One of the most exciting and spectacular athletes of his time, Wade Schalles would wrestle anyone, anytime, anywhere, at any weight from 150 to 198 pounds, with odds of 2 to 1 that he would win by a fall.

Nor was he particular about the style. Schalles was a national champion, or an All-American, in folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman, and in the allied disciplines of Sombo and Judo.

He earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as wrestling's all-time leader in victories with 821, and in falls with 530. Schalles also was renowned for defeating 36 national champions, pinning 17 of them, and defeating eight World titlists, pinning 4 of them. Each total is considered to be a record and why he’s considered to be America’s Greatest Pinner.

Following high school graduation, Schalles attended summer school for one week at East Stroudsburg and then left for Clarion University. The Eastern College Athletic Conference ruled that because he had attended summer school, Schalles had transferred to Clarion and would be required to sit out his freshman year.

The NCAA said that Schalles could wrestle because summer school doesn’t count for any athlete, at any time, regardless of where they go. Seeded fifth at the NCAA tournament in 1971, he lost in the third round.

Schalles won the NCAA Division I and Division II titles at 150 pounds in 1972 and at 158 pounds in 1973. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at both national tournaments in 1972.

In 1974, Schalles went undefeated and wrestled the entire season per the ECAC rules, but was not allowed to attend the NCAA tournament given their previous ruling regarding his transferring. 

Schalles compiled a collegiate record of 153-5-1, and amassed a staggering 106 falls. He won the Pennsylvania State Conference title four times and was Outstanding Wrestler all four years. This followed a high school career in which he pinned 96 percent of his opponents.

He won a gold medal in the 1977 World University Games, pinning all six opponents, and another in the Tbilisi International, with five falls in six bouts. In both events, he was named the Outstanding Wrestler.

Mr. Schalles is known for creating and perfecting a radically different pinning hold which he named the "spladle." It best demonstrates the limber physique which prompted Sports Illustrated to refer to him as "Plastic Man."

In 1994, Wade was one of just 15 athletes named to the NCAA 75th Anniversary Wrestling Team and in 1998 the National Wrestling Media Association named him Sports Writer of the Year.

During and after his competitive days, he coached youth, collegiate and national teams. He has authored four books, and before he retired, was a top-flight collegiate referee.