett bout in the 2018 U.S. Open finals featured 33 points, with Colon winning 20-13. Colon was an All-American for Northern Iowa and NJCAA champion for Iowa Central. Garrett earned four All-American honors for the Big Red and is a past University Nationals freestyle champion. Bout two features a pair of past U.S. Senior World Team members battling for the 2018 team berth, as three-time World Team member Whitney Conder of the U.S. Army WCAP will face two-time World Team member Victoria Anthony of the Sunkist Kids at 50 kg. Both are past Junior World champions, with Conder winning in 2007 and Anthony claiming Junior World titles in both 2009 and 2010. Conder was a 2015 Pan American Games champion. Anthony won four WCWA national titles for Simon Fraser. In the third bout, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2017 World bronze medalist J'den Cox of the Titan Mercury WC battles 2018 U.S. Open runner-up Hayden Zillmer of the Minnesota Storm at 92 kg. Cox has moved up to this new weight class and did not get an automatic berth in Final X because of the weight change. He edged Zillmer in the 2018 U.S. Open finals, 2-0. Cox won three NCAA titles and was a four-time All-American for Missouri. Zillmer, a North Dakota State All-American, has made the Senior National Team in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. The fourth bout features another women's battle between past Senior World Team members. Sarah Hildebrandt, a 2016 World Team member of the New York AC faces off with 2016 Olympian and 2017 World Team member Haley Augello of the New York AC at 53 kg. Hildebrandt won their battle at the 2018 U.S. Open, 6-1. Both were stars for King University, with Augello winning three WCWA titles and Hildebrandt winning two WCWA golds. Taking the fifth slot on the card is another women's freestyle showdown between star alumni from King University, 2018 U.S. Open champion Julia Salata of the New York AC and Forrest Molinari of the Titan Mercury WC at 65 kg. Salata won two WCWA titles for King (2014, 2015), while Molinari was a 2016 WCWA champion. Salata won their showdown in the 2018 U.S. Open finals, 5-0. Both have made a number of U.S. age-group World Teams. In the sixth matchup, 2017 World bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski of the Titan Mercury WC faces multiple-style star Adam Coon of the New York AC at 125 kg in men's freestyle. Gwiazdowski was a two-time NCAA champion and three-time finalist for NC State, and also was an NCAA All-American as a freshman for Binghamton. Coon, a three-time All-American for Michigan, was the 2018 U.S. Open champion in freestyle and the runner-up in Greco-Roman. In 2014, Coon won Junior World bronze medals in both styles. As a best-of-three series, the first and second rounds of competition have the same order of bouts. If any weight classes are forced to a deciding third match in their series, the bouts in round three will stay in order, with a minimum waiting time of 30 minutes from the end of bout two. The wrestling action will begin earlier in the day at 5 p.m., as USA Wrestling will also hold seven National Team True Third Place wrestle-offs. A true-third wrestle-off occurs when the overall runner-up and third-place finishers from the Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament did not meet in the bracket. According to approved team selection procedures, the runner-up and third-place athlete must wrestle off to determine the No. 3 spot on the National Team. The three women's bouts will be held first, in weight order, followed by the four men's bouts, also in weight order. Among the star athletes on the card of True Third Place bouts are 2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell, two-time World Team member Tony Ramos, three-time WCWA national champion Cody Pfau, and 2018 U.S. Open champion Austin Schafer. FloWrestling will provide exclusive live and on-demand coverage of the three-event Final X series. Watch the events across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Roku, or Apple TV 4, as well as on desktop or mobile web via FloWrestling.com The other two Final X competitions are Final X in Lincoln on June 9, and Final X at State College on June 16. Tickets for all three Final X events can be purchased at www.FinalX.tv FINAL X AT LEHIGH Saturday, June 23 at Grace Hall, Bethlehem, Pa. Bout Order for Main Card at 7 p.m. Bout One - Men's freestyle 61 kg 2018 U.S. Open champion - Joe Colon, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/Valley RTC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Nahshon Garrett, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) Bout Two - Women's freestyle 50 kg 2018 U.S. Open champion - Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Victoria Anthony, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) Bout Three - Men's freestyle 92 kg 2018 U.S. Open champion - J'den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Titan Mercury WC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion -Hayden Zillmer, Crosby, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) Bout Four - Women's freestyle 53 kg 2018 U.S. Open champion - Sarah Hildebrandt, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC) Bout Five - Women's freestyle 65 kg 2018 U.S. Open champion - Julia Salata, Bristol, Tenn. (New York AC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Forrest Molinari, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC) Bout Six - Men's freestyle 125 kg 2017 World bronze medalist - Nick Gwiazdowski, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Adam Coon, Fowlerville, Mich. (New York AC/Michigan RTC) Bout Seven - Women's freestyle 57 kg 2017 World champion - Helen Maroulis, New York, N.Y. (Sunkist Kids/NYCRTC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Alex Hedrick, Fair Oaks, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) NATIONAL TEAM TRUE THIRD PLACE BOUTS (5 p.m.) NOTE: A preliminary card of True Third matches for the 2018-19 U.S. National Team will be held starting at 5 p.m. A true-third wrestle-off occurs when the overall runner-up and third-place finishers from the Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament did not meet in the bracket. According to approved team selection procedures, the runner-up and third-place athlete must wrestle off to determine the No. 3 spot on the National Team. Women's freestyle 53 kg: Runner-up Cody Pfau (Titan Mercury) vs. third-place Gabrielle Weyhrich (Bearcat WC) 59 kg: Runner-up Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids) vs. third-place Lauren Louive (Hawkeye WC) 68 kg: Runner-up Yvonne Galindo (Aries WC) vs. third-place Alex Glaude (Bearcat WC) Men's freestyle 57 kg: Runner-up Tony Ramos (Sunkist Kids) vs. third-place Zach Sanders (Minnesota Storm) 65 kg: Runner-up Jaydin Eierman (Titan Mercury) vs. third-place Andy Simmons (New York AC) 86 kg: Runner-up Richard Perry (New York AC) vs. third-place Pat Downey (Titan Mercury) 97 kg: Runner-up Austin Schafer (New York AC) vs. third-place Ty Walz (Titan Mercury)

For fans of wrestling and other combat sports who can't get enough mixed martial arts action, plan to spend your Thursday nights with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), making its debut on NBCSN (NBC Sports Network) this Thursday, June 7. Live from the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Thursday's Season One debut of PFL is the first of seven 2018 regular-season events each Thursday night in June and July. The 2018 PFL season will feature a total of 126 fights on Thursday nights in seven regular-season events. There will be 12 athletes in each of six different weight classes. For example, on this Thursday's premiere event, there will be a total of 24 heavyweight and featherweight fighters, competing in a total of 12 bouts that first night. All are vying to claim a spot in PFL's bracket-style "win or go home" playoffs, and, ultimately, their share of a $10 million post-season prize pool, the largest prize pool in the history of MMA, according to the Professional Fighters League. Eight fighters from each weight class will earn their way into the PFL playoffs… with one fighter in each division earning the title of champion. U.S.-based and international fans will be able to watch all PFL regular season, playoff, and championship fights -- over 66 hours of live action -- for free. In the United States, all of the PFL regular-season events will air live on Thursday in primetime exclusively on NBCSN, and stream live on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, and pflmma.com. Outside the U.S., Facebook will stream up to six hours of free, live coverage for each event. In the U.S., fans can watch the first three hours of coverage of each event on Facebook. Lance Palmer: One of the fighters at Thursday's PFL debut One of the fighters featured on Thursday's Professional Fighters League debut that college wrestling fans and MMA mavens will immediately recognize is Lance Palmer. The former four-time NCAA All-American for Ohio State who competed in PFL's predecessor, World Series of Fighting (WSOF), hopes to win the featherweight (145-pound) crown at the conclusion of Season One of Professional Fighters League. Here's the message Palmer posted on Twitter Wednesday morning: Lance Palmer"Weighed in, ready to go! Don't miss it tomorrow night (6/7) on @NBCSports. Main card starts at 9 pm eastern!" Palmer described featherweight as "definitely one of the most competitive" weight classes in the first season of PFL. "Other than featherweight, I think 155 is the other highly competitive weight class," the former Buckeye mat star told FanSided MMA. "I'm excited for it. I'm excited to see guys who I have already fought for World Series of Fighting that are in this league format. You have Alexandre de Almeida, (Andre) Harrison, you've got (Steven) Siler, those are three guys I've already fought. It will be exciting to see where everybody stacks up and how they perform as we head into postseason competition." All that said, Palmer sees himself as the guy to beat. The 31-year-old Palmer -- known as "The Party" in his MMA career -- will get a solid test in his first bout in the kick off of the PFL regular season against 21-fight veteran Bekbulat Magomedov on Thursday night. "I think the matchup is great for me, not so much for him," Palmer told FanSided MMA. "Obviously, I think he's tough, he's 19-1, only has one loss -- to one of my good friends, Josh Hill -- he's tough. There's a lot of good that's going to come out of this fight on June 7, for me, and it will be a good way to show that I am the top dog for this season. There's currently 12 guys competing to try to make it to this postseason in October and this fight will be a great stepping stone for that." Lance Palmer is not only confident about his future in Professional Fighters League, but the future of FPL itself, which describes itself as "an MMA league," not a promotion nor an organization that merely hosts tournaments. "People are always going to have doubts about an organization, or a league, and how successful it's going to be," Palmer said. "All I can say is tune in on Thursday night and watch us get the ball rolling. This regular season structure is June and July for us, then the postseason starts in October. It's something that fans, media and everybody else can get behind and follow throughout the year. It is not just something where you watch one night and you don't have anything to follow in MMA. This is something where you can get behind someone for an entire season and we don't have that in our sport."

Kyle Snyder defeated Kyven Gadson in the finals of last year's World Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On Saturday, Team USA will send some of their best wrestlers to Lincoln (Neb.) for the first edition of Final X. The event will determine the 2018 world team representative for seven weights. All bouts will be conducted as a beat-of-three series. The following is a weight-by-weight preview of the event with predictions. 70 kilograms: James Green vs. Jason Chamberlain At last year's World Championships, Green reached the finals before falling against Frank Chamizo. He returned this year at the World Cup where he went 3-1 with his only loss coming against multiple-time World Military Championships medalist Joshgun Azimov (Azerbaijan). Green then swept his way through the Pan American Championships and defeated Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba) at the annual Beat the Streets event. Chamberlain needed all three matches to defeat 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro in the finals of the World Team Trials. He had previously defeated Molinaro in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. The former Boise State wrestler then went on to defeat NCAA finalist Hayden Hidlay in the finals. In his only international action this year, Chamberlain finished second at the Cerro Pelado Invitational falling in the finals against Maren Castillo. So far this year, Chamberlain has been at his best when he is keeping the score close and winning tight matches. This can be a dangerous strategy against Green. Green is not the most active wrestler, but he is able to score in bunches. If Chamberlain tries to keep it close, he could end up giving up big points at the end of periods against Green. Prediction: Green in 2 Alli Ragan (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 59 kilograms: Alli Ragan vs. Jenna Burkert Ragan picked up her second straight world silver medal last year in Paris. She made the finals but ended up falling against Olympic gold medalist Risako Kawai (Japan). Ragan continued her winning ways early this year with another silver medal performance at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. She defeated a pair of tough European opponents before dropping the final match against Ningning Rong (China), who went on to dominate the Asian Championships at this weight. Burkert did not wrestle in the U.S. Open this year since she had already qualified for the World Team Trials. At the Trials, she made her way to the finals with a pair of technical superiority wins over Abby Nette and Lauren Louive. Burkert then defeated Open champion Kelsey Campbell in the best-of-three finals. The first match was a close 3-1 victory for Burkert. In the second match, she picked up her third tech of the tournament. Ragan should be the favorite in this match. She has been on a roll for the past two seasons. Burkert will be a tough physical test, but Ragan can score from her offense and her defense. With that being said, if any of these series were to go to three matches, it could be this one. Prediction: Ragan in 2 97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder vs. Kyven Gadson There are two ways to look at Snyder's last match. Nobody really expected the multiple-time world/Olympic champion to fall behind Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba) at Beat the Streets. Could he be slipping? At the same time, the Cuban's lead never felt safe, and Snyder battled his way back for a 9-8 victory. Is he unstoppable? Regardless of how you think about that performance, Snyder has cemented himself as one of the best wrestlers in the country and the world. Gadson has had an up-and-down year so far in 2018. He started the year with a trip to the Outstanding Ukrainian Memorial where he went 1-1 and failed to advance in the repechage. At the U.S. Open, Gadson came in as the No. 1 seed, but he fell against Austin Schafer in the semifinals and ended up finishing third. The former Iowa State wrestler then picked up a silver medal at the Pan American Championships, falling to Salas Perez in the finals. At the World Team Trials, he defeated Blaize Cabell and Ty Walz to earn a rematch with Schafer, who he defeated for the spot in Final X. Snyder has not lost a domestic freestyle match in years, and he will be a big favorite in this match. However, Gadson does hold a victory over Snyder, and he will be able to feed on whatever mental edge that could possibly give him. In the 2015 NCAA final, Gadson threw Snyder to his back and pinned him. Of course, Snyder has won rematches before and should be able to take this one. Prediction: Snyder in 2 Becka Leathers won a bronze medal at last year's World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 55 kilograms: Becka Leathers vs. Jacarra Winchester Leathers slid right into Final X based on her bronze medal at last year's World Championships. At the event, she fell to eventual champion Haruna Okuno (Japan) in the quarterfinals but then knocked off a pair of opponents, Carola Rainero (Italy) and two-time European champion Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria), to pick up the bronze. This year, she represented the U.S. at the World Cup and the Pan American Championships. At the World Cup, Leathers split a pair of matches with her loss coming against world champion Mayu Mukaida (Japan). Last month at the Pan American Championships, she swept her way to finals and took gold. Winchester made her way to Final X with victories at the U.S. Open and the World Team Trials. At the Open, she defeated three opponents by a combined 25-3 score. Then at the Trials, she bested Dominique Parrish in straight-matches. The highlight of her international season came at the Outstanding Ukrainian Memorial where she took home a gold medal. Winchester will have a height and size advantage in this match. However, she might have a hard time getting her hands on Leathers. The returning world medalist utilizes a lot of movement on the outside and seemingly constantly changes levels. That type of aggression might end up wearing down Winchester and opening up scoring opportunities. Also, from the top position, Leathers employs a variety of folkstyle turns that allow her to rack up points. Prediction: Leathers in 3 Thomas Gilman won a silver medal at last year's World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 57 kilograms: Thomas Gilman vs. Daton Fix Gilman returns after picking up a silver medal at last year's World Championships. Since that performance, Gilman has competed sparingly and dealt with some injuries. He returned for the first time at the World Cup. In his collegiate home gym, he went 1-2 and helped the U.S. win the tournament. Gilman then finished third at the Pan American Championships. He fell to returning U23 gold medalist Reineri Andreu Ortega (Cuba) but took care of his other opponents. This past season Fix redshirted at Oklahoma State and went 5-0 in open tournaments. He earned his spot in Final X after winning the World Team Trials. Fix had to fight his way through the challenge bracket after falling against Tony Ramos at the U.S. Open. However, it turned out that he was up to the task. Fix earned a rematch with Ramos by defeating veterans Eddie Kilmara, Zane Richards and Zach Sanders by a combined score of 33-4. He then defeated Ramos in two straight matches. While the competition has not been easy, Gilman has not really looked like himself in 2018. On the other hand, Fix appears to be improving from match to match. Against Ramos, he lost to 2-2 and then won a pair over the former world teamer 4-2 and 10-3. Fix might struggle to close the distance against Gilman's reach, but in the end, he should be able to win a takedown battle. Against Ramos, he uncharacteristically used an underhook to control the clinches. He might be able to employ different tactical strategies against Gilman. Prediction: Fix in 3 68 kilograms: Tamyra Stock vs. Randyll Beltz Stock represented the U.S. at the 2017 World Championships, but she failed to bring home a medal. She earned this spot in Final X by winning the U.S. Open. At the tournament, she defeated three opponents, including Beltz, by a combined 32-0 score. Earlier this year, Stock picked up her second Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix title with a dominant run. In the finals, she bested world bronze medalist Yue Han (China). After falling to Stock in the finals of the U.S. Open, Beltz had to win the World Team Trials for a berth in Final X. At the Trials, she made her way to the finals where she bested Yvonne Galindo in two straight matches. This season was a bit of a breakout year for the Army WCAP team member. Prior to this year, her best finish at an Open or Trials had been third. Stock was all over Beltz from the start in their last match. She took her down almost immediately and held her on back for 2:48 on the first period. Beltz somehow avoided the fall, but Stock went back to work in the second period. She scored four takedowns in the first 1:35 of the second period to finish the match. It is hard to see how Beltz will be able to reverse that result. Prediction: Stock in 2 Isaiah Martinez (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 74 kilograms: Jordan Burroughs vs. Isaiah Martinez At this point, it might not even be fair to call it a comeback tour. After his disappointing performance at the 2016 Olympics, Burroughs has bounced back with yet another world title in 2017. This year, he has been as dominant as ever. He swept his way through the World Cup field. In his most recent action, he scored a come-from-behind victory over fellow returning world champion Frank Chamizo in the main event of Beat the Streets. In some ways, it is crazy to think of Martinez as only a two-time NCAA champion. During his collegiate career, he only lost three matches outside of his redshirt year. So far this season, he has continued his winning ways on the senior circuit. First, he ran through the U.S. Open. For the tournament, he outscored his five opponents by a combined 49-0 score. Martinez returned at the World Team Trials and defeated Nazar Kulchytskyy in a pair of matches. Many top wrestlers have cleared out of this weight due to the dominance of Burroughs. However, Martinez seems intent on challenging the king. This should be an interesting stylistic match. Burroughs likes to work from space, while Martinez will likely look to get to an underhook. However, he will likely struggle to move the multiple-time world champion from that position. Martinez might have some moments in this match, but 74 kilograms in the U.S. is still Burroughs' world. Prediction: Burroughs in 2

Get ready to see "less" of Ed Ruth ... as he has just signed for his next fight at a new lower weight. The three-time NCAA wrestling champ for Penn State -- who won his titles at (weight classes) -- will drop down to welterweight for Bellator 201 later this month in his first official bout at 170 pounds, according to multiple reports from MMA websites and confirmed by Bellator MMA. Ruth with face Andy Murad at Bellator 201 at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. on Friday, June 29. Here's what Ed Ruth posted on his Facebook page Tuesday: "June 29th! Put the dates in your calendars! My debut fight at 170lbs. Watch me begin my welterweight run for the belt!!! @bellatormma @dethrone @dethronefresno @team_unbreakable @oakgrovetechnologies @lactigo @zinkinsportsmanagement @blackmplivingwater" Ruth brings a 5-0 overall record -- and 5-0 in Bellator -- to this match. Of the wins, three are by TKO and one by KO. Only one match -- his most recent -- went the full three rounds to result in a unanimous decision. Murad is a long-time veteran of the sport, launching his pro MMA career 15 years ago. The former California high school wrestler is 15-2 in his MMA career overall, and 2-2 in Bellator matches. Murad -- known as "the Tooth Fairy" -- is on an eight-bout win streak going back to the summer of 2014. To provide some perspective on Ed Ruth's new weight class ... as a Penn State wrestler, he was a four-time NCAA All-American (2011-14), with one NCAA title at 174 pounds (2012) and two national crowns at 184 (2013, 2014). As MMAjunkie.com pointed out, the 27-year-old Ruth started his pro mixed martial arts career at 195 pounds back in November 2016. In more recent bouts, he has fought at middleweight (185 pounds). In April, Ruth was slated to fight at welterweight (170 pounds) at Bellator 196. However, his original opponent pulled out on short notice, and the former Nittany Lion mat champ defeated replacement opponent Ion Pascu in a catchweight bout.

Mike Pucillo wrestling Roger Kish at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Mike Pucillo, 2008 NCAA wrestling champ for the Buckeyes, is one of ten athletes who will be welcomed into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame this fall. The university announced Monday that Pucillo and his fellow members of the Class of 2018 will be inducted at a dinner on Friday, Sept. 7 at the Ohio Union on the Ohio State campus. The new members of the Hall of Fame will then be honored at halftime of Ohio State's football game against Rutgers the following day. Upon learning of this latest honor, Pucillo, a native of the small town of Columbia Station, Ohio about 30 miles southwest of Cleveland, posted this message on his Twitter account: "Honored and humbled to even be mentioned alongside the members of THE Ohio State Athletic HOF. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey. #SkoooBucks" Mike Pucillo after defeating Jake Varner at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Pucillo wrestled at Ohio State from 2007-10. He was a three-time NCAA All-American and twice an NCAA championships finalist, winning the 184-pound title at the 2008 NCAAs. Pucillo was a three-time team captain for the Buckeyes who compiled a career record of 107-16. He remains ranked among the top ten Ohio State wrestlers in terms of all-time winning percentage in program history. In an interview for a 2007 InterMat feature on Mike Pucillo, head coach Tom Ryan said, "He is passionate about wrestling and Ohio State wrestling. He is a true Buckeye." In addition to Pucillo, the other former Buckeye athletes who will be welcomed into the Ohio State Buckeyes Athletics Hall of Fame in September include Greg Brown, men's rifle (1981-84); Dick Bruggeman, men's track and field (1967-70); Cassie Dickerson, women's soccer (2008-10); Linda Haussener, women's field hockey (2005-08); Ray Hupp, men's track and field (1969-71); Brian Konieko, men's tennis (2006-09); James Laurinitis, football (2005-08); Jerry Welsh, men's hockey (1970-73 as athlete; 1976-95 as coach) and Brandon Wynn, men's gymnastics (2008-11).

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Directly following its groundbreaking partnership with wrestling heavyweight Kyle Snyder, RUDIS has expanded its team of elite athletes to include U.S. Open and two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martínez, advancing the apparel brand's position as the most authentic expression of wrestling. Isaiah MartinezIn addition to his impressive collection of national titles and collegiate accolades, what may best define Martínez's career thus far has been his audacious and gritty competition style. Fearless, his inclination for taking risks to dominate the field reflects RUDIS' own bold values. Martínez is enthusiastic about the unfolding relationship, saying: "I'm proud to announce that RUDIS will be my apparel partner along my journey for World and Olympic gold. No other brand exemplifies the wrestling spirit better than RUDIS. It is great to work with a brand created by wrestlers for wrestlers." Serving the amateur wrestling community, RUDIS has honored some of the greatest names in the history of the sport including Dave Schultz, Kyle Snyder, Cary Kolat, Russ Hellickson, Lincoln McIlravy, and more. The company's website (therudis.com) states: "Born from wrestling and built for wrestling. RUDIS was created with a single vision in mind: be the most accurate and authentic expression of the sport through apparel. The core values of wrestling govern our every action and drive us to continually innovate, serve, and connect with those who love this sport." RUDIS Co-founder and President Jesse Leng looks forward to the partnership with Martínez, saying: "Not everyone fits the mold of being a RUDIS athlete. Being RUDIS is about something greater than the medals around your neck. It is about the unwavering commitment to live a life of excellence and a willingness to always lay it on the line. Isaiah welcomes challenge knowing that the process will develop him. This mentality, combined with the way he owns every decision and outcome makes Isaiah unique and an excellent fit for the RUDIS family." On the verge of a promising international wrestling career, Isaiah Martínez has already established himself as a fierce competitor, dominating the U.S. Open and World Team Trials to secure a spot in the upcoming Final X event. RUDIS is proud to battle alongside Martínez as he furthers his legacy, and as the pair continue to serve and develop the wrestling community.

Billy Miller (Photo/Nick Wilkinson) The Fighting Scot big man is heading south to become a Hokie. Billy Miller, a three-time NCAA qualifier for Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, has announced he is transferring to Virginia Tech. Miller announced Monday on social media that he has committed to complete his collegiate career with the Hokies: "Pumped to announce that I will be continuing my last year of wrestling eligibility at Virginia Tech University," Miller wrote on Instagram. "I cannot thank this school enough for everything that it's done for me. Edinboro will always have a special place in my heart and thank you to everyone in this town who has supported me throughout my career here at @edinborou." Miller's coach at Perry High School, Dave Rowan -- a former Fighting Scot himself -- told the News-Herald of northeast Ohio that his former protégé will be immediately eligible to wrestle for Virginia Tech. Rowan also said that Miller -- a two-time Ohio state champ at Perry -- left Edinboro for "better opportunities." Miller has qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships each of the three years he has wrestled at Edinboro. Wrestling in the 285-pound weight class, Miller has compiled a 79-22 record at the western Pennsylvania school.

Scott Glabb and his wrestlers at Santa Ana High School The U.S. wrestling community loves an "overcoming adversity" story. It can be how an athlete overcame a physical disability or the pain of a serious injury to become a champion ... or how an underdog found a way to dethrone a defending champion. The adversity doesn't have to be wrestling-related. It can be about overcoming poverty, a violent neighborhood, or an abusive childhood, too. These types of challenges -- and more -- have faced Scott Glabb and his wrestlers at Santa Ana High School in suburban Los Angeles since Glabb took the head coaching job at the impoverished, inner-city school in 1990. Nearly a decade ago, Glabb shared some of his stories and those of some of his wrestlers in his book "A Saint in the City: Coaching At-Risk Kids to Become Champions." Now Glabb shares new, uplifting stories of how he, his staff and his wrestlers overcome adversity on and off the mat with his new second-edition book, titled "A Saint in the City: True Stories of Champions Living in the Barrio" published by Liberty House. Frank Jasper with Scott GlabbMeet Scott Glabb Scott Glabb is not a southern California native who grew up on the beach ... or in the barrio. Instead, he grew up in Washington State. In a 2010 InterMat interview, Glabb admitted he had a rough start in wrestling, winning just one match in his first year, and that was in the practice room ... but that he found a home in the sport, as it helped him through his parents' divorce and other issues. Glabb continued his mat career at Eastern Washington University, where he not only earned his bachelor's and Master's degrees, but also became lifelong friends with wrestling teammate Frank Jasper, who played the muscular, menacing state champ Brian Shute in the iconic 1980s high school wrestling movie "Vision Quest." Glabb came to the Los Angeles area to be with his then-girlfriend, taking a coaching job at a wealthy Orange County high school. After one season, Glabb took on a much more challenging assignment as head coach at Santa Ana High, in a community where violent crime, drug abuse, poverty and homelessness were all stark realities ... and where large numbers of his student-athletes and their parents did not share his passion for wrestling, let alone a basic interest in showing up for practice or at times, actual wrestling meets. In his first year, the Saints were 11-16. Then Scott Glabb had an epiphany. "God spoke to me," the now-long-time wrestling coach told InterMat back in 2010. "He said, 'You are never going to win.'" I gave up on the idea of winning, and instead, decided to invest in the kids, helping them in character building, developing their spiritual side, making them better individuals. I threw my life into these kids." "I had found my calling." Scott Glabb more than answered that call. Over the years, the Saints have achieved much with Glabb at the helm. By 1993 he guided the Saints to their first league Championship -- the first in any sport at the school -- then to twenty straight league titles. Just this past season, Santa Ana senior Joey Daniel won the 220-pound title at the California state wrestling championships in Bakersfield, the first wrestler from the school to be crowned a CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) individual state champ. In addition, Glabb established a girls' wrestling program, and coached a number of female athletes to individual titles as well. Scott Glabb has earned numerous honors. He was named Orange County Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1998, as well as National Wrestling Coaches Association's California state wrestling coach of the year in 1999. He also received the California Coaches Association Wrestling Coach of the Year award in 2007. Glabb was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's California Chapter in 2014. More recently, he was named Santa Ana Unified School District Teacher of the Year. Why a second edition? In describing his reason for writing the first edition of "A Saint in the City", Glabb said, "I wanted to share stories of kids wrestling to save their lives, with the hope they get to build a life beyond wrestling." He quoted one wrestler as telling him, "I'm doing this for my family." The first edition shared the individual stories of some of Glabb's wrestlers who overcame adversity -- poverty, violence, homelessness, disinterested parents -- to achieve greatness in wrestling ... and in life beyond the mat. The new second edition follows that proven formula of sharing individual stories of Santa Ana wrestlers, including a lesson learned, a more detailed account of a particular wrestler's situation -- whether it's an athlete featured previously, or someone not covered in the previous book -- followed by a "Reflections" section that provides updates and new perspective on the profiled wrestlers. As coach Glabb writes in the introduction to the second edition, "One of the reasons I wrote this book for you, the reader, to understand the struggles, obstacles and hardships the wrestlers of Santa Ana High School faced daily. My hope is that this book changes you, inspires you, and motivates ou to make a positive difference in someone's life ..." "We have all dreamed, at one time or another, about changing the world and making it a better place, especially for our children," Glabb continues. "What happened to that dream? Where did it go? Do you still have it? At sixteen, my dream was to one day be a teacher and coach wrestling. Why? Because I loved the sport and wanted to stay connected to it. Somehow I knew that was my purpose in life ..." After facing first-year frustrations at Santa Ana High, Glabb received this message from God: "Start investing in these kids!" "So I changed my approach to teaching and coaching and began to serve those kids put under my tutelage. Reach out, make the investment, and try to change lives." As Glabb told InterMat, "We do the best we can with the kids God sends us." That message is evident through every page of the new second edition of "A Saint in the City" where readers will meet some of Glabb's wrestlers, including Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez, UFC fighter ... as well as girl wrestlers who not only made names for themselves on the mat at Santa Ana High, but also opened doors for younger women to find their place in the sport. And, while Santa Ana High School has undergone an $80 million makeover -- and the community around the school has seen a reduction in crime -- teaching and coaching has not suddenly become easier. "The biggest challenge now is dealing with kids who are homeless," Scott Glabb said in a 2018 interview with InterMat. "Not all these young people fit our traditional definition of homeless, of being out on the street. Most of these students are sleeping from house-to-house, moving on as necessary when the family kicks them out to make way for other family members, forcing the students to be essentially on their own." An inspiring, energizing read ... All too often, it's easy for wrestlers, their coaches, parents and fans to get caught up in the stats -- won/loss records, pinning percentages, points scored -- and lose sight of the benefits of participating in the oldest and greatest sport. Once he came to that epiphany in his first season that his purpose as Santa Ana wrestling coach wasn't to simply get his wrestlers to put up glitzy numbers, Scott Glabb started making a significant difference in the lives of his Saints. As he told InterMat in 2018, "I've been out pushing the message of viewing wrestlers as complete individuals, and focusing our efforts on developing each kid to be better in all aspects, not just on the mat." The new, second edition of "A Saint in the City" will inspire anyone in wrestling -- coaches, family members, and the athletes themselves -- to aim higher and achieve greater goals in the sport ... in the classroom ... and in life beyond school. The individual stories Scott Glabb shares are varied ... but all share certain elements and universal truths, such as overcoming adversity, remaining on task, and having a strong belief in your own capabilities to make them meaningful and relevant to wrestlers everywhere. Here's what a couple of champions said about coach Glabb and his book. "This book shines a light on the importance of coaching in the development of young men through the greatest sport in the world: wrestling," said Jordan Burroughs, two-time NCAA champ and 2012 Olympic gold medalist. "The trajectory of many lives has been changed due to the selflessness of Coach Glabb, and I think it's a definite read for anyone in the business of leadership." Gilbert Melendez, UFC champ and one of coach Glabb's wrestlers at Santa Ana, said, "Glabb gave me confidence. He got my head straight. In "A Saint in the City," one reads about kids most coaches would give up on, that I would give up on, but Glabb never gave up on them." The new second edition of "A Saint in the City: True Stories of Champions Living in the Barrio" is available for purchase from Amazon ... or from the official website for the book. To purchase a personalized, signed copy of the book directly from Scott Glabb, email santaanawrestling@gmail.com. New Teacher's Guide brings A Saint in the City to life for student-athletes A Teacher's Guide is now available, providing lesson plans and teaching tools instructors can use in the classroom ... and coaches can use as they guide their wrestlers through this inspirational, true-life book about their sport. The Teacher's Guide is a set of lesson plans/curriculum based on the state common core standards that are aligned with each chapter of the book. The theme of the lesson plans is Intrinsic motivation. Students and wrestlers will learn and gain principles about goal settling, forgiveness, making the right choices, perseverance, mental toughness, and more. For more information -- and to take advantage of package deals and quantity discounts, visit the book's official website. Now Coach Glabb is writing the next chapters in his life In March, the Orange County Register -- the local newspaper that covers the Santa Ana Saints wrestling program -- reported that Scott Glabb would be retiring as head coach after nearly three decades in the position, effective immediately. When InterMat asked about this bombshell story, coach Glabb confirmed some of the basic elements ... but, in sharing details, offered reassurance to those involved in the Saints wrestling program -- along with their fans -- that he is not breaking ties with the school he has served for nearly 30 years. "I'll still be at Santa Ana High," Glabb told InterMat. "I will continue to be instructor in the PE/wrestling class for sixth period, allowing me to continue to spend time with the wrestlers." Glabb offered this explanation for his changed role at Santa Ana High. "My son started wrestling last year at age 13. His high school is in the same league as Santa Ana, which makes things complicated." "I thought this might be the best time for me to step aside from my long-time role," Glabb continued. "It's something I had been considering for a while. In fact, I let my AD (athletic director) know a year ago." "I will now be able to go to my son's events. Not just wrestling. He's also talented in signing and acting." "I'm delighted he's involved in wrestling. The sport will help him in his other activities because it helps develop mental toughness and tenacity."

Daton Fix shoots a double leg on Zach Sanders at the World Team Trials (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) The online sportsbook BetDSI.com posted betting odds on Saturday's Final X in Lincoln, Neb. Let's examine the best bets based on the betting odds. Note: Betting odds are subject to change. Easy money Jordan Burroughs vs. Isaiah Martinez (74 kilograms), 2 matches: -375 Isaiah Martinez was dominant at both the U.S. Open and World Team Trials. He is a strong, powerful wrestler who seems built for freestyle. However, facing the five-time world-level champ Burroughs is a major step up in class. Burroughs has been on a tear since his disappointment at the Rio Olympics in 2016. He won a world title last year in Paris, and this year has been impressive. He was perfect 4-0 at the World Cup in Iowa City, and recently defeated 70-kilogam world champion Frank Chamizo of Italy at Beat the Streets. Martinez might be the future at 74 kilograms, but his time won't likely come until after 2020. For now, it's Burroughs' weight class both domestically and internationally, and it would be shocking to see Martinez take a match from Burroughs. The betting line opened at -350 and the public quickly drove the line up 25 cents. While -375 is a steep number, there is still some value there. Bet it before it hits -400 or higher. Kyle Snyder vs. Kyven Gadson (97 kilograms), 2 matches: -500 I hate laying this number (-500), and I can't blame you if you choose to pass, but it's the safest bet on the board this weekend. While Gadson does own a couple wins over Snyder in NCAA wrestling, those matches, which took place three-plus years ago in a different style of wrestling, mean little to nothing at this point. Snyder is one of the world's best freestyle wrestlers across all weight classes. Snyder not only crushed Gadson twice at last year's World Team Trials (10-0 and 13-2), but the two wrestlers are now on different levels. Snyder defeated Olympic champion and multiple-time world champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia at last year's World Championships. This year he won the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and was undefeated at the Freestyle World Cup. Meanwhile, Gadson suffered a loss at the U.S. Open to Austin Schafer, which he avenged last month at the World Team Trials in Rochester, Minn. Value plays James Green vs. Jason Chamberlain (70 kilograms), Under 7.5 in Match 1: -115 Green and Chamberlain are both strong defensively, which should make for low-scoring matches. The two have not only competed against each other multiple times, but trained together for three years in Lincoln. Familiarity often times leads to low-scoring, defensive matches. Chamberlain scored a combined seven points in three matches against Frank Molinaro in the finals of the World Team Trials last month. He only surrendered a takedown in one of the three matches. Green is coming off a tight 2-1 victory over Cuba's Franklin Castillo at Beat the Streets in New York. Molinaro scored a four-point move on Chamberlain at Final X and Green could do the same and open up the scoring, but I don't see it as a likely scenario. I expect the first match to be low-scoring, tactical match. The value is on the Under 7.5. Becka Leathers vs. Jacarra Winchester (55 kilograms), 2 matches: -250 Leathers made a splash on the world stage last year with a bronze-medal finish at the World Championships in Paris. The 21-year-old Oklahoma native recently won her second straight gold medal at the Pan American Championships. Winchester, a past University world bronze medalist, broke through to win her first U.S. Open title in April after runner-up finishes in 2015 and 2017. While Winchester is wrestling her best right now, Leathers will be too much. It's hard to envision it going more than two matches. The two have met twice in the last three years, splitting those matches. Winchester won their match in 2015 when Leathers was in high school. Last year the two wrestlers met at the Dave Schultz Memorial, with Leathers winning that match 10-2, scoring all of her points off takedowns. Leathers not only superior on her feet, but also in par terre. Daton Fix over Thomas Gilman (57 kilograms): +110 On paper, it's easy to see why Gilman is the betting favorite against Fix. The 24-year-old Hawkeye three-time All-American is a returning world silver medalist facing a 20-year-old who has yet to wrestle an official college match. In addition, Gilman will likely have the home crowd support having grown up just over 60 miles away in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and competing scholastically in Nebraska. Gilman earned an automatic berth in Final X, while Fix had to battle through the U.S. Open and World Team Trials. Gilman is a big, physical 57-kilogram wrestler who hand fights well and has a strong single leg that he shoots to both sides. So why I do I see value on Fix? Because he's bad matchup stylistically for Gilman. Fix, a Junior world champ, is dynamic and score with many different techniques. Fix showed extraordinary defense on his feet against Tony Ramos in the finals of the World Team Trials. Ramos was able to get to his leg multiple times, but Fix was able to kick out. This could be a problem for Gilman. I like Fix to win as a plus-money dog.

James Green is a -210 favorite against Jason Chamberlain at 70 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Betting odds for Final X in Lincoln have been released by BetDSI. The event takes place at the Bob Devaney Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska on Saturday at 6 p.m CT. To register for an online account and bet online, visit BetDSI.com. How betting works: If betting on a wrestler listed with a minus (-) sign, you must risk that number amount to profit $100 (and get your stake back). For example, risking $210 on James Green (-210) would profit $100. If betting on a wrestler listed with a plus (+) sign, for every $100 you risk, you profit that amount. For example, risking $100 on Jenna Burkert (+225) would profit $225. When betting matches with point spreads -- like Jordan Burroughs (-3.5) vs. Isaiah Martinez (+3.5), a minus (-) sign indicates the favorite, while a plus (+) sign indicates the underdog. Note: Betting odds are subject to change.

Jason Peters Jason Peters, the former head wrestling coach at the University of Pittsburgh, has filed a lawsuit against the school in federal court, saying he was unfairly fired in 2017 without cause in part because he's African-American. Peters, who became head coach in 2013, is asking for his job back along with compensatory damages and other related costs. Regarding Peters' just-filed lawsuit, the University of Pittsburgh said it does not comment on pending litigation. Peters was fired Jan. 19, 2017, after an investigation into a reported incident on a team trip in late December to the 2016 Ken Kraft Midlands Classic wrestling tournament at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois just outside Chicago. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, all references to the Evanston events have been blacked out in the lawsuit as the parties resolve what details will be made public and what won't, said John Stember, Peters' lawyer. The incident which may have led to Peters' firing On the day of Peters' firing back in 2017, InterMat ran two separate news stories -- one, an official statement issued by University of Pittsburgh Sports Information, followed later that day by a more detailed article-- original to InterMat -- based on reports from Pittsburgh area media. Pitt's official statement, weighing in at just 110 words, said, "The University of Pittsburgh announced today a leadership change with the Pitt wrestling program effective immediately. "Assistant staff members Matt Kocher and Drew Headlee will serve as acting co-head coaches for the balance of the 2017 season. Jason Peters, the Panthers' head coach since 2013, is no longer with the University. "We will continue to provide our student-athletes and coaches with our full support as they work to achieve the many goals they set for the 2017 season," said Dr. Randy Juhl, who will assume the responsibilities of acting athletic director at the end of this week. "A national search for a new head coach will begin immediately." InterMat's Jan. 19 report of the incident incorporated reporting from two Pittsburgh area sources -- WTAE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh, and The Pitt News, the official student newspaper for the University of Pittsburgh. The original stories from these two sources differed only in details, which have been called out here. "On the morning of January 13, the Pitt athletic department became aware of an incident that took place during the wrestling team's trip to Illinois for a competition on December 29-30," Pitt athletics spokesman E.J. Borghetti told WTAE. "An investigation was immediately launched and, while the details of that process will remain private, the university was compelled by its findings to make a change in the program's leadership." The Pitt News had contacted Evanston police regarding a 911 call from a guest at the Hilton Garden Inn of Evanston at about 2:30 a.m. December 31. According to an employee at the hotel's front desk, the Pitt wrestling team was staying at this hotel at the time. The police report stated that a 22-year-old man told them a friend, 19, had been robbed of $100 by three women, but did not want to press charges. A third man, also 19, told investigators the group had contacted the women through the internet on Backpage.com -- a controversial classified advertising website that has since been seized by federal authorities investigating sex trafficking -- but did it as a joke. The men told Evanston police they were in town from Pennsylvania for a wrestling tournament. The police report did not include the names of the men. No one was arrested. What happened after the incident Peters said in the lawsuit that when he got back from the trip, no one from Pitt said anything to him about it. But later, he said, Athletic Director Scott Barnes told him he was being suspended for a match at Pitt on Jan. 13. According to the suit, Barnes and other Pitt officials then told him Jan. 17 that he hadn't "properly responded" to the Evanston incident. They fired him two days later. Peters and his lawyers say no one ever presented him with any evidence of allegations against him, a violation of his due process rights, and violated the terms of his contract with Pitt by firing him without cause. He also said he was fired because of his race. "We don't think there was any misconduct," Stember, Peters' attorney, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Monday. "What happened to him was really unfair." Peters had been at Pitt for 16 years before being fired in Jan. 2017. He had been the head coach since 2013, when he took over for long-time coach Rande Stottlemyer who had announced his retirement. Prior to that promotion, Peters had served under Stottlemyer as an assistant coach for 10 years, including nine as his top assistant. Prior to coming to Pitt, Peters had previously served as an assistant coach at Princeton University for four years, and had been an assistant for one year at his college alma mater, East Stroudsburg University.

Keegan Moore qualified for the NCAAs at 184 pounds (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) The University of Northern Iowa wrestling program is getting "more" of the wrestling Moore family, as Keegan Moore is transferring from the Oklahoma State Cowboys to the UNI Panthers, IAwrestle.com reported Monday. With the move, the 184-pound Keegan Moore is following in the footsteps of his brothers who have wrestled for coach Doug Schwab at the Cedar Falls-based school. Paden Moore is currently wrestling for the Panthers at 157 pounds, while oldest brother Cooper was a three-year starter at 165 pounds before injuries cut his career short. Even though Keegan Moore is transferring between schools within the Big 12 Conference -- which would normally mean having to sit out an entire season -- he will be immediately eligible to wrestle this fall, according to IAwrestle.com. The question is ... Where will Moore fit into's UNI's lineup? Northern Iowa returns all 10 of its starters for the 2018-19 season ... including Drew Foster, an NCAA All-American at 184. Only time will tell as to where Keegan Moore lands in the Panther lineup. Although born in Ada, Okla., Keegan Moore made a name for himself on the mat in Minnesota, where he was a three-time state champ for Jackson County Central High School, compiling a 237-28 record for coach Randy Baker. In addition, Keegan Moore was a five-time Asics national champion and a Fargo Triple Crown winner, and competed with the Minnesota Storm for three seasons.

USA Wrestling and FloWrestling have announced the order of the bouts for Final X in Lincoln, which will be held at the Bob Devaney Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln on Saturday, June 9, starting at 6 p.m. C.T. The event will determine the 2018 U.S. Senior World Teams in men's and women's freestyle wrestling, featuring the nation's top two athletes in the seven weight classes on the card. It will be a best-of-three series in each weight class, with the winner earning a spot on Team USA at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, October 20-28. Tickets remain available. Fans should go to the tickets tab on the official Final X website at: www.FinalX.tv The final match on the card will feature a local hero, 2012 Olympic champion and four-time World champion Jordan Burroughs of the Sunkist Kids, who will battle two-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA finalist Isaiah Martinez of the Titan Mercury WC at 74 kg in men's freestyle. Burroughs won two NCAA titles for Nebraska and is an assistant coach with the Huskers, while Martinez was a star at the University of Illinois. Fans will not want to be late, since the first match on the card features another great showdown. Two-time World medalist James Green of the Sunkist Kids will battle veteran star Jason Chamberlain of the Titan Mercury WC at 70 kg in men's freestyle in the opening bout. Green was a four-time All-American for the Huskers, while Chamberlain was a two-time All-American at Boise State. Bout two features two-time World silver medalist Alli Ragan of the Sunkist Kids, who takes on 2014 U.S. World Team member Jenna Burkert of the U.S. Army WCAP at 59 kg in women's freestyle. Ragan won two WCWA college national titles for King University. The third match up includes 2016 Olympic champion and two-time World champion Kyle Snyder of the Titan Mercury WC, who battles 2015 NCAA champion Kyven Gadson of the Sunkist Kids at 97 kg in men's freestyle. Snyder won three NCAA titles and was a four-time finalist for Ohio State. Gadson, a three-time All-American for Iowa State, beat Snyder in the 2015 NCAA finals. Snyder beat Gadson in the 2017 World Team Trials. Bout four is headlined by 2017 World bronze medalist Becka Leathers of the Titan Mercury WC, who takes on 2014 University World bronze medalist Jacarra Winchester of the Titan Mercury WC at 55 kg in women's freestyle. Both are past WCWA college champions, Leathers at Oklahoma City and Winchester at Missouri Valley. Fifth in the bout order is a highly-anticipated showdown between local hero and 2017 World silver medalist Thomas Gilman of the Titan Mercury WC against 2017 Junior World champion Daton Fix of the Titan Mercury WC at 57 kg in men's freestyle. Gilman won four Nebraska state high school titles for Omaha Skutt Catholic High School and went on to be a three-time All-American for Iowa. Fix is coming off a redshirt year as a freshman at Oklahoma State. The sixth bout includes 2017 World Team member Tamyra Stock of the Titan Mercury WC against seven-time U.S. Open All-American Randyll Beltz of U.S. Army WCAP. Stock, a two-time WCWA national champion for Wayland Baptist, was a 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion. Beltz was a WCWA All-American at Missouri Valley. As a best-of-three series, this order of bouts will be the same for the first round and the second round of competition. If any weight classes are forced to a deciding third match in their series, the bouts in round three will stay in order, with a minimum waiting time of 30 minutes from the end of bout two. FloWrestling will provide exclusive live and on-demand coverage of the three-event Final X series. Watch the events across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Roku, or Apple TV 4, as well as on desktop or mobile web via FloWrestling.com The other two Final X competitions are Final X in State College on June 16, and Final X at Lehigh on June 23. Tickets for all three Final X events can be purchased at www.FinalX.tv FINAL X IN LINCOLN Saturday, June 9 at the Bob Devaney Center, starting at 6 p.m. Bout Order Bout One - Men's freestyle 70 kg 2017 World silver medalist - James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Jason Chamberlain, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/Valley RTC) Bout Two - Women's freestyle 59 kg 2017 World silver medalist - Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids/Hawkeye WC/OTC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Jenna Burkert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) Bout Three - Men's freestyle 97 kg 2017 World champion - Kyle Snyder, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion -Kyven Gadson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids/Cyclone RTC) Bout Four - Women's freestyle 55 kg 2017 World bronze medalist - Becka Leathers, Choctaw, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Jacarra Winchester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC) Bout Five - Men's freestyle 57 kg 2017 World silver medalist - Thomas Gilman, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Daton Fix, Sand Springs, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC/Cowboy WC) Bout Six - Women's freestyle 68 kg 2018 U.S. Open champion - Tamyra Stock, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Randyll Beltz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) Bout Seven - Men's freestyle 74 kg 2017 World champion - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Isaiah Martinez, Leemore, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/Illini RTC)

USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, and FloSports, the innovator in live digital sports and original content, has announced that the Final X at Lehigh wrestling competition has been moved to a new location on the Lehigh campus, historic Grace Hall. The main card for Final X at Lehigh will begin at 7 p.m. ET, with a preliminary card of True Third Place bouts slated for 5:00 p.m. Previously, Final X at Lehigh was scheduled to be held at Stabler Arena. Tickets remain available. Currently, VIP tickets are sold out. Reserve tickets are $62, with General Admission tickets at $20. Fans should go to the tickets tab on the official Final X website at: www.FinalX.tv The main card will determine the 2018 U.S. Senior World Teams in men's and women's freestyle wrestling, featuring the nation's top two athletes in the seven weight classes on the card. It will be a best-of-three series in each weight class, with the winner earning a spot on Team USA at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, October 20-28. The venue change will allow fans to enjoy one of the most historic wrestling settings in the sport's history. Grace Hall has been the home of Lehigh wrestling since 1942. Known throughout wrestling circles as "the Snake Pit," Grace Hall provides an unmatched environment, with seating for over 2,000 fans. The venue has provided Lehigh wrestling with a setting that intimidates rivals. A multi-million dollar upgrade in 2003 helped modernize the facility, while keeping its charm and intimate fan accessibility. A generous donation from the late John Harmon, a Lehigh alumnus who was a national wrestling leader, provided a VIP skybox, modern sound and lighting and retractable seating. It is now officially known as Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. "This is a great place to wrestle and we're ecstatic to be back in Grace. We really missed it last year. Our kids enjoy the home-mat advantage that it provides. It's really electric. It is such a pretty building, very beautiful," said Greg Strobel, who was Lehigh's head coach when the renovation occurred and is a current USA Wrestling Vice-President. Grace Hall hosted NCAA Wrestling Tournaments in 1948 and 1951, the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials in 1948, and the storied EIWA Tournament in 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1961. Fans who have previously purchased tickets for Stabler Arena will have their seats transferred to the appropriate location in Grace Hall. The Lehigh ticket office will handle the exchange of tickets and notify everyone affected. The main card for Final X at Lehigh will start at 7:00 p.m., featuring 2016 Olympic champion Helen Maroulis, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2017 World bronze medalist J'den Cox, 2017 World bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski, Olympian Haley Augello, Junior World champions Whitney Conder and Victoria Anthony and other exciting international wrestling stars. The preliminary card of True Third Place bouts is set for 5:00 p.m. and will feature stars including 2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell, two-time World Team member Tony Ramos, three-time WCWA national champion Cody Pfau and 2018 U.S. Open champion Austin Schafer. The bout order for Final X at Lehigh will be announced shortly. FloWrestling will provide exclusive live and on-demand coverage of the three-event Final X series. Watch the events across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Roku, or Apple TV 4, as well as on desktop or mobile web via FloWrestling.com The other two Final X competitions are Final X in Lincoln on June 9, and Final X at State College on June 16. Tickets for all three Final X events can be purchased at www.FinalX.tv

Mike Dixon (ODU Athletics) BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana head wrestling coach Angel Escobedo announced Monday the addition of Mike Dixon to his coaching staff. Dixon, who completed his varsity career at Indiana in 2001, returns to his alma mater as the Hoosiers' associate head coach. "I'm excited to bring Mike Dixon on staff, as he was an instrumental part of the rise of Old Dominion Wrestling and brought in many top-25 recruiting classes," Escobedo said. "As an alumnus, his passion and commitment to see Indiana Wrestling at the top is unwavering. I know he is excited to have a big impact on taking this program to new heights. My staff and I are eager to foster success in this program." Dixon enters the IU wrestling room with over a decade of veteran leadership and experience with raising a wrestling program to national prominence. In 13 years as an assistant and associate head coach at Old Dominion, Dixon guided his wrestlers to nine NCAA All-American honors and 18 individual conference championships. Dixon's hiring is the second by coach Escobedo, who took over the helm as IU's eighth head coach in April. Last month, Escobedo announced four-time All-American Isaac Jordan as an assistant coach. "I'm excited to be coming back to Indiana and joining Angel's staff," Dixon said shortly after the announcement. "I look forward to working alongside both Angel and Isaac to build a sustainable program that can compete for championships within the Big Ten and nationally." In over a decade with Old Dominion, Dixon helped head coach Steve Martin find success on the mat and in the classroom while putting the Monarchs on the map of the wrestling landscape. In the 2007-08 season, Dixon's first with the Monarchs, Old Dominion earned their first top-20 ranking in program history with six NCAA Championships qualifiers, then a school record. The next year, Old Dominion captured a top-20 NCAA Championships while Ryan Williams (141 lbs.) became the program's first NCAA finalist in 15 years. The 2011-12 season saw the Monarchs raise the bar with a program-best seven NCAA qualifiers and an outstanding dual meet season that included ranked upsets over Iowa State, Rutgers, and Central Michigan. Two wrestlers, Scott Festejo and Te Edwards, claimed individual titles at the 2012 CAA Championships. Dixon helped guide a seamless transition to the Mid American Conference (MAC) in the 2013-14 season, as all six NCAA qualifiers finished in fourth-place or better at the ensuing MAC Championships. In just their second season as a MAC member, Dixon and the Monarchs took runner-up at the conference championships in 2015. Dixon was named the SAAC Staffer of the Year and led two wrestlers, Chris Mecate and Alexander Richardson, to the All-American podium. That marked the first time Old Dominion earned two NCAA All-Americans in one season since 1991. Mecate became Old Dominion's first back-to-back All-American with a fifth-place finish the next season. Dixon assisted in the development of Kevin Beazley, one of the most prominent wrestlers in program history, as he achieved All-American status at the 2017 NCAA Championships. Most recently, Beazley took a Greco-Roman bronze medal finish at the 2018 City of Sassari International in Italy. In his 13 years with the program, the Monarchs achieved a 109-82-2 dual meet record with two CAA regular season titles. Old Dominion also earned six NWCA All-Academic honors in Dixon's tenure alongside two NCAA Elite 89 awards, given annually to the NCAA Championships participant with the highest GPA. Tristan Warner became just the second wrestler in Division-I to win back-to-back Elite 89 honors. Prior to his tenure in Roanoke, Virginia, Dixon served as an assistant at James Madison University. Dixon guided two conference podium finishes and revitalized their recruiting strategy after the university dropped athletic scholarships in 2000. Before joining the staff at James Madison, Dixon embarked his coaching career in his hometown of Indianapolis. As an assistant at the University of Indianapolis, Dixon oversaw five national qualifiers and three top-12 finishes. He also assisted the wrestling program at Arsenal Tech High School and guided four conference champions, two sectional champions, and the school's first-ever freshman to win a city championship. A 2001 graduate of Indiana University with a degree in management from the Kelley School of Business, Dixon was an NCAA qualifier at 275 lbs. in 1998. He earned the team's Most Improved Wrestler award in 1998 and the prestigious Billy Thom Leadership award in 2001. Also in the 2001 season, Dixon became a University National Freestyle Champion and earned a fourth-place finish in the 2001 Pan-American Games at 97kg. Dixon earned his master's degree in education from Old Dominion University in 2012.

Kerry McCoy (Photo/Maryland Athletics) Kerry McCoy, arguably one of the most accomplished Nittany Lion wrestlers of the modern era before becoming head wrestling coach at University of Maryland, was one of eight individuals selected to receive the Penn State Distinguished Alumni Award for 2018 this past Saturday. Established by the Penn State Board of Trustees in 1951, the Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor that The Pennsylvania State University presents to an outstanding alumna or alumnus. The award recognizes the achievements of outstanding alumni whose "personal lives, professional achievements, and community service exemplify the objectives of their alma mater." "I'm truly honored and humbled to be recognized with this award," McCoy said. "It is awesome to be included with this incredible group of alumni and this is a special honor I will cherish for the rest of my life." McCoy built an incredible mat career at Penn State. He was a three-time NCAA All-American, winning heavyweight titles at the 1994 and 1997 NCAA Division I championships. He was also a three-time Big Ten champ. As a Nittany Lion, McCoy compiled an overall record of 150-18, building an 88-match win streak at the end of his college career. McCoy earned a number of honors as a Nittany Lion, being named Penn State Athlete of the Year as well as Wrestler of the Year in both 1994 and 1997. In addition, he was selected as 1997 Hodge Trophy winner as the nation's top college wrestler of the year by WIN Magazine. McCoy earned a degree in marketing from the Smeal College of Business in 1997. McCoy's on-the-mat success went beyond collegiate wrestling. He was also a two-time Olympian for the United States, placing fifth at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and seventh in 2004 in Athens. He also won five straight U.S. National Freestyle Wrestling Championships from 2000 to 2004. The former Penn State big man was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2014. University of Maryland's Assistant Athletic Director Mark Sherburne offered his congratulations to his head wrestling coach. "Coach McCoy has accomplished so much within the sport of wrestling and throughout his professional coaching career since his days as a Penn State student-athlete," said Sherburne. "All of us here at Maryland are excited for him and proud that he is being recognized by Penn State as a 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. It is a well-deserved honor and a testament to his character and work ethic." In addition to McCoy, the other individuals who received Penn State Distinguished Alumni honors this past weekend include Dana H. Born; Jacob D. Corman III; Paul T. Cremo; Barbara H. Raphael; Richard J. Riegel; Hal S. Sadoff; and Roger L. Williams.

Christian Colucci (Photo/Lehigh Athletics) PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Rutgers wrestling announced the addition of heavyweight Christian Colucci to its roster. The Lehigh University transfer is immediately eligible for the 2018-19 season and will have two seasons of eligibility for the Scarlet Knights. "He's a really athletic heavyweight who understands positioning really well," said head coach Scott Goodale. "He received really good training when he was at Lehigh. He'll be pushed by some of the guys we have, but this is a guy who can win at a really high level and score points at the national tournament." In two seasons with the Mountain Hawks, Colucci finished with a 20-6 varsity record, which included an 8-2 mark during the 2017-18 season. This past year, Colucci picked up dual wins against Princeton and Navy and captured the Wilkes Open. The heavyweight compiled a 12-4 varsity mark as a freshman during the 2016-17 campaign. A Summit, New Jersey native, Colucci secured a 2015 NJSIAA state title at 220 pounds for St. Peter's Prep. The three-time region and district champion finished his Garden State high school career with 112 wins, including a 31-3 mark with 16 pins and two tech falls as a senior en route to a state title. Colucci was also the Hudson County Wrestler and Scholar-Athlete of the Year at St. Peter's and finished third at the Super 32 and fourth at the Beast of the East. Rutgers returns three national qualifiers from this past season after the Scarlet Knights produced their best team finish at the NCAA Championships in 2018, finishing 11th with 42.5 points. The historic result also included the program's first national finalist in Nick Suriano as well as a sixth-place finisher in Scott DelVecchio, as the Scarlet Knights earned multiple All-Americans for the third consecutive year under Goodale. Three-time All-American Anthony Ashnault also returns to the lineup in 2018-19 after he was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. In total, six wrestlers with NCAA Championships experience will be available for Goodale next season. Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers wrestling, follow the program on Twitter (@RUWrestling) and Instagram (@RUWrestling). Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on our social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com. For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame welcomed the Class of 2018 (Photo/Larry Slater) Abas. Allen. Cejudo. Davis. Couture. Schultz Vitageli. These names -- familiar to just about anyone who's been involved in the U.S. amateur wrestling community the past decade or so -- were among the individuals welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame during the 42nd annual Honors Banquet held at the Oklahoma State University's Student Union Ballroom in Stillwater Saturday night. The Hall welcomed four Distinguished Members of the Class of 2018: Stephen Abas, Lee Allen, Henry Cejudo, and Kristie Davis ... along with Randy Couture as Outstanding American honoree ... Order of Merit recipient Nancy Schultz-Vitageli ... Michael Martinez, recipient of the Hall's Medal of Courage award ... and Gary Kessel, Meritorious Official. In addition, David Carr was presented with the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, with Alleida Martinez receiving the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award. Kristie Davis (Photo/Larry Slater) A couple elements make this class of Distinguished Members especially noteworthy. For starters, it includes Henry Cejudo, one of the youngest Distinguished Members ever to be inducted, along with Kristie Davis, only the second woman to receive that honor. What's more, all four of year's Distinguished Members share impressive international wrestling credentials. Cejudo, who was just 21 years old when he won the gold medal in men's freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, at the time, the youngest U.S. Olympic wrestling champ. Davis is the most accomplished American women's wrestler in history, with nine World medals (including two gold), a feat equaled only by one U.S. men's wrestler: Bruce Baumgartner. Stephen Abas, one of all-time great U.S. lightweight mat stars, was a three-time NCAA champ for Fresno State and 2004 Olympic silver medalist. Also honored was the late Lee Allen, who not only wrestled in the Olympics in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, but also coached Olympic and World Greco teams ... and is considered a pioneer in creating opportunities for women in wrestling. Nancy Schultz Vitangeli and Randy Couture (Photo/Larry Slater) One award recipient well-known within wrestling and beyond is Randy Couture. This year's Outstanding American honoree was described by the Hall of Fame as "a great wrestler, a legendary MMA fighter, a successful actor and businessman." He was a Washington State wrestling champ, a three-time NCAA All-American for Oklahoma State, a four-time Greco-Roman world team member, six-time UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships) world champion, and a U.S. Army soldier. The Order of Merit went to Nancy Schultz Vitangeli, the widow of Dave Schultz who, in the words of the Hall of Fame, "chose to give back to the sport that she loved and which helped her and her children to deal with an unspeakable tragedy by making a difference for others." Among her accomplishments: she founded the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club, helped launch the Dave Schultz Memorial Tournament and helped create the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award. Michael Martinez (Photo/Larry Slater) Michael Martinez received the Medal of Courage for his amazing recovery from the severe burn injuries he received from a fire that gave him second- and third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body. A two-time Colorado state champion and four-time NCAA qualifier for University of Wyoming, Martinez was also an Olympic Trials qualifier in freestyle. Also honored was Gary Kessel, who officiated 16 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, including 12 finals, 21 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championships and 18 Virginia Duals, as well as refereed 39 New Jersey state high school wrestling championships. America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1976 in Stillwater, Okla. as a focal point for preserving the heritage of the sport, celebrating new achievements, and encouraging the youth of our land to aspire to lofty goals.

Rutgers wrestling has added some heft to its lineup. Max WrightThis weekend, Max Wright, an upperweight wrestler who had been a two-time Ohio Division I championships qualifier, announced he will be transferring to the Scarlet Knights from the U.S. Air Force Academy … with full four-year eligibility intact. Wright earned a commission from the Academy after graduating from Delaware Hayes High School just north of Columbus, NJ.com reported. This past year, he wrestled at 197 pounds for Air Force Prep and reached the finals in three open tournaments. He claimed a title at the UNK Holiday Inn Open. However, in April, he announced he would be leaving the Colorado Springs-based Academy and was seeking a transfer. Wright made his official visit to Rutgers just last week, and made his commitment via Twitter on Saturday. "I chose Rutgers because I have the goal of being an All-American," Wright told The Knight Report, a website that covers sports at the state university of New Jersey. "I knew I needed to surround myself with teammates that have the same goals as me. Rutgers has a great wrestling program, that's on the rise, and I felt that it was the best place for me to achieve my goals in all aspects of life." Wright had also been recruited by Ohio University and by Campbell University. Rutgers plans to place Wright at 197 pounds, joining Lehigh heavyweight transfer Christian Colucci to beef up the Scarlet Knights' lineup in the top two weight classes.

Bob Mayo, 1960 Iowa high school state wrestling champ who continued his mat career in Colorado before making a name for himself in professional rodeo competition, died on May 26, just three weeks shy of his 75th birthday. Bob MayoBorn and raised on a farm just outside Grinnell in central Iowa on June 15, 1944 by parents Charles and Bernice Mayo, Robert James Mayo followed in the footsteps of his older brother Paul and took up wrestling at Grinnell High School, where he won the 103-pound title at the 1961 Iowa wrestling championships as a junior. Mayo earned a wrestling scholarship at Adams State University in Anamosa, Colo. but soon turned his interest to rodeo, again following his brother Paul. According to the Stephenville Empire-Tribune, Bob Mayo started rodeos in 1964. Mayo was a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association for nearly 15 years, competing in Bareback Bronco riding events, the Herald-Review reported. In 1966, he qualified for the first of six consecutive National Finals Rodeos. In 2011, Mayo was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. After being born and raised in Iowa, Bob Mayo lived most of his life in Texas, including 25 years in the Dallas area, before moving to Sierra Vista, Ariz. in 2017. Mayo is survived by his wife, Eva; brothers Paul, Don and Roger Mayo; children: Tim (Jill) Eastep, Tom (Vanessa) Eastep, Terry Eastep, Mary (Gus) Gilstrap, Dawn (Randy) Wilson, Beau (Laura) Mayo, and Leslie (Tammy) Mayo; 15 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Bob is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Delores. Visitation for Bob Mayo will take place Friday, June 8 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Hatfield's Funeral Home, 830 S. Highway 92, Sierra Vista, Ariz. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 9 at 10:30 a.m. at Village Meadows Baptist Church, 1407 El Camino Real, Sierra Vista. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations on behalf of Robert Mayo be sent to Village Meadows Baptist Church's Sonshiners Senior Group.

Daniel "Greg" Kerkvliet claimed the title at 110 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) AKRON, Ohio -- The previous four years have represented excellent success for the United States at the UWW Cadet World Championships in freestyle, as each year has yielded three or more champions out of the ten weights. The 2014, 2015, and 2016 teams had three gold medals each, while last year's team had four gold medals; the overall medal count has relatively improved year-to-year as well: four in 2014, five in 2015, seven in 2016, and then six in 2017. On Saturday and Sunday at the University of Akron this year's team trials process was executed. Leading the way are a pair of repeat participants in Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) at 55 kilograms (121.25 pounds) and Daniel "Greg" Kerkvliet (Simley, Minn.) at 110 (242.5). Howard beat fellow returning Cadet World Team participant Julian Tagg (Brecksville, Ohio) in the championship series, two matches to zero, not giving up a takedown in either bout. A comprehensive pair of results saw excellent leg attacks, par terre offense, and overall defense yield 10-1 then 4-1 victories. Earlier notable victories came over grade level stars Nic Bouzakis (Lake Higland Prep, Fla.) and Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.) in the round of 16 and quarterfinal rounds on Saturday. Returning world champion Kerkvliet, who also qualified for the Junior World Team in his first year of eligibility -- at 97 kilograms -- steamrolled to the final with three shutout technical falls that lasted in total one minute. The championship series sweep over Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) was similar quick and decisive, a pair of shutout technical falls. The total tournament for Kerkvliet was five matches lasting two minutes and 36 seconds with a cumulative score of 51-0. Carson Manville earned a spot on the Cadet World Team at 65 kilograms (Photo/Robbert Wijtman) Also qualifying for the team was two-time Pan-American Cadet double champion Carson Manville, who did so at 65 kilograms (143.3), though his journey was more of a challenge. It started decisive enough for the nation's top overall Class of 2021 wrestler with three technical falls. The quarterfinal was an 8-4 battle over Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), as it was a battle of four-point throws, Manville getting two to the one for returning Fargo Cadet double finalist Davenport. It was thorny in the semifinal as Bryce Andonian (St. Edward, Ohio) jumped out to a 6-1 lead; however, Manville countered a gut-wrench attempt by Andonian into a reversal-exposure and a fall at the 1:20 mark of the first period. That set up a championship series battle with fellow returning Fargo Cadet freestyle champion Fidel Mayora (Montini Catholic, Ill.). Mayora took a strong early lead in the first match, and turned it into a fall at the 1:35 mark. The second match was a much more tightly contested battle, one that Manville hung on to win 4-2 as Mayora was in on what would have been a "winning" attack late in the bout but couldn't finish. The rubber match was all Manville from the start, and ended in a pin at the 1:22 mark. The No. 2 overall Class of 2021 wrestler Alex Facundo (Davison, Mich.) joins Manville on the team, also winning his finals series in three bouts. Facundo won the 71 kilo (156.5) title over Joshua Otto (Arrowhead, Wis.). The first and third matches were shutout decisions, 9-0 and 6-0; while the middle match defeat came 3-3 via criteria, as Otto was able to come back from a 3-0 second period deficit with a takedown and then a very late pushout. A third of the ten total championship series went three bouts, as Abe Assad (Glenbard North, Ill.) swept both the Greco-Roman and freestyle tournaments at 80 kilograms (176.4). It was a statement tournament title for the returning Fargo Cadet double finalist (Greco champ), as he cleared a loaded weight bracket. The most notable pre-finals win was a 2-2 criteria victory over returning Fargo Cadet double champion Carter Starocci (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.), as a single takedown beat two pushouts in the semifinal. In the championship match against probable favorite Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J.), Ramirez won the first match decisively 6-0. However, in the second match Assad jumped out strong to a 6-1 lead, as Ramirez suffered an ankle injury midway through the first period right off a takedown by Assad; Ramirez would storm back with a reversal-exposure from the forced par terre defense and then then a subsequent turn to cut that deficit. A takedown midway through the second period gave Ramirez the 7-6 lead. However, a late point yielded Assad the 7-7 criteria victory. In the winner-take-all rubber match, Assad won by 10-0 technical fall at the 1:56 mark. Also qualifying for this Cadet World Team was the nation's top overall Class of 2020 wrestler, A.J. Ferrari (Allen, Texas) at 92 kilograms (202.8). His finals series was a dominant sweep over Konner Doucet (Comanche, Okla.); the first bout a 10-0 technical fall early in the second period at the 2:26 mark, before the second bout was a 10-1 decision. However, Ferrari was significantly challenged during the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. In the quarterfinal he used a significant early lead to outlast Wyatt Hendrickson (Newton, Kansas) 9-8, a wrestler he beat in the Junior Folkstyle final two months ago; then the semifinal saw him need excellent defense while holding a 1-0 lead to prevent falling behind, before scoring a late counter takedown to beat the very talented Jacob Cardenas (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) Rounding out the team are Chance Lamer (Crescent Valley, Ore.) at 45 kilograms (99), Richard Figueroa (Selma, Calif.) at 48 (105.8), Matthew Ramos (Lockport, Ill.) at 51 (112.4), and Josh Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) at 60 (132.25). Figueroa knocked off returning world team member Cole Skinner (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) 9-1 in the semifinal round; Skinner was lost in the bronze medal match last year at 42 kilograms. Prior to that semifinal, Figueroa had three shutout technical fall victories; in the championship series he swept Kyle Rowan (Perry, Ohio) by 10-0 technical fall and then a pin at the 3:19 mark. Two shutout technical falls put Saunders into a quarterfinal battle against fellow Class of 2020 star Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), a back-and-forth bout won by Saunders 11-8; the semifinal was a rematch of last year's Fargo Cadet freestyle final, this time a 2-1 victory over Ryan Franco (Clovis North, Calif.); and then a sweep over Frankie Tal-Shahar (American Heritage, Fla.) in the final. Results 45 kg: 1st: Chance Lamer (Orange Crush WC) def. Maxximus Martinez (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Lamer dec. Martinez, 3-1 Match 2: Lamer dec. Martinez, 5-1 3rd: Stevo Poulin (Journeymen Wrestling Club) dec. Alex Almeyda (NYCRTC/EDGE), 6-2 5th: Jordan Williams (Threestyle Wrestling) pinned Casey Swiderski (BTWC), 2:17 7th: Eli Griffin (Threestyle Wrestling) by injury default over Drake Ayala (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) 48 kg: 1st: Richard Figueroa II (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage) def. Kyle Rowan (Wrestling Factory of Cleveland), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Figueroa TF Rowan, 10-0 Match 2: Figueroa pin Rowan, 3:19 3rd: Sheldon Seymour (xcalibur) dec. Jacob Mann (USWA), 5-0 5th: Cole Skinner (USA-Ohio Wrestling) tech. fall Tommy Curran (Hurricane WC), 11-0 7th: Kase Mauger (Delchev Trained Academy) tech. fall Joe Scheeran (Journeymen Wrestling Club), 10-0 51 kg: 1st: Matthew Ramos (Colt Wrestling) def. Anthony Ferrari (Best Trained Texas), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Ramos dec. Ferrari, 6-5 Match 2: Ramos dec. Ferrari, 6-1 3rd: Greg Diakomihalis (FLWC) dec. Cooper Flynn (McDonogh School), 8-1 5th: Carter Young (Team BIG) by forfeit over Cullan Schriever (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) 7th: Tristan Lujan (Sons Of Thunder Academy) dec. Ryan Miller (Blairstown Wrestling Club), 4-1 55 kg: 1st: Robert Howard (Titan Mercury/Bitetto Trained) def. Julian Tagg (USA-Ohio), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Howard dec. Tagg, 10-1 Match 2: Howard dec. Tagg, 4-1 3rd: Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blairstown Wrestling Club) tech. fall Ryan Crookham (Lost Boys Wrestling Club), 10-0 5th: Teague Travis (Eierman Elite) pinned Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado Wrestling Club), 3:57 7th: Maximo Renteria (Dethrone) dec. Dylan Ragusin (Izzy Style), 10-7 60 kg: 1st: Joshua Saunders (Titan Mercury WC) def. Frankie Tal-shahar (SWAT), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Saunders win by forfeit over Tal-shahar Match 2: Saunders dec. Tal-shahar, 8-3 3rd: Beau Bartlett (Sunkist Kids) dec. Ryan Franco (Darkhorse), 8-0 5th: Keegan O'toole (Askren Wrestling Academy) tech. fall Marckis Branford (LVWC), 11-0 7th: Joshua Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central) by forfeit over Wyatt Henson (Sunkist Kids) 65 kg: 1st: Carson Manville (Banditos) def. Fidel Mayora (Izzy Style), 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Mayora pin Manville, 1:35 Match 2: Manville dec. Mayora, 4-2 Match 3: Manville pin Mayora, 1:22 3rd: Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic Central) dec. Bryce Andonian (The Wrestling Factory of Cleveland), 12-5 5th: Cade Devos (Iron Rams) dec. Luke Surber (Tuttle Wrestling), 10-7 7th: Victor Voinovich (Seasons) tech. fall Ed Scott (Young Guns), 10-0 71 kg: 1st: Alex Facundo (Team Donahue) def. Joshua Otto (Askren Wrestling Academy), 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Facundo dec. Otto, 8-0 Match 2: Otto dec. Facundo, 3-3 Match 3: Facundo dec. Otto, 6-0 3rd: Jace Luchau (Sons Of Thunder Academy) tech. fall Padraic Gallagher (The Wrestling Factory of Cleveland), 12-0 5th: Sonny Santiago (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage) tech. fall Lance Runyon (Iron Rams), 10-0 7th: Aaron Gandara (Wrestling Prep) tech. fall Donnell Washington (Portage High School), 10-0 80 kg: 1st: Abe Assad (Izzy Style) def. Julian Ramirez (Blairstown WC), 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Ramirez dec. Assad, 6-0 Match 2: Assad dec. Ramirez, 7-7 Match 3: Assad TF Ramirez, 10-0 3rd: Carter Starocci (Bad Karma) dec. David Key (Compound), 3-2 5th: Zach Glazier (Minnesota) dec. Ethan Hatcher (Seasons), 9-4 7th: Jacob Logan (GPS Wrestling) dec. Patrick Kennedy (Minnesota), 8-4 92 kg: 1st: AJ Ferrari (Best Trained Texas) def. Konner Doucet (Oklahoma), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Ferrari TF Doucet, 10-0 Match 2: Ferrari dec. Doucet, 10-1 3rd: Braxton Amos (Team Miron) dec. Peter Christensen (Izzy Style), 6-4 5th: Jacob Cardenas (Rednose) pinned Niccolo Colucci (St. Peter's Prep), 0:36 7th: Wyatt Hendrickson (Team Kansas) dec. Gabe Christenson (Iron Rams), 11-10 110 kg: 1st: Daniel Kerkvliet (Titan Mercury/Pinnacle) def. Hunter Catka (LAB Trained), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Kervliet TF Catka, 10-0 Match 2: Kervliet TF Catka, 10-0 3rd: Luke Luffman (IRTC) tech. fall1 Hayden Copass (Unattached), 12-1 5th: Joshua Heindselman (Oklahoma) tech. fall1 Isaac Righter (MSJ Titans), 13-3 7th: Andy Garcia (La Gente WC) tech. fall William Taylor (Unattached), 10-0

AKRON, Ohio -- The U23 Freestyle World Team was determined Sunday afternoon, comprised of seven All-Americans as well as three past World Team members, all of who are also World medalists. After battling against his teammate in the quarterfinals and advancing to the finals off of an 11-0 technical fall, 2017 All-American Jack Mueller went 2-0 against Rayvon Foley. He regrouped after a first-round 8-6 decision to return for a first-period technical fall in the second round of the 57-kilogram finals to secure his spot on the U23 World Team. 2016 Cadet silver medalist Vitali Arujau dominated his 60-kilogram best-of-three series against past World Team member Roman Bravo-Young, racking up two technical falls in under six minutes total, outscoring Bravo-Young 25-4. Read complete story on TheMat.com ... Results 57 kg: 1st: Jack Mueller (CWC) def. Rayvon Foley (MSU), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Mueller dec. Foley, 8-6 Match 2: Mueller tech. fall Foley, 10-0 3rd: Austin Assad (MRTC) tech. fall Gabe Townsell (Stanford), 10-0 5th: Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh Valley WC) def. Skyler Petry (Minnesota Storm), by injury default 7th: Alex Mackall (Cyclone RTC) def. Dominic La Joie (FLWCP) by injury default 61 kg: 1st: Vitali Arujau (FLWCP) def. Roman Bravo-Young (SWC), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Arujau tech. fall Bravo-Young, 15-4 Match 2: Arujau tech. fall Bravo-Young, 10-0 3rd: Chas Tucker (Cornell) dec. Sean Fausz (WWC), 9-2 5th: Josh Kramer (Sunkist Kids) def. Nick Piccininni (CRTC/TMWC), by injury default 7th: Jens Lantz (Wisconsin) dec. Steve Polakowski (Minnesota Storm), 5-2 65 kg: 1st: Mitch McKee (GWC) def. Dominick Demas (OKRTC), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: McKee dec. Demas, 6-1 Match 2: McKee fall Demas 3rd: Colton McCrystal (Nebraska) dec. Brock Zacherl (Clarion), 10-6 5th: Kaid Brock (CRTC/TMWC) def. Kevin Jack (WWC), by injury default 7th: Luke Pletcher (tOSU) def. Kaden Gfeller (CRTC/TMWC), 15-9 70 kg: 1st: Hayden Hidlay (WWC) def. Ryan Deakin (NU), 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Hidlay dec. Deakin, 8-4 Match 2: Deakin tech. fall Hidlay, 11-0 Match 3: Hidlay dec. Deakin, 3-2 3rd: Tyler Berger (Nebraska) dec. Paul Fox (Stanford), 8-4 5th: Pat Lugo (Iowa) tech. fall Alfred Bannister (TWC), 13-3 7th: Matthew Kolodzik (NJRTC) tech. fall Ryan Blees (SERTC-VT), 10-0 74 kg: 1st: Alex Smythe (Bulls WC) def. Evan Wick (Wisconsin), 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Wick dec. Smythe, 7-1 Match 2: Smythe dec. Wick, 7-3 Match 3: Smythe dec. Wick, 6-5 3rd: Kaleb Young (Iowa) dec. Kennedy Monday (THWC), 11-4 5th: Carson Brolsma (Minnesota Storm) dec. Josh Shields (Sunkist), 6-4 7th: Austin Kraisser (Campbell) def. Larry Early (VBRTC) by injury default 79 kg: 1st: David McFadden (SERTC-VT) def. Daniel Lewis (MWRTC), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: McFadden fall Lewis Match 2: McFadden tech. fall Lewis, 15-5 3rd: Kimball Bastian (UVRTC) dec. Joe Smith (CRTC/TMWC), 8-4 5th: Connor Flynn (MWRTC) fall Cole Walter (Lehigh Valley WC) 7th: Te'Shan Campbell (tOSU) dec. Gregg Harvey Jr. (Pittsburgh), 6-2 86 kg: 1st: Myles Martin (tOSU) def. Chandler Rogers (CRTC/TMWC), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Martin dec. Rogers, 13-9 Match 2: Martin fall Rogers 3rd: Taylor Venz (Nebraska) dec. Max Dean (Cornell), 15-12 5th: Cash Wilcke (Iowa) dec. Alec Schenk (BBWC), 4-2 7th: Austin Fores (Stanford) def. Garrett Lineberger (Unattached) by injury default 92 kg: 1st: Michael Macchiavello (WWC) def. Hunter Ritter (Wisconsin), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Macchiavello dec. Ritter, 5- Match 2: Macchiavello tech. fall Ritter, 15-5 3rd: Eric Schultz (Nebraska) dec. Christian Brunner (BRTC), 9-0 5th: Jakob Woodley (OKRTC) tech. fall Landon Pelham (Chippewa WC), 10-0 7th: Greg Bulsak (Clarion) tech. fall Anthony Perrine (Bulldog Elite WC), 14-4 97 kg: 1st: Kollin Moore (tOSU) def. Kyle Conel (GPWC), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Moore tech. fall Conel, 12-2 Match 2: Moore tech. fall Conel, 13-3 3rd: Ben Honis (Cornell) tech. fall Malik McDonald (WWC), 13-1 5th: Kyle Gentile (LVWC) tech. fall John Borst (SERTC-VT), 10-0 7th: Kevin Snyder (tOSU) dec. Andrew Lee (IRTC), 5-2 125 kg: 1st: Youssif Hemida (TWC) def. Matt Stencel (CWC), 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Hemida dec. Stencel, 14-7 Match 2: Hemida tech. fall Stencel, 11-0 3rd: David Jensen (Nebraska) dec. David Orndorff (UVRTC), 10-9 5th: Garrett Ryan (NYCRTC) def. Michael Hughes (B&G) by injury default. 7th: Matthew Voss (Patriot Elite WC) def. Christian Colucci (NJRTC)

Two former college wrestlers -- Gregor Gillespie, and Desmond Green -- came out as winners at UFC Fight Night 131: Rivera vs. Moraes at Adirondacks Bank Center in Utica, N.Y. Friday night. A third ex-amateur wrestler, Jarred Brooks, was KO'd in the second round of his bout. The former Fighting Scot submits Pinchel Gregor GillespieGillespie, a 2007 NCAA champ for Edinboro University, defeated Vinc Pinchel via submission -- an arm-triangle choke -- at 4:06 of Round 2 in their lightweight (155-pound) co-main event. Live coverage from both MMAjunkie.com and Sherdog.com had the former Fighting Scot mat star as the winner throughout their bout before submitting Pinchel. Gillespie -- a three-time EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) champ at Edinboro -- took down Pinchel at the beginning of both the first and second rounds. At the end of the evening, Gregor Gillespie -- a native of upstate New York -- added to his perfect record to become 12-0 in his pro MMA career, and 5-0 in UFC action ...while Vinc Pichel suffers only his second loss vs. 11 wins overall, with a 4-2 record in UFC. Green goes the distance for the win Desmond Green, a two-time MAC (Mid-American Conference) champion for University at Buffalo, earned a unanimous decision over Gleison Tibau in a three-round lightweight fight. The official judges scored it 30-27, 30-27, 29-27 for the three-time NCAA qualifier for the Bulls; in addition, all the reporters providing live coverage from both Sherdog.com and MMAjunkie.com all awarded each round to Green. Sherdog.com reported in its live coverage that Green was "applying slow pressure and holding Tibau out of striking or shooting range" thanks to the long reach of "the Predator." MMAjunkie.com writers just outside the Octagon said, "This remains a boxing match, and Green is just a little more accurate and active. Not much kicking between the two." With the win, Green is now 21-7 in his pro MMA career (and 2-2 in UFC), while Gleison Tibau drops to 33-14 overall, and 16-12 in UFC. Brooks basically knocks himself out The gods were not smiling on "The Monkey God" as Jarred Brooks, at one time a nationally-ranked high school wrestler from Warsaw, Ind., was knocked out in the second round by Jose Torres in their preliminary-round flyweight (125-pound) bout at UFC Utica. Both MMAjunkie.com and Sherdog.com had their fightside reporters scoring the first round for Brooks in their live coverage. However, in what MMAjunkie.com describes as "a crazy turn of events" in Round 2, "(Brooks) lifts his opponent high in the air and leaps forward with a slam to the floor. Impressive move, but Brooks appears to be the one who's rocked, with the back of his head crashing into the canvas. Torres quickly pulls free from his stunned opponent and turns to take the back, punching away at his stunned opponent. Brooks is indeed out, and this fight is over." Score it a KO at 2:55 of Round 2 of the scheduled three-round fight. With the loss, Jarred Brooks is now 13-2 overall in his MMA career, and drops to 1-2 in UFC ...while Jose Torres stays flawless at 8-0 overall and is now 1-0 after his UFC debut.