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

<< Back to Articles
Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
04/05/2004


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 Bill Scherr vs. Greg Gibson match at the 1987 U.S. Nationals at 100 kg/220 pounds in men's freestyle wrestling.    This match was held in Las Vegas, Nev. It was the championship match, and featured two of the best wrestlers of their generation. The bout was extended into overtime and became a classic, one of the longest matches in modern U.S. wrestling history. The bout was tied at 5-5 and went a full 13:35 before Scherr scored the winning takedown. It was a very long tournament for Gibson. He also qualified for the Greco-Roman finals, where he lost a 1-0 overtime match to Dennis Koslowski in 9:25.    Bill Scherr was one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers in history. For five straight years, Bill Scherr won a World or Olympic medal for the United States. Only three athletes won more consecutive medals, and they are also legends: Bruce Baumgartner, John Smith and Dave Schultz.    Scherr started his career at 90 kg/198 pounds and got his medal streak going with a World gold medal in 1985 in Budapest, Hungary. The next year, Bill Scherr moved up in weight to 100 kg/220 lbs., which allowed his twin brother Jim to take over the 198-pound division for the United States. For the next four years, the Scherr twins, along with super heavyweight Baumgartner, gave the U.S. an amazing upper weight anchor to its lineup.    In 1986, Scherr won a World silver medal, followed by a 1987 World bronze medal. Competing at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, Scherr was defeated just once, capturing an Olympic bronze medal. The amazing streak continued through 1989, with another World silver medal for his collection. Scherr might have had even higher achievements, but he was competing when the Soviet Union also had stars in his weight division, including Leri Khabelov, Aslan Khadartsev and Akhmed Atatov.    Bill won all of the other major events in the sport. He was a two-time World Cup champion, a Pan American Games champion and a World Grand Masters champion. He won eight national titles, including one Greco-Roman national title. Scherr was a 1984 NCAA champion at the Univ. of Nebraska, where he also starred alongside brother Jim, as well as a two-time high school state champion from Mobridge, S.D.    In 1990, Scherr was the U.S. Nationals champion and World Team Trials winner, but chose then to retire, giving up his spot on the World Team to Kirk Trost, who went on to win a World bronze medal. In the spring of 1992, Scherr made a comeback on short notice, winning the U.S. Nationals title. In the Final Olympic Trials, he had a classic war with World silver medalist Mark Coleman, losing in the third and deciding match. Many believe just a little more training and Scherr would have been able to make that second Olympic team. This time, his retirement was final, and he concentrated on his business career in the financial industry. He has since been elected to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.    Greg Gibson was one of the most successful wrestlers in history, because of his versatility. He is one of the few athletes from any nation to win a World-level medal in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, especially during the modern era of specialization.    Gibson made his mark as a U.S. Marine, a powerful, physically imposing athlete with a winner's heart. His Greco-Roman medal came in 1984, when Gibson captured a silver medal at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. His three freestyle medals were a 1981 World silver medal in Skopje, Yugoslavia, a 1982 World bronze medal in Edmonton, Canada and a 1983 World silver medal in Kiev, Soviet Union.    This versatility also included a 1981 World title in sambo, a martial art competition that combines wrestling and judo, featuring a gi and very popular in the Soviet bloc nations. For a period of time, sambo was a sport promoted by the international wrestling community, until it was abandoned by FILA in the 1980's.    Gibson made two other U.S. World Greco-Roman teams. He captured three World Cup titles and numerous World Cup medals. He also won 19 Armed Forces gold medals, capturing titles in both styles and often both during the same year. His military career started after a career in college, where he was a two-time NCAA runner-up at the Univ. of Oregon (1975, 1976). He is originally from Shasta High School in California.    He would be a certain member of the Wrestling Hall of Fame, but he has never seemed to retire. After a tour of duty in the Gulf War in the early 1990's where he led Marine troops into battle, Gibson returned to the Marine wrestling team. He continued to compete, and also was a coach to his teammates for many more years, well into the 2000 Olympic cycle. Gibson was in his mid-40s and still winning wrestling matches on the national level against athletes half his age. He has not wrestled in a few seasons now, so his "clock" for being eligible for the Hall of Fame has finally started.    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 1992 Dennis Koslowski vs. Andrzej Wronski men's Greco-Roman 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  1992 Dennis Koslowski vs. Andrzej Wronski men's Greco-Roman match  1989 Jim Scherr vs. Makharbek Khadartsev men's freestyle match  2003 Sally Roberts vs. Marianna Sastin women's freestyle match  1996 Melvin Douglas vs. Mike Van Arsdale men's freestyle match  1988 Ike Anderson vs. Buddy Lee men's Greco-Roman match  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