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Wrestling Changed My Life (Wrestling Podcast)

#144 Trailer for Assembly Fall (Audio Documentary)

Wrestling Changed My Life (Wrestling Podcast)

Wrestling Changed My Life

Sports

4.91.1K Ratings

🗓️ 27 June 2020

⏱️ 2 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Airing next Tuesday, Assembly Fall. An audio documentary brought to you by Wrestling Changed My Life. In a match dubbed as the biggest upset in Illinois history, Matt Kucala defied the odds and pinned the previously unbeaten Eric Tannenbaum at the 2001 IHSA state finals. Assembly Fall takes an in-depth look at that match and answers the question: is it the biggest upset in state history? *Summary On February 17, 2001, Illinois wrestling fans witnessed one of the most shocking upsets in state history as Eric Tannenbaum and Matt Kucala wrestled for the 125 lbs crown. Heading into the match, Tannenbaum 86-0 and the defending state champion. He was aiming to become the first undefeated, 4x state champ in Illinois history. Kucala had other plans. *Director’s Take If you were a wrestling fan in 2001, you'll never forget where you were when you heard about the Tannenbaum-Kucala match. But most know almost nothing about the Tannenbaum and Kucala stories, as well as what happened in the hours and minutes leading up to that fateful match. Our mission with ‘Assembly Fall’ was to bring Eric and Matt’s stories to life. Most important, we wanted to show just what it takes to achieve something incredible, and how to respond after your lifelong goal is ripped from your hands - as it was for Tannenbaum. We also set out to answer the age-old question - is this the biggest upset in finals history? Was the pin a fluke? Was Eric even pinned? Did Kucala really choose top in the third period with a 1-point lead? Assembly Fall, I hope, answers these questions and shows a behind-the-curtain look at this incredible match.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Ladies and gentlemen this is your host Ryan Warner happy Saturday

0:04.0

next Tuesday we're going live with a new audio documentary and it's called Assembly

0:08.8

Fall. It's about the 2001 IHSA State Finals between Eric Tannenbaum, who was 86 in

0:15.2

0 at the time, and Matt Kukula, the long lengthy pinning machine.

0:21.4

This match is dubbed as the biggest upset in Illinois history and it's still talked about to this day

0:26.7

Here's the trailer

0:29.2

Is this the biggest upset on Illinois history to you. Um, probably, I mean that I can think of yeah.

0:43.0

To me what an upset is, is somebody that beats somebody that not only are the odds against them but probably shouldn't beat them you know

0:53.8

somebody that if you wrestle 10 15 20 a hundred times they would win 99 or you know

0:59.1

if that to me is what defines an upset is somebody that probably should never win should never have one

1:05.6

Well Matt Kukula has the attention of all those assembled at Assembly Hall because he's trying to do something

1:11.6

nobody's ever done in high school and that's beat Eric Tannenbaum.

1:14.4

I mean it was so loud probably I've never heard it louder than that moment.

1:18.8

Oh he's in trouble again, he's in trouble.

1:20.6

He can feel the adrenaline go up.

1:23.0

It was one of those iconic moments.

1:25.0

Is it the biggest upset Illinois history?

1:27.0

No.

1:28.0

In our minds, it's not an upset.

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