Is this the best year for USA Wrestling Ever?

[LoStNuMbEr 320]

We win Junior Worlds, win Senior Worlds, and tie for 2nd with women's freestyle.

[MadMardigain 1,594]

Minus Russia boycott years its gotta be a strong contender for best year in the modern era.

[tbert 563]

Minus the crybabies dake and Taylor.

[Fishhook 142]

Greco d did pretty bad, but we did get a Greco junior world champ for the first time in a long while.  

So I'd have to weigh all those things together. 

 

I do think our opponents are down compared to some other years so that makes direct comparisons difficult.  Still, this is definitely the best in about 20 years or more. 

[fullnelson 129]

Given that it is much much tougher than it was in 95, this is our best showing. Ex: look at Kyles weight, the 5 medalists after him would have wrestled for Russia during Smith's run (pre 92) in 95 the new republics were not as set and the flight to other countries was just beginning. Only one Russian to beat; today you not only have the 14 republics, but look at the imports (Chamizo, Cuba to Italy, Baitrov, Russian world champ to Bahrain, etc)

[TobusRex 2,107]

I agree this is our best FS team ever.

[boconnell 1,623]

Given that it is much much tougher than it was in 95, this is our best showing. Ex: look at Kyles weight, the 5 medalists after him would have wrestled for Russia during Smith's run (pre 92) in 95 the new republics were not as set and the flight to other countries was just beginning. Only one Russian to beat; today you not only have the 14 republics, but look at the imports (Chamizo, Cuba to Italy, Baitrov, Russian world champ to Bahrain, etc)

Individually it is harder now because the Russians are spread out, but beating the USSR team in 95' was way harder for the same reasons.  They had the best of the best from all those countries.  No way do we beat a USSR team today that builds a super lineup from former soviet bloc countries plus Russia.

[BigTimeFan 1,141]

What fullnelson said. Plus it's eight and not ten weigh classss though granted one was 105.5 back the. Some of the competition and weight classes were deep. Green, JB and Snyder all faced returning or former world champs in the finals. It's true that 57kg was thinned out but 61kg was so stacked.

[Eagle26 580]

And it's only getting better in the next several years! Especially with the new weights...

[swampdonkey 1]

One thing to take into consideration is that Russia was with out probably the 2nd best pfp wrestler in the world in Romanov. Yes they did get a bronze at 65 but he would have been a lock for a gold at this years worlds. Also Chakaev (sp) at 57 not competing would have gave them additional points. Non the less it was a memorable tourney for team US!!!!!!

[NJWC 305]

One thing to take into consideration is that Russia was with out probably the 2nd best pfp wrestler in the world in Romanov. Yes they did get a bronze at 65 but he would have been a lock for a gold at this years worlds. Also Chakaev (sp) at 57 not competing would have gave them additional points. Non the less it was a memorable tourney for team US!!!!!!

No such thing as a lock. Stop.

[swampdonkey 1]

With the new weights next year a Sadulaev/Cox match is likely. Sad was visibly smaller then Snyder as Snyder even quoted. Russia could add Gudeuv, Boltekaev maybe Gadisov back in the line up with the new weights. Match ups could be.......

 

 

Chakaev vs Gilman

Rashidov vs Steiber

Romanov vs Zain

Kadimegomadov vs Green

Tsbalov vs Burroughs

Gudaev vs Dake

Sadulaev/Valiev vs Taylor

Sadulaev/Gadisov vs Cox

Boltekaev vs Snyder

Mahkov????vs Gwiz

[swampdonkey 1]

You're right! No such thing as a lock but considering what he has did to his competition in Rio makes him heavily favored. No one did what he did to their weight class (and the deepest one there) like he did!!!!

[sgallan 592]

Well matches are won on the mat but I have a hard time seeing anybody beating Snyder or Sudalaev in a worlds except each other. Unless Sadulaev can get back to 86 he is better served getting used to the heavier Olympic weight class.

[LemonPie 1,368]

One thing to take into consideration is that Russia was with out probably the 2nd best pfp wrestler in the world in Romanov. Yes they did get a bronze at 65 but he would have been a lock for a gold at this years worlds. Also Chakaev (sp) at 57 not competing would have gave them additional points. Non the less it was a memorable tourney for team US!!!!!!

Valiev's gift evens it out

[Jaroslav Hasek 2,047]

With the new weights next year a Sadulaev/Cox match is likely. Sad was visibly smaller then Snyder as Snyder even quoted. Russia could add Gudeuv, Boltekaev maybe Gadisov back in the line up with the new weights. Match ups could be.......

 

 

Chakaev vs Gilman

Rashidov vs Steiber

Romanov vs Zain

Kadimegomadov vs Green

Tsbalov vs Burroughs

Gudaev vs Dake

Sadulaev/Valiev vs Taylor

Sadulaev/Gadisov vs Cox

Boltekaev vs Snyder

Mahkov????vs Gwiz

1) Chakaev never wrestled below 60kg in his senior carer

2) Azerbaijan could have done better if PED testing hadn't improved and Asgarov hadn't gotten banned for testing positive for PEDs

3) But even considering that yeah lets also still count every Russian that didn't wrestle after Rio 

4) Oh yeah and what if Cael Sanderson never retired from competition?????

Edited August 27, 2017 by Jaroslav Hasek

[Lurker 2,033]

Given that it is much much tougher than it was in 95, this is our best showing. Ex: look at Kyles weight, the 5 medalists after him would have wrestled for Russia during Smith's run (pre 92) in 95 the new republics were not as set and the flight to other countries was just beginning. Only one Russian to beat; today you not only have the 14 republics, but look at the imports (Chamizo, Cuba to Italy, Baitrov, Russian world champ to Bahrain, etc)

I talk about this all the time. Many people don't grasp the concept of the difference in the bracket, between 92 and before, and 2000 and beyond..(speaking relative to Olympic quads)

Edited August 27, 2017 by Lurker

[stp 564]

Time to eliminate Greco.  

[fullnelson 129]

Time to eliminate Greco.  

Big rule changes in Greco-stand-up wrestling is coming back; listen to Lolavic (sp) at World Championship news interview. He wants it to return to its classic style; kudos to him.

[Lurker 2,033]

Time to eliminate Greco.

Why, because we're not very competitive on the world stage?

 

I guess we could quit. Or we could recruit our younger talent that is competitive on the world level to continue training after HS while still getting their education, therefore building a pipeline that was more competitive. A type of program will take some time to see the fruits, but I wonder if anyone is working on that 🤔

[maligned 528]

Individually it is harder now because the Russians are spread out, but beating the USSR team in 95' was way harder for the same reasons.  They had the best of the best from all those countries.  No way do we beat a USSR team today that builds a super lineup from former soviet bloc countries plus Russia.

 

The USSR was fully broken up by the early 90s. Medals were already being taken by Belarus and Uzbekistan and others by 1993. I do agree that the movement between nations makes the INDIVIDUAL competitions harder to win, but I don't know if it makes it harder to win a team title since that spreading of talent is there to hinder Iran and Russia just as much as us. This year we averaged 6.7 points per weight. We averaged 7.6 points per weight in 1993 and 7.1 per weight in 1995. You might argue that it was easier to rack up more points because it was easier for individuals to score higher, but we won both of those titles well clear of Russia and all others--including the 1995 year when everyone was sending all their best people in a pre-Olympic year. There's definitely an argument to be made that those title were more impressive despite the very relevant posts others have made above.

[Lurker 2,033]

The USSR was fully broken up by the early 90s. Medals were already being taken by Belarus and Uzbekistan and others by 1993. I do agree that the movement between nations makes the INDIVIDUAL competitions harder to win, but I don't know if it makes it harder to win a team title since that spreading of talent is there to hinder Iran and Russia just as much as us. This year we averaged 6.7 points per weight. We averaged 7.6 points per weight in 1993 and 7.1 per weight in 1995. You might argue that it was easier to rack up more points because it was easier for individuals to score higher, but we won both of those titles well clear of Russia and all others--including the 1995 year when everyone was sending all their best people in a pre-Olympic year. There's definitely an argument to be made that those title were more impressive despite the very relevant posts others have made above.

I agree with you in that they were broken up and scoring points as seperate countries by then, however....they were still figuring it out. Their whole world had changed and what they've always known came crumbling down. That takes affect, and some time to work through.

 

Now they in effect work together amongst the "states" and mix and swap, and put out a very good product across the board on the mat. Kinda like the NBA over there...

[Buckeyebison 87]

Certainly a great year for FS teams but terrible year for GR team who finished 34th.

 

It is no excuse since Russia finished top 2 in BOTH FS and GR.

 

So, the suggestion is to have FS tourney ahead of GR tourney which would allow FS wrestlers who did not finish top 3 to slide into GR tourney. We have a ton of FS wrestlers who can do GR well. Also, it improves the competition in GR. USA should be sending several teams to Europe tour and camps to improve the techniques. Of course, we have to find the money for this. In cheaper way, we send the teams to work with Cuba, the one of best in the Americas.

[irani 820]

I don't know if it was the best year ever for US FS, but it was certainly a spectacular performance, with two bonafide superstars.

 

If JB was Iranian, they would name a stadium after him!

[HurricaneWrestling 1,123]

Is this the best year for USA Wrestling Ever?

 

No, our best year was 1904, when the USA won the gold, silver and bronze medals in every wrestling event that was contested at the Olympic Games.  (However, it probably wasn't our best team inasmuch as no other nations competed in Olympic wrestling that year.)