COLUMBUS, Ohio — South Dakota State head wrestling coach Chris Bono will return to the mat on Dec. 22 as a part of the AGON Wrestling Championships II. Bono, a 1996 national champion, will wrestle Brent Metcalf in the highlight bout on the card.
Although they never wrestled each other in college, there is a natural rivalry between the two as Bono coached against Metcalf when he was wrestling at the Iowa and Bono was on staff at Iowa State.
“I am excited to get back on the mat as a competitor,” Bono said. “To wrestle a guy of Metcalf’s ability is truly an honor. I know I still have some gas in the tank and more importantly, the fire in the belly.”
Metcalf, who is 13 years younger than Bono, was a two-time national champion for the Hawkeyes and is currently ranked No. 1 in the Olympic Circuit.
The AGON Wrestling Championships were formed in 2013 by a consortium of former Division I wrestlers that recognized the tragic implications of the International Olympic Committee’s decision to remove wrestling from the Olympic Games. As a result, the AGON Wrestling Championships were created to bring a twenty-first century model to the world’s oldest sport.
“AGON gives me a platform to compete in the world’s greatest sport,” Bono said. “For that, I am grateful.”
AGON II will take place at the Perani Arena & Event Center in Flint, Mich. CF Athletic, Cage Fighter and NUWAY will sponsor a live webcast of the event on the AGON website, www.agonwc.com.