WRESTLING WITH THE DEVIL

The Bobby Douglas Story

IN DEVELOPMENT - Documentary Feature

Bobby Douglas – American Wrestling Legend

The untold story of one of the greatest coaches that ever lived. Wrestling with the Devil, chronicle`s the storied career of Bobby Douglas, the first black wrestler to make a US Olympic team, and one of the few men to ever defeat the legendary Dan Gable. As a coach Douglas tore down stereotypes, assembling one of the most diverse teams in the country, and like a Phoenix, out of the desert, guided the Arizona State Sun Devils to their historic 1988 NCAA team title.

What He Did for the Sport

Bobby Douglas wasn’t just a top American athlete, he shifted seamlessly into a coaching career, quickly establishing himself as one of the nation’s premier teachers. He is an author and educator for wrestling practice and performance. His book The Takedown, revolutionized wrestling and gave kids all over the country a visual graph, showing distance and space with a variety of techniques. He is widely known as one of the greatest technicians in the world, learning from international champions certain skills he brought back to America. A complex champion who forever changed the wrestling world and will leave behind a legacy of teaching, nurturing, and giving back to the sport that saved his life.

He inspired greatness within his athletes and coaches. Bobby Douglas coached several U.S. Olympic teams, is one of only four collegiate coaches to win more than 400 dual meets, and he won an NCAA team national title at Arizona State. His coaching accomplishments include 13 NCAA Champions, 110 All-America performances, and 68 conference titles.

Supporter of America’s top female wrestler

Bobby risked his job by allowing the first woman, Patricia Saunders, the opportunity to train in his wrestling room. Patricia went on to win four world championships, changing the landscape of sports by igniting a movement that started our women’s national wrestling team in United States.

Role Model for Black Excellence

Born into poverty, Bobby Douglas excelled as an athlete before a coach. He became the first black athlete to capture a high school state wrestling championship in the state of Ohio, then burst onto the college national wrestling scene by winning the NAIA National Championship. Bobby Douglas had already begun to make his mark at the national and international levels. He was the top American wrestler, ruling his weight class for 10 years. As a competitor Douglas captured five national championships and a pair of U.S. Olympic Trials titles and was the first black wrestler to captain the U.S. Olympic Team at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. He was named the USA’s outstanding wrestler in 1970, the year he retired. He accumulated a career record of 303-17-7 (.953) from his high school days through his World Championship competition. He is a distinguished member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

The Importance of this Documentary

Wrestling with the Devil is an inspiration to all people who are denied access yet continue to pursue their dreams even in the face of impossible odds. Bobby Douglas walked the road less traveled and put himself on the line to give people of all backgrounds the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Douglas set the bar high with his legacy and this documentary will reveal this true untold story that has helped to shape this country’s success in wrestling, social diversity, and education. His story is a role model for young black Americans representing the ideals they can aspire to for their own success.

SO WHAT

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