2006-07 W.I.N. High School Preseason Rankings

Jordan Oliver, who won the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals last spring, has moved up to 112 pounds.


Look at these rankings. Once again - No Oklahoma Teams in the mix. Seems to me like Catoosa, Union, El Reno, and other Oklahoma wrestling teams should be somewhere on the list. Leave a comment and let me know if you think an Oklahoma team should be on the list and if so which one.

Current High School Rankings

2006-07 Rankings
2006-07 W.I.N. Preseason Rankings
The following is a list of W.I.N. Magazine’s preseason high school rankings. Starting Nov. 15, these rankings will be updated weekly and can be found on our website at WIN-magazine.com.

W.I.N.’s Preseason High School Team Rankings
Rank Team Final ‘06 Rank
1 Blairstown, N.J. Blair Academy 1
2 Lakewood, Ohio St. Edward 2
3 Kansas City, Mo. Oak Park 8
4 Nazareth, Pa. 7
5 Iowa City, Iowa West NR
6 Christiansburg, Va. 6
7 Chicago, Ill. St. Rita 17
8 Jackson, N.J. Memorial 13
9 St. Paris, Ohio Graham 9
10 Carol Stream, Ill. Glenbard North 11
11 Lombard, Ill. Montini 12
12 Cincinnati, Ohio Archbishop Moeller 14
13 Camden Wyo., Del. Caesar Rodney NR
14 Oviedo, Fla. 16
15 Clovis, Calif. Buchanan 21
16 Easton, Pa. NR
17 Brandon, Fla. 10
18 Apple Valley, Minn. 23
19 Chesapeake, Va. Great Bridge 5
20 South Plainfield, N.J. NR
21 Hastings, Minn. NR
22 Poway, Calif. 18
23 Wingate, Pa. Bald Eagle Area 22
24 Paulsboro, N.J. NR
25 Albert Lea, Minn. NR
(tie) Tucson, Ariz. Sunnyside NR

INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
103 pounds
1. David Taylor So St. Paris, OH Graham
2. Fred Santaite Sr Allendale, NJ NoHighlands
3. Matt Snyder Jr Lewistown, PA
4. Mark Rappo Jr Holland, PA Council Rock S
5. Jamie Clark Fr Lakewood, OH St. Edward
6. Nathan Furches Jr Derby, KS
7. Ridge Kiley Sr Iowa City, IA West
8. Nicky Gordon So Pittston, PA Wyoming Sem.
9. Kyle Dake So Lansing, NY
10. B.J. Futrell Jr Chicago, IL Mount Carmel
11. Pat Harrington Sr Sandusky, OH St. Mary’s C
12. Cody Ruggirello Fr Montgomery, NY Valley Ce
13. John Prezzia So Hookstown, PA S S Beaver
14. Justin Forrest Jr Peculiar, MO Raymore-Pec
15. Jon Morrison So Orland Park, IL CSandburg
16. Brian Reisenauer Sr Fargo, ND South
17. Ladd Rupp So Perry, OK
18. Destin McCauley 8th Apple Valley, MN
19. Alex Kostenborder So Salem, OR Sprague
20. Ryan Mango So St. Louis, MO Whitfield S

112 pounds
1. Jordan Oliver Jr Easton, PA
2. Tony Ramos So Carol Stream, IL Glenbard N
3. Eric Grajales So Brandon, FL
4. Logan Stieber Fr Monroeville, OH
5. Boris Novachkov Sr Fremont, CA
6. Andy Pokorny Sr Bennington, NE
7. Josh Kindig Fr Schuylkill Haven, PA Blue Mtn
8. Steve Mitcheff Jr Elyria, OH
9. Bo Touris Sr W. Chester, OH Lakota West
10. Ben Sergent Jr Troy, OH Christian School
11. Travis Coffey Sr Boone, NC Watauga
12. Paul Liguori So Wantagh, NY
13. Andrew Long Jr Creston, IA
14. Chris Villalonga Fr Blairstown, NJ Blair Academy
15. Mac Bailey So Kansas City, MO Oak Park
16. Clayton Rush Sr Aledo, IL
17. Jim Belleville So Olympia, WA WBlack Hills
18. Thomas Williams Jr West Covina, CA South Hills
19. Chris Spangler Jr Naperville, IL Nequea Valley
20. Patrick Hunter Jr South Plainfield, NJ

119 pounds
1. Zach Sanders Sr Wabasha, MN Wab.-Kellogg
2. Nikko Triggas Sr Moraga, CA Campolindo
3. Collin Palmer So Lakewood, OH St. Edward
4. Connor McDonald Sr Georgetown, DE Sussex C.
5. John Trumbetti Sr Montvale, NJ St. Joseph
6. Nate Moore Jr Iowa City, IA West
7. Tyler Clark Sr Bettendorf, IA
8. Donte Butler Sr Sumner, MO
9. Matt Ortega Sr Rio Rancho, NM
10. Matt McDonough Jr Marion, IA Linn-Mar
11. Troy Dolan Sr Derry, PA
12. Scotti Sentes Jr Fort Myers, FL Riverdale
13. Collin Marcicki Sr Flint, MI Powers Catholic
14. Ryan Fields Jr W. Chester, OH Lakota West
15. Dylan Alton Fr Mill Hall, PA Central Mountain
16. T.J. Wunnicke Sr Dodgeville, WI
17. Joe Boone Sr Poway, CA
18. Tyler Mashkow Sr Islip, NY
19. Jarrod Garnett Jr Bear, DE Caravel Academy
20. Ian Paddock So Warsaw, NY

125 pounds
1. Tyler Graff Jr Loveland, CO
2. Anthony Valles Jr Blairstown, NJ Blair Academy
3. John Starzyk Sr New Lenox, IL Providence
4. Andrew Alton Fr Mill Hall, PA Central Mountain
5. Shay Warren Sr Ogden, UT Weber
6. Colin Johnston Jr Canonsburg, PA C-McMillan
7. K.C. Pescaglia Sr Columbia, MO D. Hickman
8. Walt Peppelman Jr Harrisburg, PA C. Dauphin
9. Jason DeLuca Sr Dillsburg, PA Northern
10. Chris Sheetz Sr Pennsburg, PA U.Perkiomen
11. Matt Bonson Sr Lewistown, PA
12. Jeremy Sandoval So Colleyville, TX Heritage
13. Marty Borowsky Sr Bryn Mawr, PA Harriton
14. Tyler Caldwell So Goddard, KS
15. Mark Weber Jr Goodrich, MI
16. Randall Watts Jr Visalia, CA El Diamonte
17. Trey Bertram Jr Hastings, MN
18. Keaton Thompson Jr Vestavia Hills, AL
19. Matt Brown Jr Magna, UT Cyprus
20. Brock Gutches So Central Point, OR Crater

130 pounds
1. Kellen Russell Sr Blairstown, NJ Blair Academy
2. Corey Jantzen Sr Shoreham, NY S.-Wading Riv.
3. Michael Mangrum Jr Auburn, WA Riverside
4. Dan White Jr Hightstown, NJ Peddie S.
5. Collin Dozier Sr Va. Beach, VA Frank W. Cox
6. Kelly Kubec Sr Lake Stevens, WA
7. Josh Chamberlain Jr Springville, UT
8. Ben Jordan Jr St. Paris, OH Graham
9. Tyler Nauman Sr Middletown, PA
10. Neil Birt Sr Lakewood, OH St. Edward
11. Norman Richmond Sr Portland, OR T Jefferson
12. Dominic Valencia Sr Rio Rancho, NM
13. Mike Robinson Sr Lewistown, PA
14. Dak Adamson Sr Dallas, TX Bishop Lynch
15. Scott O’Donnell Sr Kansas City, MO Oak Park
16. Trenton Washington Sr Omaha, NE North
17. Marshall Koethe Jr Akron, IA A.-Westfield
18. Joshua Wiseman Jr Champlin Park, MN
19. Brock Weatherman Fr Ballard, IA Huxley
20. Jeff Bybee Jr Chillicothe, IL Illinois Valley C

135 pounds
1. Jamal Parks Sr Tulsa, OK Union
2. Vicente Varela Sr Rio Rancho, NM
3. Shawn Harris Sr Lakewood, OH St. Edward
4. Luke Silver Sr Dallas, TX Bishop Lynch
5. P.J. Gillespie Sr Long Beach, NY
6. Nikko Leitzel Sr Ridgway, PA
7. DaVaughn Perkins Sr Omaha, NE North
8. Dale Fava Sr Ramsey, NJ Don Bosco Prep
9. Hollan Gravley Sr Palmer, AK Colony
10. Bryan Ortenzio Sr Camp Hill, PA Cedar Cliff
11. Jacob Earp Jr Boone, NC Watauga
12. Eric McGill Sr Munster, IN
13. Colton Palmer Sr Durham, NC Riverside
14. Dylan Joiner Jr Kansas City, MO Oak Park
15. C.J. Napier So Columbus, KS
16. Jamal Lyons Fr Erie, PA Cathedral Prep
17. Eric Jones Jr Auburn, WA Riverside
18. Kendrick Sanders Jr Homestead, FL South Dade
19. Cole Schmitt Jr New Glarus, WI
20. Derek St. John So Iowa City, IA West

140 pounds
1. Zack Kemmerer Sr Pennsburg, PA U.Perkiomen
2. Luke Ashmore Sr Dallas, TX Bishop Lynch
3. Max Shanaman Sr Blairstown, NJ Blair Academy
4. Tommy Abbott Sr Wilmington, DE St. Mark’s
5. Seth Vernon Sr Tulsa, OK Union
6. T.J. Hepburn Sr Ledyard, CT
7. Austin Enoch Sr Redmond, OR
8. Chase Cuthbertson Jr Scottsboro, AL
9. Kevin Hardy Sr Solon, OH
10. T.J. Moen Sr Saydel, IA
11. Nick Murray Sr Bound Brook, NJ
12. Dallas Bailey So Catoosa, OK
13. Seth Easter Jr Nitro, WV
14. Conrad Polz Jr Orland Park, IL C.Sandburg
15. Grant Paswall Sr Wingate, PA Bald Eagle Area
16. Germane Lindsey Sr Cincinnati, OH Arch. Moeller
17. Ben Provisor So Stevens Point, WI
18. Vince Taweel Sr Columbia, MD Hammond
19. Jonathan Drendel Sr Aurora, IL West
20. Donald Vinson Jr Whitney Point, NY

145 pounds
1. Albert White Sr Chicago, IL St. Rita
2. Alex Meade Jr Camden Wyom., DE C Rod.
3. Mario Mason Jr Blairstown, NJ Blair Academy
4. Jake Deitchler Jr Anoka, MN
5. Justin Accordino Sr Wilkes-Barre, PA Coughlin
6. Kevin LeValley Sr Limon, CO
7. Jamal Lawrence Sr Merrillville, IN
8. Sean Bilodeau Sr N. Andover, MA Brooks S
9. Shane Nay Sr Kansas City, MO Oak Park
10. Esai Dominguez Sr Omaha, NE Creighton Prep
11. Thomas Straughn Sr Massillon, OH Perry
12. Nick Nelson Sr Glenshaw, PA Shaler
13. Frank Molinaro Sr Manahawkin, NJ Southern
14. Matt Cusick Sr Orland Park, IL Carl Sandburg
15. Kelly Felix Sr Franklin, TN
16. Quentin Wright Jr Wingate, PA Bald Eagle
17. Junior Pearman Sr Chesapeake, VA Great Bridge
18. Sean Joyce Sr Brandon, FL
19. Tyler Davis Sr Oviedo, FL
20. Jedd Moore Jr Mount Vernon, OH

152 pounds
1. Ryan Smith Sr Gresham, OR Centennial
2. Sean Nemec Sr Lakewood, OH St. Edward
3. Scott Winston Jr Jackson, NJ Memorial
4. Tim Darling Sr Nazareth, PA
5. Eric Medina Sr Blairstown, NJ Blair Academy
6. Trevor Hall Sr Battle Ground, WA
7. Ryan Goodman Sr Latrobe, PA
8. Eren Civan Sr Bethesda, MD Walt Whitman
9. Johnny Koepp Sr Dallas, TX Bishop Lynch
10. Chris Hacker Sr El Reno, OK
11. George Bancroft Jr Ft Lauderdale, FL CGibbons
12. Josh Stalcup Sr Estacada, OR
13. Andrew Howe Jr Cedar Lake, IN Hanover C.
14. Josh Condon Sr Kennesaw, GA Carl Harrison
15. Tel Todd Sr Bozeman, MT
16. Justin Sparrow Sr Dallas, NC East Gaston
17. Eric Cubberly Jr Pemberville, OH Eastwood
18. Travis Rutt Jr New Prague, MN
19. Hunter Meys Jr Clif. Park, NYShenendehowa
20. Brian Letters Sr Pittsburgh, PA Fox Chapel

160 pounds
1. Mike Benefiel Sr Lombard, IL Montini
2. Michael Chaires Sr Albany, NY Christian Bros
3. Kyle DeBerry Sr Tucson, AZ Sunnyside
4. Colt Sponseller Sr Millersburg, OH W. Holmes
5. Jason Welch Jr Las Lomas, CA
6. John Mangini Sr Belle Mead, NJ Hillsborough
7. Thad Frick Sr Nazareth, PA
8. Paul Paddock Sr Warsaw, NY
9. Luke Rebertus Sr Bear, DE Caravel Academy
10. Mike Schmitz Sr Stewartville, MN
11. Justin Danz Sr Shingle Springs, CA Pond.
12. Derek Peperas Sr El Reno, OK
13. Robert Kellogg Sr Sioux City, IA North
14. Brandon Hatchett Sr Oviedo, FL
15. Scott Cust Sr Chesapeake, VA Great Bridge
16. Bryan Bourne Jr Spencerport, NY
17. Grant Gambrall Jr Iowa City, IA West
18. Corey Peltier Jr Blairstown, NJ Blair Academy
19. Ryan Kocer Jr Wagner, SD
20. Cody Yohn Jr Alamosa, CO

171 pounds
1. Kirk Smith Sr Boise, ID Centennial
2. Dustin Kilgore Sr Berea, OH
3. Chris Henrich Sr Ft Washington, PA G’town
4. Rob Waltko Sr Wexford, PA North Allegheny
5. Brian Roddy Jr Lakewood, OH St. Edward
6. Jesse Robbins Sr Oviedo, FL
7. Torrey Line Sr Browerville, MN
8. Jordan Blanton Jr Richmond, IL R.-Burton
9. Chris Bullins Sr Mayodan, NC McMichael
10. Romero Cotton Jr Hutchinson, KS
11. Ian Hinton Sr Mishawaka, IN
12. Cameron Simaz Sr Allegan, MI
13. Louis Bland Jr Modesto, CA C. Catholic
14. Hunter Collins Jr Gilroy, CA
15. Chris Perry So Stillwater, OK
16. Kaleb Young Sr Bemidji, MN
17. Anthony Trongone Sr Cherry Hill, NJ Camden C.
18. Tom Spellman Sr Newton, NJ Kittatinny
19. Brent Haynes Jr Kansas City, MO Oak Park
20. Mitch Sanderson Sr Pleasant Grove, UT

189 pounds
1. Clayton Foster Sr Kamiah, ID
2. Sonny Yohn Sr Alamosa, CO
3. Deron Winn Sr Liberty, MO
4. John Weakley Sr Cuya. Falls, OH Valley Chr.
5. Jerome Ward Sr Chicago, IL St. Rita
6. Jamelle Jones Sr Dover, DE
7. Jimmy Waters Sr Council Bluffs, IA Lewis C.
8. Nathan Timmerman Sr Porterville, CA Monache
9. Kellen Harris Sr Sharon, PA
10. Erique Robertson Sr Maple Heights, OH
11. Ryan Lamagra Sr Ontario Center, NY Wayne
12. Chris Honeycutt Sr Lakewood, OH St. Edward
13. Austin Carter Sr Fairless Hills, PA Pennsbury
14. Kyle Bergstedt Sr Paradise, CA
15. Ryland Geiger Jr Scappoose, OR
16. Eric Cameron Sr Cincinnati, OH Arch.Moeller
17. Troy Kessell Sr Hermiston, OR
18. John Schoen Sr Chicago, IL Marist
19. Scott Penny Sr Granite City, IL
20. Ethan Winel Sr Lombard, IL Montini

215 pounds
1. Cody Gardner Sr Christiansburg, VA
2. Jared Platt Sr Blairstown, NJ Blair Academy
3. Ryan Flores Sr Clovis, CA Buchanan
4. Tucker Lane Sr Nucla, CO
5. Tyrell Fortune Jr Portland, OR Parkrose
6. Atticus Disney Jr Andover, KS Central
7. Joe Fagiano Sr Chicago, IL St. Patrick
8. Sam Maresh Jr Champlin Park, MN
9. Dan Craig Sr Allegan, MI
10. Tyler Hemmesch Sr Elk River, MN Area
11. Pat Mahan Sr Owatonna, MN
12. Roy Dragon Sr Bridgewater, NJ B.-Raritan
13. D.J. Bruce Sr Naperville, IL North
14. Marcell Dubose Jr Highland Park, MI
15. Eric Thompson Jr Waverly, IA W.-Shell Rock
16. David Marone Sr Broomfield, CO
17. Ian Heinisch Sr Parker, CO Ponderosa
18. Justin Powell Sr Youngstown, OH A’town-Fitch
19. Alex Silvestro Sr Paulsboro, NJ
20. Skip Crooks Sr Green River, WY

Heavyweight
1. Dom Bradley Sr Blue Springs, MO
2. Cameron Wade Sr Bedford, OH St. Peter Chanel
3. Zach Rey Sr Hopatcong, NJ
4. Brendan Barlow Sr Westerville, OH Central
5. Nathan Sharp Sr Beloit, OH West Branch
6. Adam Henig Sr Toms River, NJ East
7. Jordan Johnson Sr Naperville, IL North
8. John Hiles Jr Columbus, OH St. F de Sales
9. Elijah Madison Jr Kansas City, MO Oak Park
10. Cody Beck Sr Lexington, MO
11. Jarod Trice Sr Highland Park, MI
12. Myles Caragein Sr Pittsburgh, PA K’stone Oaks
13. Demetrius Hester Sr Paulsboro, NJ
14. Matt Schnittgen Sr Havre, MT
15. Ben Kuhar Sr Lakewood, OH St. Edward
16. Mike Ragone Sr Cherry Hill, NJ Camden C.
17. Frank Becker Sr Cincinnati, OH Arch. Moeller
18. Justin Glenn Sr Enid, OK
19. Marcus Felker Sr Thornton, CO
20. Taylor Escamilla Sr Fremont, NE Arch.Bergan

Wombat's Pride "The Real Deal" Predictions

Pride
Written by Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros
Friday, 20 October 2006
This Saturday, Pride invades American soil with its first show ever in North America. As a possible tribute to the UFC, Pride officials have decided that their main event will be a re-match where everyone knows what’s going to happen, except maybe Ken Shamrock. Still with five former UFC champions on the fight card, Pride: The Real Deal promises to be the best thing to hit town since CSI: Las Vegas.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mark Coleman
ImageImage

Mark Coleman won his last Pride fight when “Shogun” fell down and broke his own arm. It was a freak accident, but Coleman reacted like he’d won the lottery which, essentially, he had, since his victory was mostly due to sheer dumb luck. I wonder if he would have reacted the same way if Rua had fallen and broken his arm while climbing into the ring. Maybe. It’s probably hard to hide your joy when, instead of a series of murderous kicks in the head, you get big fat load of cash. Nevertheless, there’s something very not right about leaping around over an injured opponent like a howler monkey full of crystal meth. Now Coleman pays his debt to Ye Olde Gods of Fate. Fedor wins by KO, round one.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Kevin Randleman
ImageImage

As aforementioned, “Shogun” would like nothing better than to avenge his “loss” to Mark Coleman who - following their fateful match – danced around his broken body while ring doctors and Chute Boxe team mates stormed the ring, attempting to attend to him. Rua may take some comfort in the fact that, during the ensuing riot, Vanderlei Silva was able to tackle Coleman to the ground and kick him several times in the face. Nonetheless, he would undoubtedly prefer to vindicate himself in person. First, however, he must get by Coleman’s team mate, “The Monster” Kevin Randleman who, as I have said many times before, is as crazy as a bag of cats. I once wrote that Randleman is so unpredictable, it is impossible for anyone, including him, to tell what he might do. He might go out to buy socks and come home driving a school bus full of crying children. That is still just as true as the day I wrote it. What happens here? Anything is possible with Randleman, but I’m betting “Shogun” wins; however unlikely it seems, by submission.

Josh Barnett vs Pawel Nastula
ImageImage

I sometimes wonder if the guys at DSE understand that Judo and MMA are actually very different sports. They don’t seem to get it. If DSE ran the Olympics, there would be judo guys in every sport, and probably wrestlers too, running around throwing javelins on the baseball field and running onto the basketball court with a kayak paddle in one hand and a target-shooting pistol in the other, all the while shouting “When is the bobsled event?”. It would be chaos, but wildly entertaining, which is probably the point. Barnett by TKO.

Butterbean vs. Sean O’ Haire

Sean O’Haire is from the WWE. Butterbean is from boxing. Now they meet for an MMA match. This is sort of like a French chef and a Sushi expert seeing who can make better pizza. My guess: Butterbean by KO, unless O’Haire hits him with a steel chair when the ref isn’t looking.

Dan Henderson vs. Vitor Belfort
ImageImage

I swear I will pimp slap the next person who mentions Belforts’ win over Vanderlei Silva. That was eight years ago and Belfort has changed a lot since then. Henderson by TKO.

Kazuhiro Nakamura vs Travis Galbraith

Originally, KazNak was supposed to fight Marvin Eastman, but due to “legal” reasons with the WFA, Eastman had to back out. His replacement is Canuck, Travis Galbraith. As a fellow Canadian, I am rooting for Galbraith. However, as a semi-intelligent dude who’s seen KazNak beat guys like Kevin Randleman and Igor Vovchanchum, I know there’s a greater likelihood of finding a live wolverine in a box of cereal than there is in seeing Galbraith win this. KazNak by submission.

Joey "Dreamsmasher" Villasenor vs. "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler.

Lawler gives most of his opponents the kind of awful clubbing that is normally reserved for baby seals, but sometimes he comes into fights looking as depressed as someone who has just come home to find their house on fire and their wife standing naked in the front yard with another guy. I’m guessing he’ll win this one. Side note: Exactly how do you smash someone’s dreams? I had a dream the other day that I was in a tricycle race against a giant penguin. How do you smash that? Lawler by TKO.

ImagePhil Baroni vs. Yosuke Nishijima

Baroni is always complaining that his opponents won’t stand and trade punches with him. Now he’s facing Nishijima, who stood and exchanged punches with Mark Hunt. Baroni must have an erection that could knock down a house. My guess: be careful what you wish for. Nishijima by KO.

Kurt Angle disses UFC President Dana White

Kurt Angle has spoke candidly during a recent conference call for TNA. Angle wanted to clear the air on several issues from his WWE departure and TNA arrival and why he is not in The UFC.

On Aug. 25, Angle was release from his WWE contract due to personal reasons. The following month, Angle's business manager Dave Hawk said: "Kurt Angle has retired from professional wrestling [and] now plans to fight in the MMA in 2007.''

At the conference Angle spoke of his plans then to join UFC, saying:: "The offer was there to MMA against Brock
(Lesnar). I am interested in MMA. They were offering retirement kind of money -- more than they paid anyone else.''

Dana White, the President of the succesful UFC (Ulitimate Fighting Championship) that showcases talent like Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, expressed interest. On the subject of Dan White, Angle was complimentary, but at the same time dissed White for being too much like WWE's leader, Vince McMahon.

Angle said: "Dana White is a great guy. Look what he did for UFC. He is like Vince McMahon. He wanted me exclusively. If you give me that promise of not owning me, I will even work harder for you. TNA said just come down here and give what you have. Dana White wanted to sign me to a long-term deal.

Angle added: ``I don't even want to say who he wanted me to fight, but it was someone who doesn't even belong in the ring with me. The kid [Daniel Puder] was on Tough Enough. He [White] was only asking me to do the one fight, and I would have destroyed this guy. The money was great, but I couldn't envision myself just sitting there after fighting him and not having any purpose. I'm not going to knock Dana White. He built a great company. I'm always open to Dana White, but he is like Vince."

Watch Great Submission and "Beach" Wrestling" With a Click

There is a lot of Beach Wrestling going on in Brazil. If it has anything to do with fighting then Brizil is doing it. Check out some of these beach wrestling matches at the link below. Let me know what you think about the matches.

QUISSAMA BEACH-WRESTLING

It happened, in this weekend the 2º Beach Wrestling of Fields with Fights of Submission , carried out in the Beach of the Lighthouse of Saint Thomé. The event united several professional athletes with international titles, what guaranteed the presence of the public. Who was in the Beach of the Lighthouse can watch to battles of very high level carried out by idols of the Sport as Rodrigo Gunner, Diego Mould, Vinícius Pedrosa, Daniel Pirate, Felipe Macedo, Wallace Paula, Jonatas Novaes, Paulo Rambinho and Ricardo Pessanha. In the female one had the presence of the Cuban Athlete Liliane Fields and of the Brazilian one Dailane both champions of its categories. The novelty of this edition stayed by count of the group of boys of the SocialProject SOS of the city Hall of Fields, of the School General Dutra and of the Team Alliance, where the 65 infants of the project were able to be presented in the arena beside the big idols of the sport. The direction of the works of Beach Wrestling stayed by count of the renowned one Beto Piglet (Technical Director of the CBLA) with the arbitration of Almir Axe (Director of Arbitration of the CBLA). The Arbitration of the Battles of Submission stayed to charge Of Leonardo Peçanha International Athlete of Jiu-jitsu and Submission with diverse World titles. The big one honored of the night was the Medalhista Olympic Antoine Jaoude that received the trophy of the hands of the Sub Fields Sports Secretary, Mr. Marcelo Queiroz that represented the Mayor Alexandre Mocaiber. The party of the sport stayed complete, with the presence of the Group of Capoeira raízes of Aruanda, that did his presentation with 30 athletes. Leandro Ribeiro Gomes, organizer, stayed satisfied with the result of the event and took advantage of for thank the presence of the public and of the athletes. "It like to do a special gratitude to the Mayor of Fields Mr. Alexandre Mocaiber, to the Secretary of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Mr. Rockfeller of Lima and to the Mr. Marcelo Queiroz sub-secretary of the SICOMTUR."




Watch Great Submission and "Beach" Wrestling" With a Click!
By Takimoto
Friday, March 24, 2006

Recently in The city of Campos and Quissama, north of Rio de Janeiro, two events were held by CBLA (Confederation of Fights) and the submission promoter Leandro Ribeiro Gomes. They were Submission Wrestling de Campos 4 and QUISSAMA BEACH-WRESTLING. What is important about this topic is, the work made by the X-Combat staff. They filmed these events and have made high-lights available of the both the Beach Wrestling and Submission Wrestling events that were mentioned above.

You can access the links in this article and and watch the amazing action of these submission events, that featured the likes of UFC 56 winner Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga, submission super-champion & SHOOTO Brazil veteran Rodrigo Damm, ADCC 2005 female competition veretan Hannete Stack, Olympic Wrestler Antoine Jaoude of Ruas Vale Tudo, Meca FC competitors in Delso Pe-de-Chumbo and Fabricio "PitBull" Monteiro, and many others.

Along with this was the unique and spectactor friendly beach wrestling event, where several BJJ and Luta-Livre back-belts, played victim to the throwing skills of the Brazilian National Wrestling team. They endured the talents of the wrestling
specialists on that hot sand.

Go forward below and check take a look at the skill and fun:

SUBMISSION WRESTLING DE CAMPOS 4

QUISSAMA BEACH-WRESTLING

U.S. Embracing Sumo Wrestling

This is an old article and video but it shows how Sumo Wrestling is growing here in the USA. Go to the link and watch the video. We are going to have some Sumo wrestlers at our next Beach Wrestling event.


(CBS) October marked the first time in 20 years that there's been a professional sumo wrestling tournament in America and The Early Show's Dave Price was there for its triumphant return. The following is his report.


The newest thing to come to Vegas is 1,500 years old, and we're not talking about Phyllis Diller. It's the ancient martial art of sumo wrestling, which dates back to 8th century Japan.

This is two men in a circle of dirt. But as spectator Peter Ridgeway says: "It's two men who take it as seriously as most people take religion. All the professional sports in the U.S. are just about bucks."

So how popular is sumo? It's like football is to Americans and soccer is to Europeans. It is the center of the sport world in Japan and the center of sumo is in the dohyo.

One reason for sumo's popularity is its simplicity. You win by knocking your opponent out of the doyho or by bringing him down to the floor, as demonstrated by American sumo star Musashimaru when I tried to knock him down using my entire body weight — to no avail.

So I asked: If I want to sumo, how do I use my weight to my advantage?

"You run," he said. Run in the other direction, he clarified.

Little has changed since sumo began. It's still steeped in ceremony and formality from the low-tech maintenance of the ring to the traditional costumes of the kimono and mawashi, and the stoic parade of the competitors that begin each tournament. But now the sport is attracting a new generation of fans and competitors.

So I put on a body suit and the traditional mawashi, and walked around the concession stand to see if I could get some fans.

"I think you need to put on a few pounds before you enter the ring, man. You are looking a little skinny," said one man. "I'll buy you some nachos, man." Others passing by just laughed.

I tried to affirm my position. "I appreciate that. I'm very big in Japan," I said. He was incredulous. "Are you? What's your Japanese name?"

"My Japanese name? Never Won," I said.

Matches are scheduled one after another, and wrestlers use the time before each bout to stretch and strategize because sumo is just as much about the mind as it is the body. The actual contest often takes less than 10 seconds.

So I practiced and found out what it was like to fly. Of course, I totally took down my opponent.

You may think that to get so big, sumo wrestlers are constantly eating. But they only have two meals a day: lunch and dinner. One of their strategies is to immediately go to sleep after they eat to pack the pounds, quite literally.

But don't mistake these warriors for chubby guys doing belly bumps — they'll hurt you. Former world champion Konishiki says it's a passion, a calling.

"Why sumo? Why not ice dancing?" I asked.

"For me, ice dancing?" he said. "The ice would crack if I stood on the ice."

Koniski doesn't have to worry about the "icecapades" because, if the enthusiasm in Vegas is any indication, America has an appetite for this pure and simple sport.

Sumo fan Larry Brugger said: "I don't watch baseball. I don't watch football. I watch golf and sumo."

After I got in the ring, I realized that I should stick with golf.

©MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Claremore Wrestling

Claremore Wrestling sign ups this afternoon and Thursday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Claremore High School Wrestling Room. Ages 4-15. Information: Orion Williams, 918-697-6594 (Open); Wil Johnson , 918-727-1575 (Novice); or www.claremorewrestlingclub.org.

Parent-teacher conferences at Claremore elementary schools and junior high, 4:30-8 p.m. Tuesday and 8-11:30 a.m. Wednesday. Contact schools to set up conference times.

Claremore Regional Hospital hosts open house for Inola community to welcome Dr. Jack Morgan, 3:30-5:30 p.m. at his office, 23 W. Commericial Street, Inola. Refreshments served.

Rogers County Master Gardener Association hosts free public educational seminar on “greenhouse gardening,” 7:15-8:45 p.m., Rogers County Building, 416 S. Brady. Speaker: Rodd Moesel, president of American Plant Products and Services, Inc. Information, John Haase, OSU Extension Office, 341-2736.

Rogers County Democrats, 6:30 p.m., Rogers County Building.

www.claremorewrestlingclub.org

Ada wrestling parents

Ada wrestling parents

to meet Oct. 30

ADA — A meeting for parents of Ada wrestlers of all ages has been scheduled for Monday, Oct. 30, at the Ada Junior High cafeteria.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

All parents are encouraged to attend.

For more information, phone Will Evans at (580) 399-9733.

Muhammad Ali

Here’s a great highlight reel of Ali!

Check out this highlight fight of Muhammad Ali. Still the best fighter of our modern times!!!!

A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.
Muhammad Ali

A rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in the dark and he'll never crow. I have seen the light and I'm crowing.
Muhammad Ali

Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.
Muhammad Ali

Boxing is a lot of white men watching two black men beat each other up.
Muhammad Ali

Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.
Muhammad Ali

Frazier is so ugly that he should donate his face to the US Bureau of Wild Life.
Muhammad Ali

Friendship... is not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything.
Muhammad Ali

Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong.
Muhammad Ali

He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.
Muhammad Ali

I am the astronaut of boxing. Joe Louis and Dempsey were just jet pilots. I'm in a world of my own.
Muhammad Ali

I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.
Muhammad Ali

I am the greatest. Not only do I knock em out, I pick the round!
Muhammad Ali

I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and peace.
Muhammad Ali

I figure I'll be champ for about ten years and then I'll let my brother take over - like the Kennedys down in Washington.
Muhammad Ali

I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.
Muhammad Ali

I hated every minute of training, but I said, ''Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.''
Muhammad Ali

I know I got it made while the masses of black people are catchin' hell, but as long as they ain't free, I ain't free.
Muhammad Ali

I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want.
Muhammad Ali

I run on the road, long before I dance under the lights.
Muhammad Ali

I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.
Muhammad Ali

I'll be floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee.
Muhammad Ali

I'll beat him so bad he'll need a shoehorn to put his hat on.
Muhammad Ali

I'm not the greatest; I'm the double greatest. Not only do I knock 'em out, I pick the round.
Muhammad Ali

I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.
Muhammad Ali

I'm the best. I just haven't played yet.
Muhammad Ali

I'm the most recognized and loved man that ever lived cuz there weren't no satellites when Jesus and Moses were around, so people far away in the villages didn't know about them.
Muhammad Ali

If they can make penicillin out of mouldy bread, they can sure make something out of you.
Muhammad Ali

If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize.
Muhammad Ali

It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe.
Muhammad Ali

It's hard to be humble, when you're as great as I am.
Muhammad Ali

It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.
Muhammad Ali

It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.
Muhammad Ali

It's not bragging if you can back it up.
Muhammad Ali

It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.
Muhammad Ali

Life is a gamble. You can get hurt, but people die in plane crashes, lose their arms and legs in car accidents; people die every day. Same with fighters: some die, some get hurt, some go on. You just don't let yourself believe it will happen to you.
Muhammad Ali

Love is a net that catches hearts like a fish.
Muhammad Ali

My toughest fight was with my first wife.
Muhammad Ali

My way of joking is to tell the truth. That's the funniest joke in the world.
Muhammad Ali

No one knows what to say in the loser's locker room.
Muhammad Ali

Old age is just a record of one's whole life.
Muhammad Ali

Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.
Muhammad Ali

Only the nose knows, Where the nose goes, When the door close.
Muhammad Ali

Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams - they all have different names, but they all contain water. Just as religions do - they all contain truths.
Muhammad Ali

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.
Muhammad Ali

Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer.
Muhammad Ali

Superman don't need no seat belt.
Muhammad Ali

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.
Muhammad Ali

The man who has no imagination has no wings.
Muhammad Ali

The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.
Muhammad Ali

There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.
Muhammad Ali

There are no pleasures in a fight but some of my fights have been a pleasure to win.
Muhammad Ali

To be able to give away riches is mandatory if you wish to possess them. This is the only way that you will be truly rich.
Muhammad Ali

Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change.
Muhammad Ali

We have one life; it soon will be past; what we do for God is all that will last.
Muhammad Ali

What keeps me going is goals.
Muhammad Ali

When you are as great as I am it is hard to be humble.
Muhammad Ali

When you can whip any man in the world, you never know peace.
Muhammad Ali

RPW TV Syndication Times

WE WANT REAL PRO WRESTLING IN OKLAHOMA!!!! CALL YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATION TODAY AND LET THEM KNOW!!! WE WANT REAL PRO WRESTLING IN OKLAHOMA!!! CONTACT LIST FOR TELIVISION STATIONS BELOW


TV Syndication Times
Thursday, 21 September 2006

Listed below are the times and stations for the stations for RPW Syndicated TV. More stations will be added on-going. If you're not receiving RPW in your local area, call your local stations and ask for it. If you are receiving it, call and let them know you appreciate them carrying RPW.
Station and Times
Market Station Day Time
Albany
WNYA
Saturday
12:00 noon

Norfolk
WSKY
Saturday
6:00 pm

Cincinatti
WBQC
Sunday
4:00 pm

Omaha
WOWT
Saturday
1:00 pm

Mobile
WJTC
Saturday
7:00 pm

Baton Rouge
WBXH
Saturday
12:00 noon

Springfield, MO
KYTV/KCZ
Saturday
12:00 noon

Spokane
KXLY
Sunday
2:00 pm


Yakima
KAPP
Sunday
2:00 pm

Roanoke
WDRL
Saturday
5:00 pm

Charleston, WV
WSAZ
Sunday
4:00 pm

Flint
WBSF
Sunday
12:00 noon

Columbus, OH
WSFJ
Saturday
8:00 pm

Binghamton
WBPN
Saturday
1:00 am

Wausaw, WI
WSAW
Sunday
9:30 pm

Sioux Falls
KCPO
Friday
8:00 pm CST

Fargo
KCPM
Saturday
6:00 pm

Rapid City
KCPL
Friday
7:00 pm MST

Harrisburg
WHP
Saturday
10:00 pm


Tulsa

Fox 23
918-491-0023 • 2625 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa,OK 74129

Kotv/Cw12(kqcw)
918-732-6000 • 302 S Frankfort, PO Box 6, Tulsa,OK 74120

Channel 6
918-732-6000 • 302 S Frankfort Ave, PO Box 6, Tulsa,OK 74120

KJRH
918-743-2222 • 3701 S Peoria Ave, PO Box 2, Tulsa,OK 74105

KTUL
918-445-8888 • 3333 S 29th West Ave, PO Box 8, Tulsa,OK 74107

OKLAHOMA Education TV Auth
918-838-7611 • 811 N Sheridan Rd, Tulsa,OK 74115

KWBT
918-270-1919 • 6910 E 14th St, Tulsa,OK 74112

Outpouring Ministries
918-748-3600 • 3702 E 51st St, Tulsa,OK 74135

KTPX
918-664-1044 • 5800 E Skelly Dr # 101, Tulsa,OK 74135

Clear Channel Television Inc
918-491-0023 • 2625 S Memorial Dr # Ab, Tulsa,OK 74129

KOKI
918-491-0023 • 2625 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa,OK 74129

KTFO
918-491-0023 • 2625 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa,OK 74129

Cox Media
918-669-4740 • 6650 E 44th St, Tulsa,OK 74145

KGEB
918-488-5300 • 7777 S Lewis Ave, Tulsa,OK 74171

Cox Communications Tulsa
918-665-0200 • 8421 E 61st St # U, Tulsa,OK 74133

Cox Communications
918-806-6000 • 11811 E 51st St., Tulsa,OK 74146


KDOR TV 17-TBN
918-333-7778 • 2120 N Yellowood Ave, Broken Arrow,OK 74012

Oklahoma City

KUOT
405-424-4019 • 4500 N Lincoln Blvd, Oklahoma City,OK 73105

Tyler Broadcasting
405-616-5500 • 5101 S Shields Blvd, Oklahoma City,OK 73129

Univision of Oklahoma
405-917-1713 • 312 S Quadrum Dr, Oklahoma City,OK 73108

KWTV-TELEVISION
405-843-6641 • 7401 N Kelley Ave, PO Box 14159, Oklahoma City,OK 73111

Oeta TV
405-848-8501 • 7403 N Kelley Ave, PO Box 14190, Oklahoma City,OK 73111

GRIFFIN Communications Llc
405-843-6641 • 7401 N Kelley Ave, PO Box 14159, Oklahoma City,OK 73111

Channel 13
405-848-8501 • 7403 N Kelley Ave, Oklahoma City,OK 73111

KOCB
405-478-3434 • 1228 E Wilshire Blvd, Oklahoma City,OK 73111

KOKH
405-478-3434 • 1228 E Wilshire Blvd, Oklahoma City,OK 73111

KSBI Television Network
405-631-7335 • 1350 SE 82nd St, Oklahoma City,OK 73149

Oklahoma Publishing Co
405-475-3311 • 9000 Broadway Ext, PO Box 25125, Oklahoma City,OK 73114

KRXO
405-794-4000 • 400 E Britton Rd, PO Box 14818, Oklahoma City,OK 73114

KFOR
405-424-4444 • 444 E Britton Rd, PO Box 14068, Oklahoma City,OK 73114

KOCO
405-478-3000 • 1300 E Britton Rd, PO Box 14555, Oklahoma City,OK 73131

Trinity Broadcasting Channel
405-848-1414 • 1600 E Hefner Rd, Oklahoma City,OK 73131

Sunshine State TV Network Inc
405-912-8807 • 3920 SE 104th St, Oklahoma City,OK 73160

Tiger Eye Broadcasting Inc
405-912-8807 • 3920 SE 104th St, Oklahoma City,OK 73160

KAUT
405-478-4300 • 11901 N Eastern Ave, Oklahoma City,OK 73131

KKCC
405-794-5826 • 12000 S I 44 Service Rd, Oklahoma City,OK 73170



Lawton

Kswo
580-355-6397 • 1 SW 60th St, PO Box 708, Lawton,OK 73501

Kswo TV
580-355-7000 • 1401 SE 60th St, PO Box 708, Lawton,OK 73501

Four-time NCAA champs looking for new wrestling stars to emerge

By Ryan Steele
STILLWATER NEWSPRESS (STILLWATER, Okla.)

Stillwater, Okla. — The Oklahoma State wrestling room is missing a few familiar faces these days.

Gone are national champions Steve Mocco, Jake Rosholt and Zack Esposito. Veterans Kevin Ward and Rusty Blackmon are also missing from a program that claimed its fourth consecutive NCAA title last season.

But as head coach John Smith likes to say, “It’s somebody else’s turn to step up.”

The Cowboys, who will hit the mats Nov. 2 for the annual Orange-Black intrasquad dual and open the 2006-07 season on Nov. 12 at Gallagher-Iba Arena against UC-Davis, do return plenty of firepower.

Edmond product Johny Hendricks, a two-time national champion, could be the team’s lone senior with Coleman Scott and Nathan Morgan, both moving up a weight class, also bringing back All-American hardware from last season.

“There’s going to be a lot of new faces in the lineup,” said Smith, whose squad outscored Minnesota to claim the program’s 34th championship at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City last March. “It’s just a different feel right now. We’ve had lots of experience the last few years and that makes a big difference.

“Experience to me is guys knowing how to win tough matches.”

Hendricks has won more than a few “tough” matches. The senior 165-pounder was 29-1 as a junior and takes a 93-12 career record into his final collegiate season — seven of those losses came during his redshirt-freshman season in which he finished fifth at the NCAAs as a 157-pounder.

Scott, a junior 133-pounder, was 31-7 a year ago and made a memorable run in Oklahoma City after a first-round loss in the 125-pound bracket. The Pennsylvanian would finish fifth, his second All-American medal.

Morgan, also a junior, was 32-4 as a sophomore 133-pounder last season. Three of the Californian’s losses were during a sixth-place NCAA showing.

Brandon Mason also returns. The sophomore 174-pounder advanced to the quarterfinals in OKC but dropped two straight bouts and did not place. The Iowan was 24-13 in 2005-06.

“It might be a little rocky at times … that might be the process we take,” said Smith after Tuesday’s practice. “I do believe we’ve had a good preseason and I’m excited about the opportunity for several of these guys to be in the lineup. They came here to wrestle for Oklahoma State and they are going to get that chance.”

As many as six weight classes will see first-year starters.

Tuttle junior B.J. Jackson is among those who have “waited their turn.” The 149-pounder was a two-time state champion in high school and has been Esposito’s training partner for the better part of three seasons.

Another junior, Jack Jenson, has been in and out of the starting lineup but could be the No. 1 guy at 184 pounds when the season kicks off.

The remaining four starters include two redshirt-freshmen and a sophomore. The 197-pound spot, with the possible departure of Bristow’s Carl Hines and the suspension of Clay Kehrer, is up for grabs.

The redshirt-freshmen are Ponca City products Tyler Shinn at 125 and Jared Rosholt at 285, while Vinita’s Newly McSpadden, who was 20-6 as a part-time starter last season, is set to take over for Ward at 157.

Junior Chance Cointment, sophomore Jared Shelton from Sand Springs, and Stillwater’s Jake Duke, a junior, may all see the mat at 197.

Prize recruits Jordan Frishkorn, a 141-pounder, and Ben Ashmore, a 125-pounder, are expected to redshirt.



Ryan Steele writes for the Stillwater (Okla.) Newspress.

FRANK TRIGG JOINS THE FIGHT NETWORK BROADCAST TEAM

Toronto, Canada– October 18th, 2006 ––The Fight Network TM, North America’s first and only twenty-four (24) hour combatant sports and entertainment channel, announced today that Frank Trigg, a world-class mixed martial arts competitor and color commentator for PRIDE Fighting Championships, has joined The Fight Network broadcast team, as an on-air analyst for the Network’s expanding news coverage for the sport of mixed martial arts (“MMA”) across all of its distribution platforms of television, radio, mobile and web.
“We are very excited to have Frank join our team of experts,” said Mike Garrow, President of The Fight Network. “Frank is a unique talent and selection from an on-air perspective given the fact that he is still an active competitor and coach in the sport who is very candid with his opinions and thoughts, which I feel will only add another exciting dimension for our consumers who come to The Fight Network looking for that “edge” with their news and analysis coverage each and everyday for MMA.”

Frank Trigg is an American mixed martial arts fighter who has competed all over the world with such promotions as PRIDE Fighting Championships, UFC, Rumble on the Rock and the World Fighting Alliance. Frank has also coached wrestling at the University of Oklahoma, where he is also a graduate with a degree in Public Affairs. Trigg’s media experience comes in the form of various articles he has written for fight-orientated magazines and Internet websites that cover the sport of MMA. Trigg is the former co-host of the MMA Weekly radio show with the late Ryan Bennett and is the current color commentator for PRIDE Fighting Championships pay-per-view events. Trigg is also the owner of an urban athletic wear company called Triggonomics.
“I am fired up,” said Trigg. “I never pull any punches when it comes to my views on the sport I love. Now with the multiple media platforms The Fight Network provides at my disposal, all I can say is tune in - there will be fireworks.”

About The Fight Network:

The Fight Network is a cross-platform media company with brand interest in television, pay-per-view radio, mobile and web. All five of these media offerings are seamlessly integrated to offer fans of combatant sports and related entertainment a true convergence experience. The Fight Network Inc. corporate headquarters is located in Toronto, Canada. Additional information on the company can be found at www.thefightnetwork.com.
Contact:

Stephen Murdoch
OEB International C/O The Fight Network Inc.
Public Relations/Public Affairs
Bus: (905) 682-7203 extension 22
Fax: (905) 682-7481
E-mail: smurdoch@oeb.com

Dawn of a new era

The Cael Sanderson era of Iowa State wrestling has officially begun.
Sanderson, who was named the Cyclones' head coach last spring after Bobby Douglas stepped down, introduced his team Tuesday at wrestling media day and said the Cyclones have the potential to win the school's first NCAA championship since 1987.
"This team is going to be real competitive with everybody," Sanderson said. "We've got big plans, and we expect to win; we expect to win everything."
Sanderson has reason to be optimistic. ISU returns three All-Americans in Trent Paulson at 157 pounds, Travis Paulson at 165 and Kurt Backes at 197. They could be joined in the starting lineup at 174 by either junior David Bertolino or senior Grant Turner and as many as six redshirt freshmen."
"It's going to be a good year," Sanderson said. "The freshmen have been tested and are used to having pressure on them. The college season is different with tough competition week in and week out, but I've got a lot of confidence in these guys and they're ability and their excitement.
"They're everything everyone has said they are. It's going to be a great class."
The freshmen Sanderson is so high on are Nick Fanthorpe at 125, Nick Gallick at 133, Mitch Mueller at 141, Cyler Sanderson at 149, Jake Varner at 184 and heavyweight David Zabriskie.
Of those six, Gallick, the brother of 2005 ISU national champion Nate Gallick, Mueller, Varner and Zabraskie appear to be all but assured of starting spots when the Cyclones open the season Nov. 10 against Buena Vista.
Sanderson said Fanthorpe is battling junior Ben Hanisch for a starting position, and that Cyler Sanderson, the coach's brother, is going against Jason Knipp and Aron Scott.
Cyler Sanderson suffered a knee injury while competing in a junior national tournament in July 2005 and hasn't seen any real competition for about 15 months after spending most of the 2005-06 season in rehab.
"He's been wrestling live since February of last year, but hasn't competed for aboutg15 months," Sanderson said. "He's making a lot of progress and is training hard every day."
Cyler Sanderson said his knee is fine, and that he's ready for the season to begin.
"The knee is doing real well," he said. "It's feeling really good, and I'm ready to go."
A change this season will find Backes, a senior, moving to 197 to make room for Varner. Sophomore Joe Curran, who wrestled at 197 last season as a true freshman, will redshirt this year.
"I feel real comfortable with Backes going to 197, and I think he feels good about it," Cael Sanderson said. "He's so powerful and strong and is going to be a lot to handle.
"I think it's a great move for him and a great move for our team. With his speed, his athleticism, his ability to scramble, he's going to be tough to compete with."
Backes, who admitted that cutting weight has always been a problem, said he, too, is happy at 197.
"I was never a big weight cutter, and this year is going to be totally different," said Backes, who earned All-American honors in 2003-04, but has failed to place in the last two national tournaments.
The Paulson twins, also seniors, are two-time All-Americans. Trent Paulson earned All-American honors with fourth-place finishes the past two seasons, and Travis Paulson was an All-American in 2003-04, when he finished sixth, and again last season with another sixth-place finish.
"I feel blessed because it's a great opportunity to lead," Trent Paulson said. "Having six freshmen on the team, I just want to do whatever I can to get them to that next level."
Trent Paulson said that after Sanderson was named head coach, he asked each team member to commit four days a week to being in the wrestling room.
"We've built some team unity, we're working together and it's just been great having that many people in here training over the summer," Paulson said.
Sanderson, a four-time national champion at ISU and an Olympic champion in 2004, said the kind of effort his team gives will dictate what kind of season it has.
"That was my philosophy, and that's the same philosophy we have now with each and every individual," Sanderson said. "If we can get a total effort out of each guy, and we have so far, it's going to be a special team.
"I'm not real patient. I want to win right now. Coach Douglas left us with some great talent, and we are going to be able to compete right away. Everyone expects us to do well, and I like to have that pressure. It means you are in a place that cares about wrestling."
Sanderson said he expects the Big 12 Conference to be as competitive as always, adding that perennial power Oklahoma State can't be considered the league favorite this season.
"Oklahoma State isn't the clear favorite this year," Sanderson said. "We're going to contend for that title. It will be fun to see how things turn out.
"This team is good enough to win (a national championship). The freshmen have to keep coming along and continue to improve throughout the season. We've got three seniors that are expecting to be national champions, and I know we've got some freshmen that are expecting to be national champions.
"With that attitude, if we come together as a team, the sky's the limit. And things are only going to get better from here on out."

Dick Kelly can be reached at 232-2161, Ext. 355, or dkelly@amestrib.com.

Southern Regional Qualifier Event Detail

Southern Regional Qualifier Event Detail Print E-mail

Event Detail

Date: Saturday: Nov. 18th 2006

Location: Tulsa Convention Center, 100 Civic Center, Tulsa, OK 74103-3822

(918) 596-7177

Website: http://www.tulsaconvention.com/

Map: 100 Civic Ctr. Tulsa, OK 74103, US

Directions: http://www.tulsaconvention.com/dt_map.asp

Schedule:

8:30 a.m. - Doors open

9:00 a.m. - RPW Rules Clinic

10:00 a.m. - Quarter-Final Round (free)

11:30 a.m. - Semi-Final Round (free)

2:30 p.m. - RPW Fan Fest ($5/person, $20/family, $30/team)

5:00 p.m. - Championship Finals

6:30 p.m. - Awards Ceremony

8:00 p.m. - After Party - TBA

Basic Admission: $5/person

RPW Fan Fest Package:
$20/family or $30/team. Includes clinics, autographs, admission to finals, free stuff, live music.

All morning session wrestling is free. Ticket will be available at the door.

Lodging: Reserve hotel by October 19th. Several events are going on in the area.

Doubletree Hotel Tulsa Downtown, 616 W. Seventh Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States 74127-8983

(918) 587-8000

Transportation: http://www.tulsaairports.com/tia/ground_transportation.html

Wrestler Info.

Application Status

All wrestlers who submit their application will receive periodic emails updating them of their status. If you have any questions regarding your status or other event details, email laura@realprowrestling.com

Weigh ins

Event weigh-ins will be on Friday 6-9 pm at the Doubletree Hotel Tulsa Downtown in Tulsa. A sauna will be available at the YMCA across the street. Fruit and gatorade will be available after weigh-ins.

International weights apply: 55 kg, 60 kg, 66 kg, 74 kg, 84 kg, 96 kg, 120 kg. Weight allowance is 3 kg (6.6 lbs)

Credentials

Wrestlers will be given an event credential at weigh-ins, along with two complimentary tickets to use for coaches, family or friends.

USA Wrestling cards

Every wrestler will be required to have a USA Wrestling card. If a wrestler doesn't have one, you can apply for a card on-line at: http://www.themat.com/membership.php

Uniforms

Each wrestler will be required to bring at least 1 red and 1 blue singlet. Blood handkerchiefs are also required.

Travel and Lodging
Host hotel is the Doubletree Hotel Tulsa Downtown. 616 W. Seventh Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States 74127-8983
Phone: (918) 587-8000 Fax: (918) 587-3001 Rate: $89.00. Rate Code: RPW

http://doubletree.hilton.com/en/dt/groups/personalized/tulsddt_rpw/index.jhtml

A shuttle from the airport and to the venue will be available for all athletes. Please email your travel information to laura@realprowrestling.com .

Rental cars are available at the Tulsa airport. The Doubletree Hotel Tulsa Downtown is the wrestler's host hotel.

Local sports information

We want to promote you and our sport, so send your local sports editor's contact information to dean@realprowrestling.com .
For any additional information or to volunteer, email Laura: laura@realprowrestling.com


Media Information

Wrestler Application for Southern Regional Qualifier #4

Nickerson and Hazewinkel to battle at 125 for 41st NWCA All-Star Classic

DATE: 10/18/2006 2:13:00 PM
By Jason Bryant
jbryant@intermatwrestle.com

The first weight is set.

Three-time All-American Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma will wrestle returning NCAA runner-up Troy Nickerson of Cornell at 125 pounds at the 41st annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States schedule for November 20 at the Dallas Convention Center Arena.

Hazewinkel, a Florida native, has placed third in all three seasons wrestling for Jack Spates’ Sooners, while Nickerson made his way to the finals his true freshman season, falling to Joe Dubuque of Indiana.

Hazewinkel starts the year ranked atop the InterMat/NWCA/NWMA Division I individual rankings ahead of Nickerson despite finishing a spot below at the NCAA Division I Championships last season in Oklahoma City.

The pair met once last season, with Hazewinkel winning a 2-0 bout in Cedar Falls, Iowa at the NWCA National Duals.

A two-time Big 12 champion and three-time conference finalist, Hazewinkel has yet to make an NCAA final, but has done well in past All-Star Classic appearances.

Now a three-time participant, Hazewinkel will face his second opponent in Nickerson. In 2004 and 2005, the Sooner senior beat Michigan State’s Nick Simmons 2-0 and 6-2.

“It’s going to be nice to wrestle somebody else,” said Hazewinkel. “Nick’s an athlete -- long and lanky -- and in no way do I have an easier opponent (in Nickerson).”

“(Nickerson’s) tough and I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a fun match,” said Hazewinkel. “We’re both go-er’s.”

As a three-time competitor in the event, Hazewinkel acknowledges the importance of starting the year off strong, and while the All-Star Classic doesn’t count in the official season records, it’s still crucial for the competitors.

“It lets you know where you’re at technically and with your shape and whether you are peaking right,” said Hazewinkel. “It’s great to wrestle a top-notch opponent right at the start.”

Nickerson will be making his first appearance in the All-Star Classic and will be the first Cornell wrestler to compete since Dustin Manotti in 2005 when the event was held at SIU-Edwardsville.

The Cornell sophomore is also eyeing his bout with Hazewinkel.

“I'm really looking forward to it,” Nickerson said. “It’s a little revenge match from last year. I'm looking forward to getting out there and getting it on.”

Both wrestlers had just one loss entering the NCAA championships – Hazewinkel to Simmons in a late-season dual, while Nickerson’s lone loss entering the tournament was to Hazewinkel.

“I'm definitely a lot more confident wrestler this time around,” said Nickerson. “Last year, he had a lot of strength on me and out-muscled me. I was in quite a bit of times and I just couldn't finish on him.”

“At the end of last year I really worked on getting stronger and I feel I'm going to be one of the more powerful 125-pounders this year. I'll hopefully be right there matching up with (Hazewinkel’s) strength and hopefully my technique will pull through,” said Nickerson.

Hazewinkel finished the year 30-2, while Nickerson finished up 36-2.

When asked about a prediction, a laid-back Hazewinkel said: “I’m predicting I win, but obviously you always want yourself to win. I want the match to be exciting and I’m hoping it won’t be a slow match. I want people to keep coming to the All-Star.”

Nickerson’s goal is the same.

“I'm going out there to win, we'll see what happens,” he said.

With Dallas as the host and the event coming to Texas for the first time, Hazewinkel believes it’s going to be quality for everyone.

“I’m excited about it (being in Texas),” said Hazewinkel. “We should have a good fan base and it should be fun.”

Nickerson agreed.

“I wrestled out there a few years ago for the Dream Team Classic,” said Nickerson. “It's nice out there and you get to see a little different scene.”

“It should be fun.”

Announced Match-ups
125: #1 Sam Hazewinkel, Sr. (Oklahoma) vs. #2 Troy Nickerson, So. (Cornell)

WHEN: November 20, 2006
WHERE: Dallas Convention Center Arena, Dallas, Texas
TICKETS: $20 floor seating, $15 reserved (discounts for groups of 10 or more)
More information on tickets can be found at www.lonestarduals.com

Oklahoma University 2006-2007 WRESTLING SCHEDULE

Thu, Nov 02 Red/White Ranking Match at Edmond, Okla. 7 PM
Sat, Nov 04 Missouri Valley/OCU Norman 5 and 7 PM
curve Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic
Sat, Nov 11 Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic at Brockport, N.Y. All Day
curve spacer
curve Missouri Open
Sun, Nov 19 Missouri Open at Columbia, Mo. All Day
curve spacer
curve Oklahoma Open
Sat, Nov 25 Oklahoma Open Norman All Day
curve spacer
Wed, Nov 29 Central Oklahoma Norman 7 PM
Sun, Dec 03 Oklahoma State Norman 3 PM
Sat, Dec 09 Cal-Poly at San Luis, Calif. 6 PM
curve Lone Star Duals
Sat, Jan 06 Lone Star Duals at South Grand Prairie, Texas All Day
curve spacer
curve NWCA National Duals
Sat, Jan 13 NWCA National Duals at Cedar Falls, Iowa All Day
Sun, Jan 14 NWCA National Duals at Cedar Falls, Iowa All Day
curve spacer
Sat, Jan 20 Oregon Norman 7:30 PM
Fri, Jan 26 Iowa State at Ames, Iowa 7 PM
Fri, Feb 02 Arizona State at Tempe, Ariz. 7 PM
Sun, Feb 04 Missouri Norman 3 PM
Fri, Feb 09 Nebraska Norman 7 PM
Sun, Feb 11 Oklahoma State at Stillwater, Okla. 2 PM
Sat, Feb 17 Hofstra Norman 7 PM
Fri, Feb 23 Michigan State at East Lansing, Mich. 7 PM
curve Big 12 Championships
Sat, Mar 03 N/A at Columbia, Mo. All Day
curve spacer
curve NCAA Championships
Thu, Mar 15 N/A at Detroit, Mich. All Day
Fri, Mar 16 N/A at Detroit, Mich. All Day
Sat, Mar 17 N/A at Detroit, Mich. All Day

University of Central Oklahoma Wrestling - 2006-07 Schedule

Thu, Nov 02 Bronze Blue Intrasquad Edmond, Okla. 7:00 p.m.
Sun, Nov 12 Central Missouri State Open at Warrensburg, Mo. 10:00 a.m.
Sun, Nov 19 Missouri Open at Columbia, Mo. 9:00 a.m.
Wed, Nov 29 University of Oklahoma at Norman, Okla. 7:00 p.m.
Thu, Nov 30 Chadron State Edmond, Okla. 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Dec 02 Fort Hays State Open at Hays, Kan. 9:00 a.m.
Wed, Dec 13 Oklahoma City University Edmond, Okla. 7:00 p.m.
Thu, Jan 04 Western State Edmond, Okla. 7:00 p.m.
curve Lone Star Duals
Sat, Jan 06 Boise State at Grand Prairie, Texas TBA
Sat, Jan 06 Air Force at Grand Prairie, Texas TBA
Sat, Jan 06 Newman at Grand Prairie, Texas TBA
Sat, Jan 06 Marion Military at Grand Prairie, Texas TBA
curve spacer
Sat, Jan 13 -
Sun, Jan 14 NWCA National Duals at Cedar Falls, Iowa TBA
Fri, Jan 19 New Mexico Highlands Edmond, Okla. 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Jan 20 Adams State Edmond, Okla. 2:00 p.m.
Sat, Jan 27 Fort Hays State Edmond, Okla. 7:00 p.m.
Thu, Feb 01 Nebraska-Kearney at Kearney, Neb. 7:00 p.m.
Fri, Feb 02 Nebraska-Omaha at Omaha, Neb. 7:00 p.m.
Thu, Feb 08 Central Missouri State at Warrensburg, Mo. 7:30 p.m.
Sat, Feb 10 Truman State Edmond, Okla. 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Feb 24 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional at Ashland, Ohio TBA
Fri, Mar 09 -
Sat, Mar 10 NCAA Division II Nationals at Kearney, Neb.

Oklahoma City University 2006-07 Wrestling Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time/Result
10/27/2006 vs Lindenwood Open St. Charles, Mo. 9:00 AM
11/4/2006 at Oklahoma Norman, Okla. 7:00 PM
11/10/2006 Blue-White Ranking Matches Abe Lemons Arena 7:00 PM
11/12/2006 vs Central Missouri State Open Warrensburg, Mo. 9:00 AM
11/17/2006 at Dana (Neb.) Blair, Neb. 7:00 PM
11/18/2006 vs Nebraska-Omaha Open Omaha, Neb. 9:00 AM
11/22/2006 vs Newman (Kan.) in William Penn Duals Oskaloosa, Iowa 12:00 PM
11/22/2006 at William Penn (Iowa) Oskaloosa, Iowa 1:30 PM
11/22/2006 vs York (Neb.) in William Penn Duals Oskaloosa, Iowa 3:00 PM
11/25/2006 vs Oklahoma Open Norman, Okla. 9:00 AM
12/2/2006 vs Fort Hays State Open Fort Hays, Kan.
12/7/2006 Newman (Kan.) Abe Lemons Arena 7:00 PM
12/13/2006 at Central Oklahoma Edmond, Okla. 7:00 PM
1/5/2007 Western State (Colo.) Abe Lemons Arena 2:00 PM
1/5/2007 Bacone Abe Lemons Arena 7:00 PM
1/12/2007-1/13/2007 vs NAIA National Duals Cedar Falls, Iowa
1/17/2007 at Missouri Valley Marshall, Mo. 7:00 PM
1/20/2007 New Mexico Highlands Abe Lemons Arena 1:00 PM
1/25/2007 at McKendree (Ill.) Lebanon, Ill. 2:00 PM
1/25/2007 at Lindenwood (Mo.) St. Charles, Mo. 7:00 PM
1/27/2007 vs Campbellsville Duals Campbellsville, Ky.
2/3/2007 vs Missouri Valley Open Marshall, Mo. 9:00 AM
2/11/2007 Truman State (Mo.) Abe Lemons Arena 1:00 PM
2/17/2007 vs NAIA Central Regional Marshall, Mo. 9:00 AM
3/1/2007-3/3/2007 vs NAIA Championships Sioux City, Iowa

Colby Community College Wrestling Schedule

Wrestling Schedule
DATE OPPONENT TIME RESULT
3/11 >> Wrestling at Labette -- (pending)
10/17 >> Dan Gable To Speak on Oct. 17 -- (pending)
11/03 >> Wrestling at N.W. Wyoming Open TBA --
11/12 >> Wrestling at UNC Open TBA --
11/15 >> Wrestling at Pratt Dual TBA --
11/18 Wrestling at Cowboy Open TBA --
12/01 >> Wrestling vs. Neosho TBA --
12/02 >> Wrestling at Fort Hays State Open TBA --
12/03 >> Wrestling hosts Labette --
12/09 >> Wrestling at Kearney U.N. TBA --
1/03 >> Wrestling Dual vs Lincoln TBA --
1/05 >> Wrestling hosts Tournament of Champions TBA --
1/13 >> Wreslting at National Duals TBA --
1/16 >> Wrestling hosts Pratt TBA --
1/19 >> Wrestling at Worthington Open TBA --
1/25 >> Wrestling at Lincoln Dual TBA --
1/26 >> Wrestling at Meramec Duals TBA --
2/10 >> Wrestling at National Qualifier in Neosho TBA --
2/23 >> Wrestling NJCAA Finals TBA --

Labette 2006-07 Wrestling Schedule

October

10/28/06
Saturday
Alumni Duel
Parsons, KS
10:00 am


November
11/4/06
Saturday
Cameron Bradshaw Takedown Tournament
Parsons, KS
9:00 am

11/5/06
Sunday
Pratt Duel
Parsons, KS
2:00 pm

11/9/06
Thursday
Black and Red Frenzy
Parsons, KS
5:00 pm

11/15/06
Wednesday
Neosho Duel
Chanute, KS
7:00 pm

11/18/06
Saturday
Omaha Ryan Kaufman Open
Omaha, NE
9:00 am

11/25/06
Saturday
Oklahoma University Open
Norman, OK
9:00 am

11/28/06
Tuesday
JR High Tournament
Parsons, KS
3:30 pm

December
12/2/06
Saturday
Ft. Hays State Open
Hays, KS
9:00 am

12/3/06
Sunday
Colby Duel
Colby, KS
2:00 pm

12/9/06
Saturday
University of Nebraska @ Kearney Open
Kearney, NE
9:00 am

12/11/06
Monday
Colby Duel
Parsons, KS
7:00 pm

January
Ridgewater MN Duel
Parsons, Ks
1/5/07 & 1/6/07
Fri-Sat

Colby Tournament of Champions
Colby, KS
TBA


1/9/07
Tuesday
Pratt
Pratt, KS
6:00 pm

1/13/07 & 1/14/07
Sat-Sun
2006 Cliff Keen /NWCA National Duels
Cedar Falls, IA
TBA

1/18/07
Thursday
Neosho Duals
Parsons, KS


7:00 pm
1/20/07
Saturday
Lincoln Duels
Lincoln, IL
9:00 am

1/26/07 & 1/27/07
Fri-Sat
Apodaca Dual Showdown
Powell, WY
7:00pm

February
2/10/07
Saturday
West/Central Zone Qualifier
Chanute, Ks
TBA

2/23/07 & 2/24/07
Fri-Sat
Nationals
Rochester, MN
9:30 am
10:30 am

Oklahoma State University Wrestling - 2006-07 Schedule/Results

Wrestling - 2006-07 Schedule/Results
Season

Date Opponent Location Time (CST) Results Media
Sun, Nov 12 UC Davis Stillwater, Okla. 2 p.m. 93.7 FM
Thu, Nov 16 Michigan State Stillwater, Okla. 7 p.m. 93.7 FM
Sat, Nov 18 UNO Open at Omaha, Neb. All Day
Mon, Nov 20 NWCA All-Star Classic at Dallas, Texas TBA
Sun, Dec 03 Oklahoma * at Norman, Okla. 3 p.m. 93.7 FM
Wed, Dec 06 Minnesota at Minneapolis, Minn. TBA 93.7 FM
Mon, Dec 18 Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo, Calif. 1 p.m. 93.7 FM
Wed, Dec 20 Reno Tournament of Champions at Reno, Nev. All Day 93.7 FM
curve Lone Star Duals
Sat, Jan 06 Lone Star Duals at Grand Prairie, Texas All Day 93.7 FM
curve spacer
curve NWCA National Duals
Sat, Jan 13 -
Sun, Jan 14 NWCA National Duals at Cedar Falls, Iowa ALL Day CSTV
93.7 FM
curve spacer
Fri, Jan 19 Iowa Stillwater, Okla. 8 p.m. ESPNU
93.7 FM
Sun, Jan 21 Oregon Stillwater, Okla. 2 PM 93.7 FM
Sat, Jan 27 Northern Iowa at Cedar Falls, Iowa 7 p.m. 93.7 FM
Sun, Jan 28 Iowa State * at Ames, Iowa 2 p.m. 93.7 FM
Thu, Feb 01 Nebraska * at Lincoln, Neb. 7 p.m. 93.7 FM
Sat, Feb 03 Missouri * Stillwater, Okla. 7 p.m. 93.7 FM
Sun, Feb 11 Oklahoma * Stillwater, Okla. 2 p.m. 93.7 FM
Sat, Mar 03 Big 12 Championships at Columbia, Mo. All Day 93.7 FM
Thu, Mar 15 -
Sat, Mar 17 NCAA Championships at Auburn Hills, Mich. ALL Day 93.7 FM
* Conference Games

Neosho 2006-2007 Wrestling Schedule

Date Team Place Time
Sat. Nov. 4 Labette TD Open Parsons, KS 9:00 am
Thu. Nov. 9 Bacone College (dual) Muskogee, OK 3:00 pm
SAT. NOV. 11 PRATT C.C. (DUAL) HOME 3:00 pm
Sun. Nov. 12 CMSU Open Warrensburg, MO 9:00 am
WED. NOV. 15 LABETTE C.C. (DUAL) HOME 7:00 pm
Sat. Nov. 18 UNO Open Omaha, NE 9:00 am
Sat. Nov. 25 Oklahoma Open Norman, OK 9:00 am
Fri. Dec. 1 Colby C.C. (dual) Colby, KS 7:00 pm
Sat. Dec. 2 FHSU Open Hays, KS 9:00 am
Fri. Jan. 5 Colby Duals Colby, KS TBA
Sat. Jan. 6 Colby TOC Colby, KS 9:00 am
Thu. Jan. 11 Pratt C.C. (dual) Pratt, KS 7:00 pm
TUE. JAN. 16 COLBY C.C. (DUAL) Home 7:00 pm
Thu. Jan. 18 Labette C.C. (dual) Parson, KS 7:00 pm
Sat. Jan. 20 CMSU Open Warrensburg, MO 9:00 am
THU. JAN. 25 BACONE COLLEGE (DUAL) HOME 7:00 pm
SAT. fEB. 10 WEST/CENTRAL NJCAA REGION HOME 9:00 am
Fri. Feb. 23 NJCAA National Championships Rochester, MN TBA
Sat. Feb. 24 NJCAA National Championships Rochester, MN TBA

Cowboy Wrestling Sets Orange and Black Dual

Courtesy: Athletic Media Relations
Release: 10/17/2006

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John Smith is getting set for his 16th season at the helm of the Cowboy wrestling program.
View larger Courtesy: Jeremy Cook
John Smith is getting set for his 16th season at the helm of the Cowboy wrestling program.
STILLWATER, Okla. - Oklahoma State head wrestling coach John Smith announced the Orange and Black Dual will be held on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The Cowboys have six spots to fill off of last season’s NCAA championship team. All-Americans Coleman Scott and Nathan Morgan will both move up in weight to 133 and 141, respectively. NCAA champion Johny Hendricks returns for his senior season at 165 pounds, and sophomore Brandon Mason is back at 174 after qualifying for the NCAA Championships a year ago.

Despite the loss of six starters and three NCAA champions, the Cowboys are ranked second in the preseason polls after graduating three former NCAA champions. Minnesota is ranked No. 1, and the Cowboys will wrestle the Gophers in Minneapolis on Dec. 6.

Hendricks is ranked No. 1 at 165 after winning the last two NCAA championships. Scott is ranked third, Morgan is ranked No. 4 and Mason is ranked as high as fifth by W.I.N Magazine. Redshirt freshman heavyweight Jared Rosholt is ranked 13th by W.I.N.

Several Cowboys will have the opportunity to make the lineup for the first time. Juniors B.J. Jackson and Ryan Freeman will compete for the 149-pound spot vacated by three-time All-American Zack Esposito.

As many as four wrestlers will compete for the vacancy at 157. Senior Eric Dabbs, junior Sam Lewnes and sophomore Newly McSpadden all have experience at the weight.

The Cowboys lack experience at 125, 184 and 197. Redshirt freshmen Tyler Shinn and Mike Bizzle will be vying for the opening at 125. Sophomore Jared Shelton is dropping down in weight to wrestle at 184, where he will compete with juniors Jack Jensen and Brent Parkey. Juniors Chaz Cointment and Jake Duke are competing at 197, while freshman Carl Hines may be in the mix as well.

The coaching staff will use the Orange and Black dual to help determine the lineup for their season opening dualagainst California-Davis on Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.

USA National Team Shake-up On the Horizon

USA National Team Shake-up On the Horizon
Print E-mail
Written by Koy Kosek
Monday, 16 October 2006
In breaking news, USA Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson has confirmed that at least two highly-ranked United States wrestlers are likely to move up a weight class. The competitors are expected to announce definite decisions in the near future.

Williams Vs Lewis

Lewis defends a shot against Williams in Season 1


At 74 kg, Tyrone Lewis, who is currently ranked #2 in the USA, is expected to announce within the next couple of weeks whether or not he will be moving up to 84 kg for next year.

Mo Lawal, presently #3 on the ladder at 84 kg, is “90% sure” that he is going to be moving up to 96 kg for next season according to Coach Jackson.

Lawal has experienced physical difficulties when cutting down to 84 kg, and he appears to have simply outgrown the weight class. Both Lawal and the USA Freestyle Coaching Staff feel that Lawal will be able to handle the weight at 96 kg, and that he may even improve.

Coach Jackson points out that there is plenty of precedent for elite international competitors moving up a weight class. Ali Reza Heydari of Iran, for example, won a World Championship at 84 kg in 1998. He went up to 96 kg the next year and was still a dominant wrestler on the world stage, winning a Silver Medal at the World Championships three times since then – in 1999, 2002, and 2003 – and bringing home a Bronze Medal from the 2004 Olympics.

“We feel Mo can do the same,” notes Coach Jackson, referring to Lawal’s ability to move up a weight class and maintain his internationally elite level of competition.

Lewis is somewhat less of a sure thing – he’ll be remaining at 74 kg when he competes at the Sunkist Open this week – but it’s still a serious possibility that he will move up.

“These wrestlers could move up a weight class and not sacrifice their technique or level of competition, without having to spend that extra time managing their weight,” Coach Jackson explains. Coach Jackson said he has discussed the possibility of both wrestlers moving up with the USA National Team Coaching Staff, but that the final decision is up to the wrestlers themselves. Coach Jackson expects Lewis to make a decision “within 1-2 weeks,” but it could come even sooner than that. The coaching staff is trying to give the wrestlers some time to relax, and Coach Jackson said that the coaching staff is not talking to them much right now. There is no definite timetable for when Lawal or Lewis will make their decisions.

Daniel CormierMo LawalTyrone Lewis

Lewis, Lawal, and Cormier may move up a weight


If Lawal makes the move from 84 kg to 96 kg as anticipated, that would force current 96 kg World Team member, Daniel Cormier, to make a decision about where he wants to wrestle in the upcoming year. He would have to choose between wrestling against Lawal at 96 kg or moving to 120 kg, where he would have to challenge current USA National Champion Tolly Thompson for the spot. Cormier was not reached for comment.

On the Real Pro Wrestling front, the potential moves have major implications for the Oklahoma Slam, since all three wrestlers in question – Lewis, Lawal, and Cormier – are on the Slam’s roster.

If they all bump up a weight class, the man who would potentially get squeezed out is the colorful Brian Keck at heavyweight. There would only be room for Keck or Cormier at 264 (120 kg), which is RPW’s heaviest weight class. Keck lost by injury default in the quarterfinals against Wes Hand in Season One.

The potential jostling would leave open the 163-pound (74 kg) weight class for the Oklahoma Slam. This spot would presumably be filled by one of the Super Challenge contestants – possibly the Super Challenge Champion – following that January 7th RPW extravaganza in San Jose, CA.

In RPW’s Season One, Tyrone Lewis got knocked out in the quarterfinals by eventual 163-pound Champion Joe Williams. However, Lewis has since finished ahead of Williams at the 2006 USA Freestyle National Championships, and Lewis will no doubt be a factor in Season Two.

Cormier and Lawal defeated New York Outrage teammates Tommy Rowlands and Brad Vering in the RPW Championship matches at 211 (96 kg) and 184 (84 kg) respectively, and both would no doubt be significant factors if they do in fact opt to move up a weight class.

RHS considering wrestling program

Quinton Bagley
Assistant Sports Editor
This is not your grandmother’s ‘rasslin.’ You won’t see Rick Flair, Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold Steve Austin at one of these matches. This is wrestling Greco-Roman style.
“The initial response has been really good and wrestling will come to Arkansas. The big question is when,” Russellville athletic director Jim Dickerson said. “For it to be recognized by the Arkansas Activities Association ( AAA) as a championship sport, you have to have at least 16 teams competing in it. It also has to go before the AAA Board of Directors, and they have to vote on it.”
The time frame is not very clear when the first AAA recognized wrestling matches will take place in Arkansas, but Dickerson says that has been the case with other sports in the past.
“It took several years for sports like soccer and swimming to be recognized by the AAA,” Dickerson said. “I think wrestling is coming, but it will be 2-3 years before it gets recognized.”
Of the 50 states in the country, only two do not currently have wrestling at the high school level. This point has led Dickerson to believe that Arkansas needs to take the initiative in implementing its program.
“Mississippi and Arkansas are the only states that do not have wrestling,” Dickerson said. “That is what I have been told by the Arkansas Wrestling Association.”
Some schools are looking at wrestling as a way to answer some Title IX issues their schools face. Title IX states that there has to be an equal amount of sports for men and women.
“Wrestling is not only a men’s sport. That was the initial concern among several schools. They were concerned how it would affect their Title IX status,” Dickerson said. “I would like to see both men’s and women’s wrestling. They (AAA) are putting together a survey to see what the interest is among both males and females.”
At the local level, Terry Davis of the L.V. Williamson Boys and Girls Club has been instrumental in bringing wrestling to not only the Arkansas River Valley but to the entire state.
“Terry has been working along with Harold Taylor at the L.V. Williamson Boys and Girls Club. They have been teaching and coaching wrestling there for the past five or six years,” Dickerson said. “Greg Hatcher, the president of the Arkansas Wrestling Association in Little Rock, has been an advocate in the state and has spearheaded this attempt to bring wrestling to the high school level.”
Unlike football or basketball, the cost of starting wrestling is relatively minimal, according to Dickerson.
“First, we would have to have mats, and they cost around $9,000. Then we need uniforms, which would cost about $20 apiece, and then the cost of protective head gear,” Dickerson said. “The head gear is very important to protect the athletes’ ears. We don’t want the athletes to be disfigured with cauliflower ear.”
The main concern of wrestling is providing insurance that would cover the athletes. The AAA provides catastrophic insurance to protect athletes who have been severely injured during a sporting event.
“The thing right now is catastrophic insurance. With the different kinds of holds that are used, it can be dangerous if they are not executed properly,” Dickerson said. “We want the athletes to be covered in case the unfortunate happens.”
The acceptance of wrestling throughout the state has been mixed. Strong support for the sport lies in Northwest Arkansas with its close proximity to both Oklahoma and Missouri, two states that have strong wrestling programs. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is located in Stillwater, Okla.
“The attitude toward wrestling has really been mixed. Fayetteville, Bentonvillle and Springdale are starting wrestling programs,” Dickerson said. “On the other hand, athletic directors like Conway’s ‘Buzz’ Bolding has taken a wait-and-see approach. He wants to see what the response is to developing a wrestling program from the survey before putting out any money.”
One Arkansas school has been competing in wrestling for over half a century according to Dickerson.
“Arkansas School for the Blind has been competing in wrestling for more than 60 years,” Dickerson said. “Of course, they have been traveling out of state to do so.”
One area that would help sell wrestling in Arkansas would be if the state colleges such as the University of Arkansas or Arkansas Tech would field a wrestling team.
“If the state colleges were offering wrestling, it would probably be easier to sell it to the kids. It would give them a chance to earn athletic scholarships without having to go so far from home,” Dickerson said. “A lot of colleges that used to offer wrestling scholarships have dropped their programs because of Title IX. Wrestling has taken a hit over the past 10 years.”
The process may be slow, but Dickerson is confident wrestling will be part of Arkansas’ sports world in the next few years.
“We are in the discovery phase right now,” Dickerson said. “We just don’t want it to go the way of gymnastics. Gymnastics has a small group of schools that participate scattered across the state, and travel for them to compete is difficult, and it makes it hard to schedule an event.”
While no decision has been made as of yet, Dickerson believes a decision could be reached as soon as November on whether or not Russellville will have a wrestling team.
“At the latest it should be November when we find out,” Dickerson said. “It could be earlier but I really believe it will be then. I feel our chances are good.”

Couture documentary takes home award

Couture documentary takes home award
DATE: 10/16/2006 4:17:00 PM
Hollywood, Calif.
Courtesy BHG Entertainment Group

FIGHTER, a documentary, featuring Randy Couture received the “Best Documentary” award at the
2006 Foundation for the Advancement of Independent Films (FAIF) International Film Festival awards gala here Friday night. The film premiered Friday, October 6 at the world famous Mann’s Chinese theater in Hollywood, Ca.

FIGHTER, a documentary, looks back to capture a slice of sports history as Randy "The Natural"
Couture chases his first Ultimate Fighting World Championship™ Belt. The film “takes you deep into the world of Couture …a man who is now considered the personification of everything good about this sport”

Shot by award winning filmmaker Pericles Lewnes, FIGHTER provides a riveting myriad of perspectives while taking an irreverent yet brutally honest look inside the minds of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters.

For preview clips and additional info on FIGHTER a documentary, please go to:
www.mmaclassics.com. For interview requests please contact Kera at 323.966.5432 or eMail us at: info@mmaclassics.com.

How the U.S. fared at Worlds

W.I.N. Releases 2006-07 Preseason NCAA DIV. I Rankings

W.I.N. Releases 2006-07 Preseason NCAA DIV. I Rankings
Printer Friendly Version
Email this article


10/11/2006 11:35:00 PM

NEWTON, Iowa � Wrestling International Newsmagazine has released its first NCAA Division I wrestling rankings for the 2006-07 season. As in previous years, the W.I.N. rankings are based on who are currently the best individuals and tournament teams. Teams are not ranked on dual-meet strength.

The rankings are compiled after receiving feedback from the collegiate wrestling coaches. The committee then takes that information and looks at the team and individual performances from past years to come up with the final rankings.

WRESTLING INTERNATIONAL NEWSMAGAZINE (W.I.N.)
2006-07 NCAA DIV. I TEAM RANKINGS (�06 NCAA Tournament Placements)

Teams Rankings
1. Minnesota (2nd)
2. Oklahoma State (1st)
3. Oklahoma (3rd)
4. Iowa (4th)
5. Missouri (15th)
6. Iowa State (13th)
7. Michigan (7th)
8. Cornell (5th)
9. Penn State (9th)
10. Ohio State (45th)
11. Northwestern (13th)
12. Hofstra (11th)
13. Central Michigan (26th)
14. Pennsylvania (12th)
15. Edinboro (8th)
16. Michigan State (18th)
17. Cal Poly (23rd)
18. Lehigh (9th)
19. Nebraska (16th)
20. Illinois (25th)
21. Pittsburgh (35th)
22. West Virginia (27th)
23. Harvard (31st)
24. Indiana (18th)
25. Arizona State (6th)


125 Pounds
1. Troy Nickerson, So. Cornell (2nd)
2. Sam Hazewinkle, Sr. Oklahoma (3rd)
3. Nick Simmons, Sr. Michigan State (4th)
4. Chad Mendez, Jr. Cal Poly (6th)
5. Tanner Gardner, Jr. Stanford (8th)
6. Gabe Flores, Jr. Illinois (NQ@133)
7. Mark Moos, Sr. Michigan (NQ@133)
8. Paul Donahoe, So. Nebraska (NQ)
9. Mark McKnight, Jr. Penn State (Transfer)
10. Luke Smith, Jr. Central Michigan (NQ)
11. Mike Sees, Jr. Bloomsburg (NQ)
12. Pat Castillo, Jr. Northern Illinois (NQ)
13. Obenson Blanc, Jr. Lock Haven (NQ)
14. Chad Sportelli, Sr. Kent State (NQ)
15. Matt Fisk, So. Lehigh (NQ)
16. Javier Maldanado, Jr. UT Chattanooga (NQ)
17. Justin Staylor, Jr. VA Tech (NQ)
18. Charlie Falck, So. Iowa
19. Sean Clair, So. Eastern Michigan
20. Dave Tomasette, Jr. Hofstra (NQ)

133 Pounds
1. Matt Valenti, Sr. Penn (1st)
2. Mack Reiter, Jr. Minnesota (4th)
3. Coleman Scott, Jr. Oklahoma State (5th@125)
4. Tyler, McCormack, Jr. Missouri (7th)
5. Matt Keller, Sr. UT Chattanooga (8th)
6. Darrell Vasquez, Jr. Cal Poly (NQ)
7. Evan Sola, Sr. North Carolina (Inj.)
8. Drew Headlee, So. Pitt (Inj.)
9. Jake Strayer, So. Penn State (NQ)
10. Mario Galanakis, Sr. Iowa
11. Robbie Preston, Sr. Harvard (NQ)
12. Mark Budd, Sr. Buffalo (NQ)
13. TJ Enright, Jr. Ohio State
14. Joe Baker, So. Navy (NQ)
15. Patrick Aleksanyan, So. Nebraska (NQ)
16. Zach Cunliffe, Jr. Rider (NQ)
17. Andrae Hernandez, So. Indiana (NQ)
18. Eric Albright, So. Virginia
19. Adam Frey, Fr. Cornell (RS)
20. Franklin Gomez, Fr. Michigan State (RS)

141 Pounds
1. Ryan Lang, Jr. Northwestern (4th)
2. Andy Simmons, Sr. Michigan State (5th)
3. Brandon Rader, So. West Virginia (6th)
4. Nathan Morgan, Jr. Oklahoma State (6th@133)
5. Alex Tsirtsis, Jr. Iowa (7th)
6. Jeff Jaggers, So. Ohio State (Inj.)
7. Derek Moore, Sr. Cal-Davis (NQ)
8. Max Meltzer, Sr. Harvard (NQ)
9. Matt Ciasulli, Sr. Lehigh
10. Dave Roberts, Sr. Cal Poly (NQ)
11. Don Fisch, Jr. Rider (Inj.)
12. CJ Ettelson, Sr. Northern Iowa (NQ)
13. Manuel Rivera, Jr. Minnesota (NQ)
14. Charles Griffin, Jr. Hofstra (NQ)
15. Cassio Pero, Sr. Illinois (NQ)
16. Vincent Ramirez, So. North Carolina (NQ)
17. Mitch Mueller, Fr. Iowa State (RS)
18. Michael Keefe, Sr. UT Chattanooga (NQ)
19. Keith Dickey, Jr. Cornell (NQ@149)
20. Brandon Carter, Jr. Central Michigan (NQ)

149 Pounds
1. Dustin Schlatter, So. Minnesota (1st)
2. Matt Storniolo, Sr. Oklahoma (4th)
3. Gregor Gillespie, So. Edinboro (7th)
4. Josh Churella, Jr. Michigan (NQ@141)
5. Tyler Turner, Sr. Wisconsin (NQ)
6. Matt Dragon, So. Penn (NQ)
7. John Cox, Sr. Navy (NQ)
8. Trevor Chinn, So. Lehigh (NQ)
9. David Jauregui, So. West Virginia (NQ)
10. Tyler Sherfey, So. Boise State (NQ)
11. Troy Tirapelle, So. Illinois (NQ)
12. Morgan Atkinson, Sr. Cal Fullerton (NQ)
13. Andrew Schlaffer, Sr. Maryland (NQ)
14. Robert Sanders, Jr. Nebraska (NQ)
15. Jordan Leen, Jr. Cornell (RS)
16. Jason Johnstone, So. Ohio State
17. Aaron Martin, Sr. UT Chattanooga (NQ)
18. Matt Coughlin, Fr. Indiana (RS)
19. Andy Keller, Sr. Central Michigan
20. Josh Wagner, Jr. Missouri

157 Pounds
1. Brian Stith, Sr. Arizona State (2nd)
2. Trent Paulson, Sr. Iowa State (4th)
3. Brandon Becker, Jr. Indiana (7th)
4. Eric Tannenbaum, Jr. Michigan (6th@149)
5. Craig Henning, Jr. Wisconsin (8th)
6. CP Schlatter, Jr. Minnesota (NQ)
7. Mike Poeta, So. Illinois (NQ@165)
8. Andrew Flanagan, So. Harvard (NQ)
9. Matt Kocher, Jr. Pttsburgh (RS)
10. Travis Piccard, Sr. The Citadel (Inj.)
11. Seth Martin, Sr. Lock Haven (NQ)
12. Matt Hill, Jr. Edinboro (NQ)
13. Will Rowe, So. Oklahoma (NQ)
14. Michael Chandler, So. Missouri (NQ)
15. James Strouse, Sr. Hofstra (NQ)
16. Eric Neil, Jr. Central Michigan
17. Nathan Galloway, Sr. Penn State (NQ)
18. Ryan Morningstar, Fr. Iowa (RS)
19. Ryan Hluschak, Jr. Drexel (NQ)
20. Chris Oliver, So. Nebraska

165 Pounds
1. Johny Hendricks, Sr. Oklahoma State (1st)
2. Mark Perry, Jr. Iowa (3rd@174)
3. Travis Paulson, Sr. Iowa State (6th)
4. Nick Baima, Sr. Northern Iowa (NQ)
5. Matt Pell, Sr. Misouri (NQ)
6. Deonte Penn, Sr. Edinboro (NQ)
7. Pat Pitsch, Jr. Arizona State (NQ)
8. Steve Anceravage, So. Cornell (NQ)
9. Steve Luke, So. Michigan (NQ@157)
10. Keith Gavin, Jr. Pittsburgh (RS)
11. Johnny Galloway, Sr. Northern Illinois (NQ)
12. Larry Hall, Jr. West Virginia (NQ)
13. Marc Harwood, Sr. Nebraska (NQ)
14. Max Dean, Jr. Indiana (NQ)
15. Mitch Kuhlman, Jr. Minnesota
16. Jarrod King, So. Oklahoma
17. Jake Donar, Jr. Wisconsin
18. Tyler Tisdell, So. George Mason (NQ)
19. Marcus Efner, So. Cleveland State
20. Jason Kiessling, Sr. Maryland

174 Pounds
1. Ben Askren, Sr. Missouri (1st)
2. Mike Patrovich, Sr. Hofstra (4th)
3. Matt Herrington, Sr. Penn (5th)
4. James Yonushonis, Sr. Penn State (8th)
5. Brandon Mason, So. Oklahoma State (NQ)
6. Ken Cook, Sr. Cal-Davis (NQ)
7. Matt Palmer, Sr. Columbia (NQ)
8. Gabe Dretsch, Jr. Minnesota (NQ)
9. Kurt Brenner, So. West Virginia (NQ)
10. Eric Luedke, Sr. Iowa (8th@165)
11. Donny Reynolds, Sr. Illinois (NQ)
12. Nick Roy, Sr. Michigan
13. Blake Maurer, So. Ohio State (NQ)
14. Jeremy Larson, Sr. Oregon State (NQ)
15. Dave Helfrich, Sr. Lehigh (NQ)
16. David Bertolino, Jr. Iowa State
17. Brandon Sinnott, Jr. Central Michigan (NQ)
18. Shane Siebert, Sr. Oklahoma
19. Brandon Browne, So. Nebraska
20. Matt Stolpinski, Jr. Navy (NQ)

184 Pounds
1. Roger Kish, Jr. Minnesota (2nd)
2. Jake Herbert, Sr. Northwestern2nd@174)
3. Josh Glenn, Jr. American (NQ)
4. Steve Borja, Sr. Va. Tech (RS)
5. Alex Clemsen, Sr. Edinboro (NQ)
6. Raymond Jordan, So. Missouri (NQ)
7. Tyrel Todd, So. Michigan (NQ)
8. Joe Rovelli, Sr. Hofstra (NQ)
9. Vince Jones, So. Nebraska (NQ)
10. Louis Caputo, So. Harvard (NQ)
11. Christian Sinnott, Jr. Central Michigan (NQ)
12. Rocco Caponi, So. Virginia (RS)
13. Josh Haines, So. Maryland (RS)
14. Joe Williams, Jr. Michigan State
15. Jake Varner, Fr. Iowa State (RS)
16. Tyler Bernacchi, So. UC Davis (NQ)
17. Alex Picazzo, Sr. Ohio State
18. Mike Heist, Sr. Pittsburgh (NQ@197)
19. Greg Gifford, Sr. Arizona State (NQ)
20. Tony Rolen, Sr. Oregon

197 Pounds
1. Phil Davis, Jr. Penn State (2nd)
2. J.D. Bergman, Jr. Ohio State (NQ)
3. Jerry Rinaldi, Sr. Cornell (4th)
4. Joel Flaggert, Sr. Oklahoma (5th)
5. Wynn Michalak, Jr. Central Michigan (8th)
6. Kurt Backes, Sr. Iowa State (NQ@184)
7. Chris Weidman, Sr. Hofstra (6th)
8. Matt Monteiro, Sr. Cal Poly (NQ)
9. Nathan Moore, Sr. Purdue (NQ)
10. Max Askren, Fr. Missouri
11. Dallas Herbst, So. Wisconsin (NQ)
12. Ryan Goodman, So. North Carolina State (NQ)
13. Daren Burns, Sr. UNC-Greensboro (NQ)
14. Matt Cassidy, Sr. Lehigh (NQ)
15. David Dashiell , Sr. North Carolina (NQ)
16. Mike Tamillow, Jr. Northwestern (NQ)
17 Jared Villers, Jr. West Virginia (NQ)
18. TJ Morrison, Jr. Rider (NQ)
19. Daniel Erekson, So. Iowa (NQ)
20. Jon Oplinger, Jr. Drexel (NQ)

Heavyweight
1. Cole Konrad, Sr. Minnesota (1st)
2. Bode Ogunwole, Sr. Harvard (6th)
3. Kirk Nail, Jr. Ohio State (8th)
4. Dustin Fox, Jr. Northwestern (NQ)
5. Matt Fields, Jr. Iowa (Inj.)
6. Spencer Nadolsky, Sr. North Carolina (NQ)
7. Payam Zarrinpour, Sr. Sacred Heart (NQ)
8. Ty Watterson, Sr. Oregon State (NQ)
9. Andy Patrick, So. Boise State (NQ)
10. Paul Weibel, Sr. Lehigh (NQ)
11. Adam LoPiccolo, Jr. American (NQ)
12. Dave Herman, Jr. Indiana (NQ)
13. Jared Rosholt, Fr. Oklahoma State (RS)
14. Bubba Gritter, Jr. Central Michigan
15. John May, Jr. Nebraka (NQ)
16. Cody Parker, Sr. Cal Poly
17. Kyle Massey, So. Wisconsin
18. Zach Sheaffer, So. Pittsburgh (Inj.)
19. Aaron Anspach, Sr. Penn State
20. Rashard Goff, So. Cleveland State (NQ)

Gallick prepares for new challenge

Last March, Nate Gallick of Iowa State prepared to battle Teyon Ware of Oklahoma for the right to be NCAA champion at 141lbs. Gallick had beaten Ware seven out of eight previous matches, the lone loss occuring in the 2005 NCAA title match. Gallick triumped in 2006 with a first period takedown that held up for a 3-2 victory.

Gallick is now competing for the Cyclone Wrestling Club in Ames, IA and will wrestle as long as his body holds up. Only 23 years old, the future looks bright for this Arizona native.

Gallick headlines a talented field of post collegiate wrestlers who will compete at RealProWrestling's North Regional qualifying tournament on Saturday, November 4 at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA. Gallick will wrestle at 132lbs.

MIchigan All-Americans Ryan Churella (163) and Greg Wagner (264) will also challenge for RPW regional titles. Luke Eustice was an NCAA runner-up for Iowa in 2002 and will compete at 121. Former UNI star Dylan Long will be in the mix at 145.

Successful wrestlers from all collegiate divisions including Junior College, NAIA as well as NCAA Division II and III will be looking to make their mark in Season 2 of RealProWrestling.

Including:

121 - Desmond Radunz (Moorehead State University)- 2x DII qualifier, 2x Greco FILA AA, 2x FS AA.

211 - Israel Silva (University Tenn. Chattanooga/Jr College)-2x NJCAA AA, University Nationals Champ

132 - James Rollins (Dana College) - 2002 NJCAA National Champ, 2006 NAIA National Champ

"I'm pretty excited about it. I think what they're doing is pretty important, getting wrestling out there and put in the mainstream, getting it on television." Gallick mentioned.

"I'm training right now and getting myself prepared. The main goal now is to make that 2008 Olympic (freestyle) team."

Gallick looks to conquer other challenges in the meantime. He will compete October 12-14 at the Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open in Tempe, AZ. Gallick hasn't changed his training regiment and feels his freestyle and previous greco-roman experiences will bode well for him in RPW matches.

"I think RealProWrestling has some potential to be pretty big." Gallick noted.

RealProWrestling has the same seven weight classes as international wrestling, those include: 121, 132, 145, 163, 185, 211 and 264.

Athletes can still apply to compete at the North Regional in Mount Vernon by going to www.realprowrestling.com

ONE FAN'S OPINION ON UFC'S 'ORTIZ VS. SHAMROCK III: THE FINAL CHAPTER' SHOW

UFC's Ortiz-Shamrock 3: The Ultimate Sham

With a history dating back to May 30, 1997, Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock have hated each other with a violent passion.

Follow both fighters through the early days of the UFC as they attempt to physically and mentally destroy one another in and out of the ring.

Never-before-seen footage from March 5, 1999 where 'Tito crossed the line.'

This DVD takes a full-blown, HO-HOLDS-BARRED look at this near-decade long feud that may never end!

Order this DVD and get 50% off of IVC 2 (Vanderlei...Axe Murderer), HOOKnSHOOT 'Revolution' and 'Revolution.' THAT'S HUGE SAVINGS!!!

Get video here!

ONE FAN'S OPINION ON UFC'S 'ORTIZ VS. SHAMROCK III: THE FINAL CHAPTER' SHOW
by Buck Woodward @ 9:43:00 PM on 10/12/2006

Well, there wasn't a lot of fighting on the special, with a total of 23 minutes and 25 seconds of actual fighting (15 of which were in one fight), but I thought the latest UFC special on SpikeTV was enjoyable enough. Honestly though, I think UFC did a pretty poor job of pushing this Saturday's Pay-per-view event, which should have been a top priority. With the exception of a Rich Franklin interview and your standard commercials, there wasn't any sense of urgency in pushing the show. A video package on Kenny Florian and Sean Sherk to hype the return of the Lightweight Title would have been nice.

But, I digress, onto one fan's thoughts on the show.

Seth Petruzelli vs. Matt Hamill

In the first round, Petruzelli (who was fighting for the first time in over a year) was smart to try and avoid Hamill's initial attempts at a takedown. It was a smart strategy, but Hamill eventually caught a kick and took him to the mat. That created the story of the fight, which was Hamill keeping Seth down and basically sitting in Petruzelli's guard and working elbows into his head, while Seth tried in vain to get out. Petruzelli got back to his feet with about two minutes left in the round, and a nasty shiner under his eye. Matt got the takedown again, and it was back into the guard for some more elbows. Matt hit some good shots, and if he could striker harder, he probably could have won the fight here. Instead, Seth was able to withstand the assault and try to get his legs up around Hamill, but just couldn't pull it off.

The second round started with Petruzelli hitting a kick and some good shots, but just like that, he was on his back with Matt in his guard again. This allowed Hamill to recover from the kick and he went right back to his strategy of rubbing his elbow into Seth's face. Petruzelli wanted to stand up, so he tried to clinch Hamill and stop the action. He got it, but they went right back down, with Hamill doing more of the same and busting open the bridge of Seth's nose. In my uneducated opinion, Seth was down two rounds, meaning he would need to finish Hamill off if he wanted to win.

At the start of the final round, Petruzelli threw some kicks, but Matt took him down again, and it was more of Hamill rubbing his elbow across Petruzelli's face while Seth clutched and hoped for a standup. When he got it, Seth grabbed a guillotine choke, but Matt easily got out of it. Petruzelli's best chance at winning came next, as he caught Matt in the face with a spinkick and followed with a solid punch, but he then slipped to the mat, and Hamill got back into Seth's guard. They were stood up again, and the doctor checked Seth's cut, as he was obviously having trouble seeing. The fight was allowed to continue, and Seth asked how much time was left, knowing things were not looking good for him, even though he had busted Hamill open. Seth hit a punch and a kick, but Hamill grabbed his leg and took him down. Matt was obviously tiring at this point, as he was not nearly as dominant on the ground. This is just a guess on my part, but I am thinking that this is the round that two of the judges awarded Seth, since the scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, all giving the fight to Hamill.

Seth definitely looked better as a Light Heavyweight, but he just couldn't get out from under Hamill. Matt once again showed what a dominant wrestler he is, but until he learns better striking and submission skills, he isn't going to go far. In a title fight, there's little doubt he'd be exhausted by the time the fourth and fifth rounds started. Still, that is a long way off. He is a total rookie and the fact that he has accomplished this much while being deaf is amazing.

Ed Herman vs. Jason MacDonald

This Middleweight battle was easily the highlight of the night to me. The two traded leg kicks, then MacDonald went for the waist, and Ed tripped MacDonald to the mat. Ed went into Jason's guard, but MacDonald reversed positions and got side control, going for a choke. Ed worked to get on MacDonald's back, but MacDonald got to his feet, and Ed tripped them back down. MacDonald was in half guard, and Ed rolled out of it and right into a triangle choke. MacDonald cinched it in tight and busted Herman open with elbows. Herman literally dragged MacDonald across the ring, but MacDonald wouldn't let go of the hold and Ed tapped at 2:43 of the first round.

It was a really impressive showing, and allowed MacDonald a great UFC debut after six years of fighting in MMA. Herman is obviously another "familiar face" that UFC is pushing because of The Ultimate Fighter, and he looked good here, but was just beaten by a better submission artist in a face paced ground fight that never gave him the chance to start throwing punches.

Rich Franklin Interview

Other than Matt Hughes, is there anyone with less charisma in UFC than Rich Franklin? However, his doing the interview with a shiner under his right eye did allow me to make this joke: "Wow, Anderson Silva hits so hard, Franklin got a black eye in advance".

Kendall Grove vs. Chris Price

Chris was quick, and trying, but once Kendall got him down, he wasn't going to let price back up. He was able to use his size advantage to stay on top of Chris, and while he wasn't doing a lot of damage early, he was making it impossible for Chris to get out from under him. Grove tried an ankle lock, then went into Price's guard. Kendall went for a mount, which Chris got out of, but Kendall still wasn't letting him up. Kendall tried for an arm, and Price managed to get to his feet, only to eat a kick from Grove on the mat. From there, Kendall mounted Price against the fence, and while Chris was able to get away from it, Kendall just stayed on top of him. Price was doing a good job of covering up and pushed his legs off on the cage, but Grove got some elbows and punches in, and Price tapped at 3:59 of the first round. Price was doing a decent job of defending himself, to the point that the announcers thought the fight was stopped (and stopped early) but Chris obviously felt he wasn't going to be able to get out of the predicament he was in.

For Price, who has been in MMA for a year, he really didn't show enough to make me think UFC will be rushing to bring him back in. For Grove, it was proof that the right man won the third season of Ultimate Fighter, and it will be interesting to see if he continues to improve.

Ken Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz

Ken Shamrock really did look like a different man coming into this fight. Maybe because he knew he was at the end of his career. He just seemed so relaxed, not as intense as he usually is, and certainly not as angry as you would expect for a fight with Ortiz. There was no charge in this time. They clinched, Tito lifted Ken, went to the fence, and they traded knees, and Tito went for the leg. Ken went for Tito's leg as well, but in doing so, ended up on his back against the cage. Honestly, it was starting to look like the last fight. Tito hit some elbows, and Ken was trying to get on his side, but Tito wasn't giving up the position. He hit some solid body punches and some elbows to the head. Tito then started with the rapid punches, Ken's hands dropped, and with him not defending, it was over at 2:23 of the first round.

As for the post-fight antics, Tito flipping off Ken was typical of him. Shamrock showed class in going to Tito, and pointing out that they had made "a lot of money together" and that it was all business. They thanked each other and gave each other respect. The announcers put over that it was Tito "growing up", but I have to be honest, I have my doubts. Not to be cynical, but it came off to me like Tito was looking to make sure he has some crowd support for his showdown with the mega-popular Chuck Liddell.

You can write me at BuckWrestling@aol.com. Also, we are currently looking for someone interested in writing regular columns and updates on UFC, Pride, K-1 and other MMA organizations, so if interested, drop me a line.

The Express, Season 2!

The Express, Season 2!

The Oklahoma High School Sports Express is the only show of it's kind in the state. The Express will cover the stories behind the stories that involve high school athletics. This weekly 30 minute show has no limits. If it involves high school athletes, it's worthy of a story. Players, coaches, teams, managers, trainers and fans all have a place in the Express. From Boise City to Broken Bow, Hollis to Miami and Oklahoma City to Tulsa, the Express is the Premier High School Sports show in Oklahoma. We've got you covered !!!

Van Shea Iven is presented the Ray Soldan Media Award by Brent Mackey at the 2006 All State Basketball Game in Tulsa. The Ray Soldan Award is presented by the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association for Outstanding Contribution to Oklahoma High School Basketball.
Coming up on the Oklahoma High School Sports Express
Week #10 Sunday, October 15th
Football Highlights and Interviews (feature games include Enid-Stillwater, Norman North-Mustang, Lawton-Edmond Santa Fe, Putnam City-Norman, Heritage Hall-Oklahoma Christian and Edmond Memorial-Westmoore)

2007 U.S. Army All-American Bowl Invites Enid's Austin Box and Millwood's Gerald Jones

Feature on a small town football player who is enjoying his 5th year of high school elgibility

5A and 6A State Volleyball Tournaments

5A and 6A State Fastpitch Softball Tournaments

AJGA Ping Invitational at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater

Metro Conference and Mid-State Conference Cross Country Meets

OSSO Stay in the Game (Volleyball Hand Injuries)

McDonald's Scholar Athlete of the Week (Samantha Hallman from Douglass High School)

Hudiburg FCA Huddle of the Week (Fields of Faith Rally in Norman)

And Much More !!!


Different Sports on the Express in Season #2
1. Baseball
2. Basketball
3. Crew
4. Cross Country
5. Drag Racing
6. Fast Pitch Softball
7. Field Hockey
8. Football
9. Golf
10. Rodeo
11. Slow Pitch Softball
12. Swimming
13. Tennis
14. Volleyball
15. Wakeboarding
16. Wrestling


Schools on the Express in Season #2
1. Ada
2. Adair
3. Allen
4. Altus
5. Alva
6. Anadarko
7. Ardmore
8. Arnett
9. Bartlesville
10. Beaver
11. Bethany
12. Bethel
13. Bishop Kelley
14. Bixby
15. Blackwell
16. Blanchard
17. Bray-Doyle
18. Broken Arrow
19. Capitol Hill
20. Carl Albert
21. Carney
22. Casady
23. Catoosa
24. Chandler
25. Checotah
26. Chickasha
27. Chisholm
28. Choctaw
29. Christian Heritage
30. Cimarron
31. Classen
32. Clinton
33. Coleman
34. Commerce
35. Cordell
36. Cushing
37. Dale
38. Davenport
39. Davis
40. Deer Creek Edmond
41. Deer Creek-Lamont
42. Del City
43. Depew
44. Dibble
45. Dover
46. Duncan
47. Edmond Memorial
48. Edmond North
49. Edmond Santa Fe
50. El Reno
51. Enid
52. Fairview
53. Fort Cobb-Broxton
54. Frontier
55. Garber
56. Glenpool
57. Guthrie
58. Harrah
59. Healdton
60. Henryetta
61. Heritage Hall
62. Hinton
63. Holland Hall
64. Hobart
65. Hydro-Eakly
66. Jenks
67. John Marshall
68. Jones
69. Kingfisher
70. Konawa
71. Latta
72. Lawton
73. Lawton Ike
74. Lawton Mac
75. Lexington
76. Lone Grove
77. Mangum
78. Mannford
79. Marlow
80. McGuinness
81. McLoud
82. Mid-Del Christian
83. Midwest City
84. Millwood
85. Moore
86. Morrison
87. Mt. St. Mary
88. Muldrow
89. Muskogee
90. Mustang
91. Navajo
92. Newcastle
93. Noble
94. Norman
95. Norman North
96. Northeast
97. Okeene
98. Oklahoma Bible Academy
99. Oklahoma Christian Schools
100. Panama
101. Paoli
102. Pauls Valley
103. Perkins-Tryon
104. Perry
105. Piedmont
106. Pioneer
107. Plainview
108. Ponca City
109. Pond Creek-Hunter
110. Putnam City
111. Putnam City North
112. Putnam City West
113. Purcell
114. Quapaw
115. Ringling
116. Rock Creek
117. Roff
118. Sand Springs
119. Santa Fe South
120. Sapulpa
121. Seeworth Academy
122. Seminole
123. Sentinel
124. Sequoyah-Claremore
125. Sequoyah-Tahlequah
126. Shattuck
127. Shawnee
128. Silo
129. Southeast
130. SW Christian
131. Star Spencer
132. Sterling
133. Stillwater
134. Stroud
135. Sulphur
136. Tecumseh
137. Temple
138. Thomas
139. Tulsa Kelley
140. Tulsa Union
141. Tulsa Victory Christian
142. Tuttle
143. U.S. Grant
144. Velma-Alma
145. Wanette
146. Washington
147. Watonga
148. Weatherford
149. Western Heights
150. Westmoore
151. Wewoka
152. Yukon

U.S. to compete in World Beach and Sombo World Championships in Turkey, Nov. 1-5

Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
10/11/2006

The U.S. will field teams to compete at the first World Beach and Sombo Championships, set for November 1-5 in Antalya, Turkey. Men and women competitors from across the world will compete for World titles and medals in both sports in this resort city.

The U.S. Sombo World Team was determined at the first U.S. Sombo National Championships held at the North Palm Beach, Fla. on August 20.

FILA, the international federation, reinstated Sombo as a form of international wrestling in 2005. Sombo is a style of jacket wrestling with submission holds originally developed in the former Soviet Union as a form of unarmed self-defense.

The U.S. Beach World Team was determned at a World Team Trials held immediately after the first U.S. Beach National Championships in Riviera Beach, Fla. August 19.

Beach Wrestling was added as a new style of international wrestling, starting in 2005. Athletes compete on sand, in a style that features takedowns within a ring.

The week begins with the Sombo competition. There are seven weight classes in international Sombo, the same divisions as in international wrestling. The World Sombo Championships for men will be held Thursday, Nov. 2 and the World Sombo Championships for women will be held Friday, Nov. 3.

Three of the U.S. Sombo World Team members serve in the U.S. Marine Corps: Juan Ramos (Jacksonville, N.C./U.S. Marines) at 84 kg/185 lbs. and Moises Hernandez (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

Another athlete with a military background, Faruk Sahin (Colorado Springs, Colo./EA Kombat) will compete at 74 kg/163 lbs. Sahin is a nationally ranked Greco-Roman wrestler from the U.S. Army. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen, who moved to the United States from Turkey.

Others on the U.S. Sombo World Team are Ramie Mohlman (Lake Worth, Fla./Seadog WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. , Matt Morkel (Washington, DC/Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Ray White (Clearwater, Fla./Team Pursuit) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Jaynes is the only woman who is competing in Sombo for the U.S. World Team this year.

The U.S. Sombo World Team will prepare for the World Championships in a training camp in Fort Dix, N.J. Veteran Sombo coach Floyd Winter, who was the coach of the U.S. Army wrestling team many years ago, will serve as the coach of the U.S. Sombo World Team.

The World Beach Wrestling Championships for men and women will be held Saturday, Nov. 4. There are two weight classes in Beach Wrestling for men: Below 85 kg (187.5 lbs.) and Above 85 kg (185.75). For women, the two weight classes are Below 70 kg (154 lbs.) and Above 70 kg (154 lbs.)

Competing the U.S. Team at the Below 85 kg (187.5 lbs.) are Steve Forrest (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps), Jonathan Taylor (Boca Raton, Fla./Calvary Chapel) and Ray Downey (Babylon, N.Y. /East Meadow WC). Forrest won the World Team Trials event, with Taylor placing third and Downey placing fourth.

Competing for the U.S. Team at the Above 85 kg (187.5 lbs.) are Carlos Dolmo (Bronx, N.Y./New York AC), Angelo Borzio (Stroudsburg, Pa.) and Jeff Zastrow (Whitewater, Wis./Warhawk WC). Dolmo won the World Team Trials, with Borzio finishing third and Zastrow placing fourth.

Leigh Jaynes (Colorado Springs, Colo./EA Kombat) is the only U.S. woman competing in the Beach Wrestling event. She will wrestle in the Under 70 kg/154 lbs. division.

On Sunday, Nov. 5, there will be a World Festival of Traditional Wrestling.

Coverage of the first Sombo and Beach Wrestling World Championships will be provided by TheMat.com (www.themat.com)

WORLD BEACH AND SOMBO CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Antalya, Turkey, Nov. 1-5

U.S. World Sombo Team
55 kg/121 lbs. - Ramie Mohlman (Lake Worth, Fla./Seadog WC)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Matt Morkel (Washington, DC/Gator WC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Ray White (Clearwater, Fla./Team Pursuit)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Faruk Sahin (Colorado Springs, Colo./EA Kombat)
84 kg/185 lbs.- Juan Ramos (Jacksonville, N.C./U.S. Marines)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Moises Hernandez (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps)

U.S. Beach World Team
Men�s Under 85 kg/187.5 lbs.
Steve Forrest, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps)
Jonathan Taylor, Boca Raton, Fla. (Calvary Chapel)
Ray Downey, Babylon, N.Y. (East Meadow WC)

Men�s Over 85 kg/187.5 lbs.
Carlos Dolmo, Bronx, N.Y.(New York AC)
Angelo Borzio, Stroudsburg, Pa.
Jeff Zastrow, Whitewater, Wis. (Warhawk WC)

Women�s Under 70 kg/154 lbs.
Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (EA Kombat)

EVENT SCHEDULE

Thursday, November 2
Sombo competition for men (55 kg, 60 kg, 66 kg, 74 kg, 84 kg, 96 kg, 120 kg)

Friday November 3
Sombo competition for women (48 kg, 51 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 63 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg)

Saturday, November 4
Beach Wrestling competition for men (Below 85 kg and Above 85 kg)
Beach Wrestling competition for women (Below 70 kg and Above 70 kg)

Sunday, November 5
World Festival of Traditional Wrestling

Woody strikes gold, Medina wins bronze at Junior World Championships

Nicole Woody (Odenton, Md./New York AC) won a gold medal at 44 kg/97 lbs in women�s freestyle wrestling Thursday night at the Junior World Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Woody swept Diana Piza of Ecuador 4-0, 3-2 in the championship bout.

"I felt like I was in control," Woody said. "I felt that I wrestled smart in all my matches, especially my finals match."

Woody rallied to beat Anastasia Koltun of Russia 0-3, 4-3, 5-3 in the quarterfinals before sweeping Eglys Siviva of Venezuela 2-1, 5-1 in the semifinals.

"It still hasn't hit me yet that I won," Woody said. "It was a lot of fun. I focused on each individual match and didn't look ahead to the next one."

American Jessica Medina (Pomona, Calif./Univ. of the Cumberlands) won a bronze medal at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. Medina downed Nanna H. Pedersen of Sweden 4-3, 1-0 to win the bronze.

"I am so excited about earning my first World medal," Medina said. "I felt like I left everything on the mat. I wrestled as hard as I could knowing that I wanted to win a medal and my desire helped me finish with the win."

Teammate Heather Martin (Wellington, Ohio/Univ. of the Cumberlands/NYAC) placed fifth at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Martin won a silver medal at this event in 2005.

"It wasn't my best performance, but there were a lot of good matches," Martin said. "I've learned a lot for my next tournament. I should have wrestled smarter. I lost that (last) match, she didn't really win it."

U.S. coach Trevor Keifer credited his team's performance.

"It has been incredible to be part of both Nicole's first World title and Jessica's first World medal," Keifer said. "All three girls made us really proud."

At 59 kg/130 lbs., Deanna Rix (South Berwick, Maine/NYAC) did not make weight.

FILA has set up a website with results, pairings and information about the Junior World Championships, at:
http://www.fila-wrestling.com/gestion_competition/internet/home/accueil.php?num_compet=562

All three international styles of wrestling will be contested at the FILA Junior World Championships. The women�s freestyle competition will be held on Thursday and Friday and men�s freestyle on Saturday and Sunday.

Weigh-ins have been held for the last four women's weight classes. Four U.S. wrestlers will be competing on Friday and have received their first-round draws.

Americans Sadie Kaneda (Honolulu, Hawaii/USOEC), Dany Hedin (Kailua, Hawaii/USOEC/NYAC), Jackie Cataline (Corona, Calif./Cataline�s Wildcat WC) and Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Univ. of Regina) are slated to compete Friday. Kaneda will compete at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Hedin at 55 kg/121 lbs., Cataline at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Bernard at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Bernard is shooting for her third Junior World title while Hedin placed second in this event last year. Cataline is a rising star on the Senior level after placing second at U.S. Nationals and third at the U.S. World Team Trials this year.

Bernard will face Scheherazad Bentorki of France in the first round. Hedin will face Mizuho Shibata of Japan. Cataline is slated to face Mio Nishimaki of Japan. Kaneda drew Dany Cespedez of Peru.

FILA JUNIOR WORLD GRECO-ROMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Guatemala City, Guatemala, August 29-Sept. 3

U.S WOMEN�S FREESTYLE TEAM RESULTS FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 31

44 kg/97 lbs. � Nicole Woody, Odenton, Md. (NYAC), 1st
WIN Anastasia Koltun (Russia), 0-3, 4-3, 5-3
WIN Eglys Siviva (Venezuela), 2-1, 5-1
WIN Diana Piza (Ecuador), 4-0, 3-2

51 kg/112.25 lbs. � Jessica Medina, Pomona, Calif. (Univ. of the Cumberlands), 3rd
WIN Pam Ewanishin (Canada), 2-3, 3-0, pin
LOSS Ekaterina Krasnova (Russia), 2-0, 6-0
WIN Nanna H. Pedersen (Denmark), 4-3, 1-0

59 kg/130 lbs. � Deanna Rix, South Berwick, Maine (NYAC), dnp
Did not make weight

67 kg/147.5 lbs. � Heather Martin, Wellington, Ohio (Univ. of the Cumberlands/NYAC), 5th
WIN Luz Vazquez (Argentina), 8-0, pin
WIN Iryna Tsyrkevich (Belarus), 3-0, 2-0
LOSS Yoshiko Inoue (Japan), 3-2, 3-1
LOSS Kristin Buettner (Germany), 4-0, 2-2

WEIGHT CLASS RESULTS

44 kg/97 lbs.
Gold � Nicole Woody (USA)
Silver � Diana Piza (Ecuador)
Bronze � Anastasia Koltun (Russia)
Bronze � Jennifer Gonzalez (Guatemala)
5th � Eglys Siviva (Venezuela)
5th � Rehina Yarova (Ukraine)
7th � Renilda Dedios (Canada)
8th � Jang Ho-Soon (Korea)
9th � Yurie Sakamoto (Japan)
10th � Denise Kupfernagel (Germany)

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Gold � Megumi Maehara (Japan)
Silver � Ekaterina Krasnova (Russia)
Bronze � Jessica Medina (USA)
Bronze � Maryna Markevich (Belarus)
5th � Nanna H. Pedersen (Denmark)
5th � Elcin Demitras (Turkey)
7th � Sarka Androlova (Czech Republic)
8th � Mildred Kenia Martinez (Guatemala)
9th � Viktoriya Iemelianova (Ukraine)
10th � Maria Sarmiento (Venezuela)
11th � Pam Ewanishin (Canada)
12th � Irina Krivolapova (Kazakhstan)

59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold � Larisa Kanaeva (Russia)
Silver � Jacqueline Renteria (Colombia)
Bronze � Ganna Vasylenko (Ukraine)
Bronze � Anna Zwirydowska (Poland)
5th � Jazmyne Barker (Canada)
5th � Mizuka Kajita (Japan)
7th � Stephanie Maierhofer (Austria)
8th � Tatslana Bokhan (Belarus)
9th � Andrea Cardenas (Mexico)
10th � Angi Nolaya (Venezuela)
11th � Viktorija Grigorjeva (Latvia)
12th � Park Sang-Eun (Korea)
13th � Natascha Ballas (Germany)
14th � Maria Brede Johnsen (Norway)

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Gold � Yoshiko Inoue (Japan)
Silver � Matalya Laushkina (Russia)
Bronze � Kristin Buettner (Germany)
Bronze � Diana Mudrag (Romania)
5th � Heather Martin (USA)
5th � Maryana Kvyatkovska (Ukraine)
7th � Stacie Anaka (Canada)
8th � Choe Jin-Suk (Korea)
9th � Simge Yilmaz (Turkey)
10th � Olga Kalinina (Kazakhstan)
11th � Paulina Grabowska (Poland)
12th � Iryna Tsyrkevich (Belarus)
13th � Luz Vazquez (Argentina)

U.S. WOMEN�S FREESTYLE FIRST-ROUND DRAWS FOR FRIDAY, SEPT. 1

48 kg/105.5 lbs. � Sadie Kaneda, Honolulu, Hawaii (USOEC)
Vs. Dany Cespedez (Peru)

55 kg/121 lbs. � Dany Hedin, Kailua, Hawaii (USOEC/NYAC)
Vs. Mizuho Shibata (Japan)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. � Jackie Cataline, Corona, Calif. (Cataline�s Wildcat WC)
Vs. Mio Nishimaki (Japan)

72 kg/158.5 lbs. � Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Univ. of Regina)
Vs. Scheherazad Bentorki (France)

Coaches � Trevor Keifer (Le Mesa, Calif.), Vladislav �Izzy� Izboinikov (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

ASICS Ultimate Challenge Series enters fifth season, with 10 quality events in youth folkstyle

ASICS Ultimate Challenge Series enters fifth season, with 10 quality events in youth folkstyle
Mark Scott USA Wrestling
10/04/2006

USA Wrestling is excited to announce the 2006-07 ASICS Ultimate Challenge Series schedule. The popular youth folkstyle series, now in its 5th season, includes ten quality events, culminating with USA Wrestling�s Folkstyle National Championships in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

USA Wrestling looks to build on the past success of the Series, which has seen many of the premier youth folkstyle wrestlers in the country compete for the title of Ultimate Dominator. For the fourth consecutive season, last year�s Series events� drew several thousand youth wrestlers from throughout the country. However, the belt series wasn�t decided until USA Wrestling�s Folkstyle National Champions were crowned in the season�s final event.

For 2006-07 season, USA Wrestling has made some significant changes to the Series, including:
� The introduction of the Utah Amateur Wrestling Foundation Folkstyle Nationals
� The addition of a division for 7-8 year olds
� A change in the oldest age division. Division IV now includes wrestlers 13-14 years old; up to 8th grade
� Participants now must register for the points series and record results at www.themat.com
� The Champion of USA Wrestling�s Folkstyle National Championships will earn 4000 Series points

As in years past, the 2006-07 Ultimate Challenge Series will culminate with USA Wrestling�s Folkstyle National Championships. However, a new emphasis will be placed on the event, as the champion will receive 4000 points for winning USA Wrestling�s premier youth folkstyle tournament.

For the 2006-07 Series, athlete divisions for the purpose of Scoring Ultimate Challenge Points, will be determined by the age the participant was on September 1, 2006. The four age divisions that earn points are Division I (7 & 8 year olds), Division II (9 & 10 year olds), Division III (11-12 year olds) and Division IV (13-14 year olds; up to 8th grade). It should be noted that although several events in the Series include other age-group categories, only these four age-group divisions will score points towards the Dominator belts. Please note the points scoring criteria is different than the age group determination for participation in each event. Again, the Series points are determined based on the age the athlete is on September 1, 2006, because the season spans two years. Participation age groups are determined by the respective rules for that particular event.

A point system based on individual event placing will track, online, the results of each athlete, and at the end of the ten-event series, twelve Dominator belts will be awarded to the top point scorers in four age divisions. If there is a tie in points for any of the top three places, the tie shall be determined by the following criteria in order: most 1st place finishes, most 2nd place finishes, most 3rd place finishes, most overall wins, highest number of pins. The athlete scoring the most Dominator points will be recognized as the �Ultimate Dominator� and receive a special award.

In order to sign up and track the point series, athletes must visit www.themat.com. Under the �USA Wrestling Events� box on the right side of the page, click �Ultimate Challenge Series.� Participants can follow the links to sign up or track results. USA Wrestling will monitor the Series points throughout the season to ensure accuracy in reporting.

Don�t miss your chance to be the Ultimate Dominator; the quest for the belt begins in California.

As stated, participants interested in competing for the Ultimate Challenge Series belts

The 2006-07 Ultimate Challenge Series Schedule:

* The California World Challenge in Fresno, Cal., Oct. 13-15.
www.californiaworldchallenge.4t.com

* The Winter Classic in Danville, Ill., Nov. 24-25.
www.ikwf.org

*The Dixie ASICS Nationals in Duluth, Georgia, Dec. 27-28.
www.dixienationalswrestling.com

* The U.S. Junior Open Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla., Jan. 4-6.
www.usjoc.com

*Utah Amateur Wrestling Foundation Folkstyle Nationals in Richfield, Utah, Jan. 19-20.
www.folkstylenationals.com

* Indy Nationals in Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 17-18.
www.redcobrawrestling.com

* The ASICS Liberty Nationals in Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 23-24.
www.libertynationalswrestling.com

* The Arnold Wrestling Challenge in Columbus, Ohio, March 3-4.
www.arnoldsportsfestival.com

* VAC/USAW Wrestle-FEST 2007 in Virginia Beach, Va., March 9-11.
www.virginiachallenge.org

* USA Wrestling Folkstyle National Championships in Cedar Falls, Iowa, March 30-April 1.
www.uni.edu/unidome/2007USAWrestling.htm
Website available soon!!!

For Series news and information, including event websites and contact numbers, click on the Ultimate Challenge Series link at www.TheMat.com.

2006-07 Scoring System:
(For all events except USA Wrestling Folkstyle National Championships)
1st Place = 1600 points
2nd Place = 1200 points
3rd Place = 1000 points
4th Place = 900 points
5th Place = 700 points
6th Place = 600 points
7th Place = 400 points
8th Place = 300 points

2006-07 Scoring System:
(For USA Wrestling Folkstyle National Championships)
1st Place = 4000 points
2nd Place = 2400 points
3rd Place = 2000 points
4th Place = 1800 points
5th Place = 1400 points
6th Place = 1200 points
7th Place = 800 points
8th Place = 600 points

Trackwrestling brings wrestling results directly to cell phones, starting with Sunkist Kids International

Go here to get Oklahoma Wrestling Tournaments through Track Wrestling


Trackwrestling
10/12/2006

Do you like the instant results you get on Trackwrestling.com but can’t be online during an upcoming event?

Trackwrestling has allowed wrestling fans to follow their favorite wrestlers online when they are unable to attend an event. However, for those who still wish to follow a specific wrestler but cannot access a computer all day, Trackwrestling has announced it will be providing instant results via text messaging to cellular phones.

For as low as $1.50 per wrestler, you can receive the result for every match he or she wrestles during the event. Your phone will alert you as soon as the result is entered online with a message including the names and teams of each wrestler, win type, and match score. For an additional fee this feature can be expanded to not just deliver the results of a single wrestler, but an entire team or weight class.

“We are really excited about this new feature,” said Justin Tritz, developer of Trackwrestling.com. “The great thing about the feature is that 25% of all money earned from text messages will go back to the hosts of the event, so wrestling fans are not only supporting the wrestler, but are supporting the event as well.”

If you’d like to give this new feature a try, sign up to receive text messages for the Sunkist Kids/ASU International in Arizona this weekend. Visit www.trackwrestling.com and click on the ‘Txt-Msging’ link on the left side of the screen. The site will then guide you through the registration process.

USA Wrestling has partnered with TrackWrestling.com to provide updated results from a number of major USA Wrestling events.

For more information about TrackWrestling.com, contact Justin Tritz at 608-469-8837 or email him at justin@trackwrestling.com.

Chris Fleeger storms to title, OW award in freestyle wrestling at Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open

Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
10/14/2006

TEMPE, Ariz. � When the men's freestyle brackets came out for the Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open late Friday night, the 60 kg/132-pound division looked as loaded as any weight class in the tournament.

You had reigning U.S. Nationals champion Zach Roberson and 2005 U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Nate Gallick. Both were NCAA champions at Iowa State.

NCAA champions Teyon Ware and Matt Valenti also were entered at 60 kilos, as was promising freestyle prospect Shawn Bunch.

But when the awards were handed out early Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena, none of those guys were standing on top of the championship podium.

It was former Purdue standout Chris Fleeger. The two-time NCAA runner-up, who just completed his collegiate career this past March, made a huge splash in his first big freestyle meet after college.

Fleeger knocked off Gallick, Bunch and Roberson en route to the title and the Outstanding Wrestler award. He also pocketed $1,000 for winning the title. Fleeger displayed his full arsenal of moves, including a lethal low single, during his impressive run Saturday.

�I really wasn�t sure what to expect coming into this,� Fleeger said. �I�ve wrestled Roberson in the past and I know he is really tough. This weight was just so stacked. I was just coming out here to get some experience and I didn�t know if I would have this good of a tournament. But I�m happy, I�m really happy, and hopefully I�ll keep it going.�

The balance of the freestyle champions include Vic Moreno (55 kg/ 121 pounds), Jared Frayer (66 kg/145.5 pounds) of the Gator Wrestling Club, Scott Owen (74 kg/163 pounds) of the New York AC, Chris Pendleton (84 kg/185 pounds) of the Gator Wrestling Club, Nik Fekete (96 kg/211.5 pounds) of the New York AC and Tommy Rowlands (120 kg/264.5 pounds) of the Sunkist Kids.

The Sunkist Kids won the men�s team title with 38 points, one better than the New York AC. The Gator Wrestling Club was third with 19 points.

Women�s freestyle champions crowned Saturday included Clarissa Chun (48 kg/105.5 pounds) of the Sunkist Kids, Erica Sharp (51 kg/112 pounds) of Canada, Marcie Van Dusen (55 kg/121 pounds) of the Sunkist Kids, Katie Patroch (59 kg/130 pounds) of Canada, Alaina Berbube (63 kg/138.5 pounds) of the New York AC, Elena Pirozhkova (67 kg/147.5 pounds) of Northern Elite and Iris Smith (72 kg/158.5 pounds) of the U.S. Army. Van Dusen was named Outstanding Wrestler.

Canada edged the Sunkist Kids 27-22 for the women�s team title. The New York AC was third with 20 points.

Fleeger, competing for the New York Athletic Club, downed Roberson 6-0, 0-1, 3-0 for the title. He fired in on a couple of leg attacks to take control in the final period. Fleeger rallied to beat Gallick in the second round. After dropping the first period 3-0, Fleeger came back strong to win the final two periods 4-0, 3-2 with a pressuring, aggressive style.

�I love this style of wrestling,� Fleeger said. �The training is a lot different for freestyle than it is for folkstyle. You�re doing two-minute bursts instead of seven minutes all-out � that�s a little more my style. I can slow the match down a lot more in freestyle. Wrestling freestyle is a whole different ballgame. It takes someone really dedicated and focused to excel at this level. It takes a smart wrestler because there is a lot more strategy in freestyle.�

Twice coming close to winning an NCAA title is something that drives Fleeger, who trained at Cornell with past NCAA champion Travis Lee prior to this event. Fleeger said he plans to move out East and train full-time at Cornell.

�If I would have won NCAAs maybe I would have hung it up, I don�t know,� Fleeger said. �I still have that fire. I haven�t won a tournament since Big Tens three or four years ago. I want to win something meaningful. This gives me a huge boost. I drew a tough guy right off the bat in Gallick and was able to get past him. It�s exciting to win again. It�s a great feeling.�

Moreno put a halt to a strong run by Erkin Tadzhimetov of the Cyclone Wrestling Club in the 121 finals. Fifth at Junior Worlds in 1996, 1997 and 1998 while competing for Uzbekistan, Tadzhimetov knocked off past NCAA champion Jason Powell in the second round before pulling off the upset of the tournament when he swept U.S. Nationals champion Henry Cejudo 4-1, 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

Moreno beat Tadzhimetov 1-0, 7-0 in the finals.

The 26-year-old Tadzhimetov placed second at junior college nationals for Colby (Kan.) Community College in 2003 before finishing his career competing for Coach Cody Sanderson at Utah Valley State.

Cejudo took an early 1-0 first-period lead with just under a minute left by driving in and finishing an inside trip. But Tadzhimetov countered a shot attempt and caught Cejudo on his back late in the period en route to a 4-1 win.

Neither wrestler scored a takedown in the second period and the period came down to a leg clinch. Tadzhimetov won the flip, grabbed Cejudo�s leg in the clinch and eventually drove him out of bounds for the winning point.

Cejudo was a no-show for his next match and failed to place.

Owen pulled off an upset in the semifinals when he downed U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Tyrone Lewis 1-1, 2-0. He followed by beating past National Team member Kirk White 1-1, 0-1, 4-0 in the gold-medal match.

Chun, a 2006 U.S. Nationals champion, looks to be returning to form after beating Sara Fulp-Allen of Menlo College 2-0, 5-3 in the finals. Chun competed for the first time since falling to Mary Kelly in a Special Wrestle-Off for a spot on the World Team. Chun served as Kelly�s training partner at the World Championships late last month in Guangzhou, China.

�It�s always good to get the season started off like that,� Chun said. �I was pretty motivated after watching the World Championships. I want to be there and I can be there. That�s what I�m working for.�

A mild early upset in the women�s bracket saw Dany Hedin of the New York Athletic Club headlock and pin Sharon Jacobson of the Gator Wrestling Club in the second round at 55 kg/121 pounds. Jacobson later pinned Hedin in a wrestleback en route to finishing third. Hedin placed fifth.

Jacobson won the U.S. Nationals last year and placed second at the U.S. World Team Trials. Hedin, a member of the U.S. Olympic Education Center program at Northern Michigan, has been a silver and a bronze medalist at the Junior World Championships.

USA Wrestling selects Las Vegas to host 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and 2007 U.S. World Team Trials

USA Wrestling selects Las Vegas to host 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and 2007 U.S. World Team Trials
Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling Michael Mack of Las Vegas Events
10/11/2006

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Wrestling has selected Las Vegas to host two of its most important Olympic level events in the next two years, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials � Wrestling and the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials.

The local organizing committee for these two events will be Las Vegas Events, which has successfully hosted numerous major sports events in the city.

The 2007 U.S. World Team Trials will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, June 9-10. This event will determine the 2007 U.S. World Team that will compete at the 2007 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in all three Olympic wrestling styles: men�s freestyle, men�s Greco-Roman and women�s freestyle.

The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials � Wrestling will be held at the Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas � Las Vegas, June 13-15. This event will determine the U.S. team in all three styles that will represent the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

�Las Vegas and Las Vegas Events presented USA Wrestling with an opportunity to take these properties to a higher level,� said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. �We are confident the organizing committee and the entire community will step forward to insure the success of the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials � Wrestling. We are excited to form a partnership with Las Vegas Events to the benefit of both parties well into the future.�

�We are certainly excited about the opportunity to host two of the most prestigious wrestling competitions in consecutive years,� said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events and a former NCAA wrestling champion. �We have experience in hosting wrestling events, and we think that Las Vegas will provide a perfect backdrop for these two events. To be chosen as the host city is significant for Las Vegas, and we�re happy to add this to our growing roster of events.�

Each year, Las Vegas plays host to numerous major sports events including the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, NASCAR Nextel Cup and Craftsman Truck Series events, NHRA Drag Racing, USA Basketball Men�s Senior National Team Training and Exhibition, the Las Vegas Bowl, PBR World Finals, Vegoose Music Festival and the signature New Year�s Eve production, America�s Party.

Among the major wrestling events held in Las Vegas has been the U.S. National Wrestling Championships, which has been held in the city 18 of the last 20 years. Included in the event has been the U.S. Senior Nationals, plus the Veterans Nationals, the FILA Junior Nationals and the Western Junior Regionals.

�Las Vegas will do a great job marketing, promoting and presenting the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials � Wrestling and the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials,� said Pete Isais, USA Wrestling�s Director of National Events. �They also have great ideas for other activities surrounding the Trials events which will draw additional spectators. We look forward to working together to make this the best U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the history of USA Wrestling.�

Las Vegas Events plans to launch an aggressive marketing campaign to encourage the wrestling community and the general public to attend these major events and enjoy the many entertainment and cultural activities available in Las Vegas.

As the host city, Las Vegas is a world-class travel destination. Las Vegas offers spectacular shopping, dining, entertainment, and non-stop excitement 24 hours a day. With approximately 133,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone, more than 38.7 million visitors are expected to make the city their convention and tourist destination this year.

The United States is one of the world�s top wrestling nations, and is expected to be a contender for a number of medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, the U.S. captured six medals, including individual Olympic champion Cael Sanderson in men�s freestyle. At the 2006 World Wrestling Championships, the U.S. brought home nine medals, including two individual World champions, Bill Zadick in men�s freestyle and Joe Warren in men�s Greco-Roman.

The past sites for U.S. Olympic Team Trials � Wrestling, since USA Wrestling has been the National Governing Body, have included Allendale, Mich. (1984); Pensacola, Fla. (1988); Pittsburgh, Pa. for freestyle and Concord, Calif. for Greco-Roman (1992); Spokane, Wash. for freestyle and Concord, Calif. for Greco-Roman (1996); Dallas, Texas (2000) and Indianapolis, Ind. (2004).

For more information on USA Wrestling and the announcement, please go to www.TheMat.com or www.USAWrestlingLasVegas.com

About USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for amateur wrestling in the United States, and as such, is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the international wrestling federation FILA. USA Wrestling coordinates grassroots and elite wrestling programs across the country, and works to create interest and participation in these programs. USA Wrestling�s 145,000-strong membership includes athletes of all ages, plus officials, coaches, parents, volunteers and fans.
www.TheMat.com

About Las Vegas Events
Founded in 1983, Las Vegas Events, Inc. has grown with Las Vegas as the city has emerged as one of the world�s top special event and resort destinations. A private, not-for-profit organization, LVE is funded by hotel room tax and serves as the exclusive major special events agency for the city. Since 1991, Las Vegas Events has produced, presented or supported more than 300 events, which have driven more than 2.8 million visitors to the area, resulting in an economic impact of more than $1.6 billion.
www.lasvegasevents.com

Askren is clear front-runner for Rev Wrestler of the Year

10/13/2006
Andrew Hipps, Senior Writer
andrew@revwrestling.com

The Rev Wrestler of the Year award is given annually to the most outstanding collegiate wrestler in the country as voted on by a panel of RevWrestling.com writers and executives … and now the fans. This season, the fans will be included in the selection process for the Rev Wrestler of the Year. The fan voting will take place on RevWrestling.com after the NCAA Division I Championships in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Last season, Missouri's Ben Askren won the Rev Wrestler of the Year award, tallying seven of the eight first-place votes.

Now it's time to handicap the field for this year's Rev Wrestler of the Year award. In inverse order, below are the top 10 candidates:

*Please note: The NWCA All-Star Classic held at the Dallas Convention Center Arena on Nov. 20 was not included as a key date for any of the wrestlers.

10. Roger Kish (Minnesota, Junior, 184)

Why he has a shot: Kish remains one of the most gifted wrestlers in the country. After a disappointing freshman season in 2004-05 (by many people's standards, considering his hype coming out of high school), he came back to finish as the NCAA runner-up last season at 184. The fact that he wrestles for the preseason No. 1-ranked Gophers helps his chances because of the national exposure he'll get.

What hurts him: His weight class, 184, isn't recognized as one of the toughest weight classes nationally. Kish has battled some inconsistency and injuries throughout his young career. And while he'll certainly gets exposure wrestling for the Gophers, he also gets overshadowed by NCAA champion teammates Dustin Schlatter and Cole Konrad.

Roger Kish
Key dates: On Nov. 25, the Gophers head to Albany (N.Y.) for the Northeast Duals, where Kish could potentially meet All-American Josh Glenn of American. However, there have been rumors circling that Glenn might be moving up to 197 this season. The two met at the Northeast Duals last season … where Glen pinned Kish. Ironically, the Gophers do not wrestle Northwestern in a dual this season, so Kish will not see Jake Herbert during the regular season, but could potentially meet him at the NWCA National Duals on Jan. 13-14.

Odds: 25-1. For Kish to even be mentioned as a contender for the Rev Wrestler of the Year award, he must go undefeated, beat Herbert, and completely dominate his competition this season.

9. Matt Valenti (Penn, Senior, 133)

Why he has a shot: He's the defending NCAA champion at 133 and a two-time All-American. Last season as the No. 6 seed at the NCAA Championships, Valenti defeated the No. 3 seed (Tom Clum of Wisconsin) in the quarterfinals, the No. 2 seed (Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State) in the semifinals, and the No. 5 seed (Chris Fleeger of Purdue) in the finals. He also has arguably the best lightweight coach in the country in Olympic silver medalist Zeke Jones.

What hurts him: Not wrestling in the Big Ten or Big 12 conferences. East coast and Ivy League wrestling fans are well aware of Valenti's talents. He was a two-time New Jersey state champion and Junior Nationals Freestyle champion. He has dominated Ivy League competition since he stepped foot on the Penn campus. But consider this: The top 10 teams in the preseason Rev All-Division Collegiate Team Rankings come from either the Big Ten or Big 12. So, no matter how great Valenti performs this season, Big Ten and Big 12 wrestling fans will point out the fact that he doesn't see the best competition. Jake Strayer of Penn State, who is currently ranked No. 7, gave Valenti one of his two losses last season.

Key dates: The only top 20 teams that Penn duals this season are No. 11 Cornell (Feb. 9), No. 15 Hofstra (Jan. 26), and No. 24 Nebraska (Feb. 17). However, Penn does travel to the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 1-2 and the NWCA National Duals on Jan. 13-14. Last season, Valenti was runner-up in Las Vegas to Shawn Bunch of Edinboro. There's a chance Valenti could meet No. 4 Tyler McCormick of Missouri, No. 5 Matt Keller of Tennessee Chattanooga, No. 6 Darrell Vasquez of Cal Poly, or No. 8 Drew Headlee of Pittsburgh in Las Vegas. Valenti will surely see some stiff competition at the NWCA National Duals, too.

Odds: 20-1. A perfect season capped off with his second straight NCAA title will put him in the discussion, but a single loss will immediately take him out of consideration for the award.

8. Mark Perry (Iowa, Junior, 165)

Why he has a shot: He's moving down to 165 and most importantly away from the best wrestler in the country, Ben Askren of Missouri. Perry is a go-for-broke wrestler who excites wrestling fans because of his wide open style. He's comfortable on his feet, tough on top, and loves to scramble. He's a pinner, too. He led the Hawkeyes with 13 last season … and also picked up the award at the NCAA Championships for most falls in least amount of time.

What hurts him: The 165-pound weight class is considered by many to be on the deepest nationally as it occupies eight All-Americans and a two-time NCAA champion in Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State. Iowa wrestles a tough schedule and Perry will see the nation's top wrestlers week in and week out, which increases the likelihood that he'll slip up and lose a match or two. Perry was also banged up last season. He missed eight duals and often times wrestled hurt. One of Perry's main workout partners, Tim Hartung, is gone … having joined Cael Sanderson's staff at Iowa State.

Mark Perry (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)
Key dates: On Jan. 19, Perry will head to Stillwater, where he was born and raised, and face Hendricks in what should be a hostile environment. A lot has been made of the fact that Perry is the nephew of the Smith brothers … and that his father, Mark, was a longtime coach for the Cowboys. The two wrestlers have a rivalry that goes all the way back to their high school days, when Hendricks defeated Perry in the finals of Junior Nationals. Hendricks was 3-0 against Perry two seasons ago, including a victory in the NCAA finals.

Odds: 15-1. If Perry goes undefeated, beats Hendricks, and wins the 165-pound title, he has to be considered one of the leading candidates for the Rev Wrestler of the Year award. But those are some mighty big ifs.

7. Troy Nickerson (Cornell, Sophomore, 125)

Why he has a shot: Nickerson, a five-time New York state champion, lived up to his billing last season as a true freshman going 32-2 en route to an NCAA runner-up finish at 125.

What hurts him: Like Valenti, Nickerson wrestles in the Ivy League, so he doesn't get the exposure of the top Big Ten and Big 12 wrestlers. He also lost a great coach, mentor, and workout partner in Steve Garland, who was hired as Virginia new head coach in April. Former Lehigh star Cory Cooperman was added to the Cornell staff, though.

Key dates: Make no mistake about it, even though Nickerson doesn't wrestle in the Big Ten or Big 12, his schedule is anything but soft. He'll compete in three of collegiate wrestling's most prestigious events: Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 1-2), Southern Scuffle (Dec. 29-30), and the NWCA National Duals (Jan. 13-14). Cornell also duals No. 9 Penn State (Jan. 7), No. 10 Ohio State (Nov. 26), No. 12 Penn (Feb. 9), No. 13 Harvard (Feb. 16), No. 15 Hofstra (Feb.3), and No. 23 Arizona State (Jan. 21).

Odds: 12-1. The 125-pound weight class appears to be a three-wrestler race between Nickerson, Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma, and Nick Simmons of Michigan State. If Nickerson can win the NCAA title and go undefeated, he should at least be in the mix.

6. Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma, Senior, 125)

Why he has a shot: Hazewinkel is one of the nation's top collegiate wrestlers, even though he has yet to reach the top of the podium at the NCAA Championships. He has placed third the past three seasons, losing close matches in the semifinals to the eventual NCAA champion in each of those seasons. The two-time Big 12 champion has suffered only nine losses in his entire collegiate career. Last season, he defeated Nickerson at the NWCA National Duals, handing the Cornell standout his first and only regular season defeat. Hazewinkel is also an Olympic hopeful in Greco-Roman.

What hurts him: As previously mentioned, Hazewinkel has yet to get through the semifinal roadblock at the NCAA Championships. Until he reaches the NCAA finals and gets that elusive title, he'll just be thought of as a very good collegiate wrestler and a Greco-Roman specialist.

Sam Hazewinkel (Photo/John Sachs)
Key dates: Hazewinkel and the Sooners will compete at the NWCA Nationals Duals (Jan. 13-14), so there is a good chance that he'll face some highly-ranked wrestlers. In the last dual meet of the season for the Sooners on Feb. 23, Hazewinkel will face Nick Simmons of Michigan State in East Lansing. That showdown between two of the best 125-pounders in the country will go a long way in determining seeds for the NCAA Championships. Hazewinkel and Simmons split two matches last season.

Odds: 11-1. If Hazewinkel goes undefeated and wins his first NCAA title, he'll be mentioned in the Rev Wrestler of the Year conversation. But in order for him to have any chance at winning the award, he'll need a few of the top contenders to falter.

5. Jake Herbert (Northwestern, Junior, 184)

Why he has a shot: Like Mark Perry of Iowa, Herbert is wisely moving away from Ben Askren of Missouri. Perry is moving down to 165, while Herbert is moving up to 184. You could make a pretty strong case that Herbert was one of the top two or three wrestlers in the entire country regardless of weight class last season. Unfortunately for Herbert, he was in the same weight class as Askren, who gave him his only blemish last season in the NCAA finals. Herbert posted a 36-1 record last season, including a perfect 14-0 dual and 8-0 Big Ten mark. He also had two convincing wins over Perry.

What hurts him: Herbert is a strong, physical wrestler who shouldn't have any problems moving up in weight. But there's always some uncertainty when wrestlers move into new weight classes and face a new opponents. If Herbert would have stayed at 174 and avenged his loss to Askren en route to an NCAA title this season, it would have likely propelled him into the top spot for the Rev Wrestler of the Year.

Key dates: Herbert will compete in three premier collegiate events: Reno Tournament of Champions (Dec. 20), Midlands (Dec. 29-30), and the Nationals Duals (Jan. 13-14). He has won Midlands titles the past two seasons in his home arena … and last season he was named Midlands Champion of Champions, an award voted on by all the tournament champions. He will not meet Kish in a regular season dual meet (since Northwestern and Minnesota do not dual each other), but could potentially face him at the NWCA National Duals or Big Ten Championships. Herbert defeated Kish, 4-0, 5-1, in freestyle at the University Nationals in late April.

Odds: 10-1. If Herbert and Askren both win titles and go undefeated, it will be extremely difficult for Herbert to win the Rev Wrestler of the Year award … because the memory of Askren's convincing 14-2 major decision victory is still etched in many people's minds.

4. Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State, Senior, 165)

Why he has a shot: Hendricks is the defending two-time NCAA champion at 165 who knows how to win when it matters most. He's the leader of the four-time defending champion Cowboys. Love him or hate him, he puts on a great show every single time he steps on a wrestling mat. He's an aggressive wrestler who is solid in every position.

Johny Hendricks (Photo/John Sachs)
What hurts him: Some call it confidence, some call it arrogance. Regardless, Hendricks remains one of the most controversial collegiate wrestlers of this generation. He is booed in almost every arena outside Stillwater. There is a large contingency of wrestling fans who believe that Hendricks benefited from some favorable calls in the NCAA finals against Michigan's Ryan Churella. Hendricks seems to raise his level at the NCAA Championships, but he has also been known to have occasional letdowns during the regular season. Those letdowns have prevented him from finishing a season undefeated. Last season, Hendricks was pinned by Oregon's Joey Bracamonte at the Reno Tournament of Champions … and he also needed overtime to defeat Matt Pell of Missouri in the Big 12 finals.

Key dates: Hendricks will compete at the Reno Tournament of Champions (Dec. 20) and the NWCA National Duals (Jan. 13-14), but the date that everyone in the wrestling world is circling on their calendars is Jan. 19, when Hendricks faces Perry in Stillwater.

Odds: 8-1. Hendricks has a chance to become the Cowboys 15th three-time NCAA champion. But he's a bit too controversial to garner enough votes from the writers and fans to win the award.

3. Cole Konrad (Minnesota, Senior, Hwt)

Why he has a shot: Konrad was an undefeated NCAA champion last season at heavyweight for Minnesota. He's big, strong, and extremely athletic for a big man. He toppled his nemesis, Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State, four times last season.

What hurts him: The heavyweight division graduated five of the eight All-Americans from last season, including four of the top five. Konrad no longer has to worry about Mocco, which is a good thing for him, but many believe that he won't have anyone to challenge him this season.

Key dates: Konrad needs just 18 wins to break Tim Hartung's school record of 58 consecutive wins. He should surpass that mark at the NWCA National Duals on Jan. 13-14 … or shortly after.

Odds: 7-1. Konrad would be a front-runner to win this award in past season, but he faces some stiff competition this season. Unless teammate Dustin Schlatter loses … or Askren gets injured, it will be difficult for Konrad to win the award.

2. Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota, Sophomore, 149)

Why he has a shot: Schlatter, a sophomore, is on track to become one of the greatest collegiate wrestlers of all time. Last season as a true freshman, Schlatter won an NCAA title in arguably the toughest weight class in the country (149). He defeated 2005 NCAA champion Zack Esposito of Oklahoma State twice, including an 11-2 thumping in a February dual meet in Oklahoma City. Schlatter finished with a 42-1 record (his only loss occurred in November, which he later avenged) and became Minnesota's first freshman NCAA champion ever. He also became just the ninth Golden Gopher wrestler to win a Big Ten title and NCAA title in the same season.

What hurts him: The fact that Ben Askren is back for one more season is the only thing standing in the way of Schlatter and the Rev Wrestler of the Year award. Esposito and NCAA runner-up Ty Eustice of Iowa have graduated, so many wonder if there is anyone in the country who can challenge Schlatter. Some might argue that Konrad, a senior, is the top wrestler on the team, which could take votes away from Schlatter.

Key dates: On Dec. 8, Schlatter will take on highly touted freshman Cyler Sanderson of Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. On Dec. 29-30, Schlatter and the Gophers will wrestle in the Southern Scuttle … where he could potentially meet returning sophomore All-American Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro. In addition to competing in the NWCA Nationals Duals (Jan. 13-14), Schlatter will also see three of the top 10 149-pounders in dual meets this season.

Odds: 6-1. Schlatter should be the clear front-runner to win the Rev Wrestler of the Year award next season as a junior (and again as a senior), but with Askren back, it's going to be difficult to win this season.

1. Ben Askren (Missouri, Senior, 174)

Why he has a shot: Askren is the reigning Rev Wrestler of the Year, winning the award with seven of the eight first-place votes. Last season, he finished with a perfect 45-0 record, which is the only undefeated season in the history of the Missouri program. He also set Missouri season records for pins (25), consecutive wins (45), and he currently owns the record for most career pins at Missouri (61). He dominated everyone who stepped on the mat with him last season, including Herbert, who he dominated in the NCAA finals by a score of 14-2.

What hurts him: Lack of competition. Some wonder if Askren has simply gotten bored with collegiate wrestling because of his domination. There are times when it looks like he's merely toying with his opponent before racking up another pin. Of last season's top 174-pounders, Herbert (runner-up), Perry (third place), and Hoftra's Mike Patrovich (fourth place), have all wisely moved out of the weight class. The chances of Askren losing a match this season are about as great as Bucknell (no offense intended) winning the team title at the NCAA Championships.

Ben Askren (Photo/John Sachs)
Key dates: It's tough to pinpoint any key dates on Askren's schedule because it's unlikely that he'll get a serious test this season. However, if you're a collegiate wrestling fan who wants to see Askren in action, he'll be competing at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 1-2), Southern Scuffle (Dec. 29-30), and NWCA National Duals (Jan. 13-14).

Odds: 6-5. It's hard to imagine Askren being any more dominant than he was last season. But with Herbert, Perry, and Patrovich all moving into different weight classes, Askren has a legitimate chance to put together the most dominant single season in the history of collegiate wrestling.

November 10th Brady Theater - Tulsa, OK

Novemember 4th Firelake Casino - Shawnee, OK

IFL WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS SET FOR PORTLAND, OREGON ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND

On Thursday, November 2nd at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon, the remaining four IFL teams will do battle in the semi-final round of the International Fight League's World Team Championship.

Hometown icon Matt "The Law" Lindland leads The Wolfpack against Bas Rutten's Anacondas and Carlos Newton and the Dragons face The Silverbacks, led by Pat Miletich.

The evening also features the return of "The Smashing Machine" Mark Kerr, who faces Mike Whitehead (Miletich Fighting Systems) in a superfight, along with the Brazilian grudge match between Daniel Gracie and Allan Goes.

UFC 65 Preview

Two UFC® championship fights, one amazing night! Undisputed UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes has established himself as one of the greatest champions in UFC history. Now, he attempts an eagerly anticipated title defense against Canadian phenom Georges “Rush” St. Pierre. Plus, UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia faces a new kind of challenge in submission expert Jeff “The Snowman” Monson. UFC 65: BAD INTENTIONS is live from ARCO Arena, CA - Saturday, November 18, exclusively on Pay-Per-View! Visit http://65.ufc.com for details.

Buffalo Run Casino - EXTREME FIGHTING "THERE'S NO ESCAPING THE CAGE!"

EXTREME FIGHTING "THERE'S NO ESCAPING THE CAGE!"

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11

BUFFALO RUN CASINO MIAMI,OK. MAIN EVENTS FEATURING:

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION LEVI "MAN OF 1,000 MOVES" AVERA!!!

WORLD COMBAT LEAGUE SUPERSTAR THOMAS "THUNDERKICK" LONGACRE!!!

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION "ROWDY" RUDY LINDSEY!!!

THE REMATCH!!! DAVID VOGTMAN VS BRADLEY WOOTEN!!!


ALSO FEATURING:

JEREMY COMBRINK / JOSH PULSIFER / "THE ICE BOX" / AARON "IRON JAW" WINTERLEE / MIKE HATFIELD

AND DEMARCO "KING" POWDRIL

TICKETS > THE PRINCESS 918 627-7070

Dan Henderson Seminar - Saturday October 28th 2006

Saturday October 28th 2006

Dan Henderson Seminar

Come learn from one of the best MMA fighters in any organization. Former Olympian and Pride Fighting Championship Champion, Dan Henderson will be giving a 4 hour seminar at Caveman Combat Wrestling and MMA School in Davis, OK. 2 hours will be devoted to Takedowns and 2 hours for MMA training. the cost will be $50 per 2 hour sesssion. If you wish to attend please contact Rod Webb at 580 369 0107 or email at cavemanfighter@cableone.net

400 E. Atlanta

Davis, OK


Seminar from 10am - 12pm
12:30pm - 2:30pm

King of the Cage Cyclone

King of the Cage

Cyclone

Saturday, November 11th 2006
Million Dollar Elm Casino

Tulsa, OK


Main Event


Thomas Denny vs. Buddy Clinton

also on the card: Jackson, Hughes, Red Cloud, Johnson, Jaggers, Scott, Bowle, Giddens, Phelps, Dupler, Demoss, Lee, Carpenter, Starks, Rivas


Doors open at 7pm fights start at 8pm

for tickets call 866 IGET TIX OR 866 443 8849

www.kingofthecage.com

Freestyle Cage Fighting at the FIRELAKE GRAND CASINO

N-D-N Promotions

presents

Freestyle Cage Fighting

at the FIRELAKE GRAND CASINO

FIRELAKE GRAND CASINO

SHAWNEE, OK

November 4th 2006

All bouts are tentative and subject to change or cancellation.


1) 205 - Ryan McClain (2-1) Tulsa, OK v. TBA
2) 145 - Dustin Pope (0-0) Tulsa, OK v. Colin Wagner (0-1) Norman, OK
3) 170 - Josh Bain (0-1) Edmond,OK v. Clinton Bonds (1-6) Ft. Smith, Ark
4) 155 - Clint Kerley (1-1) OKC v. Alex Jackson (1-0) Norman, OK
5) 185 - Travis Fowler (6-2) OK v. Stephen Carl (5-0) TX
6) 240 - Billy Conwell (2-0) KS v. Rudy Lindsey (6-1) Carthage, MO
7) 155 - Jason Maxwell (9-4) Wichita Falls, TX v. Roy Silvas (6-2) San Antonio, TX
8) 185 - Adam Crane (1-0) Norman, OK v. Chet Lauchner (1-1) Vinita, OK
9) 155 - Matt Grice (7-0) Harrah, OK v. Adrian Sanchez (6-1) San Antonio, TX
10) 145 - Eric Payne (12-6) Wichita, KS v. Winner of Sullivan/Contreras fight on 10/07 at the Cain's Ballroom 145# TITLE FIGHT


MMA fightfans in Oklahoma and the surrounding states welcome 2 of the UFC's biggest stars, Middleweight Champion Rich "ACE" Franklin and Heavyweight Champion Tim "The MANIAC" Sylvia.

Masters of the Cage IV Results - My boy Wayne Cole puts it down!!!!

Masters of the Cage IV

Contributed by Todd "Zilla" Brown
Monday, 25 September 2006
Farmers Market - OKC, OK.
Sepetember 23, 2006

Bout #1
Ronald Tyler defeats Chris Kuntschik by submission - 0:45 RD 1

Bout #2
Tony Cerar defeats Jake Phillips by submission - 0:43 RD 2

Bout# 3
Garret Janko defeats Jeff Hamm by DQ - 0:29 RD 1

Bout#4
Roman Bugaj defeats Robert Eastman by TKO - 2:33 RD 1

Bout# 5
Ruben Zamarron defeats Ken Sparks by submission - 2:32 RD 1

Bout# 6
Kerry Wright defeats Sean Benn by submission - 1:52 RD 1

Bout# 7
Zach George defeats Daniel Acosta by KO - 0:20 RD 1

Bout# 8
TJ Waldburger defeats Brian Foster by submission - 0:29 RD 1

Bout# 9
Muhannad Barazi defeats Terrill Martin by TKO - 1:05 RD 2

Bout# 10
Nathan James defeats Troy Allison by submission - 2:04 RD 1

Bout# 11
Tyler Stinson defeats Mike Messina by submission - 2:25 RD 2

Bout# 12
Wayne Cole defeats Patrick Miller by submission - 1:48 RD 1

Referees: Gerald Ritter & Gary Ritter
Attendance: 577

Triton Grappling Tournament Results

Triton Grappling Tournament Results

Kids LW
1. Rene Hernandez
2. Carlo Dominguez
3. Tyr Fisher

Kids HW
1. Mike Pullen
2. Maria Hensley
3. Gavin Hassell

Kids Open
1. Mike Pullen
2. Rene Hernandez
3. Maria Hensley

Teen
1. Marthyl Hermantin
2. Kyle Horn
3. Madison Hake

Women
1. Cheri Chappell
2. Michelle Wilson
3. Madison Hake

Senior
1. Cheri Chappell
2. Mike Pullen
3. Damien Hermantin

White LW
1. Thomas Williams
2. Jared Weise
3. Scott Bolhling

White HW
1. Josh Waffell
2. Chris Goodman
3. Davis Brice

Intermediate LW
1. Mike Griffin
2. Charles Taylor
3. Omar Garcia

Intermediate HW
1. Jeremy Combrink
2. Thomas Gulia
3. Josef Blann

Advanced
1. Wayne Bridgeman
2. Shawn Kays

Open
1. Wayne Bridgeman
2. Chris Goodman
3. Josh Waffle

Thank you all who came out to support the sport. It was an awesome turnout. Great matches and two broken arms.

James Minson, Joe Garza, Jimmy Johnson, and Levi Avera I appreciate all the hard work you 4 did for me today.

I only posted the top three. I didn't post the 4th, 5th, 6th... 9th placers.

Great job guys, I am proud of all of you.

UFC 64 Run Down

Watch replay now!

Hit F5 on your keyboard to refresh often, as play-by-play is updated in real time.

Junior Assuncao vs. Kurt Pellegrino (Pictures)
Round 1
Pellegrino wins by rear naked choke at 2:04 of the first. Both fighters came out swinging, with Pellegrino later scoring a takedown. Kurt landed a heavy punch then moved to the crucifix position, and later to his opponent's back where he forced the tap at the 2:04 mark.

Clayton Guida (Pictures) vs. Justin James (Pictures)
Round 1
James worked some brutal knees to the head and body from the clinch in the opening minute of the round. Guida scored a takedown and some ground and pound that had James reeling. With 40 seconds left in the period, James nearly finished the fight with a deep armbar, but Guida fought it off with a beautiful escape. Sherdog.com scores the razor close round 10-9 for Justin James.

Round 2
Clayton Guida wins by rear naked choke at 4:42 of the second round. Guida got a quick takedown to start the round. From inside James' guard, Guida landed a barrage of strikes, including a few Sakuraba style Mongolian chops. Guida then stood up from James' guard and landed heavy punches. Guida then landed a huge right followed by a left that forced James to turn his back to get out of harms way. Guida promtly hopped on his back and secured the choke to end the fight at 4:42.

Yushin Okami (Pictures) vs. Kalib Starnes (Pictures)
Round 1
Sherdog.com scores the first round for Okami, 10-9. Starnes landed a straight right early in the period. After a minute of unactivity against the cage, the referee restarts the action. Okami started to find his range with punches. Okami then scored a single-leg takedown and worked punches from Starnes' guard. The round ends just as Starnes escapes the bottom and makes it to his feet.

Round 2
Not much action in the second frame. Okami hit an unintentional knee to Starnes' groin but he was able to continue. Okami landed a few punches and body kicks. Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Okami.

Round 3
Okami wins at 1:40 of the third via TKO (strikes from the back). Okami landed a punch that had Starnes retreating, then Okami scored a trip takedown. He worked some punches from the guard, forcing Kalib to roll over. Okami then landed a big left uppercut from his opponent's back that rocked Kalib. Okami straightened him out and finished with more punches to the head.

Keith Jardine (Pictures) vs. Mike Nickels

Bout was cancelled.


Spencer Fisher (Pictures) vs. Dan Lauzon
Round 1
Lauzon scores a single leg takedown and works from Fisher’s guard. Lauzon pounding away from guard while Fisher trying to land an upkick. Lauzon now working from half-guard. Fisher escapes to his feet only to be dragged back down to the canvas. Fisher escapes again and lands a flying knee. Fisher attacks with knees and punches and a beautiful knee to the body. Fisher ends the fight with an uppercut and a left straight. Fisher wins by TKO at 4:38 of the first frame.

Cheick Kongo (Pictures) vs. Carmelo Marrero
Round 1
Kongo throws several leg kicks before finding his target on a snapping right low kick to his opponent’s lead leg. Marrerro scores a fast takedown and works from side-control. Marrerro landing knees to the body. Elbows land for the American. Kongo is able to get back to guard but he eats some punches before the round closes. Sherdog.com scores the first round 10-9 for Marrero.

Round 2
Marrero scores a beautiful takedown and traps Kongo against the cage. Kongo has a guillotine from the bottom but it’s unlikely he can force a tap from half-guard. Kongo now has full guard. The choke is deep. Marrero escapes and answers with a flurry of punches. The referee restarts the action. Marrero scores another takedown. Another referee restart. Marrero again hits a double-leg takedown. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Marrero.

Round 3
Kongo stuffs a takedown attempt and unsuccessfully tries to trip Marrero to the mat. Kongo blocks a hip toss but Marrero scrambles and takes the top position. Due to lack of action, the referee again restarts the action. Kongo sprawled and stuffed a Marrero shot and took Marrero down. Kongo tried to attack with a keylock but Marrero had none of it. With 40 seconds left in the bout, the referee restarts the fighters on their feet. The boring fight ends to a chorus of boos. Sherdog.com gives the final frame to Kongo, but Marrero gets the nod on my card, 29-28.

Official Score:
29-28 Marrero
29-28 Kongo
29-28 Marrero

Jon Fitch (Pictures) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (Pictures)
Round 1
Fitch lands a left hand then clinches Hironaka against the fence. Inside trip from Fitch takes the fight to the canvas. Hironaka slaps on a deep triangle. Fitch is in trouble. Fitch muscles Hironaka to the cage but the triangle is still deep. Fitch slowly defending the triangle. Finally Fitch escapes with 75 seconds left in the round. Fitch scoring with punches from Hironaka’s guard. Fitch passes and takes Hironaka’s back with both hooks. Fitch pounding away with punches as the round ends. Sherdog.com scores the first frame 10-9 for Fitch.

Round 2
Fitch lands a punch-kick combo then slams Hironaka to the mat. Fitch landing punches from Hironaka’s guard. Referee Mario Yamasaki restarts the action at the 2:40 mark. Fitch lands a headkick then takes the fight back down to the canvas. Hironaka is going for a triangle but Fitch defends well. 30 seconds left n the round. Fitch postures up and lands some big shots ad elbows. Sherdog.com scores the frame 10-9 for Fitch.

Round 3
Fitch lands a series of punches to Hironaka’s head. Hironaka answers with a right uppercut. Spinning back kick lands for Hironaka. Fitch shoots and powers Hironaka to the mat. Fitch's nose is bleeding bad. The fight is stopped so the doctor can check it. The action resumes. Fitch, back on top inside Hironaka’s guard, turns up the heat with some steady ground and pound. After a referee restart, Fitch lands a hard lowkick then scores with a single-leg takedown. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Fitch (30-27).

Official score:
30-25
30-27
30-27 all for Jon Fitch.

Sean Sherk (Pictures) vs. Kenny Florian (Pictures)
Round 1
Sherk rushes and gets a double-leg takedown. Florian lands a sharp elbow from his back. Sherk answers with two left elbows of his own. Florian has a guillotine from half guard. Sherk escapes and tries to mount. Sherk now working from side-control. Sherk spins around for an armbar but Florian defends. Sherk gets busy with some punches from Florian’s guard as the first stanza expires. 10-9 for Sherk.

Round 2
Florian lands a hard body kick but Sherk muscles him to the canvas with a single-leg. Florian lands a elbow from the bottom that opens up a serious cut on Sherk’s forehead. The fight pauses so the doctor can check it. Action resumes back on the ground with Sherk in Florian's guard. Florian opened up for a armbar attempt but Sherk retaliates with 2 hard right hands. Sherk moves to the mount. Florian reverses and lands a right hand from Sherk’s guard. Both fighters now standing. Sherdog.com scores the close round 10-9 for Sherk.

Round 3
With blood still pouring from Sherk’s head, Florian lands a left body kick. Sherk scores a double-leg takedown into half-guard. Sherk moves to side-control, then to Florian’s back. Florian rolls over and gets back to guard, but Sherk continues to score with elbows. Florian lands another body kick. Both fighters pick up the pace and trade wildly to end the third round. 10-9 for Sherk.

Round 4
Another takedown from Sherk. With the pace slowed to a crawl, the crowd chants KEN-NY, KEN-NY! Sherk moves to half guard. Sherk lands 4 straight elbows that forces Florian to cover. The ref stands them back up with 20 seconds remaining. Florian lands a body kick as the round ends. 10-9 for Sherk.

Round 5
Sherk starts the final stanza with a powerful slam. Florian goes for an armbar but Sherk has none of it. Another referee restart. Left hand lands for Sherk. Sherk shoots for a double but Florian sinks in a guillotine. 2:00 remain in the fight. Sherk escapes and slams Florian on his head. Sherk now is in full mount. Florian escapes to his feet and grabs the fence to defend a takedown attempt but Sherk drags him down anyways. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Sean Sherk (50-45).

Official Score:
49-46
49-46
50-48


Rich Franklin (Pictures) vs. Anderson Silva


Anderson Silva walks to the cage to the sounds of Redman’s “Time 4 Sum Aksion.”

Rich Franklin enters the cage to ACDC’s “For Those About to Rock.”

Round 1
Silva snaps a leg kick that finds its target. Rich lands a wild left hook. Silva lands a front kick. Anderson working strong knees to the body from the Thai clinch. Silva picking Rich apart with knees to the body. Rich is hurt. Anderson lands a punch combo then a knee to the face, forcing the ref to stop the fight. Anderson Silva destroys Rich Franklin with a visious display of Muay Thai. Rich could not escape the clinch.

It was a series of knees to the body then a right knee that landed square on the button. Rich tried to run away but Anderson stalked him with a highkick then another knee to the head to take Franklin's title.


UFC 64 Run Down
Silva Scores Another Single Round Stunner to Win Middleweight Crown

By Thomas Gerbasi

LAS VEGAS, October 14 – Leading up to tonight’s 185-pound title fight between Rich Franklin and Anderson Silva, many wondered if the Brazilian’s 49 second blowout of Chris Leben in June was a fluke. It wasn’t, as Silva used a brutal Muay Thai clinch to dominate Franklin on the inside and stun the crowd in attendance for UFC 64 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center by scoring a first round TKO over the Cincinnati native to win the UFC middleweight crown.

“I feel like UFC’s my home and I’m here to stay,” said Silva, who was overcome with emotion after taking out Franklin, who was attempting to make his third successful title defense in his first fight back after a seven month layoff due to injury.

It was a war of nerves in the early going, but by the second minute of the first round, both fighters started opening up a bit more, with Silva securing a tight Thai clinch that produced a series of solid knees to the body and head, one of which jarred the champ briefly. Franklin waded right back into battle, but as he came in, Silva locked his hands around Franklin’s neck again, and this time a huge right knee left Franklin stunned and open for a brutal follow-up that included two more kicks and a final left knee that sent Franklin to the canvas, where referee John McCarthy wisely halted the bout at the 3:59 mark.

“I was not expecting him to be that strong in the clinch,” said Franklin. “I expected it to be my sweet spot and it gave me a lot of trouble.”


In UFC 64’s second title fight, it was a long time coming, but for the first time since 2002, the UFC has a lightweight champion, and his name is Sean Sherk, who grounded and pounded his way to a five round unanimous decision victory over a courageous Kenny Florian, who has come a long way from his days on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ reality show, but was unable to stop the charges of the ‘Muscle Shark’.

“I’ve been working for this moment my whole life,” said Sherk, the first UFC lightweight champion since Jens Pulver abandoned the belt in 2002. “Nothing was gonna stop me.”

Scores were 49-46 twice and 50-48 for Sherk, now 35-2-1.

Sherk immediately took Florian (7-3) to the mat, obviously intent on ending the fight early. Florian patiently regrouped while looking for an opening to land a submission, but Sherk was focused and stayed in control. Soon though, Florian saw his opening and sunk in a guillotine that looked dangerous for a bit until Sherk muscled his way out and almost got an armbar on Florian a few moments later before grounding and pounding his way to the bell.

Florian opened the second round with a couple of hard kicks, only to be put on his back by another Sherk takedown. But once on the mat, blood was evident from a cut on the side of Sherk’s forehead due to an elbow, and Florian was bleeding as well. After a visit from the ringside doctor, the action resumed on the mat with Sherk doing whatever he could to impose his will on Florian. Florian eventually fought his way out of trouble and reversed position on the Minnesotan with the two soon standing up and squaring off and finishing the round at a stalemate.

The third began with Florian working his Muay Thai, but in the blink of an eye, Sherk threw a left and shot in for a takedown and he again tried to manhandle the Massachusetts native on the mat. With a minute and a half to go, Florian gave up his back to Sherk briefly, but the ‘Muscle Shark’ was unable to capitalize and the two rolled back into the guard until stood up with 35 seconds left. That’s when the fun began as Sherk scored with some big punches and Florian answered with a couple of kicks at the bell that jarred Sherk and brought a huge roar from the crowd.

With blood staining the trunks of both men, the fourth round began with more solid kicks by Florian before a takedown by Sherk and more ground and pound from the former welterweight title challenger. With a little over two minutes remaining, the crowd chanted ‘Kenny, Kenny’ but Florian was unable to escape the smothering onslaught of Sherk who was doing enough damage to punish Florian and score points, but not enough to finish the fight, prompting a standup from referee Steve Mazzagatti with just seconds left in the round.

Sherk got his biggest takedown of the night to punctuate the start of the fifth and final round, and the pattern of the previous rounds continued as Florian was simply not strong enough to keep Sherk off him. But ‘KenFlo’ got new life with 3:30 left in the fight as Mazzagatti stood the fighters and he opened up again with the kicks. And in keeping to form, Sherk again looked for the takedown, but Florian sunk in a guillotine choke on Sherk in a last ditch effort to pull off the upset. Sherk escaped though and proceeded to pick Florian up and slam him with a huge thump, and that’s where the fight ended as the clock ran out, with Sherk earning a world title and Florian earning respect from the skeptics.

“Everybody underestimated Kenny except me,” said Sherk. “He’s a tough guy and we had a great fight.”

In undercard action…

Jon Fitch finally got his shot on television against Japan’s Kuniyoshi Hironaka after three straight UFC wins, and he let the folks at home see what all the fuss was about as he pounded out a three round unanimous decision in a highly anticipated welterweight bout.

Scores were 30-25 and 30-27 twice for Fitch, who lifts his MMA record to 17-2; Hironaka falls to 10-3.

“I’m a little upset with myself,” said Fitch. “I think I could have put him away on my feet. I think my striking was superior, I just didn’t let it go. But I think people will now recognize that I’m a threat in the division since people finally got to see me fight.”

Both fighters battled at close range early, with Fitch finally securing a takedown in the round’s second minute. Hironaka was undisturbed by this development though as he looked to secure a triangle choke on his foe. Fitch tried to pound his way out with knees and punches, and eventually, with 1:25 left in the round, he escaped and worked his ground and pound on Hironaka, eventually getting his back with under a minute to go, but the San Jose resident ran out of time before he could capitalize.

Fitch came out swinging in the second and after jarring Hironaka he was able to pick him up and put him on the mat and controlled most of the frame behind his ground attack, but Hironaka remained dangerous throughout as he kept looking for submissions. Fitch’s strength appeared to be too much though, and late in the round he really started to open up on the mat.

Again starting fast, Fitch rocked Hironaka with kicks and punches in round three, but the Tokyo fighter got his licks in as well, breaking Fitch’s nose with a shot straight down the middle. After the ringside physician checked Fitch out and allowed the fight to continue, the fight hit the canvas again, with Fitch controlling the action there enough to earn the victory.

UFC debutant Carmelo Marrero put a halt to the quick rise of France’s Cheick Kongo, using his superior takedown ability to upset the heavyweight contender via a close split decision.

Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Marrero, who improves to 6-0. Kongo falls to 19-3-1 in dropping his first UFC bout in three tries.

After eating a progressively harder series of leg kicks from Kongo, Marrero secured a takedown with just over a minute gone in the round and got side control on the Frenchman, the perfect spot for him to open up with knees to the side and forearms to the head for the rest of the frame.

Given his success in the first round, Marrero wasted no time getting the takedown early in the second, but this time Kongo countered with a guillotine choke that appeared deep, but Marrero was able to power his way out at the 2:45 mark. With two minutes left, referee Yves Lavigne stood the fighters up, but Marrero put Kongo right back down twice before the horn sounded to end the round.

After a slow first minute of the last round, the bout again hit the mat, with Lavigne quickly standing the fighters up as the action stopped. Kongo was able to fight off Marrero’s next takedown attempt, and when the Pennsylvania native went to the floor himself, Kongo pounced in search of a ground and pound KO and then a kimura, though both attempts failed. After a brief scramble to the feet, Marrero got another takedown but loose tape on Kongo’s gloves forced another standup which was a stalemate until the bell rang.

Lightweight contender Spencer Fisher survived a spirited effort from 18-year-old Dan Lauzon and improved to 20-2 with a first round stoppage of the New Englander, who was making his UFC debut in only his fifth pro fight.

Lauzon announced his arrival early with a huge slam of the heavily favored Fisher. ‘The King’ kept his cool though as he looked to goad ‘The Upgrade’ into a mistake. Two minutes in, Lauzon opened up with both hands on the mat, but while Fisher defended well, he was unable to get back to his feet until 1:30 remained in the round, and even then it was only briefly as Lauzon got another takedown. Upon rising again though, Fisher came armed with bad intentions and opened up with knees and strikes that visibly hurt the tiring teenager, who took the bout on late notice after Fisher’s original foe, Naoyuki Kotani had visa problems. Lauzon would gamely rise to his feet, but after a couple more knees and uppercuts, he hit the floor again, forcing referee Mario Yamasaki to halt the bout at the 4:38 mark.

“I think everything hurt him,” said Fisher. “The knee followed by the uppercut stunned him.”

Yushin Okami’s second fight in the Octagon was his most impressive, as he was steady and consistent in stopping ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ 3’s Kalib Starnes in the third and final round of their middleweight bout.

Okami, who defeated Alan Belcher in his first UFC bout in August, improves to 19-3; Starnes drops to 9-2-1.

The first round was mainly tactical, with a late guillotine choke attempt by Starnes waking up Okami, who finished the frame strong with a guillotine of his own and some hard knees and punches.

Starnes opened the second with kicks of his own, but Okami fired back with punches while stuffing the Canadian’s takedown attempt. After a brief stoppage for Okami to recover from a low knee from Starnes, the bout resumed but was again brought to a stalemate against the fence, forcing a re-start from referee Yves Lavigne. With 1:30 left in the round, the bout hit the mat, with Okami landing punches on his foe until the two made it back to their feet. By the end of the stanza, Starnes appeared winded.

Okami pushed the pace in the final frame, hurting Starnes with a right uppercut that forced him to turn and run to get away from the pursuing Japanese fighter. Moments later, the bout hit the floor, and Okami opened up on the now bloodied Starnes, who turned his back and forced Lavigne to stop the bout at the 1:40 mark.

“I trained really hard for this fight,” said Okami. “ I wanted to come out and put the pressure on.”

Ball of energy Clay Guida made his long-awaited UFC debut a successful one as he pounded his way through the defenses of Justin James and then sunk in a rear naked choke to defeat ‘The Pretty Boy’ in the second round of their lightweight bout.

James was effective with knees and quick strikes, but Guida got even with his ground and pound once the bout hit the mat. James (22-6) was always dangerous though, seemingly locking in an armbar late in the round that Guida was able to escape from.

There was more of the same from Guida (21-3) in the second round, though in a more pronounced fashion, and with under a minute to go in the round, Guida’s strikes stunned James, who defended the punches but then turned and allowed ‘The Carpenter’ to get his back and sink in a rear naked choke that produced a tap out at 4:42 of the round.

You may have to dock Kurt Pellegrino some points for his choice of entrance music (Hammer’s ‘Too Legit to Quit’) but there was no questioning the dominance of the Jersey native as he was in control from the start of his lightweight debut until he finished newcomer Junior Assuncao with a rear naked choke at 2:04 of the first round in the UFC 64 opener.

I was looking to take his back and submit him just how I did,” said Pellegrino. “A lot of my fights, I envision the outcome and I envisioned beating him.”

The win was Pellegrino’s first in the UFC in two tries and he improves to 15-2 in pro MMA. Assuncao falls to 5-2.

The light heavyweight preliminary bout between Keith Jardine and Mike Nickels was scrapped when Nickels aggravated a recent back injury Friday night and was forced to withdraw from the match.