USA Wrestling has updated its new "Bout of the Week" which has been posted as a video file on-line on  TheMat.com Audio/Video website .

The featured match this week is the 2007 Danny Felix vs. Sam Hazewinkel men's freestyle gold-medal match at 55 kg/121 lbs. at the Sunkist Kids International Open in Chandler, Ariz.

Within USA Wrestling, winning a "double title" is a major achievement for a wrestler of any age. A wrestler is considered a double champion if he wins a gold medal in both the freestyle and Greco-Roman divisions at the same competition. Outstanding talents have been able to achieve this at many USA Wrestling age-group national events over the years. 

However, winning a double title on the Senior level is rare indeed. By the time an athlete reaches Olympic-caliber competition, most wrestlers have decided to concentrate on one of the styles. Those who do compete in both international styles find it very difficult to be a champion in either of the styles.

It was a major surprise to many when Sam Hazewinkel of the Gator WC, competing in his first full season after his college career ended at the Univ. of Oklahoma, was able to make the finals in both styles at the 2007 Sunkist Kids International Open. All during his college career, Hazewinkel had been nationally ranked on the Senior level in Greco-Roman, winning two U.S. Senior National titles among other major feats. However, he had not really tested himself at that level in freestyle. 

As a prep star from Florida, Hazewinkel won a Junior National double title, showing strong freestyle skills in addition to Greco-Roman prowess. He proved his abilities in folkstyle with his four All-American honors as a Sooner.

On the first day of the 2007 Sunkist Kids International, Hazewinkel won the Greco-Roman division, beating young star Spencer Mango in the finals (this match is posted in the Bout of the Week archives). Hazewinkel decided to wrestle freestyle the next day. 

The 55 kg freestyle weight class at the Sunkist Kids International had another surprise entrant besides Hazewinkel. Veteran Danny Felix of the Sunkist Kids, who had wrestled for over a decade at higher weight classes, dropped to 55 kg to test the waters at a new weight division. At 33 years old, Felix felt that his best chance at his life-long dream of making an Olympic team could be at the lowest weight class.

Felix is one of the most experienced freestyle wrestlers in the nation. He was a Junior Nationals freestyle champion from Arizona, and went on to Arizona State, where he earned All-American status in 1995. He has been nationally ranked in freestyle ever since, competing at 125.5 pounds, 127.75 pounds and 132 pounds (moving up each time after FILA changed the weight classes).

His top performance on the national level was a silver medal in the 2000 U.S. Nationals. He was also able to place third at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and the 2001 U.S. World Team Trials, earning a spot on the Freestyle National Team.

After training most of his career in Arizona, Felix joined the Sunkist Kids National Training Center at West Virginia Univ., where he trains full-time while holding a job with Mylan Laboratories, which supports the program. Felix made the decision to change weight class after he realized that he was competing at a lower natural weight as he got older. The Sunkist Kids International was his first try at the new weight, especially since there was a 2 kg allowance for the meet.

Felix controlled his preliminary matches at the weight class, allowing just one point in his first three matches. He defeated Obe Blanc in his first match, stopped Promise Mwenga of Canada in the quarterfinals, then defeated Grant Nakamura in the semifinals. On the opposite side, Hazewinkel also won three times, taking two period victories over Masahiko Sukeno of Japan and Javier Maldonado, then needing all three periods to stop college wrestler Rollie Peterkin in the semifinals.

It took three periods to determine the champion. Felix won the first period 4-2, but Hazewinkel claimed the second period, 1-0. The third and final period went to Felix, 1-0, giving the freestyle veteran the title against the young Greco-Roman specialist who was seeking a double title.

This popular feature will be changed on a regular basis, allowing members to enjoy many of the greatest matches in wrestling history. Posted in the archive section of the Members Only web page was the 2007 Jesse Jantzen vs. Shamil Batirov men's freestyle match at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. at the NYAC vs. Russia World Dual. Many other entertaining and historic matches are in the archive section for the Bout of the Week.