Wrestling story 1

It was my last year of my carrier in our wrestling team in Malmo. I was 52 years old and I finally decided to leave place to younger wrestlers. The decision was not easy because I was still a very valuable member of the team, this year I had a record of 14 wins and only 2 defeats. I boarded the last match of my career against the heaviest of the possible opponents. It was the 21-year-old Vasil Annikov, who moved last year to Sweden and flew into the local league like a hurricane. Not only he has not been defeated, but he finished all his opponents before a limit. Last year I avoided match with him because of flu, and this year should be a match with him unfortunately last step of my career. I boarded the mat at a time when the score summary between our local team and guests from Stockholm was balanced 10:10. I saw Vasil for the first time and I quickly understood how a young guy could destroy all in the league. He was taking of shirt on the other side of mat and looked like a young Hercules. Broad shoulders, wide chest, bully neck and short blond hair, all this gave him the look between ancient hero and killer. Red tights emphasized his muscular physique. I was at my age still in good shape, I always had strong legs and neck and broad hairy chest, but against this opponent from the Stockholm team I could not even be measured in my best years.

We joined the center mat, firmly shook hands and judge’s whistle began the match. Vasil attacked with immediate pressure and I tried to retreat not to catch me but he managed to hug my waist and I felt how my feet were leaving the mat. I realized that his iron muscles are not just for decoration, but shows his true strength. He was few seconds enjoying me in the bearhug and was broking me in the back and I desperately tried to escape, but his grip was same as if you would be crushed by rock. Young Russian slammed me on the ground and for a moment I found myself on the shoulder. He held me still around my waist and  his sharp chin pushed to my abdominal muscles, but I managed to get to the bridge. I had a strong neck but I did not know how long I can stand before the bridge breaks. But he was too far back, he had to move forward so he could pin me to the ground so I expected that perhaps in this move he frees for a moment painful constriction of my waist. Stockholm grappler really wanted to move forward and he released the hold for a moment and I quickly catch to turn on my stomach. Before I had time to recover my body again abandoned the mat. My head spun and I ended up behind the mat, where I could stay, because this throw finished earlier the first period.

At the beginning of the second round I did everything to defend rapid start and for a while I managed to keep the fight standing up. But then he caught my leg and I was again lying on my belly and tried to prevent turning me on shoulders. We were quite sweltered so It was not so easy to grip and I finally defend any further action. The referee sent us back to the standing position. I saw how the young stud’s pecs were heaving and realized that he also begins to be tired. He was used to determine his matches earlier. I tried to use element of surprise and I quickly attacked my opponent after whistle. He really did not expect it so I took him down to the mat on his stomach. He was too arrogantly convinced of his superiority so instead of defending my grips he immediately began to stand up. I wrapped my hands around one leg and my legs around his second thigh and blew him down to the ground to roll him to the banana split. I tried as much as possible to push his ass into the air and legs to his body thus to pin him to the mat and I saw how he was trying to pick up on his elbows not to lie down on his shoulder. I pulled his legs apart and his groins began to burn in pain. I saw how his face twisted by the pain and he fell down back on the shoulders. Then came the signal. Unfortunately, it was a signal of the end of the second round. At least I moved the match to the third round and gained back some lost confidence.

The third round started carefully from both of us. Our bodies were already too much sweltered so no one was able to hold strongly the opponent. At that moment I was very tired and I lost attention for the moment. Vasil immediately took advantage and lifted me again to bearhug. But I felt he is not already so sure on his feet and also his hug wasn’t so strong like in first round. He was trying to throw me over him but he did not have enough energy and so we both fell down to the mat with me over top and him under me. This was my chance, I quickly wrapped his legs and stuck my ankles to his and got him into the grapevine. He was now in the bridge with locked legs and I held both his hands at the wrist and tried to press both to the ground. But he had still huge power in his arms so I couldn’t push them down and he still stand in the bridge on his head. I spread his legs hold in grapevine apart and again caused him pain in the groin. I felt how strength in his biceps begins to slowly decline and I finally also spread his hands apart to pin his wrists to the ground. I put all weight of my body onto his while I was still squeezing his wrists and legs. He was groining in the pain under me and his bridge was slowly falling to the mat. Referee was lying next to us and watching Russian wrestler shoulders and I was sure he must finish the match now but he signalized to me shoulders of trapped young stud under me still not met the ground. I released wrists of Stockholm grappler and hug his head over the neck by both of my arms to strongly pin his face to my pecs. In the same time while Vasil was tapping out by both his released arms over the mat referee slapped the mat to finish agony of my opponent. I slumped exhausted on a side next to the loser wrestler. The hall sounded full of applause and screaming and I was incredibly proud. I stand up and took his hand to help him to get up and he just limped to the center, where ref for the last time raised my hand above my head.

After that match I worked as a coach assistant for a lot of seasons and I could still watch Vasil’s career. My victory over him was for a long time his last defeat in the league and after he changed citizenship to Swedish he even won for Sweden 2 times World championship.