In college wrestling, heavyweights are a big deal... at least in terms of what they weigh.
The big men of college wrestling may not get the media and fan attention of their counterparts in professional boxing and mixed martial arts, where heavyweights are considered to be a “glamour” division, and home to the biggest names that fill arenas and sell pay-per-view events.
By contrast, there seems to be mixed feelings about college heavyweight wrestlers. Some fans automatically think of watching the big men of college wrestling as similar to seeing sumo – just a couple pudgy guys pushing each other around. In fact, at some dual meets, nothing clears the stands faster than the announcement that the heavyweights will be taking to the mat.
However, perceptions are changing… thanks in large part to a number of heavyweight champs of the past decade or so that don’t resemble the Pillsbury Doughboy. There are the carved-from-granite guys like Brock Lesnar, 2000 NCAA Division I champ… and the lean-muscled guys like Tommy Rowlands of Ohio State, Iowa State’s David Zabriskie, and Minnesota’s Tony Nelson who 50 or 60 pounds under the weight limit.
At the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, the NCAA released to the media actual weigh-in results for all 33 competitors in what is officially called the 285-pound weight class. (To compete in this weight class, a wrestler must weigh in at more than 197 pounds but less than 285.) That got College Wrestling Examiner thinking: What are the actual weights for the men who have claimed national heavyweight titles?
Let’s start by taking a look at the NCAA Division I heavyweight champs crowned since 2000 to see how much they weigh… how they won their titles... and learn some fun facts.
Want to know more? For more photos and info on the best of the big men of college wrestling, check out NCAA Heavyweight Champs Yahoo group honoring titlewinners, 1928-2000... and NCAA Heavyweight Champs 2 Yahoo group (champs from 2001-2010.
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