NEWARK, NJ • Coming into match one at 65kg of the best-of-three series at the World Team Trials for the honor to represent the United States of America at the World Championships in Croatia come September, Real Woods had demonstrated, mostly through his run at the WTT Challenge Tournament, that he is one, never out of a match, and two, wrestling is wrestling. Woods, who is still fairly green in his freestyling, has shown amazing growth in a short amount of time, and, more than anything, simply knows how to take to his coaching, how to wrestle through positions, and how to wrestle into his best positions where he can find scoring opportunities.
Match Number One
Once Real Woods’ name was called for the first match in his best-of-three series against Joey McKenna, he walked to the center of the USA Wrestling and Rudis logoed mat in his blue Cliff Keen singlet while donning some impressive wrestling shoes: solid blue Puma’s with a shiny silver logo stretching across the shoe’s side. Once centered, and after hands were shook, it was time to see if the less seasoned Woods was going to be able to outlast the more seasoned and savvier McKenna.
As period one of match one began, it was Woods moving more on the outside with his left hand touching and pulling and fending off as he used his left-leg lead to change levels and create motion. McKenna, holding center, would chase a bit and work himself into a shot on Woods’ left leg. However, even though it was McKenna’s shot, Woods pulled McKenna into his hip, locked up a head pinch, squeezed, ran his right foot deep under McKenna’s body, and pulled…and pulled…and pulled. But, McKenna, somehow, did not go. He fought it, but Woods showed almost immediately where he wanted to be and where he knew he could wrestle and force action and find points.
Off the restart in what was still a 0-0 match, Woods continued to use a heavy right hand to keep distance and swat at McKenna’s head, and McKenna continued to hold center and slowly work into a tie to try and contain Woods’ motion.
Inside of a new tie and off the hand fight, McKenna now found himself on the activity clock after being called for his second passivity call. Inside of these thirty seconds, there would be no anxiousness on either wrestler’s part, and through it all Woods remained Woods with his distance and levels and fakes. After the expiration of the activity clock, Woods was awarded the first points of the match and took a 1-0 lead.
From there, it would be McKenna looking to close the gap, and he would find success as he tied up Woods’ wrists and defeated the openness of the space Woods was creating. In that, Woods transitioned to a two-on-one, and the action would be stalemated as Woods now stifled McKenna’s offense.
In what would become the final sequence of the period, there still appeared to be some feeling out of the positions and ties as this was the first-ever meeting between Woods and McKenna. And, with 0:20 left, McKenna wrestled himself into a shot on Woods’ left leg. And, as Woods defended, he squared up his position and worked into his front head position, the same position he worked for his head pinch attempt earlier in the match. But time would expire, and Woods would head into the break with a 1-0 lead.
In Woods’ corner, Kevin Jackson, in his “Real Deal” t-shirt, coached up Woods seemingly on position and where he was wrestling well.
When the second period began, it would be a quick attack by McKenna on Woods, but Woods would find a reattack on McKenna and the two ended up in a crack down position with Woods fighting to secure the leg and come underneath, and McKenna fighting with hips. And as Woods looked to secure the leg and hold his position, the savvy McKenna worked into a crotch lift and scored a very quick and clever two-point exposure. Woods, still working through the position, and now in a more secure base with McKenna’s leg strapped across his chest, would hold and fight to score, but the position was stalemated and the two came to their feet.
At this point in the match, McKenna now held a 2-1 advantage, but McKenna would come back off the restart looking for another score.
As the whistle blew, McKenna took a left-handed single to Woods’ right leg and, in the fight for position and in the fight to defend, McKenna brought Woods’ leg up to his feet as the battle continued off the mat. Woods remained poised and balanced, and when McKenna knew he could not score a takedown, he simply walked Woods out of bounds in his effort to score. McKenna would add another point to his lead, now 3-1, and there was only 1:30 remaining in the match. And in his past few competitions, this was when Woods really focused in and found a way.
With a two-point lead, McKenna was now less aggressive as Woods became more openly aggressive in his attacks through his setups. Woods was using a heavy right hand to entice movement out of McKenna, but McKenna’s position was now more to the outside of the center and in a circular motion. It was clear that McKenna’s motive or strategy at this point was to defend and use his two-point lead to eat up more time on the clock.
In those outside and circular positions, Woods would continue to pressure forward, and, in that pressure, McKenna took a shot on Woods’ right leg. As McKenna tried to shelf the position with about 0:30 remaining in the match, Woods secured a pause and a stalemate. And even thought McKenna did not score, he was able to eliminate more precious seconds off the clock.
A timeout would be called after the pause in action as McKenna had a cut under his right eye and it was bleeding. During this time out, Woods appeared to be recomposing himself for his final sprint. In that final sprint, with only 0:23 remaining, Woods was going to have to wrestle into his position, find his scoring opportunity, use some savviness of his own, and execute—and he would.
Once the whistle blew, Woods came forward with heavy hands and pressure and levels as he looked to score. Off a McKenna reaction, Woods threw his chest over McKenna’s head and forced a front head position. From there, Woods would again, as he did to open the match, work into his head pinch, lock it up, throw and extend his right foot under the defensive-minded McKenna, and pull with all his might as the position was working itself near the edge of the mat. However, as Woods and McKenna entered the zone through their fight and on their way out of bounds, Woods would create the power and pull he needed and pop through his head pinch. Four points would be awarded and confirmed, and Woods was now, with 0:14 remaining, in charge of the match with a 5-3 lead.
A challenge brick was thrown onto the mat, and the challenge held. Woods would be awarded two and not four points as McKenna’s knee was on the mat. In this, Woods would have a 3-3 criteria lead instead. And, once the whistle restarted the match, it was Woods in defensive mode.
McKenna attacked immediately, but in his anxiousness to score, he would get caught with a four-point exposure, pushing Woods’ lead, 7-3, and that is where the first match would end.
Once the final whistle was blown, Woods pounded his chest as he looked to his corner and raised the number one finger on his right hand as he displayed his confidence and ability to once again come back and take a big victory with some savviness of his own. With one win recorded in the series, Woods would need to win one more to make the World Team.
Match Number Two
In match one, it was Woods, as he has done in his most recent bouts, putting himself in positions to win and then capitalizing on those positions at the end of matches. For match two, would Woods continue to grow and show how good he is, or would it be McKenna using his experience and ability to shoot that would win the bout? McKenna had to win match two to force and match three. As for Woods, with a win, the series would be over and a trip to Croatia would be secured.
As Woods was introduced, he came out from behind the black curtain and through the fog in his red Cliff Keen singlet and black Pumas with that shiny silver logo shining across his foot. Once on the stage, he walked back and forth until it was time to perform, and when it was time to perform, Woods came out prepared and ready to go.
Almost immediately off the whistle, McKenna attacked and set the tone for how he wanted match two to unfold. Off his offense, however, was a strong defense by Woods. And, like the bookends of match one, Woods would try to work himself into his head pinch. He would get there, but there would be no turn, and a stalemate would be called.
Off the restart, McKenna fired in on another shot. Again, Woods defended and worked into his front headlock position and tried to hit the corner and come behind McKenna for a takedown, a position that Woods had been very successful with over the years. In that sequence, Woods would fight to score, but McKenna would lock up Woods’ leg and stall out the position and force a neutral position.
From the fresh start, Woods took the first shot and McKenna defended. As the two wrestled through the position and came to their feet hand fighting, Woods locked up McKenna’s wrist, forcing his own control, but he would be hit for passivity in the process.
There would be a blood timeout for McKenna, and each man would go back to his corner.
Once the match resumed, it was Woods back on the aggressive. He would hit a low single to McKenna’s left leg, bring it to his feet and, in the process, switch to a double leg. In this transition, from a low sigle to a double while coming to his feet, Woods displayed his utter strength as he lifted McKenna, tied up his legs, and slammed him down into the mat for a four-point move for a 4-0 lead.
Now chasing, McKenna, once on his feet, was progressing forward and trying to close the distacnce Woods was creating. Woods, who remained calm, cool, and collected, fended off another McKenna attack with a sprawl and a chest lock. And, as Woods went to score, McKenna took advantage of the position he had and came to the side of Woods near the edge of the circle and score a takedown of his own. The match was now 4-2, Woods, but the match was also within striking distance for McKenna as they went into the break.
At the start of the second period, it was Woods moving forward but McKenna got in on another shot. In that sequence, McKenna drove Woods off the mat, grounded, but McKenna was the aggressor, and the momentum of the match seemed to be swaying in his favor. Back on their feet, McKenna fired off a hi-crotch and Woods kicked out of it. From there, McKenna tied up Woods, but now Woods was in on a shot. However, coming out of his position, McKenna would reattack and score a second takedown on Woods. The score was now 4-4 with Woods holding criteria, but there was 1:30 remaining in the match, and Woods was going to have to score, or he was going to have to find a way to keep McKenna for earning another score.
With both wrestlers holding center and hand fighting with heavy hands and head snaps, Woods decided to once again attack. There would be no score as each wrestler cleared position, and with one minute left, McKenna fired off another shot. Woods, amazingly, jumped into a cartwheel to avoid the move, and time would continue to tick down as both McKenna and Woods were in a race with time.
For the next twenty-five seconds, it was McKenna looking for an opening and Woods looking to defend; but with 0:25 left, Woods was hit with an intention. He would not be consequenced with a point in favor of McKenna, but anything else where he may be deemed fleeing or evading could lose him the match, so Woods needed to be intentional in his mat positioning.
Before another start, McKenna had one more bandaging in his corner, and when the action started it was Woods circling as McKenna came forward. McKenna fired in on a shot and Woods defended. In that fight, McKenna tried to force Woods to a pushout, but Woods remained grounded and, with 0:06 left, Woods was within reach of winning the match.
In that final restart, McKenna came forward and Woods defended, and as time ran out McKenna called for a challenge brick claiming Woods pulled his singlet. During the review, Woods right finger did get caught inside McKenna’s singlet, but the rules state that the grab or pull must be intentional and impede the offense of the attacker, which it did not.
After the challenge point was added to Woods’ score, it was a 5-4 win. Woods raised both his hands in victory and exited the mat being congratulated by his family and friends. However, through all his excitement, one of his coaches, Izzy Martinez, had to redirect Woods to the stage to have his hand raised and receive his award.
“After that win there was a lot of fulfill-ness,” Woods said in great appreciation. “I’m just happy I got a big step in my goal of becoming a World and Olympic champion out of the way. I feel like I made a lot of adjustments, I had a lot of adjustments this year and I’m proud of myself, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the people around me. So right after my match I wanted to show them my love and appreciation.
“As far as winning and positions in my matches, I practice those positions all the time, I’ve been there. I have phenomenal coaches who put me there every day and it’s crazy to say that because of how many positions you can be in with this sport. My coaches are the top of the top and they help me feel comfortable in those positions.”
As for where Woods goes from here as he sets his sites on the World Championships, he was clear: “I’m ready to go get all these guys.”
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• TC LIFONTI / LEAD WRITER FOR ILLINOIS MATMEN / tclifonti.com
