20.10.2004, 23:01
Mike Chapman- Wrestling Historian
“Well when I first started out in my professional career I was a journalist for 35 years working for various newspapers around the mid west. I was an editor, sports editor and ended up as a publisher and I was always amazed at the lack of attention amateur wrestling was able to get from the national media. One of my primary goals was to try and market the sport and that is why I am so pleased and so impressed at the efforts that Toby and Matt and everyone have put forward at Real Pro Wrestling and one of the things you are doing is calling upon the history of the sport.”
“I run the International Wrestling Institute Museum in Newton, Iowa and we had over 10,000 visitors last year and a good share of them were educational field trips. I have had a lot of history teaches come up to me and say we heard we were going to a wrestling museum, how is this going to benefit our students. Then they walk in and they stay 2-3 hours and the teachers would come up to me and say we are so amazed at the history of this sport. It’s almost like a microcosm of this civilization.”
“When you walk into the museum you see a life size portrait from Abraham Lincoln wrestling in 1832 at the age of 23. There have been 12,000 books written about Abraham Lincoln and many scholars say you can trace his political career and the confidence he had to the wrestling match he had with Jack Armstrong in 1832. Lincoln was proud of that wrestling match the rest of his life.”
“You walk around the corner you will see a life size mural of Jacob wrestling the Angel of the Lord. Wrestling is the first sport talked about in the bible. You go around the other corner and there is a wall dedicated to the epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was the warrior king of Ancient Sumeria 5,000 years ago. Why is that of interest today? Because Ancient Sumeria is located exactly where Iraq is located today.”
“So you see wrestling has this incredible history background that no other sport can match. We are so proud of the history of wrestling going back to Jacob wrestling in the bible, the great warriors that wrestled at Troy in the Iliad, the epic of Gilgamesh and Abraham Lincoln, and when people begin to understand the education and cultural background of this sport they are absolutely amazed. Kenny, Matt and Toby I take my hat off to you for what you are doing here and I think this has potential to become one of the most important activities in the history of wrestling.”
John Fuller- Director of Media and Public Relations for USA Wrestling
“I think it’s pretty fitting that I am sitting next to Mike who is a wrestling historian but we are here today to talk about the future of wrestling as well. I think that is a really good thing.”
“USA Wresting is really proud of what Toby Matt and Kenny have put together. We are really happy that they have been able to include us in everything, in every step up to this point, including our athletes. A couple things that get lost are how important this can be for elite level athletes. Of 56 wrestlers that are going to be here, 7 of them have competed in the Olympics and the other 49 are training to compete in the Olympics. The money that can come in from a league such as this can help elite athletes train and support their families that they have. These are great athletes with wives but they aren't’t NFL players or NBA players. They aren't’t making millions of dollars. They are making a lot of sacrifices just to be able to reach their dreams of an Olympic gold medal one day.”
“Real Pro Wrestling and the success of this league can help our athletes get to that point and make it not such a burden on their families for them to be able to compete here. A lot of other sports/promotions have to create their own characters but I think it’s pretty clear that wrestling has its own characters and we don’t have to create them. They are already there and I think that is what the public is really going to be drawn to and that is who they are really going to attract to when the series starts in February. USA Wrestling, all of our athletes, we are very excited for Real Pro Wrestling.”
Chris Bono-Wrestler for 145 LBS, Team Illinois
Bono originally from Florida wrestled for Iowa State, was a national champion, he coaches there with Bobby Douglas and was one of the ones that coached Cael [Sanderson] to his infamous career. Two-time world team member.
Chris Bono- “I am real excited about Real Pro Wrestling. The media is going to be one thing that really helps this league succeed.”
Joe Williams, Wrestler for 163 LBS, Team Illinois
Originally from Chicago, wrestled for the University of Iowa, multiple national championships there as well. Many accolades. Most recent 5th in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and he is currently living and training in Iowa.
Joe Williams- “First of all I would like to thank Real Pro Wrestling for giving me the opportunity to come out and display what wrestling is all about. Without Real Pro Wrestling something like this would not exist. This is the first Olympic league of wrestling; it’s going to be very exciting. I am very proud to be one of the athletes taking part in this event and I look forward to a great tournament. Thank you.”
Dennis Hall, Wrestler 134 LBS, Team California
Originally from Wisconsin, 3 X Olympian and world champion, one of the very few Olympic or world medallists in Greco Roman.
Dennis Hall- “It’s nice to be able to go to a wrestling meet and not have to worry about different things and hopefully get it on TV. It’s going to be on TV starting in February. Wrestling isn’t on TV that much so for me it’s an opportunity to show little kids what wrestling is all about and get our youth involved in wrestling because I think wrestling gives a lot back to the community as far as with youth. It teaches them about goal setting about dedication and things like that. So actually I think America needs wrestling.”
TC Dantzler, Wrestler for 163 LBS, Team Minnesota
Originally from Illinois, he wrestled at Northern Illinois where he is going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame next week. Two-time world team member.
TC- “Real Pro Wrestling is a great opportunity to showcase many different athletes. You don’t have to be 10 feet tall or you don’t have to be fast, it’s going to showcase a lot of different skills and skill sets especially combining the sports of Greco-Roman and freestyle. I am glad to finally sit up here in a situation where I can finally show people who have been saying to me for the last 10 years, since I have graduated from college, are you still wrestling? When are you going to stop doing that game of wrestling and start your life? Well look where wrestling got me. I am in Hollywood now putting on a real big time production. This game has gotten me to Hollywood and I wanted to make sure that everyone who has given me the speech about getting on with my life knows here I am.”
Jeff Prescott- Wrestler for 121 LBS, Team New York
“I am really looking forward to the young guys coming out. I am excited to pass wrestling on to the rest of the world. “
Stephen Abas, Coach for Team California
“This is a dream come true and it’s all about the love of the sport and I am excited to see where it’s going.”
Tony DeAnda-Wrestler for 134 LBS, Team New York
“I would just like to thank Real Pro Wrestling for bringing me out here and I would like to say thanks to Toby and Matt for making this all possible. I have dreamed about something like this since I was a young kid and I am happy to be a part of it.”
Steve Knight -Coach for Team New York
“I don’t think the general public really knows what theses athletes go through for the sport. What this league can do is change the face of wrestling forever.”
“Well when I first started out in my professional career I was a journalist for 35 years working for various newspapers around the mid west. I was an editor, sports editor and ended up as a publisher and I was always amazed at the lack of attention amateur wrestling was able to get from the national media. One of my primary goals was to try and market the sport and that is why I am so pleased and so impressed at the efforts that Toby and Matt and everyone have put forward at Real Pro Wrestling and one of the things you are doing is calling upon the history of the sport.”
“I run the International Wrestling Institute Museum in Newton, Iowa and we had over 10,000 visitors last year and a good share of them were educational field trips. I have had a lot of history teaches come up to me and say we heard we were going to a wrestling museum, how is this going to benefit our students. Then they walk in and they stay 2-3 hours and the teachers would come up to me and say we are so amazed at the history of this sport. It’s almost like a microcosm of this civilization.”
“When you walk into the museum you see a life size portrait from Abraham Lincoln wrestling in 1832 at the age of 23. There have been 12,000 books written about Abraham Lincoln and many scholars say you can trace his political career and the confidence he had to the wrestling match he had with Jack Armstrong in 1832. Lincoln was proud of that wrestling match the rest of his life.”
“You walk around the corner you will see a life size mural of Jacob wrestling the Angel of the Lord. Wrestling is the first sport talked about in the bible. You go around the other corner and there is a wall dedicated to the epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was the warrior king of Ancient Sumeria 5,000 years ago. Why is that of interest today? Because Ancient Sumeria is located exactly where Iraq is located today.”
“So you see wrestling has this incredible history background that no other sport can match. We are so proud of the history of wrestling going back to Jacob wrestling in the bible, the great warriors that wrestled at Troy in the Iliad, the epic of Gilgamesh and Abraham Lincoln, and when people begin to understand the education and cultural background of this sport they are absolutely amazed. Kenny, Matt and Toby I take my hat off to you for what you are doing here and I think this has potential to become one of the most important activities in the history of wrestling.”
John Fuller- Director of Media and Public Relations for USA Wrestling
“I think it’s pretty fitting that I am sitting next to Mike who is a wrestling historian but we are here today to talk about the future of wrestling as well. I think that is a really good thing.”
“USA Wresting is really proud of what Toby Matt and Kenny have put together. We are really happy that they have been able to include us in everything, in every step up to this point, including our athletes. A couple things that get lost are how important this can be for elite level athletes. Of 56 wrestlers that are going to be here, 7 of them have competed in the Olympics and the other 49 are training to compete in the Olympics. The money that can come in from a league such as this can help elite athletes train and support their families that they have. These are great athletes with wives but they aren't’t NFL players or NBA players. They aren't’t making millions of dollars. They are making a lot of sacrifices just to be able to reach their dreams of an Olympic gold medal one day.”
“Real Pro Wrestling and the success of this league can help our athletes get to that point and make it not such a burden on their families for them to be able to compete here. A lot of other sports/promotions have to create their own characters but I think it’s pretty clear that wrestling has its own characters and we don’t have to create them. They are already there and I think that is what the public is really going to be drawn to and that is who they are really going to attract to when the series starts in February. USA Wrestling, all of our athletes, we are very excited for Real Pro Wrestling.”
Chris Bono-Wrestler for 145 LBS, Team Illinois
Bono originally from Florida wrestled for Iowa State, was a national champion, he coaches there with Bobby Douglas and was one of the ones that coached Cael [Sanderson] to his infamous career. Two-time world team member.
Chris Bono- “I am real excited about Real Pro Wrestling. The media is going to be one thing that really helps this league succeed.”
Joe Williams, Wrestler for 163 LBS, Team Illinois
Originally from Chicago, wrestled for the University of Iowa, multiple national championships there as well. Many accolades. Most recent 5th in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and he is currently living and training in Iowa.
Joe Williams- “First of all I would like to thank Real Pro Wrestling for giving me the opportunity to come out and display what wrestling is all about. Without Real Pro Wrestling something like this would not exist. This is the first Olympic league of wrestling; it’s going to be very exciting. I am very proud to be one of the athletes taking part in this event and I look forward to a great tournament. Thank you.”
Dennis Hall, Wrestler 134 LBS, Team California
Originally from Wisconsin, 3 X Olympian and world champion, one of the very few Olympic or world medallists in Greco Roman.
Dennis Hall- “It’s nice to be able to go to a wrestling meet and not have to worry about different things and hopefully get it on TV. It’s going to be on TV starting in February. Wrestling isn’t on TV that much so for me it’s an opportunity to show little kids what wrestling is all about and get our youth involved in wrestling because I think wrestling gives a lot back to the community as far as with youth. It teaches them about goal setting about dedication and things like that. So actually I think America needs wrestling.”
TC Dantzler, Wrestler for 163 LBS, Team Minnesota
Originally from Illinois, he wrestled at Northern Illinois where he is going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame next week. Two-time world team member.
TC- “Real Pro Wrestling is a great opportunity to showcase many different athletes. You don’t have to be 10 feet tall or you don’t have to be fast, it’s going to showcase a lot of different skills and skill sets especially combining the sports of Greco-Roman and freestyle. I am glad to finally sit up here in a situation where I can finally show people who have been saying to me for the last 10 years, since I have graduated from college, are you still wrestling? When are you going to stop doing that game of wrestling and start your life? Well look where wrestling got me. I am in Hollywood now putting on a real big time production. This game has gotten me to Hollywood and I wanted to make sure that everyone who has given me the speech about getting on with my life knows here I am.”
Jeff Prescott- Wrestler for 121 LBS, Team New York
“I am really looking forward to the young guys coming out. I am excited to pass wrestling on to the rest of the world. “
Stephen Abas, Coach for Team California
“This is a dream come true and it’s all about the love of the sport and I am excited to see where it’s going.”
Tony DeAnda-Wrestler for 134 LBS, Team New York
“I would just like to thank Real Pro Wrestling for bringing me out here and I would like to say thanks to Toby and Matt for making this all possible. I have dreamed about something like this since I was a young kid and I am happy to be a part of it.”
Steve Knight -Coach for Team New York
“I don’t think the general public really knows what theses athletes go through for the sport. What this league can do is change the face of wrestling forever.”