Doug Butabi

Loe's tough, real tough. And Kern is too. I guess everyone will find out soon enough!!

I agree. At Big 10s, I saw former #1 recruit Cody Gardner and he looked like crap from cutting weight all season. He was a 215lber in high school and looked horrible at 197. A year of cutting weight took the life out of him. If cutting weight doesn't help, why doesn't Escebedo wrestle 141? He could wrestle whatever weight he wants to and be successful. During his redshirt season he was very successful at 133lbs. He's not good because he cuts weight, he is good because he is fast, has great technique, great conditioning, etc. There is a difference between being good and taking 1st and 3rd in the nation in d1. If he could be a national champ at 133 or 141, then why doesn't he??? Why do the top dogs in the country cut weight then?? It's a competitive edge. For those of you who have stories about how you know someone who is good and doesn't cut weight, think how much more dominant he could be against someone a weight class lower. Once again, NOT saying the more weight you cut, the more successful you will be. I am NOT suggesting season-long starvation and dehydration. Of course nutrition plays a role in your wrestling success. Maybe the system is just too strict then as far as how much weight you can lose and how fast you can lose it. I just feel the regulations restrict the wrestler a bit too much. I have given this much thought and perhaps the weight regulations could simply be revised, rather than completely thrown away. Perhaps being able to lose more weight per week, but not to a dangerous excess or something similiar would help the wrestlers be able to be a bit more competitive without being at risk for a critical state. This would still do as much as the current regulations as far as preventing deaths, and the wrestler wouldn't be held down to 1 or 2 easily reached weight classes. Any suggestions? And that's a great point Shootfirst, many "weight-cutting" deaths are a result from losing weight while taking supplements such as creatine or even laxatives. These are things which should not even be considered during a weight-loss regimen.

I feel the same way. Talk to the kids. I don't seem to be getting much support from this board on my perspective as it seems almost everyone contributing is either a coach, a parent, or someone who has simply been out of competitive wrestling for quite sometime. I have asked the opinion of many of my old high school and college teammates on the topic and many of them agree with me and see exactly where I am coming from. If I asked my grandpa on the other hand, he would probably say something very similar to what I have been getting on this forum.

Why not all 3? I'm simply stating that some weight classes are just plain harder than others. Not everyone can be a standout in every surrounding weight class. If I had honestly followed the weight regulations, I would have been wrestling much larger kids at 140 lbs., rather than kids at 125 lbs. who are generally weaker and easier to control (and there may not be as much talent). Of course there is a point where you can lose too much weight and you will start to considerably decline in performance, but I'm not saying the more weight you lose, the more successful you will be. I dont think I can see the logic in this statement. I would say atleast this year, and in many years, the 119-125-130 weight classes had many outstanding wrestlers that were not only skilled, but pound for pound as strong as anyone. I dont see the logic that bigger makes you a better wrestler. I can see that having extra weight can make you stronger, but it does not give you any inherent extra set of skills. Please explain how a 145 or 152 pound kid is a more skilled wrestler then a 125-130 pound kid. I have never said that cutting weight makes you a more skilled wrestler. If you're walking around at 150 lbs and you're goal for the season is to win an individual regional title, and the top seed in every weight class is equally skilled and conditioned (but not equal in size or strength), will you have a better chance at 140 lbs or 152lbs??? I don't know if I'm using the proper words, but this seems like common sense to me. And I'm definitely not saying that kids at 152 lbs are better wrestlers than 130 lb kids. I will agree that 125 and 130 have probably been more skilled and deep weight classes than 145 or 152 in the past years. And I'm not saying all lighter kids are weaker than all heavier kids, but the majority of them are. So what's more likely to prevail, skill and strength, or skill alone? Try to look at this from both sides!! I bet you're wrong. Well I don't know where you're from but wrestlers from my area aren't trying to drastically cheat the system. Ask Y2, Karl, or other coaches who regularly come onto these boards if they think the weight regulations have worked. Are these regulations perfect? No, but they are much better than just letting kids run rampant with "crazy weight cutting." Also, how many kids have died since the implementation of weight programs? As far as I know, zero. Do a google search. I bet the last case you find of kids dying as a result of weight cutting was '97 or '98 (before weight regulations). So that's a sign that the system is working. And I agree with 1oldwrestler 100%. I know for a fact that the majority of wrestlers "cutting weight" do NOT follow the regulations to a T. I know many wrestlers all over the state and even a few from Illinois and Michigan, and they know as well as I do that there are many loopholes in the system. And coaches willing to abide by the system still dont know what their wrestlers do outside the room. Wrestlers don't call their coach to let them know they just sat in a sauna for an hour or just got back from a 4-mile run in plastics. Once again, I am NOT saying all wrestlers find ways around the system, but many do. And for those wrestlers who don't follow the regulations properly, MANY of them have been successful. Somebody should take a poll of what the state champions from every year weigh one week after the state finals (with the exception of 215 and 285). That might help prove what I'm trying to say.

Why not all 3? I'm simply stating that some weight classes are just plain harder than others. Not everyone can be a standout in every surrounding weight class. If I had honestly followed the weight regulations, I would have been wrestling much larger kids at 140 lbs., rather than kids at 125 lbs. who are generally weaker and easier to control (and there may not be as much talent). Of course there is a point where you can lose too much weight and you will start to considerably decline in performance, but I'm not saying the more weight you lose, the more successful you will be.

Thank you, and yes, I am a wrestler. I wrestle in college now and know what it's like to cut a fair amount of weight as I have always been a lean kid and I started the wrestling season 18-20 lbs over my weight class my junior and senior year of high school. As many other wrestlers do, I worked my way around the "rules" and worked my way down to lower weight classes than what I was supposed to according to the IHSAA weight regulations. If there were coaches and officials watching my every move as I weighed in and took my hydration test, I would have been stuck in higher weight classes where I don't feel I would have been as successful. Looking back at it, I don't feel like I have done any physical or psychological damage to my health and I have no regrets. This rule is just a bit too strict if you ask me.

I'm writing a paper for an english course about the weight regulations within high school wrestling. As many people think it's a great idea, I'm defending the opposite side saying wrestlers shouldn't be limited to where the compete as if they're willing to make the sacrifice in attempts to excel, then more power to them. Any responses and opinions would be GREATLY appreciated.

Fort Wayne has the nicest coliseum.........does that count for anything?

103- Garretson walks through 112- Miller beats Randle in a close one 119- Surack walks 125- Garretson handles Cardenas 130- Shepherd has it easy 135- Waite handles 140- Barret majors Sisk 145- Sparks beats Pogue in a close one 152- Kern pulls it out against Davenport 160- Bratcher takes it 171- Nobody worth watching 189- Very interesting........Abbott over Worden OVATIME!!!! 215- Same as 171 285- Again... :

Ya, that is stalling naco228. Thanks for the clarification WildCatWrestler2008! :

103- Garretson 112- McIlrath 119- Kenney 125- Garretson 130- Shepherd 135- Waite 140- Hall 145- Sparks 152- Minix 160- Delaney 171- Atwood 189- Worden 215- Yoakum 285- Everett