by Bruce Strand, Sports editor
When Mitch Robinson was little, he was enamored with WWE, especially a masked, hydrant-shaped ruffian named Rey Mysterio. “That’s what I wanted to do, jump off tables and chairs and things like that,” said Robinson. When he took up wrestling at age 7, he found it wasn’t much like the pro style but loved it anyway. His first coach, Pete Nielsen, “really made it fun,” and he was inspired by Nielsen’s son Zac, a two-time state champion.
kAm%96 d\7@@E\h[ `h_\A@F?5 +:>>6C>2? D6?:@C 92D 366? <?@4<:?8 A6@A=6 @? E96:C 3FEED 2D 2 HC6DE=6C 2?5 7@@E32== =:?6>2? E9C@F89 9:89 D49@@=] w6 @A6?65 E96 HC6DE=:?8 D62D@? ?@E49:?8 9:D `__E9 G:4E@CJ 2?5 E96 D6G6?E9 :?G:E2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A 2E uC:5=6J =2DE $2EFC52J]k^Am
kAm“(C6DE=:?8 :D :? >J 3=@@5[” D2:5 #@3:?D@?[ H9@ 7@==@H65 EH@ 3C@E96CD] “xE’D 2 D>2D9\>@FE9 DA@CE] xE’D :? >6] x 92G6 E@ 5@ :E]”k^Am
kAm#@3:?D@?’D `__E9 H:? H2D ``\b @G6C xC@?52=6’D r@??6C {2F3249] w6 H6?E @? E@ 362E }@] c C2?<65 r92?5=6C pCC65@?5@ @7 #:497:6=5\t5:?2 c\a :? E96 `hd\A@F?5 7:?2=D[ H9:49 D9@F=5 >@G6 9:> FA 7C@> }@] e :? E96 vF:==@E:?6 =:DE:?8D]k^Am
kAmp DE2E6 BF2=:7:6C :? `_E9 8C256[ 96 H2D E2<6? 5@H? 3J >@?@?F4=6@D:D =2DE J62C 2?5 >:DD65 2 >@?E9] $E:== H62<6?65[ 96 A=2465 E9:C5 2E D64E:@?[ 7:?:D9:?8 `f\b]k^Am
kAm“|J 8@2= :D E@ E2<6 DE2E6[ 2?5 D9@H =2DE J62C H2D 2 7=F<6[” D2:5 #@3:?D@?]k^Am
kAmw:D `_a\be C64@C5 :?4=F56D ae\`b 2?5 b`\d :? ?:?E9 2?5 `_E9 8C256D[ >2<:?8 2==\|:DD:DD:AA: g 6249 J62C] {2DE J62C[ 96 8@E ;FDE 9@?@C23=6 >6?E:@?]k^Am
kAm{2DE DAC:?8[ 96 E@@< FA vC64@\#@>2? 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 2?5 H2D :?G:E65 E@ ;@:? E96 |:??6D@E2 $E@C>] w6 H@? 2 DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E 2?5 4@>A6E65 H:E9 E96> 2E ?2E:@?2= 5F2=D :? ~<=29@>2]k^Am
kAm#@3:?D@? :D 7@C>:523=6 :? E96 ?6FEC2= A@D:E:@?[ @? 9:D 766E[ 2=>@DE ?6G6C 8:G:?8 FA 2 E2<65@H?] “x’> AC6EEJ D6=7\2H2C6] x’G6 366? 5@:?8 E9:D 82>6 7@C 2 H9:=6 ?@H] xE’D 92C5 E@ 86E 2? 2?<=6 282:?DE >6]” w:D 72G@C65 A:? >@G6D 2C6 4C@DD 7246 4C25=6 2?5 4C@DD 7246 3FE496C]k^Am
kAm$2:5 4@249 !2E qFC49i “|:E49’D 3C@25 D9@F=56CD 2?5 496DE AC6D6?E AC@3=6>D 7@C @AA@?6?ED ECJ:?8 E@ 4@?EC@= FAA6C 3@5J] w:D A@H6C7F= =68D 8:G6 2 D@=:5 32D6 7@C 2EE24<:?8 2?5 5676?5:?8]”k^Am
kAm%96 4@249 56D4C:36D #@3:?D@? 2D 2 “>2E C2E” 2?5 =@?8E:>6 DEF56?E @7 HC6DE=:?8] “w6 92D 2 4@F?E6C 7@C 6G6CJE9:?8 … 2?5 6?@F89 G2C:6EJ E@ 36 F?AC65:4E23=6 @? E96 @776?D:G6[” D2:5 qFC49]k^Am
kAmx? #@3:?D@?’D 7:G6\J62C 42C66C[ 96’D 925 7@FC 9625 4@2496D — $E6G6 '6G62’D 7:?2= D62D@?[ !@?49 w2CE>2? 7@C EH@ J62CD[ y6C6>J %9@>AD@? 7@C @?6 2?5 ?@H qFC49] p? 2DD:DE2?E[ p2C@? u69C[ 2=D@ H@C<D H:E9 #@3:?D@? 2 =@E]k^Am
kAm“xE’D <:?5 @7 92C5 H96? 4@2496D =62G6[ 3642FD6 E96J 364@>6 =:<6 2 D64@?5 72E96C[” D2:5 #@3:?D@?[ “3FE :E’D ?@E D@ 325 3642FD6 J@F =62C? 5:776C6?E DEJ=6D]”k^Am
kAmw:D 42C66C >2E 9:89=:89ED D@ 72C 3@E9 42>6 :? `_E9 8C256i 86EE:?8 C2?<65 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6[ 27E6C H:??:?8 2 uC:5=6J E@FC?6J E:E=6 `a\`_ :? EC:A=6 @G6CE:>6[ 2?5 362E:?8 2? ~C@?@ 7@6 :? 2 D64E:@? ECF6\D64@?5 >2E49 E@ 62C? 2 DE2E6 EC:A]k^Am
kAmx? 7@@E32==[ #@3:?D@? 8@E E96 vC2?:E6 #:586 s676?D:G6 {:?6>2? @7 E96 *62C 2H2C5 27E6C >2<:?8 eb E24<=6D[ D:I 7@C =@DD6D[ :? `_ 82>6D] p E9C66\J62C DE2CE6C 2E ?@D6 E24<=6 2?5 EH@ J62CD 2E @776?D:G6 8F2C5[ 2?5 2 EH@\E:>6 2==\v#r A:4<[ 96 H2D E96 =@?6 4FCC6?E A=2J6C ?2>65 E@ +w$’D %62> @7 E96 s64256] p?5 96 H2D 9@>64@>:?8 <:?8]k^Am
kAmr@249 %@> z:D9 D2:5 #@3:?D@?’D D<:== D6ED 2?5 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 6IA=@D:G6?6DD 2?5 A@H6C >2<6 9:> DA64:2=] “w6 4@F=5 362E 2? @776?D:G6 =:?6>2? H:E9 3@E9[” D2:5 z:D9] ~? @776?D6[ #@3:?D@? “5:5 2 8C62E ;@3 7:?:D9:?8 9:D 3=@4<D 2?5 <66A:?8 9:D 766E >@G:?8 @? 4@?E24E]”k^Am
kAmw6 96=A65 E96 %9F?56C H:? 4@?76C6?46 9:D ;F?:@C J62C] pD<65 23@FE 7@@E32== 9:89=:89ED[ 96 D2:5[ “%96 4@?76C6?46 492>A:@?D9:A H2D C62==J DH66E[ 3FE 2=D@[ E96 8FJD] %96J’C6 72>:=J] %96C6’D ?@E9:?8 =:<6 E96 72>:=J 2DA64E @7 7@@E32==]”k^Am
kAmw6 A=2?D E@ 4@?E:?F6 HC6DE=:?8 2E p?@<2\#2>D6J r@>>F?:EJ r@==686 2?5 $E] r=@F5 $E2E6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m%wt #~qx}$~} $r~#trp#sk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m!6CD@?2= 7:=6k^DEC@?8m – p86i `g … u2>:=Ji A2C6?ED[ y2>6D 2?5 $23C:?2j 3C@E96CD[ |2EE[ acj |2C<[ aaj 2?5 |:<6[ a` … $A@CEDi 7@@E32==[ HC6DE=:?8 … p4256>:4Di r 2G6C286 …] r@==686 A=2?Di p?@<2\#2>D6J 2?5 $E] r=@F5 $E2E6[ HC6DE=:?8[ A@DD:3=J 6=64EC:42= 6?8:?66C:?8k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mu2G@C:E6 DEF77k^DEC@?8m — r=2DDi t?8=:D9[ 9:DE@CJ … %' D9@HDi “qC62<:?8 q25” 2?5 “w@FD6” … u@@5i DA2896EE:[ 49:4<6? p=7C65@ … sC:?<i “%@?D @7 $AC:E6 :? E96 @77D62D@?j 23@FE 2 82==@? @7 >:=< 2 52J 5FC:?8 HC6DE=:?8” … %62>Di v@A96CD[ $E] r=@F5 2?5 pF8D3FC8 HC6DE=6CDj 2?5 ':<:?8D … pE9=6E6Di p]y] w2H<[ p5C:2? !6E6CD@? … p=D@ 6?;@JDi A=2J:?8 5CF>D 7@C 962GJ >6E2= 2?5 49FC49 8C@FADj D<2E63@2C5:?8k^Am
Post a comment as anonymous
Report
Watch this discussion.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.