Beating the best on his home turf - Kevin Bracken feature
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Ted Witulski (USA Wrestling)
03/18/2002
With a couple days distance from the match and a few hours to kill before the next practice, it was time for the Americans in Cuba to view what really happened. The U.S. wrestlers in Cuba for the Granma, Cuban National Tournament and Winter Training gathered in a small dorm room to watch the videotape of what should have been. Just a few day earlier in Matanzas, Cuba American Kevin Bracken added another chapter to his wrestling career. The match was an adrenaline filled experience with a wild tally of points and a final match score of 12-11. For Bracken the match was against a familiar foe with considerable talent who had bested Bracken in every one of their many meetings. Juan Luis Maren, the Cuban, has long been a fixture on the Cuban National Team winning a World Title and twice earning the Silver Medal in the Olympics. Bracken has long searched for a way to beat Maren, so with the muggy air hanging in the warm early evening hours Bracken was ready to take on the challenge. The stadium was an open-air facility in a crowded area of a town of about four thousand people. The steps of concrete served as the bleachers, the few wooden seats left in the facility had long since decayed in this the 43rd year of Fidel Castro's regime. The audience was large, loud, and partisan. The anticipation grew as Maren-a well known athlete in Cuba-marched on to the mat with Bracken in the procession to begin the bout. Kevin Bracken, a native of Chicago, Illinois was the most experienced international wrestler of the group of six athletes that traveled to the island nation south of Miami, Florida. Bracken was the 2000 Olympian and 2001 World Team Member. However, in the tightly contested matches of Greco-Roman wrestling Bracken is still looking for the magic that will win the close matches. Bracken like many International wrestlers is in the process of making the adjustment to the new FILA mandated weight classes. He has now added an additional seven pounds to his frame, moving from the 138.75 lbs class to the new 145 lbs class for 2002. With the new weight class and the distance from last December's World Championships Bracken stepped to the center of the mat once again, in an attempt to unseat one of the world's elite wrestlers on his opponent's home-turf. The facilities at the Matanzas stadium were less than desirable. While bathrooms didn't work, and the concrete steps were uncomfortable many of the Americans were bothered by the set up of the mats. "Man I wish you could see how much time was left in the period", stated one of the American wrestlers. Even prior to the tournament in a veiled nod towards foreshadowing Bracken urged Sean Eakin, the medical trainer on the trip, to stand behind the timekeepers during his first match. Relating the importance of having a visible clock, Bracken remembered stories of other American wrestlers who had felt the sting of a time clock viewed only by an anonymous scorekeeper. "A few years ago Dennis Hall had a four minute match--maybe four and a half….back when it was a five minute match…..and uh…….I knew the potential was there to get burned. I figured while I'm wrestling I wouldn't have my stop-watch on me," stated Bracken. It didn't take long for the momentum of the match to turn against Bracken. As the two wrestlers pummeled and parried for position, Bracken made a critical mistake. While circling in out of the zone, momentarily, Bracken stayed too long on a head tie. Quickly his Cuban opponent unleashed an explosive arm throw, that sent Bracken out of bounds. (See the arm-spin.) Bracken realized his mistake and was down three to zero as he headed to the center to take the down position. Maren used his time on top to turn Bracken for an additional point on a hand-to-hand gut wrench, stretching the score to 4-0 for the Cuban. Maren had gutted his American opponent out of bounds, and so Bracken would again have to start from the danger position. Knowing that the match could quickly get out of reach with the Cuban's turning power, Bracken changed tactics as he again started down. Instead of attempting to fend off the Cubans turns by laying in a prone position on the mat, Bracken tightened his starting position. At the sound of the whistle Bracken hit a collegiate style stand up. Maren battled for control as Bracken peeled the hand control and escaped. The referee signaled for a one-point escape for Bracken that was confirmed by the side officials. (See a picture of the escape.) After escaping Bracken was down by a score of four to one, heading into the thirty-second break. In the corner, Bracken listened to Momir Petkovic 1976 Olympic Champion who reminded Bracken of simple wrestling tactics, "don't reach and keep your head in the match." (See Petkovic coaching Bracken) (Coaching with Shon Lewis.) The second period would make or break Bracken's quest to upset one of Cuba's elite Greco-Roman wrestlers. Trailing four to one, Bracken began to press the pace early in the period looking to ring up a passive call against Juan Luis Maren. The referee signaled passive against the Cuban and gave Bracken the offensive position of top. As the Americans gathered in Cuba, watched the videotape in the small dorm room at the Pan-American hotel perplexed shrugs and grins swept across their faces. During Bracken's chance on top, he seemed to turn the Cuban at will, first once-then again, a third controlled exposure followed by a fourth and final turn. When the referee finally blew the whistle to start the match again on their feet, not even the officials had a settled score. The technique Bracken used was a high-level gut wrench. Instead of using the traditional style of turning the 'gut' by digging his feet in and loading his opponent's hips Bracken has perfected a different type of turn. Bracken's chest high gut wrench is a kin to a fall-off or cast over tilt. With a tight lock established Bracken will cast his legs over his opponent's back, the momentum carries the defender through for exposure. (See Bracken hit the cast over tilt.) In the hotel room the American's tried in vain to figure out how the three officials could derive the score eleven to eight for Bracken. Bracken in his one turn on top had dominated one of the best Greco wrestlers in the world. While shrieking whistles--the Cuban style of boos--grew louder the score was confirmed to the crowd. The American wrestlers counted the points in every way they could conceivably think of. Bracken would get two points for each turn, and possibly an additional one point for held exposure when he was able to control the turn for a five count. Regardless of the score the Americans were impressed with the tight lock and successive turns against a World Champion More puzzling for the Americans was how the three-man officiating crew had given the Cuban four points, giving him a total of eight. The conclusion of the Americans watching the tape slowed on video was that on some of the occasions Maren was awarded two points for exposing Bracken. The classic two-two situation was obviously called by the officials. After a long discussion of the prior par terre wrestling the referee signaled for the wrestlers to come to the center. With the score of eleven to eight, Bracken would have to fend off a flurry by his Cuban opponent. The exact time left in the match was kept from the American coaches and wrestlers. Only one Cuban timekeeper knew how much time was left. Maren bulled into Bracken with the sound of the whistle, furiously driving and pushing him into the zone and eventually out of bounds. As the crowd screamed, the German official signaled a caution and one for the Cuban that was quickly verified by a side judge. The score was then eleven to nine as Bracken was put down in the center of the mat. "Man how long is this period", ex