I'm sure the payday is excellent, but with Askren having a new hip and being an objectively terrible boxer, it'll be difficult to (once again) watch a longtime combat sports veteran allow himself to be humiliated for cash. Askren wrestling Burroughs makes sense. He was going to lose, but he's an Olympian and two-time NCAA champion.
Accepting a fight where you are knowingly going to be posterized by an absolutely insufferable human is a much sadder setup and outcome than most are acknowledging on Twitter. I wish that combat sport athletes didn't have to make money like this late in their career. It's sad to watch. Maybe Ben makes a miracle happen, but Jake Paul knows how to throw a punch and odds are this is going to hurt.
To your questions …
Q: Penn State is finally expected to begin its season with this weekend. The Nittany Lions have some new faces in the lineup. Do you see PSU challenging Iowa for the national title?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Something tells me that Penn State isn't going to wrestle this weekend. I hope that I'm wrong, but with their luck one of their competitors will have a COVID case or otherwise fall into protocol.
Iowa is just too strong this year. From top to bottom they have the best team in the nation and there just really isn't much challenging their ascendency to the NCAA title in 2021. If you look at Penn State's lineup the fresh faces would need to be massive to their overall success at the NCAA tournament, but may don't have the experience on the mat and won't be getting enough prior to March.
One thing I think indicates the uphill battle is that there no top-ranked Penn State wrestlers in 2021. None. Looking back 2-3 years ago and there were as many as five top-ranked guys midseason. While you can get the job done without an NCAA champion the Nittany Lion firepower isn't available this year.
Q: Mark Hall announced that he is moving up to 86 kilograms. How do you think he will do there? Any thoughts on his match against Nate Jackson on Friday night?
-- Mike C.
Foley: I appreciate Mark Hall's abilities and I think he's probably going to have a great future at 79 kilograms after the 2021 Games in Tokyo. As for moving up to 86 kilograms for a match with Nate Jackson, I'm in full endorsement. The match is probably going to have some great exchanges.
As for the outlook in making the 2021 squad, I imagine that Taylor still gets the better of him, though their time spent training together is a variable that I can't control in prognosticating. It's possible, though unlikely, that Taylor gets smoked by Hall in training. If so, seeing how Hall stacks up against the field is important to see if he can make it to a finals matchup with Taylor.
Overall, great move by Hall and one that will work to strengthen Team USA for the 2024 Olympic cycle.
Who would win a hypothetical matchup between 2021 Gable Steveson (left) and 1999 Stephen Neal (right)?Q: Stephen Neal won the Hodge as a senior, then went on to become a world champ in freestyle the same year. How do you think a college match between 1999 Stephen Neal and 2021 Gable Steveson go?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Whew. That's tough to say, but I like Stephen Neal hitting a few double legs. A lot of time has passed since we saw Neal wrestle so it's easy to forget that he has one of the best double legs of any heavyweight in history. He also didn't have a ton of trouble with mobility at the time.
What screwed Neal from becoming an Olympic team member was a set of rules that were truly, truly atrocious. The match is linked below, but what you'll see is two of the best heavyweights in the world being put into par terre SIX TIMES. Why?! How did anyone think that ruleset was going to create action. Seeing this match has made me a true believer in the current rule set, which has been wildly successful at creating actions for the past eight years.
Oh, as for Gable. I quit betting against him months ago. Should we create a time machine I'd back away from my prediction and place big money on Gable. He might just be the man in 2021.
Q: It was the 25th anniversary of Dave Schultz's death this week. What comes to mind when you think about Dave Schultz?
-- Mike C.
Foley: I wasn't into wrestling when Dave was enjoying the best parts of his career, and I was hardly into wrestling when he was murdered. The legacy I see is the one that's been shared with me online and through stories. When I read the question my first response was that Dave appeared to be laid back, focused, and yet brutal on the mat.
Dave seemed to be both savage and scholar, which is something that I think can be powerful for top wrestlers to grasp. The time he spent thinking about wrestling and studying, and showing interest in others techniques, was just as valuable as the time he spent conditioning his body.
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
Jake Paul can box
Ben Askren can … ??
Neal vs. McCoy
Conor McGregor stance breakdown: This is a great concept for technique breakdowns in wrestling, too.
Q: Michael Chandler made his UFC debut last weekend and was impressive, winning by TKO over Dan Hooker in the first round. Do you see think Chandler has the tools to become a UFC champion?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Mike Chandler looked better in his UFC debut than he looked in all his years at Bellator. The striking that he's been working on for almost a decade has become a go to attack with devastating effect. Add- n his ability to fight off ground attacks and he starts to remind you of Dustin Poirier where he gets better with age.
There is absolutely no cap for Chandler. There are matchups that could stall his rise, but the UFC is incentivized to see him climb the ranks and will likely give him the title shot versus Dustin should the post-fight hype continue in earnest as it has for several days.
Chandler wouldn't be favored in early betting, but I'm guessing that as the day of the fight comes closer the line will tighten significantly.
Q: Any idea what happened with Teague Moore at American? Was he let go because of the program's performance? Or was it something else?
Foley: The school wasn't forthcoming about the circumstances, nor did Coach Moore given an explanation. However, there has been mention that Moore's political beliefs negatively impacted his relationship with the school. That can't be confirmed, but I'm sure that as the weeks pass more information will emerge that might bring more clarity.
What is certain is that the fallout was not related to the on-the-mat performance. Also, many parents seemed to enjoy Coach Moore and have vocally supported him during this process.
Until there is a public statement it's not possible to confirm. On a personal level, I like Coach Moore and wish him the best success in whatever he chooses to do next. He's a good guy.
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