Smith vs. Rodriguez is the new “Bout of the Week” on USA Wrestling Members-Only website

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
02/09/2004


USA Wrestling has updated its new "Bout of the Week" on USA Wrestling's Members-Only website.    The featured match this week will be Rodney Smith vs. Cecilio Rodriguez men's Greco-Roman bronze medal match from the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.    Smith and Rodriguez met with the Olympic bronze medal at 68 kg/149.5 lbs. up for grabs. Smith had been on a roll coming into the bout, winning four of his five matches leading into that match. Smith's only loss in Barcelona was to eventual gold-medalist Attila Repka of Hungary. The match between Smith and Rodriguez was very active and showed some of the spirit that carried Smith to an outstanding performance that season.    Rodney Smith was one of the greatest U.S. military athletes in wrestling history, competing for the U.S. Army. He also participated in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, placing ninth in his weight class.    Ironically, Smith never made a U.S. World Team, just taking over the No. 1 position on the two Olympic years, 1992 and 1996. He also won U.S. Nationals titles during those two seasons. He was a silver medalist at the CISM World Military Championships, and a silver medalist at the Pan American Championships.    He came from a small Div. III college, placing twice at the Div. III nationals for Western New England College. Smith was originally a high school state runner-up from Massachusetts. His career blossomed when he entered the U.S. Army after college, and wrestled full-time in the Greco-Roman style.    Rodriguez had his best season ever in 1992, placing fourth at the Olympic Games. His only other appearance for Cuba on the World level came in 1993, when he placed sixth at the World Championships. The U.S. saw him often at the Pan American Championships, where he won four medals, including a gold medal in 1992.     This popular feature will be changed on a regular basis, allowing members to enjoy many of the greatest matches in wrestling history.     Moving into the archived section of Bouts of the Week was last week's 1988 Rico Chiapparelli vs. Lukman Jabrailov men's freestyle match. Many other entertaining and historic matches are in the archive section for the Bout of the Week.     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.    RECENT BOUTS OF THE WEEK PLACED IN ARCHIVE  1988 Rico Chiapparelli vs. Lukman Jabrailov men's freestyle match  2003 Kristie Marano vs. Ewelina Pruszko women's freestyle match  1999 Stephen Neal vs. Andrei Shumilin men's freestyle match  2003 Cael Sanderson vs. Sajid Sajidov men's freestyle match.