THE ILLINI WRESTLING BLOG AND FORUM

It has been a long time since I've been this entertained by a sporting event. And it wasn't just the numbers: Two Champions, two bronze medals, and three other podium finishes. A fifth-place team finish with only eight scoring wrestlers. There was more to it than the numbers. It was also the drama. Watching Lucas Byrd and Zac Braunagel wrestle instant ILLINI classics, watching Edmond Ruth wrestle a calculated match until he explodes at the perfect time. Watching Danny Braunagel work his butt off for the big upset, and watching young wrestlers like Dylan Connell, Danny Pucino and Trey Sizemore start to believe. Now that's entertainment! I have loved watching the ILLINI in the MSU Open, the Tiger Style Invite and the Midlands. But as much excitement as was had in those first two, the Midlands doubled it. Part of that is getting to watch back-to-back-to-back-to-back ILLINI matches with so much on the line. Sometimes there are as many as three O&B wrestlers shaking hands at

Four ILLINI in the semifinals to include Lucas Byrd, Danny Braunagel, Edmond Ruth and Zac Braunagel. These guys were all the higher seeded wrestler in the quarters except that little Brawny got a big upset against Peyton Hall. By the way, I haven't seen trick knees like Peyton Hall since Tyler Nixt. What an incredible defensive resource.  PREDICTION: I think in the next couple of years there will emerge a new kind of wrestler: The stud who only has a loss on his record to Lucas Byrd and Edmond Ruth. It's already starting to happen. THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! Ermak Kardonov is a Russian wrestler who is really good at freestyle. He's at the ILLINI RTC now. Watching him deal with bottom and top wrestling at the Midlands was both tense and hilarious. Go Ermak! KAREN-TYPE WHINES: If you are going to stream a tournament, you need to also have a dashboard or brackets that a body can click on to take you directly to the match you want to see. Having one company stream while another

    The ILLINI RTC thought they could get away with sending me shirts. The fools! They thought I’d just sit back and take it. Plush, awesome polo shirts. Cool ILLINOIS Wrestling t-shirts. Because of them, I get to wear what are pretty obviously the coolest shirts in all of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.   Well, folks, they almost got away with it.   But I decided to fight back and send them some cool new (and exclusive) ILLINI Wrestling Blog and Forum and Beyond t-shirts. Take that! How does it feel to get some of your own medicine?   Okay, that was kind of silly, maybe a little stupid. But it gives me the opportunity to implore every one of you to think about a donation to the ILLINI Regional Training Center. They’ll send you awesome shirts! The folks at ILLINOIS Wrestling and the IRTC have worked ABSOLUTE miracles, coming from nowhere to put four athletes on the United States National Team.   They sent two wrestlers to the World Championships!   Zane Richards j

  WHAT :  The Midlands  WHEN :  Thursday, December 29 at 9:30 AM (Central); Friday, December 30 at 11:00 AM (Central) WHERE :  NOW Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Pkwy, Hoffman Estates, ILLINOIS WHY :  To Conquer All! WHO :  Thirty-Five Team Tournament TV/STREAMING :  BTN+ (subscription service) HOW TO WATCH For those wondering how to watch the tournament, it will be on BTN+, which is a subscription service. Here is some good advice for you: If you are willing to pay $9.95 to watch it, you can go to the website and select a "school pass" for ILLINOIS that is only that amount for one month. If you select a "sport pass" and select "wrestling," it is $69.95 for a year. You get a full year of B1G wrestling, but that's a lot of money. The steps to save money: 1. Go to the website here . 2. You will have a choice between conference pass, school pass and sport pass. Pick "school pass." 3. Underneath that, you will see the logos for various B1G schools. Ch