Michael Houck

Michael Houck (* 1959 ) is a former American wrestler . He was world champion 1985 in Greco-Roman. Light heavyweight style.

Career

Michael Houck began wrestling as a teenager in college in Minnesota . He developed into an excellent wrestler in the Greco-Roman style. He became a member of the Minnesota Wrestling Club and, after fighting his way into the US top class, trained by Dan Chandler.

After several successes in student wrestling (NCAA), he started in 1981 for the first time at an international championship, the world championship in Oslo in the light heavyweight division. But he had to learn the hard way there, because he lost his first two fights against János Fodor from Hungary and Igor Kanygin from the Soviet Union and finished in 10th place in the final accounts.

In 1982 he was the first American light heavyweight champion. He repeated this title win in 1984 and 1985. In 1983 he again took part in the World Cup, which took place in Kiev . But again he had to retire there after two defeats.

In 1984 he fought with Steve Fraser in the so-called Trials for the starting place at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles . In several tough fights Steve Fraser prevailed, who then also became Olympic champion .

Michael Houck did not give up and took part in the 1985 World Cup again in Kolbotn / Norway . In the meantime, matured and physically very strong, he created a little sensation there, because he defeated multiple Soviet world and Olympic champion Igor Kanygin in the final battle for the world title and became the first US wrestler to compete in the Greco-Roman. Style won a world title.

After this victory he did not start at any major international championships. He continued his education at Maranatha Baptist Bible College, became a youth wrestling coach and was from 1990 to 1995 as the successor to Dan Chandler coach of the US national team of wrestlers in Greco-Roman. Style. He now works in education in Minnesota and resides in Victoria, Minnesota.

International success

(all competitions in the Greco-Roman style, WM = world championship, light heavyweight, at that time up to 90 kg body weight)

year	space	competition	Weight class
1981	10.	World Cup in Oslo	Semi-difficult	after defeats against János Fodor, Hungary a . Igor Kanygin , USSR
1982	5.	World Cup in Budapest	Semi-difficult	behind Igor Kanygin, Norbert Növényi , Hungary, Franz Pitschmann , Austria a. Redak Tatawi, Egypt a . in front of Tamio Iwamura, Japan
1983	9.	World Cup in Kiev	Semi-difficult	Winner: Igor Kanygin ahead of Atanas Komtschew , Bulgaria a . Norbert Növényi
1985	1.	World Cup in Kolbotn / Norway	Semi-difficult	before Igor Kanygin, Atanas Komtschew, Ilie Matei , Romania , Bogdan Merkiel, Poland and Frank Andersson , Sweden
1988	4th	World Cup in Athens	Semi-difficult	behind Sjarhej Dzjamjaschkewitsch , USSR, Sotirios Anagnastopoulos, Greece u. Guillermo Cruz, Cuba

swell

• Trade magazine Der Ringer from 1981 to 1988,
• International Wrestling Database of the Institute for Applied Training Sciences at the University of Leipzig

Web link

Profile of Michael Houck at the Institute for Applied Training Science