Voting on the 8 greatest college matches

[fadzaev2 319]

We'll I'm real disappointed on the voting so far on the 8 greatest college matches of all-time....how can anyone pick the Perry vs. Hendrick match over the Schultz vs. Banach match.....and it's not even close!!!!  I've been to 36 NCAA Championships, about 29 in a row, and will never forget the Schultz vs. Banach match.  Mark not only kept Ed from being the first 4 timer, but became a 3 timer himself.  It was an epic battle of two great upper body guys.  The other match voted on I can't believe the McIlravy/Abas match is going to get beat by the Hahn/Trenge match either.....I believe it was the year McIlravy got pulled out of red-shirt right before Big Ten's in a strategic move by Gable for the team race.  Steiner cut to 134, and they put Lincoln in at 142.  Lincoln got behind on Abas who was great on his feet, but Lincoln, who wasn't in the lineup most of the year, made a comeback, getting Abas tired and went on to win the first of his 3 NCAA titles....he was close to being a 4 timer too.  Another one of my favorite matchups, not included in the 8 matches included in the voting would be the Randy Lewis vs. Darryl Burley matchups......2 great competitors....both liked to go upper body too.  Oh well, life will go on, and life is good :).

 

http://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/epic-eight-wrestling-bracket/2015-02-05/epic-eight-wrestling-finals-matches-hype-vs

 

 

[wrestlingnerd 2,593]

Any top 8 list that has Perry vs. Hendricks on it should immediately be ignored. That match wouldn't make the top 80 and possibly the top 800, let alone the top 8.

[TheOhioState 417]

I was at the McIlravy match.  Amazing comeback.  Followed by another classic:  Terry Steiner vs Troy Sunderland.

The 1993 NCAA was one of the greats.


http://wrestlingstats.com/ncaa/pdf/brackets/NCAA%201993.pdf
 

Edited February 10, 2015 by TheOhioState

[JasonBryant 1,675]

I guess if you ignore everything but the match, you may have a point.

[wrestlingnerd 2,593]

I guess if you ignore everything but the match, you may have a point.

 

Right, because that match was so action-packed and incredible that anyone who thinks it shouldn't be one of the 8 matches to best represent the action and excitement in the sport cannot have a point. Except for about 10 seconds, the match was a snoozefest.

[HurricaneWrestling 1,123]

Can't believe they left out the Gable-Owings finals...

 

...or the exciting 1928 heavyweight finals when McCready stuck Freese in 19 seconds, a record that still stands.

[KCMO2 617]

Not one of the top 8, but for pure entertainment, Brands vs Gilbert in the Big 10 finals was pretty solid.  Gilbert comes out the aggressor and has Brands absolutely buried in the first period but the ref won't call it.  After that Brands totally b!tches Gilbert for the rest of the match.

 

[xander 346]

Jason kelber vs terry brands was interesting.

[WillieBoy 713]

Went to the link and tried watching.

 

Why aren't the full matches shown?

 

As for Schultz beating Banach, he prevented him from winning a third title, not a fourth. The fourth would not have come into play until he had three in hand.

[gimpeltf 1,528]

...or the exciting 1928 heavyweight finals when McCready stuck Freese in 19 seconds, a record that still stands.

 

It's only a record for the finals themselves. Thanks to Boomer-

1983 177 Championship Preliminary Clarence Richardson, Louisiana State Scott Mansur, Portland State Fall 0:09

2012 165 Consolations WRB 1st Peter Yates, Virginia Tech James Brundage, Rider Fall 0:11

2005 197 Consolations WRB 1st Ryan Flaherty, Wisconsin Joe Phillips, Cleveland State Fall 0:11

2009 133 Championship Preliminary Reece Humphrey, Ohio State Jim Conroy, Pittsburgh Fall 0:12

1983 177 Consolations WRB 16th-Final Wayne Catan, Tennessee Tom Kolopus, Cleveland State Fall 0:13

1991 134 Championship Preliminary Pete Horst, Old Dominion Ron Pieper, Wisconsin Fall 0:14

2009 125 Championship Quarter-Final Troy Nickerson, Cornell Joey Fio, Oklahoma Fall 0:14

1932 145 Championship Eighth-Final Hardie Lewis, Oklahoma Foy Stout, Southwestern Oklahoma Fall 0:16

1980 177 Championship Preliminary Don Brown, Oregon Jay Greiner, Ohio State Fall 0:16

2003 174 Consolations WRB Semi-Final Chris Pendleton, Oklahoma State Shane Webster, Oregon Fall 0:17

2009 174 Championship Preliminary Trevor Perry, Indiana Hunter Meys, Boston University Fall 0:17

2006 174 Championship Preliminary Jake Herbert, Northwestern Doug Umbehauer, Rider Fall 0:17

1995 134 Consolations WRB 2nd Jason Davids, Minnesota Steve Caruso, Bucknell Fall 0:18

2013 285 Championship Preliminary Alan Gelogaev, Oklahoma State Ben Apland, Michigan Fall 0:18

1992 177 Championship Preliminary J.J. McGrew, Notre Dame Mark Frushone, Central Connecticut Fall 0:18

1985 190 Consolations WRB 16th-Final Bob Kopecky, Nevada-Las Vegas Sean Wallace, Harvard Fall 0:18

2006 149 Championship Pig Tail Patrick Simpson, Army Joe Caramanica, North Carolina State Fall 0:19

1928 UNL Championship Final Earl McCready, Oklahoma State Ralph Freese, Kansas Fall 0:19 2003

125 Championship Preliminary Terrance Clendenin, Lehigh Vic Moreno, Cal Poly-SLO Fall 0:19

[JasonBryant 1,675]

Right, because that match was so action-packed and incredible that anyone who thinks it shouldn't be one of the 8 matches to best represent the action and excitement in the sport cannot have a point. Except for about 10 seconds, the match was a snoozefest.

 

And because there's no value in a one-sided rivalry being overturned when a legendary family member is coaching the other guy? Yeah, NOTHING about that scenario is engaging to anyone. Kidding with the sarcasm, so don't take it personally/seriously,  but that's what I'm talking about when there's things with that match that were more than wrestling. I mean, if Hendricks would have walked off the mat graciously the year before and not embraced the role as the villain, would the place have gone absolutely bonkers when Perry got the turn late in the match?  

 

That match had HIGH drama. Was it a boring snoozefest for five minutes? Yup. We're so stuck on just "the wrestling" ... there's things that move the needle other than fantastic wrestling itself. I wasn't following wrestling when Banach wrestled Schultz (I was 2 1/2 years old), but that match gets so much hype because of what was on the line, because as many here point out, the wrestling was sloppy between two guys who were on the top of the world. 

 

I think folks should just look at some of these matches with a different eye and think about all the other things that led up to those matches being huge. I do agree that Rohn-Lambrecht, Dennis-Ness are two that could have been on the list. 

 

BTW, I believe Owings-Gable too far out of the "recency" window they were looking for.

Edited February 10, 2015 by JasonBryant

[wrestlingnerd 2,593]

I know the background of that match as well as you do. I considered the match a bore. The drama did not come close to offsettng the lack of wrestling in what is according to some one of best matches ever.

 

If that's one of the 8 greatest matches in the history of our sport, we are in serious trouble.

[JasonBryant 1,675]

I don't believe I read any verbiage claiming this list was one of "the 8 greatest matches in the history of our sport."

 

It's a list. Discount it for what it is and what it isn't. I don't think there's any movement to adopt this list as gospel. I have a different 8 matches, but they're all starting at 2002, when I first attended the NCAA Division I championships. 

[grappler6 135]

Too young to know some of the matches. Ness vs Dennis is always a good one too.

[Ari Gold 47]

I'm shocked Hahn vs. Trenge beat McIlravy vs. Abas.

[fullnelson 114]

 Didn't see it, but I've always heard the Churella vs DeAnna Big-10 finals was the greatest match (something like 16-15). I've been to the last 40 NCAAs and I wouldn't put Hendricks vs Perry in the top 10. How many times has there ever been two 3x's vying in the finals- only once, Banach and Schultz.

[fadzaev2 319]

Went to the link and tried watching.

 

Why aren't the full matches shown?

 

As for Schultz beating Banach, he prevented him from winning a third title, not a fourth. The fourth would not have come into play until he had three in hand.

You're getting picky here.....he did become a 3 timer!!!

 

 http://archive.desmoinesregister.com/article/19950709/SPORTS11/50623011/Ed-Banach-University-Iowa-1995

[wrestlingnerd 2,593]

I don't believe I read any verbiage claiming this list was one of "the 8 greatest matches in the history of our sport."

 

It's a list. Discount it for what it is and what it isn't. I don't think there's any movement to adopt this list as gospel. I have a different 8 matches, but they're all starting at 2002, when I first attended the NCAA Division I championships.

The title of this thread says otherwise. But whatever. I didn't even click on the link given the original message and just replied to what was posted. If you think it's such a great top 8 match, good for you. You are easily entertained. Maybe that's infectious which would help boost interest so God bless you, but I won't be holding my breath. Edited February 10, 2015 by wrestlingnerd

[littlethadd 22]

 Didn't see it, but I've always heard the Churella vs DeAnna Big-10 finals was the greatest match (something like 16-15). I've been to the last 40 NCAAs and I wouldn't put Hendricks vs Perry in the top 10. How many times has there ever been two 3x's vying in the finals- only once, Banach and Schultz.

Banach was a Jr when he lost to Schultz making him a 2xer at the time of the match and Schultz won it 3x total, so there were never 3xers vying in the finals

[Tofurky 596]

Not one of the top 8, but for pure entertainment, Brands vs Gilbert in the Big 10 finals was pretty solid.  Gilbert comes out the aggressor and has Brands absolutely buried in the first period but the ref won't call it.  After that Brands totally b!tches Gilbert for the rest of the match.

 

 

Gilbert lost to Brands the next year at Nationals 33-19. I would have loved to have seen that match, but I understand it never made into wide distribution.

[fadzaev2 319]

Gilbert lost to Brands the next year at Nationals 33-19. I would have loved to have seen that match, but I understand it never made into wide distribution.

Mike Chapman added this match to his list of top 30 greatest matches at the NCAA tournament in an AWN article shortly after that match...I think Joey had 4 takedowns and still got beat.....I was there when he "pinned" Brands in the match noted above (Big Ten's) at Illinois also....I was real close to the mat :).  I also have the Churella/DeAnna Big Ten finals in my vault/library :).

Edited February 10, 2015 by fadzaev2

[JasonBryant 1,675]

The title of this thread says otherwise. But whatever. I didn't even click on the link given the original message and just replied to what was posted. If you think it's such a great top 8 match, good for you. You are easily entertained. Maybe that's infectious which would help boost interest so God bless you, but I won't be holding my breath.

 

I guess thread titles trump whatever the NCAA releases. And if you didn't click on the link, you've missed the whole context of the discussion. I also didn't say it was one of my top eight matches -- again, a situation where you're not reading what was written or researching before forming an opinion. 

 

I am easily entertained. I like movies like Airplane and Spaceballs, so I appreciate the compliment. Maybe instead of attacking a conflicting viewpoint without even the most basic glance, we should just "bah humbug" everything.

 

Read more, please. 

[Tofurky 596]

Mike Chapman added this match to his list of top 30 greatest matches at the NCAA tournament in an AWN article shortly after that match...I think Joey had 4 takedowns and still got beat.....I was there when he "pinned" Brands in the match noted above (Big Ten's) at Illinois also....I was real close to the mat :).  I also have the Churella/DeAnna Big Ten finals in my vault/library :).

 

Nice! How close is "real close to the mat" exactly? What were your thoughts on Brands down on the mat. Did Gilbert get hosed?

 

Do you happen to have a copy of the 33-19 affair?

[wrestlingnerd 2,593]

I guess thread titles trump whatever the NCAA releases. And if you didn't click on the link, you've missed the whole context of the discussion. I also didn't say it was one of my top eight matches -- again, a situation where you're not reading what was written or researching before forming an opinion.

 

I am easily entertained. I like movies like Airplane and Spaceballs, so I appreciate the compliment. Maybe instead of attacking a conflicting viewpoint without even the most basic glance, we should just "bah humbug" everything.

 

Read more, please.

Why don't you take your own advice, which nobody asked for? I thought the match was not entertaining, you thought it belonged in the discussion or was worth sticking up for. Nothing the NCAAs says or writes, and certainly nothing you say or write, is going to change my opinion. So maybe we just disagree. What a concept.

 

Now go watch John Lockhart's riveting path to an NCAA title. I promise you'll get goosebumps.

Edited February 10, 2015 by wrestlingnerd

[JasonBryant 1,675]

Nope, Kevin Bacon wasn't in Footloose. Sorry.

 

And apparently nothing I wrote will change your mind because I wasn't defending its inclusion on the list. I was offering a rationale as to why it would be on such a list. So steadfast in your objection, you aren't taking the time to even understand the whole list or what it is.

 

Read more, comprehend even more.

Edited February 10, 2015 by JasonBryant