OLYMPIC REPORT / 41 DAYS TO THE GAMES : Wrestling Challengers Bear Grudges

What some of this country’s angriest wrestlers wouldn’t do Friday to set up grudge matches for today’s final rounds of the Olympic freestyle wrestling trials in Spokane, Wash.

Terry Brands, an embarrassed world champion at 125.5 pounds, butted heads and crunched noses and even threw one of his three opponents off the stage. He outscored them a combined 29-5 to set up today’s best-of-three final with Kendall Cross, who had the nerve to defeat Brands in recent national championships and then brag about it.

“He thinks he’s the best, well, we’ll see,” Brands said of Cross. “Maybe he’s right. But maybe he’s not.”

Kevin Jackson, the Olympic gold medalist in 1992 at 1805.5 pounds, severely injured the knee of powerful Royce Alger during an 11-0 domination. That set-up today’s finals series with Les Gutches, who upset Jackson in the nationals. “It’s going to be a war,” Jackson said. “I remember looking at his picture in the paper after he beat me, listening to all the talk. I can’t let somebody take my spot, my gear, my gold medal.”

National champions in all 10 weight classes watched Friday as their challengers battled in a mini-tournament for the right to face the champs today. The first man to win two matches advances to next month’s Olympics in Atlanta.

The biggest upset involved Eric Akin, who rebounded from a 6-0 deficit in the final minute to defeat defending Olympic silver medalist Zeke Jones, 7-6, in the 114.5-pound category. Aiken will face national champion Lou Rosselli today.

Other matches today include Kanamti Solomon against champion Rob Eiter (105.5), John Fisher against champion Tom Brands (125.5), Pat Santoro against champion Townsend Saunders (149.5), Pat Smith against champion Kenny Monday (163), Mike Van Arsdale against champion Melvin Douglas (198), Dan Chaid against champion Kurt Angle (220), and Tom Erikson against this country’s most decorated wrestler, two-time Olympic gold medalist Bruce Baumgartner (286).