The Ohio chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame inducted 10 new members at their annual Hall of Fame Day Celebration in October 18 at the Embassy Suites in Dublin. Loveland, Ohio native, Matt Hamill was awarded the Medal of Courage.
The Medal of Courage is presented to a wrestler or former wrestler, “Who has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges.”
Hamill is best known for being a contestant on the third season of “The Ultimate Fighter” and his subsequent career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Hamill currently stands with a career record of 12-5 and is set to next compete for the World Series of Fighting on Nov. 17.
Hamill was born deaf. But that didn’t keep him from succeeding on the mat. He got into wrestling thanks to his stepfather Michael Rich, who was the coach at Loveland High School. After a successful high school career Hamill went to Purdue University, but after one year transferred to Rochester Institute of Technology. There he won three straight NCAA Division III wrestling titles. He won those titles in three different weight classes 167 lbs. in 1997, 190 pounds in 1998, and 197 pounds in 1999. He finished his career with an 111-3 record. Hamill also won gold medals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1997 Deaflympics in Copenhagen, Denmark and in 2001 in Rome. He won the 1997 Pan Am Wrestling Champion in Havanna, Cuba.
At Loveland High School, he set school records in eight categories, including career victories.*
The film “The Hammer” chronicles Hamill’s life. Also read about the movie HERE at Wikipedia.
* Hamill among 2015 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Ohio chapter inductees
