Terry Brands » Terry Brands v. Kendall Cross 1995 World Team Trials, Match 1

I'd have to say that kendall is such a boring wrestler to watch. Go Brands!

tjx, the country'sabsolute worst sportsman when he lost was Andre Metzger.
Threw his second place award across the arena at the trials in Pensacola in 88. Lost a lot of respect for a talented individual there.

First let me first preface this by saying that I was and am a HUGE Terry Brands fan, HUGE! To this day, one of my favorite matches to watch of all time is the thrashing Brands delivering one cold evening in Carver Hawkeye Arena to defending NCAA Champion and MVP of the big show Jeff Prescott who had moved up that night. Incredible! With that being said, how could anybody feel "bad" for Brands??? This guy was the sport's MOST GRACIOUS WINNER yet the absolute WORST MOST UNSPORTSMANLIKE LOSER this country has ever seen. When he lost his bid for the Olympics, he brushes off Cross and crawls off the mat on his knees. At least from the video footage, I will go ahead assume that he never returned to the center like a true sportsman, shook hands, and left the mat with his head high. He pulled similar antics when he lost to Jason Kelber, crying his eyes out then running off the mat, not shaking hands, etc. And please save the "THAT IS THE ATTITUDE THAT MADE THEM GREAT TJ X!!!" That is nonsense, go watch Saitiev lose to Slay, go watch all of Dave Schultz's losses, go watch John Smith's very few losses. Those guys were every bit the competitor as these Branding Irons but none, that I ever saw, pulled the antics following losses that these guys did. AND I LOVE THE BRANDS, that is what hurts so much to write this.

I felt very bad for Brands having only seen the last of the 3 matches.

I don't anymore after this match. I DO NOT LIKE how Cross scores the majority of his freestyle points off action someone else created.
I do like how he has shown a generation of American wrestlers that we can beat the Europeans and Asians at their own game.
He also won that match. I LOVE what Iowa does for US wrestling, but the only reason that wasn't 2 on that high gut was because of who was being turned. Or who was in his corner.
It all came out in the wash with Cross going on to win the Gold medal. Correct outcome and the US won the Gold. Seems like the system worked despite the bad call on the tilt.

You happen to have any Brands/Fisher trials?

DO you have the rest of this series? You should post it

I've watched most every Brands/Cross match there is on Youtube. Cross just has a style and natural flexability that Brands had trouble with.

The 3rd match in the '96 trials is the best to watch.

Great match. Those counters Kendall tried in the 1st period were ridiculous.

I didn't like the fleeing the mat call either. I though Kendall scored on that last second tilt, but it's hard to tell from the video angle.
For a world champ Brands doesn't seem very comfortable in a gut-wrench position on top.

there was no turn at the end in my opinon. it seemed like cross was waiting to hit something big the whole match but never did. brands takedown defence was to good. it seemed like cross didnt wrestle well against brands style of wrestling

yo tell me metcalf doesnt wrestle like brands

it seems that brands' back may have been exposed during cross' hip-over out of the first takedown attempt by terry, in the first round.

Brands was the aggressor the entire match. Great match.

so wait why didn't cross get the turn point, brands back was clearly exposed.

close but couldn't argue either way