National Wrestling Hall of Fame

LATINO WRESTLING EXPERIENCE NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM | 53 EDDIE URBANO Wrestled 1982-1985 Arizona State University 150lbs When one considers the history of a program that has garnered 29 state titles in a single sport, including 14 consecutively, how is it possible to pick out one individual athlete as the "greatest" ever from that school? This was the difficult question that many pondered when informed of the death of Sunnyside High School wrestling legend Eddie Urbano at age 50 in late August of 2012. An institution that has produced such luminaries of the mat as Thom Ortiz, Eric Larkin, and many, many others, how is it possible to choose one? Still, it was not difficult to find renowned figures in the sport from Arizona who said such things including Bobby Douglas and Don Klostreich. What made Eddie Urbano so special? Eddie Urbano was one of the first luminaries from Tucson to make his way to Tempe and help to begin the rise to national prominence of the Arizona State University wrestling program. Prior to beginning his collegiate career, however, Urbano was already a champion four times over. He won state to help lead the Blue Devils to their first team championship in 1979, and repeated in 1980. He then won national junior college crowns for Pima College in 1981 and 1982. The top seed, he became the first individual NCAA champion for the Sun Devils since 1967 heavyweight champ Curly Culp, by defeating Jim Heffernan of Iowa 4-1 in the 150-pound final of the NCAA tournament in Oklahoma City. He was a two-time Pac-10 champion, earning Wrestler-of-the-Year accolades in both 1984 and 1985. As of 2011, Urbano still ranked second in ASU history for victories in a single season (43 in 1984-1985) and 16th overall in total victories (105). In freestyle, he was also a runner-up for the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Trials at 68 kg. Urbano's path after college lead, not surprisingly, to coaching, where he worked at various schools in the Phoenix area including Mountain Pointe High School and Florence High School. In 1997 he was honored as one of the 50 greatest athletes in Arizona history by a local sports magazine. He was inducted into the ASU Hall of Fame in 1999. When the news about his death broke, many in the wrestling community were shocked and saddened. Urbano had done so much to promote the sport during his life, and had lived by the "never say die" code of the sport, that his death was perceived as a great tragedy. Still, he left a lasting legacy. As Bobby Douglas noted, "He did a lot of good and he's a great example to a lot of minority and poor kids that came from tough backgrounds." A more fitting tribute to this champion is probably not possible.

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