Anderson vs. Lee is the new “Bout of the Week” on USA Wrestling Members-Only website
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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
02/28/2004
USA Wrestling has updated its new "Bout of the Week" on USA Wrestling's Members-Only website. The featured match this week will be the second match from the Ike Anderson vs. Buddy Lee championship series at the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 62 kg/136.5 lbs. in men's Greco-Roman wrestling. This match was held in Pensacola, Fla. Anderson and Lee, both world-class competitors, had an aggressive rivalry in the late 1980's and early 1990's, battling for just one spot on the U.S. Olympic and World Teams. Anderson made the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team, while Lee was able to make the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team. Anderson had been on a roll during this Olympic Trials, working all the way up the ladder to claim the top spot. In the Challenge Tournament, he defeated Eric Seward. In ladder series #1, he stopped Ken Popelka in two matches. His victim in ladder series #2 was Dalen Wasmund, in two straight matches. In the championship series, Anderson won the first match over Lee, 4-3, setting up this showdown in match #2. After beating Lee, Anderson went to the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, placing sixth, one of the top U.S. performances at the tournament. Anderson was a 1991 Pan American Games silver medalist, and competed at the 1991 World Championships. He boasts three World Cup medals, three U.S. Nationals titles and two Concord Cup titles. He competed at Appalachian State Univ., where he was a NCAA qualifier. He is originally from Lower Richland High School in South Carolina. His Greco-Roman career flourished when he moved to Albany, N.Y. to train with the ATWA club under coach Joe DeMeo, with many other national-caliber Greco-Roman stars. Anderson now works as USA Wrestling's Greco-Roman National Developmental Coach, working with the nation's top young Greco-Roman wrestlers and thriving to develop Greco-Roman on the age-group levels. Lee placed sixth at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. His top international performance was a fourth place finish at the 1990 World Championships. He also boasts a 10th place finish in the 1989 World meet. Lee won three World Military titles. During his Greco-Roman career, he represented the U.S. Marine Corps, winning 13 Armed Forces titles. He won three U.S. Nationals titles, and was second two times. Many may remember a bout that Buddy Lee won during the 1988 Final Olympic Qualifier, when he and Dalen Wasmund were both disqualified in a bout that went 19:58. That was the longest match in U.S. history until it was broken at the 2000 Olympic Trials. Lee was a two-time NCAA Div. I All-American at Old Dominion Univ. before entering the Marines. He also became nationally recognized for rope skipping, a career he pursued after his wrestling days were over. Lee has promoted rope skipping as a form of fitness and training, and provides dazzling demonstrations with a jump rope. 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 1996 Tom Brands vs. Jang Jae-Sung 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 1996 Tom Brands vs. Jang Jae-Sung men's freestyle match 2004 Eric Larkin vs. T.J. Williams men's freestyle match 1992 Rodney Smith vs. Cecilio Rodriguez men's Greco-Roman match. 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