PHOTO: SVT
Jimmy Samuelsson has become a viewer favorite in Mästarnas mäster.
When he gets to see his own tribute film on SVT, the tears also come.
– I am completely shocked, says an impressed Tony Rickardsson in the program.
He wasn’t the most talented wrestler but made up for it with incredible willpower and dedication. Jimmy Samuelsson is truly one of our top Swedish wrestlers of all time and he has become a favorite of many in SVT’s acclaimed TV program “Master of Masters”.
Samuelsson’s career
In Sunday’s episode, it’s time for the wrestling legend’s very own tribute film about the successful career, and it gets really emotional.
– Just being a well-trained wrestler goes a long way; agility, resilience, speed, strength and tights. If you have also won World Cup gold in the sport, the only thing missing is the ability to fly to be able to call you a real superhero, says the presenter Mike Leijnegard in the program.
– Jimmy Samuelsson is one of Sweden’s top wrestlers with a World Championship gold, seven World Championship gold and fourth places in both the EC, WC and Olympics. An impressive conclusion to a long and successful career.
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The pride of Samuelsson shines through the television screen when old pictures from his career are played in front of him. But he is also reminded of the tragedy that happened just before Jimmy’s very first World Cup tournament – when his father passed away.
– Of course I was very sad, he has meant a lot and been to every single competition there was. Finally, I would be able to participate in the WC and dad would get to see. So he passes away two months before, he tells SVT.
– It became a driving force, that now we are doing this together. He was thought of more and he was always with me. He was either sitting on my shoulder or standing behind me.
Rickardsson’s shock
Then there will be a big focus on the strangest thing in wrestling: Slimming. Samuelsson reveals that he first lost ten kilos in two weeks and then after the weigh-in he was able to gain nine kilos in just four hours.
– It’s absolutely insane! What!?, says one really surprised Tony Rickardsson.
– I am completely shocked. What an incredible sacrifice to get into the right weight class and then go out and perform. Wow!
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But for Jimmy Samuelsson it was a pure nightmare.
– It was crazy hell. You are very unpleasant, unsociable and smell bad. Extremely heavy, he says in Master of Masters.
– Now they have changed the rules. These days you can’t do these extreme diets like we did in my time.
“So impressive”
The tribute film then ends with the wrestler’s greatest moment during his sporting career – namely the unforgettable WC gold in 2002.
– Lots of thoughts about dad when you were standing there. “Damn you didn’t get to see this,” says a very emotional Jimmy on the TV show.
– So much has been sacrificed and toiled. The crooked career that one had but a gold is a gold and that stamp can never be removed from me.
READ MORE: Tony Rickardsson’s nasty knock by Joel Lundqvist is the best thing that happened to the new season of the Master of Champions
The other participants are so incredibly impressed by Jimmy Samuelsson’s career and how much he had to fight to reach the top.
– Incredibly strong! So impressive what you’ve put in to get there. Prepare for a whole year, lose weight, then go out and compete for six minutes. It is astronomical, says Rickardsson.
– The drive and what he sacrificed, it goes beyond the ordinary. I myself have felt that I sacrificed things over the years, but I think I should be careful with that word after seeing Jimmy’s story, says Sebastian Larsson.
47-year-old Jimmy Samuelsson has continued to impress even after his wrestling career and has won eleven consecutive gold medals at the Veterans World Championships.
What do you think of tonight’s episode of Master of Masters? Share the article and have your say!
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