Y2CJ41 Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 Previous to the great year of 1997, Indiana recognized the heavyweight class as "HWT." After that it was the exact 275lbs and now the 285lbs class. When did heavyweight start having a hard limit as I know in the olden days it was unlimited which made for some fun match-ups. Paycheck141 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No One Famous Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 I believe it was the mid-late 80's. I believe there was a 400 pounder in 84 or 85, but when I graduated in '88 it was capped at 275. I wrestled 98 pounds, so I do not remember which year it was. Y2CJ41 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clan Campbell Posted December 23, 2023 Share Posted December 23, 2023 (edited) What I seem to remember, Union Modoc kid weighed close to 400 pounds, made it to state 82-83 timeframe. Rumor around east side of state at the time attributed his wt was considered dangerous to other wrestlers, this was reason for the cap on top weight limit. !983 I believe was the date they set the top limit on heavyweight(for the 83-84 season). the wrestler from union made the new weight limit for his senior year, 1984. Edited December 23, 2023 by Clan Campbell Y2CJ41 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironbear Posted December 23, 2023 Share Posted December 23, 2023 1982 Mike Biddlecome Fort Wayne Snider was the biggest I had seen for awhile at 292lbs. My buddy Jason Godsey Indpls Manuel beat Mike Saturday Morning in the quarters at Market Square Arena. Loki27 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takemtothemat Posted December 23, 2023 Share Posted December 23, 2023 I had the pleasure of wrestling a 325lb guy. The ref told me to put my hand in the middle of the stomach. Best tight waste I ever started with. Never did make it to the middle. jonah7474 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piscis1956 Posted December 25, 2023 Share Posted December 25, 2023 (edited) I know for the 71-72 season, our heavyweight had to lose weight to make weight. Can’t remember off hand what the weight was. The next season (72-73) there was no limit and I think that same kid, a senior then, weighed 285. Our JV heavyweight though started the season at 335 but got down to 325 before the season was over. However, if I’m not mistaken, I believe (but maybe not?) there was a limit again for the 73-74 and 74-75 seasons. Anyway, in ‘74 our senior heavyweight qualified for state by winning the New Castle regional even though he only weighed around 215 or 220 pounds. Edited December 26, 2023 by piscis1956 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Peck Posted December 25, 2023 Share Posted December 25, 2023 (edited) I have "real life" experience on this one. I was in 10th grade during the 1971-72 season. I was not very good and never expected to be actually wrestling in a meet so I was not concerned about ny weight. It is a long story, but events conspired to make me our JV entrant for a match the next evening. I was ten pounds over. I had never lost weight in my life, but I knew what some of the guys did. I wanted to make sure I made weight so I did alot. The net evening when I weighed in I was almost seven pounds under weight. To wrestle heavyweight back then you had to weigh no more than 245 pounds. I believe it had been that way for quite some time. I believe we still had the 245 pound class when I was a Junior, but by the time my Senior season rolled around the IHSAA/National Federation had removed the limit. The biggest guy I wrestled, as a Junior and Senior, was a 420 pounder. I weighed about 240 at that time. I had took up lifting and working out and managed to actually become worthy of wrestling Varsity. I often got a bit crazy....I shot on the 420 pounder, and he crushed me. Actually put me on my back. I fought like crazy until the period ran out, and then ended up pinning him in the next period. In the 80's they put the 275 weight limit in because at least one wrestler was injured (broken next) because he was wrestling the unlimited class while weighing around 180 pounds. I think there were several instances of severe injury. I think the reason they initially went to an unlijmited class was because of all the hype surrounding Chris Taylor (Iowa State). THere were also other big men in NCAA wrestling like Tab Thacker. Another one was the guy who was in the movie "Stir Crazy" with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. Besides being an outstanding wrestler he was also a really good opera singer. Edited December 25, 2023 by Coach Peck Justin Plank, anklepick and piscis1956 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awill0352 Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 Didn’t an Evansville guy back in the 70’s weigh over 400? Can’t think of his name right now. Maybe wrestled for Harrison piscis1956 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takemtothemat Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 14 hours ago, awill0352 said: Didn’t an Evansville guy back in the 70’s weigh over 400? Can’t think of his name right now. Maybe wrestled for Harrison There was a wrestler at Bosse named Sam Lahonis. Sure I didn’t spell that right. I remember him being a big big guy. Not sure of his weight. I think it was 75-76 season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrestling Scholar Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-01-20-8601060030-story.html- I know a lot of states it was unlimited prior to 86. Here's an interesting old article on Illinois transition in 86 season to 275 limit. A survey said 41 of 721 HWY in IL would not have made the weight in the 85 season with wrestlers weighing up to 330. I still remember back in Kansas City a huge HWY from KC Harmon that beat a guy from my school in the finals. I remember people saying he weighed 400 lbs. But I cant verify that, but he looked real big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan150 Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 (edited) The guy Coach Peck said was an actor/singer is Erland Van Lidth De Jeude. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erland_Van_Lidth_De_Jeude Edited December 28, 2023 by Titan150 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awill0352 Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 On 12/27/2023 at 9:37 AM, takemtothemat said: There was a wrestler at Bosse named Sam Lahonis. Sure I didn’t spell that right. I remember him being a big big guy. Not sure of his weight. I think it was 75-76 season That’s him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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