Wrestle Mania

I went with my sisters and three year old niece to watch my nephew, Adam, wrestle last night. We paid $4 a person (a little pricey in my opinion) and found seats while the teams warmed up. I think wrestling is the only manly sport that you absolutely can not look cool while playing. They all wear these horrible little spandex suits that none of them would touch with a ten foot pole in any other environment. Then they strap on head gear that would make a brace-face cringe with sympathy. To top it off they get out in front of a crowd and put themselves in positions with other guys that they would never dream of off the mat. How can you look cool or manly doing any of that? However, I have to give them props, because despite their non-cool look they definitely work hard for their sport and that IS cool.

I haven’t been to a wrestling match since I watched my older brother wrestle for the same team eighteen years ago. (OMG!) I have to say, it wasn’t any more impressive this time around. I admit I don’t know a lot about the sport. I only have a vague knowledge of the way they earn points in a match, but I DO know when you’re pinned and down for the count.

The first few matches were the big boys and they move much slower, grappling like bears and only going down for a few seconds at the end of the match. Then they brought in the skinny boys and man do they move fast. They were more fun to watch simply because they’re flipping each other like flapjacks. Through all of this, the three year old is cheering and clapping and more or less suffering toddler anxiety attacks through each match. I think she was more animated then the entire cheerleading squad put together.

Adam finally came up around match six. Now, this is his first real match. He’s trained hard every day and he’s just killed himself in the gym for an hour before the match to lose a pound and a half so he’ll make weight. He gets in the ring, makes his move – and gets pinned in the first thirty seconds.

I felt so bad for him, but he handled it well. He shook hands, walked off the mat and said ‘Guess he was ready for that move.’ I guess what makes me proud of him is that he didn’t let it keep him down. I know he’ll stick with this. Plus, he’s only a sophomore. He’s spent months working out with the team and wrestling his teammates. His first practice match with a senior, he told me he ‘got his butt handed to him.’ That may be but, I know given time, he’ll be the one handing out butts to the other team.

Go Adam, you rock!
A.