Chicago native Ellis Coleman (bottom) was stunned by the IOC's recommendation to remove wrestling from the 2020 Olympic Games. View Full Caption elliscolemangold.com

CHICAGO — Like many champion wrestlers, Chicago native Ellis Coleman was stunned by the International Olympic Committee's recommendation to drop the sport from the 2020 Summer Games.

Coleman, who grew up on the West Side and wrestled in the 2012 London Games in the Greco-Roman discipline, let his emotions out a bit.

"I've been wrestling since I was 9 years old, and I can honestly say all my blessings have come from this sport," said Coleman, who escaped a life of gangs and drugs to excel at Oak Park and River Forest High School. "As crazy as my life story may be, every time I turned a corner and grew, it was through wrestling."

Coleman, who's preparing for the 2016 Rio Games in Brazil at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, said he will be sending emails and Internet links to friends to try and save wrestling from the IOC chopping block.