Welcome back to another Pro Grappler recap of TGGL action. This series of fights is from the Tackle Grapple Grappling league, a regional jiujitsu league that pits competitors from across Northern Ohio, and this time we’re taking at look at the big boys heavyweight division.
Kicking things off, we have Logan Lohr fighting out of Academy 440, and Nate Dawson representing Tackle Jiujitsu (and Upgraded Industries, to be fair). This match would feature Dawson using his experience as a college wrestler to get the first takedown on the larger Lohr.
Dawson take Lohr to the ground, where Logan immediately starts to build his guard, working a sort of rubber guard/triangle entry, using his leg to try and pin Nate Dawson in his guard.
After Dawson passes Lohr’s guard, we see Logan turtle in an attempt to get back to his feet, or at least off his back and out of the side control pressure of Nate Dawson.
We would see just that, Lohr ends up getting back to his feet, and reengages with Nate in a standing game, both men looking for collar ties, and inside position. However Dawson would take Lohr back to the mat with another takedown, and then settle into side control.
Ultimately, Dawson would work his way up side control, pinning Lohr’s arm up, where we’d see him get the tap via a head and arm choke.
In the next match of the evening we would see Tackle’s Alex “H” face off vs Logan Lohr of Academy 440. Lohr still the larger of the two men, and possibly the largest in the TGGL’s over 200lb heavyweight division.
Both fighters choosing to stand and face each other in that match, looking for a takedown early on in this match (and all the heavyweight matches to date, I believe. Not much guard-pulling in the TGGL heavyweight division).
When that takedown did finally come, it would be Alex that found himself on top of Logan Lohr, as he takes Lohr down with a trip that vaguely resembled an utchi-mata.
We would see Alex sit in side control, on top of Lohr for a few moments before transitioning into a sort of reversed north-south (a south-north even!) where he’d look to secure a choke using his feet, but we would not see the choke sink in, and the match would go to decision, where we’d see Alex “H” take home the victory and the 4 league points.
The next match we would see Hunter Bonham vs David Orr, both men fighting out of Tackle Jiujitsu of Middleburg Heights, Ohio.
As with the previous heavyweight matches, neither man was content with merely sitting to guard, so we see another heavy handed attempt at grabbing the takedown, the points, and hopefully the victory.
We would see things move to the ground as David Orr scores a sort of snapdown as he bulls over Bonham after Bonham’s failed shot. Orr then settling into scarf-hold, before looking to isolate an arm.
Orr’s attempts to get the sub from scarf-hold ultimately proved fruitless, as Hunter goes belly down, and proceeds to turtle out of David’s scarf-hold side control.
After finding his way back to the top of side control, David Orr would find himself in danger of being kimura’d by Hunter from bottom position, Orr was able to defend himself in an unorthodox fashion, and manages to escape the submission attempt.
We would see Hunter with another submission attempt from bottom before the end of the match, but nothing successful, sending the match to referee decision where we would see the judges award the points and victory to Bonham.
The next match of the evening would pit two of Tackle’s finest heavyweights against each other as we see Alex “H” vs Nate Dawson.
We would see Dawson strike first with a snapdown attempt that took Alex off balance, however Alex manages to right his trajectory and stay on his feet.
The actual first takedown of the match would occur just moments later, when after being reset by one of the judges in the middle, Dawson shoots his shot and sinks the double-leg on Mr. “H”, settling into side control.
After a hand fought battle on the ground, we see Alex manage to get back up to his feet, reengaging with Dawson, and looking for a takedown of his own.
After being reset again, Alex “H” attempts the same trip we saw out of him in the first match, however Dawson using his experience as a wrestler reverses Alex to the mat handily before settling into side control.
Ultimately we would see the match go the full length of it’s six minute round, the two resetting and languishing out in side control for much of the remainder, after which we would see the judges raise Nate Dawson’s hand as winner by decision, giving him 4 more league points.
The final match of the evening, we would see Tackle’s David Orr go up against Kyle Vlcek, also fighting out of Tackle Jiujitsu.
We would see Kyle strike first with a strong double-leg, however Orr is quick to counter, looking for a choke on their way down to the mats. Ultimately however the choke would not prove successful, and Vlcek would settle into side control, and then make his way to mount.
From mount, we would see Kyle first isolate David’s arm, and then proceed to armbar him for the victory and the 12 league points.
As the first week of TGGL comes to a close we find ourselves excited for the potential matchups to come! What TGGL matchups are you excited for? Or what matchups would you like to see in the future? Let us know down in the comments! And, as always, thank you for grappling!
