Bruce Baumgartner vs. 'Dr. Death' Steve Williams: 1982 NCAA title match (3rd period)

Indiana State senior and eventual Olympic gold medalist Bruce Baumgartner won the 1982 NCAA wrestling title, defeating Oklahoma's 'Dr. Death' Steve Williams in the heavyweight finals. Watch the full third period of the championship match here.
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[@dominique9898]

Never knew he was already known as “Dr Death” before his professional wrestling career

[@barrettokarate]

He got the nickname in junior high school because he wrestled with a hockey mask after shattering his nose.

[@BuckeyeJAG]

Got the nickname in high school i believe

[@hollismallory2757]

I know!

[@MisterBeauJanGels]

It's a well-known story. If people spent more time reading and less time talking, there wouldn't be a need for discussions like this.

[@eriks8382]

Hey man it’s not like I spent a lot of time thinking about stuff like that. Just an interesting tidbit.

[@Troy428492]

R.I.P Steve Williams

[@pablocunningham2744]

Doc was a 4X All American wrestler at OU even though he only trained maybe 3 months out of the year. He was a 3 year starter for the Sooners at OL. OU was a machine in football so the players were immersed in off season lifting as well as full contact practice in the spring. He still lost by only 2 points in the national final against our country's most decorated olympic wrestler. Baumgartner said in an interview that Steve Williams would have been a threat to him in his pursuit of olympic and world teams if he had trained year round. Coach Switzer stated that Doc was the toughest player he's ever coached. An incredible compliment from a legendary coach that has won a state title at the high school level, national titles at the Div 1 level, and a superbowl at the Pro level. RIP Dr. Death. They'll be talking about you 100 years from now.

[@pablocunningham2744]

@Sports Time Machine Good question. I dont know. There is a chance that it was dip or chew. Oklahoma athletics in the 80's. Not uncommon

[@CCardi]

Bart Gunn KO'd him

[@pablocunningham2744]

Boxing, not his forte. Bart Gunn was a hoss. Could of KOed a mule

[@libertarianrevolution7026]

@@CCardi Not to say that Bart Gunn was not a tough guy, but that bout could have had a different outcome if Steve Williams had been in his prime. Also, Steve Williams was never a boxer, he was a wrestler. The goofy rules in the Brawl For It All allowed for takedowns, but it is much harder to take people down while wearing the boxing gloves they had to wear, and once down, the rules called for automatic stand ups, so there was no opportunity to use ground control, or do ground and pound, or use submission holds. So Williams was past his physical prime, and the Brawl For It All rules did not really suit his background.

[@daytonasayswhat9333]

Was there a weight limit back then?

[@commonpeasant8792]

I love those old 80’s graphics

[@marcuscompton3772]

Me too! Lol

[@Sargebri]

First time seeing Doc wrestling collegiately. This just shows how much amateur wrestling gives you an edge if you decide to do pro wrestling.

[@synthonaplinth5980]

Fer cryin' out loud, Bruce Baumgartner's upper body development was INSANE.

[@jtaco4101]

Well, he's the best American heavyweight in history (arguably the best overall.)And he wasnt a huge guy for his weight class.

[@80srocknroller]

Dr. Death Steve Williams was a legendary wrestler who worked on both UWFs

[@surge79uwf]

Abrams and Mid South. Not Japan.

[@80srocknroller]

@@surge79uwf Right

[@WZ912]

@@surge79uwf he worked Japan.

[@michaelnewton1332]

A Dr. Death vs. Undertaker feud would have been awesome!!

[@bigvanpapi]

@@WZ912 He meant the original UWF the shoot style promotion from 84 🇯🇵 with the original Tiger Mask & Akira Maeda.

[@85futureshock]

I came here after watching the legendary Doc vs Kenta Kobashi 5 star match from 8/31/93 and it’s incredible to see his transformation from here in 1982 to looking like a beast in Japan.

[@thelowesttreeshavetops3541]

"He aspires to be a professional wrestler - he's a showman!" Wow, I didn't know that was his goal while he was playing for Oklahoma. Fantastic!

[@jimh.412]

Yeah I'm surprised he didn't want to play in the NFL.

[@libertarianrevolution7026]

Interesting that Steve Williams was talking about becoming a pro wrestler even back then.

[@Reifsteck]

He was wrestling during the summers already for Bill Watts

[@MisterBeauJanGels]

​@@ReifsteckHere we go again with repeating common knowledge you probably scraped off Wikipedia to make yourself appear smart. Stan Abel, the OU wrestling coach, was a OU classmate of Watts. Watts built the territory around big men. Of course everyone involved saw an opportunity.

[@facts2676]

​@@MisterBeauJanGelsWow dude you are a know-it-all, I'm sure you have a lot of female contact

[@bobnewfart7630]

Wow Bruce was a monster .. RIP Doc

[@TheNotbadphonedaddy]

Steve LOOKED fat, but the thing was, he WAS NOT. He was just that unbelievably thick. He had a barrel chest. Dude was all muscle.

[@impalaman9707]

Big boned

[@skippythealien9627]

i've never wrestled but i knew a lot of guys who did (mostly high school, but one in college too). some of those guys may look chunky...but you're right. that is all 100% granite sharpened though insane insane amounts of training different sport but look at sumo wrestlers. it's easy to think they're just fat guys in funny outfits smashing into each other. absolutely not. those guys are not only STRONG as fuck...but they have insane amounts of agility for dudes carrying like 200-300 lbs.

[@impalaman9707]

@@skippythealien9627 There is a such thing as being both fat and muscular. Those are usually found in power lifting and the offensive line of football teams

[@osurpless]

Yep, saw a 600 pound yokozuna at Otakon in Baltimore a few years ago, and he tossed the 300 pounder like it was nothing. And to top it off, did the splits right after like it was nothing…

[@philiptamer8995]

GREAT MATCH !!!!!!!!! 2 OF MY FAVORITE amateur wrestlers !

[@AmericanCombatAssoc]

Very competitive heavyweight division with Baumgartner, Doc, Banik, Swvern and I believe Blatnick as well.

[@robdon3472]

I mean Dr. Death was no joke, one of the real toughest dudes in the wrestling business ever. And had a significant size advantage, but Baumgartner beat him twice that year? Fuck that's insane

[@Poundcakebowler]

Bruce at the amateur level in shoot matches like this was something else. By time 1982 rolled around he had already wrestled international matches against olympians. Kurt Angle even has gone on record that NCAA is tough, but international is even tougher. Look up Cael Sanderson, undefeated in college, suffered several losses internationally

[@Mr.Majestic77]

NCAA/High School Dream Amateur Wrestling Matches: (1) Steve Williams vs. Brock Lesner, (2) Cody Rhodes vs. Shelton Benjamin, (3) Dan Severn vs. Kurt Angle. Can someone PLEASE do a documentary on past & present Pro Wrestlers that previously were amateur wrestlers in high school in college?

[@chrismorgan8330]

Benjamin would wreck Cody

[@Mr.Majestic77]

@@chrismorgan8330 how about (Prime) "Dr.Death" Steve Williams vs. Brock Lesner???

[@chrismorgan8330]

@@Mr.Majestic77 ohh i dont know... tough one. Williams was an animal.

[@chrismorgan8330]

@@Mr.Majestic77 Scott Steiner was an all american at Michigan I'd have loved to have saw him have an amauter match.

[@Mr.Majestic77]

@@treeroot7505 It's been said that "Dr. Death" Steve Williams & Bret " Hitman" Hart both would have easily qualified for the Olympics.

[@maxv3208]

I think Williams football weight took a bit of his quickness away leaving him unable to match a smaller quicker guy like Baumgartner.

[@hiptrip99]

Dr. Death was one of the most popular American wrestlers in Japan. He had been a main eventer at the Budokan match many times. His back-to-belly suplex, a.n.a. "Back Drop Driver" was a high-impact finisher as Stan Hansen's "Western Raliat". Japanese fans would never forget him.　　kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6PWmZyGaamafKc 日本でウィリアムスは大人気レスラーでしたよ。武道館でメインイベントを何度もはりました。バックドロップドライバーは、ハンセンのラリアットと並び最も強烈な決め技です。日本人は決して彼のことを忘れないでしょう。

[@bobbyblair4105]

Bruce baumgartner is my neighbor

[@soonerwhirle]

Bruce lived in my dorm at ISU. No one nicer. I was so proud when he carried in the flag in the Olympics.

[@user-xx9xo5wk7p]

貴重な映像ですね。

[@undergroundunlimited2282]

He’s exhausted at this point.

[@TheZom1965]

RIP Doc

[@genghiskhan7041]

Dr Death. All American offensive lineman at OU and 4 time NCAA All American in wrestling.

[@ovechkin1988]

Two legends of pro and amateur wrestling.

[@edwardclement102]

So Doctor Death in 82 going after an NCAA National title the year Dean Smith got his first with Worthy, Jordan, and Perkins at UNC, and Doctor Death later wrestled in NC for NWA JCP in the pros.

[@xenonmaster6668]

Can you post one of Greg Jones’s finals?

[@rockinyouallnight]

Baumgartner was a beast!

[@vincentwinkleblech3614]

2 olympic Gold medals says something

[@libertarianrevolution7026]

It is too bad that there were no MMA events like the UFC back then. "Dr. Death" Steve Williams from that era could have done well. The Steve Williams that lost to Bart Gunn in the Brawl For It All, and who lost and MMA fight in K-1 in Japan was NOT a prime "Dr. Death" Steve Williams. Prime "Dr. Death" Steve Williams in those fights could have easily been a different story.

[@superlyger]

Yeah he received his cancer diagnosis just before the K-1 fight.

[@libertarianrevolution7026]

@@superlyger I am surprised that he went through with the fight after receiving a diagnosis that he had cancer.

[@superlyger]

@Libertarian Revolution the Japanese loved him. Inoki, Baba, and the people... because he had a fighting spirit that can easily be perceived. Unbelievable athlete, but a greater human being.

[@kennythetrend3688]

Who's to say he would want to do MMA. But it is an interesting what if. But his Pro Wrestling Career minus the goddamn "Brawl For All" was an absolute Badass in wrestling. My opinion, way cooler and better than Lesnar since he wasn't afraid of taking bumps.

[@johntebo4390]

Is that Al Michaels commentating?

[@nategalvan3907]

Hell yeah

[@andrewsp8838]

Wait….is that Al Michael’s????

[@hwyfan]

It certainly sounds like Al Michaels. Perhaps ABC covered the tournament for "Wide World of Sports".

[@urmomsfavorite6236]

U should do suriano vs lee

[@bluwng]

Is the year correct? I thought he was a pro wrestler by 82.

[@Poundcakebowler]

Went pro after this college season

[@michaelnewton1332]

Vince Russo deserves eternal damnation in Hell for destroying Steve Williams's pro wrestling career!!!

[@stevebarnes4805]

Don't blame Vince Russo for that, blame the company for not giving the competitors paid time off to properly prepare for it. Steve was passed his prime and not properly trained to compete.

[@kevthegoat8774]

@@stevebarnes4805 This version of Williams would've beaten anyone in the Brawl For All

[@kevthegoat8774]

@Jijii He could, he was just past his prime and got beat by a very tough man in Bart Gunn. Williams was actually winning on the feet until he tore his hamstring.

[@JeramyRichter]

Exactly, how can you shoot unable to use your hands! Doc wasn’t a boxer.

[@jimmyjakes1823]

@@JeramyRichter Watch the godfather vs severn match.

[@gaysonmartinocho5262]

brock lesner would have lost to dr death

[@fortissimusktb]

Well that was a boring period why even upload this?

[@gurkinthewarlord4822]

Has anybody here ever had a brain bleed

[@emmanueludoh77]

Yep. Every day. Why do you ask?

[@gurkinthewarlord4822]

Emmanuel Udoh I’m talking about a legit brain bleed.

[@emmanueludoh77]

@@gurkinthewarlord4822 So am I. I had an aneurysm that was clipped recently. Why do you want to know about brain bleeds?

[@gurkinthewarlord4822]

Emmanuel Udoh I was just wondering if anybody else that had a brain bleed will ever return to wrestling

[@emmanueludoh77]

@@gurkinthewarlord4822 There is wide variety of answers to your question. It would depend on what caused the brain bleed (trauma vs structural) and how well healed the brain is afterward. You can Google plenty of articles about sports related brain injuries and how they are managed.

[@63doughnut]

Why would anybody 'aspire' to be a pro wrestler instead of a real wrestler ?

[@mjso]

Uh... money. "Real" wrestling isn't something you can make a living out of

[@daytonasayswhat9333]

Money, you fool. Much, much, much more money.

[@msm1876]

$$$$$

[@thebigandgreat1]

Nowadays I have no idea why anyone would be a pro wrestler but back in the day it was about $$$$$ notoriety and entertaining spectators, something that real wrestling (which I have TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR) doesn’t lend to a paying audience. If you knew anything about the business of wrestling promoters over 100 years ago understood that great folkstyle and catch wrestling alone cannot draw a crowd thus Professional Wrestling as a touring system came to be.

[@andu1854]

Money, money and more money: not a ton of money on amateur wrestling

[@BOBBYSOX86]

Steve Williams looked 45 here