J.D. Robbins, head coach of Oviedo‘s (FL) five-time state champion wrestling program, is suspended with pay pending investigations by Seminole County Public Schools and the Florida High School Athletic Association.

Robbins, a former USA Wrestling National Coach of the Year, was placed on administrative leave by SCPS last Friday. A statement from the school district read: “Information has come to the attention of Superintendent [Bill] Vogel which has caused concern and raised reasonable suspicion of improprieties and possible ethics violations.”

The coach missed last week’s Class 2A, District 5 tournament victory and is not expected to be with the team when Oviedo wrestlers compete for state tournament berths in the Region 2 tournament in Sebring on Friday and Saturday.

Oviedo is ranked No. 1 in the Sentinel Super Six and No. 2 on the Scout.com wrestling message-board 2A state rankings behind Spring Hill Springstead.

Tom Coffman, who has shared Oviedo’s head coaching responsibilities with Robbins since 2001, is the acting head coach.

For Complete Story by Buddy Collings at the Orlando Sentinel

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Yoshihiro Akiyama is ready for a tough fight against Michael Bisping at UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama and will be looking to rebound from a tough loss to Chris Leben suffered at UFC 116: Lesnar Vs. Carwin. The fight headlines what some British fans have called an extremely lackluster card but what Dana White has called very compelling match making. In any case UFC 120 is set for October 16, 2010 at the O2 Arena in London, England and will also coincide with the first ever UK UFC Fan Expo.

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Current UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua gives respect to his first coach, the legendary Rafael Cordeiro. Seems like Shogun’s english is improving greatly, and he’s looking like he’s packed on a few extra pounds. Fans will have to wait until early next summer to see Shogun in action, but a injury free champion is worth the wait.

Strength and Conditioning Coach and Author Eric Cressey Reveals 7 Simple Exercises To Fix

Georges St-Pierre thinks Josh Koscheck's villain routine was very predictable when the two shared the set on "The Ultimate Fighter 12."

But that doesn't mean it escaped his attention.

During a conference call promoting the reality show, which debuts tonight on Spike TV after a live broadcast of UFC Fight Night 22, St-Pierre briefly set aside his nice-guy exterior to make it clear he won't hesitate to put "Kos" in check.

7/7/2010
California Polytechnic State University Sports Information
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Mark Perry, who recently completed his first season as assistant wrestling coach at Cal Poly, and seven-year Mustang head coach John Azevedo will serve as co-head coaches beginning with the 2010-11 season.The announcement was made Tuesday by Cal Poly director of athletics Alison Cone."This move further strengthens our wrestling coaching staff," said Cone. "Mark's strengths combined with John's attributes will provide us with an unbeatable coaching combination."With Perry as his assistant last season, Azevedo guided Cal Poly to a third-place Pacific-10 Conference finish and produced a pair of NCAA All-Americans. He was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year by D1CollegeWrestling.net."I think this will be great experience for Mark and his future as a head coach," said Azevedo.When Perry was hired as assistant coach last summer, Azevedo said, "I believe his passion for wrestling and winning will help Cal Poly wrestling go to the next level of becoming the best. Mark brings an extensive amount of individual and team success to the program."Perry, a two-time national champion and four-time All-American at Iowa, spent the 2008-09 season as an assistant coach at Penn State before coming to Cal Poly a year ago."Being promoted to co-head coach is a huge honor for me and I am confident that I will be able to continue to help this program move forward in its quest toward winning Pac-10 titles and NCAA trophies," said Perry. "The future of Cal Poly wrestling is going to be exciting. I guarantee our fans and alumni we are going to be one of the top programs in the country on a consistent basis in the near future."Wrestling fans in California are excited about what is going on at Cal Poly and our wrestlers will continue to work toward winning NCAA titles," Perry added.The Mustangs rebounded from a tough 2008-09 campaign by finishing just seven points shy of Pac-10 champion Oregon State. Chase Pami finished second at 157 pounds in both the Pac-10 and NCAA finals while Boris Novachkov won a Pac-10 title at 133 and placed seventh nationally.Their finish marked the first time in six seasons that multiple wrestlers finished as All-Americans at Cal Poly. Azevedo led the Mustangs to an 8-4 dual meet record, including a 5-2 mark in Pac-10 matches.Azevedo, 45-61 in dual meets as Mustang head coach, has guided nine Mustangs to All-American honors and seven Pac-10 champions.He was an assistant under Lennis Cowell for two years before taking over the head job with the Mustangs in 2003. His coaching career also includes one year as a graduate assistant at Arizona State (1980-81), three years as assistant coach at Cal State Bakersfield (1981-84), two years as an assistant as Notre Dame (1984-86), five years as an assistant coach at Wisconsin (1986-91) and 12 seasons as head coach at Calvary Chapel High in Santa Ana (1991-2003), leading the wrestling program to seven state championships and one runner-up finish.Calvary Chapel also garnered 11 league titles, 10 CIF-Southern Section team championships, and posted a 183-18 dual meet record under Azevedo's direction. The program also spawned 23 NCAA Division 1 wrestlers. Azevedo was named National High School Coach of the Year in 1993 and California Coach of the Year seven times.As a collegian, Azevedo won an NCAA title in 1980 while at Cal State Bakersfield, after two runner-up finishes and three NCAA Division II titles. He amassed a 122-2 collegiate record and was named team captain three times. He is also a member of the California Wrestling Hall of Fame.Azevedo was also a member of the 1980 United States Olympic team (the United States boycotted those summer games in Moscow) and won a national freestyle championship in 1981. He placed fourth at the World Championships in 1982.Azevedo earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Cal State Bakersfield in 1981.Perry was the NCAA individual national champion in 2007 and 2008 while helping the Iowa Hawkeyes to a team championship in 2008.With his title in 2008, Perry became the 17th four-time All-American and 14th two-time national champion in NCAA history. During his 2007 NCAA run, Perry defeated two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks in the finals on his way to a 32-5 record.Both his NCAA titles came at 165 pounds.As a sophomore at the NCAAs, Perry placed third at 174 pounds, earning the Gorriaran Trophy for pinning four opponents at the championships. As a freshman he placed second at 165 pounds, posting a 32-5 overall record.Perry was a team captain all four years at Iowa and was a Big Ten Conference finalist four times as well, capturing one title in 2007. He also was a four-time finalist in the prestigious Midlands Wrestling Tournament, earning two titles.Perry was named National Wrestling Coaches Association rookie of the year in 2005 and University of Iowa athlete of the year in 2007.Perry was a two-time prep national champion while attending Blair Academy, located 60 miles west of New York City, in rural Warren County, New Jersey. He was a three-time AISCS High School All-American while posting a career 169-7 record.Perry earned his bachelor of arts degree in art from the University of Iowa in 2008.

HESKETT NAMED WRESTLING COACHFormer Ohio State Assistant, Four-Time All-American Joins Black Knights
 
WEST POINT, N.Y.  – Joe Heskett, a four-time All-American, national champion and former U.S. World Team member who spent the past four years as an assistant at Ohio State University, has been named the head wrestling coach at Army Athletics Director Kevin Anderson announced.Heskett, a 2001 graduate of Iowa State University, replaces Chuck Barbee who resigned following his 10th season to pursue other interests.
 
“I am very excited to have one of the young talents in collegiate wrestling as our head coach,” said Anderson. “Joe comes highly recommended from Athletic Director of the Year Gene Smith of Ohio State has unmatched credentials on the mat and his passion and dedication to the sport should pay immediate dividends. He has continued to advance his career and we are confident he can lead us to wins over Navy, EIWA Championships and national qualifiers.”
 
Heskett, who won the 165-pound national championship in 2002, is the ninth head coach in program history.
 
"Life will often surprise us with outstanding opportunities,” said Heskett. “I am humbled and honored to be able to lead and represent the Army wrestling program. I am inspired by what West Point represents and I graciously accept the challenge to mentor and motivate the cadet-athletes, improve their technical and tactical skills on the mat and to beat Navy. I would like to thank my family, Kevin Anderson, the West Point search committee, specifically Associate Athletic Director Gene McIntyre for his time and energy and the entire USMA athletic department."
 
Heskett, the eighth four-time All-American at Iowa State, graduated with a degree in speech communications and a career record of 143-9.
 
He was a three-time national finalist, winning one championship and finishing second and third. Heskett captured three Big 12 Championships, won the prestigious Midlands event on three occasions and graduated third on Iowa State’s all-time wins list.
 
Following his decorated collegiate career, Heskett earned a spot on the 2007 U.S. World Team after winning the U.S. Nationals and U.S. World Team Trials. He represented the United States at the ’07 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan with a fifth-place finish. He dropped a tough, three-period battle with a two-time world champion from Russia in the semifinals before wrestling back to finish fifth and was one of five wrestlers to qualify at his weight for the Olympics. Earlier that summer, he won a silver medal at 163 pounds at the 2007 Pan American Games.Less than a week after returning from the World Championships, Heskett was forced to retire from competitive wrestling due to an injury and joined the Ohio State staff.Hired as the volunteer assistant in 2006, Heskett was training for the Olympics while assisting in recruiting, team academic support, cultivating donor and alumni relations and other operational duties. Shortly after his competitive retirement, he was promoted to full-time assistant on Tom Ryan’s staff as the chief recruiter. In addition to his work on the mat, Heskett also assumed responsibility for practice plans, academic progress and community service initiatives.
 
During his tenure at Ohio State, Heskett helped the Buckeyes to four top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Tournament, three NCAA champions and 15 All-Americans. He played a large role in securing the nation’s top recruiting class in 2006 and helped sign a host of top prospects.
 
Heskett began his coaching career at Cal Poly University where he was the head assistant wrestling coach an also earned his master’s degree with honors in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Athletic Administration. He assisted in all facets of the program, including fundraising, and helped the Mustangs to their highest NCAA placement in nearly 20 years.
 
Leadership and leadership training is another passion of Heskett’s. He was Iowa State’s representative at the NCAA Leadership Conference, a board member of the Children’s Body Image, a former member of the Major Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund and an Ambassador and Public Awareness Speaker for the Ohio State Medical Center. He is the founder and Chief Visionary Officer for h Leadership in Columbus, Ohio, a firm with an array of industry expertsA native of Akron, Ohio, Heskett and his wife Tara have two daughters, Olivia and Ava, and are expecting a son in late July. They will reside at West Point.

Tom Watson has a unique opportunity within the Maximum Fighting Championship.

Already a top-ranked contender for the MFC’s middleweight title and one of the most-potent strikers in the entire organization, Watson is in position to become something that the MFC has never had before – a truly international star.

Because of his mass appeal and social media accessibility, Watson has become a popular figure in his native England and in both countries where he trains – the United States and Canada. His Canadian fan base in particular has grown exponentially thanks in large part to his appearance at MFC 24: Heat XC but Watson is far from forgotten in his homeland or in the U.S.

While the MFC has featured countless fighters over the years in prominent roles and as home-town favorites, Watson has the chance to become the first fighter to have international drawing power.

“I’ve always had a bit of a following in the U.K. due to the fights I’ve been involved in,” explained Watson, who will sport a 12-3 record going into his expected clash at MFC 26 in September.

“It was great to see the Canadian fans appreciate the humor of my (ring) entrance at MFC 24 and I hope to give them more of the same in September. I have been training in America for over three years now so that has helped my exposure in the States as well.”

At MFC 24, Watson strutted to the ring to funky soul music all while sporting a gorilla mask in homage to his nickname “Kong.” But what’s a stylish ring entrance worth if you don’t back it up with some substance when the bell rings? Watson certainly did that, scoring a near-lethal head-kick knockout of Travis Galbraith. The first-round sudden stoppage is most definitely a candidate for the MFC’s Knockout of the Year and instantly put Watson on the map as a contender and budding star.

That convincing win was Watson’s seventh straight positive verdict and was a resounding debut, both in the organization and on North American soil. Watson will get his chance to show the world his talents at MFC 26 when he steps into the ring for the first time on HDNet Fights.

“(Against Galbraith) I remember being thoroughly prepared for a jiu-jitsu battle and didn’t really train too much striking too be honest,” recalled Watson. “But years’ of hard work is always there and as soon as it landed I knew it was over. No one can take my kicks clean on the jaw and not get knocked out. My coach Eric O’Keefe put together a great game plan. We knew what Galbraith’s moves would be and the rest fell into place.”

And so did Galbraith, with a crashing face-first thud to the canvas. Should Watson come away from MFC 26 with another victory tucked securely into his back pocket, he has been assured of a crack at the MFC’s middleweight crown – an emblem that has only been worn once before when Patrick Cote took the honor way back at MFC 9 in March 2006.

“Of course it won’t be easy but nothing worth doing in life is easy. I came into the MFC with the belief that I would become champion. I will achieve this goal,” declared Watson, who is hoping the road to the title goes straight through Drew McFedries – his potential opponent at MFC 26.

“I really hope it is McFedries as for sure he will come and stand and bang with me. I have never been knocked out in 50 fights but he has big power so for the fans that is a great fight. I have no doubt I can do whatever it takes to win and put myself forward to fight whoever the MFC decides.”

One thing for sure with Watson, whatever fights await him, he will undoubtedly do his best at creating as much hype as possible and even fire off a few verbal jousts at his foe. It’s just ingrained in British fighters that part of their job is to heat up the pre-fight antics with some ribbing – good-natured or not. While some in the martial arts world frown on that behavior, it’s a necessary part of the business both for the fighter and the organization to stand out in the crowded world scene.

Like his good friend Paul Daley, Watson isn’t shy about tossing out the quote-worthy lines, shooting them out like a stiff jab.

“Not all British fighters are like that … just the good ones!”

California USA Wrestling Joins the Fight to Save the UC Davis Wrestling Program
 
Fresno, CA – June 28th, 2010 – California USA Wrestling Inc. announced today that they have joined forces with the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) to help financially support the fight to reinstate the University of California, Davis wrestling program. The California USA Wrestling Board of Directors recently donated $20,000 to the cause.
 
Duane Morgan, state chair for California USA Wrestling, had this to say, “Wrestling programs throughout the state of California have taken a big hit over the past six months. Due to the elimination of the UC Davis wrestling program, the student-athletes are essentially left with very few options to stay within the state and wrestle at the Division 1 level. We chose to partner with the NWCA in an effort to help formulate a plan that not only translates into the reinstatement of the wresting program at UC Davis, but that also serves as a long term solution for the remaining college wrestling programs in California.”
 
In April, UC Davis abruptly announced that they were eliminating the wrestling program, and three other intercollegiate sports programs, effective July 1, 2010. The $20,000 donation made to the NWCA, by the California USA Wrestling Board of Directors, is an effort to help sustain an ongoing attempt to reinstate the UC Davis Wrestling program, and to help maintain existing Division 1 wrestling programs in the state of California.  Should UC Davis drop the wrestling program as announced, there will be no remaining collegiate wrestling programs in the University of California system.
 
UC Davis head wrestling coach, Lennie Zalesky, issued a public statement within hours of the announcement stating that the wrestling program had been eliminated. According to Zalesky, in the fall of 2009, he was informed by personnel at the University, that no matter what may come to be, football and wrestling were safe at UC Davis, yet the wrestling program was cut without any notice to the student body, student-athletes, coaching staff or coach Zalesky. Further, UC students were not allowed to attend the press conference announcing the elimination of the program.
 
According to Chancellor Linda Katehi, dropping athletics teams and losing opportunities for student-athletes is regrettable but necessary. However, neither Chancellor Katehi, any university administrators or Athletic Director Greg Warzecka ever discussed the prospect of eliminating the sports programs with the students, student-athletes or the coaching staff, despite the fact that the sports programs are largely funded from self-imposed student fees.
 
Mike Moyer, the executive director of the NWCA, feels that despite the financial situation California continually finds itself in, solutions may be better found with the active involvement of all parties.  Moyer stated, “To purposely ignore the student body, student-athletes and the coaching staff, and to ignore the student initiative, in which the student body agreed to a self imposed fee for sports programs, are disrespectful and irresponsible.”

 
Moyer also expressed his gratitude to California USA Wrestling, “The NWCA would like to personally thank Duane Morgan and the entire California USA Wrestling Board of Directors for their support. Their financial contribution is a testament to their continuous resolve to protect the interests of the wrestling community inCalifornia.”
 
The UC Davis wrestling program had the second highest fund-raising numbers (behind football) over the last three years (averaging $65,000/year), the highest alumni/donor support, and one of the most profitable per contest gates of any sport at UC Davis. This specific criterion was supposed to be examined when determining which programs to retain. The elimination of the UC Davis sports programs, which includes wrestling, as well as men’s and women’s swimming, currently effects 73 female and 80 male student-athletes.
 
About California USA Wrestling Inc.:
 
California USA Wrestling Inc. (CA-USAW) is a non-profit corporation that promotes amateur wrestling in many forms to Californians of all ages. California Wrestling is an affiliate of USA Wrestling in Colorado Springs, the national governing body for international-style amateur wrestling in the United States. They are the designated representatives for USA Wrestling in the State of California. CA-USAW educates the California public in both collegiate and international wrestling styles. In addition, the organization conducts and sponsors well-planned wrestling activities, including wrestling camps, clinics and tournaments, and other related programs in order to improve the quality of California wrestling at all competitive levels. 

About The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA):
The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate wrestling programs. The membership embraces all people who are interested in amateur wrestling. The NWCA, through its organizational structure, promotes communication, recognition achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events and serves as an educational and informational source. Additionally, the NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of athletic competition.

Coming off a career revitilizing win at The Ultimate Fighter Finale 11 over Aaron Simpson and taking home KO of the night bonus honors, UFC middleweight Chris Leben is stepping into the gap left by the injured Wanderlei Silva and will fight Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116. Leben will have basically two weeks to prepare, but should still be in fight condition for Akiyama who should be a solid test, though Leben doesn’t seem to think so. Leben recently talked to FiveKnuckles.com about his upcoming fight, and he doesn’t seem too worried:

“I don’t know a ton about Akiyama. My coach knows a bunch, but we haven’t even had a chance to talk much about our game plan. I saw him fight Alan Belcher and to be honest with you, I thought he lost that fight. He’s a good Judo guy, he’s got great Judo, fast kicks, maybe not the most power in the world. He’s a little bit shorter than me but he’s a good strong guy. I think that utilizing my skills, keeping it on the feet and clubbing him in the head with my left shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

UFC 116 is set for July 3 and will feature a collossal heavyweight matchup between champions Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. While the star power has dropped with the loss of The Axe Murderer the card still looks to be quite entertaining and The MMA News will carry complete coverage of UFC 116.