Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On June 13, 1950, legendary Iowa State University heavyweight wrestler Chris Taylor was born. Taylor, a larger-than-life Cyclone, went undefeated in two seasons at Iowa State.
Taylor, who wrestled for Dowagiac High School in Michigan, arrived in Ames at a hefty 415 pounds. Taylor dominated in an era before collegiate wrestling capped the heavyweight division at 275 pounds. "I think he might have been the greatest athlete for his size who ever lived," said his former Cyclone coach, Harold Nichols.
While at Iowa State, Taylor captured two Big Eight Conference titles and two NCAA titles without surrendering a single point. However, Taylor lost a 1972 Olympic match to eight-time world champion Aleksandr Medved of the Soviet Union, 3-2, on a controversial stalling call that eventually led to the referee's dismissal from the tournament and a ban from international officiating.
Joining the American Wrestling Association in 1973, Taylor spent several years in professional wrestling, where he notably once beat Ric Flair. In 1979, Taylor died of cardiovascular complications at his home in Story City, Iowa, at the age of 29, two years after health problems caused him to retire from professional wrestling. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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