What Makes GIA Special - David Hille's Double Disqualification in Bedlam

In this feature of our series dedicated to reliving the best moments in the history of Gallagher-Iba Arena, former OSU wrestler and coach Lee Roy Smith, wrestling radio broadcaster Rex Holt, and longtime wrestling reporter J. Carl Guymon discuss walk-on wrestler David Hille's double-disqualification that led to an upset Bedlam win.

Lee Roy Smith: "I was an assistant coach at the time. I had graduated in 1980 and became a graduate assistant while training for the Olympics… We had responsibilities with the team and helping prepare them while trying to make World and Olympic teams myself."

"We had a problem where I can't remember if it was an injury to a heavyweight and we lost him or if it was academics or what it was, but we all of a sudden were without a heavyweight."

"We had these intramural tournaments at OSU and they were actually in Gallagher-Iba Arena. It was actually very competitive because a lot of the fraternities had members who were former wrestlers, but just not on the OSU team. Some of them were state place winners and state champions. It was a pretty good tournament."

Rex Holt: "Tommy Chesbro put out the call on campus and people answered saying there was a kid who was a student who wrestled at Lawton High School who was a 197-pounder, works out and lifts weights on his own. Somehow, someway, David Hille came over and said he was a good wrestler back at Lawton. He was an undersized heavyweight, especially back in the days of the unlimited heavyweight."

LRS: "I'd go there to just look and see if there were any prospects in the group. I saw David Hille wrestle and David won the championship. He moved really well. He was athletic and he was fairly physical. He didn't carry a lot of weight so he could be a light heavyweight, but nevertheless, he showed potential to be capable of filling in a spot rather than forfeiting."

"As a result, I shared that with (Tommy) Chesbro and the coaching staff and we invited him in to the team."

RH: "Of course the match comes right down to the heavyweight match and there seems to be no way OSU could win the dual. It was in Stillwater, but we have a walk-on from Lawton and the other guy is a four-time All-American."

J. Carl Guymon: "David Hille was a backup guy who probably didn't weigh over 200 pounds and stood no chance against Steve Williams."

"OSU was ahead in the dual by a couple of points but just a decision by Williams woud've given the dual to OU."

LRS: "It came down to the heavyweight match and Hille just couldn't get off bottom. Williams just had him covered. Steve weighed so much more than Hille, he wasn't going anywhere. He was just trying to keep from getting pinned."

RH: "The first thing they do is Dr. Death takes him right to the mat and takes his forearm right underneath his nose. He did it really hard, almost like he was throwing punches but he was doing it with his forearm. A couple of times he was underneath there and kind of sat on him and pulled him back, bending him backwards."

JG: "Here's the controversy."

"Williams had him down and was riding him. He slammed a hard cross-face across Hille's face. I looked at pictures later and Hille had his mouth open when the cross-face occurred. Dr. Death always said he bit him. Hille always said he didn't but that his mouth was open so when he slammed the cross-face so hard his forearm buried into my teeth."

RH: "We couldn't see that from the stands because his forearm was right in his mouth. All we saw was Dr. Death stop, jump up and punch Hille in the back of the head with a fist."

"David Kinkaid, who was the referee that night, ran in there blowing his whistle. The coaches are out there, the crowd was going crazy. Dr. Death is running over to the official showing him he bit him. There apparently were teeth marks on his arm, but he also threw a punch and hit the kid."

"At some point, Kincaide comes over to the scorer's table and says he bit him, he punched him – double disqualification and match over. The Cowboys won."

LRS: "It won the match for us."

JG: "Everybody was stunned at first. When the referee signaled double disqualification, I think there were a large number of fans who were stunned and just didn't know what was going to happen."

LRS: "Stan Abel threw a fit. The argument they had, which nobody could see, was that when Dr. Death was cross facing him, that at some point Hille bit his forearm. That's when Steve Williams took his forearm and pounded him on the head."

"(Hille) came out and all you could say was he helped us win one of the most exciting, toughest Bedlam matches that came down to the wire."

JG: "You just have to choose who you want to believe. I don't think there was ever any firm resolution. "

Oklahoma State University Athletics

What Makes GIA Special - David Hille's Double Disqualification in Bedlam

Related Videos