Below is the 8-man bracket for the Presidential Wrestling Tournament, visit our facebook page at Facebook.com/flowrestling each day and participate in our PresidentialWrestling Tournament polls to pick who you think should win each individual match. There will be seven matches, 4 first round, 2 semis and 1 final which means the tournament will take place over 7 days. YOU pick the winners.
Abe Lincoln Dominates His Way To Tourney Title
Abe Lincoln won his first two tournament matches, a pin over JFK in the quarterfinals and a 14-5 decision in the semis of the Flowrestling Tournament of Presidents. In the championship finals Lincoln met the #3 seed George Washington who upset second seeded Teddy Roosevelt in the semis in an overtime match which will be talked about for years to come. Roosevelt appeared to be the more consistent wrestler score more often than Washington, but George Washington pulled out some funk and scored in bunches, winning a scramble in overtime to get the win.

     Everyone was wondering how that tough match might affect our first president as he headed into the finals. Washington gave it everything he had and maybe just a little more to beat Roosevelt while Lincoln had a much more relaxed road to the finals. Despite having had such an exhausting semis match, Geoge Washington actually scored the first takedown against Abe Lincoln. Honest Abe shot in on a low single and Washington pulled out the funk again and was able to create a scramble and come out on top. Unfortunately for him that's about when his luck ran out. 

     Lincoln may have been a bit unhappy after giving up the quick takedown but for the rest of the match it was Abe Lincoln putting on a clinic. He used a mixture of slick and power moves, taking Washington down with ankle picks and blast doubles. Lincoln locked up a far side cradle in the second and a near side cradle in the third. The near side cradle put him up by 7 so once Washington got off his back Lincoln cut him to look for the takedown and major decision. Back on the feet Abe got back in on the same low single he had in the first and Washington goes right into starting a scramble. But Lincoln learned and adjusted from the first period and secured the takedown with short time left. He held on for the major decision and tournament title and was named the most outstanding wrestler of the tournament. 

Lincoln Spladles His Way To Finals
Article By Ian McCutcheon

Abe Lincoln turned a potential early deficit into a commanding lead and never looked back as he rolled into finals with a 14-5 victory over Bill Clinton.

Lincoln was in danger of being taken down for the first time in the tournament, but as Clinton struggled to turn the corner on a head inside single, Lincoln used his 6’5 frame to hook Clinton’s far leg.  There was an audible gasp from the crowd when they saw the spladle locked up.  That gasp turned into a roar as Lincoln rolled Clinton back for five big points and control of the match.

“Oh, I was baiting him into that one” said Lincoln through a wry smile, “give the people something to get excited about.  In all seriousness though, he surprised me with the shot off the whistle.  With the head inside shot, the spladle is something I look for because of my height, it’s never something I expect to use.”

Clinton knew that was his one chance to pull the upset.  “I needed to get an early lead.  Lincoln is a different guy when he has to wrestle from behind.  He doesn’t defend his legs particularly well, but your finishes have to be clean.  I hesitated a little, and all of a sudden I’m on my back with my legs up over my head.  I’m not used to being the one in that position.”

From there, it was a clinic.  Lincoln chose top in the second and an unleashed his lethal cradle, holding Clinton in a nearfall position for 35 seconds before the 42nd President wiggled free to his feet.  Clinton was able to explode off the bottom at the start of the third, but Lincoln displayed some offense from his feet, nailing two Sanderson-esque cross ankle picks to put an exclamation point on his victory.

“I’m pleased with the way I wrestled,” said Lincoln  “he’s a tough competitor, and unlike some other guys, he came right at me.  That allowed me to open up a little more and wrestle, and I had the opportunity to show what I can do.”

Lincoln’s wrestling resume is unmatched by any other president and he is the overwhelming favorite.  So far, he has lived up to the hype.  He has yet to allow an offensive point, and Clinton’s early single was the only offensive attempt that has been close.  But he says there’s no pressure that comes with being the top seed.

“Pressure, are you kidding me?  I just get to go out and wrestle, this is fun.  Be the President during the Civil War, then we can talk about pressure.  I just wish James Buchanon was in this tournament so I could beat the hell out of him.  I don’t even care that he’s from PA.”