The best wrestling throw of all time
This FFOTD comes from the 1972 Munich Olympic games. A wrestling match between American Chris Taylor and West German Wilfred Dietrich provided perhaps the most iconic throw in wrestling history. For background, Dietrich is the most decorated Olympian in wrestling history, medaling in 5 separate Olympics. There is freestyle and Greco-Roman, both of which he competed in (almost impossible to do both today). Dietrich never lost in freestyle from 1955 to 1972. However, this streak was broke. By 22 year old Chris Taylor at the Munich games. Dietrich weighed in at a humble 287, while Taylor tipped the scale at 444. After Taylor broke Dietrich’s historic streak in freestyle, they meet again in the Greco-Roman tournament.
They ran into each other about 10 minutes before the match. Dietrich walked up to Taylor and said “Chris! It’s so nice to see you!” and gave him a big old hug. Taylor’s coach tried to stop the hug, but it was too late. What Dietrich was trying to do was figure out if he would be physically able to reach around Taylor lock his hands. He was only able to get his first two fingers interlocked, but he decided that was enough to attempt the move that had given him so much success and glory — the belly to belly suplay.
Fast forward to the match. At the start of the second period, Dietrich dug under Taylor’s arms and managed to get a grip. Dietrich launched the beast directly backwards, over his head, and onto his back to pin him. Neither medaled in the Greco-Roman portion, but Dietrich’s throw is on posters across the world and remembered as one of the greatest moments in wrestling history.
Chris Taylor said to his coach after the match, “I didn’t believe there was a human alive that could physically pick me off the mat and throw me but I was wrong.”
The full speed video can be seen here:
