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Orlando Sentinel Article 2-8-07 |
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-------------------- Grim grips -- five wrestling moves almost certain to lead to a pin -------------------- Woe unto the wrestler caught in one of these finishing moves. Brant Parsons Sentinel Staff Writer February 8, 2007 They are wrestling moves that win matches and thrill spectators. They are specialized combinations that nearly always guarantee victory, and if a wrestler finds himself on the receiving end of one, he might as well start planning his next match because he's done with this one. The moves range from the highly specialized "Spladle" to an elementary staple like the cradle. Wade Schalles invented the Spladle. Schalles, who is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most wins and pins by anyone who has ever wrestled, came up with the move in the late 1960s, and it spread across the country in the following decades. His son, Jake, is a wrestler at Oviedo. The Spladle move has been compared to a knockout punch. "I'd spend all my time trying to think of ways to develop new moves," Schalles said of the Spladle. "I was always trying to come up with unique things." While not every wrestler practices and knows how to perform a complex move such as the Spladle, every wrestler has learned the cradle, which is often one of the first moves taught to young wrestlers. "Anyone can do the cradle," Winter Springs wrestler J.J. Morgan said. "It's a very basic move that is very effective as you get your technique down because you can pin anyone with it." While the big signature moves look good and can excite the crowd, as the sport's postseason moves on, the opportunity to use specialized moves diminishes as the quality of opponent gets better. "It's good to have these moves because they are effective and the crowd enjoys them, but I don't usually look for them in a match," Olympia wrestler Andrew Larson said. Larson, whose favorite move is called the Small Package, realizes that the fundamental wrestling skills still determine who is the best. "You don't win a state title with fancy moves; you get there by being good at the basics." SPLADLE WRESTLERS: Hugo Espinosa, 119 lbs., So., and Wayne Kelly, 140 lbs. Sr. THE MOVE: One leg of your opponent is sunk in and while stretching his legs out you expose his back to the mat. It is a combination of two wrestling moves -- the cradle and banana splits. Is often used from the top position. MAT TALK: "Every way your opponent thinks is the way out of this move, just gets them deeper into it without them knowing. The best pinners make their opponent pin themselves." -- Wade Schalles, move inventor "You're lucky when you hit it, but you do put them in a lot of pain and it's fun to do." -- Ben Abbott, Lake Brantley GUILLOTINE WRESTLERS: Jeremy Collard, 135 lbs., Sr., and Ryan Peterson, 130 lbs., Jr. THE MOVE: With the opponent's leg sunk in, you pull the head opposite of how it should be going and stretch his body out -- causing him to let up and be pinned. MAT TALK: "It's a good move because you put them in legal pain and their only way out is to give up." -- Richie Williams, Lake Brantley. CROSS-FACE CRADLE WRESTLERS: Kyle Lewis, 145 lbs., Sr., and Ryan Paulk, 152 lbs., Sr. THE MOVE: There are four types of cradles -- the near, far, bottom leg and cross face. The near cradle is the most effective cradle move. With the cross face, you come across the face and grab the triceps while putting pressure on the face. The other arm brings the leg up and the hands join before rocking the wrestler onto his back. MAT TALK: "It feels like your face is going to break and you can't breathe." -- Tom Crowell, Celebration CEMENT MIXER WRESTLERS: Danny Pastrana, 125 lbs., Jr., and Alex Round, 160 lbs., Sr. THE MOVE: Facing each other, with opponent in front headlock, left arm underhook and throw him on his back while rolling over onto your back. It's a high-risk, high-reward move. MAT TALK: "It doesn't work against good guys but when you can use it, it's pretty much a pin every time." -- Pastrana HALF NELSON AND TWIST WRESTLERS: Dylan Steele, 285 lbs., Sr., and Deundre Donald, 189 lbs., So. THE MOVE: With a hand under your opponent's arm and placed against the back of his head with wrist control. When the opponent is rolled, his wrist gets trapped underneath his body. MAT TALK: "This is an effective move when you can get a good grip. Every time you hit, you are going to score." -- Steele Brant Parsons can be reached at bparsons@orlandosentinel.com. Copyright (c) 2007, Orlando Sentinel | Get home delivery - up to 50% off Visit OrlandoSentinel.com |
