Vering’s Three-Style Experience Pays Dividends
Brad Vering was made for Real Pro Wrestling.
He was an Olympian in Greco-Roman, a junior and espoir national champion in freestyle, and an NCAA Champion in collegiate wrestling.
“Obviously there are some good things about having experience in all three styles,” said Vering. “I can turn and lift guys in the bonus situation, and I feel like I’m good on my feet. But I don’t train the Real Pro style, so it’s kind of hard to say that this style fits me when the freestyle guys are basically training this style 24/7, and I’m training Greco the whole time.”
That is what it makes it all the more impressive, the fact that he was able to defeat two tough and experienced freestyle wrestlers on his way to reaching the Real Pro Wrestling finals.
One of those wins (in the semifinals) was over 2001 World silver medalist Brandon Eggum of the Minnesota Freeze.
“Beating Eggum was a good confidence builder for me,” said Vering. “It just proves that I can compete with world class freestyle wrestlers.”
Vering, who was a three-time All-American at the University of Nebraska, will now face Mo Lawal of the Oklahoma Slam in the RPW finals, which will air on May 25 on Fox Sports Net. Lawal, the fourth seed, upset top-seeded Lee Fullhart of the Iowa Stalkers in the semifinals, which, according to Vering, wasn’t all that surprising.
“Fullhart has been dominating that weight class outside of Cael Sanderson for the last three or four years,” said Vering. “But Lawal is just so talented, explosive, and big. He has all the tools that it takes to beat someone like Fullhart. He just didn’t have it mentally before, but had the confidence going into the Real Pro Wrestling event.”
Vering is an avid fisherman who loves the outdoors. He tries to spend any free time he gets fly fishing in Colorado.
“I love fishing,” said Vering. “It’s something that kind of relaxes me and takes me away from all the hustle and bustle of traveling and wrestling. It’s something that’s a little more mental and not so physical. It’s just a great release for me.”
Last year, Vering was featured on the ESPN television program “North American Outdoors,” where he was shown fishing for cutthroat and brook trout on a high mountain lake in central Colorado.
He has even spent some time talking with the President of the United States about fishing.
“President Bush came in and watched a practice at the Olympics, so I got to meet him,” said Vering. “I told him that I had seen him on fly fishing show on TV, and then we just started talking about fishing. We kind of had something in common, so we talked about that a little bit. It was pretty cool. It’s kind of fun when you can talk to someone like that about something other than politics or wrestling.”
The 27-year-old Vering, who grew up in Howells, Nebraska, has steadily climbed the Greco-Roman ladder in the United States. In high school, he won a junior national title. In college, he added an espoir and university national title to his resume. On the senior level, he has gone from fifth place in 2001 to runner-up in 2002 to national champion in 2003 to Olympian in 2004.
Last summer at the Athens Olympics, Vering lost his opening round match to a wrestler from Egypt , then, after his second opponent failed to show up for their match, he was eliminated from competition. All the blood, sweat, and hard work he had put into his preparation vanished in a mere six minutes. While his Olympic experience didn’t go according to plan, Vering remains grateful for the opportunity.
“It was a huge confidence builder for me,” said Vering. “It was disappointing in the sense that I wanted to do better, but you have to take it for what it’s worth. While I was there I was kind of mad and disappointed in my performance. But after I walked away, and came back to the United States, I was kind of like holy cow, I was on the Olympic team. That is something that nobody can ever take away from me.”
Vering lives and trains at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. His primary coach is Momir Petkovic (who also coaches in RPW), and he trains with national team members Justin Ruiz, Darryl Christian, and T.C. Dantzler. His short term goal is to win the U.S. Nationals this weekend. But long term, he has greater aspirations.
“My main goal is to win both the World Championships and the Olympics in 2008,” said Vering. “If I didn’t have that goal I would quit wrestling.”
Thankfully, for wrestling fans across the country, he does have that goal.
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