USA Wrestling Has Too Much of a Good Thing at 86 KG

Going into the 2019 World Championships, 86 KG (about 189.5 pounds) is probably the weakest spot on the US Men’s Wrestling team. I understand that this is offensive to Pat Downey, the United States’s current representative at the weight, but it’s pretty tough to argue at this point, especially with a pretty short resume when it comes to Senior level freestyle wrestling accomplishments.

That being said, going into the Olympics in 2020, it goes from being the weakest to possibly the strongest weight class. Since there are only 6 Olympic weights where there are 10 world champions in non-Olympic years, it shrinks down the possibilities of where guys can wrestle. It is guaranteed at least two former world champions, and possibly, although extremely unlikely, up to five former World Champions. 

Pat Downey

First off, you have the current representative, Pat Downey. I did mention that he has not done much on the Senior Freestyle scene, but on the Junior scene, he did win a Silver Medal back in 2012 which was the best finish of any American that year. He struggled to find the right fit in college, so he was only a one-time All-American due to multiple transfers that limited his eligibility. Still, he came out with the right attitude this year and won the US Open before winning the best 2-out-of-3 falls against Nick Heflin at the World Team Trials. Nobody expected Downey to make it that far. Then, instead of having to compete at Final X, he won the spot simply by making weight as last year’s US Representative and defending World Champion, David Taylor, was injured in an exhibition match in May. Downey will represent the US team this year in Kazakhstan this year, but I can’t imagine he’s got that much more magic left in him. Still, the guy will grind, and nobody has ever questioned his self-confidence.

David Taylor

Next, let’s talk about the 2018 World Champion, David Taylor. The Magic Man has had one hell of a career as he won two Dan Hodge trophies as the best college wrestler in the country, something that has only been done three times in history. It was expected that he would go out on the international scene and dominate, but he could never quite get started as he continually ran into competition that was just slightly better than him. He started his career at 74 kg where he ran into two unbelievable talents in Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Dake. He was always close but could never quite overcome them. So he did the next logical thing, he gained 25 pounds of muscle and moved up to 86 kg. 2016 appeared to be his year to represent the United States at the Olympics, but there, he could not overcome future World Champion, J’Den Cox, who managed to squeak by with the sweatiest victory in US history. Again, he was denied.

But with Cox moving up to 92 kg, the path was completely clear for Taylor to take over for the United States, and he did that in 2018 by storming through the competition and winning a World Championship. Everything was lining up for him to defend his crown this year before he hurt his leg in at Beat The Streets and will take time off in order to make sure he’s 100% healthy for the Olympics next year.

J’Den Cox

I guess it only makes sense to transition to talk about J’Den Cox who has moved up to 92 kg and won a World Title last year but has stated that he will be cutting down to 86 kg for the Olympics. On top of his World Title, he has a World Bronze, Olympic Bronze, and three NCAA Titles.  So yeah, he’s pretty damn good. If he can handle the weight cut well, it’s tough to say he wouldn’t be the favorite. I might have given the edge to Taylor before the injury but putting that into consideration, Cox may be the guy to beat. There is nobody with better defense than Cox, and even though this really isn’t relevant, he’s the sweatiest person I have ever seen. I will never get over how sweaty he was against Taylor a few years ago, because there were practically puddles on the mat from a six-minute match. I expect him to win another World Title this year, and the biggest question mark for him will be the weight cut, because his skills clearly make him one of the best wrestlers in the world.

Kyle Dake

Speaking of one of the best wrestlers in the world, there was no one more dominant than Kyle Dake last year. He is another World Champion, but he did it without giving up a single point at the World Championships and tech falled three out of four opponents. Oh yeah, he’s also the only man to ever win four NCAA Titles at four different weight classes. Still, I would say he is the longest of long shots. His World Championship was at 79 kg, and he has to make the decision of whether to go up to 86 kg or move down to 74 kg. I think he will go down in weight, but waiting for him down there is possibly America’s greatest wrestler of all time, Jordan Burroughs. He’s beaten David Taylor every time they have gone up against each other, and he gave J’Den Cox a run for his money despite being vastly undersized in their matchup. I wouldn’t bet against Dake, but I think it’s also likely that he doesn’t move up in weight to have this intense of competition waiting for him.

Oh, and he hasn’t even qualified to represent the United States at 79 kg, because he still has to wrestle the last man on this list.

Alex Dieringer

That’s because he still has to go up against the freight train that is Alex Dieringer. Dieringer has wrestled Dake very close in previous matchups, and he seems to be getting better and better every year. He dominated the competition to earn a chance against Dake, but things have been delayed due to Dake recovering from an injury. If he takes the spot at 79 kg, he would be the favorite to win gold at this year’s World Championships, and he’s already stated that he’s going up to 86 kg next year. He won’t go in as the favorite, but the way he’s been wrestling, he’s as dangerous as anybody in the division.

All this talk doesn’t even include former National Champions Mark Hall and Zahid Valencia who are wrapping up their college careers, former NCAA Champion Myles Martin who will now be able to focus on freestyle full time, and the possibility of Bo Nickal coming back down who may have been the scariest person in college wrestling over the last four years. Oh, and for some Iowa flair, how about Sammy Brooks, a man with a mullet that helps give him super powers? This may be the most competitive division in US Wrestling history.

But that’s all for next year. We’re less than two months away from the 2019 World Championships where the only guy that matters is PDIII. USA! USA! USA!

The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #6 Toni Kukoc

Toni Kukoc
Toni Kukoc, aka The Croatian Sensation, aka The Waiter, aka Euro-Magic, aka The Pink Panther, aka Spider of Split, aka Kuki, aka Alien (these are all nicknames listed of his basketball reference page), was drafted in the second round of the 1990 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He was the obsession of Jerry Krause as Krause was positive that he would change the game. As much as Krause tried to bring him on board, they could not come to contract terms for the 1990-91 season. They also couldn't come to terms for 1991-92.

But in 1992, things did get interesting as the Olympics were held in Barcelona, Spain that year. The United States would bring professional players since they were unable to win the gold with amateurs in 1988. Hence, The Dream Team was born. Kukoc would represent Croatia, along with Drazen Petrovic and Dino Radja. But future teammates, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, were a tad tired of hearing about how great Kukoc was, so they made it their mission to destroy him. In pool play, Team USA would play Croatia, and they would hold Kukoc to just four points while he committed seven turnovers in the game. Jordan and Pippen would combine for 13 steals in the game. Seriously, watch this video that highlights Kukoc. The whole thing is good, but they get to the Dream Team Stuff around 3:55 of the video, and it is amazing.

They set out to destroy him, and destroy him they did. Kukoc would fare better in the second game with 16 points and nine assists, but Team USA still won by a comfortable 32-point margin.

Kukoc would finally join the team after the Bulls had won their third straight title in 1993. He would be counted on to replace a chunk of the production left behind when Michael Jordan retired. That rookie year, he came off the bench in all but eight games, but he still made an impact. Although he didn't light it up scoring, he was an offensive guru as he could grab rebounds or dish out assists. At 6'10", he was a rare find in the NBA back in those days. Of course, what will most be remembered from that season was his game winning shot of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks.

Although it was a huge shot, what will always be remembered more is that Scottie Pippen sat out the final play since he was not going to be taking that final shot.

During the championship years, the Bulls were at their best when he was coming off the bench as he was the ideal sixth man, winning that award in 1995-96. Considering the time that he was forced to play with bench units, there was no better opportunity for him to display his wide array of skills. He not only provided scoring but helped the frontcourt with rebounding and especially the backcourt with his ball handling and assists. With that, you're not going to find many box scores that jump out at you, but you are going to see a whole lot of 15 point, 7 rebound, five assist games sprinkled in throughout the playoffs. With Jordan and Pippen on the team, it was never going to be his job to take over. He was the ultimate puzzle piece, filling in wherever needed at excelling in any role.

After the championship years, Kukoc stayed on the Bulls for a short time after the rebuild before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. He would also go on to play for the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks before retiring after the 2006 season.

Toni Kukoc is one of the most fascinating players in NBA history. He was a unicorn before anyone knew unicorns existed. He did it all on a basketball court and helped change the game in that tall guys must play on the inside. His versatility ensured that he could have played in any era, and it's pretty clear that guys like Giannis and Ben Simmons are the evolution of Toni Kukoc. The numbers Kukoc put up in a box score could never add up to the impact he had on the game of basketball.

Previous Entries:

#45 - Jack Haley

#44 - Rory Sparrow

#43 - Chuck Nevitt

#42 - David Vaughn

#41 - Jo Jo English

#40 - Ricky Blanton

#39 - Matt Steigenga

#38 - Joe Courtney

#37 - Keith Booth

#36 - Mark Randall

#35 - Ed Nealy

#34 - Rusty LaRue

#33 - Corey Williams

#32 - Joe Kleine

#31 - John Salley

#30 - James Edwards

#29 - Robert Parish

#28 - Darrell Walker

#27 - Rodney McCray

#26 - Dennis Hopson

#25 - Trent Tucker

#24 - Dickey Simpkins

#23 - Bobby Hansen

#22 - Scott Burrell

#21 - Bison Dele

#20 - Craig Hodges

#19 - Jud Buechler

#18 - Randy Brown

#17 - Cliff Levingston

#16 - Stacey King

#15 - Jason Caffey

#14 - Bill Wennington

#13 - Will Perdue

#12 - Scott Williams

#11 - Steve Kerr

#10 - BJ Armstrong

#9 - Luc Longley

#8 - John Paxson 

#7 - Bill Cartwright

The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #32 Joe Kleine

Joe Kleine
Do you remember Joe Kleine? Like, I'm an extreme sports fan so I had a little bit of recollection of him, knew he was a big white guy, never thought too much of him beyond that. But Joe Kleine played 15 seasons in the NBA. FIFTEEN. He was the sixth pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. He even started at least one game in every year but his final season. That is one hell of an NBA career, and that is before we touch on the fact that the dude won a Gold Medal in the 1984 Olympics.

Kleine joined the Bulls near the end of his career, for the 1997-98 season. He provided exactly what the Bulls thought he could provide which was extra size on the bench and insurance in case one of their more prominent centers got injured during the year. In that position, it's basically impossible to take the world by storm, but Kleine provided solid, professional work, just like he did for his other 14 seasons in the league.

But I can't go any further about Joe Kleine without mentioning his most important contribution to the Bulls final title run: Tacos. But not just any tacos, free tacos. I'm not sure if there is a greater regular season moment in Chicago Bulls history than this.

Look how happy this man is. I can feel his joy through the video. He soaks in every moment. He embraces his role as the Taco King, and he giveth the people what they desire. If you don't love this video, you are incapable of love.

In the playoffs, the bench shrunk and Kleine did not contribute on the court for the Bulls final championship season. He was the best kind of insurance, the kind that you luckily don't have to use.

Kleine may have not lived up to expectations when he was the sixth overall pick in the draft, but I can't imagine calling anyone who spent 15 years in the NBA a disappointment. Joe Kleine filled a role, and he's got a Gold Medal, an NBA Championship ring, and most importantly, FREE TACOS, to prove it.

Previous Entries:

#45 - Jack Haley

#44 - Rory Sparrow

#43 - Chuck Nevitt

#42 - David Vaughn

#41 - Jo Jo English

#40 - Ricky Blanton

#39 - Matt Steigenga

#38 - Joe Courtney

#37 - Keith Booth

#36 - Mark Randall

#35 - Ed Nealy

#34 - Rusty LaRue

#33 - Corey Williams 

Which US Wrestlers Should Transition to MMA?

The United States World Team Trials for freestyle wrestling happened last weekend, and, as always, it was one of the most underrated sporting events of the year. Incredible battles with incredible drama led to this being one of the most memorable team trials in recent history. Some guy's dreams came true, while far more were left with bitter disappointment. But disappointment can lead to opportunity, so I wanted to take a look to find out who would best transition from the sport of wrestling to the sport of mixed martial arts.

I'm only going to be looking at guys who fell short at the trials, because the guys who won clearly have some wrestling left to do in their careers. I also won't be including guys still in college, as I don't see any wrestler abandoning wrestling altogether at that age. So let's start at 57 KG (pounds will be put in their likely weight class as opposed to the exact KG equivalent) and work our way up.

57 KG - Nahshon Garrett (125 pounds)
Garrett hasn't had a great transition from folkstyle to freestyle, as this year he was on the losing end of a technical fall in his first match against Alan Waters, followed by a decision loss to Darian Cruz. Still, Garrett is an explosive athlete that can absolutely overwhelm opponents. In college, he would overwhelm opponents with his athleticism. With that sort of style, he could make an immediate impact in mixed martial arts, and considering the athlete that he is, it's not hard to envision him becoming good in all aspects of fighting. Of course, considering he got an education from Cornell, it wouldn't be surprising if he was too smart to get in the fight game.

61 KG - Joe Colon (135 pounds)
Colon is another guy who struggled at the team trials, as he went 1-2, only managing a win over NCAA runner-up, Seth Gross. But again, his struggles in freestyle do not take away from his incredible physicality. Colon is the type of wrestler that can simply overwhlem his opponents. His freestyle technique is nowhere near the best, but that technique will still be better than anybody he faces in MMA, and it's the physicality that will put him over the top.

65 KG - Jordan Oliver (145 pounds)
Unlike everyone else on this list, Oliver did not compete at the US Team Trials, but that was due to a drug suspension as opposed to not being good enough. I mean, with a drug suspension already on his record, he's basically living that MMA lifestyle already. Also, Oliver has consistently fell short of representing the United States in international competition. At first, Brent Metcalf got the better of him, then it was Molinaro, and now, when he had his best shot, he got popped for performance enhancing drugs, and Zain Retherford looks to be the guy taking over the weight class. I think it's time for a change of competition if he wants to make an impact in athletics.

70 KG - Dylan Ness (155 pounds)
Dylan Ness is funk personified. He is incredible at getting in the weirdest possible positions and somehow always coming out in an advantageous spot. No one has shown this sort of funk acumen since Ben "Funky" Askren. Now, Ness is not the wrestler that Askren was, but Askren has shown the blueprint for how to transition his skillset into mixed martial arts. Was it all just the wrestling of Askren that led him to greatness, or are funky wrestlers better at translating their skills to fighting? I would love to see Ness give it a go so we could find out.

74 KG - Kyle Dake (170 pounds)
74 KG is likely the most loaded weight class for potential MMA superstars. Jordan Burroughs could be amazing, but after pulling off another victory at the trials, he was ineligible for this list as he definitely has some more wrestling in his future. Isaiah Martinez is an absolute beast, but he's still in college, so he has some growth to do. I went back and forth on the last two guys, but eventually went with Kyle Dake over Alex Dieringer. Dieringer is still young and seemed to close the gap on Dake, so he very well may be the future of the weight class when Burroughs retires. Of course, he may never be able to pass up Dake, as it is not like Dake doesn't still have some strong years in him. Still, I went with Dake as "Kid Dynamite" would simply be too much fun to see in MMA. Dake is not only explosive, but even in college, he was smart enough to do whatever it took to win, never worrying about being the most exciting guy, just being concerned with being the best. I would love to see him transition that wrestling acumen to fighting.

86 KG - David Taylor (185 pounds)
I cannot imagine David Taylor making the transition to MMA, but it'd be pretty cool if he did.

97 KG - Kyven Gadson (205 pounds)
Gadson is the last American to beat super human wrestling machine, Kyle Snyder, but Snyder showed that things have changed quite a bit in the last two years. With Snyder around, there really isn't any future for Gadson to represent the United States. Still, you'd have trouble finding a wrestler with a much higher ceiling than Gadson. His biggest issue has always been consistency. Although he's not Kyle Snyder, he's still really good at wrestling, and he has the skills to give a lot of people trouble in what isn't all that deep of a weight class.

125 KG - Tony Nelson (HWT)
So right now the best choice would seem to be Nick Gwiazdowski, but since he's busy dominating the American Heavyweight division in wrestling, I had to move on to someone else. Although I wanted to be a homer and go for former Hawkeye, Bobby Telford, I think the former Golden Gopher, Tony Nelson is probably the best choice. Looking at the heavyweight division, I feel like Nelson could be a top-10 UFC heavyweight within a couple years.

Wrestling is the world's toughest sport, and that is why wrestlers do such a good job when moving to mixed martial arts. I have no doubt that if these guys would do great if they decided to make the transition. 

Everything You Need to Know About USA Wrestling in the 2016 Olympics

The Olympics have now been underway for nearly two weeks, and if you have missed any of the action, don't worry; you still haven't missed much (Greco and Women's Freestyle wrestling did start earlier this week). That's because tomorrow starts the men's freestyle wrestling competition. It may last three days, but these are wrestlers, which just means that they only do two weight classes from start to finish in a day. Within about eight hours, you have to clean out the best in your division to earn a gold medal. It's beautiful, it's wonderful, and it's the only sport you need to watch in the Olympics. And judging by the demographics of this website, you're probably most interested in how the USA is going to do at each weight class, so let's break it down, starting with the lowest chances and working our way up to who has the best chance of claiming Gold in Rio.

65 KG - Frank Molinaro
Am I a Frank Molinaro hater? Yeah, pretty much. Even when he won a NCAA title at 149, it was against a fairly weak class that year. The fact that he tied two of his matches but won on criteria to get the US spot didn't inspire a lot of confidence (I was also bitter about that first tie taking out personal favorite, Brent Metcalf). Then he went to Turkey to qualify the US for the Olympics and lost a must-win match. So that was that, and the US will not have anyone in Rio at 65 KG.

But wait, he managed to get in because somebody else got busted for doping. And to be fair, he's wrestling way better than he ever has. Sure, a lot of matches, he's pulling something out of his ass, but you have to be incredibly good just to be in position to pull something out of your ass. I don't see that luck continuing, and I'd be surprised if he got a win this weekend.

57 KG - Daniel Dennis
You have no idea how badly I would like to put Daniel Dennis higher on this list, but I can't do it. If there is one American that even non-Americans could get behind, it's Daniel Dennis. The guy had the most hearbreaking NCAA Finals loss in history. I'm not talking about one of the most heartbreaking, it is the hands down winner for most heartbreaking loss.

I still get ill watching it; I cannot imagine what he went through when it happened. And that's not the craziest part of his story. He gave up wrestling for years where he lived in a trailer with no television or internet; that was a step up from the half year that he spent living in his truck. And somehow, after all of that, he came back better than ever. He had to beat his own teammate in the US Trial finals, and he went out and dominated. With a story like that, he's probably got a pretty impressive Wikipedia page. Well, here's a screenshot:

That's the entire thing. You don't even have to scroll down to fit it all in, and about half of that is the table of contents and references. This is the difference between wrestlers and other sports stars. Hell, The top E-Gamer at 57 KG in the US probably has a Wikipedia page 50 times this long (of course I'm pretty sure e-gamers only come in at 57 KG or super heavyweight, so maybe it's a bigger deal).

To make it to the Olympics from where he was is incredible. But I'm going to be pulling for an even greater climax in his story. He's not going to be favored, but I'm definitely not going to count him out.

125 KG - Tervel Dlagnev
I know he doesn't sound like an American, but trust me, he is, and he's definitely the best heavyweight the US has. He has constantly been in the mix at World Championships, but it seems like he kind of stalls out in that 3-6 range and can't quite make it to the elite of the elite. He has also struggled with some injuries over the past year, and the current rankings reflect that (currently #14) so I can't really see him taking a step forward. It's tough to envision him making the podium, but he's had far more international success than everyone but the top two guys on this list, so it wouldn't be crazy to see him wrestling for a Bronze.

86 KG - J'Den Cox
J'Den Cox is probably the biggest wildcard on Team USA (I mean, he's the only guy on the team with a shorter Wikipedia than Dan Dennis). He could easily be eliminated immediately, and that will be that. But he's also incredibly athletic, and also incredibly big for 86 KG. He's long and strong, so I guess he's down to get the freak shit on. But he's just such a different matchup from the other guys in this weight that he could cause some issues. His technique is not going to be nearly as polished as some of the Eastern European countries he'll be squaring off against, but if there's an American that can come out of nowhere to make it to the championship, this is the guy to pick.

As for winning the gold...um, no. Unfortunately for Cox, there's this Russian named Abdulrashid Saulaev. Even if Cox gets eliminated early, you should watch Sadulaev, because he is that awesome. He might be the best wrestler at any weight class right now, although I favor the guy at the end of this list.

97 KG - Kyle Snyder
Snyder won the World Championships last year at the age of 19. That is so stupidly impressive and amazing that I still haven't totally wrapped my head around it. He comes into these games ranked number four as he has had some close losses at international tournaments. Even those losses were questionable as the reffing at some of these international tournaments are...less than fair. Oh, and in between those international tournaments, he bumped up to heavyweight and won a National Title. What I'm trying to say is Kyle Snyder is really freaking good at wrestling. Even with that, when you search Wikipedia for Kyle Snyder, this is what you get:

The first result is a pitcher who played three seasons in the mid-2000s and had an ERA of nearly 6.00. He outranks the World Champion Wrestler.

Anyway, if I was betting on this weight class, I'd take Snyder. He's so young that he's constantly improving, and he was already good enough to win a World Championship. Without questionable officiating, I don't think anyone can knock him off, and he has the potential to become a generational talent.

74 KG - Jordan Burroughs
Speaking of generational talents, that is exactly what Jordan Burroughs is. He's accomplished so much in wrestling that it's absolutely stupid at this point. Some have referred to him as the Michael Jordan of wrestling, and that's not an outrageous statement. I mean, the guy once won a World Championship with a broken ankle. On top of that, he's an ideal ambassador for the sport as a whole. Sure, he's not quite as explosive as he was four years ago, but what he's lost in that area, he's gained in technique as he's far better at turning guys and racking up points on the mat. I can't explain Jordan Burroughs. He's the best wrestler in the world. but even that doesn't do him justice. No matter what the sport is, to watch someone special in his craft is a religious experience. Jordan Burroughs wrestles tomorrow. Don't miss it.

Folkstyle Is Better Than Freestyle Wrestling

The US Olympic Trials were held this past weekend, where men's and women's freestyle and Greco were decided on who would represent the US in the Olympics (if the US qualifies, as only half of the weight classes had been qualified so far). There were some absolutely incredible matches, and it was a ton of fun to watch. However, there were also some frustrating matches where when the match was over, you didn't really feel like the better wrestler won the match. That is the biggest issue I have with freestyle, and it's why my preference is still folkstyle (the type of wrestling you see in college (and basically all levels before that as well)).

My biggest issue with freestyle is exposing the shoulders to the mat. If you expose an opponent's shoulders to the mat, even if they are nowhere near those shoulders being pinned, you get two points. I get very frustrated when I see a guy go for a takedown, and the opponent reaches through his crotch, flips him upside down for a second and gets two points while the guy who initiated the action is still looking to score off that move. And yes, maybe it is extra frustrating because this is how every American loses in international competition.

But I see wrestling as the physical domination of your opponent. The ultimate goal is to pin your opponent's shoulders to the mat, and I really don't think anything that does not get you closer to that goal should be rewarded. Nobody gets pinned off of a leg lace, but Jordan Burroughs scored 8 points in about two seconds doing that to win his Olympic spot against Andrew Howe. And here's the thing, it was fun to watch, but I just feel that the points awarded far outweigh what Burroughs was actually accomplishing.

There are issues with folkstyle wrestling. Mat work can be incredibly boring, and I scream at my television anytime I see a top guy throw in a leg, the bottom guy stands up, and the ref just resets the guy to stay on the bottom with no stall call. But I still see the essence of dominating your opponent leads to victory. There are some exceptions where the guy with the takedown loses, but it's pretty rare, and the NCAA is making steps towards preventing that.

And maybe this is all just because I’m bitter about Brent Metcalf losing. He gave up two points when he shot in for a takedown, and basically did a one man gator roll to escape from a bad position. Molinaro had good defense, but he didn’t initiate any real action. Still, he got two points for a back exposure and won the 3-3 match on criteria. Now I’m not going to count out Metcalf for the 2020 Olympics, but I think this was his best shot to make it (well, 2012 actually may have been better). Zain Retherford has shown massive improvement over the last couple years, and giving him four more years, two of which he will completely be focused on freestyle make him the early favorite at that weight (Stieber would be an ideal guy at 61 kg, but that’s unfortunately no longer an Olympic weight, but hopefully they bring it back). Metcalf will go down as one of the greatest American wrestler to never make an Olympic team.

What were we talking about again?

Oh, yeah, folkstyle and freestyle. My big issue with freestyle is that you can beat an opponent without trying to pin their shoulders to the mat. Just turning a guy is more flash than substance (and I 100% understand that it is incredibly difficult to turn someone who does not want to be turned). And I’m even down for an exposure on a takedown attempt getting an extra two points, because it takes away a huge defensive maneuver for the guy being taken down, so it does lead to more action on the feet. And since turns are impressive, I’d rather just see a turn getting an extra two points, and then you stand them back up instead of racking up points off of the turns. I’d love folkstyle to look into the same thing to help with their issues of boring matches where guys just rack up riding time.

Overall, I just want to see the best wrestler win in an action-packed match. Both freestyle and folkstyle are great. I’ll admit that freestyle has more action, but folkstyle does a better job of proving who is the better wrestler, and that’s why I still prefer it to the Olympic style.