Takedown Report

Wrestling History (2021) – # 7

TDR Editor’s Notes ; A belated return to posting reports of news about wrestling history. Included is a collection of Hall of Fame announcements, Obituaries, rememberances of greatest losses and the lessons learned. Read on and Keep on Wrestling. E-mail us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com Blog # 2945 (7/23/21)
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1 } – Lee Elected to MAC Hall of Fame
ANNVILLE, PA – Wilkes University wrestling standout Mike Lee ’74 has been elected to the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Hall of Fame as announced by the conference office Wednesday afternoon.
 Lee is a member of the 1974 NCAA Division III National Championship team. He wrestled in the 150 lbs. weight class. Lee won the 1974 NCAA Division III 150 lbs. national title. As a sophomore, he placed third in the NCAA College Division National Tournament. Lee was a three-time MAC individual champion, … rest of story at https://gowilkesu.com/news/2021/5/19/wrestling-lee-elected-to-mac-hall-of-fame.aspx?mc_cid=e6c3ba1225&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – Douglas E. “Coach” Parker
ouglas E. Parker, Jr was called to Heaven on April 24th. As a professor/Coach, he dedicated his life to helping his students/wrestlers find success in sport and life by realizing their potential. The same was true with his family which he treasured. Doug was a graduate of Gloucester High School, class of 1944 and Springfield College, class of 1951. Doug was also a WWII veteran serving in the Army Airborne Division. From 1955 to 1990 he was a Physical Education Professor and Wrestling Coach at Springfield College. Doug earned his spot in the Hall of Fame for having the most wins by any Wrestling coach in Springfield College history with 35 winning seasons. His contributions to the sport of wrestling were immeasurable. … rest of story at https://obits.masslive.com/us/obituaries/masslive/name/douglas-parker-obituary?pid=198510870

3 } – Japanese Wrestlers of the 1960s Helped OSU Remain the Dominant Program of the Era
A handful of Japanese wrestlers had a huge impact on OSU wrestling and the sport in general.
As each month that recognizes the heritage of various people comes around, I do my best to recognize it in a blog post. I’ve written on the color barriers broken by African American Oklahoma State wrestlers, the history of some of the programs’ Native American wrestlers, and even the military service of some Oklahoma State wrestlers on Veterans Day.

One area I’ve not touched on is Oklahoma State wrestling’s connection to Japanese wrestlers, which similar to all of it’s other history is something unmatched by any other program. With it being Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I thought I’d dig in. The predominate connection begins with Myron Roderick and Ichiro Hatta. Hatta was the father of Tadaaki and Masaaki Hatta, and was an Olympian and legendary coach in Japan. Hatta was named Commissioner of Sports in Japan after World War 2 and was tasked to reinstate sports in the country. 
… rest of story at https://pistolsfiringblog.com/japanese-wrestlers-of-the-1960s-helped-osu-remain-the-dominant-program-of-the-era/?mc_cid=a53f0e5e67&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Dan Hodge Tribute Series: Mike Chapman
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The world lost the legendary Danny Hodge on Christmas Eve 2020 at the age of 88. Thousands were impacted by Hodge, but he made his biggest impact in the world of wrestling – both on the collegiate and international side and the more theatrical side of professional wrestling, commonly called sports entertainment.

Episode 659 of the Short Time Wrestling Podcast launches a miniseries of interviews talking to people about Danny Hodge. The first interview is with noted wrestling journalist and historian Mike Chapman, the inventor of the Dan Hodge Trophy, which is presented to the top collegiate wrestler annually. Chapman will set the table on the life and times of Hodge from his perspective as a newsman and author of four books … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/dan-hodge-tribute-series-mike-chapman/?mc_cid=a53f0e5e67&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Dan Hodge Tribute Series: Lee Roy Smith
Lee Roy Smith was born and raised in Oklahoma. An NCAA champion, world silver medalist and the first of the four famous Smith brothers, Smith grew up in the era where Bedlam was fierce. An eventual Cowboy at Oklahoma State, Smith now is the Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He’d spent time coaching on the international and collegiate level and speaks on the impact of Danny Hodge, the trophy and what he means, not only to wrestling, but to the state of Oklahoma. … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/dan-hodge-tribute-series-lee-roy-smith/?mc_cid=3a3b8bc793&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – MEAC Releases 50th Anniversary Wrestling All-Time Team,
Presented by The Home Depot MEAC 50th Anniversary Page
NORFOLK, Va.,April 20, 2021–As the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) continues to celebrate its 50^th Anniversary during the 2020-21 academic year, the conference office now announces its Wrestling All-Time Team, Presented by the Home Depot. The team is comprised of 50 outstanding student-athletes who competed during the conference’s sponsorship of the sport between 1972 and 1995, as well as those who excelled for their institutions that had wrestling programs after 1995.

The MEAC Wrestling All-Time Team was selected by a panel of media relations professionals who have either worked at the conference office or at member universities throughout the years. The honorees were selected from a list of former student-athletes who were named MEAC individual champions, Most Outstanding Wrestlers at MEAC Championships, 
… rest of story at https://meacsports.com/news/2021/4/20/general-meac-releases-50th-anniversary-wrestling-all-time-team-presented-by-the-home-depot.aspx?mc_cid=2f6eda67bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b and https://meacsports.com/documents/2021/4/20//MEAC_50th_Anniversary_All_Time_Wrestling_Team.pdf?id=5465

6 } – J Robinson: My Greatest Coaching Loss
The University of Minnesota under J Robinson came close to winning an NCAA team title in 1999 after years of nearing the summit. During the 1999 season, they defeated Iowa twice in duals and won the B1G Championships — snapping the Hawkeyes’ streak of 25 conference titles. Iowa clinched the NCAA title in 1999 when Stephen Neal of Cal State-Bakersfield defeated Minnesota in the heavyweight finals. 

The coaching staff counted 17 different ways they could have won in 1999, including heavyweight Wes Hand being chosen as a wild card for the tournament after placing eighth at the B1G tournament. Chad Erikson, Minnesota’s 141 pounder who also placed eighth, was not selected.  Iowa won the 1999 NCAA tournament by two points (100.5 – 98.5). Hand scored 3.5 points.  There is also the often-discussed coin flip that happened during Chad Kraft’s semifinal match against Penn State’s Clint Musser. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1620096929162&twSessionId=izgotggusy&postId=1166641135&mc_cid=2136f7bdf1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Lincoln McIlravy: My Greatest Loss
This is part of the ‘My Greatest Loss’ series. It’s a retrospective look at some of the setbacks that helped reshape the careers of past and present wrestling stars, setting them on a higher trajectory toward greatness. Lincoln McIlravy was a three-time NCAA champion and a four-time national finalist for the University of Iowa, placing first as a freshman and sophomore (1993-94), second as a junior (1995), and first as a senior (1997). His international career included a bronze at the 1998 World Championships, a silver in 1999, and a bronze at the 2000 Olympics.  McIlravy reflects on the collection of losses that prevented him from becoming a four-time NCAA champion, a World champion, or an Olympic champion. 

GABLE WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE GREAT
The good thing about my career is that I had so many great losses that it’s hard to count them. I wish I was like Gable where I had one overarching loss. I think people look at it as a pivotal moment although I would argue against that. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1620789678127&twSessionId=rggqhbfitk&postId=1172202135&mc_cid=ce60503c93&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – #236 John Smith on the 1992 Olympics and Pat Smith’s 4th Title
ABOUT THIS EPISODE

John Smith talks about the 1992 Olympics, Pat Smith and the beginning of his coaching career in this never before released episode. This interview was recorded in October of 2020 and is the third and final interview that we recorded with John as part of our audio documentary series, The Smiths.  Enjoy!
… rest of story at https://wrestlingchangedmylife.com/236-john-smith-on-the-1992-olympics-and-pat-smiths-4th-title/?mc_cid=ce60503c93&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – The Smiths | Bonus Episode: John Smith Interview Three
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The third John Smith interview is here!  This interview was recorded in October of 2020 at Coach Smith’s office, as part of the audio documentary series, The Smiths. We talk about Pat’s career, John’s loss to Reinoso at the ’92 games, and John’s coaching career.  Enjoy!
THE SMITHS

The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with more than 30 friends, family and competitors.
ABOUT THE SERIES

Etched in Stone, the stories of wrestling’s legends … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/etched-in-stone/the-smiths-bonus-episode-john-smith-interview-three/?mc_cid=cc121404a4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Steve “Dr. Death” Williams Named to WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame welcomes Baron Michele Leone, Brickhouse Brown, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, Gary Hart and Ray Stevens as Legacy inductees in the Class of 2020. … rest of story at https://owrestle.com/steve-dr-death-williams-named-to-wwe-hall-of-fame/

11 } – Mark Perry: My Greatest Loss
Mark Perry grew up with dreams of becoming a four-time Oklahoma state high school champion, and he was seconds away from winning a title as a freshman for Stillwater when he got tossed to his back in the closing seconds to drop a 7-6 decision against Broken Arrow’s Brandon Tucker.  Tucker went on to become a four-time state champ before wrestling at Purdue, while Perry’s career changed course. 

At the time, Perry’s father, Mark Sr., was an assistant at Oklahoma State. Mark Sr. sent his son to New Jersey to train that summer under coach Jeff Buxton at Blair Academy. Days before his sophomore year was set to begin at Stillwater High School, Mark Jr. elected instead to enroll at Blair During his time there, he developed into the nation’s top-ranked recruit in the Class of 2003, signed with Iowa and won two NCAA titles for the Hawkeyes. Now Perry is an assistant at Arizona State. These are Perry’s words on the loss to Tucker in the state finals and how they changed his career: … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1621395085589&twSessionId=gyombtdlzg&postId=1176347135&mc_cid=ad9587b873&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – Donny Wichmann Foundation Gives Back
By Jeff Beshey

When Donny Wichmann passed away in July 2019 at the age of 53, it left a void in the Minnesota wrestling community. He touched the lives of the many people he met in a special way – whether as a family member, a teammate, a coach, a friend, or even just an acquaintance. At Donny’s funeral, a group of Augsburg Wrestling alumni came together to celebrate his life, and that’s when the idea of a Donny Wichmann Foundation came into being. “When we got together for the funeral, we started discussing how we wanted to do something in Donny’s name,” said Troy Wondrasch, a long-time friend and Augsburg Wrestling alum. “I think it was something positive to do in our grief.”
… rest of story at https://theguillotine.com/2021/05/donny-wichmann-foundation-gives-back/?mc_cid=ce44cea415&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b&doing_wp_cron=1622397024.9855999946594238281250

July 23, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment