Back in the losers bracket I got matched
back up with a kid who had no legs. He had legs but only down to just
above the knee. When he weighed in he took off his prosthetic legs
and weighed in. He had special prosthetic legs with little rubber
hoofs on the bottom like extra large versions of the rubber foot from
the bottom of a crutch. I thought it was a little unfair that he got
to weigh in without his legs and then put them on to wrestle. But who
is going to be the massive b-hole that calls out a kid who obviously
not had the best of luck in life? The problem was his torso and
remaining legs were huge for the weight class and he was
fantastically strong from all of the hand walking and other
compensatory necessities of life without full legs. The first thing
that they teach you in wrestling is the two leg take-down and that
was all I had time to learn so it was the one tool in my bag so to
speak. Well, I pulled out my one shining and trusty weapon a few
seconds into the match and caught the guy deep taking him down with a
great big double armful of metal prosthesis. I went to climb my hold
up for a pin when he, like the mighty lizard, popped free from his
legs and jumped behind me for the reverse. Well, there was some
controversy on that point because I was still on my stomach holding
his prosthetic legs while he was on top of me trying to impose his
will. My coach was yelling that it was no reverse because I still had
his legs ans the other coach was maintaining that he was behind me
and in control and therefore deserving the reverse points. The poor
college kid referee was not sure what the exact rule that should
apply here he was sure that it was not a clear cut case of anything
but once again who has the nerve to penalize a kid for losing his
legs? After a few moments of indication he decided to let us both
keep our two points, call a time out for the kid to re-attach his
legs and then started us in a neutral position. I avoided taking him
down by his legs again and we mostly hand fought except for an escape
move he made that had me instinctively grabbing his heel analog
disengaging his leg in the second round. More time was taken and then
on the third time the ref told him to just leave them off. Besides
the first double score of two a piece the only other point in the
round was a one point escape I scored in the third and the match
ended with me ahead 3 points to 2. Another triumph of my pure white
hot athletic skill against the sick, handicapped, or weary. The
victory scored me a eighth place ranking in the tournament, the
eighth place of shame.
