http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdwACYJWJzM

The most memorable performance in March may belong to a basketball player such as BYU's Jimmer Fredette, but the most important performance this month goes to Arizona State's Anthony Robles.


The Sun Devils wrestler was born without a right leg, and yet he still won the 125-lb. class Saturday at the Division I NCAA championships in Philadelphia. After clinching the title against Iowa junior Matt McDonough, Robles received a standing ovation and then stood on the winner's podium with his crutches, which sat and waited for him by the mat while he wrestled.

He finished 36-0 as a senior.

Robles' story is even more remarkable considering how difficult it was for him to even get a scholarship. He didn't start wrestling until age 14, and his weight class, 125-lbs., is the lightest in the NCAA. Because of his missing leg, he had to compete at weights even lower than that, and ASU offered a partial scholarship to the Mesa native only after he won a national title as a senior.

Now Robles is going out on top of the wrestling world, and he plans to hang up his singlet and become a motivational speaker.

To be successful at that, he doesn't have to say a word.

It was absolutely facinating to watch Robles wrestle. Now I'm curious about something. How would you wrestle him to beat him? I have only been involved in wrestling for the last year or so with my 6 year old novice son so I don't have any personal expereince on the mat. So, to all of you veterans, what would you do? Does it make sense to stay on your feet just out of range of his double leg so you could counter his shot with something? It seems like you'd be playing right into his hands if you went down to your knees with him right away.

C. Andrews

distance and motion... create that angle and avoid tying up with him.

his semi finals match was close. his opponent joined him on his knees, it slowed him down quite a bit. the biggest thing is to circle towards his leg, many guys go to the other side, that's a mistake and he makes pay dearly.

I think Robles has the biggest advantage EVER created by a disability. To me it isn't even close to fair. You are making 125lb wrestlers compete against a 160lb man! How would Anthony do against Jordan Burrows or Bubba Jenkins? Wrestlers are forced to totally change their style for ONE match against this guy. Wrestling on one or two knees will oftern get you a warning for stalling in a normal match. If you have a low single, blast double, high c, duck, ankle pick, cross body, far ankle/tight waist etc. you have to totally come up with something new! How do you prepare? Officials won't call stalling on him. Officials change the way they call control on him. I can only imagine the hand strength the guy must posess from doing everything with his hands.

Hats off to him for not letting his disablity hold him back but I am of the opinion that in wrestling his physical inconvenience gives him a totally unfair advantage. I am glad that his run is over.

The average leg weighs about 9-10% of the total body weight. So lets do some math.

125 lbs x .10 = 12.5 lbs

However, Anthony probably walks around at about 135 lbs so lets do some more math.

135 X .10 = 13.5 lbs

So if Anthony had 2 legs he would probably weigh about 148.5 so lets round up to 150 lbs for good measure. From there, he would probably lose about 8% of that weight to compete.

150 X .92 = 138 lbs (Anthony's weight with 2 legs and an 8% weight cut).

So Anthony would be a 141 pounder in college and not a 157 or 165.

Now we all know that there are ways around the system in college sports so there is a possibility of he being a 133 pounder.

Thats a little far away from being a 57/65's.

Will,

HE HAS ONE LEG!!!!!! Come on now. He is a national champion because he trained the right way, and was extremely mentally tough. He did not win because he has one leg, or has extrordinary upper body strength. He turned a weakness into a strength, which is what all great wrestlers do.

If he has the biggest advantage EVER, don't you think he would be an undefeated 4 timer?

i see that ryne is still walking around. he hasn't let you talk him into the amputation yet? doesn't he know what an advantage he will have? maybe it's too late for him, start working on reese and sammy. i agree with you 100%, what an advantage. if i only knew back then i would have chopped a leg off along time ago. it's not like i ever won any races anyway. not much of a dancer either.

Richard is laughing his arse off! Thank you for the humor!

I think the main advantage Robles has is that he mentally stronger than most of his opponents. I don't think that you can mentally break this guy, and that is huge in wrestling. As far as him stalling i don't think you can call him a staller as he won the national title scoring 7 points in a 7-1 victory.

When you score all 7 points in the 1st period (2:45 to be exact) then proceed to not score again, it looks like stalling... if he could score "at will" that easily, what stopped him from doing so in the last couple periods?

Its called smart wrestling, why would you put your self in danger to get titled or even pinned.i think he wrestled a smart match

I don't disagree about it being a smart match, but if he's not making an attempt to score and just being defensive, by the book it's stalling.

maybe just maybe the other wrestler adjusted. i watched the match, that is exactly what i saw. we used to wrestle early jones. remember him multiple time ks state champ, only 2x national ever for labette. after we watched him beat people over and over, we adapted a style for earl. we still never had anyone win, but we kept the matches closer, than most. even had a few take downs on him. the iowa kid tried to spin to the missing leg, nothing to hook. sorry, but that is no advantage, it's poor planning by coach brands. jones and robles are true inspirations, and have already overcome more adversity than many of us will ever face. even cokeley can't take that away. lol.

Nice math Coach Church. GREAT humor HEADUP.

Will, come on. Give Robles his credit. A national title while entering and exciting on crutches due to his disability? I know I don't know as much as wrestling as you do - but it seems to me that other wrestlers could figure out a way to beat Robles. Especially from the neutral position. Create angles. Don't tie up. Images of Jon Smith shooting a single leg and taking Robles down all match long come to mind. . . Not that it ever happened. But I can sure envision it.

I was impressed and inspired. I am happy for him. Great story.

Dean

PS: Agreed Mr. Geyer, especially with your last sentence. On the night of the finals, Burroughs was so good he could have played the two for one game and teched our own Caldwell. But, he was smart. Got his big lead, knew he had his title wrapped up and roasted it on in. Smart, not stalling.

I agree Robles is a HUGE 125 pounder and tend to think he looks like a 160. When he had McDonough's wrists tied from the front shows just how different the sizes of the two were. Made Matt's arms look tiny.

It does create some serious challenges for Robles' opponent, to call it an advantage, I'm not so sure. It didn't seem to be that big of an advantage in last years NCAA's. To win the title with one leg or two, you have to be the BAMF, I tend to think he was this year both mentally and physicall...even though I was rooting for Iowa!

This guy has overcame some serious adversity, I see his motivational/inspirational speaking career telling his story really taking off

While I was surprised that Robles was the one-seed, then won it, I was more surprised that David Taylor lost to Bubba Jenkins by Fall. Wow!

"To win the title with one leg or two, you have to me a
a BAMF. . ."

Agreed. Well said Joe. Thanks.

Regarding Taylor, it just goes to show you how impressive his coach's accomplishment was. Additionally, Bubba is no slouch. He has had a impressive career long term. Taylor made a good run but maybe he had the 'deer in the headlights' when he got cranked up in that cradle and stuck. I appreciated how he accepted it though. Didn't throw a fit or be a drama queen. Good for Taylor. Maybe he was in too much shock to do either.

Dake and Burroughs impressed me the most this year.

So by your definition the othear kid was stalling since he didn't score any points. I doubt he was stalling at that level when he was losing he was just out matched

But, to play Devil's advocate, (you already knows I'm a Robles fan). . . "You'd be stalling and outmatched to if you opponent weighed 20 pounds more than you!"

Again, I think Robles won fair and square. Can't these college men find a way to beat a man that only has one leg? Especially from the neutral position? Apparently not. Why not? Robles is too strong and too good. Go Robles! The story of the decade!

Lets make this a thread that also turns out to be 'other disabled athletes that have been a big inspiration' or something like that. If you want to any way.

I'll start. Wilma Rudolph. Track star from the 60's. Born with polio. She wore leg braces until she was 12. She nan for the first time at age 13. 7 years later, she won 3 gold medals at the Olympics. Winning all of her heats and of course the finals. Her events:

100, 200 and 400 x 100 (she ran the last leg of course).

She is no longer with us. Cancer got her. But, her story continues to amaze and inspire others. I show her story to my students every year.

RIP Wilma.

I know he has already been mentioned bit i will throw him out there again Earl Jones