I heard this weekend about a very interesting exhibition match that occurred in 1982. It was between Leavenworth and Lawrence and was held in the US Federal Penitentiary, AKA the Hothouse. I think it was something like a community outreach event and was opportunity to provide some clean entertainment for the Inmates. Convicts are people to and can be wrestling fans. I assume it was probably the trustees or convicts who earned privileges who were allowed to attended the meet.

Understandably, only the teams and coaches where allowed to get into the event, and the inmates and well armed guards where the spectators. I understand they had a good sized crowd, what else are you going to do while in the joint. Leavenworth had a very good team that year as they placed high in the state tournament, but they also had another advantage. The inmates strongly and overwhelmingly favored the local team from Leavenworth, thus giving the Pioneers cell block or home mat advantage. Probably to the referees chagrin, the pro Leavenworth inmates were very raucous, loud and colorful in their support of the local team. It was probably scary for Lawrence when having 100s of hostile hardened tattooed men at their backs cheering against them. The crowds behavior probably wouldn't have met KSHAA sportsmanship guidelines, but was good enough to satisfy the local guards expectations. Leavenworth ended up beating the Chesty Lions 38-3 and also added significantly to their fan base.

This is probably something you would never see happen today under the cautious administrative bodies we have, or a wrestling coach taking their team into such a hostile environment. But you have to admit its one of the more unusual events in the history of Kansas wrestling.