A youth wrestler from Illinois is in trouble with the law after he sucker punched his opponent following a match. Hafid Alicea, a 14-year-old wrestler from Maine West High School, admitted to punching Cooper Corder, his rival, after losing the match during the third-place,
125-128-pound match at this year’s Beat the Street Developmental FS tournament in Oak Park, Illinois. The Oak Park Police Department cited Alicea for the violent attack, which left Corder with a nose injury.
Parents of Cooper Corder pressed charges against Alicea after the unexpected punch that left everyone wide eyed. Corder, who is in his final year of middle school and a two-time state wrestling champion, was on the receiving end of the punch after he went to shake hands with Alicea. The incident occurred when both competitors were set to shake hands, leaving parents and other young athletes in awe.
The incident highlights the dangers of unsportsmanlike behavior and the need for athletes to maintain their composure, regardless of the outcome of a match.
Wrestling, like many other sports, can get heated, but nothing leading up to the punch would give cause to such bad decision-making on the opponent’s part.
Such behavior is not tolerated in the sport of wrestling, and it is unlikely that Spar Wrestling or any other reputable organization would condone such conduct.
Corder seems to have come out of the incident a lot better than initially feared, only suffering a nose injury. However, he will have to wear a face mask during his next matches to protect his injury from further harm.