Why This Champion Wrestler Surrendered A Match He Definitely Could’ve Won

CBS

Marek Bush, a sophomore at Central Valley Academy in New York, is a state champion wrestler at his school. When it comes to competition, not many can stand up to Bush, except for one person: Logan Patterson, a junior from nearby Indian River.

After meeting Patterson at an earlier competition, Bush trained hard in order to beat him. “I practiced hard that entire week and I wanted to beat him,” Bush told CBS News about his preparations for the match.

Finally, the day came for these two rivals to see who was the better wrestler. The match was as exciting and intense as everyone expected it to be but for his part, Bush was losing. Suddenly, with just about 30 seconds left in the match, Patterson twisted his elbow.

With his opponent now injured, Bush had a clear chance of taking the entire match. He told his coach, “I got this,” before heading back out to the mat. All he would’ve had to do was stand up and pin his opponent but when the whistle blew to start the clock, Bush did nothing. He merely laid there until time ran out, essentially giving the win to his rival.

“I know it makes me look kind of like a weakling,” said Bush, who apparently told Patterson he was sorry about his arm before surrendering the match. But many disagree with Bush’s self-assessment.

“He just sat there. He didn’t move. I think it was goodness out of his heart. He’s a great person,” Patterson later said of his opponent. Bush’s father Bob, through teary eyes, added, “It’s not about winning all the time, it’s about doing what’s right. And he did.”