I was recently listening to the Red Dirt Golf Hour podcast, and they were discussing the “Oklahoma Golf Trail.” A few years ago, the Oklahoma House of Representatives pushed legislation to commission a trail highlighting some of the state’s top golf courses. This was intended to attract tourism and enhance golf throughout the state. A commission was formed, they selected courses, and it was recently launched.
Though it may not have the same reach as Oklahoma’s Golf and Fishing trails, it gave me the idea for a story/concept to could apply to wrestling. An “Oklahoma Wrestling Trail” with ten tourist stops for wrestling fans across the state of Oklahoma.
The Shelby Wilson and Doug Blubaugh Statues at Ponca City High School
Ponca City has as much tradition as many top wrestling programs in the state. Located in the Ponca City High School gym are statues of Olympic Gold Medalists Shelby Wilson and Doug Blubaugh. Both were Olympic Gold Medalists in 1960. For a mid-size town in Oklahoma to have two Olympic Gold Medalists is pretty remarkable, and this is a great homage to them. It goes beyond just the statues to tell more of their story in pictures and plaques in their historic gym that is home to eight state championship wrestling teams.
Air Force Monument-Kerr Park, Oklahoma City
This one is a little unique, as depending on how you look at it, you may not consider it wrestling-related. In 1964, a statue was built for an Air Force monument. The inscription reads as follows.
“Dedicated to the memory of those Oklahomans who have given their lives while serving their country as members of the United States Air Force and for the working men and women at Tinker Air Force Base, both military and civilian, who have and continue to give of themselves for the defense of the homeland we so dearly love.”
How does it connect to wrestling? The model for the statue was former OU wrestler and longtime Air Force Head Coach Wayne Baughman. It was restored and rededicated in 2003 and has been a prominent downtown Oklahoma City fixture since.
Perry Wrestling Monument Park
Opened in May of 2016, the Perry Wrestling Monument Park is billed as “the greatest memorial ever created to honor a high school wrestling program.” It’s hard to argue against the claim. The park features statues of Olympic medalists Danny Hodge and Jack Van Bebber and tells the story of the history of Perry wrestling and their 43 team state titles. This is an absolute must-see for any wrestling fan.
The John Smith Statue at John Smith Fieldhouse in Del City
Oklahoma is home to arguably the greatest American wrestler ever in John Smith. And in his hometown of Del City is the “John Smith Fieldhouse”. In the fieldhouse named after him stands a statue of John. I was once told that Oklahoma has more wrestling statues than any other state in the country. I don’t know that for certain, but I’m not aware of many other wrestling statues across the United States. These seven statues is a very unique thing for our state. I would even guess we may have more than most, if not all, other countries.
Monday/Tisdale Court-Booker T. Washington
How many basketball courts are named after a wrestler? I would guess not many. But we have one here at Booker T. Washington. The recently reinstated wrestling program lays their mats out on “Monday/Tisdale Court” in honor of Olympic Gold Medalist and Booker T. Washington graduate Kenny Monday.
OSU Wrestling: Booker T. Washington Naming Hoops Court after Kenny Monday | Pistols Firing
Hetrick Fieldhouse and Top of Oklahoma Museum in Blackwell
North Central Oklahoma has some incredible wrestling history. Blackwell, Ponca City, Perry, and other small towns have compiled several Olympians, multiple Gold medalists, and NCAA Champions.
I was in Blackwell doing a preseason story on their team a few years ago. I walked the gym and got to see a lot of neat history, but also made a random stop at the Top of Oklahoma Museum down the road. I just had a feeling they might have some neat wrestling history in the museum, and they did. An entire section is dedicated to wrestling. The museum curator (I forget her name) was very knowledgeable about the sport/program and had a lot of great information about it. At one point, they even had Ross Floyd’s Olympic Silver Medal on display.
I don’t know what it is, but similar to Perry, there is something about the community in Blackwell that is heavily invested in wrestling, and it was a great experience to see some of that here.
McCasland Fieldhouse
The home of OU wrestling. Danny Hodge, Stan Abel, the Schultz brothers, and so many other wrestling legends competed in this venue. The last few years, I’ve attended the Crimson/Cream duals, and there is always a bit more relaxed environment for those. There is obviously a lot of pressure for the athletes competing for starting jobs, but from a crowd and fan standpoint, you can come in a little early, the crowds are smaller, and you can walk freely in the venue to get a look at everything, for the most part.
It’s an awesome experience. To see some of those legends of the sport embossed on the wall, to be in a historic arena that has housed some of the all-time greats in the sport. It’s a very cool feeling.
The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame
The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame does a great job recognizing wrestlers and the sport’s place in our state. Tommy Chesbro, Kendall Cross, David James, Pat, John, and Lee Roy Smith, Jack Vanbebber, Danny Hodge, Wayne Wells, Wayne Baughman, Kenny Monday, and many more are recognized here.
Heritage Hall and Gallagher-Iba Arena
If you’re a wrestling person who is making the trip to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, take the time to walk through Heritage Hall and Gallagher-Iba Arena. Just a few steps from the Hall of Fame, Heritage Hall houses many of Oklahoma State’s Wrestling National Championship trophies, a gold-plated pair of Kendall Cross wrestling shoes, numerous photos, articles, and other wrestling artifacts. The arena itself, one of the few in the country named for a wrestling coach, has even more.
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame
This wrestling season, I hosted a show from the Hall of Fame, and said it consistently as we did episodes of the show. It’s such an incredible thing for the sport and the state to have this here in Oklahoma. From the history and stories each display tells, to the wall of monuments with all of the members. It’s so wonderful for so many reasons that we have this shrine to wrestling in our state, and it’s something we all as a wrestling community should support.
These can all make for great day trips, and stops like Perry Monument Park, Gallagher Hall, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame are all grouped within a few miles of each other, making for very accessible viewing for any wrestling fan.
*Disclaimer
Some of these locations are in high schools and other venues that may not always be open to the public. If you’re looking to stop in, I highly encourage checking on accessibility beforehand.
