By Matt Krumrie
Senior Editor/TheWrestlingMall.com
info@thewrestlingmall.com

Real Pro Wrestling was going to be the next big thing in the sport of wrestling – a professional wrestling league for “real” wrestlers, those who competed in folkstyle. freestyle and Greco-roman styles, featuring the top collegiate and international wrestling stars from across the country.

But the dream never worked out for co-founders Toby Willis and Matt Case. Many wrestling fans have wondered why it didn’t work out, and what happened to the league that showed so much potential but never was able to develop into what wrestling fans – and Willis and Case – had hoped for.

In an exclusive interview with The Wrestling Mall, co-founder Matt Case talks about what went down when Real Pro Wrestling (RPW) went down. Case was a former Northwestern wrestler who was the executive vice president and eventually president of RPW, which was in existence for 5 years. The league put out a pilot episode in 2002, launched Season I in 2004, and season II in 2006-07 before ceasing to operate in 2007.

Now, nearly two years later, Case gives answers to many questions that wrestling fans across the country were looking for. Here is part I of a two-part interview with Case:

TWM: I guess the question everyone wants to know is, where did RPW go? What happened and why is RPW no longer in business?

Case: RPW had to shut down for two reasons. For one, there was a specific deal that went bad just before season two was supposed to launch. One of our salesmen decided he wanted to do his own league, and consequently decided to lead our probable sponsor and investor money away so he could finance his own venture. But on a macro level, and a second reason, was that RPW was simply too much for just a few creative guys to handle. It really takes a team of businessmen in addition to creative people to see something like this launched. I think we got very close, but there was just too much for us to get done. Just like wrestlers, we wanted to take on the world.

TWM: When did the organization officially cease operating?

Case: 2007

TWM: Many people have wondered why RPW never made an announcement that the organization was no longer going to continue. Why was there never an announcement or information released that the organization was going to cease to operate? Do you think there should have been? Why or why not?

Case: Well, we continued to hold out hope that our business deal would come through for Season 2. We’d already launched a pre-season qualifier series where we had four separate qualifying events. These would have lead to the creation of the new teams for that second season. So, we prolonged any sort of final decision until we knew the outcome of our potential sponsorship, which took 4 months of waiting (Dec-Mar 2006-7).

Needless to say, the guy working the sponsorship side of things couldn’t close the deals (or wouldn’t close than rather), and so instead of closing up shop then, Toby and I continued to fight for possible ways to keep RPW running, until we just had no more energy left in the tank. In hindsight, maybe we should have formally made an announcement. However, we continued to hope that we’d find more interested parties to help us…even until this day.

TWM: What were/are the biggest obstacles for a league like RPW to succeed?

Case: There were a trillion obstacles, but the biggest was trying to do everything at once by ourselves. Toby would say we were fighting a battle on too many fronts. We were simply spread too thin and while we had many people willing to help on the grassroots level, we didn’t have enough key to help on the business side. So, Toby and I a couple others had to fight all the battles at once instead of concentrating on what we were good at – the creative.

TWM: What were the biggest challenges/surprises that you guys didn’t envision when you started RPW?

Case: We didn’t realize that finding the key business people would be that difficult. We hired and tried many people in the key positions like TV, sponsorship, venues, etc. But most of them didn’t pan out. Several of them were dishonest and greedy. Others were great people and were incredibly hard workers, but they just didn’t have the right skill sets and/or contacts to take RPW to the next level.

TWM: Do you think a professional wrestling league that features freestyle, folkstyle and Greco, or a combo of all three, can ever succeed? Why or why not?

Continue Reading

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Shoreham-Wading River’s defending state Div. I champ ruled out by NYSPHSAA
BY GREGG SARRA
Newsday Staff Writer

Shoreham-Wading River’s Corey Jantzen, the defending state wrestling Division I champion at 125 pounds, has been declared ineligible to participate for the rest of his senior season by the state Public High Schools Athletic Association.

Jantzen, who competed as an independent, was disqualified from further high school competition after he violated state rules by his participation against collegiate wrestlers at the Midlands Tournament in Evansville, Ill. last week.

“We have a rule in the state handbook that is very clear and states student-athletes cannot compete against college athletes,” said Ed Cinelli, the executive director of Section XI, Suffolk’s governing body. “We don’t give a waiver of a rule of this nature. I was never given any indication that he was competing in a collegiate tournament.”

Jantzen, who has already accepted his admissions letter to attend Harvard, became only the fourth high school wrestler, and the first from New York, to compete in the Midlands Tournament. He finished seventh in the competition.

“We have a letter from my athletic director that states that Corey’s participation in the Midlands will not affect his eligibility in high school,” said his father and Shoreham-Wading River coach Don Jantzen. “We made every attempt to address this issue prior to Corey’s participation in the Midlands and we thought the issue was addressed and resolved. We started the process one month prior to the tournament to make sure everything was done appropriately.”

Cinelli, who contacted NYSPHSAA executive director Nina Van Erk on Tuesday, questioned Jantzen’s participation against collegiate wrestlers and was told that the Shoreham-Wading River wrestler was ineligible. Cinelli then called Shoreham-Wading River athletic director Jim Cranmer to tell him that Jantzen was ineligible. Jantzen was forced to miss last night’s Suffolk League VI dual meet against Mount Sinai.

“We could have a high school athlete go to a track meet at the Armory in Manhattan and there are college competitors there,” Cinelli said. “But there is a difference in that the high school kids can only compete against the high school kids and the college competitors only compete against each other.”

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It’s not too often that an opportunity comes into someone’s life in which they have an chance to make a name for themselves in the world of professional sports. The movie “Invincible” staring Mark Wahlberg is a true story of Vince Papale and prime example of someone who had that once-in-a-lifetime chance. Papale who was a middle school teacher and pro football fan was invited to an open tryout for the Philadelphia Eagles football team in 1976. In storybook fashion, Eagle’s coach Dick Vermeil observed his tryout and hired Papale onto the Philadelphia roster because of his speed (40 yard dash in 4.5 seconds) and his allure to the blue collar fans of South Philadelphia.

Albeit a microcosm of the NFL opportunity and stardom that Papale was given, the RPW Qualification Series is no less intriguing as anyone who wanted to try out, including women wrestlers, were invited to compete to become a pro athlete. Wrestlers from around the U.S. and the world showed up to one of four regional qualifiers this past fall and battled hard for a chance to earn a free trip to San Jose, CA and the opportunity to challenge a previous RPW athlete from Season One for their spot on a pro team roster.

The four qualifiers, including Western (San Jose, CA), Northern (Mt. Vernon, IA), Eastern (Philadelphia, PA), and Southern (Tulsa, OK) regions were chosen specifically to offer as many opportunities as possible for someone who wanted such a chance to make a team. By-and-large, each qualifier featured wrestlers primarily from that region since it was obviously easier for athletes to travel somewhere closer to home. However, several competitors exercised the option to travel to other qualifiers due to their schedule or because they simply wanted a second chance to make a team. The Southern regional in Tulsa for instance, featured seven athletes who wanted to try out for a second time. Four of the seven consequently became champs of that region and advanced to the Super Challenge.

But the grueling climb onto an RPW team doesn’t stop with the regional qualifiers. Each athlete who won their regional (7 weight classes and 4 qualifiers – 28 champions) must now face off on January 7th against one wrestler (in their weight class) from Season One who didn’t advance in the first round of competition. These 28 Season One athletes will essentially be defending their team roster spots from this second group, the challengers, who are the champions of the aforementioned regional qualifiers. So, in total, 56 of some of the scrappiest if not the hungriest wrestlers in the U.S. will face off, getting only one chance on January 7th to secure their spot on RPW Season Two in this pro vs. amateur Super Challenge.

In addition to regional champions getting a shot, RPW may also introduce some regional runners-up and national team members to the Super Challenge as several of Season One wrestlers have retired from wrestling. Star athletes such as World Champion Dennis Hall, Olympic bronze medalist Garrett Lowney, and Olympian Jim Gruenwald who wrestled in Season One are continuing in their respective careers off-the-mat which will consequently free up other roster spots. These openings could be filled with either the runners-up from the regional qualifiers or other wrestlers who RPW league executives may deem good for the league. Runner-up candidates such as NCAA DI champ Joe Dubuque, would be a marketable asset to an east coast team. Likewise, the scrappy 3x DIII National Champ Duane Bastress who would add excitement to any team. Others top athletes such as national team members and past Olympians like Mike and Bill Zadick or Jamill Kelly may also be eligible to fill the additional spots to be determined by mid December.

So in just over a month, the climax to the pre-season of RPW Season Two will culminate on January 7th at the Super Challenge. As in many of the regional qualifiers, it will be interesting to see how many new faces will come forward and help shape the image of RPW’s second season. There is certainly some great talent on the line and when January 7th arrives, the question will be, “who is the most Invincible” for the opportunity to make a name for themselves in the new world of real professional wrestling?

For more information the movie “Invincible” and the story of Vince Papale, visit: http://www.chasingthefrog.com/reelfaces/invincible.php

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Nate Gallick Prepares For New Challenge
Kent Sesker – RealProWrestling

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

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Few things about Joe Warren’s temperament lead people to believe he is a patient man. Warren’s aggressive wrestling style seemed to be fueled by a raucous nature that left people to decide to love him or hate him quickly. The kid was in a hurry to get to the top and he wasn’t willing to wait.

So, for Warren, 2001, 2002, and 2003 had to leave him with a feeling rivaling a kick to the gut with a steel-toed boot. Each year he began the season fully confident that he was the man. This was his year. So, with failure not as an option, three years running Warren finished the World Team Trials one place off of the National Team.

Every year 4th place with the same three arch rivals keeping him away from his dreams. Glen Nieradka, Dennis Hall, and Jim Gruenwald were the puzzle that couldn’t be cracked for Warren, who already knew he would be a World Champion someday.

“I never doubted myself. Even when people thought I was crazy to switch from freestyle to Greco-Roman. I knew that I was meant to be the best.”

Warren never patiently waited for next year. And, his dogged determination paid off last week in Guangzhou, China as Warren became the 60 kgs Greco-Roman World Champion. The odd thing was for Warren as he wrestled still wearing his flaming hot emotions on his sleeve, he showed remarkable patience and even resilience to overcome the politics of the mat.

Wrestling on the international stage can be a frustrating mix of furious desire and on the spot pragmatism. When should an athlete or coach come unglued from a muffed call or worse yet a referees’ political bent to take it out on the American?

Over the years Warren had developed his answer to that question, and the answer was always. The sport of wrestling was always black and white, the best guy should always win, so if a call went against him when it shouldn’t he was ready to unleash the firebrand intensity that he honed through years of fierce training on the mat.

Look the other way when a bad call happened? No way would be Warren’s answer.

Joe Warren didn’t face an easy draw to capture a World Title, no one will be able to look back at his bracket and say that he faced the weak-side. Warren plowed through his competition beating the Uzbek, the Iranian, the Russian, and the Romanian before facing David Bedinadze of Georgia for the gold. This was a deep weight class, and Warren faced medalist after medalist including beating past World Champion Dilshod Aripov of Uzbekistan in the first round of the tournament.

By the time Warren had reached the finals, he was wrestling with a head full of steam, he knew this was his chance. All tournament long American fans had to shake their heads and raise their eyebrows at the peculiar nature of the calls. Nothing was taken for granted, a clear throw for exposure by an American suddenly turned 3-2 in favor of the American’s opponent—thus was the nature of international wrestling.

Going into his final match Warren knew that he would have to wrestle beyond any irregularity in officials’ judgment. A critical moment in a Greco-Roman match occurs with the flip of the coin after one minute of wrestling from the neutral position.

The winner of the flip—the color that faces up—gets to be down in par-terre last and defend for the win. Essentially, if neither athlete turns the other in their thirty seconds of par-terre dominance, then the athlete who is on bottom last wins the period because they score a point for not being turned. The last point scored in a tie gives the wrestler the victory.

Following a minute of scoreless wrestling, the all-important first flip took place. Warren breathed a sigh of relief as he watch the disk rest on the mat blue side up; he had won the flip and he quickly looked to his coaches for orders. No sooner did he turn back to look at the ref did he realize he was being ordered to assume the down position—opposite of what the flip of the coin had foretold.

At worst this was a nefarious plot of global proportions, at best it was officiating shenanigans that had the potential to take away Joe Warren’s dream of a World Title for another year. Warren didn’t know what happened, and by nature he was ready to explode into an epic tirade that matched the seriousness of being cheated out of winning the first period.

After years of volatility, Joe Warren somehow accepted his fate, finding serenity enough to avoid the tirade of emotions welling inside him. Warren knew little of the circumstances of how he came to be put down first until he received a congratulations phone call from Darryl Christian a former U.S. Greco-Roman National Champ.

Christian related how he watched the referee palm the blue side of the disk. It can be easily done and if the officiating team allows it to happen it can easily change positions for the athletes. In these circumstances the referee reached down and picked up the disk with his fingertips and raised the red to the judge and chair on both sides of the mat.

Miraculously up was now down, and Warren decided to just wrestle the position. Both wrestlers were unable to turn their opponent; consequently, Warren ended up losing the first period. Warren didn’t leave the second period to chance, even after losing another coin flip. The second period was all Warren with a 5-1 scored that showcased Warren’s bone-crushing hand-fighting dominance, including a takedown and a push-out.

The third period would determine the title and Warren knew he faced more closed and passive wrestling from David Bedinadze.

“They had me scouted pretty good. All he (Bedinadze) wanted to do was stay away from me on my feet. He didn’t want to fight with me. He wanted to win the title off of the flip of the coin.”

The third period Warren was countered for a takedown, and Warren defended for a point in par-terre leaving Bedinadze on bottom—after winning another coin flip—with a chance to win the World Title by defending his position.

Thirty seconds of defense and three coin flip “victories” Bedinadze would have Joe Warren’s title.

Not wanting to defend on the mat Bedinadze came to his feet and freed himself from Warren’s grasp. All he had to do was stay away for the remainder of the thirty seconds and he would be given the final point for the victory.

Warren felt the weight of the moment as the time raced off the clock. He says that he heard Coach Shawn Sheldon yell to be patient—that he still had time. He needed one takedown for the victory, just one score.

Scoring from the feet in Greco-Roman has become significantly harder over the last decade. Where wrestlers used to have to make chest to chest upper body contact now wrestlers shrink into a blocking stance—head down, grasping at wrists to stay clear of the opponent.

Surely, in Bedinadze’s mind was the thought just stay solid. This is yours.

Warren reached down deep and faked to one side of Bedinadze’s body, freezing him in his tracks. Immediately, Warren pulled off the pick-pocket technique reaching with his left hand around Bedinadze’s back catching his far hip as he jumped behind him.. It was a wily technique in a fleeting moment that captured the World Title for Warren—Champion Du Monde!

Warren said that it was an unbelievable moment that he felt the joy of the American contingent in the stands.

“I could hear all of them. It was just overwhelming. Even Bill and Mike Zadick’s dad came up and congratulated me—I think he said something like, Holy Catfish!, Warren said laughing, “It was great. I feel like I got the freestyle wrestlers revved up. Mike and Bill (Zadick) were awesome over there.”

Warren left the venue a World Champion, and Kevin Jackson, National Freestyle coach, pulled him off the van to give him a hug and a handshake, “Welcome to the club!” he said referring to his own World Titles and the addition of another American international champ to the record books.

Times are quickly moving forward for Warren as he already is making plans to compete at the NYAC this fall and to keep building for another World Title and an Olympic Gold Medal in ’08 back in China.

Joe Warren also wants to add one more title to his list of accomplishments. Real Pro Wrestling’s Season 1 Title escaped Warren’s grasp as he was defeated by Zach Roberson, and he plans on being back to capture the Season 2 Title.

“I didn’t train for leg attacks like I needed to the last time. I don’t plan on making that mistake again. RPW is great and I’m looking forward to being a part of Season 2 and to help do whatever I can to make RPW successful.”

Joe Warren has been added as a guest clinician at the San Jose qualifier, and wrestling fans are encouraged to come to the October 28th qualifier and meet Joe Warren an intense wrestler and now World Champion—also known as “the baddest man on the planet.” Just ask him.

RPW Regional West Qualifier, October 28th

Location: San Jose Convention & Cultural Facilities,
Parkside Hall A, 180 Park Ave. San Jose, CA 95113

Website: http://www.sjcc.com/meetings/facilities/parkside.php

Map: 180 Park Ave San Jose, CA 95113, US

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 – VooDoo Lounge (no cover with wristband) www.voodooloungesj.com

RPW Fan Fest: Includes clinics with Olympic silver medalist

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Last year, Real Pro Wrestling debuted on PAX and Fox Sports Network and Sidney native Brandon Eggum competed at 184 pounds. Eggum was ranked third and won one contest and lost in the semifinals to finish 1-1. It was a single-elimination tournament.

According to the Real Pro Wrestling Internet site, Zadick, Travis Lee, Nate Gallick, Matt Gentry and Greg Jones have committed to competing at a regional qualifier to earn a chance to be a part of season two.

Zadick’s father, Bob, said his son Bill Zadick, a 1996 NCAA champion at Iowa, is also interested in Real Pro Wrestling.

The basic purpose and plan of Real Pro Wrestling is to showcase freestyle wrestling in a way to where a sports fan will turn it on, view it, enjoy the sport and be entertained. The goal is to gather more momentum for the sport and find more fans and potential wrestlers for the future.

The first regional qualifier is in San Jose, Calif., Oct. 28. Other regional qualifiers include Iowa, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. Any wrestler interested in being part of the second season can fill out an application online in the events section at www.realprowrestling.com. Or call, Dean Morrison at 615-234-1358.

Registering for an event does not guarantee entry into the tourney and all wrestlers will be notified if their application is accepted.

The Zadick brothers recently competed in the FILA World Wrestling Championships in China, where Bill won a gold medal and Mike won a silver.

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In November of 1993, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was organized. The concept was brilliant in its simplicity: there were only two major rules regulating the fighters – no biting and no eye-gouging – and the rounds were 10 minutes each in length. Presumably to look good on television, fighters were put into an eight-sided cage dubbed “The Octagon” with no way out during the match. Each competitor would try to secure a victory, either by knocking out, choking out, or forcing the surrender of his opponent. As an example of how vicious the competition was, none of the matches in that first event even went the full length of the first round. Royce Gracie was crowned the original UFC Champion in what is now known as UFC 1.

Originally, the sport of mixed martial arts (abbreviated MMA) was billed as a mixture of sports more than as a sport unto itself. Early matches pitted jiu-jitsu experts against boxers, boxers against karate fighters, karate fighters against wrestlers, etc. In its early form, the MMA movement was a kind of mix-and-match of fighters with various backgrounds.

Fast forward to 2006.

As of this writing, the UFC series of tournaments – around which the world of MMA is still loosely centered – has not only become a pay-per-view phenomenon, it has signed a broadcasting deal with Spike TV, a male-focused cable television station. UFC competitions occur every month or two, and the next one, which will appear on August 27th, 2006 on pay-per-view, will be UFC 62.

As it has grown in popularity among both fighters and fans, the concept of “style vs. style” has fallen by the wayside. Fighters, in particular, have learned that they must not only know how to strike, they must know how to wrestle. This realization has turned the fiercest legal fighting league in North America into an increasingly wrestling-dominated one.

Don’t take my word for it. The following quote is taken from an article on ww.mmafighting.com about the UFC’s Forrest Petz, a 30 year-old fighter who carries a 17-2 record in MMA competition:

“Wrestling is the base upon which everything rests. Without it, you will surely lose.”

You might think Petz is just saying that because he’s a former wrestler – but you’d be wrong. Petz is a former boxer who still considers his left hook to be his most potent weapon. He was forced to learn wrestling so that he could compete effectively in the UFC.

The same could be said of Georges St. Pierre, a 25 year-old from Montreal. In his words, taken from www.ufc.com:

“I started martial arts when I was six, doing Kyokushin karate. When I started training for MMA, three years ago, I started wrestling with the national team and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Nova Uniao…”

That’s the Canadian National Wrestling Team that Georges is referring to. His 12-1 MMA record indicates that his training decisions have been good ones.

And those couldn’t have been tough decisions for St. Pierre – or for any other UFC fighter, for that matter. It’s difficult to find any elite MMA fighter who doesn’t list wrestling at the top of his training regimen. Muay Thai boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are both extremely popular disciplines among MMA fighters as well, but it’s difficult to find fighters even from these disciplines (or any other) who don’t mention their wrestling skills and accomplishments early and often.

Looking beyond fighters of other styles who have incorporated wrestling into their training, the extent to which former wrestlers have taken over MMA is telling. About 20% of the 176 fighters that the UFC lists on its website have at least some wrestling experience beyond the high school level. When you factor in the fighters who wrestled in high school, that number goes up by double or triple. While it’s tough to get exact figures, it’s probably not an exaggeration to say that most American fighters in the UFC came from at least a high school-level wrestling background.

Most surprising, perhaps, is to see that it’s not just wrestling superstars who have successfully made the jump to UFC fighting. It’s revealing to see “State Champion” listed in on the short list of an MMA competitor’s accomplishments, or to hear it be mentioned by them in interviews. Olympic and NCAA accomplishments are always noted on any MMA fighter’s resume, and even junior college-level wrestling accomplishments are never excluded from a UFC fighter’s bio. In fact, a number of competitors list any college wrestling experience they have at all on their bio, even if they were career back-ups in college.

That’s not to say that elite former wrestlers haven’t made their mark in MMA. Randy Couture, Mark Hamill, Chael Sonnen, Mark Van Arsdale, and Josh Koschek are all current UFC fighters who were National Champions on at least the NCAA or University Nationals level. But these elite wrestlers are the exception among UFC fighters, not the norm. In an upcoming article, just for fun, we’ll take a look at dozens of wrestlers who now fight at the UFC level but did not have National Championship-caliber careers in wrestling.

As a concluding thought, the sport of wrestling has certainly left its mark on MMA competition.. Athletes from other disciplines have learned that they need to train in the sport of wrestling to become the best fighters in the world. Wrestlers who have taken up MMA, on the other hand, have learned in sport what many of us ex-wrestlers have learned in life: once you’ve been through wrestling – even if you weren’t very good at it – everything else seems manageable.

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Just about anybody who’s ever witnessed a wrestling match, let alone those who competed on the mat for any extended period of time, can attest that it is quite unlike any sporting event that they’ve ever seen. Unlike a football or basketball game, where your fellow teammates are on the playing surface at the same time and if you’re not feeling well, someone else can be subbed in for you, wrestling is one-on-one combat. If you aren’t feeling up to par, that’s just too bad. Once you shake hands with your opponent and the referee blows the whistle, the battle gets going whether or not you are at 100 percent.

Further, wrestling isn’t contested at a relatively leisurely pace, like say a baseball game. No, wrestlers go at one another at a furious pace and the action is constant. If a wrestler is outgunned during a match, he has nowhere to hide. When a wrestler is getting dominated, it’s right there for everyone in attendance to see.. This, of course can include their friends, girlfriends and/or family members. If, on the other hand, a football player is getting manhandled at the line of scrimmage, it may get overlooked amongst the other things going on around them.

No question about it, wrestling is a unique experience in the realm of sports. But there are some similarities between wrestling and other sports that are worth delving into. Of course, the differences need to be pointed out decisively as well.

Jesse Jantzen, a star of Real Pro Wrestling who won a National title at Harvard, has thoughtful perspectives in terms of comparisons between wrestling and other sports. Jantzen recently mentioned the sports that he feels are the most comparible to wrestling.

“I feel that boxing, judo and mixed martial arts are similar to wrestling,’’ Jantzen said. “They’re similar in that all of those sports require weight management, weight lifting, endurance and those sports also feature one on one physical competition.’’

Of course, the sports listed by Jantzen differ from wrestling in several ways. As a studious participant and observer of the sport, Jantzen is able to see the distinctions between wrestling and other sports.

“They are different in that in wrestling you are trying to defeat your opponent with control whereas in the other sports you are often trying to injure your opponent to achieve victory,’’ Jantzen said. “I think that judo is similar to wrestling in that it’s a controlled fight.’’

It’s one thing to compare wrestling with other sports where athletes compete in hand-to-hand combat. But what about individual sports that don’t require physical contact with another athlete, such as golf or tennis? What does wrestling have in common with athletic endeavors of that nature?

“I see those sports being similar to wrestling in the mental capacity,’’ Jantzen said. “You must have extreme mental focus to succeed in tennis, golf and wrestling. Often times, the most successful athletes in these sports are not the most successful in practice. They bring a higher level of mental focus to the competition. I once saw a wrestling t-shirt that said ‘it’s 80 percent mental, the rest is in your head’.’’

It’s definitely easier to equate wrestling with other individual sports such as the ones mentioned by Jantzen, but wrestling is also a team sport. Obviously, wrestling isn’t to be categorized amongst ‘team sports’ known world-wide such as football, hockey or baseball, but wrestling fans are well aware that there is a team aspect to the sport.

“Wrestling is a team sport first in that you need a training partner, usually multiple training partners,’’ Toby Willis the CEO of Real Pro Wrestling said. “Also, it is best to share training facilities so every wrestler doesn’t need to buy his own mat and gym. Therefore, teams provide this efficiency. In competitions, wrestling doesn’t need to be a team sport, but that’s how most people enjoy it.

“It goes hand and hand with the efficiency of the facilities. It’s easy to then extend this partnering to duals and travel, etc. Real Pro Wrestling uses the team concept for many of the same reasons. However, it differs from other sports in that teammates compete one at a time. So during a match, everything falls on the shoulders of one wrestler.’’

Like Willis, Jantzen fully understands how wrestling can be viewed as a team sport. Once again, however, Jantzen rightfully notes how wrestling is unlike those competitions which are generally viewed as team sports.

“Wrestling is a team sport in that if you win, you can help your team win,’’ Jantzen said. “It is an individual sport in that you are alone on the mat against your opponent and there is nothing your teammates can do to help you succeed individually.

“In other team sports, you win or lose as a team. In wrestling, you can lose as a team but win individually or vice versa.’’

If you want to see great teams and world class athletes going at each other non-stop for the love of their sport and the entertainment of their fans, definitely tune into the second season of Real Pro Wrestling. You’ll see the differences and similarities between wrestling and other sports for yourself.

“Form, function, uniqueness, individuality, teams, intellect and entertainment all factor into a sport,’’ Willis said. “There are sports that have a few of these aspects, but not many have them all. Wrestling does have them all which is what makes this sport so unique.’’

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Those who competed with sincerity in sport of wrestling, whether their career ended with their graduation from high school, after their collegiate days, or if they stayed involved as coaches, competitors, etc. for several decades, know of the many precious life lessons that they’ve learned from time spent on the mat.

Those who competed with sincerity in sport of wrestling, whether their career ended with their graduation from high school, after their collegiate days, or if they stayed involved as coaches, competitors, etc. for several decades, know of the many precious life lessons that they’ve learned from time spent on the mat. Wrestling gives one the knowledge that through hard work, dedication, discipline, focus and mental toughness major goals can be achieved. Of course this lesson, worth more than gold, can carry a person a long, long way on whatever road they travel once their days on the mat are finished.

Unfortunately, some of those who have never competed in a sport where an athlete steps on a mat to face an opponent one-on-one, without teammates around to blame if something goes wrong, have a myopic view of those who have the courage to be a wrestler. Some of those shortsighted views may include, but certainly aren’t limited to, the assumption that the wrestler who appears to be stronger will win or that successful wrestlers aren’t generally good athletes.

The truth is that those who climb high in wrestling are the ones who use their intelligence, abundance of skill and speed to the best of their ability. Having brute strength is great, but without smarts, the ability to stay one move ahead of your opponent and possessing ‘mat awareness’ that strength won’t be worth much at all.

Real Pro Wrestling president Matt Case has had his share of encounters with those who have little to no knowledge in regards to the life of an active wrestler striving to attain goals at a high level. Overall, however, he is optimistic in terms of the responses that he receives from those outside of the wrestling community.

In my promotions and travels with RPW, I’ve really been encouraged to meet many people who know of and have a general understanding about the sport of wrestling,’’ Case said. “Most people don’t know, however, the demands that wrestling puts on one’s life, the total commitment that’s needed to be competitive.

“I think that it’s funny when someone who has never wrestled before acknowledge that it is a difficult sport. While I know that they are trying to be nice, they really have no idea. They see the struggle, but until they actually try to prevent someone from snapping their head through the floor for six minutes, all they can do is wonder.’’

Of course, like many wrestlers, Case has been approached by some people who quickly show their utter ignorance about the sport.. When that happens, Case feels that it’s generally not even worth arguing your points and indeed the best option may be to simply walk away from the situation.

“Well, most people who have wrestled, or have been successful at wrestling rather, don’t talk too much about it (that I’ve noticed) because they are the ‘silent professionals’,’’ Case said. “But when I personally engage someone who might have a big misconception about wrestling, it doesn’t last too long because until they have experienced the sport or are willing to experience it, it’s usually a waste of time. I say this because usually the people who voice their misconceptions don’t really want to know the facts. They’re more interested in picking a fight and that probably not a good idea with a wrestler.

“Therefore, I usually keep my mouth shut unless they really want to know about the sport. When they do want to know about wrestling, it’s usually a conversation about how difficult the sport is, yet how rewarding it can be. Some people just can’t understand why we wrestle. I try to relate that, but that’s another thing that’s very hard to explain unless they have experienced it or have a desire to be physically and mentally tested the way wrestlers are.’’

Another reason to ponder when one considers the misperceptions about wrestling is that it doesn’t get nearly the same big time media attention that other sports, such as football and basketball, enjoy. Bryan Van Kley, the publisher of Wrestling International Newsmagazine (WIN), has taken notice of this, but he also notes that the sport continues to expand in terms of giving its athletes a platform to improve their craft.

“Because of the lack of mainstream media coverage, a majority of people don’t know how big wrestling is in terms of actual numbers, the number of tournaments and the overall interest in the sport,’’ Van Kley said. “Wrestlers are as devoted and passionate about their sport as any other fans or athletes that you’ll ever find.

“In addition, people always ask me when wrestling’s off-season is. With the incredible growth that wrestling has experienced at every level, from youth wrestling to Real Pro Wrestling, there isn’t an off-season anymore.’’

Van Kley, having participated in a variety of sports at the high school and collegiate level, is well equipped if someone approaches him with their misunderstanding about wrestling.

“I challenge people to show me one other sport which teaches you more about yourself and demands more out of you mentally and physically than wrestling,’’ Van Kley said. “I’m not putting down other sports, because I played four sports in high school and college and love all sports. I’m just realistic about how unique wrestling is.’’

In order for wrestling to get bigger and bigger in this country, the benefits as opposed to the distortions about the sport should be brought to the attention of those young athletes who are considering stepping on the mat for the first time.

“To those athletes, I would encourage them to stick it out long enough to make their own judgment about the sport,’’ Case said. “I would say that after a year they should have a pretty good idea of what is true or not true. However, there are always some coaches that have distorted points of view that often dissuade young athletes from learning what is reality.

“I suppose that this is true for all sports, but wrestling is not just a game, but a way of life. Therefore, it is important to take the time and evaluate the benefits of what the sport has to offer. Some people know right away, but most will have to immerse themselves and come through the fire, so to speak, to understand the realities of wrestling.’’

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As the second oldest in a family of eight kids, Paul Molin started wrestling as so many do.

“We’d moved from California to Indiana, and I joined a freestyle program for kids,” he said. “All (four) boys started in around second grade. Dad (Doug) officiated tournaments and helped run practices; Mom (Paula) scored, and the girls scored.”

But Molin, now 27, learned more than just technique from the sport.. What he learned as a wrestler, he maintains, helped propel him to a job with ESPN and an Emmy in May.

“It almost sounds like a cliché to a point, but when people think of wrestlers in general, they think of work ethic,” said Molin, an associate producer for ESPN. “They think, ‘We don’t have to worry about it. It’s going to get done.’

“I definitely had had opportunities given to me because they know that whatever they give me is going to get done –and done right to the best of my ability.”

Molin won his award for an ESPN/ABC “tease,” a short piece that hooks viewers into the main program, at the 27th annual Sports Emmy Awards in May. The 90-second spot, a preview to last spring’s World Figure Skating Championship in Moscow, was up against teases for ESPN’s coverage of the Little League World Series, the Gravity Games on NBC and Fox’s Super Bowl opening.

At Indiana’s Martinsville High School, Molin and a friend produced their school’s television show. The 1998 graduate was involved in wrestling, cross country, track and pole vault and was also a school newspaper photographer.

He went on to Indiana University, where he earned a degree in telecommunications. Using a video camera, he made successful commercials for local bars that were shown on local TV stations while he was still in college.

His road to ESPN began at Northwestern University, when former NU wrestler Jack Griffith talked a friend, Al Killion, into volunteering as a clock operator for the University Nationals. Killion, who is a freelance operations producer for ESPN, helps produce, among other events, the NCAA Wrestling Championships.

As clock operator, Killion found himself sitting next to the mat judge — Doug Molin.

“He saw that I was wearing a shirt with an ESPN logo,” Killion recalled, “and he said, ‘Oh, my son’s in TV.’ I thought, here we go again!”

Killion soon learned, however, that the son’s talent was the real deal and hired him on. “Paul drove himself around to games,” he said. “We paid him mileage and as little as we could get by with.”

Eventually, he hooked Molin up with Lingner Group Productions, to which ESPN out-sources some of its programming. Then Molin met the ESPN producers from Bristol, Conn.

Molin, whose responsibilities do not include producing live TV shows, has gone from being a video editor to an associate producer. Now he communicates with writers, editors and the people behind the cameras.

“I kind of orchestrate and I’m responsible for all of it, but I don’t actually do those things,” he said. “The creativity part of it is pretty endless, but I work with some of the best people in the industry.”

“None of this would have happened if Paul weren’t very good,” Killion stressed. “He’s very talented; he’s got a great eye.”

Molin’s brother, Ben, 24, also an IU graduate, is doing work for ESPN similar to what Paul did when he was starting out. Ben has been working on “The Mike and Mike Show” on ESPN-radio, as well as ESPN 360.

Killion, who recently hired former Indiana University wrestler Coyte Cooper for some part-time weekend work while Cooper attends grad school, said he applauds the wrestlers’ work ethic.

“During football season, we hire15 to 20 students for big games, and in a lot of Big 10 communities, I hire wrestling team members, he said. “By and large, they are more focused. They do the job; whatever the task is, they take care of it.”

After wrestling through his senior year of high school, Molin enjoyed wrestling with a club in college. “There were about 15 of us who would roll around in practice and get in shape,” he said.

He keeps in touch with some coaches in the Bristol area, he explained, and looks forward to helping them with practices and workouts whenever he can fit them in his schedule.

“Wrestling’s kind of addictive,” he said. “Even now, I’m trying to get back in it.”

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Having a dream in life is very important, for it gives one the ability to wakeup each morning with the energy and enthusiasm which is vital to thrive toward their goals. Sometimes, dreams are even realized. For fans of wrestling, the dream of a professional Olympic-style league has now become very much a reality in the form of Real Pro Wrestling.

Through the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, from the athletes on the mat to those behind the scenes, Season One of Real Pro Wrestling was a success and its full steam ahead with Season Two, which gets going this fall. World class athletes, who are soon to be known to those outside the hardcore wrestling community, will face off in the anticipated second season of RPW. RPW president Matt Case was very impressed with the reaction to Season One and is ready to help deliver a very good product in the coming months.

“The fact that we were able to draw the audiences that we did in the time slots and networks that we were on was probably the most encouraging (aspect of season one),” Case said. “Our goal for Season One was simply to get RPW out there to the core wrestling audience to let them know that a real pro wrestling league was emerging. When you draw nearly a half a million people to a show that the network didn’t heavily promote, you’re doing pretty well. It proved that real wrestling fans want to see their sport on TV.”

“The next most important aspect was the reaction from the fans. RPW marketed, promoted and sponsored hundreds of wrestling events during Season One and during that campaign, just about everyone we visited with was extremely excited about the league. We heard comments like ‘it’s about time’ and ‘why hasn’t this been done before’ over and over again. We’ve actually seen people cry because they’ve been so thankful that this is now available for their kids to look up to and aspire to. Now that is truly encouraging.”

Many of those who watch RPW closely may be very well aware of mixed martial arts leagues such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the Pride Fighting Championships. Wrestling techniques are big reason for the success of several athletes who compete in those broadly respected leagues.

“Wrestling has always been the dominant martial art,” Case said. “It’s just that until now most people haven’t recognized that fact. The MMA has provided a testing ground that shows this truth to become self-evident, that not all combat sports are created equal. In the past, wrestling had been criticized for being too technical to appeal to the masses. Now we find that everyone in the MMA world is clamoring to learn.

“We’d like to be one of those organizations who can step up and facilitate this learning. Just look at the line-up of guys who wrestled for RPW in Season One. The knowledge that those athletes had individually was incredible. Now, think about an entire league of athletes with that knowledge and you’ll start to understand how wrestling can gain a foothold in the world of mixed martial arts.”

Just like most things in life, there were areas that could be improved upon in the time between Season One and Season Two. Those improvements and innovations will be on display this fall.

“The biggest change will be in our format,” Case said. “This season will be a dual meet format with a championship. Last season, we had to run the tournament format because we only had one hour in which to run the show. This season we will not have that time restraint and therefore we can run duals meets that extend beyond one hour.

“We will also be able to run extended back stories on the athletes, which is really cool because our goal is to get these world class athletes the mainstream recognition they deserve. Our television partner this year is going to help facilitate this new format tremendously.”

The changes that one will see in RPW doesn’t stop there as the league continues to expand in size and respectability.

“There will be an exciting addition to this season in that we’re going to hold qualifying events for the league,” Case said. “We will hold them in select locations by application only. Not all of the team’s spots will be determined by tryouts, but we will hold back about two spots per team on average to fill with qualifiers.

“During these qualifiers, we will be introducing some ‘fan fests’ to allow local fans to meet the athletes and interact with the league. We want to give people who want to become pros a shot.”

The athletes that you will see go against one another in RPW are highly driven and very motivated. RPW will give fans a look as to what makes these athletes the people they are today.

“Wrestlers are natural characters, so we want things to develop naturally” Case said. “Giving the athletes more time in front of the camera, more interviews, more magazine features, etc. will help this process.”

There is a perception by many that certain professional athletes, regardless of sport, are in a world of their own, quite distant from the fans who follow them closely. Real Pro Wrestling hopes to be unique in letting fans the opportunity to get to know the superb athletes that the will watch on the mat.

“Through the qualifying events, we aim to give the fans a chance to come out and spend time with the athletes at the ‘fan fests’,” Case said. “We also hope to bridge the gap between the fans and the athletes at the regular season events. This will happen primarily with autograph sessions and mini-clinics before the dual meets. We want people to feel that they have a direct link to these amazing athletes.

“Most wrestlers are incredibly approachable and down to earth people. All that we need to do is facilitate the interaction. The wrestling community is such a great family so it’s not hard to accomplish this goal. Beyond the technique, the family atmosphere of wrestling makes it one of the most respected sports. Another reason why wrestling is one of the most respected sports, in addition to how hard it is, is the way in which people in the sport give of their time and knowledge to one another.”

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Mixed martial arts (MMA) have become one of the most popular sports over the past decade –- not just in the American culture, but in the entire world. With worldwide exposure of MMA productions such as Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) and Pride, the sport has blown up.

And with that exposure has come the popularity of its athletes. Names such as Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz and Matt Hughes are known worldwide. Before them, athletes such as Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman were controlling the ranks.

What is common among them? A wrestling background.

And while the martial arts have helped many MMA athletes to earn wins by submission or knock out, it is tough to get that end result without taking your opponent down. In other words, a wrestling background is becoming more and more important in MMA.

A case in point is the recent fight between UFC Hall Of Fame member Royce Gracie, the man who single-handedly popularized jiu-jitsu in the United States. Gracie, however, was no match for former Eastern Illinois All-American Matt Hughes, who dismantled Gracie in less than five minutes.

The fight was won with Hughes riding the legs of Gracie, a common wrestling technique. From there, he used hip pressure to hold Gracie down and punch his head until the official stopped the match.

Jiu-jitsu, in a sense is a form of wrestling. It is in the same family, just as a kitten is related to a lion. Jiu-jitsu, judo, wrestling –- they all learn from each other. Though it could be said that the sport of wrestling is the most refined of all of the mixed martial arts styles.

As the UFC recently celebrated its 12-year existence with its 60th pay-per-view event on Sunday night and Pride prepares to enter its 10 th year of competition, it is inevitable that more wrestlers will inch their way to the top of each circuit.

History of MMA

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is an intense and evolving combat sport in which competitors use interdisciplinary forms of fighting.

These forms include jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, boxing, kickboxing, and wrestling among others. Athletes use these martial arts forms in a supervised and controlled environment to compete against one another. The interesting part comes with the relation of these sports to one another.

Each discipline gives and takes from one another. Many wrestlers have also excelled in judo because of the takedown aspects involved. Jiu-jitsu can be used in many ways to help with wrestling, especially when the competitors are on the mat and not on their feet. Boxing and kickboxing can help with set-ups for shots and takedowns.

The sport began centuries ago with the ancient Olympic Games in Greece. Then, it was known as pancratian, which today, simply means athletics.

Often times, these contests were fights to the death. Surrendering before that point may have proved shameful to the losing competitor then. The ones who did surrender, or had merciful opponents, lost limbs, were greatly disfigured and in some cases, left brain-dead, which led to certain death.

Over time, these sporting events evolved into the early forms of wrestling throughout many civilizations. Sand and oil were used on the bodies, and the competition area often resembled a modern day sumo ring, only larger.

Different regions of the world began to specialize in different areas of the combat sports world. The South Americans became skilled in the martial arts such as judo and jiu-jitsu. Those in the European region became skilled in wrestling. All of these were infused with each other.

What is today known as mixed martial arts was resurrected following the brutal combat sports of the 1906 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Soon after that event, Brazilians began to compete in a combat fighting sport named Vale Tudo, which translated from Portuguese means “anything goes.”

The Brazilians, not known for their wrestling skills, began to incorporate many of the martial arts into these Vale Tudo competitions. Over time, the sport made its way to the Eastern hemisphere and grew a major fan base in Asia. Then, like a wave of killer bees, MMA began to migrate north from Brazil.

The sport really took off in 1993 with the inception of the UFC, the first MMA promotion geared at popularizing the sport. Gracie brought jiu-jitsu into the fold and dominated using only those skills.

Since then, Pride and K1, a kickboxing league, have always gained worldwide notoriety and in the last five years, numerous independent promotions have popped up all across the United States.

Each promotion has its own niche. The UFC is fought in a cage, and has many restrictions on how you can attack and strike your opponent. Pride, however, looks to keep restrictions to a minimum.

One of those independent promotions is LA Sub X, a purely submission fighting league, which held its first show in Santa Monica, Calif. this past weekend. The league was started by former Iowa wrestling great Rico Chiapparelli.

Wrestling and MMA

Chiapparelli may be one of the first great U.S. wrestlers to get involved with MMA. He has competed in numerous leagues over the years and has helped involved many former wrestlers gain experience through the promotions he is involved with.

In 1987, Chiapparelli won an NCAA title in wrestling for the Hawkeyes. In 1989, he won a U.S. freestyle national title. After that, he fell behind some of the greatest U.S. wrestlers of all time, including eventual Olympic gold medalist Kevin Jackson and Royce Alger.

He then dove into the world of MMA.

“I found it to be an intriguing sport,” Chiapparelli said of his early involvement with MMA. “You have to have a different mindset to want to compete in any MMA production. It’s not like in wrestling, where if you fall behind you can come back. If you fall behind in MMA, you might not get up.”

And while it has its differences from wrestling, there is no doubt that wrestling is a crucial component to winning any MMA bout, not matter what production it is in.

“I’ve made a career in the UFC out of wrestling my opponents. I’ve grown to develop skills in other areas, but getting a takedown in any match gives me a surefire advantage every time,” stated Randy Couture, who is known as “The Natural” when he fights in the UFC.

“Wrestling has changed MMA overall, and definitely the UFC. It is so tough to get the distance on your feet when in a fight to strike an opponent the way you would want to, so your next option would be to take him down. It’s a big reason you are starting to see so many college wrestlers train in MMA all across the world,” Couture added.

The main wrestling skill used in MMA is the takedown. Double-legs are the most common, though the athletes will execute single-legs from at times as well.

“Getting your man on the mat is half the battle,” said UFC commentator Joe Rogan. “I would go as far to say that in a round where a submission takes place or a knock out occurs, the man who scored the takedown won that bout. In a decision, the man with the most takedowns will usually win.”

The leg ride is also very common in MMA fights. In wrestling, riding an opponent is crucial, especially at higher levels. It wears an opponent down, which makes them prone to mistakes. In college, one minute of riding time even earns one point for the offensive wrestler.

In MMA, it is used for the same effect –- to wear an opponent down and make them prone to mistakes. Punches to the head and body are used from this position, and good hip control is what keeps an opponent on the mat. This skill is developed through wrestling.

“There is a reason wrestlers are dominating in the UFC and in other MMA leagues,” Rogan said. “It is because they are using half the necessary skills their entire lives. Kids grow up learning proper takedowns and riding techniques. They don’t necessarily grow up learning how to strike someone else.”

It was those techniques that helped Couture defeat former junior college wrestler Tito Ortiz in a fight nearly two years ago. Ortiz had said before that fight that he would take down Couture throughout the entire match. It was the 42 year-old Couture who did all the taking down, though, and consequently won the match.

Couture has not officially retired, but he admits his competition days are slowing down. He is now helping former Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland with the day-to-day operations of Team Quest, which represents another former Olympic wrestler –- Dan Henderson.

“When it comes to submission, that is what half of pinning combinations in wrestling are – a submission. A lot of times when you get a pin in wrestling, it’s because your opponent gave up,” Chiapparelli said. “If I have to choose between a martial arts star and a wrestling star to work with or train, I’m going with the wrestling star every time. It’s easier to teach you to strike than it is to get your opponent on the mat.”

The Future of Wrestling and MMA

In the past decade, more and more wrestlers have looked for ways to try their hat in an MMA bout. On any given week, one could walk into the wrestling room at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., and see a wrestler working on his MMA skills.

At a point two years ago, Hughes spent time training in Colorado Springs with Olympian Kevin Bracken.

“Around that time, I was just getting to where I wanted to be as a fighter,” Hughes said. “Wrestling was becoming more important in the UFC, and it was a good way to hone my skills, but also, those guys know some good tactics for when you’re on the ground, too.”

Lindsey Durlacher, a current U.S. Greco-Roman World Team member, has fought numerous times in smaller promotions in the Denver area. Fresh out of college stars such as NCAA champion Josh Koscheck have made their mark as well.

Koscheck was featured on the show Ultimate Fighter, and is considered one of the sport’s up-and-coming stars.

Even Olympic great Rulon Gardner dabbled in the sport, competing in a Pride fight on New Year’s Eve, 2004.

With the development of Real Pro Wrestling (RPW), though, will any of these born fighters be swayed to continue to compete in wrestling? Possibly.

“If Real Pro Wrestling was around when I was moving into fighting, I definitely would have considered that option,” Couture said. “I love the fight game, but wrestlers need viable options financially for when they are done competing in college, or even in freestyle and Greco-Roman. If Real Pro Wrestling can provide that, then you’ll see a lot of wrestlers stay with wrestling.”

And that is something RPW is providing. They are not competing with MMA promotions. RPW and wrestling in general does not focus on the amount of pain one individual can bring to his opponent. It focuses on the skill that is involved in defeating your opponent.

While chokes and moves that will break someone’s arm or leg are glorified in the MMA world, it is illegal in the sport of wrestling, and is more likely to get an athlete disqualified than cheered.

Indeed, RPW is not competing with MMA. Instead, they are promoting wrestling, the truest mixed martial art of them all.

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Rule changes for Season Two

1. We will allow any scoring by the offensive wrestler in the bonus.
2. Referees will strictly enforce correct starting position in clinch.
3. The power meter will run down twice as fast (1 minute of controlling the center of the mat gains the bonus) and the bonus meter can be recharged by regaining control of the center of the mat.

Possible rule changes for Season Two

1. Turns and back exposure are worth 1 point instead of 2.

2. Holding a wrestler with one shoulder to the mat, or a true near fall position, is worth 1 point per second up to 3 seconds. This near fall is exclusive of a turn. Either one or the other can be called but not both.

3. In dual meets, the visiting team has their first wrestler step on mat. The home team can send any 1 of their 7 wrestlers as his opponent. Once a weight class is used, that weight class cannot be used again by that team. This brings in the concept of crossing weight classes yet brings in a fair and limited use. The coaches now have the ability to greatly affect the matchups without the wrestlers needing the cut weight classes. Great wrestlers will be further challenged in these mismatches and their accomplishments become legends.

4. Potentially dangerous situations will only be called if the endangered wrestler cannot relieve the danger by going to his back. This slowly begins down the road to submissions.

NOTE: Since RPW uses new rules, score clocks need to be updated. RPW will gladly offer our custom computer software for free to any organization which needs these new capabilities. This software runs on all popular personal computers and can be then displayed on most LCDs, plasmas, or projection screens. For best results, progressive scan digital connect computer monitor signals are recommended.

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University of Arizona president Peter Likins and his wife, Patricia, have not only shared 50 years of marriage; they’ve also shared duties as coaches of a wrestling team.

The Likinses’ story begins at age 13, when the couple met in their hometown of Santa Cruz, Calif. At 5 feet 5 inches tall, “Pete” Likins began wrestling in high school after one of his football coaches said, “Let’s start a wrestling team.” Likins placed second in the state championships at 154 as a junior, then won the title and outstanding wrestler honors as a 145-pound senior. He also captured a Junior AAU championship. Because Likins had skipped a grade, he graduated with his brother, Tod, who as senior placed second in the state following a referee’s decision in overtime and went on to captain the wrestling team at Berkley.

As a youngster, Pete Likins was already experiencing the value of being a wrestler. “It has nothing to do with matches won and lost,” he said. “It had to do with my believing in myself. I was young for my class and small for my age, and my hand-eye coordination was nothing to write home about. “Then came wrestling. I found myself able not to just try hard but to prevail. It enabled me to become an athlete. I needed to prove myself to myself,” he said. “As a kid with all these insecurities, I’d get into fights. Wrestling gave me security; I didn’t have to fight anymore. I learned through wrestling that even though I’m a little guy, I don’t have to worry about the big guys. It removed from me a source of self-doubt.” At the same time, Likins’ future wife was a cheerleader. “That meant she was exposed to the sport as a kid,” he said, “so you learn the sport in a very deep way.”

Likins acted as Stanford University’s wrestling captain and went undefeated in dual meets for four years. “But I never had a season without getting beat,” he said. “I went through high school and college testing myself,” he explained. “I learned through wrestling how important it is to persist, to prepare and to bounce back in defeat. My defeats were rare, but it was critical to my self-confidence. I developed a sense of myself as able to compete with the best of them.”

With little guidance at Stanford from a gymnastics coach who simply supervised the wrestlers, Likins watched a teammate named Vaughn Hitchcock (who would eventually coach Cal Poly to eight NCAA team titles). Hitchcock perfected a move that involved attempting a fireman’s carry; when the opponent typically flattened out in defense, Hitchcock tied up both arms and did a sit-out, putting the wrestler on his back with Hitchcock’s back on the opponent’s chest. “I called the move ‘The Hitchcock,’” Likins said. “I spent the rest of my (wrestling) career making a living on that hold.”

That career ended as Likins received civil engineering degrees at Stanford and MIT, later earning a doctorate in engineering mechanics at Stanford. He began his professional career as a developmental engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology. He later served as a member of the engineering faculty and as an associate dean at UCLA and as a Ford Foundation Fellow.

Then Likins and his wife moved what he calls “an adopted, interracial, All-American family” of two sons and a daughter to New Jersey, and he became Dean of Engineering and Applied Sciences and University Provost at Columbia University. Son John wanted to wrestle, but there was no team. “Finally, I decided we’d start a team for kids 14 and under, so my wife and I became parent coaches,” Likins said. With a squad numbering 75, Patricia Likins coached the first- and second-graders after school, as John demonstrated moves. “She, too, has a plaque on the wall that says, ‘Thanks, Coach.’” Likins said.

The family moved to Pennsylvania in 1982, when Likins was named president of Lehigh University. John won a state championship as a junior and placed second as a senior for Bethlehem Lehigh Catholic High School. Occasionally, Likins would drop in for workouts in the Lehigh wrestling room. One day he and trustee Kirk Franklin, a former NCAA champion and three-time All-American for the Engineers, agreed to a three-minute match that would be videotaped and shown before a televised dual meet. The referee would be another former national champion, Mike Caruso. “I was about 55, and Kirk was about 45,” Likins recalled, “and we agreed not to do any defensive moves, since we figured fans wanted to see offense.” Once the match got underway, Likins said, “Kirk forgot how old I was, I think, and he was beating the hell out of me.” Then Likins pulled off “The Hitchcock” to close the match ahead, 6-5. “But then Caruso said he was giving one point to Pendleton on principle,” Likens said, “so it ended in a tie.” The next day, the university president dragged himself out of bed, tape recorder in hand. “I listed the top 10 reasons to say ‘No’ the next year,” he said. “They were the top 10 places I hurt.”

Likins spent 15 years as Lehigh’s president before moving to the University of Arizona nine years ago. He will retire from that post June 30, shortly before he turns 70 on July 4. But he credits his days as a competitor and coach as a basis for his successful tenure at Lehigh and Arizona. “I learned to be a professor in the classroom,” he said, “but I learned to be a university president on the wrestling mats.”

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Everyone has always known that Zach Roberson has all the talent in the world. But sometimes, they just happen to forget about him.

Throughout his entire career, Roberson has been a dominant performer. However, he is always competing at deep weight classes, whether it be in college or at the international level.

His 133-pound weight class left him with such NCAA individual powers as Travis Lee, Johnny Thompson and Ryan Lewis. But in 2004, he topped all of them with an NCAA title for Iowa State.

Part of Roberson’s underachiever stigma comes from himself.

An undefeated, four-time Kansas state champion at Blue Valley Northwest High School, Roberson went to Iowa State with high expectations – and a quiet demeanor.

That shyness for Roberson translated into a lack of passion as far as some Iowa State fans were concerned. But Roberson never needed to question his passion or work ethic. He knew that his time at the top would come – he just wasn’t sure when it would happen.

“You always want to go into something thinking you’re going to win. That’s how I was my freshman year at Iowa State . I always believed I could be the best. Sometimes it just takes a little bit longer than you originally expect. College is a major learning process,” Roberson said.

In 2003, already an All-American, Roberson was pinned in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Not many remember that he battled all the way back to fourth place – a difficult task that included wrestling a high number of matches.

It was that three-day event that helped him to his title nearly one year later.

“That tournament taught me a lot. After losing in the first round like that, I could have either folded, or figured out how to help my team,” Roberson said. “I decided to use it as motivation. Even though I came back for fourth, I always remembered how disappointed I was after that first loss. I didn’t want to dwell on it, but I didn’t want to forget it either.”

But even with an NCAA title on his resume, Roberson continued to assume the quiet role. That’s why it was somewhat of a surprise to see him on the Iowa Stalkers during Real Pro Wrestling’s Season One. Surrounded by five former Iowa Hawkeye wrestlers and Joe Heskett, a former ISU teammate who was very vocal, Roberson was once again the forgotten wrestler.

Once again, Roberson made them remember.

Competing at the comfortable weight of 132 lbs., he dashed through opponents Lewis and Greco-Roman star Joe Warren before losing 8-7 in one of the most exciting matches of Season One to Tony DeAnda of the New York Outrage.

His success there helped springboard him to success in international competition as well, culminating with the U.S . Nationals freestyle crown just two weeks ago.

There, he downed 2005 U.S. World Team member Michael Lightner in the championship bout. It was the biggest win of what is shaping up to be a long career.

“Ever since I got out of college, I have been training so hard in freestyle. I still have a ways to go to get where I want to be, but for the first time really since high school, guys are coming into a tournament trying to knock me off the top.”

And if all goes according to Roberson’s plan, by the time 2008 has passed, no one will have forgotten about him.

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Being at the top of the ladder is not unchartered territory for Donny Pritzlaff –- it just hasn’t happened in a few years.

The New Jersey native, and Pennsylvania Hammer team member, is now on the top of the U.S. freestyle ladder at 163 lbs. after his victory over RPW Season One champion Joe Williams in the U.S. Nationals finals. The win was shocking to pretty much the entire wrestling community, except those named Pritzlaff.

“I would say that not many people expected me to beat Joe,” Pritzlaff said with a smile. “But that’s part of wrestling. You have to be ready for the unexpected. I didn’t train to lose in the finals. I train to win the Nationals, the Trials and eventually a gold medal.”

Amazingly, the four-time NCAA All-American is somewhat used to being an underdog. But when you don’t parade around the mat pounding your chest after wins, being an underdog is an easy role to play.

Even with one NCAA title under his belt while at Wisconsin going into his senior season, he was usually the underdog to Joe Heskett, a Season One competitor for the Iowa Stalkers and the wrestler Pritzlaff defeated as a junior for an NCAA crown.

Pritzlaff quieted all critics with another win over Heskett in the NCAA finals that year.

But with Williams lurking and Olympic champion Brandon Slay sitting on the verge of retirement, Pritzlaff might as well have been packaged by Garfield and sent to Abu Dhabi. He was a forgotten man.

“I don’t crave much attention anyways, but that was a real shock,” Pritzlaff said. “Two years in-a-row, I was wrestling in front of nearly 20,000 fans on this major stage, and when you go into freestyle, it’s almost like you’re starting over in some ways. You have to re-prove yourself.”

For Pritzlaff, always a quiet individual, it didn’t take long to get his name known in the freestyle world. He placed third in the 2002 U.S. World Team Trials, putting him within arm’s reach of a spot on the World Team that year.

It seemed like the future was bright as he prepared for a move to Hofstra to become an assistant coach.

Instead, the future became grey.

Ask any professional athlete, and they will tell you to savor any time you have at the top, because you may never know when you are going to get there again. This was starting to hold true for Pritzlaff, who wasn’t all that close to matching his third-place finish in 2003 or 2004.

With Hofstra starting to become a powerful collegiate program nationwide and Pritzlaff limping through the 2004 Olympic cycle, he started hearing the whispers to retire.

“I’m not going to lie, it crossed my mind,” Pritzlaff said. “I think retirement crosses anyone’s mind at the end of an Olympic cycle, though. That four years is grueling, and I put my all into it. But at the same time, I knew I still had a lot left in me, and in international terms, I was still fairly young at that time.”

Now 27 years old, five years younger than Williams, a rejuvenated Pritzlaff is again the man to beat. He is feeling as close to 100 percent healthy as a freestyle wrestler can at this time of year, and he is preparing for his first tournament where he is ensured of wearing a red singlet in every match since 2001, the year he won his second NCAA title.

“I never really thought about it that way, but I guess that’s kind of ironic,” Pritzlaff said of the red singlet. “Hopefully, I have the same results with that color.”

Though instead of wearing the letter “W” on his singlet, he might as well have a big target on his chest. After all, it does get lonely at the top.

Editor’s Note: This article was written before Hofstra head coach Tom Ryan accepted the job at The Ohio State Univ. Pritzlaff is still considered a staff member at Hofstra.

On keeping your composure: Don’t get discouraged by anything. This sport can throw a lot of things your way. You have to be prepared for every hurdle. You may not get over all of them, but if you are prepared, they won’t knock you down either.

For the coaches: Don’t overload young wrestlers. With so much changing technique throughout wrestling, it is important to just stick to the basics with younger wrestlers. When they get older and more comfortable, then it may be time to expand. Remember to work at their pace, not yours.

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In Greco-Roman, three of the five Season One wrestlers competing won titles. The other two placed second.

The victories show the quality of competition that Real Pro Wrestling has brought to sports fans worldwide. Only the best were selected to compete in Season One, and with the eight franchise cities close to being named for Season Two, fans can only expect more of the same when it comes to athlete selection.

Overall, 25 of the 56 Season One wrestlers placed in this event. 27 others did not compete, meaning that 86 percent of the Season One wrestlers that did compete in the U.S. Nationals placed in the top eight of their respective weight classes.

The Iowa Stalkers, which won the RPW Season One team title, had four placewinners at the U.S. Nationals, including one champion. The Oklahoma Slam, which finished third in the Season One team race, led all teams with six placewinners, including three champions. The Minnesota Freeze, which finished last in Season One with only one team point, had three placewinners, including one champion.

RPW wrestlers winning U.S. Nationals crowns in freestyle were Zach Roberson of the Iowa Stalkers (132), Chris Bono of the Chicago Groove (145), Donny Pritzlaff of the Pennsylvania Hammer (163), Mo Lawal of the Oklahoma Slam (184), Daniel Cormier of the Oklahoma Slam (211) and Tolly Thompson of the California Claw (264).

Pritzlaff pulled off what was considered the biggest upset of the weekend, downing two-time World medalist and RPW Season One champion Joe Williams of the Chicago Groove in three periods in the finals. In fact, Pritzlaff also had to post a comeback against the Oklahoma Slam’s Tyrone Lewis in the semifinals to even advance.

Roberson first made a name for himself internationally after he placed second in RPW’s Season One. Now, after four wins in Vegas, he is the wrestler that everyone at 132 lbs. is gunning for in freestyle.

The other four wrestlers all repeated as U.S. Nationals champions.

Neither Lawal or Cormier, both former college wrestlers at Oklahoma State, were challenged in the event. Lawal gave up only two points in his four bouts, which included outscoring Iowa Stalker Lee Fullhart 3-0 in the finals. Cormier outscored his opponents 27-0 in four matches.

Both Lawal and Cormier won individual titles in RPW’s Season One.

Bono won spirited battles in the semifinals over Iowa Stalker Doug Schwab and in the finals over Bill Zadick, both of whom have become rivals of Bono in recent years. The Groove star had to go three periods in each of those bouts before coming away with another U.S. Nationals title.

Thompson, a runner-up in RPW’s Season One, had to come from behind in his championship rematch with former college star Steve Mocco. After losing the first period 3-0 to Mocco, Thompson rallied with a 3-1 second period win and a 1-0 third period win for his second straight U.S. Nationals title, and third overall.

And one has to believe that four stars just out of college will be heavily considered for Season Two rosters following their performances past weekend – Nate Gallick (3 rd at 132), Teyon Ware (7th at 132), Zack Esposito (8th at 145) and Mocco (2nd at 264).

All four of these wrestlers won at least one NCAA title in college. Ware and Mocco each won two individual crowns, and RPW executives are salivating at the opportunity to bring them in for next season.

In Greco-Roman competition, Lindsey Durlacher of the Chicago Groove (121), Joe Warren of the Oklahoma Slam (132) and T.C. Dantzler of the Minnesota Freeze (163) all won U.S. Nationals titles.

In his first three bouts, Durlacher only surrendered one point. In the finals, he used his veteran ways to win after losing the first period.

Warren was even more dominant, pinning his first three opponents before outscoring his finals opponent 10-0. The Greco-Roman rules that were introduced following the 2004 Olympics have only helped Warren, an emotional and explosive wrestler that is always looking for a pin first.

Dantzler, whose eyes get big as soon as the reverse lift clinch position begins, was not challenged in his three bouts on his way to the title either.

All three of these wrestlers competed in the World Championships last year and are favorites to be wrestling in them this year as well.

But one thing is for sure, all nine of these champions are sure to be back for Season Two of Real Pro Wrestling as well. Could Cejudo be the first Lebron James of RPW, or more appropriately, Moses Malone, by jumping from high school to the pros?

There’s only one way to find out – watch. The highly-anticipated second season is currently scheduled to get underway in late fall, following the 2006 World Championships.

RPW Wrestlers and their placements at the U.S. National Championships
Freestyle:
Matt Azevedo, California Claw (2nd at 121)
Ramico Blackmon, New York Outrage (5 th at 163)
Chris Bono, Chicago Groove (1st at 145)
Daniel Cormier, Oklahoma Slam (1st at 211)
Jared Frayer, Oklahoma Slam (4th at 145)
Lee Fullhart, Iowa Stalkers (2nd at 184)
Damion Hahn, Minnesota Freeze (3rd at 211)
Joe Heskett, Iowa Stalkers (4th at 163)
Andy Hrovat, Chicago Groove (5th at 184)
Brian Keck, Oklahoma Slam (8th at 264)
Eric Larkin, Texas Shooters (6th at 145)
Mo Lawal, Oklahoma Slam (1st at 184)
Jared Lawrence, Minnesota Freeze (5th at 145)
Tyrone Lewis, Oklahoma Slam (3rd at 163)
Donny Pritzlaff, Pennsylvania Hammer (1st at 163)
Zach Roberson, Iowa Stalkers (1st at 132)
Tommy Rowlands, New York Outrage (3rd at 264)
Doug Schwab, Iowa Stalkers (3rd at 145)
Tolly Thompson, California Claw (1st at 264)
Joe Williams, Chicago Groove (2nd at 163)

Greco-Roman:
T.C. Dantzler, Minnesota Freeze (1st at 163)
Lindsey Durlacher, Chicago Groove (1st at 121)
Mike Ellsworth, Pennsylvania Hammer (2nd at 145)
Brad Vering, New York Outrage (2nd at 184)
Joe Warren, Oklahoma Slam (1st at 132)

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Momir Petkovic is more American than he looks.

He can tell jokes with the best of them. He can talk trash with the best of them. And he can still wrestle with the best of them.

Petkovic, born in the former Yugoslavia, is perhaps the least recognized of USA Wrestling’s national coaches. When most think of training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, they spew out the names of Kevin Jackson, Terry Brands and Steve Fraser – all Olympic medalists.

What they soon find out, however, is that Petkovic serves as the pistons that makes the OTC motor run smooth.

“I don’t need all the attention,” Petkovic boasts in his accent. “My satisfaction comes from these wrestlers training at the Olympic Training Center winning medals overseas and dominated at the Nationals and Trials.”

And dominate they have.

At this year’s U.S. National Championships, four of the seven Greco-Roman champions are full-time residents at the Olympic Training Center. Two others are members of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, which also trains often at the Olympic Training Center.

It is no coincidence that the OTC program became dominant shortly after Petkovic’s arrival in 2002.

He was on the 2000 Olympic coaching staff that saw Rulon Gardner win gold, Matt Lindland take silver and Garrett Lowney hoist a bronze. One year later, the team placed third at the World Championships, it’s highest finish ever. Gardner and Lindland repeated their medal performances while Brandon Paulson also captured silver.

“Those two years put the United States on the Greco-Roman map,” Petkovic recalls. “Before then, we were never feared. After that, other countries knew that had to prepare for U.S. wrestlers as well.”

What has helped Petkovic relay his vast knowledge on to the Greco-Roman residents at the OTC is his personal relationship with the athletes. He’s a player’s coach and a disciplinarian rolled into one – think of it as a mix of Bill Parcells and Pete Carroll.

The wrestlers must respect him. He won a gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games and captured four World medals as well. He even placed fourth at the 1984 Olympic Games, in the “twilight” of his extraordinary career. He moved to the United States just two years later.

But perhaps no coach at the OTC receives more respect than Petkovic. Whether it be freestyle, Greco-Roman or even women’s wrestlers – all come to him for advice on competition strategies and preparation.

“Respect is a good thing to have in this sport. I wrestled a long time, and at least on the mat, I feel like I have earned respect from these athletes. The best part is that I have never had to ask for it, though. They respect me as much as I respect them for the hard work they put in every day,” state Petkovic.

Petkovic has also been given complete respect by USA Wrestling and Fraser. He is allowed freedom to run the resident program how he sees fit, and recruit the wrestlers that he feels will have the best impact on the program as well.

If there was such a thing as a coach/General Manager in wrestling, Petkovic would be it.

But would you expect anything less from an American?

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