125 pound weight class strength

[takedownartist 34]

Of course we know it is always loaded technique wise as wrestling offers even the smallest guys a chance where they might not on the football field or wherever.

But it seems like this is by far the biggest range of strength in any weight class including heavyweights.

 

There is quite a few who at 125 that just plainly gets out horsed and may be a bit smallish for 125.

Nato comes to mind as being crazy strong at 125 and some might match up well technique wise but still get smashed strength wise.

The current generation of wrestlers spend a lot more time in the weight room then any other by far.

 

Was it wrong to get rid of 118 pounds weight class?

 

 

[Jaroslav Hasek 2,067]

how is strength a unique advantage at 125? guys get smashed by stronger but less technical opponents in every weight class. that would also be the case if there was a 118 college weight class. 

[hammerlockthree 2,637]

Yeah I don't get it either

[Bloate 61]

Dropping 118lb weight class was done in a failed effort to keep wrestlers from pulling weight. In my opinion it has had the opposite effect.

[wrestlingnerd 3,012]

It wasn't completely failed. Kids used to cut a lot more back in the day. The one-hour weigh-ins eliminated the most dangerous cuts. That said, some guys still cut pretty hard, but they can't physically cut as much as they used to in the old days and wrestle an hour later, so it's not as bad as it used to be.

[Cletus_Tucker 890]

Of course we know it is always loaded technique wise as wrestling offers even the smallest guys a chance where they might not on the football field or wherever.

But it seems like this is by far the biggest range of strength in any weight class including heavyweights.

 

There is quite a few who at 125 that just plainly gets out horsed and may be a bit smallish for 125.

Nato comes to mind as being crazy strong at 125 and some might match up well technique wise but still get smashed strength wise.

The current generation of wrestlers spend a lot more time in the weight room then any other by far.

 

Was it wrong to get rid of 118 pounds weight class?

 

 

Yes

[gimpeltf 2,089]

If you're really saying they dropped the 118 class, then you have to say they dropped every previous class.

They added 7 pounds as their best guess as to what would keep the same people in the same relative classes.

[MNRodent 233]

I never really got the whole weight switch thing to prevent weight cutting. The low and middle weights were all 8 pounds apart, so they added 7 pounds to each weight. Apparently so that people cutting 30 lbs wouldn't lose that one extra pound. It reminded me of the old spinal tap movie where they made all their sound equipment go to 11 instead of 10.

 

[Cooch1 147]

The only weight class change that made sense was unlimited. Putting a cap on it kept the out of shape behemoths from dominating purely by tonnage instead of technique and conditioning which they sorely lacked.

 

Wrestlingnerd is 100% correct. 118 was dropped because it was the smallest class and consequently became most identified with extreme weight loss and the dehydration death of two wrestlers a few decades ago. But it was the seemingly healthy and merciful day-before weigh-in at that time that backfired and caused those deaths. Wrestlers were tempted to cut much more than usual and then take advantage of the 24 hour interval to get their strength back and presumably be much bigger and stronger than a smaller opponent who didn't make a huge cut. All that was necessary was to get rid of the day before weigh in, not the 118 class.

[Bloate 61]

Coach1

 

I believe you are spot on. However I do take exception to an assumption that could be made from your statement regarding behemoths and technique. In my opinion the technique by most, certainly not all, of today's HWTs is still lacking. HWT matches still often go 0-1-1 and into overtime. I just don't think it is physically possibe for most 285lb bodies to hit leg take downs, do duck unders, etc that the lower weights are capable of. In short, the last two upper weights, particulary HWT, are boring to watch as attested by the empty seats in the stands when the HWT championship match starts. As a result we now see duals starting by draw rather than lightest weight in an effort to keep fans from leaving early. A very good move in my opinion.

 

Also, due to the ban on the behemoths, we will not see another Tab Thacker get thrown into the hotel swimming pool by an army of lower weight wrestlers. Looked like ants moving a log.

[Cooch1 147]

Yep those big guys will mostly be boring. We need to clone more Lou Banachs. The cap on the heavies was the result of Chris Taylor pinning Hagen of Oregon State who was a light heavyweight and no match. The OSU coach raised hell with the rules committee and eventually got his way after similar situations kept popping out afterwards, Thacker and especially Jimmy Jackson who several years later haunted another Corvalis light heavy, Bielenberg in OT, and that was the final straw for the OSU coach. The idea of wrestling being an all inclusive sport got trumped by the principle of the level playing field.

[Bloate 61]

I've related this story hefore on this board but it's applicable regarding the weight cap on HWTs. In the early 80's, I think '82, OU had a very good team with The Schultz brothers, Metzger, etc. Steve "Doctor Death" Williams was anchoring the team at HWT. OU traveled to Stillwater for the 2nd bedlam match and the crowd in Gallagher was raucous to say the least.

 

David Schultz was matched with Mike Sheets at 167 and Sheets pulled an upset. Mark and Boo Thomas won as expected making the HWT match the deciding bout of the night. OSU had 350+ lb. Mitch Shelton who wasn't close to the wrestler Williams was. However, Doc made a strategic error, shot in for a double, got ynder Shelton and was pinned. Another dual victory for OSU.

 

As we were leaving the arena, I overheard an OU fan explaining the loss to a companion. "It was a classical battle between brute strength and obesity and obesity wins every time."

Edited August 23, 2015 by Bloate

[takedownartist 34]

Stevan Micic 4x NCAA if they had 118lbs.

[Jaroslav Hasek 2,067]

so once we have the 118 lb class back, what about all the 4X champs who are two small for that weight class? 

[HuskyHero133 52]

So you make a 110 lb class.

[LordNelson 553]

It wasn't completely failed. Kids used to cut a lot more back in the day. The one-hour weigh-ins eliminated the most dangerous cuts. That said, some guys still cut pretty hard, but they can't physically cut as much as they used to in the old days and wrestle an hour later, so it's not as bad as it used to be.

The one hour weigh ins were in effect when they changed the rule.

[LordNelson 553]

I never really got the whole weight switch thing to prevent weight cutting. The low and middle weights were all 8 pounds apart, so they added 7 pounds to each weight. Apparently so that people cutting 30 lbs wouldn't lose that one extra pound. It reminded me of the old spinal tap movie where they made all their sound equipment go to 11 instead of 10.

 

Yea but you're wrong.

The year it happened you couldn't wrestle at a weight that you hadn't previously competed at during the season.

Therefore, everyone got 7+ pounds that season.

[LordNelson 553]

so once we have the 118 lb class back, what about all the 4X champs who are two small for that weight class? 

Post more IF's

[MNRodent 233]

Yea but you're wrong.

The year it happened you couldn't wrestle at a weight that you hadn't previously competed at during the season.

Therefore, everyone got 7+ pounds that season.

 

And that helped long term, exactly how?

 

The only change that helped was reducing the time between weigh in and competition.

[gimpeltf 2,089]

Posted Today, 12:57 AM

LordNelson, on 26 Aug 2015 - 07:08 AM, said:

Yea but you're wrong.

The year it happened you couldn't wrestle at a weight that you hadn't previously competed at during the season.

Therefore, everyone got 7+ pounds that season.

 

And that helped long term, exactly how?

 

If you're talking about the second sentence, who said it had anything to do with a long term solution?  They just added the allowance to take into account the reduced time after weighing in and didn't want anyone using the allowance to go to a lower weight. It was mid-season when it happened (I think January) so they couldn't implement everything else yet that they could the next year.

Edited August 26, 2015 by gimpeltf

[Pinnum 846]

I thought the weight class change was simply an attempt to prevent anymore deaths after three wrestlers died cutting weight that season.

 

I have no problem with 125 over 118. People think of weight classes all wrong. They are the upper limits. 125 is for anyone that is below 125 and thus for guys that weigh 118. The two hour weigh-in makes it harder for a guy to be in top condition after a big cut and thus makes guys less likely to cut weight.

 

I like the changes.

[Cooch1 147]

The Russians have the right idea; work up to the weight instead of cut down to it. In the meantime enjoy hard practices and learning great technique. Being 6 feet tall and wrestling at a low weight may work for a few but it's a poor example to set for the rest of the lightweights who try to get away with it thinking they'll have some kind of advantage. Old school.

Edited August 26, 2015 by Cooch1

[gimpeltf 2,089]

I thought the weight class change was simply an attempt to prevent anymore deaths after three wrestlers died cutting weight that season.

 

Of course, but I was assuming the question about long term was about not being able to use the weight allowance (+7) to drop a class.

[LordNelson 553]

And that helped long term, exactly how?

 

The only change that helped was reducing the time between weigh in and competition.

But kids died while that change was imposed.

Long term??

I can't point to the facts on if it helped or not.  Just like you can't on the one hour weigh in other than offering personal experience.

 

Awareness and Education and good coaching in these areas are the solutions to this.  I feel coaches in that era all took heed when these tragedies occurred.  

The only thing that would really eliminate this is mat-side weigh ins but this debate is a dead horse.