Wisconsin Badgers Wrestling MAN OF THE MAT Award vs No. 7 Ohio State

Wisconsin Badgers Wrestling MAN OF THE MAT Award

The intent of this prestigious, almost Hodge-like, award is to highlight a wrestler from the Wisconsin Badgers Wrestling team that had the most outstanding performance from the event.

In a tough dual with No. 7 Ohio State that only saw three of ten Badgers win their match – one mans performance stood above the rest.

Only needing :32 seconds to pin No. 24 Brendan McCrone – Eric Barnett is the winner of the MAN OF THE MAT award.

ARE. YOU. SERIOUS⁉️@ericbarnett1117 picks up the fall for @BadgerWrestling in just 32 seconds! 🤯#NCAAWrestling x 🎥 BTN / @B1GWrestling pic.twitter.com/OjUpypxKDA

— NCAA Wrestling (@NCAAWrestling) January 21, 2024

Badger Notes spoke with Barnett after the match to get his thought on what goes through his body when the referee slaps the mat and he just stuck his opponent.

“Yeah, I just got to make my celebration look cool, especially when I am in the Field House, I gotta put on for my city. It’s a great feeling, especially in a position like that, that I am very comfortable in, I know when I am going to get the pin and what I need to do to get the pin.

A quick pin like that and be able to get off the mat– a big thing too is injury free, nothing got tweaked so I can roll into the next match.”

‘Put Some Respeck on His Name’

Head Coach Chris Bono spoke to Badger Notes after the dual and was asked if he thought the wrestling world is sleeping on the 16–2 and current No. 4 ranked wrestler in the country.

“Let them keep sleeping, man – let’s fly under the radar. He’s National Championship material and when he does everything the right way he can beat anyone in the country.”

When Eric Barnett was asked about his ranking he answered like a man wise beyond his years.

“It’ll figure itself out, right, the cliché is that they don’t matter and for me, three days in March is what is most important. You can rank me whatever you want, at the end of the day I am going to come try and rip heads off and beat some dudes and impose my will on them.

At the end of the day I don’t know what they mean, there is no college playoff or nothing like that for wrestling, you have to figure it your conference tournament and throughout the season, so at the end of the day you can rank me No. 1, No. 5 , No. 30, but you’re going to get the same me no matter what.”

It makes sense for Coach Bono and Eric Barnett to be humble and go about their work and not let their mouth write checks that their butt has to cash – but luckily for me I don’t have to.

Eric Barnett is an absolute DAWG on the mat. It’s about time that the wrestling world starts to show a little respect to the No. 4 wrestler!

Previous Winners of the MAN OF THE MAT:

Lindenwood – Felix Lettini

Michigan State Open – Luke Condon

No. 10 Iowa State – NO SELECTION

Bucknell – Max Maylor

Rider – Joseph Zargo

Drexel – Dean Hamiti

Midlands Championships – Shane Liegel

Virginia Duals – Max Maylor

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