GOODWILL GAMES ROUNDUP : U.S. Wrestlers Upset Soviet Union, 17-13

The United States wrestlers pulled off a major upset at the Goodwill Games Saturday night by defeating the Soviet Union, 17-13, before a crowd of 6,741 at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

It was the first time in 30 years that the Americans had beaten the Soviets in team competition that featured the best Soviet wrestlers.

The U.S. victory was not ensured until two protests by Soviet Coach Yargin Yarygin was rejected.

Four U.S. wrestlers won individual gold medals: Cory Baze at 105.5 pounds, John Smith at 136.5, Nate Carr at 149.5 and Bill Scherr at 220.

Scherr’s gold medal won’t count under international federation rules, however, because he was one of two U.S. wrestlers competing in the team competition at that weight.

Although the United States had beaten the Soviets three times in World Cup competition, the top Soviet wrestlers weren’t in those matches.

The last time the United States had beaten the Soviets in a team competition was in unofficial scoring at the 1960 Olympic Games.

Yarygin’s protests involved scoring decisions in Baze’s victory and in the match between Zeke Jones, 23, of Tempe, Ariz., and Sergey Zambalov at 114.5 pounds. Jones won 4-3 with a move that exposed both wrestlers’ shoulders to the mat with 13 seconds to go.

Jones was awarded two points, but Yarygin contended that both wrestlers should have been granted two. If the protest had been upheld, the Soviets would have won the team gold.

Rudolph Bradley was knocked down in the first round, but he picked himself up and beat Raul Gonzales of Cuba, 4-1, in a flyweight match.

The fight was barely five seconds old when Gonzales dropped him with a right. Bradley took a standing eight-count 40 seconds later, held on for the rest of the round, then came back with two strong rounds to win the 112-pound division fight.

Bradley, an Army communications specialist, faces Dzhambulat Mutayev of the Soviet Union in a semifinal bout.

The United States won four of six fights.

Michael Demoss outpointed Zoltan Fuzesy of Hungary, 5-0, in the 160-pound division; Shane Mosley stopped Anibal Acevedo of Puerto Rico at 2:10 of the first round at 132 pounds, and Tim Austin stopped Krizysztof Roblewski of Poland at 2:52 of the first round in the 112-pound division.

Kevin Childrey lost a 5-0 decision to Julio Gonzalez of Cuba, the 132-pound world champion. Middleweight Ronald Sims lost, 3-2, to Sven Ottke of West Germany.

The U.S. baseball team committed six errors and lost, 7-6, to Japan in 14 innings when Kojiro Machida homered off Phillip Stidham.

Joe Sacco scored two goals as the United States routed Switzerland, 7-1, in ice hockey at Kennewick, Wash.

The U.S. water polo team spotted Italy a 2-0 lead in the first four minutes but recovered to win, 4-3. Chris Humbert, 20, the youngest player on the team, scored twice.