Takedown Report

Wrestling History

Gable the GOAT: A Dan Gable Documentary Podcast
Gable the GOAT is an original podcast documentary presented by the Wrestling Changed My Life Podcast. The documentary explores how Dan Gable – the most popular American wrestler – created a wrestling dynasty at the University of Iowa, winning 15 NCAA team titles in 21 years; he also won an incredible 21 consecutive Big 10 crowns during that same time.
Part 1 (launched in November of 2019) explores Gable’s collegiate and Olympic career, and weaves the listener through the creation of the Dan Gable wrestling dynasty at the University of Iowa, culimating with the 1987 NCAA Wrestling Championships. …. Story and podcast at https://wrestlingchangedmylife.com/goat/?mc_cid=9e69424014&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Lee Kemp documentary a riveting tale about Chardon native, world champ wrestler
A “Lee Kemp” Google search will tell anyone interested about the exploits of the Chardon High graduate — that being he’s one of the great wrestlers in the history of wrestling-rich Ohio. That alone says a lot about the two-time state champion and multiple world champion. There’s a lot more to Kemp’s story, and it’s all played out in the riveting documentary “Wrestled Away: The Lee Kemp Story,” which is streaming on Amazon Prime. As a Chardon sophomore, Kemp had an 11-8-3 mark, but by his junior season won a state title for the Hilltoppers, then repeated as a senior. In college, he was a national runner-up as a freshman at Wisconsin then won three straight NCAA titles to close out his career. The stretch included 101 straight victories. His wrestling career was far from over. As an 18-year-old, he defeated the legendary Dan Gable, then 26, in an open event when Gable came out of retirement to make another run at the Olympics. Gable was the reigning Olympic champion at the time but Kemp won, 7-6. By age 21, he became the youngest American world champion and eventually the country’s first three-time world champ in wrestling. Kemp’s ultimate dream was as an Olympic champion, and as the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow approached, he was at the top of his game. Then President Jimmy Carter boycotted the United State’s involvement in the Olympics as a sign of protest when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. From there, Kemp’s career and life took unfortunate turns. …. story at https://www.news-herald.com/sports/lee-kemp-documentary-a-riveting-tale-about-chardon-native-world/article_2ca07a5e-6865-11ea-98ce-2f0b8125efa4.html?mc_cid=9e69424014&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Reliving Josh Glenn’s 2007 National Championship Run
With no current sports to follow, we’ll be looking back at #AmericanHistory, starting with Josh Glenn’s national title run in March 2007.
One season after finishing in fourth place at 184 pounds and dropping a tight 8-7 match in the semifinals to the eventual national champion, Glenn’s mindset before the tournament is simple: “My thoughts are, ‘I got to win five more matches.’ Riding a 19-match winning streak and holding a record of 22-1, Glenn receives the No. 2 seed at 197 lbs. He’ll take on Andrew Anderson of Northern Iowa in the first round. Glenn scores seven takedowns en route to a convincing 14-2 win in his first match of the tournament. He advances to face Patrick Bond of Illinois in the Round of 16. After a scoreless first two periods in the Round of 16, Josh gets a quick reversal and rides out the rest of the third period for a strong 3-0 win. He advances to the quarterfinals for the second straight season. He will take on No. 7 seed Charles Brester of Nebraska for a chance to move into the semifinals. After one period in the quarterfinals, Josh has built up a 6-1 advantage thanks to two takedowns and some near fall points. Brester narrows the gap in the second and third period, but Josh breaks loose and secures the fall! He moves into the semifinal round for the second straight season.
Josh builds a 6-4 lead over Charles Brester of Nebraska before getting the fall! He moves into the semifinal round for the second straight season. #AmericanHistory pic.twitter.com/3AOgADOhHw— AU Wrestling (@AU_Wrestling) March 17, 2020
He’ll be taking on No. 11 seed, and returning All-American, Chris Weidman from Hofstra. After a scoreless first period in the semifinals, Josh scores a reversal and then slaps a cradle on Weidman to get the fall. He is AU’s first NCAA finalist. …. story at https://aueagles.com/news/2020/3/18/wrestling-reliving-josh-glenns-national-championship-run.aspx?mc_cid=a4e126b07e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Mark Ironside reflects on winning the Hodge Trophy, Iowa’s 2020 season
Mark Ironside won the 1998 Hodge Trophy, becoming the award’s fourth recipient. He looks back on his time at Iowa, shares his thoughts on the 2020 Hawkeyes, his career as a racecar driver, Iowa commit Drake Ayala and more. …. story and podcast at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPlayer.jsp?TIM=1585449382580&twSessionId=mjzhelvyju&videoId=778945135&mc_cid=b9ab82d4d9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Penn Athletics Mourns Passing of Hall of Famer Dick DiBatista C’43
PHILADELPHIA – Penn Athletics was saddened to learn about the passing of Richard “Dick” DiBatista on February 29 at the age of 99. A member of the Inaugural Class inducted into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996, DiBatista remains arguably the greatest wrestler in program history. He ended his Penn career as a two-time NCAA champion—only Matt Valenti C’07 joins him in this club among Quaker grapplers—and likely it was only World War II that kept DiBatista from becoming a three-time NCAA champion. He also won three Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) championship in his weight class, from 1941-43. (The NCAA canceled its Championships from 1943-45.)  
“Dick DiBatista was one of the greatest wrestlers of all time,” said Penn’s current head wrestling coach and fellow Penn Athletics Hall of Famer Roger Reina. “Dick was a champion, an educator, a veteran, a loyal Penn alumnus, and a revered community member. He was a stalwart of Coach Austin Bishop’s incredible, undefeated Penn teams. Dick will be missed by our community, and his legacy will always be honored at Penn.”
 DiBatista posted an incredible 137-0 career record on the mat that included high school, prep school, college and amateur competition. He won a Pennsylvania state championship in 1938 while at Lower Merion High School, then a National Prep School title in 1939 while at Franklin & Marshall Academy. DiBatista also was named to the 1940 and 1944 Olympic Teams, although the Games were not held because of WWII. During the War, DiBatista served as 2nd Lieutenant in the Marines and was stationed in the South Pacific. …. story at https://pennathletics.com/news/2020/3/25/wrestling-penn-athletics-mourns-passing-of-hall-of-famer-dick-dibatista-c-43.aspx?mc_cid=0750227b4f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Five of the Worst March Moments for OSU Wrestling Fans
BySeth Duckworth
Normally I’m the most upbeat writer you’d ever come across. I try to look at the positive side of everything in life and really try and write from that angle as well. But with everyone already down in the dumps over the canceling of sports all over the world, COVID-19, and being quarantined at home, I’m going to try and take things down one more notch by sharing my list of some of the harder-to-choke-down things Oklahoma State fans have endured at the NCAA wrestling tournament over the years.
1. Johny Hendricks Falls to Mark Perry
This one popped up on my Twitter a few days ago and actually helped to inspire this story angle. Most OSU wrestling fans know the background on this, Johny Hendricks comes to OSU out of Edmond, Okla. and John Smith’s nephew Mark Perry, who was in the recruiting class the year after Hendricks, chooses to go to Iowa. Hendricks ends up as a two-time NCAA champion and a focal point of OSU’s run of four straight NCAA team titles from 2003-06. In Johny’s senior year and Mark’s junior year they matched up in the NCAA finals. Hendricks had beat Mark every time they met during the regular season, but fell to him 4-3 in the NCAA tournament final. …. story at https://pistolsfiringblog.com/five-of-the-worst-march-moments-for-osu-wrestling-fans/?mc_cid=5dfdb1c828&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

A Look Back at 1983

Well, we had planned on today, Sunday – March 22, to be a travel day for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team.  Junior Fabian Gutierrez and sophomores Tanner Smith and Matthew Waddell, along with the coaches and staff, were set to make the trip home from the 2020 NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Minn. 
All three had favorable draws in the brackets that were released on March 11, so who knows what could have happened over three days in U.S. Bank Stadium.  With all NCAA sports being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is not much news coming out of college athletics.  We thought it would be a good time to take a look back at the Mocs’ most successful showing at the NCAA Division I Championships.  The Mocs had some really strong Division II squads in the 1970s, but made the jump to Division I for the 1977-78 season. UTC had some individual success early in the 1980’s, including the 1983 squad that seven qualifiers to the national tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla.  The Mocs scored 20¼ points, tying for 14^th overall in the team race with Arizona State.  It is still the highest Division I finish in school history at UTC. That year was highlighted by junior Charlie Heard’s runner-up at 118 pounds.  It was the second of three All-American honors for the LaGrange, Ga., native and 1992 inductee into the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame. …. story at https://gomocs.com/news/2020/3/22/wrestling-a-look-back-at-1983.aspx?mc_cid=e20a7e57a4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 7, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized