Ben Askren

[BrewerFan]

Ben Askren, the former Wisconsin Prep Wrestler, one of the top College Wrestlers of all top(top 15 in an all-time list recently compiled) as well as a former Olympian and maybe most importantly, the leader of AWA(Askren Wrestling Academy) that has helped Wisconsin become one of the top Prep Wrestling States in the Country) has been in critical condition for a little over a week, unresponsive from a freak sequence of events.

Most Wrestlers(or athletes for that matter) have Staph in their body, usually lying doormat...similar to cancer. 

Ben was out in Las Vegas, wasn't feeling well before he left, felt worse out there, checked himself into the Hospital and they quickly realized the seriousness of the matter.

He had a raging staph infection in his body causing sepsis. 

This led to acute pneumonia and apparently a hole in his lung(I've not heard that from anyone close but Amy, Ben's wife has not shared much). 

There were reports he was "back home," from Las Vegas and there were interpreted as back at his house, feeling better, etc...

That's not the case. He was air-lifted back home to be near family and friends. The situation is ...looking a bit bleak. He'll need lung transplants and a litany of other things to go right in order for him, but he's always found a way. 

 

Ben Askren quite literally changed the sport with his style of Wrestling. He was not a guy who was quicker, faster, more athletic. He was a guy who was creative, worked harder than everyone else and never quite. You can see that in the Robbie Lawler UFC fight. 

 

 

Anyway, I know there are at least a couple people on here who are interested in the sport...plus, a former Olympian who at just 40 and in...elite physical conditioning and one of the best athletes the states ever produced, I thought it worth noting over here. 

[wildcat83]

I think the issues all started from a broken rib sustained in a practice.  Truly a terrible situation.  Ben has completely changed the face of Wisconsin wrestling, has been great working with the youth in the state, and has young children at home.  I hope there’s a way out of this, but I’ve heard similar to you that it’s really looking bleak.  I think he’s been on ECMO for over two weeks.  It’s complete heart and lung bypass, but it’s not a long term option, usually only effective for 2-3 weeks from what I’ve heard.

[BrewerFan]

On 6/14/2025 at 9:58 PM, wildcat83 said:

I think the issues all started from a broken rib sustained in a practice.  Truly a terrible situation.  Ben has completely changed the face of Wisconsin wrestling, has been great working with the youth in the state, and has young children at home.  I hope there’s a way out of this, but I’ve heard similar to you that it’s really looking bleak.  I think he’s been on ECMO for over two weeks.  It’s complete heart and lung bypass, but it’s not a long term option, usually only effective for 2-3 weeks from what I’ve heard.

It was just staph. Just an interior staph infection that flared up and caused everything(which is why everyone, including Ben was so caught off guard). 

He was getting ready to Wrestle in the new Professional Wrestling League, he was training hard, but if it was a broken rib puncturing his lung, he'd have known. Maybe he'd have waited a day, but he waited almost 4 days after he started feeling sick out in Vegas. That was the assumption when it was mentioned he had a hole in his lung. It was just staph was running rampant in his body and eating away at the lungs. It's a...horrific image, but he's still fighting.

He has changed the fact of Wisconsin Wrestling. His own success pales in comparison to what he's done by building AWA. 

He's been communicative, but...it's just stunning. He looked better than he had since...hell, maybe ever physically. He was in good shape training for the league and then this just hits. 

It's just one of those things that reminds you... you're just a dash between two numbers. Make 'em count. He's made them count... and I know the prognosis is dire, but it's not a good idea to bet against Ben. Especially with those 3 kids and a wife like Amy...who'll be at his side no matter how long in takes. 

 

 

-Just a note, you say he changed the face of Wisconsin Wrestling. He did. He gave so many kids a place to train...which in and of itself is huge. Setting up schools all over and getting guys like Nick Pell(3rd place in the NCAAs) and John Mesenbrink(one of the best coaches I've ever been around) and Max who was an NCAA Champ, the Wagner's numerous College Wrestlers. 

But he really changed ALL of College Wrestling and High School Wrestling. He really did revolutionize the sport with his style of wrestling.