Takedown Report

USA Wrestling leader Al Bevilacqua, 85, passed away Sunday.

USA Wrestling received word from his family that long-time USA Wrestling leader Al Bevilacqua, 85, passed away on Sunday, August 10.
Bevilacqua gave a lifetime of service, commitment and love to the sport of wrestling, impacting the lives of thousands of people along the way. He was a staff member and a volunteer leader with USA Wrestling for decades, going back to its roots as the U.S. Wrestling Federation. A respected coach on the high school, college and international levels, his work extended to leadership in many other areas, including his ground-breaking work in the creation of Beat the Streets in New York. He was named USA Wrestling Man of the Year in 2005. He received the Order of Merit from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012. Services: There are two viewings at the Massapequa Funeral Home located at 4980 Merrick Road, Massapequa, NY on Wednesday, August 13th … more at … Themat.com/news/2025/august/11/usa-wrestling-leader-al-bevilacqua-85-passed-away
And …

Legendary Long Island wrestling coach immortalized by ‘Seinfeld’ dies at 85
The legendary Long Island wrestling coach immortalized in an iconic “Seinfeld” scene has died — and everyone from celebrity former students to athletes recalled Tuesday how he went to the mat for them.
“They’re telling me I only have 2 to 3 minutes to give a eulogy,” said Christopher Bevilacqua, the son of beloved late 85-year-old coach and mentor Al Bevilacqua, to The Post.
“I don’t know how you can describe his life in 2 or 3 minutes.”
Al Bevilacqua, who passed away Sunday, got his 15 minutes of TV fame when superstar funnyman Jerry Seinfeld famously name-dropped his former teacher in an episode of his wildly popular series — even though Al never really watched the “show about nothing,” his family said.
“He would go, ‘”Seinfeld”? What is that? A comedy?’ ” said the former coach’s son, Michael. … more at … https://nypost.com/2025/08/12/us-news/legendary-long-island-wrestling-coach-al-bevilacqua-dies/

August 17, 2025 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | history, sports