From Bulgaria to Pott. Co. - a Wrestling Story like No Other!

Saturday marks the grand opening of The Best Wrestler here in rural Pottawattamie!  If you’ve been driving by the business and are curious, I have all the inside scoop!

The event will start at 2 and include a demo from 2:30 to 3:30 followed by snacks and drinks and the family sharing their story of how this came to be and how people can join.  The address is 27046 US Highway 6 and for all you locals, it’s the building at Quick corner where you turn to head into McClelland.

Georgi and Ivan Ivanov have officially set up a business to teach the art/sport of wrestling.  With an amazing system in place, the credentials to back it up, and years of experience dating back to becoming certified coaches in 2006 for the World Wrestling Organization, the duo is set to make Southwest Iowa the wrestling capital of Iowa again!  The goal for the Ivanovs is to be “the right-hand man for all the area schools.”  They want to bring everyone together and create lifetime wrestling enthusiasts and definitely some champions.

How did the family end up here?  Well, although the family is from Bulgaria, George’s dad coached at Underwood back in 2003.  George came back, ended up at Lewis Central, and as he said, Southwest Iowa was in its prime with wrestling success stories.  After traveling around the world and coaching in many different situations, George decided to come back to Iowa three years ago and with the purchase of this building came the opportunity for his parents to live in Iowa, too, and the family to coach together. 

I asked why Pott. Co. and he told me that Southwest Iowa is family and small towns are where it all starts.  Couldn’t have said it better myself!

So what will The Best Wrestler offer?  Practices and workouts for anyone over the age of 5.  Never wrestled?  Come do your first workout for free!  They will offer strength and conditioning in the mornings and practices in the evenings 6 days a week for full-time members.  Part-time memberships will also be offered for those wanting only 3 times a week and drop-in sessions will be available for a one-time fee, too. 

The 2-story building will offer workouts on the 2nd floor with bathroom and shower facilities and the 1st floor will provide seating, a snack area, and TVs for live streaming so parents can watch their athletes in action.

But if you really want to see the big picture, here it is:  a World-renown Olympian and his coach chose our county to call home and to invest their knowledge and efforts into our kids.   Our kids can be coached by an Olympian and learn the dedication, mindset, and physical agility necessary to participate in the sport of wrestling at the highest level possible.  What an amazing thing to be able to say!

Thank you, guys, for bringing your gifts to Pott. Co.  We’ll be cheering for you!