Kolat

[Azchief32]

Part 2 is up on FLO...if you haven't seen it, worth the watch. FILA screwed Kolat so hard that his backside was wider than the Lincoln Tunnel.

Remember that Terry Brands special? It's going to be released on Flo in December.

 

[Huck]

Just brutal watching all those events unfold. I didn't know all the details or that he got railroaded four times like that. Really just unfathomable that it could happen like it did, sure would have been nice to see how his career would have turned out if not for all the "bad luck". It really is amazing that he didn't snap on someone. It makes me irate just sitting watching it and obviously I put zero effort into it. Amazing FILA was allowed to be such a bunch of cheating bastards.

 

[Hawkfromday1]

Kolat suffered a laughable pile of injustice. I didn't know the story until now. flo did a great job telling his story.

 

[so cal hawkfan]

Flo takes a decent amount of guff on this site (some deserved) but it's content like this that maintains my subscription. This documentary is certainly as good as any I've seen on ESPN in recent memory. You don't even have to be a fan of wrestling to find it compelling. The whole part with his Dad and the cattle prod was incredible! Todd Marinovich's dad was pretty tame by comparison. I'm sure many here are aware, but why did he leave PSU for Lock Haven? Makes you wonder how things would've gone for him if he had been a Hawk. He makes one Tom Brands reference when he gets injured by the Russian at the Worlds and is down by a pretty good margin early. He recalls a match he watched where Tom got down early in a match and stormed back to win. Cary said to himself, "it's been done before." and came back and won the match. Pretty cool.

 

[Gusaford]

So Cal: I loved that story about Brands. I don't believe I've ever seen the particular Brands match referenced by Kolat but I have seen a video of a freestyle match between Brands and John Fisher. Fisher was up either 4-0 or 5-0, but Brands eventually found his mojo and ended up winning 6-5 with a buzzer-beating takedown.

As for FILA, it blows my mind at the incompetence and corruption. When you read the press today about FIFA, soccer's governing body, you get the sense that short of proving that the people who run these entities have committed a criminal offense like bribery, there is no way for a member -- like US Wrestling -- to police these organizations and ensure basic fairness in the application of their rules. As Kolat said, the only way to protect yourself is to beat everyone by 10 points. Perhaps I'm being petty, but I'd like to publish the names of the wrestlers who were the beneficiaries of the outrages against Kolat and put an asterisk next to their names in the record books.

 

[LBlindHawk]

I am young enough to not know the jobbing of Kolat that you guys are discussing. Can anyone provide some context or a link to read? (Is it all in the FLO documentary? I don't have a subscription.)


EDIT: found something here https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=3n0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4530,5912725&hl=en

 

[TarpHawk]

Probably referencing Brands vs Gilbert at Big10s 1991. There weren't any other matches I can think of where he was down big and came back to win.

 

[LaxHawk174]

Probably referencing Brands vs Gilbert at Big10s 1991. There weren't any other matches I can think of where he was down big and came back to win.

He was referencing a match with Tom brands vs a Russian in the 96 Olympics I think, Tom was down 9-0 to the Russian and came back to win 12-11. He mentioned that was the only thing going through his mind when he separated his shoulder and was down 6-0, then came back to win 9-6.

 

[pablow]

He was referencing a match with Tom brands vs a Russian in the 96 Olympics I think, Tom was down 9-0 to the Russian and came back to win 12-11. He mentioned that was the only thing going through his mind when he separated his shoulder and was down 6-0, then came back to win 9-6.

Tom Brands give up only one (1) point in all his 1996 olympic matches.

 

[LaxHawk174]

Well then I think it was just an inaccuracy on year that Kolat stated, if you have flopro its at about 14:40 of the video. He says all he is reminded of is Tom Brands down 9-0 against the russian, comes back to win 12-11, then goes on to win the 96 gold.

 

[manmythlegend1]

I am the same Age Kolat is and also from PA. I remember watching him destroy the best wrestler on my high school team in a tournament once and thinking..My God is he good. I never have seen a better High School wrestler in all my years following the Sport. Back then I did not Follow International much, and must admit did not realize how pervasive his screwing was on the International Scale. I am heartbroken for him after watching that.

To be honest, In the Match they made him re wrestle with the separated shoulder. He should have just sat in the middle of the Mat and refused to move in protest instead of wrestling. I know he was to much of a competitor to do that but maybe the situation would have gotten more coverage and the corruption brought to the mainstream light faster?? Who knows, maybe that is a stupid Idea...god I just feel so bad for the guy.

 

[johnstownsteel]

Since we are sharing Kolat stories.. First time I saw him wrestle he was in 7th grade. I mean, everyone knew how good the kid was but you just didn't really "get it" until you saw him with your own eyes.

Anyway, his school brought in their team to scrimmage our varsity team They brought with them a 7th grade Kolat to roll around with our best wrestler who happen to be a multi time state qualifier and a senior. I'm thinking back then the lightest weight was 98lbs. Kolat was definitely undersized but didn't matter. He destroyed our guy. When I say destroy, I mean he made our guy look like he never stepped on the mat.

I saw Kolat many many times through the years after that destruction. I honestly have never seen a better wrestler in my life. Spencer Lee, Mark Hall, these guys are great. Having said that, Kolat needs a word invented for what he did. Great doesn't cut it....

 

[johnstownsteel]

My question now is, should I finally break down and subscribe to flo? Lol.. Sounds like this documentary is amazing and I don't think I can resist. Just so many horror stories I've heard about flo that has really kept me from going in...

 

[minnhawkeye]

My question now is, should I finally break down and subscribe to flo? Lol.. Sounds like this documentary is amazing and I don't think I can resist. Just so many horror stories I've heard about flo that has really kept me from going in...

What the heck johnstownsteel go on in, just be very slow and pay attention to see where you can cancel out when you want. Also I have CP's email if you have any problems.

 

[manmythlegend1]

My question now is, should I finally break down and subscribe to flo? Lol.. Sounds like this documentary is amazing and I don't think I can resist. Just so many horror stories I've heard about flo that has really kept me from going in...

Yes You should, If you love wrestling and can afford the fee......there is no reason not to subscribe...face it there is no other place for this kind of wrestling coverage!!!

 

[sloehawk]

So Cal: I loved that story about Brands. I don't believe I've ever seen the particular Brands match referenced by Kolat but I have seen a video of a freestyle match between Brands and John Fisher. Fisher was up either 4-0 or 5-0, but Brands eventually found his mojo and ended up winning 6-5 with a buzzer-beating takedown.

As for FILA, it blows my mind at the incompetence and corruption. When you read the press today about FIFA, soccer's governing body, you get the sense that short of proving that the people who run these entities have committed a criminal offense like bribery, there is no way for a member -- like US Wrestling -- to police these organizations and ensure basic fairness in the application of their rules. As Kolat said, the only way to protect yourself is to beat everyone by 10 points. Perhaps I'm being petty, but I'd like to publish the names of the wrestlers who were the beneficiaries of the outrages against Kolat and put an asterisk next to their names in the record books.

Well this certainly isn't specific to wrestling. The single most significant evidence of "international" corruption (IMO), was Roy Jones losing his Gold Medal match in Boxing to a South Korean - Park-Si-hun, only to be named the Outstanding Boxer of that 1988 Olympics. Odd it was in Seoul, South Korea.

And one idiot judge had the nerve to say he voted for Park because he knew Jones had battered Park so bad that the other 4 judges would surely give him the bout, and he didn't want to embarrass the home country by having their guy get a deserved goose-egg on the scorecard. You just can't make this shit up.

 

[johnstownsteel]

Yeah...I'm in! I can't help myself....lol


Edit** someone just needs to explain to my wife why I really need to spend another dime on wrestling...

 

[wasdt21]

I could afford, I am not afraid of not being able to cancel,but until i see some sort willingness from phoney willie to take some responcibility for his end of his fued with this board i will do with out.

 

[Azchief32]

Yeah...I'm in! I can't help myself....lol


Edit** someone just needs to explain to my wife why I really need to spend another dime on wrestling...

Meh...just tell her to shut up and get you another beer. Works real well with mine

 

[PapaBearSLIM]

My question now is, should I finally break down and subscribe to flo? Lol.. Sounds like this documentary is amazing and I don't think I can resist. Just so many horror stories I've heard about flo that has really kept me from going in...

Go to your local grocery store or currency exchange and get a prepaid crefit card. Don't have to worry about canceling. Just don't put more money on the card.

 

[El-Jefe]

Flo takes a decent amount of guff on this site (some deserved) but it's content like this that maintains my subscription. This documentary is certainly as good as any I've seen on ESPN in recent memory. You don't even have to be a fan of wrestling to find it compelling. The whole part with his Dad and the cattle prod was incredible! Todd Marinovich's dad was pretty tame by comparison. I'm sure many here are aware, but why did he leave PSU for Lock Haven? Makes you wonder how things would've gone for him if he had been a Hawk. He makes one Tom Brands reference when he gets injured by the Russian at the Worlds and is down by a pretty good margin early. He recalls a match he watched where Tom got down early in a match and stormed back to win. Cary said to himself, "it's been done before." and came back and won the match. Pretty cool.

This article does a good job of describing both Kolat's departure from Penn State and his transfer to Lock Haven. He also had a little too much fun after hours, which probably contributed to his academic struggles.

Lock Haven was a very good choice for him -- at the time still a good program under Coach Poff, and was a safe landing spot for PA kids from other programs. He needed a smaller school where he could relax and focus on both wrestling and classes, without the spotlight or distractions of a bigger school.

 

[TS568]

What a maddening situation, I think I'd be spending more than a few days lying on a couch surrounded by a team of psychiatrists. I loved the old footage, too, because I can remember even in Iowa reading and hearing the legend of this Cary Kolat who is placing 3rd at Midlands as a high school sophomore and beating an NCAA champion as a 16 year old. Did anyone else think it was odd they were showing him wrestling Troy Steiner at the Big 10s while narrating through kids loss to Jaworsky in the NCAA finals? Seems unlikely that they wouldn't have or have access to NCAA tournament footage but they didn't show any of it.

 

[GOLDBANGER]

I remember Kolat's freshman year in high school. I was coaching at a high school in PA and we had a kid that was a runner up as a junior. His senior year we were hearing about this kid in southwest PA and as we were wrestling through the district and regional tournaments we started paying more attention to kids out of our region (northeast PA) as we got closer to the state tournament to try to determine the seeds for states. I was like, who is this kid from Jefferson Morgan HS...he can't possibly be THAT good. Well, guess what, I never saw anything like him before or since...absolutely on his own level.