Best pound for pound in KY history- Definative Poll and Explanation

[dagger 7]

Dagger, put down your crack pipe and step away from the computer. If you believe Troy "tapped out" you have an abnormality with mental processing.

Eddie Pearsons went undefeated his junior and senior year. Troy was tired of having no competition. Our team in 1985 was very good. We had 2 returning state champions and 2 junior wrestlers picked to win state in 1985. The 2 juniors choked down state. Interestingly, both juniors, Richie Parker and Rob Madden won state the following year. Our team was competitive however history would prove we were no match for a very good Hoptown team. Remember, this is before the internet and given Hoptown was in western Ky and us in Northern Ky, we didn't know the full strength of their team.

Troy still has no regrets about his decision. He was already a 2 time state champ including MOW and had already wrestled on a state champion team in 1983. He wanted to go out in style and give Coach Badida a state championship during Troy's senior year. Unlike many kids today, Troy had no problem making a sacrifice for his coach. Troy stated many times he was individually bored with wrestling, there was nothing else he could accomplish. He wanted to win a team title for coach.

The championship match started with Eddie shooting, Troy sprawling and quickly getting caught in a Kelly dump. Troy was on his back 10 seconds into the first period. He fought off his back for nearly the entire period. Losing by 5, Troy turned it out and started hammering Eddie. At the end of the 3rd period Troy was up by 2 and on top. Troy was gassed. He put in the double legs to ride out the clock and win.  He did however get too high. Eddie repositioned and was about to reverse thereby tying the match. Troy thought he was only up by 1 and the reversal would have won it for Eddie with time expiring. For reasons which still haunt me today, Troy rolled to his back waived to the crowd and got pinned. Troy had not been pinned since his 7th grade year. When Eddie reversed Troy there was less than 7 seconds in the match. Troy stood up, walked a full circle around the mat, waived to the crowd and walked off. 

Troy displayed the best act of sportsmanship I have ever seen. Troy told me after the match, "hey he beat me, he might as well pin me and go out in style".

I never agreed with what Troy did, but then again, I wasn't bored with wrestling. Eddie Pearsons was a stud and deserved to be state champ. However, never should Eddie's championship diminish what Troy accomplished. Troy was a very respected and phenomenal wrestler.

Was Richie Parker the kid with the Mohawk. He did look intimidating. I never saw anyone with a Mohawk before.

[I-pinned-em-all 0]

Richie Parker had the craziest mohawk. If was 6 to 8 inches long and spiked. I remember after state we were all back at the Holidome wishing we all had mohawks. I swear there were 50 girls who wanted to rub his mohawk and have their picture taken with him. He was a freakin celebrity. Richie was a good sport and allowed all the girls a good rub, lol.

[hotmamma 0]

I hope that he is not like all of the other wrestlers I know.  If so, the mohawk days are over and the girls would have to rub his shiny bald head!

[wrestlewatcher 3]

I hope that he is not like all of the other wrestlers I know.  If so, the mohawk days are over and the girls would have to rub his shiny bald head!

Richie has way too much hair for a mohawk........not even close to bald.  The mohawk may be gone, but his passion lives on!!

[heavy83 15]

Troy Cole has my vote overall. Just to throw some names out there of guys during my time, Strawn Nutter(boone), Matt Shotwell(con), Larry Little(j-town) Shipp(jtown hvy).

[dagger 7]

The Cole's have been out of wrestling for a while, do they have any kids wrestling?

[new guy 0]

You can tell this was started from a northern ky guy.  What happened to the ervin's from union co and richey from caldwell co? 

[pioneer_pride 1]

You can tell this was started from a northern ky guy.  What happened to the ervin's from union co and richey from caldwell co? 

Are you serious?  There are some AWESOME N. Ky guys not mentioned on this list.  Rick Barker - 2nd as a freshman (lost in OT), 3X state champ.  Which Ervin would you put above him?  Rick Barker would eat the Ervins for breakfast.  There is definitely not a n. ky bias to the list. 

Some other great N. Ky wrestlers missing - Pat Martz, Troy Cole, Dave Barnes, Tommy Storms.  What about Mason Reid & Brian Peace?  2X state champs...D1 full rides. 

[pioneer_pride 1]

You can tell this was started from a northern ky guy.  What happened to the ervin's from union co and richey from caldwell co? 

btw - I do agree with you on Dave Richey probably should be on there.  He was awesome.  But so was some of the other N. Ky guys missing.

[new guy 0]

just look at the list only one wrestler from W. Ky. It ask for the Best pound for pound in Ky history. Glad to see we agree on Richey from Caldwell

[userdaddy 0]

what list are u lookin at??? Livingston Merritt and Jarod Trice are on there

[userdaddy 0]

And WKY could possibly have more... Willie Ennels 3X champ  2nd at the High School Nationals his Senior Year. 

Tom Lee, Grady Petterson, Shawn Smith, Miguel Merritt

[new guy 0]

I agree

[Wrestling Dad 99]

And WKY could possibly have more... Willie Ennels 3X champ   2nd at the High School Nationals his Senior Year. 

Tom Lee, Grady Petterson, Shawn Smith, Miguel Merritt

...Livingston Merrit, Harold Ritchie, etc.

[The Bear 0]

How about those Pinners also, Hank was a beast. Also Richey was an Olympic alternate so I'd have to say his credentials alone should put him on the list.

[userdaddy 0]

The only reason Hank doesnt come up more, is because of the Horn match his senior year.  Hank doesnt lose that match if he is 100% healthy, which by the way he was in their rematch at the blue grass games when he beat Horn.

[pioneer_pride 1]

I agree with you guys on some of these names from W. Ky could be on here.  But there are others in N. Ky that the same could be argued.  The point is the list was 16 names long.  There is 3 n. ky guys on there.  Hardly a n. ky bias.  I 100% agree David Richie belongs on there.  No question.  Beyond that a good case could be made for guys from other regions as well.

[wrestler123 0]

I think when little Parker makes his run for a state title we should have Ritchie shave his head into a mohawk ha ha!

[sitout 0]

I can't believe you people never mention David Barnes of Simon Kenton.

Barnes was 4th in the state as a freshman, 4th in the state as a sophmore, 2nd in the state as junior and 1988 state champion and state tournments most outstanding wrestler at 135 lbs. He went 42-0 that year with 37 pins. He wrestled at MIAMI UNIVERSITY of OHIO (NCAA DIVISION I college). He was a 3X MAC Conference Champion, 2X NCAA Qualifier and a 1992 NCAA ALL-AMERICAN at 150 lbs, placed 8th at the NCAAs.

[bs285 0]

did Dominic Black go d1?

[Assessor 0]

1977  Ky. state champ  MOW

West Virginia  102-36-2  All-American

2 gold medals World Cup of Freestyle

[takedownartist 6]

As I remember, Knable went to IU and Slugantz went there also. Slugantz cut down to wrestle 157 and this is just what I heard, but I heard they had a wrestle off and Slugantz techd him so did Knable actually wrestle for the team and compete? I dont have that info, curious?

[grapplehed 8]

Slugantz transferred to Gannon after a year or two and yes he did be Knable.  Can't remember the age difference. 

Knable started for 2 or 3 years if I remember correctly.  I was thinking that he qualified for NCAA's 1 year.

[takedownartist 6]

No age difference,same age, class of 02 baby, great year. Im not sure if he started for 2 or three years, we'd have to look that up just be sure

[takedownartist 6]

This is not a commnet about the bet wrestler on the list but one of the most memorable matches I ever saw. State finals match between Tyler Baldwin and a St.X guy in 02. Tyler walked out on the mat and looked toward the St.X section where they always sit crossed his arms in the form an X and then pointed at them and cut his throat with the motion of his hand. He got a team point deduction but it was worth it. Of course he won so it was like sticking the knife a little deeper.