Columbus, Ohio – Tommy Rowlands, who completed his Ohio State career as a two-time national champion and four-time All-American at HWT in 2004, will wrestle for the Real Pro Wrestling (RPW) title at 211 pounds Sunday against 2004 United State Olympian Daniel Cormier. Rowlands, who is wrestling for the New York Outrage in the event, was joined by fellow former Buckeye Nick Preston (1998-2002) in the RPW 211-pound class.
Rowlands, who currently is a volunteer assistant coach on the Ohio State wrestling team, advanced to the championship match against Cormier with a 9-3 victory over Dawid Rechal of the Chicago Groove in the first round. In the semifinals, Rowlands topped former Minnesota Golden Gopher Garret Lowney of the California Claw, 4-3, to move into the final against Cormier.
Rowlands lost to Cormier in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis last May, in a best two-out-of-three elimination. Cormier earned his bid to the finals with a 16-5 win over Preston, who wrestled for Pennsylvania Hammer, in round one and a 14-4 triumph vs. Chad Lamer of the Iowa Stalkers.
Rowlands, a native of Hilliard, Ohio, will face Cormier for the championship Sunday. The title bouts will be aired at 4 p.m. by PAX Television.
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