Behind every FloFilms documentary there is bonus footage and untold stories. Here we see Kyle Dake recounting his experience at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix which include a broken hand and a match up with 2x World Champion Denis Tsargush of Russia.

Kyle Dake injured his hand one day before competing in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2013. He woke up the day of the event and said, "Ah man, it’s broken for sure. I’m gonna have to tape it up, use it as a club, I don’t know what I’m gonna have to do.”

Unsure if he should compete coach Zeke Jones helped talk Kyle into it,  “you’re already out here you might as well wrestle, you know there’s no harm in it" coach Jones told him.

With the injury and a tough bracket the odds seemed stacked against the 4x NCAA Champion as he had a world medalist and then 2x world champion Denis Tsargush in his path to just get to the semifinals. What happened next is nothing short of inspiring.

After warm ups the hand was feeling good and Kyle faced world medalist Shabanov of Belarus first round. He won handily but once the match was over the adrenaline wore off and his hand began throbbing with pain. With no doctors or pain medication, Dake had to settle for some ibuprofen.

His next match he would face Denis Tsargush of Russia and thought to himself, “alright I just beat the bronze medalist pretty easy, I can hang with this guy, just keep a good stance, don’t let him score and if he gets in on your leg get to your crotch lift.”

"He got to my leg, I sat the corner real well. You know I tried to grab, with my right hand, his far ankle. I had no strength, as soon as I grabbed it pain shot up my arm."



Dake switched hands and gave up the position and several exposures, enough to close out the match but he challenged the call and won which made him down 5-2.

"He’s looking tired let’s push the pace on him a little bit.”

"He wasn’t quite as strong in the second scramble as he was in the first. And then that third scramble, I don’t know if I broke him, but he got up and he had a different look on his face and was just tired and I was like, 'alright, let’s score some points.'"

Unable to effectively use his hand to shoot, Dake used a fake and snapdown to score a takedown. Tsargush was grabbing his hand while Dake urged the ref to make him let go.

"He opened up and I just kind of fell right into my lock and I was like, 'alright, let’s try it', so I went right, faked left, went back right and got him and just kept going with it. And, it worked out pretty well."

Dake ended up earning a tech fall.

Mentally and physically drained he moved into the semifinals to face another Russian on short rest. Unable to stop thinking about his hand  he gave up his leg and was unable to scramble out of it.

"I wanna wrestle him again, that’s for sure. I wanna wrestle him again."

After losing in the semifinals Dake faced Aliev from Azerbaijan in the bronze medal match.

Leading Aliev 3-1 late in the match Dake defends a shot by doing the full splits and is unaware that they award two for his opponent. With about 0:20 left he realizes the score is 3-3 and he sees Zeke "yelling his head off".

“What do you mean I didn’t give up a takedown, that wasn’t even close."

He ended up losing the bronze match 3-3 on criteria.

"Learning experience. You gotta pay attention to the score board, listen to your coaches and make sure you know what’s happening. Don’t just assume that you’re winning."


DAKE: The Return will take you behind the scenes and give you a personal and inside look at Kyle Dake as he prepares for his return to wrestling in Madison, WI at the 2015 World Team Trials. Experience the drama and emotion as it unfolds before your eyes.


Check out the entire series of DAKE: The Return

Episode 1: Why'd You Sleep on the Kid?

Episode 2: Kyle Didn't Miss a Beat