CLEVELAND, Ohio – Former Cleveland State University wrestler Guy Sako earned a prestigious honor over the weekend as he was inducted in the Ohio Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
It was the second time this year that Sako was inducted into a hall of fame as he was enshrined in the Eastern Wrestling League Hall of Fame at the 2019 EWL Championships.
Sako was inducted under the Lifetime Service to Wrestling category at the banquet held at the Embassy Suites in Dublin, Ohio. Current CSU head coach Josh Moore and former Viking head coach Dick Bonacci were among those in attendance to see Sako claim this distinction.
Sako competed for the Vikings in the late 1980s, qualifying for the 1988 NCAA Championships. He was a two-time team captain for CSU before serving as an assistant coach at CSU for three seasons.
Sako has led the Westshore Wrestling Club since 1996, coaching dozens of future NCAA wrestlers, including 10 NCAA Division I All-Americans. He served as a Cleveland police officer for 25 years, working the night shift so he could continue to coach wrestling.
Sako's lifetime spent in and around wrestling led him to create Defense Soap, with his goal being to create a safe, everyday soap to prevent skin infection for his wrestlers. The success of his company exceeded expectations as his products are now used not only by wrestling teams but by people all over the world.