New "Bout of the Week" posted on USA Wrestling's Members-only Website
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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
01/16/2004
Beginning today, Friday, January 16, there will be a new match posted as the "Bout of the Week" on USA Wrestling's Members-Only website. The featured match will be the gold-medal finals of the 1999 Freestyle World Championships at 130 kg/286 lbs., featuring Stephen Neal of the United States and Andrei Shumilin of Russia. The event was held in Ankara, Turkey. Witness Neal in his gold-medal performance, his only appearance at the World Championships for the United States! Neal is now playing professional football for the New England Patriots. He was a two-time NCAA wrestling champion at Cal-State Bakersfield. Neal placed second to Kerry McCoy at both the 2000 Olympic Trials and the 2001 World Team Trials. He was known for his tremendous double-leg takedown attack, and his mobility for such a big man. Shumilin was a tremendous wrestler for many years, but never won a World or Olympic gold medal. His match with Neal was his only appearance in a World gold-medal match. Shumilin beat U.S. star Bruce Baumgartner in the early rounds of the 1996 Olympics, but Baumgartner came back to beat him in the Olympic bronze-medal bout. Shumilin was well respected for his footsweep and slick throws, but was strong in all positions. This popular feature will be changed on a regular basis, allowing members to enjoy many of the greatest matches in wrestling history. The first bout after the redesign of the Members-Only page was the Cael Sanderson vs. Sajid Sajidov gold-medal match at 85 kg from the 2003 World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling. Each Bout of the Week will be placed in an archive, allowing members access to numerous other outstanding bouts. USA Wrestling has done a complete redesign and expansion of its Members-Only website, providing all USA Wrestling members with an impressive new resource stocked with interactive learning tools and entertaining features. This on-line resource is available free of charge only to current members of USA Wrestling, one of the most exciting benefits of joining the organization. USA Wrestling members will only need to enter the number from their 2003-04 membership card into an entry form, and the exciting new Members-Only page will become available to them.