Epic Eight NCAA Wrestling Finals Matches

2013: Dake (Cornell) over Taylor (Penn State), 4-3

Two talents like Dake and Taylor don’t come around that often, and when they meet in the same weight class (165), with one a three-time champion and the other a two-time champion, anticipation was high. The match reminded many of the Banach-Schultz hype from the 1980s. Dake and Taylor would wrestle last, as the NCAA re-ordered the finals to showcase this match. Dake had beaten Taylor twice earlier in the season, in the All-Star Classic (unofficial) and the finals of the Southern Scuffle. Taylor would strike first with a takedown, but Dake would take a 3-2 lead after a period with an escape and a takedown of his own. Dake extended the lead to 4-2 after an escape in the second. Taylor would escape and draw a stall point to knot the match 4-4, but Dake’s riding time (1:13) would be the difference-maker. Dake became the first wrestler in NCAA history to win four titles at four different weight classes.

2009: Caldwell (NC State) over Metcalf (Iowa), 11-6

Entering the match, Brent Metcalf was considered to be the best collegiate wrestler regardless of weight. He was the returning NCAA Champion and was considered a sure lock to win his second title at 149 pounds. He had an early season win technical fall over Caldwell in the All-Star Classic but the match was an exhibition and was not an official victory. Metcalf’s only collegiate loss entering the match was a loss to Caldwell by fall in his sophomore season. Caldwell struck first with a pair of first period takedowns, one with a left-handed headlock. After a second-period escape, would go up 9-3 after earning a takedowns after a pair of scrambles. Metcalf would close the gap in the third period after the two traded takedowns, but Caldwell would give the fans in St. Louis one of the biggest shockers in NCAA wrestling history with an 11-6 win.