Tradition and sacrifice aside, weight cutting is not necessarily an intregal part of the sport. It actually is the most overrated part.

The three state qualifiers I had at Immaculata last year cut a NET of 3 pounds. 103-pounder Ronnie Hawthorne weighed 99 pounds all season, 145-pounder Brian Keeley cut from 148 and 160-pounder Danny Myer cut from 164.

Technique, conditioning, mental toughness, determination and strength — those are intregal parts of wrestling. You can be a great wrestler with all of those without ever cutting a pound.