The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced that it is bringing something special to this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships Fan Fest at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Get ready for the Big Match Breakdown featuring Arizona State University’s Eric Larkin and the University of Minnesota’s Jared Lawrence. 

They’ll be diving deep into their iconic 149-pound final from the 2003 NCAA Championships, the last time the national championships were held in Kansas City, a 10-8 nail-biter match won by Larkin that everyone still talks about. 

Catch this epic walk down memory lane on the Main Stage at the 2024 NCAA Fan Event on Thursday, March 21 from 2:45-3:30 p.m. Longtime wrestling broadcaster and in-arena announcer A.L. Haizlip will host the show. 

"This will be a great opportunity for coaches, wrestlers and fans to learn from two outstanding competitors who mastered the craft of collegiate wrestling,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director, National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “Both of these NCAA champions will share their insights into their mental and technical strategies before, during and after their national championship finals match in 2003. We are honored to feature two of our sport's finest representatives, who have gone on to inspire future generations to excellence in the sport." 

Don’t miss your opportunity to hear Larkin and Lawrence, side by side, breaking down their historic bout and sharing the thoughts racing through their minds with each period that passed. 

Here’s a quick refresher: Larkin, who had moved up a weight class from 2002 and earned the No. 1 seed, won his first national title by defeating Lawrence, the defending national champion at 149 pounds and No. 2 seed. Both finished their careers as two-time NCAA finalists and four-time All-Americans. 

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Larkin was the Arizona winner and Lawrence was the Idaho winner of the Hall of Fame's Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 1998. 

Larkin was a two-time Arizona state champion for Sunnyside High School in Tucson, Arizona while Lawrence was a four-time undefeated Idaho state champion for Sandpoint (Idaho) High School. 

So, whether you're a die-hard fan or just love a good sports story, join us for an unforgettable breakdown of one of the most thrilling and high-scoring matches in NCAA wrestling finals history.