FRANKLIN, Mass. – In the wake of the recent premier of the movie Iron Man 2, a different kind of Ironman will be back in Massachusetts.

Unlike the super hero blockbuster, which stars Robert Downey, Jr. and boasts a soundtrack full of AC/DC tracks, wrestling will be the focus at Wadsworth Wrestling Club in Franklin at the 7th annual Ironman, set for May 21-23, 2010.

Aaron Polansky, the state chairman of Massachusetts/USA Wrestling, is continually searching for ways to promote wrestling. Officially dubbed Ironman Series Seven, the tournament boasts a slogan stating “You get what you earn,” challenging wrestlers from around the nation to converge on New England and compete for the weekend.

The tournament is not only meant to attract some of the best wrestlers from the Northeast, but also serves as a qualifying for event for Team Massachusetts Cadet and Junior National Teams. These teams will compete in the prestigious USA Wrestling ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet Nationals in July in Fargo, North Dakota.

Some wrestlers who have competed in previous Ironmans include former NCAA Division I All-American Dave Shanaman, NCAA Division III National Champion Vin Renault, as well as 2x Division III NCAA Finalist Ryan Malo, as well as Jimmy Hamel of University of Buffalo. Rollie Peterkin, who recently placed eighth at the US Open in men’s freestyle, also competed in the Ironman as a scholastic wrestler.

Not only providing an excellent environment for competition, the Ironman has also been instrumental in providing financial stability for Massachusetts USA Wrestling. 

“This initiative was single handedly responsible for bringing Massachusetts USA Wrestling out of the red and into the black seven years ago,” said Polansky.

In the same time, USA Wrestling athlete membership under Polansky’s watch has gone from 340 to nearly 800 wrestlers. 

Polansky, the inventor of The WrestlinGame, said, “Over the past seven years, we have had wrestlers travel from as far as Pennsylvania, Illinois, and even California to compete in our Ironman tournament. A lot of our Ironman Champions have gone on to compete at the Division I level. The tournament has grown over the years and provides us with a great opportunity to give back.”

If the competition for all of the champions isn’t already enough, an additional highlight for all champions will be the trophies, which stand close to 5 feet tall.  

In addition to the Ironman, Polansky has been busy adding programs and tournaments in Massachusetts to grow wrestling. Through a partnership with Dollamur Sport Surfaces, the Stance in Motion Program has allowed for over 10 wrestling mats to be provided to new programs throughout the state of Massachusetts.

As a way to provide increased benefits for its members, Massachusetts USA Wrestling has also offered many clinics to its athletes.With support from USA Wrestling and the NWCA, Polansky has arranged appearances that have included Henry Cejudo, Kevin Jackson, John Smith, Dan Gable, Cael Sanderson, Zeke Jones, Kerry McCoy, Tommy Rowlands, Jared Frayer, Teague Moore, Rulon Gardner, and Mitch Clark to name a few. 

“We’ve had a lot of help from New View, Inc. of Hopkinton, a local booster who has provided us with support to take these guys to some of the premier restaurants around town while they are in Boston for their visits. It’s nice to be able to treat our elite athletes to the best. We are grateful for the support,” he said.

In November, as part of the USA Wrestling Athlete Appearance Program, Massachusetts USA Wrestling was able to bring in 1988 Olympic Bronze Medalist Nate Carr for a clinic. Polansky made it a point to express a serious interest in securing the Brands Brothers for a 2011 Clinic, but understands they are in high demand for the time being. If they’re reading, this is a formal invitation. 

As a father of five young daughters, Polansky’s most recent initiative is the proposal to add Girls Wrestling as a formally recognized high school sport in the state of Massachusetts. A proposal is on the agenda for presentation at the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Wrestling Committee Meeting scheduled for May 13th of this week. Polansky is optimistic.

“We need to go big or go home when it comes to promoting our sport. Wrestling is life for a lot of us,” he said.

With this being said, thoughts that Ironman Series Seven may have AC/DC providing a live soundtrack in the background may not be too far fetched. 

Online registration closes on May 17th. To register for the Ironman Series Seven, please visit 
http://www.shop.thewrestlingame.net/

Pick up your set of the WrestlinGame while you’re at it.