Askren to Midlands?

[spladle08 1,266]

Via his twitter, he asks for a list of Open tournaments and then says, he is "just going to Midlands. looking for other people"
I'm more excited then I should be
I would guess 184.
You think there are any college kids that will/could pull the upset?

[steamboat_charlie 727]

Via his twitter, he asks for a list of Open tournaments and then says, he is "just going to Midlands. looking for other people"

I'm more excited then I should be

I would guess 184.

You think there are any college kids that will/could pull the upset?

 

The best wrestler in his bracket is likely to be Emery Parker, unless Zahid ends up bumping to 184.  Parker is tough, but I think I'd still go Askren.  Zahid I would favor over Ben.  

[unbiased 524]

I heard Zahid is staying at 174. I would like to see Askren make the weight. That would be a good one.

Edited August 29, 2018 by unbiased

[Housebuye 2,465]

Hopefully this inspires other people to compete as well

 

How cool would it be if some of our national team guys did it too? I know it is folk, but it would be a much lower level of competition and probably fun for them!

 

I hope there is a compelling matchup for askren. I’ve been high in Parker for two years and even predicted he would AA, but that won’t be competitive. A match with Myles Martin or Bo nickel would be amazing, although I doubt either goes to Midlands (and yes, Bo is moving up)

[treep2000 1,179]

Agreed.  Would LOVE to see some of the older guys come back, tighten up those laces, and show this latest crop of youngun's how it's done.  Askren at Midlands?  Yes please!

[Frank_Rizzo 343]

I'd pick Askren over anyone within 20 pounds of him in folkstyle even now - 11 years after his last college match.   

[steamboat_charlie 727]

I heard Zahid is staying at 174. I would like to see Askren make the weight. That would be a good one.

 

That would be exciting.  I doubt Ben wants the matchup enough to cut though, and he probably floats around in the 180's. 

[NJWC 305]

I'd pick Askren over anyone within 20 pounds of him in folkstyle even now - 11 years after his last college match.

I tend to agree. Askren/Nicksl would be fun.

[Witherman 385]

we need a petition to get david taylor there as well @ 84

[Gantry 1,872]

This is fantastic, Askren stepping up.  Been going to the Midlands for 20 years now (man!) and watching the former wrestlers compete against the current crop was already the highlight of this tourney

[Housebuye 2,465]

we need a petition to get david taylor there as well @ 84

He did it a few years back. He dominated Zahid during Zahid’s true freshman year.

 

I hope he does it again

[TobusRex 2,109]

Via his twitter, he asks for a list of Open tournaments and then says, he is "just going to Midlands. looking for other people"

I'm more excited then I should be

I would guess 184.

You think there are any college kids that will/could pull the upset?

 

He probably feels like bullying Jake Herbert again....

[TobusRex 2,109]

I'd pick Askren over anyone within 20 pounds of him in folkstyle even now - 11 years after his last college match.   

 

That's a bit of a stretch. I'd have to take Zahid over Ben, but I think he'd teach Bo Nickal the meaning of "humility" :D

[TobusRex 2,109]

we need a petition to get david taylor there as well @ 84

 

LOL, Taylor would tech anybody he wrestled, including Askren. Well, not sure about Askren but I'm about 99% sure Taylor'd whup him convincingly.

Edited August 30, 2018 by TobusRex

[steen-hooph 74]

LOL, Taylor would tech anybody he wrestled, including Askren. Well, not sure about Askren but I'm about 99% sure Taylor'd whup him convincingly.

All depends if Askren trains hard for this, or just shows up. If he trains like he would for a fight, I doubt anyone is whooping him.

[boconnell 1,638]

I'd take Askren over Zahid in a folk match all day.  Zahid almost got funked by a pretty straight forward Mark Hall, and Zahid's best wins come in FS.  Askren was a folkstyle monster who'd present huge problems for anyone below heavy.

 

As for Askren/Taylor, that'd be an interesting one.  Taylor is such a different body now from his folk days.  He's a weight class bigger than Askren at least in frame. If they wrestled at 184 I'd go Taylor.  If they wrestled at 174 I'd go Askren.  

Edited August 30, 2018 by boconnell

[spladle08 1,266]

I'd take Askren over Zahid in a folk match all day. Zahid almost got funked by a pretty straight forward Mark Hall, and Zahid's best wins come in FS. Askren was a folkstyle monster who'd present huge problems for anyone below heavy.

 

As for Askren/Taylor, that'd be an interesting one. Taylor is such a different body now from his folk days. He's a weight class bigger than Askren at least in frame. If they wrestled at 184 I'd go Taylor. If they wrestled at 174 I'd go Askren.

Askren would go down pretty convincingly, watch his Joe Rogan interview, he talks about wrestling with Burroughs recently and he didnt realize how much strength and speed he had lost from when he focused solely on wrestling. Obviously folk is different than Free but Taylor is a current top 3 wrestler in the world... he would win solidly, although I love me some Askren and I'd take him over college kids, with some closer calls than we would expect.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

Edited August 30, 2018 by spladle08

[gowrestle 699]

The Midlands at one point was the best folkstyle tournament in the world. Now it ranks behind many others.

[TobusRex 2,109]

The Midlands at one point was the best folkstyle tournament in the world. Now it ranks behind many others.

 

The Scuffle has been better than Midlands for a long, long time, for one.

[cangemi 228]

Askren unique, should lose to top guys . been away. Just never easy bet against him. Always seems prove everyone wrong.

[JBluegill133 290]

Askren's funky style is now somewhat normalized in college wrestling.  Granted he was the best at it, it just isn't as awe inspiring as it was when he was at Mizzou. I don't think he dominates someone like Zahid and/or Bo.....God I would love to be proven wrong in this department haha.   

[AnklePicker 683]

Let’s not forget that the last time Askren wrestled a real match he got beaten pretty badly 10-3 by Clayton Foster. Now Foster was training pretty hard then and I’m sure Ben wasn’t, but that was 3 years ago. You don’t get better at wrestling in 3 years when you are Ben’s age. That said I hope he pins everyone he wrestles!

[iGranby 221]

If he trains for it I'd be surprised with anything less than a top 4 finish. With him being the head of the Badger RTC Im sure he could get into some semblance of a regular training routine that is wrestling specific. 

[boconnell 1,638]

Let’s not forget that the last time Askren wrestled a real match he got beaten pretty badly 10-3 by Clayton Foster. Now Foster was training pretty hard then and I’m sure Ben wasn’t, but that was 3 years ago. You don’t get better at wrestling in 3 years when you are Ben’s age. That said I hope he pins everyone he wrestles!

In college, Foster was a 197 and Askren a 174.  They wrestled at 190 in between Askren's fights at 170.  I don't think any 197 this year is near what Foster was (unless Nickal goes up).  That match happened in FS.  This is a folkstyle match.  

[Cradle1 271]

I'd pick Askren over anyone within 20 pounds of him in folkstyle even now - 11 years after his last college match.   

 

Negative. Wrestling is a young man's game, high level success much past 30 is almost unheard of other than at 211 and heavyweight.  It's not like MMA where guys can stay on top until they are 40. Maybe when he was 26-28 years old he could freelance in there and not miss a beat but not at 33.  If he'd been training for wrestling the whole time, that would be one thing.

 

Style wise- he matches up terribly with Burroughs at this point (even in folkstyle), I think everyone understands that.  I'd give you 20-1 odds that Kyle Dake beats him in a folkstyle match.  Dake is the one guy that can match or even exceed Askren's "wrestling IQ" and is much stronger, faster, better conditioned, and younger. Imo- even in their primes their is no situation that Askren could create that Dake doesn't have an answer for.  Taylor is possibly the best wrestler on the planet right now and has way too much power for him with the frame he has these days, to say nothing of speed. I'd take Dierenger, Nickal, and Zahid over Askren at this point and maybe Mark Hall as well.

 

No disrespect meant to the great funk guru- age f#cks us all. I just think you have to take legends in their prime over a legend who is past his prime age wise and not focused on wrestling.  But man, how great would it be too see him in a bracket with all these guys in a "Sparta" (if you've seen the movie) type scenario. 

Edited August 30, 2018 by Cradle1