THE ILLINI WRESTLING BLOG AND FORUM

Because of a team medical condition, Northwestern has had to pull out of the dual. I think we all know what that means. Good luck to the Wildcat team. We will update when a new date is offered. Well, it is either something pretty awful or the World's Biggest Duck: Let's hope it's the latter and not the former. 

  Introducing the inaugural Threeeee Is the New Twooooo Podcast with your hosts Brian Swaw and Greg German. And what a way to start! In Episode 1, we interview fantastic wrestlers (and fantastic people) Zane Richards and Zac and Danny Braunagel.  As you know, they are preparing for the Olympic Trials.  Danny actually says the phrase "A whole village of Braunagels ..." in the interview. Is that the most fearsome and awesome phrase you've ever heard? We also break down the ILLINI versus Northwestern dual, which is this Saturday at 2:00 pm (Central). Here's the podcast: Don't forget the Great Escape kids clinic before the dual. The kids will receive outstanding instruction from ILLINI Legends Jesse Delgado and Lucas Byrd. Finally, why not bring a sharpie with you, along with your workout clothes, and ask Zane Richards for an autograph. He's going to be at the dual.  

WHAT :  ILLINI versus Northwestern dual WHERE :  Historic Huff Hall, Champaign, ILLINOIS WHEN :  Saturday, January 20 at 2:00 pm (Central) SPECIAL EVENT :  Great Escape Kids Clinic (see below) STREAMING :  B1G+ (subscription streaming service) FIRST MEETING : January 7, 1922 ALL-TIME SERIES :  ILLINI lead 51-33-1 HERO : Greatest Hero in ILLINI/NW Dual History is Deuce Rachal A DAY IN HISTORY Travel back with us to February 9, 2014. It is Sunday, and you're reading  Calvin & Hobbes . Calvin receives a mushy Valentine's Day card from Susie. He freaks out. Just then, Susie walks up. Calvin hits her in the face with a snowball. Susie denies sending the Valentine. Calvin realizes it was all a set up by Hobbes.  Children also rule the box office with The Lego Movie  at number one in theaters across the country. Dark Horse by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J sits atop the Billboard Hot 100.  At Huff Hall on this fine day, though, there a...

FORESHADOWING   True Freshman KANNON WEBSTER was on the Match Day Poster for the ILLINI versus Ohio State dual. He would go on to have a B1G day with a win over #5/#5 Dylan D'Emilio, the redshirt Senior. That should boost Kannon's own ranking, which was at #11/#10 before the dual.  You could say it was a one-takedown match, but not really. It was a one-takedown-and-then-hold-him-down-for-the-last-25-seconds-of-the-second-period match. Webster got the takedown, then he rode the Senior for the last :25 of the period. He finished the period on top.  Then, the match.  In another bit of foreshadowing, there was a social media post the day before yesterday showing LUKE LUFFMAN's arm in a sling. This, of course, is when doves cry. No word on how long he'll be out, but slings mean bad things.  RUTHLESS The other ILLINI with a win in the dual was EDMOND RUTH. He threw the whole Pennsylvania playbook (mat wrestling) at fellow 2x Pennsylvania State Champion Rocco Welsh. Th...

  WHAT :  ILLINI versus Ohio State dual WHEN :  Friday, January 12 at 6 pm (Central) WHERE :  Columbus, Ohio TV/STREAMING :  BTN+ (subscription streaming service) TICKETS :  Adult $20; Youth $16 ALL-TIME RECORD :  38-36-1, ILLINI A DAY IN HISTORY Travel back with us to Sunday, January 17, 2021. Around the country, everything pretty much sucks. Covid's still here. The top two movies in theaters are  The Marksman  and  The Croods: A New Age . On the Billboard Hot 100,  Mood  by 24kGoldn featuring iann dior tops the charts followed by Ariana Grande's  Positions .  As if all that wasn't bad enough, your snotty little brother has to wait another three days for the release of  Hitman 3  for PlayStation and Xbox. He is insufferable.  But that day has one redeeming quality.  On this bright, glorious day, the ILLINI Wrestling team beats Wisconsin (21-9) and Ohio State (18-15) in a triangular at State Farm ...

This post will contain videos based on the ILLINI at the 59th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands wrestling tournament, sponsored in part by The ILLINI Wrestling Blog & Forum & Beyond Plus. When complete, this video library will contain: 1. Video of Edmond Ruth, Midlands Champion 2. Video of Luke Luffman & Kannon Webster, Midlands Medalists 3.  Video of Danny Pucino & Chris Moore, Midlands Placers 4.  Video of Zac Braunagel wrestling Greco at the Midlands 5.  Video of Kevin & Jackie Brower, ILLINI Wrestling Parents 6.  Video entitled, "The Case of the Missing Kannon Webster Takedown" 7.  Video entitled, "The Mystery of the Chris Moore Handshake"  EDMOND RUTH LUKE LUFFMAN & KANNON WEBSTER DANNY PUCINO & CHRIS MOORE ZAC BRAUNAGEL WRESTLING GRECO KEVIN & JACKIE BROWER THE CASE OF THE MISSING KANNON WEBSTER TAKEDOWN THE MYSTERY OF THE CHRIS MOORE HANDSHAKE Video credit to BTN or ILLINI Athletic Department (depending on the video); also, Wo...