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Anthony Robles, NCAA wrestling champion

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Smallpotatoes, Mar 19, 2011.

  1. Justin Biebler

    Justin Biebler Active Member

    I'd imagine the size and strength advantage he enjoys because he is missing a leg, it negated by the fact that...duh he is missing a leg. That said, as a former college who wrestled one guy missing a leg and another missing an arm, it's a little weird going against guys like that because sometimes you're not sure what to do.
     
  2. bydesign77

    bydesign77 Active Member

    After the match, he was asked what the biggest challenge had been for him this week.

    I said it had to be getting up and down the stairs to the mat.
     
  3. Jesus_Muscatel

    Jesus_Muscatel Well-Known Member

    Exactly. Amazing feat. Major props.
     
  4. exmediahack

    exmediahack Well-Known Member

    Wrestling Robles is like the triple-option team you have to face once every two years in major college football. Not saying it is better or not just...different.
     
  5. Orange Hat Bobcat

    Orange Hat Bobcat Active Member

    A year ago this week, Phil Taylor wrote about Robles in his Point After. The story was good then. It's great now: http://goo.gl/Uxzlv.
     
  6. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    If you have the commitment to develop extremely good upper-body strength, flexibility and wrestling technique when it'd be easier just to say "screw it, I've got one leg, where's my wheelchair," then yes, having one leg is probably an advantage. But it's the commitment that makes it admirable in the first place.
     
  7. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    My daughter's BF wrestled in Iowa. He said the kid most assuredly has an advantage. Can't really complain about that, however.
     
  8. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    hondo, we can't be afraid to frankly discuss it, either. It's the only part of the Phil Taylor piece that I disliked -- the end of the article, where he basically shouted down anyone who dared to examine any advantages Robles had.

    The young man is a study in courage. Nobody should doubt that. He's overcome a great deal. And yet, this is a unique situation where there ARE arguments for both sides. It's not as simple as someone saying, "Well, it's all good because, duh, he only has one leg!"

    His style working off the mat negates any leg-involved takedowns. We're now seeing wrestlers with no disabilities using the style for the same reason, working off their knees in neutral position to bring the legs out of the mix.

    And there's the fact that every major part of the human body contributes to body weight. Robles' lack of a leg means that through his hard work, he's able to develop the upper body of a 149-pound wrestling champion. Believe me, if a two-legged wrestler started at 125 and built up his upper body to that extent, he would be a 125-pounder no longer.

    You only needed to see his biggest move Saturday night to see the advantage in that. The flip of his opponent was a classic power move which took unreal upper-body strength. Hell, it was bionic. There are very, very, very few 125-pound wrestlers who could pull that off.

    Is Robles inspirational? He sure is. Did I root for him Saturday night? You bet I did.

    Is discussion of the advantages/disadvantages of his situation out of bounds? It shouldn't be.
     
  9. Frylock

    Frylock Member

    Like Dan Oregon, I've also seen Robles wrestle in person.
    Yes, oddly enough, he has an advantage over other wrestlers because he has one leg, which has enabled him to put on more upper-body weight/strength.
    Of course, this is when they're down on the mat. He's obviously limited in the standing position. Does that equal everything out? I would say probably not.
    Having said that, he's a great wrestler who has developed his skills to an elite level, so I don't have a major issue with what he's accomplished.
     
  10. poindexter

    poindexter Well-Known Member

    I only saw the championship match - Is he able to stand and escape when starting from the down position?
     
  11. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    The whole strength/advantage thing would make for a very interesting article with opinions from the scientific world.

    Wrestlers, a question: He drops to the down position immediately. In wrestling rules does this force his opponent to meet him there, to match his style? Or could they just dance around each other for the duration of the round until one guy gives in?
     
  12. Smallpotatoes

    Smallpotatoes Well-Known Member

    Not sure how well this answers your question, but wrestlers can be penalized for stalling. In the opinion of the referee, you have to make an honest effort to work for a takedown in the neutral position, escape or reversal on the bottom or pin on top. If you're just dancing around, you will get penalized for it.
     
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