The Guru Archives, Match of the Week

Home
Videos
- Wrestling Matches
- 48
- 52
- 55
- 57
- 60
- 62
- 63
- 66
- 68
- 69
- 74
- 76
- 82
- 84
- 85
- 96
- 97
- 114.5
- 125.5
- 130
- 136.5
- 152
- 163
- 180.5
- 198
- 220
- Coverage Videos
- Front Headlock
- Other
Photo Albums
Wrestlers

The video you are looking for has not finished processing.
Please check back in a few minutes.

John Smith v. Jim Jordan, 1988 Olympic Trials 19017 views

After making your selection, copy and paste the embed code above. The code changes based on your selection.

320x180
400x225
480x270
560x315
Custom

Width: px

Height: px
Show Related Videos

Please login to add this video to your favorites. If you do not have an account, register here. It's free!

Uploaded by Craig Vitagliano | April 30, 2009

4x World and 2x Olympic Champion John Smith takes on 1985 NCAA Champion Jim Jordan at the 1988 Olympic Trials in Pensacola, FL.

Speakers: Craig Vitagliano

Embed Add to Favorites

37 comments

cweb 6 months ago

its amazing what 3 years did for this matchup. Jordan dominated Smith in 85 NCAAs

stp 1 year ago

I wish somebody would upload a bunch of his old matches, like when Jimmie won his NCAA titles.

jo fan 2 years ago

john smith=99% almost perfect cause nobody is perfect

FutureOlympicChampion1 3 years ago

john smith is a very impressive wrestler, what else can I say?

Chester Williams 3 years ago

but thats a good thing because then its less about being athletic and more about being good with technique and strategy

AJT 3 years ago

Wow! Jim Jordan is an excellant wrestler, yet John Smith just got takedown after takedown on him with such a smooth fluid style.

Phil Nowick 3 years ago

we coach the Foundation Wrestling system in our club. Nick Purler was clearly heavily influenced by Smith. About 5 of the major techniques of the Foundation system are on display here. Great wrestling.

stephen paris 3 years ago

holy cow that was a great match

GoBlue! 4 years ago

Smith wrestled at 136.5 lbs... I think the new rules were put in place because the Americans were starting to dominate wrestling in the 1990's. Part of the reason is we out conditioned the rest of the world. The way the rules are now you just have to be in decent shape and you don't even get tired.

sean willis 4 years ago

good match high intensity

New Freestyle 4 years ago

I agree the new freestyle sucks you can wrestle for four minutes not actually score just on a push out and win the new clinch is ed make it the way it used to be

dckundr 4 years ago

the place is packed

4 years ago

What weight did John Smith wrestle at?

andybronco135 4 years ago

John Smith's High-C is so raw. My coach beat him though!!

jared johnshoy 4 years ago

john smith has to be the best american wrestler ever hands down.

gyakujujijime 4 years ago

Hello Craig,
thanks for the quick answer... I don't know where I could find it... it's pretty sure that the ex-USSR countries have a video database where every match was registered, maybe using contacts in Eastern countries may help, since it may be broken down in many pieces throughout the country. But that's a hell of a mission! Didn't the FILA had the project of collecting these videos?
++

Craig Vitagliano 4 years ago

Mister Vitagliano, do you know where I could find the match between John Smith and Alben Kumbarov at the 1986 goodwill games? Alben is my coach and he says that he took a 5-0 lead then that they got even at 5-5 and that John won by referees decision... I think that it would be interesting to see Smith in that situation, and especially how he got these points scored on him... Thank you (and by the way, thank you for these great vids :-))

Hello Nicolas. I do not have this match. I wish I did because I have always been curious as to how it all went down myself.

daniel cataldi 4 years ago

pshhh...i could beat him

gyakujujijime 4 years ago

Mister Vitagliano, do you know where I could find the match between John Smith and Alben Kumbarov at the 1986 goodwill games? Alben is my coach and he says that he took a 5-0 lead then that they got even at 5-5 and that John won by referees decision... I think that it would be interesting to see Smith in that situation, and especially how he got these points scored on him... Thank you (and by the way, thank you for these great vids :-))

4 years ago

Congressman Jim Jordan! Jim for president

Zebulin Miller 4 years ago

This is awesome! Unfortunate that Jordan did not win, but John Smith was and is still the standard for USA wrestling! I hope we can have Olympics and World Championships like we used to. It is really important that we get back on top, I am excited for the challenge ahead!

YUPP 4 years ago

jim is the man he was the last american to beat smith before he took a training trip

storppey 4 years ago

I agree with sly. Smith was the very Best!! and also very entertaining.

sly 4 years ago

he was the very best. i could watch video on him any day of the week.

Brian 4 years ago

Good wrestlers. Conditioning actually used to be a factor in freestyle. Now days you can be out of the Olympics after 2, 2 minute periods of pushing and shoving. Nice to see a ref dress like a ref. I don't get the coat and tie they wear now. Today's freestyle wrestling is almost unwatchable. Bring back the old rules!

arm-spin 4 years ago

Is this the same tournament where Smith wrestled Randy Lewis? Oh, and and that reverse slam or whatever it's called at 1:43 was sweet.

Ohio 4 years ago

Freestyle use to be fun to wrestle and watch. Back then they actually wrestled. Great vid. thanks.

okie 4 years ago

so american freestylers actually scored points. wow that would be awesome if that could happen again.

JayPuma 4 years ago

John Smith is my favorite American wrestler!

kernl 4 years ago

Guru could you post any video from the National championships when jordan defeated smith?

The Guru Archives, Match of the Week

Wrestling Matches

Coverage Videos

48 (1)

52 (5)

55 (3)

57 (3)

60 (1)

62 (6)

63 (1)

66 (4)

68 (6)

69 (1)

74 (5)

76 (2)

82 (1)

84 (4)

85 (1)

96 (1)

97 (1)

114.5 (3)

125.5 (9)

130 (1)

136.5 (4)

152 (1)

163 (2)

180.5 (1)

198 (1)

220 (1)

The video you are looking for has not finished processing.
Please check back in a few minutes.

John Smith v. Jim Jordan, 1988 Olympic Trials 19017 views

Custom

Wrestling Matches

Coverage Videos

The video you are looking for has not finished processing. Please check back in a few minutes.

Get notified with every new Craig Vitagliano Video.

John Smith v. Jim Jordan, 1988 Olympic Trials 19017 views

Custom

The video you are looking for has not finished processing.
Please check back in a few minutes.