Pico is not making the 2016 Olympic team

[wrestlingnerd 3,004]

Pico has unquestionably phenomenal potential. I am a fan of the kid and was borderline rooting for him in this match, although I had no real dog in the fight. But right now, he is just too one-dimensional, and he only has one year to make the necessary adjustments to give the Olympics a go before he switches to MMA. I don't see it happening.

 

I can see him beating any one of our senior elite guys, but not running the table to nab the Olympic spot. Metcalf, Oliver, and Stieber can all take him down but I'm not sure he can take any of those guys down in a 6-minute match. And he is just not outhorsing any of those full grown men. With one line of attack that can easily be scouted and defense that has been exposed a bit even at the junior level, I just don't see it, no matter how physically gifted he may be.

 

I wish he'd stick around the sport for 2-3 Olympic cycles so we could see him develop a more complete style, but alas....

[headshuck 2,607]

As boring as his "style" is, it's the only chance to get past Metcalf. Many others with more offense have gotten pounded by Metcalf as of late.

 

Has Pico wrestled Oliver, Humphries, Kennedy, etc? Does he have more offense?

[Katie 1,076]

I thought he was wrestling through 2020.

[wrestlingphish 1,029]

0 shots against Metcalf. Did he even touch a knee?

[Gantry 1,872]

He beat Humphrey something like 5-1 a short while ago.  Maybe in Cuba?

 

Not a lot of Americans score against Metcalf, we'll see if he can adjust. 

[WildTurkey44 321]

Pico didnt even pass Metcalf's elbows. Gotta score son!

[WildTurkey44 321]

DP

Edited April 4, 2015 by WildTurkey44

[wrestlingnerd 3,004]

As boring as his "style" is, it's the only chance to get past Metcalf. Many others with more offense have gotten pounded by Metcalf as of late.

 

Has Pico wrestled Oliver, Humphries, Kennedy, etc? Does he have more offense?

 

I don't find it boring, usually. But against a guy like Metcalf, who clearly had experience wrestling him before, scouted him, and is also a physical horse himself, that style is not going to do it.

 

Against guys like Hump and Kennedy, I can see his style working. Those guys are a little in the tweener category. Against fully sized 143 lbers who are all as strong or stronger, i.e. Metcalf, Stieber, Oliver, I don't think his style works consistently enough to win the Olympic spot.

[headshuck 2,607]

Did Pico give up 1 or 2 penalty points?

[armspin 257]

He lost 4-1. The Olympics are a long way away. Too early to pronounce doom on a young guy, at an age where wrestlers improve quickly.

 

Remember Romanov at this weight- two years ago he was losing to Metcalf and pretty ugly too. Within one year, world champion. (Now losing again btw- not sure why).

[VakAttack 4,016]

Pico gave up a penalty point and a shot clock point, plus the only TD, obviously.

[dougb 53]

I believe he was 1 year behind his teammates the Valencia brothers, meaning if he was wrestling high school he would be in 11th grade, so it is amazing that an 11th grader probably 16-17 years old, is wrestling this good against Metcalf who was a 2 time NCAA champion and a 3 time finalist, who is, done with school meaning a full time athlete, it is mind boggling, Pico is competitive with a 28-29 year old man in his athletic prime.

Edited April 4, 2015 by dougb

[IRTYTKY 67]

Not discrediting anything you said but Pico is 18. His birth date is September 26th 1996

[Angry_Fish 313]

Pico.  Not a fan.

[Cletus_Tucker 890]

I didn't see the match, but I did just finish reading up on it.   This quote:

 

"“That is what this about. This is a step for what really matters, winning the World Cup, the U.S. Open, the Trials and the World Championships. This is a good opponent. Aaron Pico, I respect him,” said Metcalf.

 

pretty muchputs it in perspective.  Metcalf knows this is the first of many battles.   Pico didn't show any of his stuff.   Probably used this match as a scouting and learning opportunity.  He got a feel of Metcalf and him and his coaches can work from there.   For MEtcalf, there isn't a whole lot he can work on in terms of distancing himself from the young phenom.  Like the Russians, we wipe the mat with them in NY and other out of season events and expectations go through the roof.  Then come prime time, they whoop on us like a bunch of newly adopted gingers.   

 

As a Pico fan I am VERY encouraged.   As a MEtcalf fan (hoping he gets on the team for a final time in 2015) I am concerned.   We just saw a teenager go out there and allow 1 offensive score to Brent Metcalf.  This is going to get good.   

[WildTurkey44 321]

"Pico didnt show any of his stuff" give me a freaking break! Really?

[ElChangodeAmor 12]

"Pico didnt show any of his stuff" give me a freaking break! Really?

wasn't allowed to hand fight the way he does internationally. I don't believe Pico has ever given up a point because of his hand fighting. Until he is in Iowa where stalling is tactics until you step back.

Metcalf will never be a world or Olympic champ and will have a lock on the weight class unfortunately he leaves if Pico doesn't get some variety in his attacks. Valentine is a Greco guy, but I guess we will see next weekend

[VakAttack 4,016]

wasn't allowed to hand fight the way he does internationally. I don't believe Pico has ever given up a point because of his hand fighting. Until he is in Iowa where stalling is tactics until you step back.

Metcalf will never be a world or Olympic champ and will have a lock on the weight class unfortunately he leaves if Pico doesn't get some variety in his attacks. Valentine is a Greco guy, but I guess we will see next weekend

 

LOL, what?  He wasn't penalized until like the last minute of the match.

[Alwayswrestling 227]

Geez Pico was beat by the better man last night end of story.  Pico is a talent for sure but as in most cases is not as good as all the hype.  Great marketing for the young man which I think is awesome but for those that have been around the sport he is not anything new there was Jimmy Carr, Dave Schultz, Cary Kolat and Damion Hahn all young phenoms of our sport.

[Katie 1,076]

During all the Pico hype I was thought people needed to relax. I never thought Pico would make the 2016 team, and I thought it was way to early to even consider whether he would be on track to compete for a spot on the 2020 team. 

 

But now that everyone is down on the kid, I'll be the contrarian again. Pico said he's focusing on wrestling until 2020. (http://www.fightline.com/bellator-mma-signs-top-prospect-aaron-pico/).

 

He needs to improve a lot in order to contend for a world/Olympic medal. And the chances of anyone improving that much and winning a gold medal are slim to none, and that includes Pico. You can never tell how much someone will be able to improve. So if I were him I would go straight to MMA because he is basically guaranteed eventual paydays there. But it's his life. He wants a crack at the 2020 Olympics. 

 

So he's 18, and he has five shots at making a world/Olympic team before the 2020 Olympic trials begin. In the meantime, he'll develop from an 18 year old kid who is two years removed from high school wrestling practices to a 23 year old full-time wrestler with five-plus years of senior level freestyle international competition behind him. At this point, there's no reason to think he'll have less of a shot at the 2020 Olympic team than anyone else. 

 

If any other high-school-age wrestler wrestled a former Hodge winner and world team member that tough, we'd be blown away. 

Edited April 4, 2015 by Katie

[rossel3 77]

I didn't see the match, but I did just finish reading up on it.   This quote:

 

"“That is what this about. This is a step for what really matters, winning the World Cup, the U.S. Open, the Trials and the World Championships. This is a good opponent. Aaron Pico, I respect him,” said Metcalf.

 

pretty muchputs it in perspective.  Metcalf knows this is the first of many battles.   Pico didn't show any of his stuff.   Probably used this match as a scouting and learning opportunity.  He got a feel of Metcalf and him and his coaches can work from there.   For MEtcalf, there isn't a whole lot he can work on in terms of distancing himself from the young phenom.  Like the Russians, we wipe the mat with them in NY and other out of season events and expectations go through the roof.  Then come prime time, they whoop on us like a bunch of newly adopted gingers.   

 

As a Pico fan I am VERY encouraged.   As a MEtcalf fan (hoping he gets on the team for a final time in 2015) I am concerned.   We just saw a teenager go out there and allow 1 offensive score to Brent Metcalf.  This is going to get good.   

 

As a fan of both Pico and Metcalf you must be very happy with the outcome. 

 

Metcalf, well, he won, so that's good.  And Pico "didn't show any of his stuff", merely using this match to scout Metcalf, so as to overtake him the next time they meet.

 

You must be on cloud 9!!!

[wrestlingnerd 3,004]

I  could see 2020 but 2016, no way. I didn't realize he was planning to hang around that long, so that's great news. He needs to diversify a little beyond the snap down to set up his offense. He really looks lost out there when guys who've studied him block his snapdown series.

[DuckFor2 216]

basically at this stage of the game...there is a 1 TD difference. i'm with Armspin on this one, anything can happen.

[Shiraz123 829]

Do you guys see Metcalf being able to medal in the next two years? And I wonder if he continues beyond 2016. 

[Alwayswrestling 227]

If Pico would not make the Olympic wrestling team in 2016 does not mean he is not a stud I mean he would only still be 19/20 years old.