This day in history

Mon., Jan. 24, 2011

By Greg Lee

I know this isn’t our typical post here at SportsLink Central, but I found this fun little item in the Tri-City Herald this moring.

On this date in history, Jan. 23, 1974, Columbia Basin College wrestler Greg Williams, at 450 pounds, pinned North Idaho Junior College’s 360-pound “strongboy,” Ray King of Stanfield, Ore., in “the battle of the behemouths” at the Pasco High School gym, but the Hawks still lost 31-9 in the dual meet.

Now that’s some weight flopping around. I thought John Owen, the current West Valley coach, was coaching at NIC then. Turns out he wasn’t. But he remembers Ray King. I just got this e-mail reply from Owen:

“I was not their yet. It (the match) even made the front cover of Amateur Wrestling News which I looked at

while a high school coach in Oregon. It is believed to be the two largest opponents in amateur

wrestling history. Ray went on to win a national title that year.”

Anyway, for what it’s worth.

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