An Up-and-Coming Star and a Veteran’s Coming Back to the Mat

Highlight 2003 Sunkist Kids International Open

Aricle by Mark Palmer

Photos by Al

The 2003 Sunkist Kids International Open, considered to be the kickoff event for a new season in international wrestling, provided an opportunity for seasoned mat veterans and potential superstars to compete in men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and men’s Greco-Roman events.

Of all the wrestlers competing at the Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Arizona on October 24-25, two big men seemed to grab a big chunk of the media attention and the focus of the fans. One was a Greco grappler from Egypt named Karam Gaber who just turned 24; the other, Melvin Douglas, a 40-year-old US veteran who was making something of a comeback as a freestyle heavyweight after being away from wrestling for a couple years.

Karam Gaber, the up-and-coming star

Born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1979, Karam Gaber is the 96 kg (211.5 lb) Greco-Roman wrestler who may be new to most Americans… but he brought considerable credentials to the Sunkist Open. He captured his second silver world medal at the 2003 Greco-Roman Championships in France earlier in October, and is a four-time African champion and two-time World Cup title-winner.

Gaber was the talk of the Greco-Roman competition at the 2003 Sunkist Open, thanks to his…
• Impressive, lean-muscled physique. Unlike many upper-weight wrestlers who can be described as being round and built low to the ground, Gaber carries his weight on a long, 6-foot sculpted frame.
• Always on-the-move, attacking brand of wrestling. Gaber puts his long limbs to good use. His legs are always moving, always carrying him forward… while his considerable reach suits his active, on-the-attack style. The way Gaber wrestles is a refreshing alternative to what some perceive to be a slow, push-and-shove style of many big men, especially in Greco.

• Electrifying high-amplitude throws. Gaber’s impressive strength and powerful style makes it possible for him to launch hapless opponents. For example, early in the 96 kg finals at the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) Christmas International in December 2002, Gaber lifted Philip Johnston off the mat, holding the US Air Force wrestler parallel to the wrestling surface for a second or two… then sent him head-over-heels, crash-landing onto the officials’ table next to the mat. This breathtaking throw garnered Gaber five points – the maximum possible. He soon followed up with a three-point throw, then a two-pointer, ending the match on a technical fall… all scored by throws. Gaber’s throwing ability is even more impressive, considering Greco-Roman wrestling does not permit attacks on the legs. To learn more about this wrestling style, Click-on link to:

“Greco 101” article Part 1" and "Greco 101 article Part 2" )

Gaber gave an impressive performance at the Sunkist Kids, earning gold by defeating R.C. Johnson (New York Athletic Club) 6-1… and taking home the Outstanding Foreign Wrestler honors.

Expected to continue to dazzle fans and opponents in the coming months, it’s anticipated that Gaber will be a major contender for the gold in the Greco-Roman 96 kg competition at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Age no barrier to dream ( a link to an article in The Arizona Republic)

Melvin Douglas, the veteran coming back to the mat

When Gaber was coming into the world twenty-four years ago, Melvin Douglas was already wrestling.

Over the years, Douglas has built an impressive mat resume, with two NCAA titles as an Oklahoma Sooner at 177 lbs (1985 and 1986), a winner of both gold and silver at world freestyle championships, and a two-time US Olympic team member in 1996 and 2000. During his long career, Douglas competed against some stellar domestic competition, including Kevin Jackson, Royce Alger, Rico Chiapperelli and the late Dave Schultz.

It had been a while since Douglas had been up against world-class competition – three years, in fact. So, even though there had been murmurs of a possible comeback, it was still a bit of a surprise for many to see the veteran who now lives in Mesa, Arizona at the Sunkist Open, ready to wrestle in the 120 kg/264 lb weight class. As Douglas told Jeff Metcalfe of The Arizona Republic, “Even when I came in and weighed in, people said, ‘You’re not wrestling, you’re too old to wrestle.’”

Douglas continued, “For some reason when you turn 40, people think you’re over the hill. I’m a testament against that. My quote is, ‘don’t tell me I’m old, show me.’”

A battle of the generations. Douglas definitely showed the wrestling world that he’s still a force to be reckoned with. Competing in the heavyweight class at the Sunkist Open, the “George Foreman of freestyle wrestling” successfully competed against wrestlers approximately half his age… and found himself in the finals against Steve Mocco, the reigning NCAA heavyweight champion.

Mocco, currently taking an Olympic redshirt year from the Iowa Hawkeyes, has been one of the most talked-about American wrestlers in years, going back to his days at Blair Academy in New Jersey. This “Mocco-mania” has followed him to freestyle competition; many have anointed him “the next big thing” in international freestyle wrestling, even though the Sunkist Open was something of a coming-out party for him. But set to ruin Mocco’s debut was the veteran Douglas.

This “clash of the titans” match-up had much of the hype one would expect in a heavyweight prizefight, right down to the weigh-in talk. When asked about Mocco, Douglas replied, “So what?”, referring to NCAA champions as “a dime a dozen.”

For those who expected Mocco to handle the “old man of the mat” easily, the actual match was a surprise. It was close... and, in fact, ended in a 3-3 tie in regulation. Although Douglas got turned early, the veteran hung in there and pressed the fight. Using his experience and mat savvy, Douglas came from behind and tied Mocco in the second period. The 40-year-old nearly won in regulation, getting behind Mocco and trying to take the Hawkeye heavyweight to the mat… but, what some considered to be a controversial call, the referee whistled the action out-of-bounds, sending the bout into overtime. A quick, powerful leg attack gave Mocco the winning takedown, and a 4-3 victory in OT.

Douglas was 37 years old when he competed in Sydney, just a few months shy of being the oldest US Olympic wrestler ever. (That honor goes to Chris Campbell, who earned a bronze in Barcelona in 1992.) Right now, it’s not clear whether the Sunkist Open was a one-time shot, or the first step on a road to the 2004 Olympics. If Douglas pursues his dream, he will have to overcome considerable competition in his usual 96 kg/211.5 lb weight class at the US Olympic Trials next May in Indianapolis. Also expected to be vying for that spot on the US Olympic team: 2003 Sunkist champ Dominic Black, 2003 US World Team member Daniel Cormier, plus Dean Morrison, Tim Hartung, and Jon Trenge, to name some possible top contenders. However, if Douglas makes it past these younger competitors in Indy, he might just celebrate his 41st birthday while in Athens at his third Olympics.

Medal-Round Results

Men’s Freestyle

55 kg/121 lbs
Gold: Jeremy Hunter (New York AC) dec. Tim Dernlan (Dave Schultz WC) 3-0
Bronze: Leroy Vega (Minnesota Storm) won by inj. def. over Nick Simmons (Michigan WC) 0:00

60 kg/132 lbs
Gold: Michael Lightner (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Yero Washington (Sunkist Kids) 3-0
Bronze: Danny Felix (Sunkist Kids) won by ref. dec. over Jason Kutz (US Army) 2-2 OT 9:00

66 kg/145.5 lbs
Gold: Doug Schwab (Minnesota Storm) dec. Chris Bono (Sunkist Kids) 3-2
Bronze: Danny Brown (Canada) dec. Rob Lang (Canada/Regina) 3-2

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold: Ramico Blackmon (Team Excel) dec. Donny Pritzlaff (Dave Schultz WC) 5-4
Bronze: Sean Harrington (New York AC) won by inj. def. over Zoltan Hunyady (Canada) 0:00

84 kg/185 lbs
Gold: Lee Fullhart (Gator WC) dec. Nick Ugoalah (Canada/Burnaby Mt.) 3-2
Bronze: Mo Lawal (Gator WC) dec. Greg Jones (Sunkist Kids) 5-1

96 kg/211.5 lbs
Gold: Dominic Black (US Army) dec. Wes Hand (Hawkeye WC) 9-5
Bronze: Jon Trenge (New York AC) dec. Ryan Tobin (Dave Schultz WC) 4-2 OT 5:37

120 kg/264.5 lbs
Gold: Steve Mocco (New York AC) dec. Melvin Douglas (Sunkist Kids) 4-3 OT 6:14
Bronze: Kellan Fluckiger (Sunkist Kids) dec. Eric Kirschner (Canada/Calgary) 5-1

Outstanding Men’s Freestyle Wrestler: Doug Schwab

Women’s Freestyle

48 kg/105.5 lbs
Gold: Patricia Miranda (Dave Schultz WC) pinned Clarissa Chun (Gator WC) 2:13
Bronze: Mary Kelly (New York AC) dec. Belinda Chow (Canada/Regina) 9-1

51 kg/112.25 lbs
Gold: Melinda Ripley (Sunkist Kids) dec. Katie Kunimoto (Gator) 6-1
Bronze: Sheila Lerit (Menlo) dec. Amy Borgnini (New York AC) 8-2

55 kg/121 lbs
Gold: Tonya Verbeek (Canada/Brock) dec. Marie Van Dusen (Sunkist Kids) 5-1
Bronze: Tela O’Donnell (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Erica Sharp (Canada/Calgary) 10-9

59 kg/130 lbs
Gold: Alaina Berube (Cumberland) dec. Lindsay Owens (Menlo) 11-3
Bronze: Leigh Jaynes (Missouri Valley) won by tech fall over Othella Lucas (Cumberland) 11-0 at 1:26

63 kg/138.75 lbs
Gold: Sara McMann (Sunkist Kids) won by ref. dec. over Shannon Samler (Canada/Burnaby Mt.) 3-2 in OT at 5:19
Bronze: Emily Richardson (Canada/Burnaby Mt.) dec. Sally Roberts (Gator WC) 5-1

67 kg/147.5 lbs
1st: Kristie Marano (New York AC)
2nd: Kelly Branham (Missouri Valley)
3rd: Randi Miller (Dave Schultz AC)
4th: Jamie Alvasteffer (Cumberland)
5th: Andrea Hale (Lassen)

76 kg/158.5 lbs
1st: Christine Nordhager (Canada/Calgary)
2nd: Stephany Lee (Missouri Valley)
3rd: Iris Smith (US Army)
4th: Emily Rinehart (Lassen)

Outstanding Women’s Freestyle Wrestler: Sara McMann

Men’s Greco-Roman

55 kg/121 lbs
Gold: Joe Espinoza (GatorUSOEC) dec. Anthony Gibbons (US Army) 3-2
Bronze: Joseph Betterman (New York AC/USOEC) dec. Neal Rodak (US Navy) 6-4

60 kg/132 lbs
Gold: Joe Warren (New York AC) dec. Alex Pashkov (New York AC) 8-0
Bronze: Marco Lara (Tanstaffl/USOEC) dec. A.J. Lavender (Cyclone WC) 7-0

66 kg/145.5 lbs
Gold: Faruk Sahin (US Army) won by tech fall over Mark Rial (Dave Schultz WC) 12-0 in 1:25
Bronze: Harry Lester (Gator WC/USOEC) dec. Glenn Garrison (US Army) 3-0

74 kg/163 lbs
Gold: Ken Cook (Sunkist Kids) dec. Darryl Christian (Dave Schultz WC) 5-3
Bronze: Brandon McNab (New York AC) dec. Leonard Frincu (Golden Boys) 5-1

84 kg/185 lbs
Gold: Kenny Owens (US Army) dec. Quincey Clark (unattached) 3-1
Bronze: Ethan Bosch (New York AC) pinned James Meyer (Minnesota Storm) 1:53

96 kg/211.5 lbs
Gold: Karam Gaber (Egypt) dec. R.C. Johnson (New York AC/USOEC) 6-1
Bronze: Brandon Ruiz (Elite) dec. Philip Johnston (US Air Force) 4-1

120 kg/264.5 lbs
Gold: Rulon Gardner (Sunkist Kids) won by tech fall over Kevin Hoy (US Air Force 12-2 at 2:54
Bronze: Khoren Papoyan (Golden Boys) dec. Steve Gross (Michigan WC) 8-0

Outstanding Male Greco-Roman Wrestler: Faruk Sahin
Outstanding Foreign Wrestler (all styles): Karam Gaber