Was watching some old Penn State matches this morning. Came across Jim Martin vs Bonomo. Amazed at how big Bonomo looked. Looked like a 141 pounder. Sometimes you have these guys like him and Valencia and you just wonder how can someone look that big and still make there respective weight. Was watching Kenny Monday also. Guy had arms and chest like a 197 pounder.
Ricky Bonomo, Zahid Valencia, Kenny Monday
- Thread starter rlion95
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I remember watching several Jimmy Martin vs Ricky Bonomo matches. Jimmy was so slick, but it was like a boy wrestling a man at that stage of Jimmy's career. Bonomo was just too strong for him! It would have been interesting to see a Sr Jimmy vs a Sr Bonomo!
Speaking of Bonomos, I'm pretty sure I remember seeing Ricky's brother (Rocky) beat #2 seed John Smith at the NCAA's one year.
Speaking of Bonomos, I'm pretty sure I remember seeing Ricky's brother (Rocky) beat #2 seed John Smith at the NCAA's one year.
I grew up in Bloomsburg, where the Bonomo brothers wrestled. The word was that Bonomo cut a lot (!) of weight. From an article after Martin and Bonomo wrestled:
"Martin, who was an All-American ending up fourth last season as a freshman, made it to the finals where he was beaten by Bloomsburg's Rick Bonomo, 8-4. The final match at 118 was a repeat of the finals of the Eastern Wrestling League final where Bonomo was again victorious, 10-5. Martin said he is happy to see Bonomo graduate.
"My track record against him isn't very good, so I'd have to say that I'm glad I won't have to worry about competing against him for a national title again," Martin said. "But there's still something inside of me that wants to wrestle him until I beat him. I'd like to wrestle him 20 more times."
Penn State Head Coach Rich Lorenzo said Bonomo deserves all the credit for winning.
"Today it's just that Bonomo is just a better wrestler and now you've got to give him the credit," Lorenzo said after the bout. "We went after him as hard as we could and he just has a little bit more than we do right now."
Lorenzo said the size of Bonomo, who looked like he had gained 10 pounds from the previous night's weigh-in, is not the problem.
"We've wrestled guys as big as he is," he said of the three-time NCAA Champion. "He's not too big for us, he's just a hell-of-an athlete.
"Martin, who was an All-American ending up fourth last season as a freshman, made it to the finals where he was beaten by Bloomsburg's Rick Bonomo, 8-4. The final match at 118 was a repeat of the finals of the Eastern Wrestling League final where Bonomo was again victorious, 10-5. Martin said he is happy to see Bonomo graduate.
"My track record against him isn't very good, so I'd have to say that I'm glad I won't have to worry about competing against him for a national title again," Martin said. "But there's still something inside of me that wants to wrestle him until I beat him. I'd like to wrestle him 20 more times."
Penn State Head Coach Rich Lorenzo said Bonomo deserves all the credit for winning.
"Today it's just that Bonomo is just a better wrestler and now you've got to give him the credit," Lorenzo said after the bout. "We went after him as hard as we could and he just has a little bit more than we do right now."
Lorenzo said the size of Bonomo, who looked like he had gained 10 pounds from the previous night's weigh-in, is not the problem.
"We've wrestled guys as big as he is," he said of the three-time NCAA Champion. "He's not too big for us, he's just a hell-of-an athlete.
#3 seed Smith lost in rd of 16 to Foldesy of Cleveland St and was not pulled into consolations. Rocky was the #9 seed but they did not meet.
I saw Kenny Monday win the NCAAs over the Meadowlands in 1984. He was huge.
When Martin lost to Bonomo in the 1987 finals , Ricky wrestled another PA kid in the semis Jack Cuvo, wrestling for East Stroudsburg. Bonomo hit a big move early and Cuvo tried to rally doing his takedown and release but came up short 9-6.The only way Cuvo was going to lose was if someone hit something big or you had to beat him on the mat. He was too good on his feet.Bonomo was super strong and was the type of wrestler that could beat Cuvo. As for Bonomo's weight cutting,I went to Bloomsburg in 1980 and knew a bunch of wrestlers thru the DOK frat house. Let me tell you their was no weight management program. It was plastic bags and sauna after sticking fingers down your throat after a night of boozing.
Cuvo went on to win NCAAs in 1988 and 1989 at 118.
When Martin lost to Bonomo in the 1987 finals , Ricky wrestled another PA kid in the semis Jack Cuvo, wrestling for East Stroudsburg. Bonomo hit a big move early and Cuvo tried to rally doing his takedown and release but came up short 9-6.The only way Cuvo was going to lose was if someone hit something big or you had to beat him on the mat. He was too good on his feet.Bonomo was super strong and was the type of wrestler that could beat Cuvo. As for Bonomo's weight cutting,I went to Bloomsburg in 1980 and knew a bunch of wrestlers thru the DOK frat house. Let me tell you their was no weight management program. It was plastic bags and sauna after sticking fingers down your throat after a night of boozing.
Cuvo went on to win NCAAs in 1988 and 1989 at 118.
You're right! I could have sworn I saw Bonomo beat Smith. You would think I would remember something like that from 34 years ago! I'm slipping! Oh well, at least it was another EWL guy that took him out! Do I get partial credit?
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when I was younger a watched a bunch of these on VHS
PS- also on the right should be the martin vs ricky match from 1987 for your viewing pleasure
Bonomo was not that big. His advantage was he did not go to college right away. He took a year or two off before he went to college.
Ps. Hall is small.
I never realized that, but checked and you are correct. I graduated with him in 1981 at Lake Lehman. I graduated 86 from PSU after a red shirt year for alcohol endeavors. He was Bloom class of 88, so with a red shirt year, assuming he took one, he must have delayed starting two years.
Rick and Rocky definitely took a year or 2 off. They did not want to go to college...at least initially. I don't recall the work they did but eventually Shorty hooked them up with Sanders...and the rest as they say...
Similar stories about Troy Sunderland and Gable getting Barry Davis at the airport with a bag of food.
That's a different version of the story from what I heard. I never heard mention of Sunderland involved! The version I heard was that someone (I think it was Davis's roommate) told Gable that Davis had snapped and was going to pig out, being sick of making weight. Gable caught up to him at a convenience store late at night with 2 bags of groceries in his hands, which he promptly dropped! He went on to win the NCAA title that year, and the rest is history, as they say!
Amazing thread, love all these stories!
Man, whenever I think of oldschool weight-cutting, I always think of the image burned in my brain from Zavoral's A Season on the Mat, about Tom Brands urging Mike Mena on. Mena was back & forth from the sauna to the bike, which was just outside the sauna, but also roped off by a big hanging piece of plastic (such that Zavoral could hear voices and see body shapes, and such that any heat leaking out of the sauna wouldn't leak tooooo far). Mena's on the bike, suffering, and Brands is an inch from his ear saying "You made a deal. You made a DEAL."
Here's my story from many years ago. I was a Jr in HS and weighed in for certification at the beginning of the year at 121 (and I was a slender 121). I thought about wrestling 112. The coach told me that there was someone else who could wrestle 112, but we didn't have anyone at 103. Would I be willing to do down? I did whatever the coach asked me to do. I got down to about 108 and I couldn't practice. I fell asleep in class. I could barely walk up the steps at school. All I did was lie in a rubber suit on a radiator during practice. My mother took me to the doctor (who was the one who certified me for 103) and he put me on pep pills (amphetamines). I felt great during school, no appetite and ran up the steps to class. But by practice time I felt even worse than usual. After 3 days I took myself off the pep pills. I ended up making it through the season, but the first few weeks of matches were horrible in terms of how I felt. I think I lost 2-3 inches of growth because of that season!
Sunderland was a slightly different timeframe, but he was on the bike in a sauna and quit.
Hart (Sunderland's best friend) and someone else (can't remember) basically tackled him to keep him from food and water. Eventually they combined dragging him, prodding him and verbal convincing and got him back on the bike.
He was good but not that big. Maybe someone could say he looked 126 but that is about it.
Bloom had some good teams back then.
He was good but not that big. Maybe someone could say he looked 126 but that is about it.
Bloom had some good teams back then.
Ricky and Rocky were really good athletes in HS...both were starting CBs on the football team. FB team wasn't great...but not bad by any means. Also, IIRC they were both real good Pole Vaulters on the Track team. I don't remember if they won districts but they were close.
As noted earlier,I attended Bloomsburg for one year ,1980 ,it was the most fun I've ever had but that explains the one year. I would travel back up there a few times a year for a few years. I typically would try to catch a wrestling match because I knew a few of the wrestlers. I followed the program thru mid 1980s.From 1985 -1987 Bloomsburg finished in the top 10 of the NCAAs .
I'll never forget in 1980 Iowa State came to Bloomsburg wearing there burgundy robes. Bloom had a top 20 team with probably 5 real good wrestlers.(Reese,McCullam Brothers,DiGichiamino,Crivara ?)The only points scored by the Huskies was Don Reese wrestled to a draw. I think they got beat 40-2. Reese two years later beat Jim Gibbons in the semis of Nationals but got beat in the finals by CB Mock.
On that team in 1980, Bloom had a 177 pounder by the name of Don DiGichiamino who dropped to 167 for Nationals. He ended up getting pin in overtime by the eventual champ.
The question is ,this champion was an unranked freshman who I believe is the last unranked wrestler to win the NCAAs. Who is he?
I'll never forget in 1980 Iowa State came to Bloomsburg wearing there burgundy robes. Bloom had a top 20 team with probably 5 real good wrestlers.(Reese,McCullam Brothers,DiGichiamino,Crivara ?)The only points scored by the Huskies was Don Reese wrestled to a draw. I think they got beat 40-2. Reese two years later beat Jim Gibbons in the semis of Nationals but got beat in the finals by CB Mock.
On that team in 1980, Bloom had a 177 pounder by the name of Don DiGichiamino who dropped to 167 for Nationals. He ended up getting pin in overtime by the eventual champ.
The question is ,this champion was an unranked freshman who I believe is the last unranked wrestler to win the NCAAs. Who is he?
How about Mark Branch? He had a losing record going into the NCAA's and won it all!
I believe I was incorrect in my answer. I believe you are correct.
I had District 11 tournament on this year and the referee was Matt Reiss who also won the 167 pound NCAA championship unranked as a true freshman.
The announcer said he was the last to do it.
My apologies.
I had District 11 tournament on this year and the referee was Matt Reiss who also won the 167 pound NCAA championship unranked as a true freshman.
The announcer said he was the last to do it.
My apologies.
I can relate to Rasheed his FR year (not in talent, but in one of his first matches). He was wrestling McFadden of Va Tech and went up something like 6-0 or 8-0 and then totally gassed and lost. My first dual at 103 I wrestled okay for the first period and a half and hit a wall and almost passed out before the match was over. Pulling too much weight is brutal. I'm glad that there's been a change in philosophy in many cases.
Note: In a class picture taken during that wrestling season, I looked like an escapee from a concentration camp!
Oh man, I remember that bout very well--I'd taken my then-5yo down to Blacksburg and he cried a little after McFadden's comeback.
And I'm 100% with you on the weight-management improvements we've seen. I'm glad to hear you're healthy now (even if a little shorter
I weighed 132 before the season, wrestled 112 most of the year, and dropped to 105 for tournaments at the end one year in HS. Worse year of my life. My friends called me Bobby Sands (if you don't know who he was, look it up), I was too weak to practice/wrestle, and a complete bust at the end after going 20-0 before dropping. Lucky I didn't kill myself and completely appreciate the weight loss constraints wrestling has put on coaches and kids who don't know any better. I wish somebody around me had had a clue.
Maybe the tradition of weight cutting is why some HS wrestling teammates disliked me. I remember them spitting in cups and wearing rubber suits (hard for me to relate, eating two lunches and all). I guess I could've shown more empathy. Then when the good Lord saw fit for me to bloom late, adding 20 lbs a year for 3 straight years, no way I was going to stunt the growth that I'd been praying for, for so long.
Back in middle school there were about 4 of us is the 85 lb weight class and we had no 75 lber. Coach asked for a “volunteer” to cut and weighing only 83lb normally I was the chosen one. After a week of eating oranges and sleeping in the rubber suit, the brains of the family (Mom) put an end to it after falling asleep in church (sign from God sort of thing). The next kid up was stockier and made it but spent the season looking like an extra from the Walking Dead.
Thanks to everyone for the great stories. They’re a welcome trip down memory lane for most of us.
it still goes on.
My nephew is 5-11 and was made to wrestle 120lbs this year because it was "best for the team". A team that by any real measure is not good, was not competing for any championships and as a program traditionally is not very good. My nephew quit twice during the season due to the cut, but got talked back into it. He was 18-12 on the year as a freshman.
He pinned 13 of his 18 Ws. He was winning after the 1st period in 7 of his 12 loses, but if you made it to the 2nd period he was just dead, and forget about the 3rd period he could hardly walk.
My brother is a total sis and wouldnt talk to the coach about it. I threatened to go to the coach since my brother is a sis, but my mom pulled rank and said I wasnt allowed to interject myself.
My nephew as of today is 157lbs. He is lifting and balking up for football, as he was freshman WR letterman on a team that made the final 8 last year in AAAA, and will be counted on to produce with SR graduation next season.
Hell probably never wrestle again because he now hates the sport.
I dont know that it is as bad it was back in "my day" with the weight cutting but it still goes on.
My nephew is 5-11 and was made to wrestle 120lbs this year because it was "best for the team". A team that by any real measure is not good, was not competing for any championships and as a program traditionally is not very good. My nephew quit twice during the season due to the cut, but got talked back into it. He was 18-12 on the year as a freshman.
He pinned 13 of his 18 Ws. He was winning after the 1st period in 7 of his 12 loses, but if you made it to the 2nd period he was just dead, and forget about the 3rd period he could hardly walk.
My brother is a total sis and wouldnt talk to the coach about it. I threatened to go to the coach since my brother is a sis, but my mom pulled rank and said I wasnt allowed to interject myself.
My nephew as of today is 157lbs. He is lifting and balking up for football, as he was freshman WR letterman on a team that made the final 8 last year in AAAA, and will be counted on to produce with SR graduation next season.
Hell probably never wrestle again because he now hates the sport.
I dont know that it is as bad it was back in "my day" with the weight cutting but it still goes on.
"my brother is a total sis"
"my mom pulled rank and said I wasn't allowed to interject myself"
Lol at that juxtaposition!
Two guys who I never could imagine how they consistently made their weights was Joe Williams-especially when he was at 158, but even at 167-, but especially, how Chris Taylor made 285!
Two guys who I never could imagine how they consistently made their weights was Joe Williams-especially when he was at 158, but even at 167-, but especially, how Chris Taylor made 285!
Dan Gable reflecting on his teammate,
the one and only Chris Taylor...
the one and only Chris Taylor...
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