Bedlam wrestling dual brings memories, future of the rivalry to mind of coaches, wrestlers

Dec. 8—Bedlam has gained a lot of attention over the past year with the announcement of Oklahoma following Texas to the SEC.

But most of the focus has been on the football series — while curiosity still remains on the other sports that square off annually in Stillwater and Norman.

Perhaps the most significant is the sport in which the Bedlam rivalry derives — wrestling.

The pair of wrestling programs square off this Sunday in Norman for the first of two duals, the other scheduled for mid-February in Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Oklahoma State's wrestling legend John Smith expressed Wednesday that the importance of the rivalry transcends both universities when it comes to the rivalry within the sport of wrestling.

"I think we will still see Bedlam wrestling," the Cowboy coach said. "I don't see any reason why we wouldn't do that. It sure wouldn't be healthy for the sport if we didn't see Bedlam wrestling. I just don't see that it's better that we're not wrestling."

The future of Bedlam wrestling could even be secured by the Big 12 Conference, as well.

With former commissioner Bob Bowlsby having worked to boost the imprint of the league's wrestling through affiliates, it saw a recent return over a former program that had its athletic department move to the SEC — where there is no wrestling — in the Missouri Tigers. While Smith hasn't met with Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, he has told OSU athletics director Chad Weiberg to pass along word to the new commissioner on the importance of wrestling within the league.

And perhaps that includes retaining the Sooners' wrestling program as an affiliate even as the remainder of the OU athletics department dip for the SEC.

"Hopefully we learned from that because here they (Missouri) are back in 10 years, 11 years later — when we wanted it to happen 10 years, 11 years ago," Smith said. "We had to work every year to get them back home, so I don't think we're in that situation (with Oklahoma)."

For Smith, Bedlam has been a significant part of his entire life.

The 57-year-old wrestling legend recalled some of the recent Bedlam highlights — Stillwater High graduate Kaid Brock pinning OU's Cody Brewer, the defending national champion, in 2015 and the 2001 dual in GIA in which Daniel Cormier pinned Oklahoma's Josh Lambrecht (who would be a national finalist a season later) in front of the largest crowd for a Cowboy wrestling dual at that time.

Though the amount of Bedlam matches he has coached makes difficult to pinpoint any specific moment as one of the most memorable, it's different went he thinks about his time wrestling against the Sooners.

"I remember mine, my own battle and experience — which were tough," Smith said. "My freshman year, beating a guy named (Mark Zimmer) that ended up placing at nationals — and I didn't, so that wasn't a very good feeling.

"I remember Bedlam when I was a kid when the fight broke out in 1978. I remember being the towel boy at 10 years old, hitting the referee on the back with the towel when my brother was wrestling here at old Gallagher Hall. So yeah, I got a lot of good memories."

It's a similar situation for many of the Cowboys on his roster, as well.

There are 21 Oklahoma natives training in the wrestling room for the Cowboys, with seven of the starting 10 in the lineup hailing from in-state.

And for them, Bedlam is wrestling.

"It's gonna be important that we continue to wrestle them because it could be the only kind of Bedlam we have is those wrestling duals," said Sand Springs native Daton Fix, whose father also wrestled at Oklahoma State. "So hopefully it makes those matches even bigger for not just wrestling fans, but fans of the schools if it's the only time that we're going against each. I think that would be a pretty big event."

While they cheered for the Cowboys while growing up throughout the Sooner State, they have learned a more valuable lesson when it comes to Bedlam now that they are entrenched in the rivalry at personal level.

It's a simple message that Smith instills into every Cowboy class that steps foot onto the mat wearing the iconic orange and black chevron that has been emblazoned on OSU's warmups for generations.

"They just don't beat us," said 157-pound starter Kaden Gfeller, who grew up in Oklahoma City. "That's what Coach Smith preaches, 'We don't lose to them!'"

Follow News Press sports editor Jason Elmquist on Twitter @jelmquistSW for updates on Oklahoma State and high school athletics.