Articles: Articles

Foley's Friday Mailbag: February 15, 2019

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 06:02:09 +0000

The wrestling community has been treated these past few months to a number of viral videos -- some good, some bad, and some ugly.

One of the uglier videos circulated last week with cell phone video of several parents fighting on the mats of a pee-wee wrestling tournament. The brawl, which lasted 20-30 seconds, spilled onto the mats and was watched by several of the young wrestlers participating in the day's activities. The motivation for the altercation wasn't really specified, but it was implied that something on the mat caused a comment from a parent, which inflamed some egos.

While women's wrestling is taking off, international styles are becoming easier to watch/follow, and college dual meets are seeing 15K-plus fans, there remains a cancer at the root of the sport.

The culture of youth wrestling is broken.

We see the system in tatters each time there is undue focus put onto these coaches and parents who seem more interested in their bragging rights than the growth of their children. There is no reason to ever watch children aged 5-10 years old competing at a national tournament with medal stands, pomp, and consequences. Pre-teens need to focus on developing physical fluency, creating bonds, and sharpening wrestling skills. They shouldn't be the vessel by which parents navigate discovery of lost glory.

But that might be too harsh. Parents are hard wired to protect their children, to cheer them on and enforce rules. When parents storm the mat they aren't guaranteed to be awful humans at the outlier of our sporting culture. In reality they are the symptom of the disease -- just one of the many visible failures in the culture of youth wrestling in America.

Other countries don't seem to drive their kids into highly visible, consequential wrestling events before their 10th birthday. From what I've seen, most don't leave the wrestling room in any meaningful way until they reach 12, or more often, puberty. They stay in the rooms, drill techniques, learn movement exercises, wrestling skills, and a whole heck of a lot of discipline. In the United States we seem to prioritize winning, and by any means necessary.

We are at a breaking point. The time has come to suspend all elimination-based wrestling competitions for children under the age of 10. A pre-pubescent child wrestling five times in a single day isn't building development, it's destroying joy. Parents and youth coaches dragging these babies across their home states, regions, and even the country, only to be pitted against each other in HIGH stakes physical competition, is absurd and should no longer be allowable.

There are alternatives. The United States has excellent, passionate coaches who would love to learn more about their craft and ways to improve the lives of their young wrestlers. The wrestling community needs to come together to devalue these tournaments, adopt skills-based tournaments that allow for kids to build their competitive spirit, and give coaches the tools and techniques to avoid creating a toxic culture of youth sports.

We need to take our foot off this pedal and come together to find solutions. A summit of top club coaches, officials, and leaders in the sport could be a great first step. Bring in educators and those familiar with creating positive conditions for improving physical literacy and see what they can recommend would also help wrestling be a leader in youth sports.

What we saw happen last weekend was only a sliver of what we all know goes on at these tournaments. It's time to make immediate and drastic changes to the way we approach teaching our kids about the world's oldest (and still greatest) sport.

To your questions â€¦

Top-ranked wrestlers Sebastian Rivera and Stevan Micic wrestled last Sunday (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

Q: What did you think of Sebastian Rivera bumping up a weight to take on Stevan Micic in a battle of No. 1's? Do you think it had anything to do with Micic being a former Northwestern wrestler? It seems like the match didn't get as much hype as when Seth Gross bumped up to take on Bryce Meredith. Is it because it didn't play out on social media? Or because it wasn't super competitive?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Nobody else will wrestle the guy, so he's forced to find some action!

As for the lack of hype for the match it would have been difficult to match Meredith and Gross because it wasn't as competitive. As to why it wasn't as competitive, I think the percentage of weight being ceded was a little higher, but also the styles weren't compatible for something as stimulating as the rollie-pollie, topsy-turvy affair from the year before.

Micic looked to be brutally strong, has discipline in neutral position, and generally limits mistakes. Same for Sea Bass, but when as he was outsized there wasn't much opportunity for him to find points.

Q: Here's a thought regarding ducking in dual meets: have the conference tournament seeding reflect the school's performance at that weight, not the individual's performance. In the Big Ten, at least, record in-conference duals as the first seeding criteria. So just seed "Iowa 125-pounders in the tournament.This clearly doesn't fix everything (it wouldn't even really impact 125 at Big Tens this year), but I think it would be an improvement.
-- Irv O.

Foley: A similar system was considered for the international ranking system but was ultimately canned. The theory for the international scene was to ensure that if your top point-scorer was injured or lost their wrestle-off the country could still see ROI for having traveled and participated. However, the downside was that the stronger countries might start wrestling-by-committee.

That could also be the issue here. Instead of being punitive for the school ducking, larger schools could take on weight classes with two or three top-level wrestlers. That means that the power schools would have another advantage over the lesser schools who might not be able to fill out their rosters in quite the same way.

Good idea, but I think a straightforward approach of valuing the dual meets might still be the answer we need! Simple solution to a complex problem.

Q: Do you think Missouri will beat Oklahoma State on Saturday and extend its winning streak to 36? Or do you like the Cowboys to pull out the victory?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'm done making predictions. Did you see how bad I whiffed on the Michigan dual? The better way forward is to tell readers that I KNEW something was going to happen and write about it the week after. Can't take any more embarrassing misses.

The only thing about the Mizzou winning streak that jumped out to me was that I started hearing about it in the first place. Tends to be that once you hear these things they come undone. I'm not saying it's a jinx, but something about the streak being spotlighted makes me think there are rough waters ahead for the Tigers.

Q: Super impressed with Vito Arujau of Cornell. Am I crazy to think he could reach the finals in Pittsburgh (as long as he's not on the same side as Spencer Lee)?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Not sure you'd be crazy, but it would certainly be an unexpected result given Sea Bass is a pretty dominant No. 1 and the top five wrestlers have combined for only two losses. Vito's win over Pat Glory was pretty slick. Definite All-American.

Helen Maroulis wrestling at the 2017 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: We haven't heard or seen much from Helen Maroulis lately. We hope she has recovered from her injuries. Do you know if she's wrestling now and/or planning to wrestle soon?
-- Vince M.

Foley: You should follow her on Instagram. She's around! As for her not competing, she's still recovering from a surgery to repair damage in her shoulder and needs rehab to get it back and ready for competition.

I don't know when she plans to come back to the mats, but I hope it's on a timeline that allows her to return for the World Championships and the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Helen is one-of-a-kind!

Q: Bo Nickal wrestles collegiate at 197 pounds. It seems like the non-Olympic weight class of 92 kilograms (202.4 pounds) could be a good freestyle weight class for him this year. But where would you project him in 2020? 86 kilograms (189 pounds) or 97 kilograms (213.4 pounds)? How do you see his style translating to the senior level?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'd imagine that Bo tries to make the 2019 team at 92 kilograms. Not sure if J'den Cox is going up, down, or staying put this year. But it might not matter. Bo knows pinning.

He may have plans to compete in 2020, but if so I'd be almost certain that he'd go up to 97 kilograms and take on Kyle Snyder. While there isn't much indication he could take on that size right away, he is pretty nifty and tricky and has a more freestyle-friendly body than Snyder. That could mean tricky situations for Snyder and some positional advantages for Nickal.

Not predicating the upset, but I think that any pressure he gives Snyder will make the defending Olympic champion even more formidable come Tokyo.

DeSanto still firing up the readers!
By Ibra O.

I noticed that Austin DeSanto of Iowa has had several team points deducted this year. When the ref raises your hand there is no need to make derogatory comments to your opponent. I also remember the match that he had with Stevan Micic at the NCAAs last year when DeSanto was blatantly trying to break Micic's arm while wrestling in frustration. The great thing about wrestling is we are forced to shake hands before and after the matches. Unlike many sports wrestlers are supposed to be good sports win, lose or draw. Then DeSanto gets suspended by Brands for only one match. Are you kidding? Both DeSanto and Brands are setting bad examples. This hot head needs to be kicked out of the entire league.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: February 8, 2019

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 06:15:05 +0000

I'm in Gori, Georgia, this week documenting the lives and wrestling careers of 2016 Olympic champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili and two-time world champion Geno Petriashvili.

While the lightweight and heavyweight are both almost certain to be future Hall of Fame wrestlers, what interests me isn't their wrestling styles, so much as the way in which they were raised and the way they lead their teammates and motivate each other. Wrestling thrives in the creases of the map and it's men from these areas that I've consistently found to be the best wrestlers and most passionate about their craft. These small cities are teaching our young men something about teamwork, sacrifice, and creating a wrestler's life from their own combination of talent and hard work.

The other component to the Gori story is the head freestyle wrestling coach who started a club here in the 1970's. While other regions of the country (then the Soviet Union) received more lavish considerations, the Gori team grew from the visions of one coach. I won't ruin what will be told in the upcoming video features on United World Wrestling, but once you hear his voice and feel his command of the room, it's apparent that he is a man meant to lead and inspire his youth.

In that way the coach, Gori, Vlad and Geno feel familiar. All wrestlers have sacrificed, but the moves we learn and the traditions we decide to pass along come from the generations before us. The men and women who work the land, cook the food, teach in the schools and share a common history.

As I've traveled to different nations and unique cities like Gori there is no doubt that massive differences appear, but I'm often reassured by how much remains the same. That it takes a mat filled with passionate parents, coaches, teammates, and community members to ensure that our most talented make their way to the top of the podium â€¦ and stay there.

To your questions â€¦

The referees gather to review a call during a match between Nick Suriano and Daton Fix (Photo/Juan Garcia)

Q: I understand the importance of instant replay being used to get calls correct, but after the fiasco which was Nick Suriano vs. Daton Fix, something needs to change next year. What are your thoughts on â€¦ if a failed challenge happens, either your kid is penalized 1 or 2 match points, or you have to give up 1 team point?

I think that coaches would be much more reluctant to challenge and disrupt the match. I also think that the two refs need to confer more on questionable calls. To their credit, I've recently seen the refs go over to replay without being prompted here recently. This is quite acceptable in my opinion.
-- Chris A.

Foley: Agreed. It's powerful for referees to self-regulate and second-guess their own decisions. The opportunity to review something that happened in a split second has made the sport fairer.

The long delays could be fixed with a more standardized video review system, limits on review time for each challenged call, and heftier penalties for coaches and wrestlers who lose a challenge. The NCAA might be hesitant to employ these improvements, as they would cost more money, throw into debate whether the right call was achieved, and potentially cost a wrestler a match on a procedural review.

Is the international style a fair model? Three-person reviews, fan-visible video, and points awarded to opposing wrestlers for failed challenges have allowed the sport to be more transparent, but it's still dogged by long timeouts, and on occasion matches that become overly litigated.

Q: I have thought for years that NCAA Division I wrestling is especially compelling and has the potential to be much more mainstream than it is at this point. Do you agree that NCAA Division I deserves more attention as a platform to develop wrestling? It also doesn't help that some of the biggest name coaches in Division I are the strong silent type and don't seem to want to make a concerted effort to be better on camera. Thoughts?
-- Craig M.

Foley: There is more wrestling content online and on TV now than ever before. While no hard numbers exist, the saturation of content available via livestream, traditional websites, TV, blogs, Instagram Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube is in multiples of the thousands.

As you noted, though, it's difficult to see the penetration of the sport in the conscience of the mainstream media because for them those multiples are exponential given they are covering such a wide range of sports.

While blame could fall on some coaches, I've found Tom Brands, Kevin Dresser, and several other major conference coaches to be good with the press, promoting matchups as best they can through the means available to them at the time, whether social media or a local news broadcast.

The larger issue does remain: how to make a larger positive impact on the general sports market? For me that comes down to the product on the mat and the way it is being delivered to larger audiences. While the John Wayne coaching style isn't helping much, the interviews in the backroom of the gymnasium are really only meant for diehard fans of the sport. To make a name for the sport on the major channels would take better production value, star appeal, and extensive backstories.

I hope that one day a slew of positive mainstream media attention will make its way to our sport, but in the meantime I'm content with the level of engagement and growth we are seeing among current and former wrestlers, their families, and their friends.

Q: Need a recipe for fixing wrestling? Look no further than two big guys like Anthony Cassar and Mason Parris getting after it! Wow! What a match!
-- Tim M.

Foley: Though I whiffed on my prediction, I'm one-hundred percent behind that type of offense-first wrestling match at any weight.

Q: We've seen a lot of post-match trash from wrestlers recently. Austin DeSanto, for example, in last year's quarterfinals and his recent post-match antics against Nebraska.

While I enjoy watching the sport, a kid of DeSantos' caliber tech falling an unranked wrestler definitely doesn't need this type of reaction. Granted, it was probably in response to Tyler Berger's earlier actions. But these are starting to cost teams points, and even respect. Is this good for college wrestling as a whole? Or have we resigned ourselves to post match shoves and taunting to being little more than a fan benefit? And for that matter, why are the refs letting this type of stuff slide as well?

An add-on to this: Berger, Steveson, Red, etc. It just seems DeSanto's celebrations and actions always get talked about.
-- Jared H.

Foley: As we all know now, DeSanto was suspended for one match primarily based on his behavior in the Nebraska dual. Though I'm not a 'Get Off My Lawn' traditionalist of the sport, I found his behavior unnecessary and somewhat callous. But I think his suspension was more likely a culmination of bad behavior and bad press rather than this singular incident causing this decision by the Hawkeyes.

DeSanto needs limitations and needs to know that breaking the rules has consequences. He may or may not absorb that message, but I think he loves his team and loves to compete, making sitting out this dual meet a painful blow to his pride and feelings of camaraderie.

Like all fans who think he has enormous talent, I hope he can rid himself of the extracurricular behavior and return to the mats well-balanced and seeking to win in a dominating (but stable) manner.

Q: Did you see the Illinois-Iowa dual? At 141 pounds, Mike Carr of Illinois came from behind and scored a last-second take down and nearfall to win the match. The wrestler from Iowa was visibly upset and Carr taunted him before shaking hands. Although I loved Carr's guts in pulling out a come-from-behind win, it was very disappointing to see him make fun of the other wrestler. Later on in the match, Illinois was penalized a team point. I was curious if it was due to this incident.
-- Scott G.

Foley: Hard to say if it was a makeup call by the referee, but to Jared H's point I think that most wrestling fans are growing weary of the showboating and taunting. While celebrating your victory is always welcomed, it never needs to come at the expense of someone else.

Q: I do think the ducking in dual meets is getting tiring. I'd be pissed if I were the wrestler. I get "March is what "matters" ... but I think in the rear view at least many of them will realize the fun that is competing just to compete and wish they'd taken all opportunities to do so. I can't imagine Brands as a wrestler being OK ducking someone back in the day to assure seeding. Can you? You really think the two guys in the poster would strategically sit? Some of my favorite matches from college in retrospect were losses. Always more satisfying to lose trying to win.
-- Jon G.

Foley: I â€¦ agree.

The sport is maturing. There is a sophistication in the gamesmanship of the coaches and their lineups that simply wasn't there 20-30 years ago. Also, because the seeding has certain predictable parameters more wrestlers are able to avoid matches that might cost them in the long run.

Do I think the Brands brothers as freshmen would have ducked an opponent if Gable thought it gave them a significantly better chance to secure a yellow medal in March?

Without question.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: February 1, 2019

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 06:59:43 +0000

The Super Bowl is this weekend, and â€¦

Yeah, just kidding, I don't care. The real must-watch televised event was last weekend in Krasnoyarsk as the Ivan Yariguin kicked off the 2019 international wrestling season with United World Wrestling's first Ranking Series event.

Much in the same way Siberia > Chiberia, wrestling is ever more entertaining, real and engaging than football.

As predicted, we learned a lot from the first weekend of international wrestling action. The biggest surprise of the weekend came when Kyle Snyder dropped a tight 6-5 match to Rasul Magomedov (Russia), his opponent in last year's final. While the result is disconcerting for American fans, it might be the loss of Ranking Series points that could really dog Snyder. Without a continental title and/or a placement at one of the three remaining Ranking Series (RS) tournaments Snyder could be vulnerable for dropping out of the top three and thus into a potential semifinal matchup with Abdulrashid Sadulaev at the 2019 World Championships in Astana.

It might be too early to predict seeds, but we did watch as Thomas Gilman climbed his way from the No. 5 in RS points to No. 3. Gilman, who is planning to wrestle at the Dan Kolov at the end of February, has the potential to keep climbing the RS ladder and putting himself in optimum position come September.

On the women's side, Tamyra Mensah took home her record third straight Ivan Yariguin title though not in her Budapest weight of 68 kilograms. That'll cost her some points, but it might not be significant enough to impact her seed for Astana. Overall, she wrestled well and showed that the American women are ever-improving results and their technical skills on the mat.

To your questions â€¦

Aaron Pico (Photo/Juan Garcia)

Q: Aaron Pico was knocked silly in his MMA fight last weekend. Do you think this recent loss will alter his plans at all? Maybe he focuses on wrestling up until 2020?
-- Mike C.

Foley: That KO will absolutely alter his plans to chase a knockout against a dangerous opponent. That much is certain.

Overall, I think Pico will stay in MMA and stay on his championship trajectory. Any pivot to full-time wrestling training wouldn't need to happen for another 6-12 months, as he's in shape, making money and able to quickly come out of this downswing by booking another fight in the next 12 weeks.

Let's get this much clear: Pico is going to be an MMA champion. He's just learning the basics in front of way more people and with an incredible amount of expectation, which makes his losses seem more severe than they otherwise might for a less hyped fighter.

Q: Many of the most anticipated matchups in college wrestling are not happening because coaches are opting to sit wrestlers. I didn't love Brands' answer on why Spencer Lee didn't wrestle Sebastian Rivera, "It's in the plan." I know this has been a problem in past years, but this season seems worse than ever. Any thoughts on what can be done? Is it a matter of making duals more important?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The equation here is simple: Coaches are paid to win in March at the conference and NCAA tournament. Anything that doesn't serve that purpose is extraneous.

The only long-term option that will satisfy fines and the NCAA is to fully eliminate dual meets or create an incentive for coaches to place their wrestlers in these important matchups. I don't foresee the NCAA killing off dual meets for a few key reasons.

First, like football and basketball games, there is a pre-determined consumable size to the events which makes them simple for the league to sell against on linear channels. The 90-minute format rarely runs over, cost of production is relatively low (they typically use for-free student crews), and the viewership numbers are high live and on repeat.

Counter that with the two-day tournament formats and uncertainty around who will appear in the finals (the only broadcast-able portion) and you have every reason for conferences to keep dual meets.

The second reason is school pride. There is A LOT of handwringing among wrestling fans about not ruining the NCAA tournament and that it's profitable and â€¦ well, you've heard the arguments. But the real fan (and money) draw for all schools are dual meets. You can sell tickets, the event is easy to set up, and it draws in alumni to the campus which means more dollars in the till come donation season.

The NCAA also won't kill dual meets because school vs. school competition is a simple part of their culture. Open tournaments and the like are more the exception than the rule. While everyone loves to tell about the greatest weekend in wrestling, I'd argue that there would be substantially more fan interest in dual meets if they were given some bearing on the team national championship.

Q: A lot of interesting matchups in Penn State-Michigan on Friday night. If the stars align for the Wolverines, they could win 5-6 matches. You giving Michigan any chance to stun PSU?
-- C.R.

Foley: The people want dual meets â€¦

Doubtful that Michigan can overcome the Penn State bonus points, but I do think it'll be a 5-5 match score.

125: No. 15 Drew Mattin (Michigan) dec. Devin Schnupp (Penn State)
133: No. 1 Stevan Micic (Michigan) maj. dec. No. 15 Roman Bravo-Young
141: No. 5 Kanen Storr (Michigan) dec. No. 7 Nick Lee (Penn State)
149: Brady Berge/Jarod Verkleeren (Penn State) dec. Malik Amine (Michigan)
157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) dec. No. 5 Alec Pantaleo (Michigan)
165: No. 7 Logan Massa (Michigan) dec. No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State)
174: No. 1 Mark Hall (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 3 Myles Amine (Michigan)
184: Francisco Bisono/No. 2 Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) maj. dec. J.T. Correll (Michigan)
197: No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State) pins Jackson Striggow (Michigan)
285: No. 8 Mason Parris (Michigan) dec. No. 4 Anthony Cassar (Penn State)
Score: Penn State 20, Michigan 16

Q: Matthew Kolodzik vs. Anthony Ashnault on Sunday. They are 2-2 against each other in college. Who do you like to win Round 5?
-- M.R.

Foley: See, we all want to talk about matchups. The NCAA should recognize that fans and athletes work better when they can predict events, rather than having only to guess who may or may not show up!

Are we calling this the "Battle for New Jersey?" We should.

Kolodzik!

War Tiger.

Q: Any rumors about another AWL event? Seems like it has been crickets since the first event.
-- L.R.

Foley: Nada and I know that you aren't surprised.

Fans and mailbag readers know that we have discussed this issue ad nauseam. Without a clearly defined set of events and participants there is little to no chance for growth of a league or branded series of competition. All leagues, including United World Wrestling, UFC, and NASCAR, understand this fact, which is why they all release calendars and events as far in advance as possible. Having not heard any rumors the assumption has to be that AWL II is on a significant, if not maybe permanent, delay.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Rasul Magomedov (Russia) vs. Kyle Snyder (USA)

Akhmed Chakaev (Russia) vs. Nachyn Kuular (Russia)

Q: Are you going to watch the Super Bowl? If so, do you have a prediction?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Doubtful. I had to Google who was playing the Patriots, who I only know are playing because I watched the end of their game a few weeks ago. Had I not seen the game, I'm sure that there would have been a number of anti-Brady tweets and memes to let me know he was playing. Why do so many people hate this guy?!

But I really won't be watching because I leave Monday on a week-long documentary shoot in Georgia and will need to pack up a lot of gear. My team will be shooting Vladimer Khinchegashvili and Geno Petriashvili in their hometown of Gori and then heading out to a national team training camp in the mountains. Should be quite the collection of images and stories to share.

Anything you guys want me to ask the Olympic and world champs?

Tough wrestling vs. Technique
By Jon G.

In a lot of your mailbags you really celebrate technique and athleticism, and positing the rules of the sport (particularly folkstyle) to reward this. I guess this again relates to my thoughts around top wrestling, but I don't think that winning through toughness and conditioning is any less impressive. To be clear, I am not saying false toughness like face smooshing, out-of-bounds shenanigans, or illegal hands to the face. I'm saying gritty wrestling where someone can hang in a match against potentially a more athletically talented or technical wrestler and beat them through conditioning and/or perseverance. I don't think it's right to devalue that or look down upon it. In many ways it's harder than being the person best suited to succeed.

PROPOSAL TO SAVE HIGH SCHOOL DUAL MEETS
By Ken in Idaho

There have been all kinds of proposals on how to help high school wrestling in terms of scoring, dual matches, forfeits etc. I have a concept that is radically different, but solves some of the weight class issues, forfeits, having multiple good wrestlers at the same weight, etc. But it also would also establish the starter and backup concept for varsity matches and focus points of bouts wrestled and make forfeits count, but not as much.

A few things that make this possible.

Trackwrestling (3 sub points): Having weight management at the high school level in Trackwrestling given kids minimum weights and a date at which they can reach that weight. Also, using Track for seeding at tournaments help when kids tend to change weights or wrestle in multiple states and year-round. Trackwrestling would also keep track of the dual meet scoring, which would help make sure points are applied correctly.

The other main item is the flexibility in youth leagues to focus on getting mat time and developing until a wrestler is vs. winning/losing is a concept taking a foot nationwide. If we can do things to better organize and make positive impacts on the sport we should, as we have learned our lesson with the Olympics on this...

So, off to my proposal. First main concept duals follow the format. Tournaments are open to whatever the host wants to set up for weight classes and scoring. Too many times, tournaments just seem like the same cookie cutter and in some geographically isolated areas, the same kids wrestle the same kids all the time. Having some flexibility on this will be helpful to promote more variety in wrestling.

Format

9 weight classes from 100-285. Weight classes: 100, 110, 120, 135, 150, 165, 185, 210, 285.

1 match at 100 & 285, 2 matches at all other weight classes. This makes 16 bouts in a dual meet.

In each of the 110-210 matches, the first match in the weight class to report is the "undercard" match with the result on a 4-point scale. The second match "main event" is on an 8-point scale. (The 100 and 285 are on the 8-point scale.)

4-point scale: 4 for a pin (forfeit, injury default, DQ, etc), 3.5 for a technical fall, 3 for a major decision and 2 for a decision. Double these numbers on the 8-point scale.

This makes 72 possible points on the "main event" and 28 points on the "undercard" for a total possible of an even 100 points of team scoring. Score 51 for an assured team win.

All other rules (coin flip, starting match and tiebreakers) would remain in place except being allowed to bump up a weight class, that concept would be similar in, who do I put out for the first or second match as a weight class. This would also allow for more coaching strategy on matchups.

I see this as creating more spots while also decreasing the impact of forfeits and simplifying the weight classes. I'd like to put out my list of pros/cons, but I'd like to hear comments first. If there is generally positive feedback, I might put forward a PowerPoint to walk through the concept.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 25, 2019

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 06:25:53 +0000

The Ivan Yariguin Grand Prix is taking place in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, this week

The United World Wrestling Ranking Series kicked off this week with the 2019 edition of the Ivan Yariguin Grand Prix in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

The Ranking Series tournament awards ranking points to the top finishers in Ranking Series events, Continental Championships, and the World Championships. While the prize for winning the Yariguin starts at a somewhat paltry 10 points, they are important to add when looking at how they could allow for someone to earn a seed at the World Championships.

And that seed will matter. In earning valuable points and buffering their position in the rankings, wrestlers entered at the World Championships are delayed from having to meet top-notch opponents in the opening rounds, giving them a somewhat more predictable path forward at the World Championships. Remember Burroughs' route in Budapest? That is less likely to happen, and even less likely should wrestlers participate in tournaments that earn them ranking points.

While an easier path in Astana might seem like an advantage with little long-term benefit, remember that the top six finishers at the 2019 Senior World Championships in Astana will qualify their nation for the 2020 Olympic Games. The angle -- and the one that may work well for Thomas Gilman at 57 kilograms -- is to build on the points from Budapest, earn some more at Yariguin, Continentals and another Ranking Series event and nudge your way into a third or fourth seed.

The Gilman math is actually pretty solid. Assuming he wins his first repechage match on Friday (I'm writing this before Day 2 action starts) he'll come away with at least a fifth-place finish (2 points) and another 8 points for the weight having more than 10 entries. Fifth place would then earn him a total of 10 points, while bronze would give him 12 points.

Not much? Well, Gilman currently sits only five points behind Atli of Turkey and Takahashi of Japan. With a fifth-place finish he becomes the No. 3 wrestler in the world in ranking points.

Yariguin is only the first event of a long and arduous season, but already it's clear to wrestlers and fans that the system built to encourage and reward athletes who participate is doing just that.

To your questions â€¦

Q: It sounds like college wrestling programs are getting a lot less tickets for the NCAAs than they are requesting. Any idea why? Do you think there will be a lot of fans who get shut out on tickets?
-- Mike C.

Foley: More requests meant that the NCAA changed their ticket allocation formula and that all schools received fewer tickets because of the change.

Eric Knopsnyder of PA Power Wrestling recently wrote about the ticket issue.

"That total number of requests has been roughly under 15,000 requests," Holmes told me. "Typically, the number of tickets available is around 10,000."

The NCAA was able to fulfill the requests for schools that requested 100 tickets or fewer. Those that asked for between 100 and 500 tickets usually got 80 percent of their requests filled, and those that sought more than 500 received 70 percent of their request.

"Traditionally the vast majority of schools were requesting less than 100 tickets," Holmes said.

This year, the number of requests for tickets from the Division I programs shot up 67 percent, according to Holmes.

"What happened this year, the same amount of tickets is available, but instead of somewhere around 15,000 requests, we received over 25,000 requests," he said. "That necessitated that everybody received less tickets than they normally received in their allocation."

Q: Is the recruiting situation for Maryland as bleak as it looks? Would the Terps have been better served staying in the ACC instead of getting curbstomped every week in the Big Ten?
-- @HalfAgain

Foley: Man, I don't know, but it bums me out too! I want the Terps to do well. I admire and respect their coaching staff and want my Mid-Atlantic brethren to succeed! Maryland has enjoyed some top-level talent, but as you not-so-eloquently mentioned they've not enjoyed a lot of success in the Big Ten. I'm hopeful for a good NCAA tournament and some positive momentum for the 2019-20 season.

Q: Do you think Spencer Lee avenges his loss to Sebastian Rivera on Sunday?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Yes.

Q: Is 125 pounds officially cursed for Penn State? If so, what wrestler breaks it?
-- Ryan P.

Foley: Maybe weight classes have memories too? Maybe the walls are filled with stories of fellow 125-pound wrestlers and ghosts of their personal journeys through the Penn State program?

I doubt it. Cursed? No.

Suspiciously poor luck for the past few seasons? Yes.

My "out-there" theory is that many of the wrestlers that have made their way on to the Penn State roster at 125 pounds were probably the most popular and well-known people at their high school. When they got to college they expected a certain level of deference, if not in the classroom, then they were at least used to being the alpha male in their respective wrestling rooms.

Try finding deference in the Penn State wrestling room. Try being the alpha in a room with five active NCAA champions. You're the smallest, least accomplished collegiate wrestler in a room dripping with greatness. Where do you find your confidence building wins? The other 125-pound wrestlers?

Successful programs understand that you can't fill your lineup with all alpha males. There needs to be men and women on a team who compete, but that also play support roles, or can win without being the leader of the program. That's even more evident with smaller wrestlers in crowded lineups like that of Penn State. If the alphas can't command the room, they at least need someone to beat up on to help boost their egos.

At some programs the 125 pounders can float up and hand out a whipping to the 133 and 141-pound wrestlers.

At Penn State? Maybe that's not the case.

Q: When The Citadel wrestled Gardner-Webb on Wednesday night, the teams used the experimental NCAA rule allowing weight classes to be chosen in an alternating manner by head coaches. The order was 133, 125, 149, 174, 141, 197, 184, 285, 165 and 157. Do you like the rule? Do you think we will start seeing it happen more often?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I do. Why not? Programs wouldn't have to proceed with the flips, but it's a fun option to have and adds some coaching gamesmanship to the mix!

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

The 57-kilogram finals are going to be awesome. Here is Abasgadzhi Magomedov (Russia) putting it on Ahmet PEKER (Turkey) ...

That front head â€¦

Forrest!

Q: I assume you saw this, but wanted to make sure. I know both kids and they are very much as refreshingly decent as this story shows.
-- Chris E.

Foley: Wrestling is the perfect vehicle for this type of storytelling. Individuals choosing to make a sacrifice to help improve someone else's position or take a moral stand. As you're alluding to, that clarity has backfired in recent weeks with bad press about the sport. But wait long enough and a wonderful story like this will pop back into the public consciousness and put wrestling back in a positive light.

Q: I read your article on the Daton Fix-Nick Suriano match and how college rules need to change. I agree with you in principle but not necessarily with all of your ideas on how to change things. For example, I agree with your thoughts on hands to the face, but I think the pushout rule will be hard to implement fairly especially when a wrestler escapes on the edge and then steps out. I am frankly indifferent about riding time since I see positives and negatives in having it. However, one idea I have is to award 3 points to the wrestler who gets the first takedown. I think there is nothing worse than a college match that ends 0-0 after the first 3-minute period. It makes me want to turn off the TV or walk out of the arena. It seems like an easy way to incentivize a wrestler is to award 3 on the first takedown. It essentially negates a subsequent escape (ie the wrestler is still up by 2). It would also be easy to implement consistently. So what do you think about a 3-point first takedown ?
-- Vince M

Foley: Agree re: 0-0 matches. Three minutes and you got â€¦ nada?

The three-point takedown has been getting a lot more attention in recent weeks, and I can see why. Fans want to make sure that the tougher actions are rewarded well, thus incentivizing more activity from the feet. That the end of the second period could have a 2-2 score with one guy having 3:30 of riding time and a takedown and the other guy only two escapes is indeed very frustrating. A three-point takedown may better balance those efforts.

But what a three-point takedown also does is point-stacking -- or add points in one area to make up for a gamesmanship or scoring area in another. The best example of point stacking is the four-point near fall. Adding a fourth point for one less second may drive up the score on paper, but it doesn't necessarily drive action. We've seen plenty of matches where that's exactly is the case; a four-point tilt causes the winning wrestler to shut down and the losing wrestler to attack, but as it's in vain there comes a weird back-and-forth where some points are ceded, but not enough to make it a real match. It's all very odd to me.

That should stop. Points for a cheap tilt shouldn't be worth more than a takedown. The rules should reward dynamic actions from the feet. Adding back points leads to more riding on top and less turning after a turn has been achieved, since the top wrestler doesn't need to risk control in order to create a winning margin of victory.

To me that three-point takedown just adds to a series of problems around scoring and riding yet to be addressed.

Q: I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this scenario:

1. Hard out of bounds -- pushout is one point.

2. Riding time -- still in effect -- action goes out of bounds, restart in neutral, no points scored.

3. Overtime would be like NFL: one minute, pushout is one point but doesn't end match, takedown is two points and is match ending, repeat until winner is determined.

I understand your takes on the freestyle scenario; but culturally, America loves having winners and losers dictated by score, not criteria. Implementing the three points above increases scoring and increases the likelihood of a winner, eliminates the tactic of playing the edge to avoid risk, allows folkstyle to maintain riding time (for whatever reason it's wanted), and then resolves overtime to a degree by giving wrestlers two ways to win.
-- Dylan M.

Foley: I â€¦ don't hate this. There could be some interesting gamesmanship in getting out of bounds as the bottom man to avoid being ridden forever, but also the top man might be pulling a guy more into the center to ensure they continue earning the riding time. But what would stop someone from dropping to an ankle, fighting for a finish and then making his way out of bounds. That way he's never ceding the point for the escape.

Those overtime rules are also pretty compelling. Pushout would win, but only if it went the full time, right?

Q: Did you see the Henry Cejudo-T.J. Dillashaw fight? If so, do you think the referee made the right call to stop the fight? Who would you pick in a rematch?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The referee stopped the match because T.J. Dillashaw's head looked like a speed bag for Cejudo's right hand. Not a controversial stoppage. Cejudo would've put him to sleep in the next ten seconds. Dillashaw would be better off sending flowers to the referee.

That's not to say Dillashaw isn't a total beast, but it seemed that the weight cut affected him.

At 125 pounds, Cejudo. At 135 pounds, Dillashaw.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 18, 2019

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 06:01:44 +0000

Daton Fix and Nick Suriano's match this past Sunday lasted over 30 minutes (Photo/Juan Garcia)

Last weekend's mega match between Daton Fix and Nick Suriano lasted just about 31 minutes, produced no offensive points, and ended in overtime based on the assessment of a penalty point.

In the minutes that followed the match a majority of those weighing in placed blame on the "hands to the face" rule and its employment by the referee. There was also some anxiety about the referee's general lack of match management, which some saw as leading to the reviews and other on-the-mat fiascos.

For me the match was indicative of something much larger. As I watched (in fast-forward) the failure of the match seemed akin to the stomach-churning announcement on Feb. 12, 2013, that wrestling would no longer be included in the Olympic Games. The system responsible for the match (sport) had completely failed to meet the baseline standard for adequacy, much less success.

While one match from one dual meet doesn't carry the same weight of losing Olympic preference, there are powerful parallels to examine, primarily match pacing, incentives to score, and rules governing out of bounds.

As you'll recall, in 2013 international wrestling consisted of three, stand-alone two-minute periods, takedowns were one point, and matches were abysmal to watch. To say nothing of ball grabs and clinches when the matches went into overtime.

In response, the executive board in charge of the international governing body sought ideas on how to improve the competitiveness and presentation of the sport. A lot was offered, but fundamentally the consultants agreed that pace of scoring should be increased, mat space limited, and to do everything possible to ensure offensive wrestlers were rewarded for action.

Today, international wrestling is growing and is arguably the healthiest it's ever been, both inside our local communities and within the Olympic movement.

After watching the Fix vs. Suriano match I think it's evident that high school and college wrestling make immediate changes to the rules of the sport. There are no magic solutions, but there are a number of positive improvements that can make an immediate and positive impact on the pacing of the matches and style of wrestling put on by opposing athletes.

The most important improvement is to enforce a neutral "pushout" rule, with one point being rewarded to wrestlers when their opponent steps out of bounds. The hard edge limits the mat size and pushes the action to the center, which then increases unbroken wrestling times which typically results in an increase in offensive points. The impact on the nature of the collegiate style (control-based point system) is limited, while optimizing the most exciting aspect of collegiate wrestling, the takedown.

The second rule is to limit referee reviews to no more than two minutes per challenge. That's an easy fix that will focus the referees on making the right call without breaking up the action for longer than in necessary to achieve the correct call. The Suriano-Fix match saw far too much hemming and hawing from the referees.

The third is to eliminate riding time. The notion that riding someone is entertaining to fans is farcical. International wrestling has a rubbery 10-15 second rule once wrestlers enter par-terre and yet the number of falls at the NCAA and international level are pretty similar. Why? Because most falls come from transition, not from a double boots, parallel ride for 4:15. Buck 'em Bronco simply doesn't translate to entrainment for fans and causes far too many out of bound and stalemate situations. Think of all the stalling calls eliminated when a wrestler doesn't feel the need to hang on to an ankle to ensure their riding time ticks from :56 to 1:01!

Finally, there should be a stop-match warning given before a "hands to the face" call is made resulting in points. This was done at the international level for a number of calls so that the wrestlers, fans, coaches, and other referees knew that a point was possible. The outcome has been that wrestlers have improved behaviors and there is less outrage when these calls are made. (This is most often seen with fleeing the mat calls late in the match.)

These are four simple and easy-to-implement changes that will improve the pacing of the collegiate style. Without some of these changes the gamesmanship within the sport will continue to escalate and we'll be left with a scholastic style at-risk of major overhaul by outside bodies, or worse, elimination and replacement with freestyle -- an outcome most fans don't welcome.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Expanding a bit on the question of whether Penn State's dominance is good for the sport, which I think you make some very strong points to conclude yes, I often wonder whether the fact that since only a small handful of teams even have a remote shot at an NCAA title (and many times it may only be a two-horse race) in some ways may make the dominance less legitimate? Certainly not trying to take anything away from Penn State currently, or Iowa/OSU in the past, but to draw a parallel when UConn's women's basketball team was winning titles every year and beating other major conference Division I teams by 50 points, it seemed the results spoke more to the sport and overall depth/quality of athletes than it did to UConn's program.

I just wonder whether there may be a cap to growth of interest in the sport when if you're an NDSU or Fresno State sports fan, and decide to attend your first wrestling match against a premier wrestling school and the results are that your favorite school was only able to win 1 or 2 individual matches, how often are you going to come back?
-- Jon H.

Foley: Fair question. I think we both can agree that nobody wants to watch their favorite program take a drumming at the hands of anyone, even if they are the best in the nation.

I'd first advise those programs from holding off on scheduling those types of dual meets until they get a few more years of established results before asking Cael and co. to come over and hand out a whipping. The discrepancy between the top five and the rest will almost always be fairly significant, but I do share your concern that the No. 1 team in this situation could potentially shut out 95 percent of the other collegiate programs.

Though it is a limited problem since dual meets aren't very valuable in the NCAA. The tournament structure and the incentives to attend and perform well at them somewhat masks the failures (and triumphs) of most schools. There is a balancing effect, and while I do agree with fans that tournament results can produce good press at home, I think that a well-matched dual meet can provide much, much more continuity and team pride. With some in-arena activities for families the event can also be something that the community gets behind, though as you said, not as much if they can't chalk up a win or two.

Your point is well taken. I'm definitely going to watch these margins and the reactions of the programs and the fans in the future to see if over-dominance is having a chilling effect on programs.

Q: Rank these college wrestlers in order (1-5) from the most likely four-time NCAA champion to the least likely four-time NCAA champion: Daton Fix (Oklahoma State), Gable Steveson (Minnesota), Spencer Lee (Iowa), Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell), Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State).
-- Mike C.

Foley:
1.Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State)
2. Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell)
3. Spencer Lee (Iowa)
4. Daton Fix (Oklahoma State)
5. Gable Steveson (Minnesota)

I'm not spotting either freshman an NCAA tournament title!

Q: Wrestler with the best chance in the Pac-12 other than Zahid Valencia to reach the top of the podium?
-- Jonesy4473

Foley: Ronnie Bresser of Oregon State at 125 pounds. Tough to think that he would beat both Spencer Lee and Sebastian Rivera, but should he get an upset at the NCAA tournament, it's not unimaginable. There are just not that many elite guys (this year) who can outpace the established class of NCAA champions.

Q: How would you respond to John Smith calling your (Fix-Suriano) take "silly" telling you to "shut up" and that "you don't know what you're talking about?"
-- @sockobuw

Foley: As I always do â€¦ with a smile and "Thanks, coach!" He's here to defend the wrestler he's coaching and is way too competitive to admit to me (or anyone else) that some win wasn't earned or well-deserved.

And to his point I can understand that since he knows the effort of his wrestlers, and just doesn't give a hoot about what fans think about how his wrestlers get the win, just that they do.

Q: Prediction on Nick Suriano vs. Austin DeSanto on Friday night?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Suriano by four points. I imagine that DeSanto will slow him down from the start and maybe even find a few takedowns. His wrestling has improved, and I think there are transitions from bottom that he makes that puts opponents in trouble, maybe even Suriano.

Still, Suriano is the better wrestler right now and should be finding a takedown in the second period and another in the third, all while stopping DeSanto's attacks. If he can frustrate DeSanto and/or get him upset then it'll be an easier close for Suriano since DeSanto makes more mistakes the more passionate he becomes.

Q: Biggest villain in college wrestling, Gable Steveson, Austin DeSanto or someone else?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Austin DeSanto took hate from just about every corner of the internet this week. His outlandish behavior on the mat is a little more obvious that Steveson's after-the-whistle extras. I've been critical of him in the past and hated the way he behaved this week, but I have a soft spot for the kid. I know that he's a nice kid. He's just having trouble adjusting to â€¦ something.

For now, DeSanto is the biggest heel in the sport, and I can't see that changing until we start a new season. However, should Steveson win the NCAA title in 2019, he'll be the new guy that wrestling fans will love to hate.

One thing a fan will never forgive is success.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix

Tom Brands is a riot â€¦ Pay-per-view match

Q: Best potential Yarygin matchups?
-- @DustinTillman

Foley: The Russians have been a little lax in uploading their wrestlers for the tournament, which makes predicting matchups difficult. The New Year in Russia lasts until Jan. 9 or so depending on how long the department you're trying to reach stays closed. So I do have sympathy for their late entry problem even as I send them email after email!

Anyway, that is just a long way of saying that I haven't seen their lineups and I suspect most of the top matchups USA fans want to see include an American versus a Russian.

On the women's side, some notable entries include Grace Bullen, who just won the U23 World Championships in November and Sarah Hildebrandt who Team USA has been happy to see progress well over the last 18 months.

Q: Did you see Bald Eagle Area just won its 700th match? Two forfeits for a storied program. WPIAL and Northwest PA are averaging three forfeits a dual per school. All this after the PIAA put an emphasis on dual meets. Wrestling is dying in PA which is a bad sign for the sport. Not sure what can be done but thinking dual meets is some magic dust isn't helping.
-- Steve M.

Foley: I hadn't seen that news, nor had I learned about the forfeits.

Is the lack of interest in this area a canary in the coal mine for the sport at-large? Maybe. As you rightly pointed out Bald Eagle Area is a storied program and lack of interest there might indicate something larger is amiss. However, I think that with registrations up at USA Wrestling and the sport showing growth in watch hours and attendance there probably isn't a huge fall off.

What I think might be happening is that the raw numbers are down in certain areas due to a number of societal factors. A freelance-based job market means that fewer have the free time to pick up and drop off younger athletes for programs. The proliferation of video games is keeping younger kids on the couch and out of sports. And finally a population of kids who are growing and who have poor diets aren't finding weight classes or nutritional programs that allow them the opportunity to succeed.

I'd like to the see the NWCA's numbers on forfeits. If forfeits are found to be systemic then maybe there is a solution in pruning weight classes and/or shifting the categories to accommodate for walking around actual weights of typical high school wrestlers.

And you're right, magic dust should never be used to solve any wrestling issue.

Q: Where is Kurt McHenry in the rankings? InterMat and FloWrestling do not have him in the rankings at 113 pounds or 120 pounds. Is he still wrestling at St. Pauls?
-- Tom L.

Foley: McHenry has been in and out of the Olympic Training Center and indications are that he intends to stay there for the remainder of the season.

Q: Gregor Gillespie fights on the main card of UFC's first ESPN+ event on Saturday night. He faces Yancy Medeiros. Gillespie is 12-0 but I have to believe this will be his toughest test to date. Any thoughts on the fight?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Gregor Gillespie by three-round decision.

Medeiros has range, striking power and pretty solid defensive wrestling, but I think Gregor is able to stay out of danger long enough. The key is whether Gregor has prepared for this fight to be his most disciplined to date. If he gets over anxious or stands in front of Medeiros too long he'll get TKO'ed in short order. If Gregor closes the distance, takes it to the mat and punishes Medeiros from half guard I see him taking two of three rounds.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 11, 2019

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 06:15:20 +0000

It's early January and that means the high school season is winding down, the NCAA wrestling season is heating up, and the international wrestling season is about to go to Siberia.

Let us not loiter.

To your questions â€¦

Carver-Hawkeye Arena is home to the Iowa Hawkeyes (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)

Q: Which school has the loudest, most hostile environment for Division I college wrestling? Which one would you like to wrestle in the least?
-- @SamWise_2006

Foley: I saw that someone on Twitter mentioned the old VMI facility, which I agree was a miserable place to compete. There were Keydets lining the track above our head, screaming obscenities, and generally being loud and intimidating. I heard they've changed venues, but I hope that's just a rumor.

Grace Hall was another fun place to compete. The fans are almost on the mat and I remember feeling like Tom Cruise in "Far and Away" or Brad Pitt in "Snatch" with a pulsating mass acting as the only real ring. Of course, that's a dramatization of the reality, but certainly it was an intimate setting with plenty of Pennsylvania's finest fans cheering along.

Still, I think wrestling center mat in Carver-Hawkeye would be the most intimidating setting possible. The passion, the tradition, the absolute anarchy that ensues should a visiting wrestler happen to take a step backward while on the mat.

What a feeling it must be to wrestle in that arena. Part of a very long tradition that is still alive and well. Wish I would have had the opportunity, but from my vantage point it remains the gold standard in arena-borne intimidation.

Q: What do you make of USA Wrestling going to two Final X events instead of three?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Three events weren't sustainable for the clubs that support the athletes, nor the coaches who corner them. Costs were far too high, and the training calendar seemed to take a ding, especially when partners were on opposing schedules. Ultimately, USA Wrestling was forced to listen to their wrestlers and advocates.

I think having only two events will help focus the attention of fans on the outcomes at each event -- holding their attention and allowing for a little better overall salesmanship. While three smaller events had the intention of shortening the event into something of a more palatable length, the cost to clubs, organizers and hosts simply couldn't support that model.

Q: Who are the Americans that are planning to go to Yarygin this year? Who are the toughest wrestlers they are likely to face? Don't forget women's freestyle as well as men's freestyle.
-- @bbb4ut

Foley: Forget the women? I'm sure you've read my stance on women's wrestling once or twice. I'd never forget them.

Barring any last-minute changes (which happen ALL THE TIME) the registration has been closed and fans can expect to see:

Freestyle: Thomas Gilman, Zane Richards, Jason Chamberlain, Zain Retherford, Cory Clark, Alex Dieringer, Isaiah Martinez, James Green, Jordan Burroughs, Sammy Brooks, Kyle Snyder.

Women's wrestling: Victoria Anthony, Erin Golston, Sarah Hildebrandt, Haley Augello, Becka Leathers, Forrest Molinari.

I suspect we will see Jordan go 79 kilograms since these events have no weight allowance, and as he's a little older a hard weight cut isn't as important as the reps against new talent. Please also remember that should he wrestle 79 kilograms and win the event, or place, or earn ranking series points, those points do NOT carry over to 74 kilograms. Only 74 kilograms counts for 74 kilograms.

The other thing to remember is that this is a ranking series event for the women, too. That's a change from last year and means it will draw out some bigger names. For example, U23 world champion Grace Bullen is signed up to attend, as is much of the Mongolian women's national team.

Q: Are we not allowed to criticize the extracurriculars in wrestling? The dancing, the face smushes, the tripping a guy while pushing him out with no intention of scoring? Am I supposed to like Terrell Owens as much as I liked Jerry Rice, just because he was good?
-- @JBKolat

Foley: I thought about this question more than most. What is the difference between the extracurriculars of one athlete versus the next? What standard should be applied to celebrations and things that happen after the whistle?

The best comparison is the world of comedy. Nobody can tell someone else what is and is not funny, but we can all agree that comedy is better (more enjoyable) when it "punches up" -- takes aim at those "with" rather than those "without." In much the same way, I think that anything happening on the mat that is celebratory and not at the direct expense of an opponent, qualifies as fun-loving, admissible and otherwise benign.

However, actions that are intended to physically harm or physically embarrass an opponent, should be regulated. That includes face mushing, out-of-bounds shoves, posturing as though winning the match means you are also able to fight. That type of action is best left off the mat.

This seems simple enough: Enjoy the moment and celebrate as you see fit, just don't do it at the expense of someone else.

Q: Should Nick Suriano and Daton Fix wrestle for 35 minutes whether one of them wins in literal regulation or not? Somebody needs to step in and take action.
-- @SamWise_2006

Foley: No.

I'm happy that their match in high school has been popularized and mythologized by media and fans, but 35 minutes was too long for something that could have been figured out in six (or seven) minutes with better out-of-bound regulations.

Also, I think that this match is what sealed criteria as a better option than overtime. The freestyle action had already been reason enough, but knowing that limitless overtime matches could extend for 30-plus minutes put a bullet in the chest of the idea of the format being TV-friendly.

That said, I look forward to this weekend's rematch.

Q: Mark Hall and Zahid Valencia are No. 1 and No. 2 at 174 pounds. After those two, is that the biggest drop in talent in any weight class from Nos. 1-2 to No. 3? It seems to me that most weight classes are pretty stacked except 174 pounds.
-- R. Burke

Foley: Joe Smith should rate as a competitive 174-pound wrestler! The match with Mark Hall at the Scuffle was one of the closer bouts for Hall and showed Smith's improvement in all areas. Also, Smith's work before that point showed that he is capable of competing for a spot at the top of the podium.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

This is a perfect use of Twitter ... and celebration

When you finally takedown coach.. pic.twitter.com/iEQ6886HTe
ï¿½" WeAreWrestlers (@WeAreWrestlers) January 10, 2019

Q: Out of the 10 Midlands champs, which is more likely? Two NCAA champs? Zero NCAA champs?
-- @SamWise_2006

Foley: More likely that there will be zero champions, because none of the winners are locks to win their weight. The closest lock would be top-ranked 149-pounder Matthew Kolodzik. But a second winner is tough to find.

Look at the lineup and you'll see slim pickings for wrestlers you'd choose to take top billing in Pittsburgh. Valencia took a pretty bad beating to Hall, Sebastian Rivera (aka Sea Bass) has a very tough weight, and overall I don't find it as likely that he and Kolodzik win as I do that the NCAA craziness claims more victims.

Q: In your opinion, who is the best senior level U.S. athlete to make multiple world teams but never bring home a medal?
-- @cjolanowski

Foley: The best over the course of the last 80 years would be a question best suited for a wrestling historian. Maybe it's my age driving the bias, but I think Brent Metcalf had the talent to be a world medalist. He had some awesome international performances over the years, including the Yarygin, but when it came to the season-ending tournament he came up short.

Deep dive, maybe Tim Vanni. He was one match away from 1986-1989 and then finished fifth at the 1992 Games. He made a lot of world teams.

Q: Amar Dhesi lost his first match this season to true freshman Mason Parris of Michigan. Looking at Oregon State's schedule, it doesn't appear he will face any top heavyweights before the NCAAs. Since only this year's data is considered for seeding purposes, is there a chance Dhesi will be a low seed or unseeded since he won't have any notable wins?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The NCAA has decided to seed all 33 wrestlers in each weight class for the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh. Why? Dunno, but it's happening.

I think Amar will get more than 12 matches, win his conference and go into the NCAA tournament in the top six, dependent on how things shake out with the Big Ten heavyweights.

If I were a Beaver wrestling fan, I wouldn't be too worried about Dhesi's ability to become an All-American in 2019!

Q: Are we going to see Sam Stoll again before the postseason? Is he still your pick despite his inactivity?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Stoll is still my pick, but I got my eyes on Mason Parris. What a win over the above-mentioned Amar Dhesi. You have to assume that rolling with Adam Coon every day is having a massive benefit to his size and strength, as well as his confidence and game-planning for big matches. Could Parris be the real No. 1? It's not impossible. Let's see how the Big Ten season shakes out.

Q: Who is your Coach of the Year after the first half of the season?
-- Mike C.

Princeton coach Chris Ayres (right) with assistant coach Joe Dubuque (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)

Foley: Chris Ayres.

One would assume that he is the top choice for most wrestling fans. What'll be interesting is to see how his Tigers close out the season. Should Kolodzik win a national title and 1-2 other Tigers place at the national tournament, Princeton may find themselves in a bidding war for his services.

The money probably wouldn't be a problem as the school boasts some of the most successful alumni in the world, including wrestling philanthropist Mike Novogratz. But every coach has a bigger goal and maybe Ayres' is to win an NCAA team title.

Is it rational to think Ayres can win an NCAA team title at Princeton? Probably not. But for now I'm sure Coach Ayres' focus is on preparing his wrestlers for Pittsburgh and what could be his school's best-ever performance at the NCAA tournament.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 4, 2019

Fri, 04 Jan 2019 06:17:16 +0000

Penn State won the Southern Scuffle in dominant fashion (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

The Penn State Nittany Lions won the 2019 Southern Scuffle this weekend with a whopping 216.5 points -- a record for the tournament.

Penn State's record-setting performance this week is starting to feel commonplace. And while their dominance is certainly attractive to the donors in State College, is it good for the sport of wrestling at the collegiate and international level?

Simply put, yes.

Though Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan and Arizona State would love to add another team trophy, the fact that there is a clear frontrunner adds promotional value to the sport at the collegiate level, leads to better preparation for international athletes, and even helps push the sport to new competitive levels.

While spreading around the title would seem to be a strong storyline, the best way for secondary and tertiary sports to get noticed in the mainstream media is through dynastic performances, like that of Penn State. Average Joe and Jane sports fan have an easier time remembering that Penn State is the dominant wrestling program in the nation, than they do who won each of the past five years. The story is simple and therefore its transmittable to others, even if delivered in exaggerated tones.

To make this point clearer, I know that Anson Dorrance is the head soccer coach of the UNC women's soccer program precisely because they won dozens of NCAA titles throughout the 80's, 90's and 2000's. That's a fact that draws me closer to their sport, because on the chance I see the sport on TV I will have a connection. Though not as applicable the interest-drive benefit of a dynasty extends to my interest in baseball. The Yankees are (or were) the dominant team, therefore I now have some knowledge of the sport and an interest in seeing them play (maybe not, but you get the point).

When one team wins the majority of the championships more casual fans are aware of the sport.

The international wrestlers also benefit from a powerful program. We've seen two world team members from the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club (four if you add in Jaime Espinal and Franklin Gomez). Members of these clubs are getting the very best collegiate workout partners, which helps keep them sharp in months without national team camps or international competitions.

While that won't seem to directly impact the other international wrestlers it does drive competitive investment from other RTC's and adds value to the USA talent pool, from which many of these athletes find their training partners. When you're trying to beat the best, you have to invest and think like them, too -- that's good for the quality of international wrestling in the United States.

Finally, when one team attracts so much top talent and coaches it with such efficacy the sport is likely to improve through innovation, either from the program itself, or competitors looking to knock them down. When looking at the wrestlers coming out of State College it's self-evident that they have changed the way the next generation has wrestled. That change will continue for years to come and will, again, benefit all parties.

The Penn State dominance doesn't look to be waning anytime soon, but that shouldn't mean wrestling fans of all programs can't find something encouraging about a runner-up finish.

To your questions â€¦

Rich Bender (far right) with David Taylor and Tervel Dlagnev (Photo/Larry Slater)

Q: What do you make of Rich Bender being named to the board of the USOC?
-- TK

Foley: Rich Bender being named to the board of the USOC is not just a gain for the sport of wrestling, but for the USOC in general. The board is made up of many very accomplished individuals, but none have been the head of an NGB and few interact with athletes with as much consistency as Bender. Remember that the USOC is a MAJOR player in the Olympic movement, with American media rights and company sponsorships accounting for a large portion of Olympic dollars.

For wrestling there might not be a direct impact (ie. more Olympic weight classes) but being in the room and able to influence meta-level discussions will mean that positive changes are made throughout the organization.

Congrats to Rich and his family!

Q: Joe Smith looked incredible at the Southern Scuffle. 174 pounds has been thought of as a two-horse race between Mark Hall and Zahid Valencia. Do you see Smith as a title threat at 174 pounds?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Joe Smith is THICK! I couldn't believe my eyes, but also because Mark Hall looked thick I literally checked the proportions on my player, like it was in stretch mode or something.

Smith did a lot to slow down Hall in the finals, but that wasn't the highlight of the tournament. His wins over David McFadden 11-4 and Trent Hidlay 4-2 weren't just impressive in the sense that he came up a weight and performed, but that he dominated. The control he showed in each position was enough to verify that his year could end in the national finals.

That said, tough to discount Valencia or Hall. In all likelihood Hall is the top seed with Smith and Valencia set to meet in the semifinals. The interesting matchup there might be in the corner, as Coach Smith and Zeke Jones face off in a battle of lightweight Olympic class wrestlers!

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

David Taylor is the freestyle wrestler of the year!

2018 Ultimate Wrestling Highlight

Q: Who is the best heavyweight in Division I college wrestling? If all healthy, who wins the NCAA heavyweight championship?
-- Todd L.

Foley: The heavyweight title race comes down to five wrestlers: Sam Stoll (Iowa), Gable Steveson (Minnesota), Derek White (Oklahoma State), Anthony Cassar (PSU), and Youssif Hemida (Maryland). The favorites are Stoll and Steveson, with a not-too-shabby Scuffle performance by White putting him in third.

The real test starts in the dual meet season, but putting aside schedules and potential outcomes, I think we are going to use the eye test for this prediction.

Sam Stoll. He's larger, older, and may revel in spoiling Steveson's coming out party in Pittsburgh. While I think Steveson is a monster, I don't know that his outlook (Vegas face mushing and extracurricular activity) is the right outlook for the NCAA tournament. I'm in no way against having a little fun, but I think that overconfidence can jeopardize anyone's NCAA tournament.

It'll certainly be a battle for the king of the heavyweight division, and with an active, mobile class the fans will be the real winners.

Q: Now that Sebastian Rivera defeated Spencer Lee, do you think he can do it when it counts in March?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Sea Bass is a difficult nickname to count against in any tournament. While I was impressed with Sea Bass' match management and offense, I'm still a believer in Spencer Lee's overall greatness. The match was lopsided with Sea Bass winning all of the positions, which makes it very difficult to bet against, but still ...

Sea Bass CAN do it, but I would still choose Lee in a head-to-head matchup. That is absolutely no slight to Sea Bass, nor is it a comment on his immense talent, I just hitched my wagon to the Spencer Lee star and have to deal with the consequences for at least one more year.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: December 28, 2018

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 06:43:04 +0000

New Jersey wrestler Andrew Johnson made national news this week after referee Alan Maloney directed the wrestler to trim his dreadlocks or face forfeiting his match.

The haircut was first sent out by a local reporter who framed the moment as something like self-sacrifice for the good of the team, "Wrestler sacrifices his looks to help team win dual meet."

The tune quickly changed when fans who watched the pre-match incident took umbrage with the idea that an athlete would be forced to cut their hair in order to compete in an athletic activity, not to mention a black teen who was being asked to trim a hairstyle predominant in his culture and community.

The story grew from there when it was discovered that Maloney had a previous offense where he had used a racial slur during a social gathering of referees. His actions led to a suspension and sanction. However, Maloney was allowed to return to the mats to referee.

As the story grew the incident started to feel like a racial litmus test, placing members of our community into buckets of "individual responsibility (aka 'He knew the rules!')" and "cultural reflection (aka "This is racially motivated.')"

I fall more into the second bucket but think that I'm also inhabiting a third bucket which is something like, "This was 100 percent preventable" (aka update the grooming rules). More on this further down.

What Maloney did was only justifiable by the narrowest interpretation of the rulebook, in which the term "natural" could have been the disqualifying. However, he only made him trim the dreadlocks, which were legal length being that it was above the shirt collar and off Johnson's forehead, but they may have been treated with some type of product or put into an otherwise "unnatural" state.

Cutting the hair deemed "unnatural" didn't make it more natural, just shorter. Also, wouldn't it be a slippery slope if high school referees began to more broadly apply the term "natural" to an athlete's hair? Given the predominance and popularity of hair gel among high school boys I'd think half of South Jersey would be declared ineligible to compete if referees began running their fingers through the athlete's hair.

This incident is preventable and the rules governing grooming should be modernized immediately. As an article in Vocativ pointed out regarding the monitoring of facial hair, the rules were mostly made in the 1960's as a way to combat the rise of black America's individualism.

But in American sports, efforts to control grooming habits have a racist history, used by white sporting bodies and coaching staffs to restrict opportunities and control the identities of black athletes.

Sylvester Hodges had a chance at a NCAA wrestling championship in 1969. Wrestling for California State College at Hayward, Hodges won the Far West Conference title without a loss or conceding a point. But when Hodges took to the mat for his first match of the NCAA Championship tournament, the referee stopped him. "Hodges, I can't let you wrestle," the referee told him. "We'll give you two minutes to cut your mustache off."

The year prior, the NCAA had added a new rule declaring that wrestlers must be "clean shaven," which they later specified to mean "no hair below the earlobes." The rule was never enforced until Hodges, a black man, threatened to run through his largely white competition at the NCAA championships. Eleven other wrestlers -- eight black, three white -- shaved off their facial hair at the competition. Hodges, sporting a pencil-thin mustache, refused.

The solution is clear: Wrestling must revisit their rulebooks and cull any language regarding violations that might be rooted in antiquated thinking. The hair rules should be loosened and there should be significantly more clarity about the options for student-athletes if there is a violation.

We are fifty years removed from the first writing of these regulations. Wrestling needs to modernize, adapt, and reach out to all groups of people. What makes our sport wonderful is its universality and adaptability. Rules regarding hair should be as inclusive as those regarding those with physical disabilities, emotional challenges, or lifelong ailments.

Despite our best storylines surrounding acceptance, wrestling is still punishing itself with backwards and regressive thinking about sexuality, gender, and the acceptance of minority communities. It's time we demand more from our coaches, administrators and leaders and demand they create an inclusive and inviting sport for all to enjoy.

To your questions â€¦

J'den Cox defeated Kyle Dake to make the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team at 86 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Better chance to make the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team, Kyle Dake or J'den Cox?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Kyle Dake and J'den Cox are both 2018 world champions at non-Olympic weight categories. Cox was the Olympic bronze medalist in 2016 and world bronze medalist at 86 kilograms and has gone up. Dake was the 2017 U.S. World Team Trials runner-up at 74 kilograms and has also gone up a weight category.

Those are the back stories, but there are some major differences in their trajectory heading into the 2020 qualification process.

While things can always change, it is likely that we will see Dake drop to 74 kilograms for the Olympic year and Cox go up to 97 kilograms. I've been told that Dake can make it down and Cox cannot, though the impact of the same day weigh-ins is still unknown.

Assuming that both go their expected direction, Cox would have a much tougher time winning his matchup with Kyle Snyder, than Dake would with Burroughs. Except that Dake's conditioning and strength may suffer from the extra five kilos he'd need to lose. Also, Dake would probably need to navigate the Olympic Team Trials, which is additional weight cutting.

Cox wouldn't be undersized, but he would be outpowered. That may impact him against Snyder who has taken quite the shine to lifting heavy things, but it also may impact him against the rest of the 97-kilogram field.

I'm leaning towards Dake having a better chance, but I don't think that his chances have improved because of his success at 79 kilograms, just that Burroughs is a little older and Dake has shown the ability to compete well against him in this setting.

To be clear, I am NOT saying that he will beat Burroughs â€¦

Q: What do you think are the ideal number of matches in a high school season? Varsity vs. JV?
-- @ShogunofSonoma

Foley: I think that it's more about a limit to the number of weigh-ins during a season, and the maximum number of matches allowed to be wrestled in a day.

Just spit balling here, but I think that no more than 20 weigh-ins (two weigh-ins for a two-day event) and no more than four matches in a day for varsity athletes. The same would apply for JV athletes.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Jordan Burroughs Reacts to the Andrew Johnson Incident

Olympic gold medalist wrestler Jordan Burroughs weighs in on high school wrestler Andrew Johnson being forced to cut his dreadlocks before a match
(via @alliseeisgold) pic.twitter.com/13C3FAJwDq
ï¿½" Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 22, 2018

Q: Do you have a prediction on Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson this Saturday night?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'm very much pulling for Alexander Gustafsson. The Jones saga is a tired bit of failure without true redemption. Each and every time he does something boneheaded, or gets caught for substance abuse, or pops for a steroid, we are told this is the last straw. Yet, here we are again. The story is lame. Jones is lame. Cormier is the one true double champion!

War Gustafsson and let's move forward with some fresh storylines in the sport.

Q: I've heard one Division I coach say that he could not publicly discuss recruits until they have signed a National Letter Of Intent. How does that work at Ivy League schools that do not have recruits sign NLOIs?
-- Brian G.

Foley: If the athlete isn't accepted in the fall, then the coaches have to wait until spring acceptance to comment. There is (typically) no acceptance announcement outside of the school's normal timeline. Therefore, coaches can't discuss the athletes until they have been accepted and agreed to attend the university via a returned letter, which is most often in the spring.

Q: What was your favorite Christmas gift this year?
-- Mike C.

Foley: For me? Luggage. I travel about 80-100 days a year and though I have nice wheeled luggage I needed a duffel to help me manage my personal stuff, instead of throwing it into various Pelican cases as extra padding for camera equipment.

How about the readers? Anything unique and/or wrestling related?

Foley's Friday Mailbag: December 21, 2018

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 06:27:24 +0000

With the holidays in full swing the wrestling community is beginning the process of pulling back from the mats, logging off Twitter, and enjoying their friends and family. From spiked eggnog for mom and dad, to wind sprints reliving high school glory for college wrestlers, the holiday season gives us time to remember those in our lives who've impacted our journey on and off the mat.

This week, in the middle of reading books, my wife asked me to tell a story to our daughter. I think my wife knows that my daughter won't remember the words -- or the message -- but I'm guessing she wanted me to practice for when she does and that these dry runs might prove useful.

Given that it's the holiday season, I thought of my family -- specifically my four brothers -- and what they meant to my development, specifically within wrestling.

My senior year in high school I had it in my head that I'd be a state champion. I wasn't especially great at wrestling, having only picked up the sport as a freshman, but I'd placed at the state tournament the year before and was motivated by a teammate (who'd also placed) and believed that I could win a state title.

To get this done I trained hard and wrote messages of affirmation on the ceiling in my bedroom, on the mirror of the shared bathroom, and scribbled notes in all my homework. Come February of my senior year I was undefeated in my weight class and ranked second in the state. I was channeling Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret" before she or I knew the book existed! I kept a strict diet, never partied, and ran three times a week at 6 a.m. For lunch I'd eat a small sandwich, drink chocolate milk, and pop a vitamin pack I'd purchased at GNC.

Like most people obsessed with something I also tended to drone on at the dinner table about every possible inanity that may, or may not, affect my ability to earn that state title.

By February my year was going to plan. The district tournament was held at my high school, Brooke Point in Stafford, Virginia (Go Blackhawks!), with regionals the next weekend, and states the final weekend of the month. I was at home, I was motivated, and I was absolutely certain that my vision board simply told the future.

The district tournament was a big deal at our high school. Friends and frenemies alike showed up to watch the finals that night. The full offering of my brothers attended, along with my parents, paternal grandparents, girlfriend, girlfriend's twin sister, girlfriend's parents, and girlfriend's maternal grandparents (who I certainly knew, but they lived in New Jersey and were well into their 80's). There was also the Free Lance Star out of Fredericksburg, yearbook photographer, and a handful of teachers that I respected and whose classes I enjoyed.

The stands were filled and I was facing North Stafford's Dustin Qualls, a (no joke) 6'5" 145-pound wrestler with dyed Carolina blue hair. Their team was the best in our district, but I'd beaten him handily in the dual meet and felt well-prepared for the district finals. Sandwich eaten. Chocolate milk drank. Vitamins popped.

Unfortunately for me, Dustin had a coach who the season before had transferred down from a high school in Pennsylvania. Bill Swink, now well-known for his state champion and national contender programs at Colonial Forge, had just started coaching at North Stafford. In my style Coach Swink saw holes and like a good coach had learned Dustin up on a few simple ways to shut down what middling offense I had, and how to ride me from one end of the mat to the other.

I don't remember much of the match, but I've never forgotten the feeling of panic and the dread. By the third period I was more than five points out of the match with no clear understanding of what to do to score. Whatever tools I had at my disposal had been nullified by Thing No. 1 and was left to flounder -- my shot attempts looking like a toddler lunging forward and grasping at air as his brother palms his forehead and chuckles.

The match ended, and I stood stunned as they raised Stringbean's hand in front of my mother, father, four brothers, paternal grandparents, girlfriend, girlfriend's twin sister, girlfriend's parents, girlfriend's 80-year-old maternal grandparents, teachers, students, friends and frenemies.

I jogged to the other side of the mat to shake Coach Swink's hand and then sprinted to my side, leaping past the seats on the basketball floor, running until I hit the chilly night air.

I unstrapped my singlet and looked out at the lights of the football field and sobbed. Partly from the embarrassment and partly in fear that all that hard work had gone to utter waste. The 6 a.m. sprint workouts on the treadmill, the extra takedowns every day at practice, the caloric restriction, and the absolute realignment of what was focusing my life. And it should be mentioned that I was still in limbo about what college I was going to attend! Who would want a guy who couldn't win at the district tournament, I thought.

My coach, a kind man named Mike Smoot, lumbered outside after the next match and got me to recompose myself. He didn't say much. He kind of just chuckled and said some things about chalking it up to a learning experience and getting him next week. But he did end on a helpful quip. He told me that in his estimation I was too high strung. "Go eat a cheeseburger," he said then laughed and walked inside.

I eventually recomposed myself and went back to the gym. After the finals I chatted with family and friends about the match, too glum to smile and wanting only to climb into my bed and hope this was all a horrible nightmare.

Bedtime came, and I remember sleeping hard -- the only payoff for an emotional and physically taxing day. The next morning, I woke up around 7 a.m. to help my brothers and father build an extension on our home. We were hanging joists and the entire family was expected to be outside by 7:30 a.m. (probably earlier) to pitch in.

I laid in bed for a moment and looked at my ceiling and winced as I read "Tim Foley 145-pound STATE CHAMPION" staring back at me. My stomach sank. I dreaded the thought of leaving my room, much less going to school on Monday.

I finally roused myself and planned for the bathroom, knowing that those same words would be written in on the mirror. I steeled myself and opened the door.

The door to the bathroom was closed, but it was adorned with a newspaper clipping from that morning's Free Lance Star sports section, "Foley loses as North Stafford takes district title." Accompanying the headline was a photo of a 6'5" high schooler with blue hair pushing me around the mat.

I'd have cried from anger, but at that same time my dad yelled upstairs for me to get my butt outside and my brother walked by and punched me in the side.

And so the day started. My brothers harangued me for the next ten hours, "You know who COULD reach that joist? Dustin Qualls," and "T, if you'd dyed your hair would it have negated his power?"

Comic geniuses.

Anyway, the lesson was simple: nobody cares. You don't get a pass on the day's work, or playful ribbing just because you lost a match. You're loved, we support you, but you're not special or to be treated differently because you lost (though I did win my school's end-of-the-year sportsmanship award for not freaking out, so that's something!).

So that's the story I told my daughter and one of the stories I think about when I think about my brothers during the holidays, their candor and that unique sibling way of saying, "I love you."

To your questions â€¦

Vito Arujau defeated Roman Bravo-Young in the U23 World Team Trials finals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

Q: Higher NCAA finish: Vito Arujau (Cornell) at 125 pounds or RBY (Penn State) at 133 pounds?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Wonderful question with which to take bets! I'm a believer in both of them but will give the edge to RBY!

Q: I'm watching Penn State maul Arizona State here and thinking why not flip the script on stalling? Instead of a stalling call, award an aggression point to the offensive wrestler. It's a bit of a spin on the freestyle rule of a step out which rewards the aggressor and places emphasis on aggressive wrestling rather than penalizing someone for doing nothing. Even the freestyle rule is flawed because it's arguably a tactic to be less aggressive first as matches are often decided on two shot clocks when the last point wins. This also rewards offensive wrestling and not just the person doing just a bit more than the other wrestler, which is when you'll often see a stall call. Make the wrestler earn that point through action, not through their opponent's inaction! Thoughts?
-- Andy S.

Foley: Andy, you got it! Check out the Greco-Roman rules! They are made to benefit aggressive wrestling. Also, with freestyle the attempts and techniques do tend to be rewarded, whereas in college wrestling the final control is the most valued of the maneuvers. For example, if I throw someone for what would be a five-point freestyle move, on a college mat, I'd also need to control them. In essence, I'd have to think about how to control after the throw BEFORE I attempt the throw.

I like the creativity but my concern about awarding a direct point for "aggression" is that there might be some gaming of that system, too. We already see a lot of half shots to draw stalling calls, would that be relieved by awarding an aggression point? It's unclear, but I'm suspicious!

Q: Thoughts on Jack Mueller pulling his redshirt and competing at 125 pounds? Where do you see him fitting into the national landscape at 125 pounds?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Jack Mueller has pulled his redshirt and moved to 125 pounds and Louie Hayes is up to 133 pounds. There was an injury in the lineup and the wrestlers and Coach Garland thought that Mueller was prepared for the season and that the team would perform well with his leadership.

Sometimes the best laid-out plans need adjustment and the U.Va. coaching staff is doing their best to adapt.

As for Mueller, I don't think many 125-pound wrestlers are happy to hear he's back in the national conversation. He's brutal on top, has been training with less stress and comes into the season with just over a semester remaining to make the podium.

Mueller won his first outing on Thursday night, beating his Mizzou opponent by fall and looked every bit the part of an All-American wrestler!

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Rivalries of 2018

History Makers of 2018

Q: Could Nick Nevills transfer at midseason like Mason Smith just did from Arizona State to Campbell University?
-- Robert G.

Foley: I don't understand how Mason Smith transferred midseason, unless he never actually enrolled at Arizona State (he came from Central Michigan) and was therefore able to start because he never wrestled a match.

My instinct says "absolutely not" unless there are unforeseen, behind-the-scenes developments which the larger wrestling community doesn't know about.

Q: What was the biggest wrestling story of 2018? Biggest internationally and domestically.
-- Mike C.

Foley: On the international side the buildup towards the rematch between Abdulrashid Sadulaev and Kyle Snyder was probably the biggest storyline, followed by Frank Chamizo's ongoing rivalry with Jordan Burroughs.

On the domestic side I think it's the ongoing domination of the Penn State wrestling program.

Q: What is the difference between Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and WCWA?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: I answered this question about one year ago.

Division I athletes tend to receive full athletic scholarships. Division II athletes can receive full athletic scholarships, but mostly see partial athletic scholarships. Division III athletes cannot receive athletic scholarships. Also, Division I schools must sponsor seven men's sports and seven women's sports, while Division II must sponsor five men's sports and five women's sports.

The NAIA is a wholly different association of colleges and universities with the ability to grant partial scholarships.

There is much more to the distinction (and ways to receive a fully paid education) at each level, but in broad terms the amount of athletic scholarship and spending is the biggest distinguisher.

As for the WCWA that is the Women's College Wrestling Association, which oversees women's college wrestling in the United States and parts of Canada.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: December 14, 2018

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 06:35:09 +0000

Kyle Conel, who placed third at the 2018 NCAA Championships last year, announced on Twitter this week that he'll be undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. In the note Conel also said that he was almost certain to retire from the sport.

Conel was an unlikely and inspiring All-American in 2018, beating top-seeded Kollin Moore of Ohio State twice on his way to a third-place finish. That performance along with his go-for-broke style made him a mini-celebrity in the wrestling community, and there were high hopes for his 2019 campaign.

With his career likely over, it's worth re-watching Flo's short movie released earlier this year on Conel. He's had a winding and difficult story, but it's one that can hopefully inspire young wrestlers of the future to believe in themselves no matter what's going on in the classroom, wrestling room, or social life.

While he won't be on the mat, everyone is wishing Conel the best of luck in the future!

To your questions â€¦

Nick Nevills is an All-American (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: It appears that Nick Nevills was beaten out for the starting spot as a senior. It's crazy to think about considering his talent. Three-time California state champ and NCAA All-American. I viewed him as a title contender this season. Is he still in the mix to start? Will he battle for the spot the rest of the season? If not, I can only imagine how difficult it would be for him to practice knowing he won't have an opportunity to wrestle for a national championship.
-- Mike C.

Foley: Man, this is tough. You want to see a guy of Nevills' talent compete for an NCAA championship as a senior. He seems to have been a good teammate and competed well for Coach Cael, but as it stands, he's no longer the best wrestler Penn State can field at the weight class.

Wrestling is an unforgiving sport and we have to recognize that part of what makes it such a special sport is that anyone at any time can earn their spot in the starting lineup, often without politics or hands-on coaching decisions.

Q: What is happening with the Virginia 125-pound slot? Two forfeits, no Louie Hayes, no backup. Should I worry?
-- CM Cooper

Foley: Concern is certainly warranted, but I'd wait another two weeks before we start sending hand written letter of inquiries to Charlottesville re: Hayes.

As for the lack of a backup, that is a little more difficult. A lot of schools can find that their little guys grow out of the 125-pound weight class, but you'd want your own school to have the depth to survive that type of midseason loss. Can't speculate on the reasoning for the lack of backups for now, but like I mentioned I think there are a few more weeks before the bone-deep level of worry starts to sink in.

Q: Do you have a prediction on Zahid Valencia vs. Mark Hall on Friday? What's the key for each wrestler to get the win?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Valencia was dominant in their meeting at the 2018 NCAA Championships, winning 8-2. He also managed a runner-up finish to Kyle Dake at Final X.

I like both these guys and see Mark Hall as the type of wrestler to respond to his loss with a passionate seven minutes in the rematch. However, I think that if Valencia competes at an expected high level his length and ability to finish on Hall without getting too caught in his defensive upper body transitions the match will be straight forward.

Expect good penetration from Valencia into an outside single. He'll look to finish fast, but what's more worrisome to Hall fans is that Valencia can finish with pressuring low into Hall, or by creating separation and finishing high. The other issue for Hall is that he has a little more trouble generating offense against Valencia -- who to his credit also limits mistakes in scrambles.

I think Valencia wins 6-3, but I also recognize it's a losing proposition for me to try to predict the score of two national champions wrestling in a first-semester dual meet.

If they wrestle each other at all â€¦

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Age-Group Wrestlers of 2018!

Q: I know Kyle Snyder is planning on wrestling at the Yarygin. Do you expect Abdulrashid Sadulaev to wrestle there?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Kyle Snyder is wrestling at the Ivan Yarygin, likely on the condition that it will be a ranking series event for United World Wrestling. That event schedule has yet to be determined, but if it repeats as a ranking series even then I would imagine nothing would change for his travel plans.

Sadualev is a little trickier. The Yarygin tends to be the qualifier for Russia's squad for the European Championships, but from my understanding that can often excuse the reigning world champions. I'd guess he makes an appearance, though that too may depend on it being a ranking series event.

Should they both attend I'd be hyped for an early-season trilogy as it would give us another look at these guys before the World Championships, which will be the first qualifier for the 2020 Olympic Games!

Q: What do you think of the Henry Cejudo vs. T.J. Dillishaw upcoming fight? Who do you see winning?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Oy.

I've come around on Cejudo. He's the champion of his sport and has improved all aspects of his fight game. There is a very effective standup game, top-level wrestling and serviceable defensive jiu-jitsu.

But â€¦

Dillashaw's kickboxing is arguably the best in any division and his aptitude at throwing damaging low leg kicks will change the distance at which Cejudo can take the fight. Also, even if Cejudo can close the distance without taking damage I doubt that his in-the-cage wrestling is THAT much better than Dillashaw's. To be able to take down a Division I wrestler and hold them down for a significant amount of time (at featherweight) seems somewhat unlikely.

I'll take Dillashaw by TKO, but I will be pulling for Cejudo!

Q: Thought I would share this article with you. Super cool to get that kind of turn out. Kingsway in South Jersey always puts out some tough teams. The girls are going to be just as tough!
-- Ryan G.

Foley: Girls high school wrestling is a game changer! What an awesome time to be involved in the sport. Lots of credit to these coaches and to the national organizers of this movement like Sally Roberts at Wrestle Like a Girl!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: December 7, 2018

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 07:12:58 +0000

The College Football Playoff selection committee announced its top four teams for its playoffs this week, choosing undefeated Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and one-loss Oklahoma for their four-team playoff.

Teams that missed the selection but thought they warranted a ticket were: Ohio State (one loss), UCF (undefeated), and Georgia (who looked excellent against Alabama in the SEC championship game). Michigan wouldn't argue that they should be in the playoffs, but they more or less round out the top eight programs in the nation.

While you probably know all of this from watching a lot of college football, I only know these things through some type of sports osmosis. I never sought out that information, watched more than a minute of any game, or read an article on the College Football Playoff. Football is huge in America, but what drives the story are the names of the schools and their traditions. Alabama, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma all have attached to them something that fans can understand because of generations of support and coverage.

The same is true in wrestling, but for most non-wrestling fans the lingo remains Dan Gable, Cael Sanderson, Iowa wrestling and Penn State. There are more, but everyday sports guy "Hank" knows those people and that's where we need to start in order to have the broader discussion about how to improve wrestling's footprint in the college sports world.

Dual meets.

You get more attraction by having dual meet tournaments, dual meet events, and a dual meet national championship. While it's wonderful that someone may win a national championship at the individual tournament (and I don't advocate for eliminating it), I think wrestling can make a sizable cultural impact through a well thought out dual meet national championship.

Go back to football. They used to rely on a poll for crowning the national championship. Eventually people started to realize that polling was a lackluster, anticlimactic solution and the sport was leaving money and attention on the table. But it wasn't super easy to convince the old school football fans of a national championship game. To them there was only a new set of problems, like how to choose teams, where to host, what happens to the existing bowl games.

The Bowl Championships Series was formed, which found creative ways to solve the issues raised by the old school football people while also advocating for a championships game. Few more years and some heartbreak gave us a four-team system. Now, looking at the teams that are out and who is in, can anyone really deny that this system will expand to eight?

Of course not, because football schools know that this is their best chance to win a national title and create more income for themselves and their conferences. Cinderella stories like seen in March will start to be told in December and January.

Wrestling can do the same. We can create a dual meet championship (with much more ease than football's expansion) and create a groundswell of support from schools around the country. No, I don't think that old guard will like it, but eventually they'll give in and agree -- we just need to start the process before it's too late.

To your questions â€¦

Isaiah Martinez shoots on Alex Dieringer at AWL I (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)

Q: What did you think of the first AWL? There was a lot of talk during the event, but not much since. Do you think AWL will have a second show?
-- V.T.

Foley: I'm currently in India shooting a series of docu-shorts with some of the country's biggest stars. The AWL event was on the night before I left, so I only saw bits and pieces but did monitor the social media imprint.

Overall, I think that wrestling community was intrigued by some of the matchups, though maybe not so much that they were hammering the purchase key on Trackwrestling. At $14.99 it was a steep commitment for someone like me who had split attention for the evening, but it did seem that a good number of Twitter people were watching. Also, I was happy to see that there was some solid effort made to deliver a quality show. There are always things to improve and change, but for a first effort I think they hit most of the high notes.

The big issue faced by wrestling organizations looking to turn a profit on these shows or maintain any sort of sustainable footprint is a lack of carry-over from event-to-event and there hasn't been a sustained post-match buzz. The investment can't stand alone with one event, and it can't be limited to the mat. The wrestling fans need to attach themselves to the brand and the idea behind that brand.

The wrestling at any event may or may not end up being spectacular, but that's rarely in the control of the organizers. Getting to know the athletes, knowing they will compete again on X date, and maybe some at-home content would help drive these promotions out of their one-and-done model. That's something the promotion can control and help fans connect with.

Let see how the next few weeks ago. The wrestling community has a very short memory and I'd like to see AWL II announced soon so that they can keep their momentum.

Chris Ayres coaching at the NWCA All-Star Classic (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)

Q: I have been super impressed with what Chris Ayres is doing with the program at Princeton. I think it's great to see Princeton doing so well. He seems like a nice fit there. Ayres' name will certainly come up with virtually every Division I head coaching opening in the coming years. Do you think he will stay at Princeton for many more years? Or could you see him hopping to the Big Ten or a more traditional wrestling power?
-- Mike C.

Foley: There is no question that Chris Ayres is doing everything right at Princeton. With a top-ranked wrestler and a win over Lehigh, the Tiger program feels like one of the hottest in the nation.

While Princeton has enjoyed individual success in the past, most notably Greg Parker's journey to the NCAA finals in 2002, they didn't maintain that success or build it up over consecutive years. Now, with Matthew Kolodzik the top-ranked 149-pound wrestler in the nation and the team coming in at No. 13 in InterMat's tournament rankings, there is a lot to celebrate if you're a Princeton alumnus.

Can things continue to build? Will Ayres get snatched away by another school? That's to be seen, but for now I think that fans of the Ivy League can appreciate that what's going on has taken a considerable amount of hard work to build and maintain. To keep him in town I'm sure that the Princeton alumni will need to show support, but there might be more at play for Coach Ayres to balance.

Sometimes the best fit isn't where others think you can win an NCAA championship, but where you and your family feel comfortable and where there are still professional challenges to tackle.

Q: Question for your bag. Besides your daughter's Iowa onesie, is there anything more fabulous in wrestling right now than Jacob Kasper's sapphire shoes?
-- @Tony_Rotundo

Foley: The shoes are a hoot.

Kasper seems to have a wonderful persona. Given his size and likability I'd wonder what's keeping the WWE or other professional wrestling organization from scooping him up. Could be a big get for one of those promotions!

Q: Amar Dhesi is returning to Oregon State and expected to make his season debut in January. It should make the heavyweight class even more exciting. He's the highest returning All-American at heavyweight. Do you see him as the favorite? Or do you favor Gable Steveson? Anthony Cassar?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Not sure why you didn't mention top-ranked Sam Stoll, but yes, I think Dhesi is a strong opponent who is long in the tooth when it comes to high-level competition. While Cassar and Steveson are making waves early in the season, I think Dhesi will have a notable impact on the weight class come March. But again, you forgot about Stoll!

Will he win? I don't know. Something tells me that a hyped-up Steveson and well-coached Cassar might be a lot for the weight class to overcome. Still, Dhesi's size and familiarity with competing at the NCAA tournament are sure to add some value to the likelihood that he'll make a run at the title.

Steveson, for what it's worth, could maybe benefit from a couple fewer People's Elbows to the back of opponent's head. The competition is fierce and I enjoy his intensity and celebration, which is why I'm concerned that left unchecked these types of actions could one day boil over into something more easily defined as illegal and cost him a significant match.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: November 30, 2018

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 06:20:46 +0000

The Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational takes place this weekend with more than 30 teams from around the country sending wrestlers to the premier first-semester tournament of the season.

Over the past 20 years the significance of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational has remained constant. When I was in college (1999-2004) we would have wrestle-offs to see who would and would not attend the tournament, though it's fair to say that most of those wishing to attend (myself included) had ulterior motivates for wanting to go out west. For me it was not only to see what the fuss was about, but also to fly on a plane, something I'd only done once as a child with only a vague recollection. For others it was poker, gambling and nightlife.

Despite the ancillary reasons one may want to wrestle at the CKLV tournament, the competition was always instructive as to where your summer training had placed you in the current season. Going out west meant (and still means) wrestling against Pac-12 opponents you may otherwise not see. Even East Coast schools who compete in select pockets will attend the CKLV, which allows other regional teams to see a broad swath of opponents and styles.

Now that the tournament is live streamed, the CKLV this year will also be the first tournament for many fans to see some of the big conferences compete, including the Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12, Big 12, and the EIWA. I know that I'll use the tournament as my first opportunity to jump headlong into the season's matchups, micro-dramas and maybe even participate in some light betting.

Hope everyone enjoys the wrestling. Remember that one-hundred percent of the kids you see on the mat can't wait to hit the casino.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Any idea what kind of crowd AWL I will draw on Friday night? Have you heard much about ticket sales? Are you taking Zain Retherford or Jordan Oliver?
-- Mike C.

Foley: No idea on ticket sales or online signups for the livestream. Will be interested to see who shows up to watch these American guys wrestle. We all want this to work!

As for Zain and Jordan, I see Zain as the two-point favorite. He's been battling in the Penn State room and seems to be hyper-focused on competing. He's a recent World Team member and at only 23 years old could become a mainstay of the USA program for the next several years.

At 28, Jordan is a bit older, but even after a one-year suspension (that kind of lasted two years), he's still hungry for a seat at the table. I'm not underestimating his ability to make an impact, I just think that Zain can be a very physical wrestler for anyone to face, especially someone with even a touch of ring rust.

How this plays out on the mat is anyone's guess, but I'll go with Oliver scoring the first takedown, then Zain, then a few step outs for Zain who then shoots late, kills the clock and comes away with a two-point victory.

But when a guy of Jordan's talent is motivated you can't count him out of any match. No matter who shows up in Cedar Rapids or buys online, I can tell you that I'll be watching.

Q: So, suppose I have enough bankroll to set up a 95-kilogram (catch weight) match between J'den Cox and Abdulrashid Sadulaev at Beat the Streets next year. Who wins? Methinks Cox could win, say, 3 or 4 times out of 10?
-- Irv O.

Foley: If you got that type of dosh you should give Beat the Streets a ring. I'm sure they'd love to pick up that phone call!

I think you're a little high at 35 percent. While Cox can give Sadulaev trouble with his defense, you are underestimating the Russian's mat intelligence. There is a lot that can happen inside a 30-foot circle, but more often than not it's Sadulaev dictating pace, direction and offensive scoring opportunities. In a match against Cox he would know about the flexibility and likely get him on the back foot early and press him to the edge, take shots and get back to his feet. I'd be happy to take the step out points against a guy like that, and I think that's a game plan Sadulaev could execute.

What could Cox's plan be for dealing with that forward pressure? Right now he tends to plant his feet and use the overhook side to whip opponents out of bounds. Is he doing that to Sadulaev? I'd be skeptical he could pull it off with any efficacy. In the semifinals he gave up a takedown to Alireza Karimimachiani when he wasn't able to overhook.

But yes, I would watch! Pay up!

Q: What potential matchup are you most excited about in Vegas this weekend?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The 125-pound weight class and seeing how Louie Hayes does. With so much international wrestling in my life, I have admittedly less time to watch all the collegiate action. However, when I do it's to focus on how my Hoos are doing in major tournaments.

I think that Hayes has a real chance to break out this season and with four other wrestlers in the top 10 competing in Vegas I think he'll have the type of challenge necessary to prepare him for the rest of the season and NCAAs in March.

Q: I saw the video of Frank Chamizo and Aaron Pico training together. It was fun to watch. I know in an August mailbag you wrote that you don't think Pico will make a run at the 2020 Olympics. Has your opinion changed at all? Or do you think the Pico wrestling ship has sailed?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Awesome! I shot and edited that video, which means I also spoke to Aaron for a bit during and after the training session.

I learned that Pico DOES want to compete for the 2020 Olympic team, but that would be dependent on how he's feeling in 9-12 months. His desire to compete comes with several caveats. If he's the Bellator champion (and I think he will be), training for the Open and the Olympic Team Trials will be difficult due to paying promotional commitments. He'd also have to look at relocating, finding training partners and getting out on the international circuit.

What I will say is the "thing" that Pico has on the wrestling mat has NOT disappeared. He lost the Olympic spot in the third match via criteria to Frank Molinaro. That was a weird style matchup for Pico and he lacked the power to fight through some of the positions, but Frank won't be the threat in 2020 and Pico has (in his own words) gotten "twice as strong the last two years."

Zain, JO and Logan Stieber are all standing in his way, but from what I just watched with Pico training against Chamizo and Lavion Mayes there is absolutely no doubt that he could win the spot, and with less wrestling-only preparation than any other wrestler in the sport.

Iowa and Iowa State wrestlers shake hands after the Hawkeyes won 35-6 in Ames last season (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)

Q: Iowa won every contested match against Iowa State last season. ISU's only win was a forfeit. Do you think the Cyclones will be competitive against Iowa on Saturday? I'm especially looking forward to the Austin DeSanto vs. Austin Gomez match at 133 pounds.
-- Mike C.

Foley: The Battle for Austin should be an interesting match, but I don't see Gomez dealing well with the DeSanto heat. I know he's taken some well-deserved jabs for past behavior, but I'm guessing with those issues squared away and a modest improvement in conditioning and focused training DeSanto will be a wrecking ball all season.

Won't Willie Miklus be favored over Jacob Warner? That'll be a great match. Also, Pat Lugo and Jarrett Degen could be a solid W for Iowa State. With Kemerer out of the lineup, Iowa State could conceivably snag four matches, but it's more likely an 8-2 match score.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Good humor

Link: 2018-2019 NCAA Wrestling All Ear Team

Frank Molinaro vs. Aaron Pico (third match)

Preview of the Iowa vs. Iowa State

Q: Something a bit different to hit you with today. Here is a study of wrestlers trying to make spots on the Canadian World teams (that study which there is a link to is from 1979). Thoughts? Hope you all are doing well. Thanks for the work you do in getting wrestling news out to the masses!
-- Aaron S.

Foley: The part of this study that immediately stuck out to me was the definition of open-skill and closed skill sport.

"â€¦ open-skill activities like wrestling, badminton and hockey are those in which skills are primarily executed in an ever-changing, interactive environment. Therefore, in open-skill activities, the athlete attempts to develop a repertoire of patterns that match particular environmental stimuli that are encountered during the execution of that skill (e.g., performing a back-hand swing in response to a serve). In contrast, closed skills, such as gymnastics, high-jumping, and diving, are defined as occurring when the environmental surroundings remain constant."

That is a brilliant description of what separates the sporting community. Certainly, there are a number of ways that we can differentiate between sports, but this grouping of open and closed skills is informative and useful.

As for the study itself, I'll leave it for interested readers to dissect and discuss, but I did appreciate that the researchers were able to note that more international tournaments were a predictor of the confidence of an athlete. And that confidence, combined with the elimination of other psychological approaches, was likely most effective in creating improved outcomes for elite wrestlers.

Q: I was looking at the Big Ten schedules and noticed that Penn State, Michigan, and Ohio State all wrestle a dual against each other. Iowa does not wrestle any of them in a dual. How does something like this happen? These are marquee matchups and Iowa does not see any of them. They wrestle Oklahoma State and that is great. What about Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan?
-- Greg B.

Foley: Iowa doesn't make its Big Ten schedule and is aligned with certain schools through the Big Ten East and the Big Ten West. The East features Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. The West features Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska.

The schools are allowed to schedule themselves independent of their divisional requirements, but that is the discretion of the coaches and athletic directors.

Q: Do you see Anthony Cassar as USA's top contender for the 97-kilogram spot and THE guy to dethrone Kyle Snyder?
-- Dan C.

Foley: Woah, that's quite a LEAP in expectations in that Cassar was 16-2 last season as a backup! Snyder loses one match and all of a sudden Penn State fans smell blood in the water.

I guess that if you want to get VERY optimistic you could point to his pretty steep trajectory in high school and what looks like an All-American senior season to say he could emerge as a top contender â€¦ at 125 kilograms â€¦ in 2024.

Q: Is Mason Smith still at ASU? Thanks!
-- Steven H.

Foley: He has left the program and is back in Michigan.

End note

A very special thanks to Tom Brands and his family for this kind gift for my daughter Quinn! Please note that this is how my daughter lives her life: lounge position, sweatpants tucked into socks, drink at the ready.

Big thanks to @TomBrandsHAWK and his family for this awesome onesie for my daughter Quinn! pic.twitter.com/fYIGHiYdmY
— T.R. Foley (@trfoley) November 30, 2018

Foley's Friday Mailbag: November 16, 2018

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 06:33:27 +0000

Nick Reenan battles David Taylor at Final X in State College, Pa. (Photo/Richard Immel)

The first National Letters of Intent were signed this week, and early indications have Arizona State set for both a very strong recruiting class and the year-to-year results that could challenge East Coast powerhouse Penn State.

Colleges across the country posted about their high school signings and did so with fun social media and behind the scenes looks at their homes and schools.

But for me the best posts were from the Ivy League accounts Cornell and Penn who reminded everyone that they aren't allowed to sign NLI's but they'll still have the top recruiting class in the country.

No National Letters of Intent were signed for Cornell Wrestling due to Ivy League rules. Fortunately, we are extremely excited to have the #1 recruiting class in the country for the class of 2019 filled with great young student-athletes to carry on the Big Red Wrestling tradition
ï¿½" Cornell Wrestling (@BigRedWrestling) November 14, 2018

Penn was subtler, pointing to a story about one of their athletes who said he didn't have to choose between top academics and top athletics.

"I did not have to choose between my sport or my education. I was able to do both."

Wrestling With Retail: Joe Oliva's Summer In Spain With @Wharton International Program.https://t.co/zciNS61qCk pic.twitter.com/YPyhUooXzn
ï¿½" Penn Wrestling (@PennWrestling) November 15, 2018

So, a quick salute to the Ivy League schools who face a unique labyrinth in recruiting and retaining top wrestlers. They are figuring it out, winning on the mat, and staying relevant on social media on days when others would like to steal the show.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Nick Reenan of NC State looked solid in beating Ryan Preisch of Lehigh. Do you see Reenan as a title contender at 184 pounds?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Yes. He has the athletic talent and is coached by one of the best staffs in the nation and in 2018 proved in both folkstyle and freestyle that he was one of the nation's top wrestlers.

While he most notably won the World Team Trials and made Final X against David Taylor, I was most impressed with him winning six straight matches at the U.S. Open to place third, an accomplishment that may have given him the extra confidence boost when facing top-level NCAA opponents.

While he was only a qualifier in 2017, he redshirted in 2018 and racked up a 21-4 record.

I have a bias towards freestyle guys, but I really think it will be Reenan and Myles Martin in the NCAA finals at 184 pounds.

Q: In the United States, freestyle is the primary focus when it comes to international styles because of how closely it resembles folkstyle, the style of scholastic wrestling. (I am very open to being wrong in my assumption and would appreciate any clarity.) My question is which countries is the primary style of wrestling Greco-Roman and is there brief history as to why a country's particular international style would be Greco instead of freestyle? Because from an outside observation it appears that more countries are represented in freestyle wrestling than Greco Roman.
-- Marcus R.

Foley: The type of wrestling a nation embraces largely dictates which style they'll find most success in international wrestling. The Nordic regions long ago celebrated a belt wrestling style most akin to Iceland Glima and Swiss Schwingen and as such migrated to upper body-only styles of wrestling.

America adopted collar-and-elbow from the Irish and English along with catch-as-catch-can, which were both leg-friendly styles. Very long story short, that has meant that our physical traditions have been most adaptable to freestyle.

Korea is another interesting example of tradition driving Olympic interest. Ssriuem is a belt style of wrestling with upper body only holds, hence the interest and success of the Koreans with Greco-Roman wrestling.

As for representation, there are typically more Greco-Roman entries at the World Championships than there are freestyle. However, when taken in combination with women's wrestling, the dirty leg grabbers have a statistical advantage.

Q: How do you think Daton Fix will do this weekend against Seth Gross (Saturday) and Ethan Lizak (Sunday)? Any predictions?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'm not sure who he beats and who he loses to, but I think that Fix walks away 1-1. The styles of these opponents each present a problem and while I expect him to solve at least one of them, I think it would be difficult to expect that he can both answer Seth Gross' funky defense (usually from Fix's preferred low-ankle attacks) and get out from bottom against Ethan Lizak (always a struggle for freshman wrestlers).

That said I think it's more of a probability question. I'd say Fix has a 20 percent chance at going 2-0, 65 percent chance at 1-1, and 15 percent chance at ending 0-2.

Also, I give Fix a better chance against Lizak than I do Gross.

Q: How many medalists are you expecting from Team USA at the U23 World Championships in freestyle?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The Russians are bringing a monster freestyle lineup to Bucharest. Guys who could be on almost anyone else's national roster will be competing for arguably the most successful wrestling nation in the world.

The United States is bringing a different type of squad. Mostly college wrestlers and recent graduates, the team is filled with names known to Americans, but that don't get a lot of attention on an international roster. Few have been on any Junior or Cadet teams and only Kollin Moore has won a world medal.

That said, the United States is arguably the second-best freestyle wrestling nation in the world and improving every year. There will be medals, but I'm going to set a conservative over/under at four overall medals, with one finalist.

Here are the most-likely wrestlers to medal, in my opinion.

57: Jack Mueller -- Medalist
61: Sean Fausz
65: Colton McCrystal
70: Hayden Hidlay -- Medalist
74: Alexander Smythe
79: David McFadden -- Medalist
86: Myles Martin -- Medalist
97: Kollin Moore -- Medalist
125: Youssif Hemida

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Grace Bullen beat the 2019 Senior World Champion with a SICK last-second throw at U23 Worlds!

View this post on Instagram

@gracebullen7 is the U23 World Champion ðŸ¥‡ðŸ‘ðŸ¥‡ . . . #unitedworldwrestling #uww #wrestling

A post shared by Olympic Wrestling (@unitedworldwrestling) on Nov 15, 2018 at 9:58am PST

Paliha Paliha is one of the most interesting wrestlers I've met over the last several years. Extremely outspoken, fun-loving, and tough as nails. Also, she's from western China which is an interesting change for a team dominated by ethnic Hans.

View this post on Instagram

Paliha from China has won the 2018 U23 Gold Medal ðŸ¥‡ðŸ‡¨ðŸ‡³ ðŸ¥‡ . . . . #unitedworldwrestling #uww #wrestling

A post shared by Olympic Wrestling (@unitedworldwrestling) on Nov 15, 2018 at 10:39am PST

Fumita is coming for that gold in 2020

View this post on Instagram

Fumita (JPN) is the 2018 U23 60kg gold medalist ðŸ‡¯ðŸ‡µï¿½'ï¿½ðŸ‡¯ðŸ‡µ . . . #unitedworldwrestling #uww #wrestling

A post shared by Olympic Wrestling (@unitedworldwrestling) on Nov 14, 2018 at 8:55am PST

Q: Do you expect we'll see Gable Steveson this Sunday against Oklahoma State?
-- Mike C.

Foley: No.

Q: Long-time reader, first-time writer. (I read InterMat every week, if not multiple times per week, even out of season.) Truly glad that the trolls are gone from the comments section.

Forgive if this isn't your area, but maybe you can forward to the appropriate person for me. My question: Why is Roman Bravo-Young not ranked as of yet? And why is Brady Berge PSU's 149-pound representative in the rankings, when Jarod Verkleeren got the nod against Kent State? I realize that doesn't mean everything as 125-pound contenders Gavin Teasdale and Brody Teske didn't compete and likely one of them will start come January. But RBY not ranked now is a mystery. Perhaps I am overestimating his talent?
-- David Y.

Foley: I'm also glad to hear that some of the trolls are no longer in the thread. One of the fascinating aspects of the wrestling community is that amount of collective knowledge held by readers that you simply could never research online. I love that dialogue, but when blockheads get on to discourage equal rights some readers tune out and don't look to respond. Hopefully that will soon change.

As for your question, the rankings are done weekly by a committee that (thankfully!) doesn't include me. You are absolutely not overestimating RBY's talent, but I think it'll take a few weeks for him to catapult into the rankings, or more likely, a key victory over an established opponent.

For the record, I love watching RBY wrestle!

From the the rankings committee: "Roman Bravo-Young is certainly a very talented wrestler evidenced by his perfect high school record and strong start at Penn State. At this point, he's very close to being ranked at 133 pounds. RBY will certainly have an opportunity to move into the rankings -- and climb the rankings -- with Penn State's schedule.

"Penn State's situation at 149 pounds is fluid. While Jarod Verkleeren did get the start against Kent State and performed well, he has not solidified the starting spot. Junior world medalist Brady Berge is still very much in the mix. The two have not wrestled off. Berge has been on a weight decent plan and is expected to be back soon. He's the wrestler InterMat has been evaluating for purposes of rankings. That could certainly change with results and new developments."

Foley's Friday Mailbag: November 9, 2018

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 07:12:11 +0000

Yianni Diakomihalis battling Jaydin Eierman in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

The 2018-2019 college wrestling season kicked off earlier this month and already there are major and sustained complaints about the application of rules and interpretations added in the off-season.

The rule drawing the most criticism is the penalization of a wrestler's use of hands to his/her opponent's face. The penalty may or may not be preceded by a warning, but has caused quite the uproar as coaches are seeing the rule applied in tightly contested bouts across the country.

Several club-level coaches (NCAA coaches often refrain from commenting on rules and referees) have been displeased with the rule, equating it to the NFL's stringent rules about quarterback protection and vagaries about the wimpification of America. However, outside of just the simple logic that it's unnecessarily combative, there is a standard to follow.

The rule has been in the United World Wrestling handbook for several years.

While I see the appeal of bemoaning the direction of the nation based on a rule clarification, it should be said that hands to the face is not a technique, hold, maneuver, or any type of point-acquiring tactic in any type of wrestling -- freestyle, folkstyle, kushti, or otherwise. Dinging someone on the head is not a point, nor is it remotely related to the fundamentals of the sport.

Eliminating hands to the face is not equivalent to getting rid of a high crotch, headlock or two-on-one. The rule is an attempt to focus the energy of the competing athletes on wrestling techniques rather than low-grade barbarism meant to distract or annoy an opponent into a subpar position.

Hands to the face has been utilized in recent years as a way to open up wrestlers who are either in full crouch position, wrestling from one knee, or who are otherwise blocking off action on their feet. While I've often taken issue with low, defensive stances, the referees and the rule commission are one-hundred percent correct in deterring wrestlers from contact with the forehead and eyes.

The logical next step is for the various rules commissions to look at the problem of defensive postures that limit access to leg attacks, not to adjust or decrease penalties for hands to the face.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Did you watch the AWL draft? What are your thoughts on the league? Are you intrigued by any of the matchups for the first event?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I did not watch the draft, though it drives me insane that they continue to steal photographs and videos from content creators around the sport. Tony Rotundo and I tweeted at them to stop or at least credit the people who spend time, money, and effort curating these images.

The AWL has solid funding and has aimed for a decent location in Cedar Rapids. When the league was announced I reached out to see how I could help, but nothing much came of the interactions. The livestream is being carried by Trackwrestling and from I've been told will have an outside producer create the event. We'll see what that entails once the whistle blows.

As for the structure, I think that like many fans I'm not sure the next steps, nor am I even clear on the rule set they will be using for the events. My guess is that they will attempt to amend the freestyle rules to "create more action" or to "add overtime" but in my estimation it's misplaced work. The freestyle rules are great, fans and athletes understand them, and it adds additional legitimacy to the event. Again, we'll see if any changes are made.

The structure going forward may be to allow for new teams to develop, or for the organization to choose more locations for additional events. Also, the rosters each include two wrestlers, but it's unclear when the decision will be made by each team as to who is competing.

Speaking broadly about leagues, I'm always interested if the idea is to drive interest and appeal to the community, or to the common folk. Real Pro Wrestling attempted to use wrestling's stars to appeal to the masses via an adapted rule set, while events like AGON seemed focused on the wrestling community itself. With AWL I'm not sure where the focus will be after Nov. 30.

Myles Amine defeated Jacobe Smith at the NWCA All-Star Classic (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)

Q: What were your thoughts of the NWCA All-Star Classic's lack of premier matchups for Division I college wrestling? Did it have something to do with Denver as the location? The event seemed to peak in 2013. While there have been some great matchups since then, this year's showcase appeared to take a significant step back.
-- Mitchell M.

Foley: A few months ago, I answered the question about why the NWCA chose Denver. The organizers of the event it (Wrestlers in Business Network) directly supports and plans the event and had reason to believe placing it in Denver would engage a new community of supporters.

I agree with the idea of expanding opportunities and I believe that the wrestling community would prefer for our network to grow nationwide. Where I think there should be some check on location is in determining if the location will detract from the overall product on the mat either through lack of attendance or lack of participation.

As I've learned over the past five years working events internationally, the location and timing of a tournament is key to understanding its potential for success. I remember going to Finland for the 2014 European Championships and being sure of small crowds and general disinterest. Instead it was a huge hit, leaning on a number of smaller factors: community which was home to former wrestling stars; easily accessible from Helsinki by train; an arena well-suited for 5,000 spectators; and hockey season hadn't quite started so people were ready to be entertained.

Choosing timing and location for any event has to ensure that there are several factors serving towards its future success and in reviewing the NWCA All-Star Classic I think it's a fair criticism to say that the best time and location to ensure a marketable, well-attended, much-discussed tournament was not achieved.

There is a lot in play each year, but I hope that the event can bounce back once again and be the type of must-see attraction that it was with Kyle Dake and David Taylor in 2013!

Q: What are your thought on filming camera's directly overhead? I hate this view and hope they go back to a traditional mat side view whenever it occurs.
-- Robert G.

Foley: The overhead shot, as has been used by the TV crew for United World Wrestling at the 2017 and 2018 World Championships, is one of several angles given to viewers during a match. The motivation comes from producers and show directors wanting to keep our easily distracted minds on the action. By having an additional camera, it adds a new cut, which by default will keep our minds more engaged on the action.

I'd agree that any long held overhead shot serves to be annoying, or distracting. There is little value outside of some distraction, and what I consider to be a beautiful image. For wrestling fans looking to examine holds and forward motion, the angle provides very little in the way of information and I would agree should be limited.

We will continue to see the angle, but I don't expect we'll ever see it used for long stretches, outside of a pinning situation, or something else where we can see the competitors faces better from that angle.

Q: Any takeaways from the early part of the college wrestling season?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Step out rule is needed. The athletes, fans and coaches have all seen a superior product with freestyle wrestling and they can't be asked to forget how much some of the rules utilized there (namely step out) have improved action.

My other takeaway is that the number of various back points options is confusing for fans and ultimately doesn't achieve the desired outcome of more action. Yes, it creates more POINTS, but there is a false connection being made between POINTS and ACTION. Holding someone down for three and a half minutes after getting a two-point or three-point tilt is not dynamic for audiences.

Fans want to see wrestling, not buck 'em bronco.

Q: Your alma mater beat a Big Ten team (Indiana) to start the season. How do you see Virginia doing at the Northeast Duals this weekend against Nebraska and Wyoming? Take the homerism out of it. ;)
-- Mike C.

Foley: Indiana is going through a leadership transition, which I think can account for a subpar opening season performance. Virginia wrestled well, but will need to come ready to scrap for Nebraska and Wyoming, teams that are well-conditioned, well-coached, and who compete hard for the W.

Wahoowa!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: November 2, 2018

Fri, 02 Nov 2018 05:27:55 +0000

The 2018 Wrestling World Championships ended Sunday in Budapest, Hungary, with Team USA collecting a record medal haul in freestyle and women's wrestling and their first Greco-Roman finalist since 2009.

While there has been a lot of discussion around Team USA's performance (you asked questions, which are answered below), I thought I'd review where Olympic wrestling stands as a sport on the international stage.

To understand where we are, it's important to be reminded of where we started. On Feb. 13, 2013, an IOC commission recommended that wrestling be eliminated as an Olympic sport after the 2016 Olympics. A variety of circumstances led to the decision, but much of the spirit for the decision came from a lack of sport attractiveness, intractable governance, and basic complacency among the leaderships.

Wrestling dismissed IOC reviews, ignored vital outreach programs, and left questions about gender equality unconsidered. Maybe secondary to that was that wrestling lacked a voice at the IOC in the form of real power, or even soft influence.

The larger problem might have been on the mat where rules included grab bags of balls, clinches, and a hysterically off-putting rule set meant to mimic â€¦ tennis. Maybe the best anecdote about wrestling's problematic product was from the 2000 Games in Sydney when soon-to-be IOC president Jacques Rogue famously attended the Greco-Roman heavyweight finals, ostensibly to crown Alexander Karelin as the greatest wrestler ever. However, after Rulon Gardner won by a "broken clinch" the most powerful man in sport left flummoxed, his only parting gift a dinner party vignette into the wacky world of wrestling.

Wrestling was dull. The shine earned from being among the toughest men in the world had been faded by repeated institutional rubbings -- rules, presentation and media reach had all been lost behind internal politics, or worse, incompetence.

So what does the sport look like today?

In the past 14 days there were 21 million minutes of video watched on the United World Wrestling YouTube page. That does not include the United States where people are unable to view the videos. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook channels for United World Wrestling each saw record amounts of traffic both for the UWW accounts and for the #BudaWrestle2018 hashtag which seems to have improved on Paris by almost three-fold.

Wrestling's Instagram page surpassed the Olympic Channel in numbers of followers.

The on-the-mat the product was never better. Freestyle and women's wrestling continue to be action-packed with excellent techniques and the more aggressive wrestlers most-often finding the win. The Snyderlaev II match was appointment viewing. Greco-Roman was more bearable than in year's past and seems on track for a brighter future with aggressors also winning in a vast majority of the matches. Stars were born, storylines furthered, and plenty of OMG moments sprinkled the nine-day event.

Though a sideline attraction, the political side of things also produced some meaningful results. Thomas Bach, president of the IOC, attended a Saturday night session alongside 10K screaming, crazed Hungarians and watched as his countryman Frank Staebler (Germany) won a high-scoring gold-medal bout. Nenad Lalovic, who himself is now a member of the IOC and that organization's executive board, went to the mixed zone with Bach to congratulate Staebler.

In addition to Bach, Lalovic met with the Prime Minister of Hungary and shook hands with a number of other IOC members and VIP dignitaries.

The athletes were well-fed. There was plenty of room to warm up, shower, use the bathroom. Transportation was convenient. Food was excellent. The show was watchable, fun, and easy-to-follow.

I'm paid to produce this content and to say nice things, but that lack of total objectivity doesn't diminish the gains made by the hard-working people in our sport. This is not just the gains of the international federations, the media department, the president, or the always-improving Swiss staff. The national federations have bought in too. They are hosting more events, putting on better production, allocating more resources and delivering on the promise of the wrestling spirit more than ever before.

Not everything is perfect. Changes and enhancements are always being tested and implemented. But for the 2018 Wrestling World Championships I think we can look back on an event with a glint of something special -- a shine that won't soon fade.

To your questions â€¦

Q: What surprised you the most at the World Championships?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The Russians performance in Greco-Roman. To go from zero gold medals to six in one season is bananas. They were aggressive, tactical and executed incredible techniques match after match. There were some slower matches -- as is common in the style -- but they were more active than other nations relative to their rate of scoring.

I also think the Canadian women were impressive in almost every match. They are very well conditioned, savvy and scored in bunches. With a few more matches falling their direction they could have swooped in for bronze. Tonya Verbeek is one of the best coaches in the world and I think we will be seeing much more of the Canadian women on top of the podium in Astana â€¦ and Tokyo.

Maybe most surprising was that the United States men's freestyle team won three gold medals, three bronze and a silver and still came in second place! That's incredible, but also a testament of the training and dedication of the Russians.

Oh, and the first world title for 34-year-old Yowls "Half Man, Half Amazing" Bonne Rodriguez!

Helen Maroulis battles (Photo/Larry Slater)

Q: What's the deal with the deafening silence on Helen Maroulis getting pinned in her preliminary match at the World Championships?
-- Zguiltybystander

Foley: Silence? From a media standpoint I saw lots of coverage. Social media personalities also seemed to share thoughts. Helen herself addressed the topics of the loss in a lengthy interview. USA Wrestling even covered the loss with some detail.

The silence might seem louder in that the past two years she has received a lot of acclaim (though less than her male counterparts would have) for an Olympic victory over an "unbeatable" legend and a shutout performance at the 2017 World Championships.

Helen is a wonderful woman, athlete, teammate and friend. While I don't know, or wouldn't share her personal details, I think it's obvious from her words that this was a tough season. As such she didn't perform to the best of her ability on the mat. However, I did notice her being and exceptionally strong teammate and friend. There was an incident in the athlete warmup area where she spent considerable time consoling a teammate who took an unexpected loss.

Maybe it's all wins and losses, but I like to think that there is more that these athletes can give fans and each other.

Who is your pound-for-pound No. 1-ranked wrestler in the world?
-- @EricOlanowski

Foley: The limitation of this list is that it's three separate styles and only 10 spots, so by default I'm not including anyone who didn't win the world title in 2018. I think that is pretty obvious reasoning, but it may need to be stated so that nobody feels the need to write that Kyle Snyder (USA) should be included in front of someone on the list.

With that cleared up â€¦

1. Yui Susaki (Japan)
2. David Taylor (USA)
3. Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia)
4. Frank Staebler (Germany)
5. Geno Petriashvili (Georgia)
6. Risako Kawai (Japan)
7. Stepan Maryanyan (Russia)
8. Adeline Gray (USA)
9. Takaturo Otoguro (Japan)
10. Sergey Semenov (Russia)

No, we are still not calling your show "The O-Show."

Q: How was the officiating at the World Championships?
-- @smcfee

Foley: Overall, I think there were few-to-no big mistakes that happened on-the-mat. The confusion at the end of the Danielle Lappage-Petra Olli final had more to do with some clock confusion, challenges, and coaches not monitoring the criteria. However, even there I thought the officiating was well done.

Also, the incident with the Russian coach was very well handled. He proceeded with the correct route and nothing was later overturned, reviewed, or otherwise.

One indication of the quality of officiating is that the Bureau chose to give the best referee award, known as the Golden Whistle, to the head of the referees. The award was noting that the championships had gone well and to thank him for service over the past few seasons.

So, at some level, I think when you look at the balance of 400-plus matches, this was a well-officiated championship.

Q: Who were your (mythical) Outstanding Wrestlers in each of the styles at the World Championships?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Greco-Roman: Sergey Semenov (Russia). Women's wrestling: Yui Susaki (Japan). Freestyle: Kyle Dake (USA). However, I think David Taylor (USA) was the best freestyle wrestler of 2018.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Turning Points: Biggest Moments from #BudaWrestle2018

Was this the match of the year?

Snyder vs. Sadulaev

Yui doesn't mess around â€¦

Q: What did you make of Jesse Thielke's comments about the training leading up to the World Championships?
-- Mike C.

Foley:

He said a lot of things. One that stuck with me is that he seemed to think they over-conditioned too close to the event and didn't spend enough time on technique. I'd be interested to hear the other side of that argument.

The fact that he spoke up like he did was pretty gutsy and left me wondering what, if anything, was said to the coaching staff or the members of USA Wrestling who oversee that development.

Q: Ben Askren has been calling out everyone since he was traded to the UFC. How do you think he would do against Khabib? Or GSP?
-- Mike C.

Foley: He's a lot bigger than Khabib so I don't really think that is a fight that'll ever get done, nor do I think it would be particularly interesting.

I would love to see Ben fight GSP. He's talked his way into the UFC, so I think he should take a top ten guy in his first bout. Assuming Ben can make it past Darren Till (or someone of that ilk), I think GSP would be a perfect matchup for Ben to test the power of his wrestling against arguably the most well-rounded fighter in the history of MMA.

Tough to say how it would all go down, but it's important to remember that GSP has exceptional MMA wrestling. He has taken down plenty of wrestlers and held them down. He's also escaped from plenty of takedowns. The one thing GSP has that most fighters Ben faced have seemed to lack, is a jab. He has a nasty, nasty jab and a very smart attitude towards controlling the pacing of a fight as well as where it's fought.

Fun to see it all play out!

Q: What is the process or formula that the NCAA uses to determine ticket allocation for the NCAA Division I Championship tournament? How often is this formula reviewed/re-calibrated to ensure that it accurately reflects the state of the sport in our country today?
-- Deven D.

Foley: The ticket allocation is based on a team's prior placement at the NCAA Championships. There is also a consideration for the host school, which in 2019 will be Pitt. The allocations may be increased or decreased based on the response of other schools who give feedback on if they require fewer, or request more. The actual calculation (how these things are weighted) and re-calibration (when are these adjusted) I don't exactly know.

Q: Will UWW have a presence to the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh? Will the semifinals or finals be streamed on the UWW site so that the worldwide wrestling community is able to be exposed to our national championship?
-- Deven D.

Foley: The NCAA Championships are broadcast by ESPN and select partners. While United World Wrestling recognizes folkstyle as the traditional wrestling style of the United States, it holds no dominion over the event, nor does it require athletes to be licensed to compete. The most integration would be to get some staff over to see how the event is run and if there are some areas they'd like to imitate or learn from.

Q: What odds would you need to bet on Vincenzo Joseph closing out the remainder of his NCAA career without a loss? Also, do you see his international future in freestyle or Greco-Roman (or neither)?
-- @HalfAgain

Foley: Vincenzo Joseph is an outstanding wrestler, but there are way too many factors for me to ever back him (or anyone, really) going two years without a loss. The landscape has far too many talented wrestlers who are ready for the national stage as freshmen. This year, Evan Wick, Chance Marstellar, Alex Marinelli and Logan Massa are all in the top five. How can you not take at least one whoopsy-daisy loss with that grouping?

Someone would need to give me at least +2500 to bet him going the rest of the way undefeated.

As for his international career, I'm not sure I know of any titles in his Greco past, but he seems like he could be suited for some big moves. He falls at a difficult weight for freestyle but is also still very young. Would be interesting to see if he can find some success in either.

Q: What does Mark Schultz do for a living?
-- Scott M.

Foley: Oh goodness, I'm not sure. Readers?

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 19, 2018

Fri, 19 Oct 2018 05:23:43 +0000

The 2018 World Championships begin Saturday in Budapest, Hungary, with wrestling kicking off on Saturday morning with competition at 61, 74, 86 and 125 kilograms.

For the American squad it's a mixed bag of talent, from unproven Joe Colon to Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs and all the in-betweens. David Taylor, arguably the hottest wrestler in the world at the moment, could help ignite a three-day run of finalists for the United States. Having seen his results against the world's best it's tough to see anything but a head-to-head matchup with Hassan Yazdanicharati.

Like the NCAA Championships, the World Championships are a celebration of a wrestler's hard work. It's everyone's job around them (even mine) to make sure they have the best experience possible. The tournament -- the challenge of the event -- is the reward.

Tonight, I watched as members of the Russian team stretched, ran laps, and did sit-ups in full sweat gear -- each hoping to wrench out those last pounds of sweat. Despite the sunken cheek bones and gaunt expressions, anticipation was in every technique practiced and a slight intensity beneath every friendly handshake among opposing nations.

While Paris was the start of the 2020 Olympic cycle, many of the wrestlers consider the post-Olympic year a throwaway season. Some choose that year to start families, while others relax and enjoy time with friends and family. Not Budapest. For everyone not named Mijain Lopez (who is waiting until the 2019 World Championships to compete), the Budapest Championships are the start of the Olympic 2020 journey.

There will be hundreds of matches over the next several days and some with bad officiating, or poor sportsmanship, and maybe even some criteria. But I'm predicting that in total the product we see on the mat will be the best the sport has ever seen.

I hope you'll join me and the rest of the world in watching, and discussing, everything that happens during #BudaWrestle2018.

To your questions â€¦

In lieu of questions I thought I'd provide helpful links for fans who want to watch and follow along this weekend.

Fan and Press Guide: This has EVERYTHING you need to get caught up to speed on the World Championships. Social media accounts to follow, past champions, who to watch, and links to about 300 matches from the top competitors.

Entry lists: Always fun to give these a run-through.

Please take the time (10 minutes) to watch the first episode of Wrestling 360: "From Many, One" which takes an inside look at the United States' men's freestyle team's historic 2017 team championship and previews their attempt to repeat. I'm producing several more episodes in the coming year, with the next one scheduled to be on Dagestan and released later this year, or in early 2019.

Other links: Jason Bryant's Buda Facts | World Championship Event Page

InterMat will be providing session recaps from Budapest.

Event Schedule

NBC Olympics Schedule on NBCSN and Olympic Channel

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 12, 2018

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 05:03:39 +0000

Wrestling at the Youth Olympic Games starts Friday in Buenos Aires with 30 Greco-Roman competitors in five weight classes competing for gold.

While the brackets aren't full of the absolute best Cadet-level wrestlers from around the world, the Youth Olympic Games is still an important quadrennial event for the sport. It's at tournaments like these that a lot of the leadership skills present in future national programs are being taught and those lessons lead to improved institutional knowledge of things like anti-doping education and proper sportsmanship.

Beyond the positive internal impact on the Olympic movement and its partners, the event itself feels uniquely joyful for participants, media, and the stakeholders. The wins and losses matter, but the atmosphere is always forward-looking and optimistic -- losses are moments to learn, wins are moments to reflect.

At this point I've covered well more than 50 of these international tournaments and still the 2014 YOG remains one of my all-time favorites. Not only does the IOC know how to host an event, the faces of the competitors remind me of how we all felt about the Olympic movement in our teens, before the recent scourge of scandals pockmarked the brand, assisted in no small part by our middle age glum. These wrestlers seem hopeful and carefree, like the solo baseball player taking swings in his backyard reciting "It's the bottom of the ninth ..."

The Games bring us a combination of nostalgia and hope that even the most curmudgeon of sports fan doesn't want to swat away.

If you're interested in watching (and maybe gaining a little inspiration), head over to the Olympic Channel or check out the United World Wrestling updates on the website, Instagram and Twitter.

To your questions â€¦

Q: If you watch the video, you will see that McGregor punched Khabib's trainer before anyone else punched McGregor. I really don't blame Khabib and his crew much for the attacks after the conclusion of the fight last Saturday. But I do blame Dana White for letting the taunting go way to far just to build up hype and money. McGregor, although, very talented goes way overboard with very personal verbal attacks towards his opponent. I am not a big fan of all the taunting and trash talk. It turns the sort into a spectacle like pro wrestling. Maybe on your column you should talk about sportsmanship? Win, lose or draw it is all your own responsibility! Never blame the ref for your loss.
-- Ibraoul

Foley: As the story of UFC 229 progresses to the end of its first full week, the media coverage of the event has been hyperbolic, breathless and determined to capture every angle.

"Who is to blame? Who threw the first punch? Why? What were the real motivations? Where does the UFC go from here? â€¦ "

To fans of professional wrestling the plotlines from following UFC 229 feel familiar. In the WWE writers work hard to create characters who are consumable at face value. From Hulk Hogan to Iron Sheik to Jinder Mahal, professional wrestling is geared towards a simple form of high school cafeteria tribalism: us, them and others. That baseline difference making was present throughout the hype for 229 with Conor calling out Khabib's religion, homeland and family members.

All leading to the ultimate storyline carryover, the unsanctioned out-of-cage fight with a new, unexpected character.

Now, with the UFC careening towards this vacuous money-first, divisive promotional model, it's time for the wrestling community to ask if it really wants its sport to "be more like MMA." And if so, what elements?

Wrestling, which at all levels bans needless aggression and striking, is by its character different in nature than MMA. Wrestling requires restraint and the mutual contract between both parties to not escalate their physical tete-a-tete into something more than a mettle testing endeavor. Harm comes from that lack of constraint, any action meant to break out of norms and rules in order to be proven more masculine, or macho.

Wrestling is not that. Wrestling is steeped in restraint and discipline, not lavished in self-indulgence and grandiosity. As such, the wrestling community should look at Saturday night's event and know for certain that it should look to preserve its differences with MMA, not draw a closer comparison.

That's not to say that our athletes shouldn't enjoy their careers or boast of their achievements. Our community benefits when wrestlers speak with confidence about upcoming matches, or their invincibility on the mat. Such is a warrior's mindset.

What goes down poorly is the type of regional and ethnic tension being brought forward during the hype up to UFC 229. On a path that mirrors that of the UFC and WWE it would only be a matter of time until wrestlers began speaking of their nation's differences rather than promoting their confidence, while still cuddling up to the cross-border unity that has defined our sport.

Jordan Burroughs with Sadegh Goudarzi of Iran after their gold-medal match at the 2012 Olympic Games

Wrestling's most media-ready images of late have been those with back stories told through the lens of sportsmanship and an apolitical outlook on competition and competitors. Jordan Burroughs with his arm draped on Sadegh Goudarzi, or reaching into the stands to shake hands with Iranian fans in Tehran. Kiki Kelley as a Team Leader during the Greco-Roman World Cup. A Chinese wrestler carrying his opponent off the mat after a loss.

As an aside, this is the exact behavior that Khabib Nurmagomedov displayed in most of his fights previous to Conor McGregor. But stoked by the ethnic tension, insults about his father and that bus attack he seemed ill-equipped to allow those insults to roll off his back.

Our sport can remain above the fray. It can be something inspirational. If our world champions and Olympic heroes want to speak trash about their opponents, they are welcome to step off the mat and into the cage. In the meantime, let's keep spectacles like the ones witnessed at UFC 229 divorced from our sport and focus on the ideals of sportsmanship and fair play.

Q: With the NCAA announcing seeding all the seeds at the NCAA tournament, would it be prudent for established rankings like InterMat to move to the top 30 or 35 in each weight class?
-- Ken K.

Foley: The short answer is no.

InterMat's NCAA Division I wrestling rankings committee has its own rankings process to determine the top 20 wrestlers in every weight class each week. InterMat's rankings process is unrelated to the Division I Wrestling Committee's seeding process.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

The United States men's freestyle team came together in 2017 to win their first team title in 22 years. Will they repeat in 2018? Or will Sadulaev and Team Russia get their revenge? Find out more about Team USA's journey on Oct. 15 with the release of "From Many, One" the first short film in the Wrestling 360 documentary series.

Q: My 8-year-old has expressed interest in wrestling this winter. I started looking at the local youth club's webpage and the fees associated with being a part of the club. The club has a regular fee, as they should to cover various costs. What bothered me was in order to register for the club, my 8-year-old would have to be a member of USA Wrestling, which is another $40, I think. The registration states that the membership to USA Wrestling is for insurance purposes but at the bottom of the registration you have to sign a statement saying that the coaches and the club are not responsible for any injuries. So my question is, why does an 8-year-old need to create a profile and be a member of USA Wrestling to figure out if they want to give the sport a try? I would rather pay the USA Wrestling fee to the local program, so I could see firsthand where the money is going. I'm not against supporting USA Wrestling, but I would rather do it on my own terms. Is this common practice in the sport now, and how does the wrestling club benefit from having all the wrestlers become members of USA Wrestling, because I find it hard to believe that this is for insurance purposes. If I'm being too petty feel free to tell me. Thanks.
-- Mark M.

Foley: Insurance is a major reason for the USA Wrestling card. Local programs would never be able to insure their programs and limit personal liability were it not for USA Wrestling's large membership pool. Though not all $40 goes into that insurance, it's a small individual price to pay for the secondary coverage it can provide to an injured wrestler. However, also some of that $40 does help fund various age-level national tournaments and supports the staffing necessary to ensure that there is a youth program.

That said, I get your frustration in terms of signing up to try a sport and needing to create a whole profile and pay the extra money. Though to be fair the money also goes into ensuring every coach is SafeSport certified, which adds a few extra layers of protection for you child when entering the sport.

Best of luck to you and your little one!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 5, 2018

Fri, 05 Oct 2018 05:31:24 +0000

Long Island University announced Wednesday it intended to take their existing programs to the Division I level, including a program that existed at LIU Post, formerly C.W. Post.

LIU is the third university in the past 16 months to state its intention to become a Division I program following Arkansas-Little Rock and Presbyterian.

For now the sport of wrestling seems to be falling into a trend line of growth. With Division II and NAIA programs being announced bi-monthly and the addition of these three Division I program the numbers of athletes able to participate past high school is increasing.

The increase in the number of wrestlers competing past their teenage years has the additional effect of creating more fans on campuses and leads to a higher retention of former wrestlers who later become fans of the sport. Again, this is all good news.

However, we shouldn't take for granted that this growth is ever-lasting. There are some indications that the lower-level schools are growing because the sport is a powerful marketing tool to bring on non-scholarship athletes who take on loans to go to school. Universities aren't burdened with backing those loans or paying them off so it's a small risk to start and fund these programs when the upside can be millions of dollars in tuition each year.

Glum as it sounds that realization only means we need to optimize this opportunity by continuing to innovate in the sport. We need to continue to make it accessible to more fans and improve rules to ensure that the reach of the product can expand past the loyal fan base. The more interest we can maintain the more likely we are to have a product that can survive a downturn equal to that of the recent upswing.

But for now, another Division I program gives us all a little more reason to celebrate the arrival of the weekend.

To your questions â€¦

Joe Colon won a U.S. Open title this year (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Is it possible that Joe Colon actually has a better chance to medal than Nahshon Garrett simply because of his more consistent style? Or does he lack the dynamic scoring ability which may have been our only chance at medaling at 61 kilograms anyway given the talent there internationally?
-- @JBKolat

Foley: The United States is sending to Budapest one of the most titled and credentialed freestyle teams in our nation's history. Seven world medalists, plus Kyle Dake and David Taylor, both of whom are ranked second in their weight divisions. Then there is Joe Colon, the only one in the group without that same cache of titles, or name recognition outside the hardcore fans.

However, I think that we've seen in the past that new faces on a motivated American side can produce outstanding results. I'm very optimistic about his chance to compete well and win a few matches. If things really work out for him there is an outside shot at the medal stand. Really all depends on how he chooses to wrestle.

Right now the top guys in the weight class will be Gadzhimurad Rashidov (Russia), Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba), Beka Lomtadze (Georgia) and Vladimir Dubov (Bulgaria). I can make a case for him to beat Bonne, Dubov and Lomtadze, but like you mentioned that would have to come from a very consistent, error-free approach. Each of those guys struggle with pace, which is an area where Colon excels.

I won't say he gives Team USA a better chance to medal than Garrett, but I do think he is the type of wrestler that can wear down opponents over the course of six minutes â€¦ and two days.

Q: Which schools do you want to follow Arkansas-Little Rock and Presbyterian and add wrestling? I know that I have quite a few. #fanbagfriday
-- @ChurroSolider

Foley: I think Clemson is well-positioned to bring back their program. They are located in the south, have a tremendous alumni network and are rolling in football money. Adding them to the ACC could spread the reach of the sport to South Carolina and further entrench some of the gains we've been seeing in Georgia and Tennessee.

Second would be Texas (Austin), but there I'd only want to see a program if there was a men's and women's program. Texas has an incredible history of women's wrestling at the high school level and could be an institutional leader in helping establish women's wrestling at the Division I level.

Q: Why is freestyle the first style being contested at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest?
Mike C.

Foley: Because Greco-Roman is very popular in Hungary and will be a major draw for the weekend crowd on Oct. 27-28. Women's wrestling always goes in the middle days, which leaves freestyle to kick off the championships!

Q: Help me understand why the seeding system for the World Championships doesn't include last year's results. How are the returning gold medalists (JB and Snyder) not seeded? We need the best matchups in the finals to promote the sport.
-- @thejollybeggar

Foley: I agree that the aim is to have the very best athletes face each other in the finals of the event, and that as much as you can do so there needs to be separation of the top four or so athletes. As many wrestling fans understand there are two underlying problems to seeding (or ranking) an international tournament. The first is the number of times a season the sport's top athletes are able to compete (and how often they compete against each other). The second is the impossibility of a seeding meeting where 15 languages are spoken. Imagine if your district seeding meetings had 12,000 years of blood feuding to unravel in addition to the question of if Chad's win over Mason at the end of the year was more dominant than Mason's triumph at the beginning of the year.

To compensate, United World Wrestling first tried to separate the previous year's world finalists in the following year's championships. In 2017 the grumble was that Abdulrashid Sadulaev (up from 86 kilograms) wouldn't be separate of Kyle Snyder (holding steady at 97 kilograms). They ended up being separate, but the worry and complaints were there.

So, to help promote a system where athletes are compelled to compete throughout the year and to separate the very best athletes the idea to have four rankings series tournaments plus a continental in 2018 would be used to determine the ranking of athletes. The more you participate and win the more likely you were/are to be seeded. Where that went to plan (72 kilograms and 76 kilograms in women's wrestling are good examples) the system produced the absolute best four wrestlers in the top four.

Where it didn't the seeds were spread.

The complication to the system was that it started the year at zero and brought no points in from the previous season. That's because each style added two weight classes and overall shifted about 50 percent of the actual categories. (Freestyle was spared such harm.) Across styles there was no way to carry in points since nobody could determine which 2018 weight was aligned to which 2017 weight.

Furthermore, the system also doesn't allow athletes to transfer points between weight classes. Meaning that someone who hangs out at 92 kilograms all season and then bumps up to 97 kilograms doesn't reap any benefit in the ranking system. You only can only earn and later utilize points in the weight class in which you compete.

In regard to your original question, the reason Kyle Snyder and Jordan Burroughs aren't seeded is because they didn't compete in this year's Ranking Series events, minus the Yasar Dogu where they finished with bronze and silver respectively. David Taylor competed in three ranking series events and is ranked No. 2 in the world.

The system will need adjusting. It's the first year it's being utilized and there is some learning about the behavior of athletes and coaches that needs to be added into the system. Incentives need to increase, points need to be weighted in a more meaningful way, and the number of athletes receiving seeds should expand, or at the least those outside the top four should be allowed to fill any vacancies within the top four.

The system is imperfect, but it is a great start. With some separation and a two-day format wrestling will be easier to promote and to watch. There are some other innovations in the works for Worlds and I hope that the fans enjoy their experience. It's going to be a great show!

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Good Stuff, Army West Point!

Who ya got?

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Who's it going to be?! #budawrestle2018 @alliseeisgold @frankchamizo92 ï¿½"ï¿½: @benlowy

A post shared by Olympic Wrestling (@unitedworldwrestling) on Oct 4, 2018 at 12:28pm PDT

Q: Is the Canada 125-kilogram Junior world gold-medal match the first time a male world medalist has been coached by all-female team, Martine Dugrenier and Tonya Verbeek?
-- @suplesAU

Foley: Almost certainly the first time by an all-female coaching staff at the Junior Worlds, which is quite the statement of accomplishment for Canada.

As for women coaching men overall, I think I remember female coaches of India and later Vietnam who would coach both sides at Cadet-level tournaments.

Overall, like in many sports, wrestling is improving all the time and with more accomplishments and experience by women around the world I doubt it will be long until we see a more permanent coaching position for a female coach.

Q: Thoughts on Astana, Kazakhstan hosting the 2019 World Championships? And what's the process for selecting a host city? What other cities were considered?
-- Mike C.

Foley: When discussing bidding processes, I tend to explain why smaller nations acquire tournaments, rather than wealthier, first-world destinations. The short hand answer is that tournaments generate money for the host federation, which allows them to attend more events and send more wrestlers to those events.

The Senior World Championships bidding process isn't bid by national federations, but by cities (the same is true with World Cups, but that too is different still). The big difference with World Championships is the amount of money paid by the local organizing committee, which is upwards of $2 million. That money gives them the right to host, which they assume will be returned to them in the form of tax receipts generated by such a large event.

The bidding for the 2019 World Championships went through several stages, with cities showing varying degrees of interest along the way. Ultimately, the decision was made between Istanbul, Astana and a few other semi-interested cities. Astana, like Istanbul, has a track record of success, but also had a lot of support from the local and national government, which is always important in ensuring the details of the event don't go overlooked (read: fast internet).

Ultimately the bureau votes and â€¦ Voila! â€¦ you have a host city.

As a side note, Astana is one of my all-time favorite cities. It's going to be an awesome event!

Q: Why are so many of our guys dropping from U23's?
-- @cody_endres

Foley: The timing is tricky for the college season. The tournament is in mid-November. So for Vito Arujau and Mitchell McKee it could be any number of issues stemming from that timing.

Michael Macchiavello was just too old and missed the competition's pre-determined deadline.

Q: I saw Jaden Abas committed to Stanford. Did his father Gerry have a falling out with the Fresno State program? Was it because Gerry was passed over for the Fresno State head coaching position? Or was it just a matter of Stanford being a better fit?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'm a proud alumnus of U.Va., but if my kid was able to attend Stanford I too would be buying new workout sweatpants. Stanford can provide educational opportunities you can only find at a handful of institutions around the world. No matter what any parent feels about their own school, you have to give your kid the ability to choose their own direction, or if need be push them through the front gates of The Farm.

Q: What are the odds both Spencer Lee and Austin DeSanto win national championships next year?
-- @Mindof Maine

Foley: The chances are low that anyone wins an NCAA title. Even lower when you haven't made the podium. Spencer Lee has my vote to win the NCAA title, but the parlay gets dicey when you add in DeSanto.

To be clear, that means DeSanto as of today. He very well may light up the nation out of the box and give a clear indication that he's a threat to win the title. I'm hopeful that's the case too. A super competitive Iowa Hawkeye program is great for college wrestling, and DeSanto winning a national title would help put them in a title race.

Q: Conor or Khabib?
-- The People

Foley: Conor by knockout.

I've never bet against a Dagestani, but I don't think that Khabib has enough firepower from ground and pound to put McGregor away from that most advantageous position. I'm also suspect Khabib can even hold McGregor down long enough for more than a few swats at his head.

Every so often I'll train with someone getting ready for an MMA fight and I'm continually impressed with how well fighters have adapted to bouncing off the mat during a takedown. Most of these fighters understand the consequences of being lazy on their feet and fight like hell to get vertical the moment they are challenged. Part of that effort is based in determination, and I don't think there is any question that Conor has a huge heart. I just don't foresee him getting cuddle-humped for 25 full minutes.

Also, I'm suspect about Khabib's weight cut. If he's coming down hard there is a good chance his conditioning will be out of whack, which could tire him out. From my vantage point Khabib looked exhausted against Al Iaquinta and allowed some nice openings on his feet. If Khabib gets exhausted and drops his hands against Conor it won't be but a second before he's eating 3-4 jabs. With Conor's mobility I find it difficult that he could return fire with any accuracy.

Finally, even if Khabib executes and controls Conor on the ground I think that the threat of submission has been muted. Conor trains with my former teammate Dillon Danis, who is an expert at both leg locks and guillotines, which would be Khabib's only real attacks from transitional position or top. Conor is much more mobile from his back now than he was against Diaz a few years ago.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: September 28, 2018

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 06:02:16 +0000

This week HBO announced that it will no longer air boxing. They are divesting from the sport after research showed that it was no longer a reason for individuals to purchase the service (or for that matter, steal a password from family members).

Media is a booming business. While habits are changing, there has never been a time in history where information was being consumed at this rate, or by this many people. What HBO is realizing is that their horizontal business approach to media is no longer solvent. The future is in niche and for HBO that is storytelling, not sports.

HBO's niche will be wider than most. They produce and pay for movies, documentaries and world-class television. But in recent months -- as takeover attempts have been approved, and now denied -- that niche is expanding so that the channel can carpet as much creative content as possible. Live sports, however, is outside that reach.

The future will continue to be shaped by niche providers. Boxing is now being shown on DAZN (Da Zone), where a subscription costs $9.99/month -- pennies to those who enjoy the sport.

Wrestling is familiar with the subscription model for streaming. FloSports and SportsEngine/Trackwrestling are providing streams to every match in the United States and the world. We see it all, but we also must pay for it all, putting us all into a decision about how we spend our entertainment money.

But for now, you can watch the UFC on FightPass, boxing on DAZN, jiu-jitsu on FloGrappling, and wrestling on Flo and Track. You just might not be able to also afford Hulu, Showtime, basic cable, and of course, HBO.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Which freshman in Division I will make the most impact on the mat this season? Can any make a run at four NCAA titles?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: If we are including the redshirt freshmen, then Daton Fix is my No. 1 in terms of impact on the mat this season. Wrestling at 125 pounds or 133 pounds he is almost assured an All-American plaque and should be in the conversation for a national championship. Winning four championships is never a guarantee, especially given the talent level of freshmen each year, but if he's able to compete at 125 pounds each year I think has a decent chance to put himself into four finals.

Gable Steveson is another top freshman, but I'm concerned he will run into some early hiccups against larger competition. His performance at Junior Worlds exposed some vulnerabilities, but there are always a number of factors for these types of performances. Is it indicative of his upcoming NCAA season? Unlikely. I think that he has a style that works well in a seven-minute grind and has proven himself apt from bottom during his collegiate wins in his high school career.

Overall, I think that the next four-time champions will come at the edges of the weight classes because there is a lot more new blood (freshmen) at heavyweight and 125 than you would see at 174 pounds. The 125-pound guys typically can't hold their weight for four years, while the upper weights get injured and younger talent always seem to be supplanting established guys at programs.

Ethan Lizak rides Nathan Tomasello at the NCAAs (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)

Q: I love watching Ethan Lizak of Minnesota compete because he's so damn good on top. Nobody wants to go underneath him. He's moving up a weight to 133 pounds. Do you expect him to find the same/similar success at 133 pounds that he had at 125 pounds? Or will he lose some of the length/leverage advantage?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Case in point on vacating 125 pounds, which makes it an easier climb to established four-year guys to win four-in-a-row.

I think that at Lizak's height and wrestling in the lighter weights his leverage will always be a factor, but I do think that he will have a difficult time managing the strength of those slightly bigger opponents who will have an increased chance of fighting out of Lizak's more dominant positions.

Q: What can you tell me about the ability for RTC-level wrestlers to compete for nations other than the United States?
-- Jason W.

Foley: I recently helped another coach out with this process. Overall, it's straightforward, but it will require the buy-in of several stakeholders.

First, if the athlete is a dual passport holder he/she is eligible to compete for the other nation. However, if that athlete has already competed for the United States at an international competition they will need to seek guidance from USA Wrestling on transfer (in most cases it is free and painless).

As this is being determined, the wrestler needs to also contact the national federation they are interested in representing. While more of the smaller nations may be grateful for some USA talent on their roster, there is often times a process that must be followed. To be eligible for most national teams the athlete will need to compete at the national championships and be registered with a club recognized by the national federation.

The national federation itself must also be recognized by United World Wrestling and be in good standing. For example, Trinidad and Tobago doesn't have a national federation infrastructure so anyone looking to compete for them would need that in place first, and for that to be recognized by the Pan Am Council and then United World Wrestling.

Assuming that the national federation is eligible, the athlete is eligible, and the athlete wins his or her spot they will then need to register with United World Wrestling and receive their license. Once that is complete they can go to any tournament they want. However, they are limited in Olympic qualification. A nation can only bring to the Olympic Games qualification tournaments as many athletes as appeared at the continental-level event.

Good luck to any athletes out there with world and Olympic dreams, and please let me know how I can help get you in touch with the right people.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Hakuho might be the greatest wrestler to ever live. Here he is winning his 41st basho. The previous record was 34. The size, strength, and stamina to be a successful sumo is almost unmatched. Competitions every day for 16 days four times a year. Also, he has won a total of more than 1,000 matches. Unreal achievement.

And just like that Hakuho clinches his 41st yusho and 1000th win in the top division. Sets another record, this time for most consecutive years with at least one championship (13) pic.twitter.com/PvHlFnsO7m
ï¿½" MEGATON (@BasedDongeezus) September 23, 2018

Q: I know some Americans like Carson Manville and Emily Shilson are competing at the Youth Olympic Games. What's that event all about? What's the competition like?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The Youth Olympic Games were established in 2010 as a way for a world of Cadet-level athletes to access the Olympic experience through their competition. The main aim of the IOC was to spread positive message through sport to more regions, and to entrench their Olympic Values in the next generation of athletes. The Olympic values being good sportsmanship, fair play and the rest.

Overall, I think the experiment has worked. The 2014 Games in Nanjing were top-of-the-line and while the wins and losses mattered to the athletes a lot of time and energy was spent on creating positive dialogue with the athletes about doping, role models and sport-to-life balance.

The Youth Olympic Games also allow for pre-professional Olympic inspiration to take hold in a number of nations and corners of the world where that dream felt too distant. The Youth Olympic Games do this by allocating qualification spots based on region, rather than just performance. In this way the Olympic brand is spread to more nations which generates buy-in and allows the number of invested national federations to grow. One of the keys to the growth of individual sports is financial support from the government, and that happens when there are positive, media-ready moments like those presented at the Youth Olympic Games.

Overall the competition is pretty good! There are some mismatches here and there and the brackets are a little smaller than we are used to seeing in wrestling, but the finals usually feature top-level competitors. In fact, Yuki Takahashi was the 2010 champion in freestyle and just won his first world championship in Paris. So, there is a lot of top talent in action, just not end-to-end like you will see at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Q: Northern Colorado coach Troy Nickerson has landed two of the nation's top 25 recruits in the Class of 2019. Can Northern Colorado eventually become a top-10 program? Or are there too many challenges? What kind of impact would that have on college wrestling?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I've gone over the most pressing challenges facing new and small programs: institutional funding, exposure to recruits, and alumni support. While I can't speak to the number of scholarships Coach Nickerson is able to utilize or how much he's raising from alumni or friends of the program, the fact he's landing top 25 recruits shows that he has the exposure to make strides.

I've never visited the campus, but the idea of going to Northern Colorado sounds incredible. All about that clean mountain air!

Q: Who were the biggest draws at the 2017 World Championships?
-- @zachjanderson

Vinesh Phogat

Bajrang

Snyder/Sadulaev

Burroughs

Sakshi Malik

Foley's Friday Mailbag: September 21, 2018

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 07:29:02 +0000

The New York Times yesterday published a story about the wrestlers killed in this month's attack on a wrestling club in Kabul The club was popular, arguably the most popular and most successful in the country. The "suiciders" chose the club to try and strike a blow against the local minority community -- wrestlers are their symbol of strength and killing them would prove some sort of dominance.

What the terrorists wouldn't know is that wrestling is far too malleable to be crushed by a single act, and wrestlers far too bullheaded and determined to cower. To that point the story tells of the wrestling coach who risked his life to keep out the bomber, and the volunteers already at work rebuilding the gym brick-by-brick.

As the local legend goes, "a wrestler never dies."

Our sport has seen all types of threats over the millennia it's been practiced, terrorism is just the most recent and most painful. My hunch -- and this bears out in the reaction of the nation to the bombing of another wrestling tournament in which the entire nation began to march in protest -- is this will be a marker for many Afghans on their ongoing struggle to protest and overcome these attacks. These men inspire their nation and attacks on them is an attack on ideals.

As of now there isn't any direct way to support the club, but I'm hoping that something will come to fruition soon. When it does I hope that we can join together and show solidarity with our Afghan friends and send them shoes, mats and singlets.

You know these men, because you are these men. They've done the same drills as you, their faces are mushed flat, their ears scarred, their shoulders broadened. You may not know their faces, but they are your brothers and when the time comes let's support them like we would any member of our family -- with absolute love.

To your questions â€¦

Jon Jay Chavez competing at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Do you view Jon Jay Chavez of Cornell as a potential NCAA title threat? He is a returning All-American. Or do you view him more as a Greco specialist? I've been super impressed with his development over the past year.
-- Mike C.

Foley: I don't see Greco-Roman being any type of hindrance to Jon Jay Chavez's chance at an NCAA title. Take a look at the larger factors like institutional support, previous wrestlers' ability to win at that school, and his previous results. All three would indicate he's well able to make his way to the top of the platform before the end of his career.

I think Greco is really going to be a hidden asset for Chavez. Well, maybe not so hidden given his accolades, but in a scramble the feel of Greco wrestlers can be jarring to those (like me) who are hyper fearful of being loaded up on to an opponent's hips. In a scramble-happy NCAA style of wrestling Chavez could utilize that fear to his advantage and find the takedowns that can often mean the difference in a big match.

Also, most Greco-Roman guys have incredible hand fighting skills that could really help give an advantage to Chavez, especially late in matches. Like you insinuated, now that he's cracked the top eight he doesn't seem to have a ceiling in the sport.

Q: Coach Andy Lausier is already doing great things at Davidson with pretty much only one year under his belt after stints at Sacred Heart and Princeton. A few items of note: He increased the scholarship fund by $500K, made a huge splash when he hired Joey Dance as his head assistant, brought in a nice group of recruits and is putting some nice teams on their schedule with duals against NC State, Pitt, and Brown. The wrestling facilities are fantastic and their duals are in the beautiful Belk Arena where Steph Curry used to drain threes. Now is your time to show them some love and look like a hero as they work their way up the ladder the next few years! What say you?
-- JEZ from Wisconsin

Foley: These are great notes and I'm glad you wrote in with the update. Though we bemoan that there are only 80 or so Division I teams, I assure you that even those "in the know" aren't able to keep attention on the triumph of every program. And $500K is a lot of money!

I'm sure that Coach Lausier knows that his program has a long way to go, but he's the right man to see that they make that journey. He's humble, bright, and most of all hard working. He may also have the world's largest reserve of patience, given the more challenging projects he's faced in the past few years.

Joey Dance on the coaching staff, and a tough schedule, will almost ensure that these wrestlers learn through their lumps. And if the facilities at Davidson are the same or better than they were in 2004 when I last visited then they are certainly sufficient enough to help Coach Lausier and his staff build something special.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Awesome behind-the-scenes VLOG of Team USA at the Junior World Championships!

Bey!

Q: Obviously, expectations were high for Kamal Bey at the Junior World Championships after last year's performance. He placed fifth this year after winning gold last year. While fifth place in the world is a great accomplishment, it's probably disappointing for him. What do you attribute his "disappointing" performance to? Well scouted? Moving up in weight?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The Junior World Championships are underway this week in Trnava, Slovakia, and Team USA has performed average over the first four days, earning three medals after a total of 15 weight classes.

The Greco-Roman team looked impressive throughout, but only managed two medals after defending world champion Kamal Bey lost a pair of matches up at 77 kilograms. He wrestled well, but lost to the other two best guys in the world at his weight class.

Getting to the medal stand Cohlton Schultz stared down a massive Anta Milkovic of Croatia at 130 kilograms, and wrestled his way to a 7-1 victory in the bronze-medal finals, walking away with a dominant 8-0 victory. At 82 kilograms it was Andrew Berreyesa capturing silver after falling to four-time age group champion Aleksandr Komarov of Russia, 10-0. Overall, the Greco-Roman squad finished in the top ten for the second year in a row, a positive sign that the developmental program is headed in the right direction.

The women also hit the mats this week, with some scattered early results. Macey Kilty took silver, dropping a finals match to Khanum Velieva of Russia, 7-0. Before her loss in the finals Kilty looked dominant as she launched opponents in the opening rounds. However, Team USA dropped all five of its athletes out of the championships round on Thursday as Russia and Japan each put four in the finals. Alisha Howk will wrestle for bronze on Friday.

The first of the freestyle wrestlers received their bid Thursday and will compete Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- a style which American fans are hoping will result in more medals.

Q: My daughter likes the sport. If she wants to continue into her high school years I'm thinking about having her not join the high school team. I would rather her focus on freestyle since it's freestyle after high school. Thoughts?
-- @ShogunOfSonoma

Foley: I think that it depends on why she is in the sport of wrestling. If her desire is to be near a team and to represent her school, then of course it's worth investigating the environment at the program and see if it's welcoming. However, if she's laser-focused on being an Olympic champion and there is somewhere for her to train year-round, then that may be a better option.

Looking down the field a bit, it's possible that women's desire for freestyle -- and men's wrestling's need for women to participate -- could nudge a school district somewhere towards freestyle rules. I'd prefer that didn't happen. The American scholastic style is unique and deserves some respect. On the other hand, I'm uncertain if local schools can handle the extra coaching costs.

Again, like you I'd prefer to see the women wrestle freestyle in high school, but I'm guessing there will need to be a major sea of change for the existing power structure to accept.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: September 14, 2018

Fri, 14 Sep 2018 05:28:36 +0000

Jordan Oliver celebrates after beating Olympic champ Toghrul Asgarov (Photo/Juan Garcia)

After a year-long layoff, Jordan Oliver was back on the mats last weekend at the Pytlasinski Memorial in Poland. The tournament, Oliver's first since coming off an anti-doping violation, was impressive, with the Oklahoma State graduate winning a pair of matches before dropping a 9-8 decision to eventual champion Akhmed Chakaev (Russia) in the semifinals, 9-8.

Once back on American soil, Oliver wasted little time in taking to Twitter and Instagram to stoke a rivalry with fellow 65-kilogram wrestler Zain Retherford. The first interaction was mild, with Oliver asking Retherford to "scrap" at the upcoming Who's Number One event in Pennsylvania. The "scrap" was a reference to Retherford's sponsorships .

The mundane queries soon deepened when Oliver used the staccato of Machine Gun Kelly to further prod Retherford via a rap posted on Instagram. The verse caused a minor social media uproar.

View this post on Instagram

Im sick of all of the train talk and hodge talk, lets scrap about it, both of us aint competing right now and from pa, lets scrap about it, im sick of you being mentioned as the greatest and wont wrestle, lets scrap about it, or WE can get gully, Ill size up your body and put some white chalk around it! #wrestlingdevil #freesmoke #onlyonepersondidntaccepttheWNOinviteðŸ¤·ðŸ½â€â™‚ï¸ ðŸ˜‚ðŸ˜‚ @machinegunkelly

A post shared by Jordan Michael Oliver (@thatdudejo) on Sep 12, 2018 at 7:58am PDT

By now we should expect the noise and the unrelenting back-and-forth about what a wrestler should and shouldn't do to promote himself or an event.

What is respectful? Why is the sport not more like MMA?

According to @knarkill â€¦ MMA fighter calls another fighter out it's promotion and showmanship. Wrestler calls another wrestler out he's a punk or disrespectful. We gotta get over ourselves y'all. It ain't the church choir.

While may wrestlers have created championship careers in the cage, the comparisons between wrestling and mixed martial arts are not one-to-one.

In the case of MMA, the fights are supported by promotions, which is to say there is no singular organization governing the rules, rankings, or competition structures. Events and promotions are independent operations and athletes are self-employed contractors. There are no national governing bodies and no organizations to oversee the implementation of rules and scoring across state lines. (Each state has an independent commission.) And, of course, MMA lacks any international-level oversight â€¦ and people punch each other in the face.

For wrestlers from the United States the competition system is held together by the NFHS, NCAA, USA Wrestling and United World Wrestling. At each level these institutions create a structure by which all members must organize and participate. They also work together to ensure a smooth transition from amateur to professional for interested athletes. Events are organized on a global scale and supported by 180 national federations. Also, no punching or kicking in the sport of wrestling.

When you read that MMA is spectacle and wrestling is sport, this is what that means: organization and accountability. One is highly organized and dependent of a meritocracy and the other is a combination of market viability, athletic talent and your relationship with Dana White or Scott Coker. Those differences were created by different histories and are supported by different economies and established ideas of what is, and is not, success in the sport.

The recent kerfuffle and band of voices asking for more self-promotion and rivalry in wrestling is actually an old song, which at one time hurt the sport.

When scholastic and professional wrestling separated at the start of the 20th century it was due to the organizers desire for money. Specialty matchups (like you'd see for Beat the Streets) were filling large sporting halls in the Northeast, but ticket sale began to suffer as the athletes began to improve and pin-only matches lasted for several hours. So wrestling promoters took over control of the action in the ring by deciding outcomes.

Voila, professional wrestling.

While promoters believed in the spectacle, "real" wrestlers were attracted to the physicality and technique of the sport. Point-scoring systems were implemented to combat the problem of the five-hour match and the sport was championed by all levels of education. However, a lack of promotion and a guarantee for competition coming from schools meant the product suffered.

Voila, amateur wrestling.

Wrestling at the NCAA and Olympic level enjoys a level of professionalism and expectation for fairness that would be impossible to expect in the WWE or UFC. To that point, think of when outcomes do seem suspicious. The uproar is made precisely because this half of the world is meant to be fair and transparent. When it's not, it matters.

So what about Oliver? Why did his self-promotion bother some wrestling fans?

Historically, wrestlers didn't have a promotional pipeline to their fans, nor were there many (if any) wrestling promotions where they could make money competing. Today the editorial oversight and moralistic handwringing of the traditional editor has been replaced by social media. Wrestlers can connect directly to the fans and if they drum up support they may find themselves making money.

That change in communication means that hardcore wrestling audience (NCAA reported the wrestling fans to be traditional, older, and white) takes umbrage to direct attacks on their favorite wrestlers.

In the view of the entrenched wrestling fan these actions show a lack of respect for the fundamental underpinning of the sport: self-improvement, modesty, and hard work. For them the actions of Oliver and other adversarial approaches to promoting themselves in the sport will never be approvable, because they think it'll limit the attention paid to athletes who succeed inside the meritocracy established by the sport.

But for Oliver and those who want to see more money in the sport and more coverage, words can help create rivalries, drive interest and create financial opportunity. That should be valued by our community. Wrestling is a form of individual expression, and as much as the "talking should be done on the mat" the words can't hurt anyone.

The real sweet spot is in allowing individuals to behave as they see fit off and on the mat -- within the confines of the rules. Back flips, flag celebrations, some dancing. Allow joy to be visible on the mat. It's a fool's errand to judge the behavior of an athlete utilizing social media to promote himself or herself. That's the power of self-expression, nobody can tell us what to say or how to think â€¦ or how to promote.

The only way to prevent questionable speech is to regulate it, and I highly doubt wrestling fans on either side of this debate would want the government to decide what they can say.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Jordan Oliver called out Zain Retherford on Twitter with hopes of setting up a match. JO's online behavior seemed to rub a lot of people the wrong way, but why didn't those same people get upset when Jordan Burroughs called out Frank Chamizo?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Burroughs and Chamizo's rivalry is rooted in a much cheekier tone and promotional buy-in from both athletes. They used a lot of emojis and subtle burns to get their message across, which is difficult to umbrage with as a fan. Most important was that Chamizo is Cuban-Italian and doesn't have a massive (English speaking) support system who would snap back at Burroughs.

Oliver and Retherford represent two very different wrestling fans, and it was those fans that added to this week's debate. Without a second, Chamizo's slights weren't being amplified.

Q: Do you see any other current Division II schools making the jump from Division II to Division I like Cal Baptist? #fanbagfridays
-- @ChurroSolider

Foley: The only schools I see making the jump from Division II to Division I will be those hoping to attract larger enrollments or with substantial independent backing ($8-10 million). That, or schools who have athletic directors concentrated on making a splash in their network. For example, the architect of the Cal Baptist move has a significant talking point when he speaks with future employers.

In real terms, St. Cloud State has a clear path to Division I as they already support a Division I men's ice hockey program, are the defending Division II champions, and only have to compete with Minnesota for athletes in a state flush with talent. Also, they are in the Midwest and could slide into the Big 12 schedule.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

G'Angelo Hancock!

Q: Do you and the missus watch Archer?
-- @wrestlingquoter

Foley: No. Worth it? Could use some TV programs now that I've picked up middle of the night feeding for the baby.

Q: The Iowa wrestling program has amassed 999 team wins. The last several years, Iowa wrestling has started their season with the Iowa City Duals, wrestling the likes of Coe College, Cornell College, Iowa Central Community College, and similar programs. This year, the Hawks' first two dual meets are scheduled against Kent State and Cal St. Bakersfield in Ohio, thus (likely) depriving Hawkeye fans of seeing the historic 1,000th win in program history. Do I as a Hawkeye fan and season ticket holder have a right to feel slighted by this move? My cheek hurts a little from the slap they gave me.
-- Jeremy T.

Foley: You are observant! Of course, you have the right to feel slighted, but I think that this type of decision (competing for early season tune-up) over the celebration of an arbitrary number, is perfect Iowa Style wrestling! All that matters are the yellow medals at the end of the season.

I have to assume that Brands and Co. will host a banquet for the celebration of the 1000th win, and/or the school will make a big fuss on the actual night. I think it's an interesting number to hit and should spark some really fun retrospectives on the Hawkeye teams of the 1980's and 1990's.

Maybe we can get some more Royce Alger story time?

Q: Obviously, expectations are high for the USA Junior World Team in freestyle. But what are reasonable expectations for the Junior World Team in Greco? Seems like there is a sure-fire medalist/potential champ in Kamal Bay and potential champ/medalist in Cohlton Schultz. Could the team finish in the top three in the team standings? Or is there not enough talent/balance?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Kamal Bey and Cohlton Schultz are threats to medal, but neither is a sure-fire gold medalist. If you go back and watch Bey's gold-medal match last year you'll see how far he was pushed. However, this year the emphasis on active wrestling should benefit the American wrestlers who've tended to be more aggressive than their opponents, especially at the Cadet and Junior level.

The top three will be tricky. Russia and Iran will be battling for the top spot with Azerbaijan and Georgia capable of cracking into the team medals. I think the Americans would need five medalists and another three to make it into the medal rounds. I'm not seeing that depth, but the new rules are a wild card that are tough to factor at a tournament like Junior Worlds, which will be very well officiated.

Q: A friend and I were talking about coaching and he brought up something interesting. He thinks in time women will change the coaching landscape, especially at the high school level. Many of the current generation's women and girls are entering the sport at high school level competing in folkstyle (like most men). But if a young woman goes to college she is competing in freestyle (almost a different sport in many respects). He thinks that it's a coaching advantage in that the women have to compete and practice the international style for four years or five years. So here is the question â€¦

Will women who coach wrestling have some type of edge because their competitive experience in freestyle during their college careers? And what type of effect will it have on the growth of the sport in particular freestyle at the high school level?
-- Marcus R.

Foley: I'm not sure I'll answer this well, but yes, I think that there are considerable advantages to our women being in a freestyle-only model, both as competitors and coaches.

One place I think we could see the sport excel is women involved in the youth league coaching. Our sport has problem with overzealous parents and I think women would be a fit for coaching the 5 to 12-year-old crowd the basics of the sport. Women tend to be more patient, detailed focused and carry a longer vision of what success means in the sport.

I'm glad you brought up this issue, because it gives pause to the question as to why women are good for the sport. It's not just to serve the self-interest of men looking to protect their sport, but maybe (just maybe!) they would be able to add something to our techniques and improved pedagogical methods in training young coaches.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: September 7, 2018

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 05:52:37 +0000

The worldwide wrestling community was shocked Wednesday when suicide bombers attacked a wrestling competition in Kabul. The meet, in a largely Shiite minority community, was sanctioned by the Afghanistan Wrestling Federation, part of the larger international wrestling community.

There were two blasts, with the initial smaller explosion meant to maim and to draw in rescue workers and journalists. The second, much larger, blast came once those professionals were on site.

There is plenty of violence in the world, but in reading this story and the seeing the gruesome images of life in a country in-conflict should remind us all to be thankful for the security we enjoy at home, but still take account of the shootings that have disrupted learning and security in schools around the country.

Please join the international wrestling community in sending your thoughts to those young wrestlers and their families affected by this incident.

To your questions â€¦

Michigan's Logan Massa at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Is it seemed like Logan Massa took a step back last season. Placed third as a freshman and went 1-2 at the NCAAs last season. Was it injury related? Sophomore slump? Do you consider him one of the contenders to win the NCAA title at 165 pounds this season?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'm a big believer in the sophomore slump as it happens in almost every sport and victimizes plenty of wrestlers. Not sure what it is about the sophomore season, and it's sure to vary by individual, but my best guess is that wrestlers who have success as a freshman have trouble determining whether that success came from talent or hard work. When wrestlers tend to think it's talent there is less hard work. Another factor might be over confidence, or the nerves of living up to the expectation that they keep improving on performance in each successive season. In a sport already rife with pressure that additional weight can be too much for some young wrestlers.

Massa will be totally fine. He's a monster and with Sergei Beloglazov in Ann Arbor and one of the toughest lineups in the country to practice with every day I think he'll find his stride again in 2019.

Q: Who are you most interested in watching at the World Championships for pure stylistic enjoyment?
-- @HalfAgain

Foley: In Greco-Roman, Frank Staebler is an absolute machine. He wrestles Greco-Roman the way it was intended. He plows forward in an always-aggressive style and opens up exhausted opponents. He's can't-miss wrestling. Second place would be Elmurat Tasmuradov of Uzbekistan. He famously cartwheeled out of a two on one at the 2015 Asian Championships in Doha.

In women's wrestling, Yui Susaki of Japan has a star power that's difficult to define. She's of the Japanese system, but outside of the Coach Sakae lineage, which has given her a more aggressive approach on the mat. She attacks in every moment and while that costs her points, she has that winner's edge that appeals to the competitor in me. Next would be Helen Maroulis, because right now she's the baddest woman on the planet and can hit moves that few, if any, other woman can imitate.

I'll show up to watch any of the Russian lightweight and middleweight wrestlers compete in freestyle. When they take the mat and are in their groove it's difficult to compete with their athleticism and mat savvy. I prefer Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder and pull for them to win, but in terms of aesthetic and what I can learn there are few wrestlers who can compare. The other is Frank Chamizo.

Nobody misses a Chamizo match.

Yui Susaki with her gold medal from the World Championships in Paris (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Who is the a non-American to keep an eye on at the Junior World Championships?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Senior level world champion Yui Susaki (Japan) and senior world bronze medalist Koumba Larrouque (France) are schedule to compete.

European champions like Arif Oezen (Turkey) at 86 kilograms and Arsen Harutyunyan (Armenia) at 57 kilograms are sure to be big hits. Also keep any eye out for the entire Iranian lineup. They had a wonderful outing at Asians and have been wrestling much better since Rasoul Khadem returned to the corner full-time.

There is a good preview of entries on the UWW site here.

Q: What do you know about Denver hosting the NWCA All-Star Classic?
-- Kevin M.

Foley: According to Jim Fallis the idea is to bring the event back across the Mississippi River and link up with some of their Wrestlers in Business Network chapters who otherwise wouldn't receive as much engagement.

When you start adding up all the travel and organizational costs for an event of this size and prestige, it's obvious that partnerships are the key to moving forward. Princeton was able to pull this off last year and this year it'll be Denver's chapter, who partnered with NUWAY and the Rocky Mountain Nationals, to get this done.

I love this location. There is a good wrestling culture in the state of Colorado and Denver is a major metropolitan city that can attract good media attention.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Gobsmacked. How â€¦ ??

That Cartwheel

Fascinating look at a map of the United States. No people live in the green areas. Zero.

Q: What do you think about the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club hiring six-time world champion Sergei Beloglazov as its head coach?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Can't hate it.

Sergei is a traveler, having served as a coach for Team USA, Kazakhstan and several other nations and clubs since he retired in the 90's. I think that his wealth of knowledge (arguably the biggest repertoire of moves from any coach in the world) could help the full-time freestylers in Michigan make big jumps. Also, his knowledge and training style will impact the collegiate squad and provide them another level of expertise that could help the Wolverines find a team trophy in 2019 and 2020.

Q: Thoughts on Jack Mueller redshirting?
Mike C.

Foley: I spoke with Coach Garland today and he verified what was in the school's release. Mueller is excited about the U23 World Championships and wants to train for that as he would the NCAA title. Coming back for the second semester, switching styles and likely having to bump up didn't appeal to his vision of the year. Also, he was intending to redshirt his freshman season, but without any other 125-pound wrestler at the time he stepped into the lineup.

Athletes halfway through college and with accomplishments under their belt (and big challenges to attend to, a la U23 Worlds) can really benefit from time away from the college scene. For Mueller I think it'll give him the space to challenge himself and grow into a bonafide No. 1 wrestler at 133 pounds.

Q: The Big Ten rotates schools on and off each other's schedule. Two years on, one year off in groups with a single permanent team. Ohio State and Penn State are paired permanently as is Iowa and Minnesota so obviously for Iowa and Penn State to wrestle annually there needs to be a collaborative effort between the two programs to make certain that every third year gets scheduled.

Back in 2012-13, Cael and Coach Brands did some tweeting back and forth announcing a Big Ten matchup between the two premier programs and they promoted the match. Cael took his defending national champs to Iowa City to wrestle the Hawks and before a packed house and BTN audience the Hawks wrestled their hearts out, got a pin from Tony Ramos and won a toss-up or two to upset the Nittany Lions.

It seems that something so successful and something that due to Big Ten scheduling you know is coming every third year would be rather easy to get together and make certain it happens every third year.

However, in 2015-16 -- despite Cael and Coach Brands agreeing to the match -- they could not agree on location, State College or Iowa City, so it never got scheduled. First year without a PSU Iowa dual since 81- 82. Here we are three years later and again despite a mutual desire to schedule the dual, location seemed to be the stumbling block.

Since this off-schedule dual has been scheduled once, and Penn State traveled for it does it not seem to make sense Coach Brands owes Penn State a reciprocal visit.

So my question is this. Do you have any idea why Coach Brands seems to be reluctant to bring his squad to State College for the non-Big Ten dual? Some Penn State fans believe Coach Brands knows his Hawk squad is a bit out gunned and traveling to State College probably costs the Hawks an undefeated dual season, probable multiple seeding hits and if not likely to be competitive why bother.

Just wondering if you knew of any reasons why the Hawks seem to be so reluctant to reciprocate the travel to make this match an annual happening?
-- Nitilion

Foley: You make your case in the way you frame the question! I don't know the details on their interactions and what was holding up the commitment, but I'm sure it was about much more than the Law of Reciprocity ticking back to three seasons ago.

Coach Brands isn't one to shy away from any opponent, but I do think he's wise enough to not force a scheduled dual meet in State College unless he can get favorable terms on date and time. Traveling across the country for a single meet is expensive and requires some logistics. The team is already pressed to travel across the Midwest for duals and another weekend on the road for pride, or for the sake of fans, might not be in the best interest of the Hawkeyes.

While I would favor Penn State in a dual meet, I think it's foolish to underestimate Iowa's firepower in 2018-2019. This could be a team to challenge Penn State, even as they return multiple NCAA champions and All-Americans.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 31, 2018

Fri, 31 Aug 2018 05:20:46 +0000

The wrestling community was shocked this week after learning that U.S. National Team member Richard Perry had suffered a serious injury during training camp at Camp Pendleton in California.

Perry had an object impaled into his eye causing considerable damage to his orbital bone and leaving small pieces of bone close to his brain. That injury and accompanying swelling has caused a number of other complications. As injuries go, Perry's is as serious as they come.

Unfortunately, no matter his level of health insurance the financial burden from an injury of this severity has been, and will continue to be, significant. Due to the nature of the injury Perry will remain in California for several weeks, which will be costly to his wife and three young children.

To that end the wrestling community has responded by raising money through a GoFundMe account which the Perry family can use for covering these expenses. The outpouring has already been incredible, but let's be sure to keep it going and support one our one in his time of need.

Best wishes to the Perry family and to Richard for a speedy and full recovery.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Congratulations on the birth of your daughter, Foley! As new parents, you and your wife probably have a lot of thoughts flying through your heads, and wrestling is likely not at the top of the list. But...this is a wrestling column. So, let's discuss a classic wrestling question:

"When should my daughter/son start wrestling?"

Most parents who also happen to be lifelong wrestlers, coaches, and fans of the sport have probably thought about this at some point around having a child. As an uncle, I've thought about how exciting it will be when my now young nieces and nephews start to roll and discover their strength, flexibility, and balance through athletic endeavors, hopefully including wrestling.

So, any thoughts on how wrestling and the grappling arts can be sustainably built into a child's (and teen's, and young adult's) life of balance, empathy, competition, and community? What attributes of the sport do you anticipate to be important for self-discovery and socialization for your daughter, beyond the importance of a strong gut wrench, that is?
-- Nate H.

Foley: Thanks! Children bring a new perspective and even in these early days I've enjoyed thinking about all the small changes she's brought about in the way I view the world. Disneyland has started looking attractive. I want a Subaru Forrester. Changes are brewing.

I'm a little less concerned about when my daughter will wrestle (or even if) and more focused on creating healthy physical habits and emotional strength. Though organized wrestling will be her choice, there is certain to be instructive wrestling with her cousins, friends and parents. Light wrestling with your children is beneficial in reducing stress, connecting with parents, learning empathy, and respecting familial hierarchies.

As for timing I'm more interested in skill development and a focus on pursuing passions disciplined with rote learning. At this moment I'm not too concerned with steering my daughter into wrestling, or violin so much as I am interested in her developing body awareness via gymnastic-type activity, discipline via repetition and grit in seeing things through.

Were my daughter to REALLY want to compete in wrestling I would nudge her towards jiu-jitsu at first as a way to limit any head trauma and also to help teach her positive habits of teamwork and discipline. Also, I think a little pink gi would be too cute for words.

Q: Is Jered Cortez still at Penn State? Have injuries officially ended his career?
-- @Robbybobbi

Foley: Jared Cortez is not listed on the official Penn State roster for 2018-2019. He joined the seniors for a Senior Night celebration last spring, indicating that he was likely to not use his final year of eligibility.

Anthony Cassar (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

Q: What do you make of the Penn State heavyweight situation? Don't you think Nick Nevills is 'owed' something for putting it on the line for his team? Is there such a thing as loyalty at high-level programs?
-- @Robbybobbi

Foley: Do you mean because Anthony Cassar has moved up to heavyweight? I think it would be difficult to secure any starting position based solely on a previous year's performance, or perceived sacrifice, let alone at Penn State.

Cassar is (probably) moving up to avoid a showdown with two-time NCAA champion Bo Nickal who moved up from 184 pounds. Can Cassar beat Nevills and prove himself a more apt Big Ten competitor at a new weight class? Maybe. But I'd still bet on the All-American Nevills to better deal with opponents' weight and find W's for Cael and co.

The Blue and White wrestle-off will give some early season indication as to who will take the top spot by March, but don't be surprised if the staff discounts in-the-room wins based on familiarity and weighs heavier success against outside opponents.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Snyderlaev 2 anyone?

â€ªThree-time world and Olympic champion, Abdulrashid "THE TANK" SADULAEV (RUS) / @sadulaev_abdulrashid. â€¬ â€ª#Budapest2018 COUNTDOWN: 50 DAYSâ€¬

A post shared by Olympic Wrestling (@unitedworldwrestling) on Aug 30, 2018 at 3:53am PDT

Junior Pan Am highlight film!

The final installment of the #Fortaleza2018 video recaps. Swipe for more of men's freestyle! ðŸŽ¥ @u_brought.it.on

A post shared by Olympic Wrestling (@unitedworldwrestling) on Aug 27, 2018 at 9:58am PDT

Q: Who do you see as the biggest lock to win a world championship in Budapest in each of the three styles?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Women's wrestling: This used to be a simple answer: Icho or Yoshida. If that didn't work you could still choose any number of Japanese and feel confident in the pick.

But this year the Japanese aren't competing at their top and the smart money remains on Helen Maroulis. She'll be healthy and there just isn't anyone at 57 kilograms who can match her strength or speed.

Freestyle: Kyle Snyder and Jordan Burroughs are attractive choices for American wrestling fans, but with Chamizo and Sadualev also challenging for titles at 74 kilograms and 97 kilograms respectively the smart money has to be somewhere else.

I'd choose David Taylor, but Hassan Yazdani Charati is an Olympic champion.

Geno and Taha are neck and neck at heavyweight.

Vladimir Khinchegashvilli dropped a match to Bekbulatov at Euros and is still settling into 65 kilograms.

All the favorites taken off the table, the best remaining option might be Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov at 79 kilograms. He beat Kyle Dake 8-2 at Yarygin and hasn't been challenged since.

Greco-Roman: Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia): He does nothing better than anyone who's ever done something.

Q: I saw that Dom Abounader won a silver medal for Lebanon at the Asian Games. I have noticed that other Americans have competed for other countries. Do they have to have a parent born in that country? Or what is the rule that allows them to compete for other countries?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Dual passport holders are able to wrestle for either nation without having to change nationality, so long as they have never competed for their other nation previously. For example, Abounader hadn't wrestled for the United States and was able to compete for Lebanon without issue.

For those who aren't born with dual citizenship certain nations grant the proper paperwork in order to allow top-flight competitors to join their ranks. Nations are allowed to bring in one wrestler a year in each of the styles and those wrestlers are automatically eligible to wrestle. However, if they've wrestled for another nation there is a transfer fee.

What you see in the United States was a long time coming. We have a number of capable wrestlers in the 20's with access to Regional Training Centers and developing nations with a thirst to compete at the international stage. That's the right combination and one I think will continue to create opportunities for our young up-and-coming stars.

Q: Thoughts on the Hawkeye Wrestling Club adding to their women's roster with the additions of Kayla Miracle, Forrest Molinari and Michaela Beck?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Bravo! Having a mixed-gender training situation is awesome for the women and the men. I'm thrilled to see Iowa leading the way in this area and think it's indicative of their larger attitude towards making positive moves in order to compete for the national title and medals at the international level.

With Regional Training Centers now interested in our women wrestlers we could see a real change in the development of our women's programs, like we have in men's freestyle. Local support, personalized coaching and a reduction in training-based travel schedules will pay dividends in 2020 and beyond.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 17, 2018

Fri, 17 Aug 2018 11:23:33 +0000

In a move that surprised many in the wrestling community, Iowa State head wrestling coach Kevin Dresser fired associate head coach Mike Zadick.

Interviews with Dresser indicated that the two men had differing views on where to take the program. Zadick's response seemed to confirm that the two men fell out of their working, and possibly personal, relationship.

"There were occasions that others made decisions that I believed were contrary to the best interests of ISU. I expressed my beliefs as was required of me in my position as the associate head coach. As I now understand, the expression of my beliefs is the genesis of the alleged conflict that led to my premature dismissal.

"I elected not to resign from ISU because my actions did not warrant dismissal. Additionally, had I accepted ISU's offer to resign, I would be sending a message to the athletes that I coached contrary to the character traits that I endeavored to instill in them."

Zadick appears to think that Coach Dresser was acting outside what Zadick thought was the best interest of the Iowa State wrestling program -- something that hasn't been elaborated on in the days that followed the announcement. What is interesting is Zadick's emphasis on character, which is a buzzword for the NCAA and its member institutions when considering investigations. There are plenty of universities that have come under larger investigations due to indications of even minor infractions -- Oklahoma State in the 1990's being only the most recent and consequential large-scale investigation -- wrestling need not see another.

Let's hope that nothing larger is sparked, and that what might be a simple disagreement in leadership style and direction of the program simply ended in this public affair. While the firing exposes Iowa State and Coach Dresser to unwanted attention, it seems the partnership suffered from garden variety insubordination, which is (and always will be) a sufficient justification for a firing.

Best of luck to Coach Zadick and Coach Dresser. The sport is better with these men in our sport and in good standing.

To your questions â€¦

Aaron Pico was a runner-up at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com

Q: In February, Valentin Kalika posted a photo on Instagram with Aaron Pico. He included the hashtag #2020. Obviously, Pico is focused on MMA, but do you think he will make an Olympic run in 2020?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I don't think that Valentin and Pico are especially close at the moment. Pico is training in California, working his way towards a Bellator belt and Valentin is in New York at the New York Regional Training Center working with Helen Maroulis and other top-level talent.

Anything may have motivated the post, but I don't think that we will see Pico step away from the cage for a shot at the 2020 Olympics. If he does, I think that he'd have a chance to win some matches in qualification, but I'm less certain he would have the same tactical advantage as someone who is training and competing year-round. Specifically, I think that Logan Stieber and Zain Retherford would be tough matchups for Pico if he hadn't been training and competing in freestyle for at least nine months prior.

But hey, anything can happen and Pico's return to the sport would be certain to bring increased media attention to the trials and the Olympic Games.

Q: Virginia high school cancels varsity football season. How do you think it affects wrestling? Hard to then sell "wrestling helps football players." Do we sell as a sport for kids who still like contact sports?
-- @Zach_Goldrosen

Foley: I think that the overall loss will be small. Wrestling has recruitment opportunities with much more promise such as an expanding Beat the Streets program, women's wrestling and a growing online presence.

Football, however, is screwed. This is just the first of many changes fans will see as mothers and fathers in higher socioeconomic areas ether refuse to allow their children to play (or become litigious) after a coach is unable to protect their child from a concussion. With considerable financial risks I'm guessing that the actuaries pricing out policies won't be able to get an affordable insurance cost to some districts and that those districts will simply drop the sport.

Football will survive, but it will become a highly regionalized game played in Deep South, Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Others may also choose to keep it for a while longer, but in my lifetime the sport will cease to exist in most public schools and will be let in only a handful of colleges. I have no idea what will become of the NFL, but they too may buckle under the weight of future lawsuits based in the consequences of head trauma.

Q: Any guesses on who Kyle Ruschell might add to his coaching staff at UTC? Heath Eslinger did a solid job. The Mocs were always a SoCon power, but struggled to break through to become a national power. Do you think the program can reach even higher levels with Ruschell?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The Southern Conference and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is not immune to success, but there are several geographical factors working against a meteoric rise like we saw in the ACC and specifically at NC State after the hiring of Pat Popolizio.

The major difference between a mega program like Virginia Tech and the likes of Chattanooga is funding and how a lack of cash can affect a range of services available to the athletes.

Top-tier programs require significant budgets for their listed coaching staffs (minimum of $400K for four coaches) and significant opportunity for their club coaches to make money from a local pool of athletes. If you live in an area without a natural draw of athletes, then that secondary income for club coaches or RTC athletes is diminished. Chattanooga has a decent pool of local athletes, but as of yet isn't a successful RTC.

Competition budgets, recruiting dollars and expenses related to upkeep of your facility are also additional costs that top programs either don't eat directly, or are not a significant portion of discretionary spending. I don't know the numbers for Chattanooga, but one has to think that even with a tradition of alumni giving the program is not running on a blank check.

Maybe the toughest sell right now for Chattanooga or other SoCon school is location. The Deep South just isn't synonymous with wrestling like Pennsylvania or Iowa, and that means it's easy for athletes, coaches, parents and fans to forget about their success or programmatic viability. When you're not getting the customers to look at your product on their own, it's always a tougher sell even when they are engaged in the process.

All this doesn't exclude the SoCon, Chattanooga or Coach Ruschell from future success. It just means that his staff hires won't be the most important of his decisions. I think that a big-name assistant could indicate increased financial investment by the UTC, but it's already August and luring top name alumni donors and the coaching staff may take another 6-12 months.

Overall, I think Chattanooga is in a stable and healthy position. Athletes go to NCAAs they win dual meets and they compete well on the road. Kudos to Coach Eslinger for a job well done and best of luck in his new career!

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

On the podcast bro culture:

"This is the podcast bro ethos: Ditch your ideologically charged identity. Accept your evolutionary programming. Take responsibility for mastering it, and find a cosmic purpose. "I'm not saying it's only personal responsibility that matters, but you have to start there," Mr. Marcus told me.

But wait -- how does cutting down carbs and tossing kettlebells set me up to serve the universe? Here is where the podcast bros get metaphysical."

Marcelo Garcia took down Otto Olsen. The submission, a rear naked choke you see in the video, is also very cool, but not as cool as the arm drag takedown. More below on jiu-jitsu and wrestler's weird relationship to the sport.

#adcc #marcelogarcia #mgjj #mginaction

A post shared by Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu (@marcelogarciajiujitsu) on Aug 16, 2018 at 12:18pm PDT

Q: As someone who (like yourself) has found and fallen in love with jiu-jitsu/submission grappling, why don't you find more Division I wrestlers entering the sport after their wrestling careers are over? There are only a handful of guys that I ever meet and/or see in this huge pool of BJJ competitors. It seems like it would be a logical transition and most gyms will offer high-level wrestlers the ability to train for free given some knowledge exchange occurs. It's great because my skillset is deemed so valuable due to the rarity, but there are plenty of high-level Division I wrestlers out there that I think would fall in love with the sport and be competitive immediately. Thoughts?
-- Brandon G.

Foley: I've spent a lot of column inches on my love of jiu-jitsu and agree that it's very odd that more wrestlers don't involve themselves in the sport. Though there is a subculture to jiu-jitsu that can be a little odd (same with wrestling!), I think that the quality and sustainability of the workout -- and the mental challenge of the chess match within the competition -- is absolutely without comparison for active adults.

I think that we see fewer wrestlers transitioning to jiu-jitsu after graduation because our athletes are dogged by negative associations with wrestling. Too many of us love the struggle, but not the sport. There are notable examples of those who love wrestling thoroughly, but there is a larger subsection of wrestlers who learned to hate a lot about the sport: grueling practices, extreme dieting, academic sacrifice, etc. I think that the jiu-jitsu non-competitors tend to be nervous about losing out on a normal life they already lost in college. Most have been on the mats since they were 5 years old and despite the advantages you mentioned training in jiu-jitsu sounds like some special version of hell.

I agree about the transferrable skill set and absolute joy found through the sport. I was 30 when I started rolling jiu-jitsu and it took me a lot of time to embrace it as an activity that could bring me happiness. Now I roll five days a week and focus my lifting and cardio on ways to help my body to be better in practice. I don't compete often, but someday soon I'll throw myself into a Master's division for some fun rolls and a test of my skill level. Still, for now, I'm happy to help my teammates with their wrestling and give them a look they don't get to see very often.

Good luck in all your training and I hope that our positive experiences bring more of our friends and teammates back to the mats!

Q: What did you think about the $14 million in expenses for USA Wrestling and their $15 million budget?
-- Aaron V.

Foley: First, I would say congrats. Anything over $3 million is considered a serious budget for any national federation in wrestling, let alone five times that amount. That USA Wrestling meets its budget is certainly something that any family or individual balancing a checkbook can appreciate.

Diving a little deeper into the numbers for USA Wrestling I think there are few key points. The first is that the budget increase has to do with the United World Wrestling calendar and which World Championships fall into which budget year. For example, the 2019 budget will include both the 2018 and 2019 Junior Worlds, since the former are in September and the latter in August. That, plus the bump to 10 weights and other scheduling abnormalities means a higher budget.

The good news is that USA Wrestling runs at a profit of around five percent of the total operating budget. That money is meant to be spent, but like anyone else you need some short-term savings for unexpected costs.

One example of a new cost was Safe Sport which provides monitoring and clearance services for a variety of USA Wrestling coaches, staff members and media.

Overall, the financial health of USA Wrestling looks to be the best its ever been. With Bruce Baumgartner re-elected to lead the organization and a slew of gold medals on the mat the future is bright for the red, white and blue.

Q: Andy Hrovat announced his retirement from the sport yesterday. What kind of impact do you think he has had on the sport?
-- Josh C.

Foley: All retirements deserve a congratulations and Andy has been exceptional in his service to the sport of wrestling. From collegiate athlete to Olympian, and collegiate assistant to international coach, he's done plenty for the sport and made those around him better.

Wishing Silent H and his family all the best in their next career, and no matter if he's no longer working in the sport he will always be one of us.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 10, 2018

Fri, 10 Aug 2018 05:02:39 +0000

Russian Nationals wrapped up last weekend and fans who watched the online stream were treated to some of the year's best freestyle wrestling. The tournament winners at eight of the ten weights will represent Russia at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, with wrestlers at 61 kilograms and 65 kilograms entering a tournament next month to decide the final two tickets.

Though Russian Nationals boasts incredible depth the starting Russian side wasn't as end-to-end impressive as we saw in 2015 or 2016. In fact, it's reminiscent of their 2017 squad which lost the team title to the United States by only a few points. Either the Russians or regressing or Team USA's growth is raising the bar higher than some Russians can reach.

I wrote last week about how much David Taylor has improved over the past year. He's stronger, more creative and just better all-around than anyone he's met all season. It should reassure American wrestling fans that when contrasting Taylor style, pace and ability with that of his Russian counterpart Dauren Kurugliev there is simply no positive comparison to draw for the Dagestani.

Overall, Kurugliev lacks any indicators that he could even reach a world final against Taylor, much less be competitive or hold any advantage. Maybe I drank some Taylor family juice mixes, but after watching Kurugliev struggle mightily to get past his finals opponent I fail to see how anyone could reasonably conclude that the Russians are sending a viable threat to Budapest. Maybe Hassan Yazdanicharati is Taylor's only real competition, but even there I'd back Taylor as the heavy favorite.

The Russian Nationals also gave us a peek at the 2018 version of a 97-kilogram Abdulrashid Sadualev. I discuss more below, but the two-time world champion and Olympic champion was a lesser version of the Russian Tank that rolled through Las Vegas and Rio.

There is still a lot of talent in the Russian lineup, the soft spots were glaring. At 74 kilograms an undersized, out-of-shape Zaurbek Sidakov limped onto the world team after a controversial call gave him the edge over longtime rival Khetik Tsabolov. Sidakov is a bronze medalist at best, but he's not matching the firepower of Jordan Burroughs -- and unless he draws him in the first two rounds, I'm doubtful the duo will match up because Burroughs is the best 74-kilogram wrestler in the world. No question.

There are other holes, too. Batyrbek Tsakulov has a win over Kyle Snyder's nemesis Aslanbek Alborov, but is slow and unimaginative on the mat. Heavyweight Anzor Hizriev once again won the starting spot for Russia but is incredibly average by Russian standards. Zaur Uguev is a better than average 57k-kilogram wrestler but failed to place in 2017 and there is no reason to think he'll cruise through the brackets in Budapest. He's a bronze medalist at best.

No question this is a softer-than-normal Russian lineup, but there are still five potential world champions, including Sadualev. Whoever comes out at 61 kilograms and 65 kilograms will be the automatic favorite to win Worlds and 79-kilogram starter Akhmed Gadzhimagamedov might be the most impressive wrestler in the world not named Taylor. At 70 kilograms it's impossible to conceive of Magomedrasul Gazimagamedov not making the finals.

Here is the full Russian lineup for the 2018 World Championships in Budapest:

57: Zaur Uguev
61: Rashidov/Idrisov
65: Bekbulatov/Chakaev
70: Magomedrasul Gazimagamedov
74: Zaurbek Sidakov
79: Akhmed Gadzhimagamedov
86: Dauren Kurugliev
92: Batyrbek Tsakulov
97: Abdulrashid Sadulaev
125: Anzor Hizriev

To your questions â€¦

Abdulrashid Sadulaev at the 2017 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: How did you think Abdulrashid Sadulaev looked at Russian Nationals? Last year he looked like he hadn't grown into 97 kilograms yet. Does he look bigger this year?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Sadualev cruised in the finals, beating Batciev with little issue. However, he looked tired and slow on the first day of competition. Why is unclear, but he might just be getting used to the weight, or his opponents felt that much worse on the second day than they did on the first day.

The growing pains we are seeing from Sadualev right now are the same we saw from David Taylor in 2016 and 2017. All the techniques are there, the conditioning seems to be in place, but there is a lack of sustained strength. Like with Taylor, his performance isn't a reflection of work ethic or talent as it is a body struggling to oxygenate and optimize new muscle tissue.

From my vantage point the biggest difference in Sadualev's growth pattern is that he doesn't seem to have the frame to be a fully actualized 97-kilogram wrestler. Whereas Taylor could hang muscles on his then-lanky frame, Sadulaev looks to be growing wider through the chest. That growth is fine, but he's not the same barrel-chested monster that you see with Kyle Snyder, and that might mean he's getting close to topping out on his size and strength.

We'll see how he looks in three months, but I think there is a chance he could be in deep water early in the tournament. Everyone wants to see the rematch, but there are hurdles.

Also, it's not too soon to remind fans that because Sadualev has not yet competed internationally at 97 kilograms in 2018 and he won't be seeded in the bracket. Like last year both he and Snyder are going to be added through the random draw. That won't happen in 2019, but with each missing the majority of ranking series events their placement will be left to chance.

Q: How do you think Pittsburgh will do as a host for the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships? I've never been to Pittsburgh, but plan on going to NCAAs next March.
-- Mike C.

Foley: My guess is that the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be the most enjoyable and well-run since the 2016 NCAA Championships in New York City. This is one of America's most passionate wrestling cities and with proximity to so many East Coast fans we are bound to see a passionate, sold-out arena.

Also, Pittsburgh is a very fun city for fans to enjoy. The restaurants and bars are welcoming, well-priced and there is a variety of cuisines to try. I'm not sure I'll make the trip, but given the distance (and my already packed schedule) there is a higher likelihood of me making the trek to Pittsburgh than to somewhere in the Midwest. I imagine a lot of East Coast wrestling fans are equally excited about the shorter commute.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Sadulaev v. Batciev

Kyle Snyder discusses pressure â€¦

Moments after Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) won Russian Nationals at 97kg, we asked reigning three-time 97kg world and Olympic champion @snyderman45 "what's it like knowing the targets on your back?" His response... #73DaysUntil #Budapest2018

A post shared by Olympic Wrestling (@unitedworldwrestling) on Aug 7, 2018 at 6:58am PDT

Artistic recap of the 2018 European Junior Championships

Q: It's been a while since you have had anything nice to write about Henry Cejudo. I am thinking Saturday's performance will inspire you give the champ his props.
-- Jacob R.

Foley: Henry Cejudo is incredibly talented, but he's always needed to work hard in order to have his talents shine. Missing weight as often as he did and backing out of fights (along with rumors of not working hard in practice) led to valid criticism.

Today Cejudo is focused and fighting with purpose. I suspect he'll vacate this belt and move up a weight class, but I think that will largely be determined by what the UFC decided to pay him for a bantamweight defense against Demetrious Johnson. It will be much more difficult for him to break into the featherweight ranks with a budding social media rivalry breaking out between Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw -- a fight that most fans want to see.

Cejudo can't rest on any of these his achievements. Fighters who lose the hunger to train and stay disciplined often end up canvassed. The challenge for Cejudo will be to create a new goal that he'll work every day to attain. At most Cejudo has a five-year window with which he can earn top dollar as an MMA fighter, and likely even less. That's not a lot of time, but if he shows up in future fights like he did last weekend he'll ensure himself of larger checks and even more cultural influence.

Q: Did Kyle Crutchmer and Logan Storley have amateur MMA fights before going pro? If not, what is your opinion on them jumping straight into the pros? In your opinion, who is the better MMA fighter: Storley or Crutchmer?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Logan Storley did not need time in the amateur ranks and based on his recent performance neither did Kyle Crutchmer.

I think that for non-athletes -- especially those who have never competed in combat sports -- a tour through the amateur ranks can help the adjustment period. For these guys they are accustomed to the hard work and are only developing new skills, not adopting to new training techniques or lifestyle as someone coming off the street.

Also, it's incredibly difficult to find fights for former collegiate wrestlers. Crutchmer has had this difficulty at the pro level, and even his latest opponent came in a whopping 15 pounds over, arguably to help negate the advantage of Crutchmer's wrestling. Finding fights at the amateur level, especially anything challenging, is near impossible for these wrestling elite graduating to MMA.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 3, 2018

Fri, 03 Aug 2018 05:15:04 +0000

USA Wrestling announced on Thursday that Helen Maroulis will face Alex Hedrick for her spot on the 2018 U.S. World Team on Oct. 6 at Grace Hall on the campus of Lehigh University. Maroulis has been recovering from a practice room injury and was granted time to recover, as stated in the USA Wrestling guidelines

Should she make the team, Maroulis will be looking to defend her world title for the fourth straight year having won the 2015 World Championships, 2016 Olympic Games and the 2017 World Championships (where she outscored her opponents 53-0). If she wins in Budapest she'll be the first American to win four straight world titles since John Smith pulled off that feat in 1990 winning his fourth world title at the world championships in Tokyo.

Kyle Snyder may pull off the same recognition. If the three-time defending world title holder does make it a fourth straight it'll likely come after besting rival Abdulrashid Sadualev. Though don't get too excited for Snyderlaev II, since the Russian Tank needs to first best teammate Batciev at the Russian Nationals this weekend.

Streams to that tournament are linked below.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Will there ever be a time when the World Championships are just for the best wrestlers and not just the qualifiers from countries? Imagine every country only being able to send one representative to Wimbledon.
-- @jagger712

Foley: The question of who to invite to the World Championships, or rather who qualifies, has been discussed since the Soviets were running through the competition in the 1970's. The thought then was that there were a number of nations who had top-level talent unable to make the team.

While the question has been around for a while, a lot of the discussion around implementation has disappeared, due in equal parts to: the breakup of the Soviet Union, success of the Olympic Games in spreading the sport to new nations, and the failure of any nation to qualify a wrestler for every spot in 2012 or 2016 Olympic Games. (Russia qualified all open spots in 2008.)

The breakup of the Soviet Union allowed for a number of new nations to enter the Olympic movement, including powerhouse wrestling nations like Azerbaijan and Georgia. But there were several more that came with the fall of communism and the breakup of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. Now the nations who were once backlogged had more options in terms of competing nations.

The Olympic Games at 7-7-4 and now at 6-6-6 has led to a tremendous growth in the number of active nations participating in the sport of wrestling. To understand the system, first imagine that you don't live in the United States (the richest nation in the history of the world) and instead lived in Macedonia. The only funding you receive in Macedonia comes through the government -- a government without a bunch of excess monies to distribute. The only way to get them to back wrestling is to have individuals succeed at the sport.

That dynamic can often feel like a Catch-22 (succeed and you get paid, but the only way to succeed is through funding) but in fact there are a lot of inexpensive options for tournament success for smaller nations through the continental development funds and Olympic Solidarity. Look at nations like Nigeria, Croatia, Brazil, and India to see how even a modicum of success at the World Championships can lead to a windfall of financial support for training, coaching and even stipends for housing and food. That model is adversely affected if Russia, Azerbaijan, and the United States close out the majority of the medals.

The final reason for no need to add spots per nation is that in the past two Olympic cycles no nation has qualified all 18 Olympic weight categories. While seeing a backlog of talent in the United States at 74 kilograms might have seemed like a pressing matter, it's part of the trade-off the United States makes for having access to top-level training and almost endless financial support. Yes, some potential medalists might stay home, but that doesn't outweigh the overall mission of the Olympic sports to bring nations together and grow the sport around the world.

As a tangential note to this inquiry it should be noted that world and continental championships are also moved around the world in order to help facilitate ease of travel for participating nations, and to allow for host nations to build their financial coffers in support of their programs. The money made at the tournament helps fund that nation's programs, which is instrumental in growing the sport in new areas. Also, that government officials -- who hold purse strings -- also get to watch the sport is an added bonus that sometimes helps jiggle loose funding in future years.

As for Wimbledon, that is a Grand Slam event not run by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) which is the equivalent of United World Wrestling for tennis. The Grand Slams each have their own unique qualifying procedures, though players do earn ATP points for their performances at the Grand Slams.

Q: Picks for Russian Nationals?
-- @kozakjon

Foley:
57: Zaur Uguev
61: (Rashidov in waiting)
65: Kuular (Bekbulatov in waiting)
74: Ketik Tsabalov
79: Magomed Gadzhimagamedov
86: Vladislav Valiev
97: Abdulrashid Sadulaev
125: Alan Khugaev

David Taylor wrestling Aleksander Gostiyev of Azerbaijan at the World Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Kyle Dake and David Taylor have had some nice international wins, but neither wrestler has competed at the World Championships. Wrestling fans are talking like they are locks to make the World finals. Don't you think American wrestling fans need to pump the breaks a little bit on Dake and Taylor?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Putting aside Kyle Dake for a moment, I think that it's an understatement to say that David Taylor has had "some nice international wins." He just decked four dudes in one weekend! At a top-level international tournament! He hasn't lost this year and has a 2017 win (via pin) over the 2016 Olympic champion at 74 kilograms.

David Taylor is arguably the hottest wrestler in the world right now. If you're a foreigner preparing for the World Championships where you might see David Taylor, what do you prepare for? What set of moves can you predict from your feet, from par terre, from a clinch that could possibly stop him? When facing Taylor a foreign wrestler has to be 100 percent effective at implementing their strategy for six minutes. There can't even be so much as a hesitation on a low single (cradled), laziness in defending a high gut wrench (leg and deep half), or a lack of energy (positional dominance). Any mistake and it's hasta lasagna.

I think there are some answers to beating Taylor, but right now I think that it'll take a while before the international wrestling community comes up with all the details necessary to knock him off his game.

Oh, and the other thing, Taylor adapts and morphs. He's got new stuff all the time. It might not be new-new, but I bet that if you watched his matches from Yarygin the thought occurred that you hadn't seen anyone hit THAT before in an international match. The guy is out there treating grown-ass Turkish men like they are sophomores from Brecksville stepping on the mat for the Ironman quarterfinals.

And Dake is equally terrifying, but for a whole different set of reasons. He's the strongest 79-kilogram wrestler in the world. Save the Yarygin finals where he looked a little tuckered out, he seems unwavering in his determination to capture a gold in Budapest. No matter how bad the loss was in January, you'd be a fool to bet against him in October. All the guy does is win big tournaments.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Kushti being taught to Indian youngsters

Russian Nationals promo

Russian Nationals streams

Q: Why are the World Championships so spread out for Cadet (July), Junior (September), U23 (November) and Senior (October)?
-- Mike C.

Foley: If for no other reason than the staff at United World Wrestling can remain happily married. I'm (kinda) kidding, but the scheduling is the toughest part since you have to ensure the resources of the host nation and the international federation are in place. Also, this allows for some of the 18-23 crowd to float through tournaments and gain as much access as possible to top-level competition.

Q: Thoughts on this American Wrestling League? Who scheduled their first event in August? Smart to push the event back until after the World Championships?
-- @EricOlanowski

Foley: Information has been difficult to come by, but the idea was to loop in with events in Iowa. The only problem is that the Iowa State Fair will likely be pulling fans to the other side of the state. Also, there is some issue with pulling wrestlers from other countries since almost none of them would be willing to travel so close to the World Championships.

Would be interesting to me if that effort was put towards hosting a grand finale for the Ranking Series. Big prize event with lots of media attention, kind of like what we see with Beat the Streets, but on an even more international scale. Athletes making real money while fans get a show on-par with what we've seen with the World finals and Final X.

Q: Daton Fix and Spencer Lee both going to wrestle at 125 pounds this fall? If so, how do you see that working out?
-- @german663

Foley: I suspect Daton Fix will wrestle 133 pounds with Nick Piccininni at 125 pounds.

Q: If Greg Kerkvliet does what everyone expects and signs with Penn State, what do you think Seth Nevills will do? Stay at Penn State? Sign elsewhere?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I have a blind spot for the transferring of athletes and their motivations. Was this move because he lost at the World Championships? Why is Penn State the frontrunner? And why would that then cause Nevills to transfer?

I'm guessing the answers are something like: kinda, Cael, and competition.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: July 27, 2018

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 05:06:19 +0000

The Yasar Dogu gets underway Friday in Istanbul with the entire United States World Team set to compete.

Though always a competitive tournament, the Yasar Dogu was only recently named a Ranking Series event, after South Africa announced in April that it was unable to host the event. With the last-minute change, the stream is being provided for free on Trackwrestling.com.

Due to the change, entry lists for the event have been difficult to find, but we do know of at least top-level matchups American fans will be excited to see: Jordan Burroughs vs. Frank Chamizo, Haji Aliyev vs. Logan Stieber and J'den Cox vs. Sharif Sharifov.

For Burroughs, a Chamizo rematch will be instructive on how they will compete against each other in Budapest. Burroughs' NYC Beat the Streets win was important, but did plenty of preparation, generous weight allowances and no other matches benefit Burroughs? We'll see. I tend to think it matters when they meet. On day one I could see it favoring Chamizo who wouldn't have cut as much weight.

That said, a second day finals matchup benefits Burroughs who tends to use the first match or two of the day to shake loose the competitive cobwebs and find his footing (literally in the case of BTS). I think that by the second day he'll have a real advantage over Chamizo.

Either way, it'll be fun wrestling to watch.

Ukraine, Turkey, and Azerbaijan are expected to show up with their starting world team lineups as is a questionable lineup from Iran.

Action starts Friday at 4 a.m. ET. You can see the full schedule here.

To your questionsâ€¦

Helen Maroulis before competing at Beat the Streets' "Rumble on the River" event (Photo/Juan Garcia)

Q: What's the status of Helen Maroulis? Has a wrestle-off date been set? Is there a chance she might be out for the World Championships?
-- Mike C.

Foley: From her social media, it looks like she's on the road to recovery. Injuries are tricky to report since the athlete reserves the right (as they should) to publish their own health information. Given what I'm hearing she has every plan to challenge for the spot, but I don't know that a date has been decided.

In my opinion anyone who bets against Helen is only playing themselves.

Anzor Boltukayev defeated multiple Olympic champs leading up to the Rio Games, including Jake Varner

Q: Leading up to the 2016 Olympics, there was a 10-12 month period from the 2015 World Championships to Rio where Anzor Boltukayev appeared to be the most ferocious 97-kilogram wrestler in the history of the weight class. In one calendar year he had victories over the following wrestlers: Kyle Snyder, Jake Varner (Snyder and Varner in the same tournament -- 2016 Yarygin), 2012 Olympic silver medalist Valerii Andriitsev, 2015 European silver medalist Elizbar Odikadze (Andriisev and Odikadze in the same tournament -- 2016 European Championships), and six-time world/Olympic champion Khadzhimurat Gatsalov at the 2016 Russian National Championships.

He gassed out in his first match in Rio and got knocked out of the tournament. Other than a world bronze in 2013 he hasn't done much on the world level. How do you explain someone like this exploding on to the scene and then seemingly dropping off the map just as fast? Injuries? Russian vitamins?
-- James R.

Foley: I remember it well. During Boltukayev's run I made a low-rent highlight film of him for UWW where he was helicoptering out of underhooks and massaging his beard and it combined for more than 500K views on Facebook and YouTube.

Boltukayev had all the trappings of a star wrestler: big frame, gnarly facial hair, and interesting backstory (Chechen Special Forces). Working against him was an issue of age and, as you saw, endurance.

His Olympic performance was justified by the Russian media as a case of food poisoning, but with the last-minute banning of Meldonium and the extra pre-Olympic tests of Russian athletes' rumors of the drug testing persisted. Who's to say?

However, that precipitous drop-off in attention was actually due to a real, positive drug test in April of 2017 for Higenamine, which is a Beta-2 Agonist. The ingestion was deemed accidental and Boltukayev completed his one-year suspension on April 5.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Link: WEEEEBZ Bringing the Truth

Chinese President Xi on hand for the opening of Senegal's newest wrestling stadium. Americans tend to express love for the military and want to see it in use, but in my opinion nothing can connect you faster to the people of a country and persuade outcomes better than a little humanitarian action. This isn't exactly humanitarian, but it'll continue to improve China's relationship with Africa and allow them preferential trade deals. Brilliant move.

Sport swap with Sofia Mattsson

Q: With Heath Eslinger resigning as Chattanooga's head wrestling coach, who do you see as potential candidates at UTC? Hearing any names?
-- Mike C.

Foley: No names have been circulated, but I think the level of commitment from the alumni and university dictate that the next coach will be a formidable hire. Any coach who chooses to go south will certainly be in the position

Q: I generally enjoy your view of the positives of freestyle wrestling relative to folkstyle. You recently posted a video of Zare vs. Kerkvliet, and mentioned that Zare looked like he is on pace to be a monster at 125 kilograms. I watched the match, and if he is an example of great freestyle wrestling, I can't see how you advocate for the pushout score as better than the scoring in folkstyle.

Zare won 7-4. By my count, Kerkvliet had nine legitimate takedown attempts, not including his flurry in the closing seconds. Zare had one, and I'm being really generous with that. All Zare did was grab an underhook or two, lock it tight, and drive. Without a doubt, the strategy worked, and that is something Kerkvliet will need to work on if he plans on competing in international freestyle.

Perhaps the biggest joke was Kerkvliet getting a passivity warning 34 seconds into the match, 12 seconds after he had taken the only real offensive attempt of the match and gotten in deep enough to grab Zare's leg. I'm told that passivity is often hard to call, but the refs have to make a call if there is no scoring. The benefit of the doubt is given to the wrestler who seems to control the mat by keeping his (or her) butt toward the middle of the mat. This is the only possible explanation I can see for calling passivity on the guy who was trying to score. In that case, then Zare worked the system perfectly. If you notice, after each stoppage he returned to the center of the mat so that Kervliet was outside the center circle. In that way, if they tied up and nothing more happened, Kerkvliet would always be called for being passive just because of the starting position. If the butt-to-the-middle criterion is actually used, then they should use the folkstyle start with one foot on each line, so the wrestlers start in equal position.

Bottom line, I don't see any way that changing the folkstyle rules to encourage that kind of wrestling will help grow the sport. Zare might turn into a sumo-style monster, but I'll watch a sport where they try to score takedowns. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts.
-- Mike D.

Foley: I think that Zare was in control of the match from start-to-finish. While he wasn't as offensive in terms of shooting he controlled the match and chased Kerkvliet around the edge of the circle. In my experience, the referees like to see the wrestler who is working the edge to commit to tie-ups and good shots. The diving shots don't motivate many referees unless it's followed up with an attempt to engage.

Overall there are a few points to keep in mind when watching the match again (as I just did to make sure I understood fully what you meant). The Iranians are famous for underhooks and position and make it a centerpiece of their strategy. In that way it's not too dissimilar from the Iowa-style of wrestling we are used to seeing at the collegiate level -- heavy pressure leads to mistakes, stall calls or poor positioning. With only a handful of clearances on the edge by Kerkvliet (including a takedown) the tempo was dominated by Zare.

Note also that it is illegal to "push" an opponent out of bounds. Points can only be given as the result of a wrestling action. There are admittedly few calls for shoving, but the rule does exist.

Kerkvliet was pushed around a lot, but I don't agree that it was Zare's fault. Taken from the Iranian perspective the American just failed to engage and instead hung from an overhook for much of the second period. Improved hand fighting and clearing ties would've meant more opportunities for Kerkvliet to score from distance, or in transitioning out of positions like the underhook.

Last point, but sumo is legit. I can't overstate how strong, flexible and athletic those men are. It defies reason.

Q: Aside from Gable Steveson, who do you see as the best heavyweight prospect under the age of 20? Seems like there are a lot of talented young heavyweights like Greg Kerkvliet, Cohlton Schultz, Seth Nevills, Anthony Cassioppi and Mason Paris.
-- Mike C.

Foley: The best NCAA prospect: Greg Kerkvliet. The best international prospect: Mason Paris. The best sumo prospect: Seth Nevills.

No prediction will land, but I do feel this might be the best generation of heavyweights we've ever seen in the United States. A few weeks ago I wrote that an increase in competitions and visibility may have helped earn these wrestlers more acclaim than some of their predecessors. I still think that it's true, but after watching some of the matches from Fargo and the Cadet World Championships I think that we are seeing something special.

Where do they all land? Unclear. I think that Gable and Co. will swap NCAA trophies with each other but also begin to assert real dominance on the international stage between 2020 and 2028. I'll go one step further and lay 2-1 odds that an American wins the Olympic gold medal at heavyweight in 2024 or 2028.

Fact of the Week
By @GiantBallofOil

The Big Ten scooped the top four spots at 125 pounds and 184 pounds this year. That's only happened four times over the last twenty years (all Big Ten), and two were this year! 2018-125 2018-184 2017-165 2002-285. Big Ten wrestling is the best and still getting better.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: July 20, 2018

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 06:33:03 +0000

Kyle Snyder launched his signature "Caliga" shoe this week, offering to sign the first 2016 pairs of the shoe for fans.

Reaction to the shoes (and Snyder as a brand ambassador) seemed to be positive as RUDIS' website seemed to crash in response to the demand.

The release reminded me of Jordan Burroughs' first pair of gold-colored boots and the interest his brand created within the wrestling community. However, there are some notable and sharp differences between his 2013 release and Snyder's 2018 release. Notably in just five years online purchasing has moved from desktops to mobile and become much easier, safer and convenient. That means more clicks when well-targeted promotional and marketing efforts reach fans.

While Snyder is no doubt blowing out his servers, it's interesting to think what Burroughs would have been able to accomplish on his first release should there have been more reliable online purchasing methods and marketing. We will never know, but it's reassuring that the wrestling community has enough breadth and is interested in enough talent to support more than one pair of signature shoe.

All the best to Snyder in his newest endeavor.

To your questions â€¦

Sarah Hildebrandt after winning the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Do you think Sarah Hildebrandt could earn a medal at this year's World Championships?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Oh, absolutely. She's currently the top-ranked woman in the world with only the Poland Open left to compete. That will be in September, but as it stands she has a four-point lead over Yu Miyahara who did not make the team for Japan. Instead that will be Haruna Okuno, who coincidentally beat Hildebrandt in a tight 7-6 match at the Women's World Cup in March.

Okuno will be prepared, but it's worth noting that, were her progression a chart, Hildebrandt would be in the middle of her hockey stick phase -- improvement is visible each time she steps on the mat to compete. She has an intensity and confidence that was missing in previous years that I think will continue to grow over the next few months as she prepares for Budapest.

Hildebrandt has some losses, notably to Erdenechimeg (Mongolia), but I think that having faced her style she can adapt and avoid the over-under situations and poor shot selection that cost her points in their match at the World Cup. With an ever-improving women's program she'll find ways to improve and I fully expect her to earn a medal and would go so far as to predict she makes the finals.

Q: Where do you stand with the new headgear? Feels like early football helmets.
-- @ShogunOfSonoma

Foley: I commend those responsible for creating the headgear as I'm certain it's doing what they think is best for the sport. However, the widespread adoption of the headgear will only increase the use of the head in competition and drive away parents based on price and the image that the sport is one in which competitors use their head as a battering device.

The best way to limit head-to-head contact is to enforce head-slapping penalties and automatically disqualify anything that resembles an intentional head butt. Padding will only worsen the existing problems.

Q: With Daton Fix back on the Junior World Team, do you like Team USA's chances to repeat?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I love Daton's chances to repeat, but I think Team USA is facing a tough time against the Iranians and Russians. Over the last month Iran has been absolutely destroying the competition at the Cadet and Junior levels and I suspect we will see them continue that trend at Junior Worlds. Also, I'm hearing that the Georgians are going to bring a knockout squad to Slovakia.

Team USA has a bucket load of studs, but I'll need to see how they compete in Brazil before assigning them a percentage chance for repeat gold.

Q: Is high crotch an outdated term? With new families into the sport and the continued growth of women's wrestling, is it an awkward term? "Checking the oil" faded away. I always felt like Hi-C was for wrist-flicking coaches who didn't tie their shoes. Head outside and head inside.
-- @r12video

Foley: We can all agree that "checking the oil" is best left on the roadside of history. Definitely no need to bring that terminology back into the sport.

Hi-crotch really isn't that problematic, but I agree that "head inside" and "head outside" are much better descriptors, if not only for the athletes who are being directed on what to attempt. A few years ago I watched a top-ranked high school program go through practice and was shocked by how effectively they named positions, transitions, and holds. Whereas I grew up with basic names, the coaches used names that related to the athletes. I'm struggling to find an example of what was relevant (and being used) at that time, but imagine someone using a Fortnite or Pokemon reference today and you get the point.

Coaching club and high school athletes is about relating to them and understanding how they learn. Overall, I think that our generation's nomenclature will simply be replaced by the terms of today and we won't need to regulate any speech, or feel that it was problematic.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Haruna Okuno

Daton Fix's 2017 Junior World final

Team USA (Gilman almost cracking a smile!)

The preparation for the 2018 World Championships has officially begun. Team ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¸ is looking ï¿½'ï¿½ðŸ»

A post shared by David Taylor (@magicman_psu) on Jul 19, 2018 at 1:04pm PDT

Burroughs responds to Snyder's truck pull video

A little resistance training this morning. The grind don't stop. Your move @snyderman45 @adam_coooon

A post shared by Jordan Burroughs (@alliseeisgold) on Jul 15, 2018 at 11:28am PDT

Q: When is the media going to pull its head(s) out of their collective butts and figure out how to do interviews? Too many times during post-tournament win interviews, the interview takes place in earshot of the gym and often times the interview is overpowered by either the crowd or the on-site PA announcer. Many times the person conducting the interview fails to assure that the question being asked is picked up by the mic. This same thing happens at press conferences where the host fails to provide mics to the media member asking questions. We want to promote the sport, but we fail in the simplest of things.
-- Jefferson T.

Foley: As I'm sure you know, we The Fake News Media will never stop being enemies of the state, so good luck stopping our conspiracy to ruin the post-match interview!

Kidding.

Post-match interviews are almost always going on during the tournament and it's often difficult to manage the in-house audio with that of the video production. The highest-level events have staff members who ensure that cooperation and orchestration is done well, but for most events there simply aren't enough paid bodies to ensure that level of quality control.

I don't know which tournament you're referring to, but for some post-match interviews I know that there could be a small upgrade in equipment that would better isolate the audio. I'll keep an eye (and ear) out for these mistakes at the UWW events, too.

Q: If you could go back to when you started wrestling and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be? This question was inspired by a video I saw recently on social media.
-- Mike C.

Foley: Very fun video and I love that Joe is on board with GroWrestling. Wish him the best of luck with the site.

As for a piece of advice, I'd spend more offseason time on the mats in a bid to develop a love and appreciation for the chess-like aspects of the sport. There is a lot to learn and there was more I should have done in the early years to develop as an athlete. I was young so to have that perspective would've been a major leg up on the competition and I think would have also led to more fulfillment on and off the mat.

Maybe secondary, but I'd also encourage myself to not cut weight. Just grow, train hard and wrestle wherever I landed in the lineup. Wrestling careers are too short to spend most of that time on the bike or in the sauna.

Q: It sounds like Mike Duroe was an outstanding man who was loved by many. Did you get to know him on a personal level? If so, any stories you can share about Mike Duroe?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I didn't know Coach Duroe, but as I'm sure you've read he was well-respected by much of the wrestling community and played an integral role in developing the college wrestling landscape in Iowa the past 30 years. One thing I found attractive about Coach Duroe was his coaching style seemed to value a commitment to the athlete first and that translated to less unbridled anger when matside.

InterMat's Craig Sesker wrote a great tribute ... and I think FloWrestling did a nice job with a series of video interviews with Coach Duroe and those who wanted to celebrate his life.

Q: I find it curious that there has been ZERO mention on Flo about the lawsuit/sex abuse allegations by Ohio State wrestlers. It's a wrestling story.
-- Matt Z.

Foley: At the moment, I don't see a ton of upside for them getting involved in commenting on the case. They run a pretty vibrant streaming business that includes a lot of Midwestern eyeballs. While I think it's ludicrous that anyone at Ohio State didn't know about Dr. Strauss at the time, I also think it'll be difficult to know who disregarded their responsibilities at the time by not acting on first-hand complaints.

That said, I don't care for many of the actors in the storyline and broadly it's another terrible headline for wrestling, a sport that has already suffered through the murder of Dave Schultz and the pedophilia of Speaker Denny Hastert.

On a more positive note USA Wrestling has been an early and fierce adopter of Safe Sport, which will lead to wrestling seeing far fewer of these types of predators on the mats.

Dingbat of the Week

Cal Poly recruit makes slur on video, school pulls scholarship https://t.co/Nd7J3tPLwO pic.twitter.com/brSXQMkEGU
ï¿½" InterMat (@InterMat) July 19, 2018

Wrestling needs positive ambassadors. This kid isn't one. Nobody to blame but himself (and maybe his father). Looking into this story please note there are a few other articles in the Modesto Bee related to his behavior and/or falling out with current figures of authority. Dismiss and ignore this type of wrestler. Too many in our community want what is best for each other and aren't filled with this type of hatred and stupidity.

COOL TRIVIA

... or sisters ...

1985, 1987 - Tony & Nick Purler
2002 - Trent & Travis Paulson
2010 - Mindy & Chrissy Chow
2013, 2014 - Regina & Marina Doi#Fargo2018
ï¿½" Jason Bryant ðŸŽ™ (@jasonmbryant) July 19, 2018

Foley's Friday Mailbag: July 13, 2018

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 05:05:33 +0000

The U.S. Marine Corps Junior and Cadet National Championships, known colloquially by the name of its longtime host city, Fargo, gets underway Saturday with Cadet freestylers taking the mat at 9 a.m. The event, which has included wrestlers from 50 states and lasts seven days could see as many as 3,500 total entries, with 1,000 signed up for Cadet freestyle and another 1,200 signed up for Junior freestyle.

Numbers aside, Fargo is a great proving ground for many of the nation's wrestlers who otherwise have limited opportunity to compete against more established powerhouse athletes. This reach means that upsetting top-ranked competitors isn't just a measure of personal pride, it's also a way to accelerate scholarship opportunities, or even just link up with fellow wrestlers who can provide more insight on training opportunities, camps and overseas trips.

The networking and potential scholarship money driven out of the Fargo experience has kept the tournament relevant for several decades, but in a media-driven world the tournament can also provide (and help create) long-term media exposure for the stars of tomorrow. For example, while fans may have to rely on photos and grainy footage of Logan Stieber competing at the Fargodome, it's now possible for future megawatt all-stars to have the full extent of their amateur and professional journey captured by camera. Just look at video of Hayden Hidlay and Zahid Valencia meeting in the Fargo finals in 2013.

As discussed in this space before, media attention has its own drawbacks, but for a sport that often fails to excite those outside its closed ranks extending storylines lends storytelling among a larger variety of media outlets. From documentaries, to simple photo essays and interviews the access to the athletes from an earlier age, and in one location, can improve the visibility of the athlete and sport.

Yet, there is one complication to wider distribution: location.

Fargo is synonymous with the wrestling experience in America, but maybe a change of cities could pump up more interest? USA Wrestling would not willingly move to a more populous or well-trafficked city for the abstract idea of more butts in the seat, but if they could strike the same deal, get more entries and lower the transportation costs for member states it might be appealing. No matter how media beneficial, a move of venues is unlikely, and at the very least a threat of moving could be continued leverage to keep terms amendable.

As of now, the system isn't broken (entries are growing), but when looking forward 5-10 years placing the nation's most attended tournament in a more centralized and visible location could create more revenue and eyeballs. The only way to protect ourselves is to keep focused on growth and capturing more attention.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Are you surprised Nico Megaludis left Penn State to train? What do you suspect contributed to the decision?
-- Mike C.

Foley: According to his interview with Pittsburgh Sports, it was a combination of professional, personal and wrestling. Megaludis has his business in Pittsburgh, has a close relationship with his father and family, and wanted to make a change in training environments. In the article he seems to be describing a situation in which he could get more attention at Pitt and also live a more balanced lifestyle. That's a mature outlook, and probably a necessary one in a sport that can take everything away from you with one ill-timed injury, or bad performance.

Also, there is the issue of an emergent Nahshon Garrett â€¦

Nahshon Garrett (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: I was super impressed with Nahshon Garrett at Final X. Obviously, the world stage is completely different. Do you think Garrett has a chance to medal in Budapest?
-- Mike C.

Foley: More than anything else Garrett needs some overseas matches and training camps. While he runs a risk (low in my estimation) of being scouted, he will learn to both tighten up his scrambles and more effectively choose his scoring opportunities. The actual skillset won't improve much over the next 12 weeks, but with proper training and exposure his tactics and mat intelligence can skyrocket.

I think 61 kilograms is one of the more competitive weight classes in the world and though there are winnable matches I have trouble predicting Garrett would outperform Beka Lomtadze (Georgia), Ghazimurad Rashidov (Russia) or Vladimir Dubov (Bulgaria) and whichever Japanese wrestler shows up in Budapest. Possible, but less than 50 percent likely.

Q: Final X. Any improvements you'd make?
-- @ShogunofSonoma

Foley: New cities, tighter schedule (as possible), and maybe a TV broadcast. Each has their upside, but overall I think that USA Wrestling and Flo did a great job with the new format.

Q: Who was the most impressive Cadet freestyle wrestler across all countries at the World Championships? Did you see any future superstars?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The Japanese women's team. Good grief, the level of talent throughout their program is phenomenal. The Iranian men's freestyle and Greco-Roman team also performed well in winning their titles but nothing as dominant as Japan taking home six of 10 gold medals in women's wrestling. If I had to guess, your next superstar would be in that group of Japanese women.

However, Amir Zare (Iran), who beat Greg Kerkvliet, is on pace to be a monster at 125 kilograms come Paris 2024, or maybe sooner.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Cadet Word Championships at 110 kg: Amir Zare (Iran) vs. Greg Kerkvliet (USA)

It's entertaining, and Cormier will get PAID.

Q: Who wins: Brock or Cormier?
-- Joe E.

Foley: First, let us recognize that Daniel Cormier is an undefeated two-division UFC champion. His "losses" to Jon Jones were both erased after Jones was found to have been on steroids. Like someone on Twitter wrote, you don't think less of Carl Lewis because he lost to a 'roided Ben Johnson at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

Daniel Cormier is the greatest fighter to have ever stepped in the Octagon. He's faced all opponents and come away with two belts. What else could he do?

As for Brock, I know that he is very much limited in his skill set when compared to Cormier, but you can't discount his size. Cormier was OK coming up against Stipe Miocic, but Brock has a type of strength that could give Cormier real issues in cage positioning. Also, he'll need to expend a tremendous amount of energy for any takedown efforts.

I still think Cormier wins by KO, but for that to happen Brock still needs to face his fiercest opponent yet: WADA.

Q: What is the current state of UWW officiating?
-- @smcfee1961

Foley: In total there are something like 3,000 officials with United World Wrestling licenses. The vast majority of these referees never attend an international tournament as they have yet to rank high enough internally, or with UWW, to take the mats.

Those who do are typically rated 1 or 1s, which is the highest of the ratings given to the referees. In fact, referees must be 1s to be considered for the Olympic Games. Recently a lot of work has been put into the grassroots education of referees with introductory courses being launched around the world, including India, China and North Korea.

That development and the movement of the referee oversight away from the political arm of the organization has already shown a lot of positive outcomes. There seems to be new blood in the mix, fewer of whom feel as beholden to their national federations. Exceptions occur, but in large part the on-the-mat calls have seemed fair in 2018.

There are A LOT of matches in wrestling. The Cadet World Championships alone had close to 800 matches. There will be mistakes, oversights and bad referees, but it shouldn't distract from the larger intention to clean up the body and make it a dependable unit come Budapest and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo,.

Q: What do you think of Sarah Hirshland becoming the new CEO of the USOC?
-- Kevin M.

Foley: While news of Sarah Hirshland's hire will focus on her becoming the first woman to be the permanent CEO of the USOC, the focus will shift quickly to the work she has in front of her, including a gymnastics body under siege and an Olympic Games in 2028.

Hirshland comes from the United States Golf Association where she was the chief commercial officer in charge of global rights, communications and a number of other high-level departments and interests. Prior to serving at the USGA Hirshland was at the Wasserman Agency in LA where she worked with Olympic kingmaker and NBC-connect Casey Wasserman -- an association that no doubt aided her campaign for the USOC's top job.

The next 18-24 months will be crucial for Hirshland and the USOC. Preparation for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo will include red-hot media attention on the gymnastics and swimming federations -- each dealing with controversies far outside their normal level. How she leads the organization through this period and what steps she takes to prevent future crisis situations will indicate the strength of the USOC and the Olympic movement at-large.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: July 6, 2018

Fri, 06 Jul 2018 05:37:36 +0000

The Cadet World Championships are underway in Zagreb, Croatia, and many of the United States' top 15-17-year-old talent made the journey to represent the Stars and Stripes.

The early results have been promising, with Team USA carrying home a runner-up team finish in freestyle, while women's wrestling has at least one champion with four more competing for gold on Friday.

Iran, the team champions in freestyle, won their first team title in 22 years. That's not a fluke. While the United States has poured money into freestyle development, Iran had been lacking a well-organized national development approach. Then, in 2016 Rasoul Khadem left his post as the head of the freestyle team and took up the job of federation president. One of his first actions was developing a meritocracy among the youth -- the better you performed and more you performed the more opportunities you were given.

Khadem's approach has ruffled more than a few feathers back in Iran (look at this year's senior World Team Trials for evidence of frustrations), but overall the system seems to be working. Investment in the youth has led to somewhat immediate returns.

The same could be said for USA Wrestling and the attention paid to the early development of the men's freestyle team. Brandon Slay, Bill Zadick and now Kevin Jackson have been instrumental in developing the young talent in the United States and getting them ready for the world stage. The job is much more than showing techniques, and typically requires a mind for scheduling and partnering up Cadet and Junior-level wrestlers with the right training opportunities and overall career development.

While the women's program is performing well, there is still work to be done. The interaction between USA Wrestling and the women's college programs needs further development. The youth wrestlers will need more direction and career orientation to make sure they are capitalizing on every available opportunity. To be sure, there is already the mechanisms in place, but additional or new staff would help motivate some of the college-level programs to buy in to the national system and get Terry Steiner more quality athletes competing at all levels.

If the United States women's team's goal is to surpass Japan on the mats, then it's necessary to have leadership to provide end-to-end developmental protocol for the program. With Japan sure to keep improving, there may not be a more challenging, or rewarding, job in all of wrestling than being the grassroots architect of that effort.

To your questions â€¦

Jim Jordan was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2014 (Photo/Larry Slater)

Q: You won't want to answer this, but explain to me the situation with Jim Jordan at Ohio State. Who are the former wrestlers accusing him? Why him and not the head coach?
-- @german663

Foley: The story is still unfolding, but for an overview of the incident and recent accusation readers can lean on here and this for context.

The congressman is not being accused of sexual misconduct, but of falling short in not reporting the abuse of athletes by Dr. Strauss, or worse, covering up the matter.

What makes the story compelling is two-fold.

First, the recent scandal at USA Gymnastics and the known predatory behavior of Dr. Strauss lends at least situational credibility to the idea that a coach at a major university may have known something about abuse and not reported it to the proper authorities. Generally, the idea of an institutional coverup is not a foreign concept, nor as we've recently learned, is it unlikely in these types of cases.

The second is that Rep. Jordan is seeking to become the House Speaker for the remainder of the 2018-2019 congress. That campaign (a painful game of DC-insider baseball) was never given much promise of success, but these accusations make it much less likely that rank-and-file would want to attach themselves to the congressman's campaign when there is little to gain outside of the power-brokering in DC.

There is enough for anyone to report, but where the story gets into twists and turns is in the accusations themselves, which as of now have been mostly anonymous. Unlike the Nassar case where hundreds of young women stepped forward with detailed accusations, the Strauss cases have not been as detailed or robust. Many of the victims are reported to be male and are now in their 40's and 50's -- assuming the accusations are true there is much lower rate of reporting by men of this category.

The main wild card is that the accusations are being led by Michael DiSabato, who has a long and at times confrontational relationship with the wrestling community and the Jordan family.

I don't wish to adjudicate the validity of the claims from my office desk, because I don't have all the facts and I think there is context which makes this case dangerous for anyone picking sides. The case of Denny Hastert -- fairly or unfairly -- looms over this case. The former Speaker was found to have molested young boys while a wrestling coach in Illinois in the 1970's and then paid off families of the accusers well into the aughties. The payoffs are what got him but were it not for that fraud investigation (pulling $9,900 out of the bank every two weeks is suspicious) there is almost no chance anyone would have believed the accusers.

That includes me. I interned for the Speaker for two years while in college and though I had limited interactions with him from my front office position, there was a sense that he was one of the good guys in DC. He was well-respected for candor and honesty, all the while holding on to his secret past as pedophile and rapist.

As for why not Russ Hellickson, I can only guess the motives, but certainly as I already covered, Rep. Jordan is a high-profile individual looking to become the third-most powerful person in the United States, making his involvement more relevant to the larger audience. Still, I can't speak to the individual motivations of those making the accusations.

Let's see how this plays out, but for certain these claims have seemed to sink Jordan's hopes for attaining the Speakership in 2018.

All good everyone. Fight is a go!!! That speaker came out of nowhere. (I don't know what's going on with this shirt lol) #andnew #doublechamp #ufc226

A post shared by Daniel "DC" Cormier (@dc_mma) on Jul 5, 2018 at 6:26pm PDT

Q: How do you see Daniel Cormier winning on Saturday night against Stipe Miocic?
-- Will D.

Foley: First, it's INSANE to me that Cormier is 2-1 'dog. Makes no sense to discount his championships that much simply because he's facing a slightly larger human. Good value in that line.

While Cormier is giving up an 8-inch reach advantage, he has a few notable competitive advantages on Miocic that I think will give him the edge: endurance, experience, transitional wrestling, and ground control.

Further, he's also a sizable guy himself who has fought and won at heavyweight, notably wining the Strikeforce Heavyweight GP which included Fedor. No telling what he will weigh the day of the fight, but I'm guessing he tips in at 235 pounds, which is probably 30 pounds lighter than Miocic. That's some chunk, but it's marginal in terms of percentage when comparing to guys who bump up from 155 to 170.

Q: Johny Hendricks, Rashad Evans and Josh Koscheck all retired in the same week. Did any of their retirement announcements surprise you?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The only surprise was the rapid-fire timing. They are likely all in casting calls for studio positions with ESPN for their upcoming five-year UFC deal. Evans is the clear front-runner as he already does a lot of in-studio work and is well-liked/knowledgeable, but it's possible that these other guys could land in good spots on either Bellator, UFC or even ONE Championship coverage.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Olympic champion Soslan Romanov reappeared in international competition this week at the Tblisi Grand Prix, losing in the finals 3-2 to defending 65-kilogram world champion Zurabi Iakobishvili (Georgia).

Watch. This. Reshot.

World champion Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI's (GEO) go-ahead takedown to steal the #TbilisiGP2018 ðŸ¥‡ from Olympic champion Soslan RAMONOV (RUS). pic.twitter.com/25FgDEqOXC
ï¿½" United World Wrestling (@wrestling) July 5, 2018

Love this match.

World champion Shilson!

Cadet World Champion at 43kg Shilson (USA) ðŸ¥‡ . . . #uww #unitedworldwrestling #wrestling #womenswrestling #cadets

A post shared by Olympic Wrestling (@unitedworldwrestling) on Jul 5, 2018 at 9:56am PDT

Q: I heard Chael Sonnen on a recent podcast mention that USA Wrestling implemented a rule in 1993 that wrestlers cannot compete on the U.S. World Team in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. He wasn't sure if the rule had changed. Do you know? Had Adam Coon beaten Nick Gwiazdowski, could he have wrestled both freestyle and Greco in Budapest?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Chael Sonnen is entertaining, but the man almost never has his facts straight. Yes, Coon could have competed in both styles. No, that was never a hard-and-fast rule.

Q: What do you think about Lander University naming R.C. LaHaye as head wrestling coach? Exciting times in South Carolina.
-- @hillcrestwrst

Foley: Expansion at the smaller divisions has been a boon to programs in the South, including South Carolina. Hiring a successful coach that meets the needs of your program is always the goal and from what I'm reading the state's wrestling population, and other stakeholders, seem to feel they've found the best fit for their program. Very exciting indeed!

GEOGRAPHICAL POINT OF CONTENTION
By Jim F.

I enjoyed reading your reflections on Chinese cities Taiyung and Xhinzhou, and how wrestling is part of the culture. Having wrestled in the Lehigh Valley many moons ago, I can really appreciate that (although the LV comes up short on the statue front).

A minor but-personal point of contention: You note that Xhinzhou is the epicenter of Chinese wrestling, kind of like Easton, Pennsylvania, being the epicenter of U.S. wrestling.

Although Easton historically has had a very powerful high school wrestling team, the epicenter of wrestling is just west on Rt 22: Bethlehem. In addition to very good high school teams (at least back in the day), Bethlehem has Lehigh University, with its renowned program, training center and summer camps. And for added fun, Bethlehem and Lehigh host the National Prep Wrestling Championships every single year.

Enjoy your China trip, and safe travels!

SPECIAL SHOUT OUT

InterMat owner/editor Andrew Hipps is getting wedded this weekend! There are a lot of platitudes thrown out about kindness, but Andrew is the nicest guy I've ever met in the sport. He's Minnesota nice. Andrew works hard, loves wrestling and is dedicated to improving both InterMat and those who work on the site. He's a great friend and will make for a caring and present husband. Congrats, Andrew!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 29, 2018

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 06:00:53 +0000

The U.S. women's wrestling team before competing against Japan at Beat the Streets in LA (Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

"Nostalgia is denial, denial of the painful present." -- Midnight in Paris, 2011

Really? All the things going on this week with Mejia, Iowa recruits, and awesome Final X matches, yet half of the posts are about women's events as if anyone cares. I don't even watch the events live on Flo anymore because their matches are intolerable. They shouldn't even be allowed in the sport to begin with, let alone sports in general because it doesn't build anything moderately useful for their practical future. Ever since Title IX was passed, men have been getting screwed (especially wrestling programs). The arts suffer because there are no woman to promote them and society continues its epic descent. Art builds grace, beauty, confidence, and precision in women. Sport only turns them to brutish amazonians. Please, I am begging, respect what these men are doing. Respect their craft, their skill, their athletic prowess. Promoting women only leads to less ladies while depriving good men of the honor they deserve and the support they rightfully need.

This comment, posted by anonymous mailbag commenter "Mustang98" in response to a discussion of the Whitney Conder vs. Victoria Anthony matchup at Final X, drew immediate and sharp criticism by the wrestling community. The comment section of this column was filled with a mixture of debate and dismissal, while men and women on Twitter lambasted the poster for his more regressive thoughts on gender, including this gem by Jason Bryant.

If you're the "fan" wrote this, and you follow me on Twitter, please do me and the rest of the sport of wrestling a favor and unfollow me. #DarkAges via @trfoley's @InterMat mailbaghttps://t.co/CPY3DswsAv pic.twitter.com/Sp1Yrjuorb
ï¿½" Jason Bryant ðŸŽ™ (@jasonmbryant) June 22, 2018

While giving additional airtime to his ideas seems counterproductive, I was struck by something that wasn't mentioned. Mustang98's comments are no longer considered regressive, they stand as a representation of a re-emergent thought that women should, quite literally, stay in the home, barefoot and pregnant.

Mustang98 isn't just a faux-intellectual. He's the type of impressionable guy who strolls out of a Western walking bowlegged. He's a disciple, a blind follower of any orthodoxy that makes him feel an inch taller in the morning. With Ayn Rand's ideologies proven false, Mustang98 and millions of others have found a new sociopolitical ideologue to follow in lock-step: Jordan Peterson.

If you don't know much about Jordan Peterson, he's a professor who found internet acclaim after launching a fight against "runaway liberal thought" and "PC-culture" from his college campus in Canada. Like with all modern media, the more provocative he became the more famous he became and eventually, because everything is about money, he wrote a self-help book called "12 Rules for Life." It's now an international best seller.

Mustang98 is doing an adequate imitation of Peterson, biting off the controversial author not only in the content of his thoughts but in shared syntax and smug hand-wringing about the dangers of liberal's attempts at social engineering. If this comment section was your first run-in with this line of thought, it can be jarring. But once you hear the words and the Artful Dodger-type begging for "logic" you can't miss the jargon of victimization at the hands of women and modernity.

Commenters like Mustang98 and others are swarming to embrace the regressive culture of gender rights because they are intimidated by the fact women are given equal opportunity to succeed. Now, with women doing well in sports and on-the-job -- often where the men have tried and failed -- they feel forced to blame something, or someone.

Mustang98 (and his ilk) believe that the personal and professional failures of men are due to an unnatural and politically motivated ascension of women in roles outside the home. (And apparently their lack of access to dance halls? Have you ever been to a Zumba class?)

Fierce! Cuba's Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ posing shortly after winning a bronze medal last week at the Ivan Yarygin in Krasnoyarsk. Yudari spent a moment doing her hair before the medal ceremony while also threatening aloud the organizers should she not be paid. Needless to say, she got her money! . . . #cuba #wrestlers #wrestlerlife #wrestlelikeagirl #portrait #portraitphotography #portraits #portraiture #stopandsnap #eyecontact

A post shared by Tim Foley (@tr.foley) on Jan 31, 2018 at 4:18am PST

The complaints of the affected male athlete have been mushrooming for the past forty years. Even as women life-boated the sport in 2013, some men blamed Title IX. Why? As one female wrestler recently told me she felt that the discrimination women have felt in wrestling is largely due to men losing the gender-specificity of the pursuit. The justification for failures in the classroom, or personal life, could always be padded with a single-sex athletic experience like wrestling, rugby, or football. A barrier to entry was enough to support a weak ego.

Now, with women achieving in sports where has-beens and never-weres are losing their unearned dominion, men are acting like toddlers being told to share their toy. With balding gender-warrior Stephen Miller (who once joined a women's track meet mid-race to prove he was faster) in the White House the new masculine mantra of "No Girls Allowed" might as well be scribbled in crayon on the $1 bill beneath "In God We Trust."

Mustang98's comment is so oafish that any number of takes have, and were, jotted down in the comments, on Twitter and in text messages. So, for the sake of brevity and clarity, I wanted to take the most backward of Mustang98's comments and provide the reader transparency and texture.

The arts suffer because there are no woman to promote them and society continues its epic descent. Art builds grace, beauty, confidence, and precision in women. Sport only turns them to brutish amazonians.

That "the arts suffer because there are no woman (sic) to promote them" is an unsubstantiated claim. Was I not aware that there a fewer operas or dance recitals? What is true is that there are a historic number of female-led shows on television, female-produced films in Hollywood and the highest-grossing musician in the world is BeyoncÃ© (whose name auto-corrects in Microsoft Word, unlike "Mustang98").

And what about the lack of promotion for the arts (by women) leading to society's "epic descent." By what metric? The president paying off a porn star is the fault of, who, Julia Roberts (?) for choosing to have an acting career? Connecting the dots here is an act of madness.

I'm guessing that the "Art builds grace, beauty, confidence, and precision in women" was meant to read "THE Arts â€¦" which would make the sentence true! But sadly, for Mustang98, "the arts" builds those characteristics in both men and women. Too bad he didn't take enough art classes to be "precise" with his words.

No rant is over until you slip in a cultural or racial slur, and Mustang98 was mindful of his audience and added that "Sport only turns them to brutish amazonians (sic)." Imprecise racial smears notwithstanding, I'm guessing our bold and scrupulous commenter was trying to equate women who have dedicated 20-plus years to the craft of wrestling to nothing more than some type of jungle-dwelling half-humans swinging from vines. Of course, that depiction (and verbiage) has no reflection of people of the Amazon who are intelligent, diverse and creative. Also, ironically, many early humans are known for the egalitarian nature of their male-female hierarchies. Seems relevant.

But let's put that all aside and focus on the most destructive, regressive, oppressive and half-witted idea of this troglodyte manifesto.

Please, I am begging, respect what these men are doing. Respect their craft, their skill, their athletic prowess. Promoting women only leads to less ladies while depriving good men of the honor they deserve and the support they rightfully need.

This idea is known as "enforced celibacy," known colloquially as incels, who are a group or men who are unable to find romantic relationships and think enforced monogamy and the retrenchment of traditional gender roles will increase their likelihood of their having sex with women. By their logic, through their male sex society we will see a reduction in angst and hormonal, which would make men less violent and more productive members of society. By Mustang98's logic: Men = Good and Women = Bad (unless servicing males). To "deprive" men of "honor" is to deprive them of the sex and recognition they "rightfully need."

While Mustang98 is off base it's important to remain hopeful about the next generation of men. Progress is never secured on the first iteration of an idea. The march of men pining for nostalgia will go on, but soon enough it will be in silence, canceled out by the hushing sounds of fellow men who want to watch, enjoy the spectacle and love nothing more than watching these "Amazonian" women display their strength, beauty, grace and precision. A society growing and maturing together.

Helen Maroulis executes a foot sweep in the finals of the World Championships in Paris (Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

To Mustang98 and anyone else yelling at their computer screens because women are strong, intelligent and powerful: Take a breath. Go on a walk. Read a novel. Allow some seed of joy to take root in your heart. And if you don't want to do that, use your rational brain to conclude that for all the peacocking done by these repressed beta males, Adeline Gray would stuff you in a mailbox; Victoria Anthony would ankle pick you into a sewer; and Helen Maroulis would foot sweep you through the floor.

I'm not answering questions this week, but I'll be back next week to cover post-Fourth of July hangovers and what could be the best-ever women's (and men's) national teams.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 22, 2018

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 05:35:56 +0000

I'm in China this week covering the 2018 China Open, a Ranking Series event for women's wrestling held in Taiyung, Shanxi. If the name sounds familiar, the city hosted the 2012 Last Chance Olympic Qualifier.

This is my third time in Taiyung, a major city in the middle of the Shanxi province. Somewhat like Pittsburgh, the city is the economic heart of eastern China's coal country. Not surprisingly the area is also one of the nation's hotbed for wrestling.

Just down the road from Taiyung is Xhinzhou, a much more modestly sized city of 1-2 million where I've been on a few occasions to cover traditional wrestling. That city, maybe best equitable to Easton, is the pinpoint center of wrestling in the region, and the nation. There are large metal statues of wrestlers outside department stores and entire buildings dedicated to the education and practice of very traditional forms of wrestling, known broadly as shuijiao.

I find the parallels fascinating. The pride a region takes in their sport, no matter it's level of national or international importance. Wrestling is important here because, like Pittsburgh or Iowa, it's part of a shared past -- the backdrop to the ever-shifting plotlines within our daily lives. As a visitor there is comfort here because I can recognize in our hosts the same determination and passion for the sport we see at home.

Wrestling is everywhere and yet in each place it's both deeply personal but relatable. Like a dance that's traveled the globe, wrestling is always open to local interpretation and values, but no matter how different the steps may seem at first the basics are always the same.

To your questions â€¦

Q: I just saw that Iowa heavyweight Sam Stoll was injured in what's being called an accidental shooting, being shot in the knee. The information is very limited. Can you shed any light on what's going on?
-- Jeremy T.

Foley: Oy. Stoll got shot in the leg at 4 a.m. on a Sunday and according to the police it was not by his own hand. I knew a coach who loved to say that nothing good ever happens after 2 a.m., and though I disagreed with him at the time, after reading this story I've grown into full agreement.

Wishing Stoll a speedy recovery.

Daton Fix and Thomas Gilman had a staredown before meeting at Final X (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: What do you make a Final X emulating the UFC with regard to weigh-ins, staredowns, interviews, etc. Will this serve to increase interest?
-- Robert G.

Foley: Yes. There is always the idea that an interaction of any sort prior to the actual match will cause discussion and prompt an increase in viewership. The staredown is a touch off-putting for me, but I can see how that might serve to build some drama.

The interesting follow-up to this question is: Where does promotion go from here? I think USA Wrestling and FloWrestling have so far done a wonderful job of promoting the events, but I too wonder what would work better than the UFC model?

Certainly, getting the fans into a discussion about who is better is vital, but maybe we should look at this through the lens of fan participation. Why don't we do more to involve fans in every event? Lacrosse, soccer and rugby almost always have fan experiences before, during and after the events. Would something attached to the event, like say a concert or takedown tournament with simple rules possibly generate some more interest?

Who knows, but I do see that we are on the right track with recent events. I think that what was borrowed from UFC and MMA was mostly productive and certainly generated adequate buzz and ticket sales.

Whitney Conder defeated Victoria Anthony to win the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: It seems like Whitney Conder is overlooked. I have seen so many people picking Victoria Anthony to beat her Saturday at Final X. Conder has not only had a strong year, but handled Anthony at the U.S. Open. Am I crazy to think Conder wins in two?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Having won their last matchup, Whitney Conder will come into Final X as the modest favorite. I agree that it's easy to overlook Conder, but with the 2-kilogram increase in weights she has a noticeable size advantage. The fact that she also has to cut a little less weight has to be a compounding positive impact on her performance, too,

Anthony is always a danger to score from an inside trip or arm spin, but those are techniques that are less effective the more you compete and train with an opponent. To win, Anthony will need to utilize solid leg attacks and limit her tendency to give up points in bunches.

Worldwide, 50 kilograms is one of the most stacked with talent. Whoever comes out will need to train smart for the next several months and take a few international trips to familiarize themselves with the younger 50-kilogram crowd.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Inside look at the first-ever women's wrestling development camp that happened this March in Japan

Highlight film for the China Open Training Camp

Q: Thoughts on Little Rock's coaching hire of Neil Erisman? Now that the hire has been made, what other big names were you hearing as candidates?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The Little Rock program is very intriguing. Its development, along with that of Presbyterian, will provide test case material for the expansion of wrestling in the South, and the viability of women's wrestling at the NCAA level.

There were a few top assistants pondering the position, but it feels weird for me to point out who didn't get the job.

Q: With the new two-day weigh-in format for UWW, do the wrestlers that got a bye to the Greco World Team Trials have to weigh in on both days even though they aren't wrestling on the first day?
-- Jeff S.

Foley: Yes, wrestlers who are sitting out into the finals are required to weigh in on both days of the competition. The same was done for freestyle.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 15, 2018

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 06:22:43 +0000

The next of the Final X series lands in State College tomorrow with a headlining matchup between teammates Joey McKenna and Logan Stieber.

Familiarity breeds contempt, but with these two there seems to be nothing but mutual respect. Does that mean McKenna is ceding the spot without struggle? No. That's what you'd see in India when wrestlers have to face off against Sushil Kumar. McKenna will bring it. Will he win? I'm doubtful, but anything is possible when teammates collide, including a whole hell of a lot of nothing.

I'll stay out of the Kyle Dake vs. Zahid Valencia breakdown as I whiffed hard on his chances at the World Team Trials. Still, color me impressed if Valencia gets past a motivated Dake.

My predictions â€¦

Freestyle:
65 kilograms: Logan Stieber over Joey McKenna, 2 matches to 1
79 kilograms: Kyle Dake over Zahid Valencia, 2 matches to 1
86 kilograms: David Taylor over Nick Reenan, 2 matches to 0

Women's wrestling:
62 kilograms: Mallory Velte over Kayla Miracle, 2 matches to 1
72 kilograms: Erin Clodgo over Rachel Watters, 2 matches to 1
76 kilograms: Adeline Gray over Korinahe Bullock, 2 matches to 0

To your questions â€¦

Q: Thoughts on the new NCAA transfer rule? And did you see the new ad from USA Wrestling about "once a wrestler, always a wrestler?" The premise is great, certainly hit home, but curious about self-mocking with headgear and singlet. Isn't that what we're fighting against from others?
-- @Tony_Rotundo

Foley: The NCAA is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The entire system is broken. I don't want to applaud the NCAA for allowing its athletes free movement of unpaid athletes. That just encourages bad behavior. Is allowing these kids the ability to speak to other coaches after they make their intentions known really all that impressive?

As for the promotion of wrestling via singlets and headgear? That would likely fall with staying inside the norms as much as possible when appealing to the masses. The slick two-piece getup we saw posted via Nike with Alex Dieringer and the little girl wrestler made an impact on me. I think the advertisement was a more attractive way to showcase wrestling, but for now it'll be a one-off and not the standard bearer.

Kyle Dake (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Who's the most infuriating wrestler for team USA in a talent vs. what they do with it standpoint? Why is it Kyle Dake?
-- @halfagain

Foley: That's a fair criticism of 2017 Kyle Dake, but in watching him compete at the Ivan Yarygin and the World Cup I have to disagree. I recognize that Dake may not be a high scorer, but he has (given an exception here or there) generated a lot more offense the past six months than he did in the previous three years on the circuit.

One reason might be the rules, or the aggression of his opponents. I tend to think it's because Dake is finally starting to get the international experience he'd missed due to injury. The opponents he faces are pulling out of him more offense, and creative defense, then his typical carousel of local challengers.

Dake is rising to the challenge and if we know anything about him it's that as the stakes increase he is more apt to perform and deliver.

Q: Do any Iranian footballers playing in Russia have a connection to the sport of wrestling?
-- @ChAsedGod_

Foley: Wonderful query. I really don't know. What I can tell you is that the last time I was in Iran I had a few fun conversations about what soccer's rise in popularity would mean to the nation's traditional wrestling homes (zoorkhaneh).

The opinion of my local friends tended towards support and enjoyment of the nation's success on the global stage, but some hesitation about what it might mean for their future on the mat. Wrestling, especially in the more rural communities, provides an attachment to each other and religion, as the in-house training is centered around prayer.

Daton Fix (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: I heard Daton Fix is wrestling off for the Junior World Team spot. Assuming he does (and makes the team), do you expect him to win another world title? And can USA can repeat as team champions in freestyle at the Junior World Championships?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I think Daton Fix will win the Junior World Championships. Team USA has a shot at repeating, but Georgia and Russia are both scheduled to bring monster lineups to the Junior Worlds and U23's.

Q: Are U23's picking up traction (i.e. importance) globally?
@willieatflo

Foley: That all depends on how we want to measure traction and weight those indicators against other indicators. It might be that the best measure of the tournament's traction is the number of national federations willing to spend money to send their athletes to the championships. A quick look shows that there is major engagement and sizable numbers:

2017 Euro U23 Championships: 370 athletes
2018 U23 World Championships: 383 athletes

2016 Junior World Championships: 506 athletes
2017 U23 World Championships: 575 participants

Overall, I think that the European and World numbers show that organizers are able to host at a profit and national federations are willing to fund trips -- likely because they can convert any winnings into financial support from their National Olympic Committee (ie. USOC).

Growth to other regions hasn't been successful. Africa was scheduled to host this year but found a lack of interest. That outcome wasn't a total shock but the disappointment provides some bookend to how far the U23 movement has traveled.

As a note, the Americas were also toying with the idea of a U23, but was shelved it until after 2020 as they have Olympic qualification and the 2019 Pan American Games which requires the full attention (and funding) of most the smaller national federations.

Q: Like wrestling, amateur MMA has a world championship. Do you ever think we will see amateur MMA in the Olympics?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: No. Amateur MMA and pankration will never be in the Olympics. While the promotions are thriving, there is little to no appetite from national federations to create the organizational infrastructure to support another combat sport. Additionally, the IOC has been explicit about their preference in keeping MMA out of the Olympic Games and without their approval (nay, nudging) very few new sports get added to the Olympics.

Given the brutality of the sport and difficulty in creating a healthy, competitive single tournament, I'd agree that the sport just isn't conducive to being modeled as an Olympic sport.

Q: Has there ever been a run of top-level heavyweights like we are seeing right now? Between Gable Steveson, Daniel "Greg" Kerkvliet, Cohlton Schultz, Seth Nevills, and Braxton Amos to name a few. Looks like our upperweights will be stacked. Who do you think has the highest ceiling?
-- @jferg24

Foley: Probably. I think the increased media attention and visibility of the physicality and athleticism of these wrestlers lends to increased hero worship. Also, because there are more national and international tournaments each year for these guys to seek out, which adds ribbons to their bedroom wall and ink to their accomplishment lists. The best heavyweights also have a chance to prove themselves at the international stage with the return of the Cadet World Championships.

Prediction of the Week
By Keith F.

OK, here we go. I am going to call for an upset. I've been so impressed over the course of Zahid Valencia's career as he has gone from a best in the nation 106-pounder to a best in the nation 174-pounder (higher in high school). His offense is that of a smaller, more active wrestler and I think he is going to force Kyle Dake into inactivity. Dake is most effective against passive wrestlers, but less so against really high output guys â€¦ I think that's going to happen. I'm reaching, but I'm taking Zahid in 3. In the third match, I really believe Dake will tighten at the thought of coming so close, but not making the team.

Zahid is a future Olympic champion at 86 kilograms. Sorry, David Taylor.

We'll see how it plays out.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 8, 2018

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 05:24:54 +0000

The first of three Final X events goes down Saturday night in Lincoln, Neb. Headlining the evening is four-time world champion and 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs in a best-of-three series against Isaiah Martinez at 74 kilograms. That's a new opponent for JB, but few expect a different outcome.

While the hometown and national press will follow along as Burroughs tussles toward another U.S. World Team, there are a number of other compelling matchups, namely Nebraska's James Green vs. Jason Chamberlain at 70 kilograms and Daton Fix vs. Thomas Gilman at 57 kilograms.

For fans the Fix vs. Gilman matchup is made by their opposing collegiate loyalties and personality differences. But for fans of the international scene it's an important battle that could forecast Team USA's ability to defend their team gold in 2018 and help determine a trajectory for Tokyo 2020.

Gilman, who earned silver at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, is the highest lightweight placewinner since Henry Cejudo in 2008. Before that Sammie Henson took bronze at 55 kilograms and Mike Zadick took silver at 60 kilograms in 2006. That's a solid finish, but after a pair of losses at the World Cup in Iowa City the Gilman style might be exposed to the international community, which could affect future outcomes.

At 57 kilograms that matters. For those who've been tuning into the early season freestyle action across the world, there is a definitive dearth of talent at the lightest freestyle weight class. The world's top talent has either gone up a weight class in response to same day weigh-ins, or simply aged out. That leaves a talent vacuum that the USA -- with a proven track record of same day weigh-ins -- could capitalize upon with their new lightweight talent.

That's not to say nobody remains. Yuki Takahashi of Japan is worthy of praise, but the separation between Takahashi and Fix/Gilman isn't as great as say the separation the USA felt in 2016 when Dan Dennis represented the USA and Vladimer Khinchegashvili won the gold for Georgia.

To that point, Olympic bronze medalists Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan) and Hassan Rahimi (Iran) have both since vacated the weight and were replaced in 2017 by bronze medalists Andrey Yatsenko (Ukraine) and Bekhbayar Erdenebatyn (Mongolia). Both are talented, but nowhere near the talent pool of 2016 and before.

So it's the opportunity for world gold that really makes the Fix/Gilman match special. Who wins there has a higher chance of placing in Budapest than all but Snyder, Burroughs and Green. The winner will be in the driver's seat leading into the 2018 World Championships and set the trajectory heading into Tokyo 2020.

To your questions â€¦

Adam Coon will attempt to make the World Team in both freestyle and Greco-Roman (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: So Adam Coon is wrestling at the Greco World Team Trials in Oklahoma then has to turn around and wrestle in the Final X in Pennsylvania the next night. This seems like a tall task. I love it when wrestlers go ironman. How much will this travel and competition hinder Coon in his match with Nick Gwiazdowski?
-- Robert W.

Foley: Yeesh. It's a short flight, but anytime you are asked to compete two days in a row there would be an expectation that performance would be impacted. Coon is about the most self-confident competitor in the nation and I'm sure Coach Bormet has him primed for the challenge, but you have to expect that time spent traveling to and from airports and jamming into seats made for men half your size will affect the big man's energy level.

Unless Coon's flying private, in which case he's Bruce Wayne and totally fine to pull back-to-back matches for a spot on the national team.

Q: Now that the U23 freestyle team is set, rank the medal chances from most likely to least likely.
-- Mike C.

Foley:
61 kilograms: Vitali Arujau
92 kilograms: Michael Macchiavello
70 kilograms: Hayden Hidlay
86 kilograms: Myles Martin
97 kilograms: Kollin Moore
65 kilograms: Mitchell McKee
57 kilograms: Jack Mueller
74 kilograms: Alex Smythe
79 kilograms: David McFadden
125 kilograms: Youssif Hemida

I really can't tell how they'll fair overall until I see who else is competing at the U23 World Championships. However, remember that we are still several months away from this tournament and these guys are only going to improve in that time, with most traveling to Colorado Springs and other RTC's for selective training. They'll also have some collegiate training to keep them warm.

Q: What is stopping more Division I guys from going Greco?
-- R.M.

Foley: More than 90 percent of current NCAA wrestlers don't train any Greco-Roman throughout the season. It's too far removed from folkstyle, which is where most American wrestlers choose to focus their time and efforts.

For guys to get good at Greco-Roman takes more than just self-determination, too. Training partners, coaching staff and a budget to train with other top-level athletes would also need to be in place should any college athlete want to make the move to Greco. That structure is part of the reason Northern Michigan has a Greco-only program and that USA Wrestling is working hard to get the best Greco prospects tracked from an earlier age.

Q: Do you expect Yoel Romero to get revenge this weekend against Robert Whittaker? Or is Whittaker just a bad matchup for him? Romero is 41 years old, so I'm not sure how many more years he has left.
-- Mike C.

Yoel Romero

Foley: Expect revenge? No. Wishing Yoel wins? Yes

I think Yoel has the opportunity to put Whittaker away early, but that largely comes down to his game plan and willingness to execute. Yoel tends to put people away in the third round. They're exhausted and battered, while he's still peaking. But with Whittaker it won't be as easy since the Kiwi showed a willingness to go the final ten minutes full hearted -- something that affected Yoel's output as much as physical conditioning.

No matter the outcome I will always love Yoel. Incredible wrestler and he did the world a favor when he smacked down wackadoodledoo Tim Kennedy.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Romero vs. Kennedy

Q: What are your thoughts on the growth of wrestling in South Carolina since we found out this week Lander University is adding a men's Division II team and Presbyterian College with the first Division I women's wrestling team added this past year? There were only two in 1998 when I graduated from high school. Now we have seven.
-- @hillcrestwrst

Foley: More wrestling opportunities in South Carolina is wonderful. Good luck to those schools and future wrestlers.

That said, a word of caution ...

While the growth is encouraging we should all recognize that wrestling didn't suddenly become one of the fastest growing sports for Division II, III, NAIA and the community college circuit by the force of the sport's merits. In large part the growth has been driven by enrollment-based schools who offer the sport as an incentive for attendance. With the government ensuring loans for any student looking to attend college, the risk to the college is minimal. In essence the colleges are enticing students to attend, get paid up front and then leave students to carry the debt. Student loan debt in American is now larger than credit card debt.

I don't have an objection to wrestling being part of that model, but we need to look at the issues of student loans and ask ourselves what is and is not the right path forward for our youngsters.

Q: RUDIS keeps teasing their soon-to-be-released shoes on social media. It's exciting to see a new company in the wrestling shoe market. I know Kyle Snyder will have his own shoe. Do you think Isaiah Martinez will too?
-- Mike C.

We Are Coming. The Snyder Caliga. pic.twitter.com/zgSDRRZBK2
ï¿½" RUDIS (@the_rudis) June 6, 2018

Foley: Designing and producing one shoe (from scratch) is probably enough of a financial risk for RUDIS. Imar represents the brand's desire to work with wrestlers they trust who have a good brand to sell. I think we'll see T-shirts and the rest with some Imar branding, but mostly he'll just be a RUDIS-sponsored wrestler who reps the brand's major gear, maybe even Kyle Snyder's shoe.

Q: How are college volunteer assistants paid and what is the pay range for the job?
-- @jlstock_james

Foley: Volunteer assistants are in an interesting spot. As the name implies the school can't pay for their services, so they are usually paid a salary by the adjoining club. For the upper echelon of NCAA programs the volunteer assistant gig could mean $80,000 with the expectation that you are full-time employee who also runs the local club practices.

Most volunteer coaches make far less than $80,000, with many not expected to work a full 40-hour week for the program. They might get extra income from camps, be in school, or even use tuition remission to offset the lack of pay. Overall, not a great source of income, but for young coaches its often the place they need to start if they ever want to take over a program.

As a reference point to the massive pay disparities in the sport, the first assistant coaching job I took was as a second assistant making $14,000 a year (plus housing). I know of one assistant coach in 2018 who makes more than $150,000 a year. That's the most dramatic example possible, but does help illustrate the pay gap.

Overall, most assistant coaches are paid between $40,000 and $70,000 depending on experience, location and the school's funding. For long-term assistants at places like Michigan, Iowa and Virginia Tech you could assume they are making north of $100,000 (including camps, etc.). For a new assistant at a smaller cap school that number will be much more modest.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 1, 2018

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 05:39:05 +0000

The 2018 FIFA World Cup starts in two weeks and for the first time since 1986 the United States won't be in the mix. Think of it like watching the U.S. side during the Greco-Roman medal rounds at the World Championships!

Easy â€¦ I'm teasing.

The final game of the FIFA World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world. In 2014 the finals from Rio de Janeiro garnered more than 1 billion views, with a total of 3 billion having watched some or part of the month-long event. Maybe the USA won't be competing, but with more than half the world still tuning into watch there are reasons to watch beyond nationalism.

For instance, it's worth pondering how this sport took over the globe so quickly. There are a lot of answers in the book "How Soccer Explains the World" but a few main reasons are obvious to almost any observer. The sport brings in a large number of people for play, with 22 players on the field at once. Soccer can also be played by people of any height, weight, speed or athletic ability. Men and women have equal access to play. Small kids can play from as young as four years old and yet there are still competitive leagues for men in their 60's and 70's.

Overall, the sport is accessible, builds good cardio and requires a nice mixture of athleticism and gamesmanship. Being accessible is a massive part of the equation as fans are more likely to watch a sport that they can play and play a sport that they can watch.

Wrestling's lesson should be to create a form of the sport that is free and open to more people. One that can be simple and fun for youngsters, but also doable for those who are no longer in peak physical shape. Wrestling as a productive play tool, not just a form of combat.

How to do that is trickier. I have my ideas but will save them for a future article. For now we should all get our creative juices flowing and ask ourselves how we might be able to transform and adapt the sport of wrestling so that it can be enjoyed by more people around the world.

Don't know who to root for? Try this quiz â€¦

Want to engage in the fandamodium? Play the FIFA World Cup Bracket Challenge.

To your questions â€¦

Hayden Hidlay moments before wrestling in the U.S. Open finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Hayden Hidlay is entered in the U23 World Team Trials this weekend. I was impressed with what he did on the senior level this spring. Is he good enough to win a world title this year at the U23 World Championships? That's assuming he make the team. He still has to get by the likes of Ryan Deakin, Matt Kolodzik and others at 70 kilograms.
-- Mike C.

Foley: The U23 World Championships is probably the second toughest tournament of the entire international calendar. Most every nation's second tier wrestlers are just about 18-23 years old and the high side of that bracket tend to be the top contender for their national team. That means this tournament will be filled with hammers. Stuffed.

Hidlay has a good style for competing at the international level. He's strong, makes very few mistakes and is disciplined in his scrambles. Where he might run into trouble is in defending the higher-level attacks and scoring opportunities of the Eastern European wrestlers. I think it takes time to find the right reaction to their exposure creating moves and without an immediate adaptation to a lot of new positions it's tough for wrestlers from the Americas to limit being scored upon.

I'm excited to see how Hidlay wrestles at the U23 World Team Trials and really anxious to see how Team USA competes at the U23 World Championships in November.

Q: With Mark Cody taking the helm at Presbyterian College, I couldn't find anything on how many scholarships men's and women's wrestling will be allotted. The school announced that the football program will move to non-scholarship in the next few years. Any idea how many scholarships each program will have and is this where they are coming from?
-- Frank C.

Foley: Hard to say where the money is coming from as I don't have access to the internal documents and nothing was stated online. The fact the football team is doing away with scholarships though would indicate that they are reallocating to other programs.

From what I've been told the programs will be fully funded with 9.9 scholarships.

Q: Do you think the Russian and/or Iranian freestyle national teams could field 10-man teams that would be competitive with Penn State, Ohio State and the other top teams wrestling folkstyle at next year's NCAA tournament?

Assume they have between now and March of 2019 to get ready and access to quality coaching with NCAA limits on practice time. I know they'd be dynamite on their feet, but could they get off bottom/get any points on top? Is one year enough time to deal with funk and all the back exposure they have spent a life time avoiding?
-- Bryan R.

Foley: Interesting question. I think that we have a few reference points, mainly the Mongolians that came through American and The Citadel in the late aughties. Guys like Sanjaa and Turtogtokh had little on the mat experience prior to their collegiate stints. (Turtogtokh wrestled two years in high school.) While both showed more overall skill on their feet, they definitely lacked the aggression in working from bottom.

The biggest difference wouldn't be the skill in escaping from bottom, but the divide in why you would even try to escape from bottom. In freestyle it's not just that par terre defense is different, it's that at its core you're meant to stay flat. In folkstyle the rules attempt to create urgency. After 15 years of no urgency, it can be tough to get a foreign wrestler to work from bottom.

Bottom is only half the issue. While freestyle rewards techniques and risk taking, folkstyle rewards control. Throwing someone to their back with a headlock is always four or five points in freestyle, whereas in folkstyle there is a risk of rolling through and giving up two points. That's just one example, but it's vital to keep in mind when adjusting for the amount of scoring possible out of a Russian or Iranian athlete.

Overall, I think both could have top ten teams in year one and top five in year two. They are pulling from a much larger field of athletes and would give a lot of individuals who haven't wrestled overseas the type of looks that could spell trouble at the national tournament.

Q: After Nick Reenan qualified for Final X, he was asked about facing David Taylor. He mentioned that his main focus is NCAAs next year. I found that a bit odd. I would have thought making the World Team and representing Team USA would have been his primary focus. Do you find it odd that he's more focused on the NCAA season after making it to Final X?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Yikes! When I clicked to watch (link below) I thought the answer was going to be a folksy reply about wanting to help his team, a la Kyle Snyder, but Reenan kinda doubles down. Either he doesn't think he can win, or he just really doesn't want to be bothered by switching training for a few months before heading into the NCAA season.

I'm guessing that there is just a lot of excitement for him right now. Beating opponents who'd beaten him at the U.S. Open, and wrestling really well in all his matches. It's believable that he would just want to jump into the NCAA season as soon as possible and convert this energy to wins for the Wolfpack. To each his own, but I think he should stay confident and focused on the freestyle side of things since he is now on the U.S. National Team and is entitled to training camps, overseas travel and an incredible set of wrestling partners and coaches.

You always have to ask yourself, "What would Kyle Snyder do?"

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Nicky Reenan Interview

Wrestler Madi Mpho speaks with UN Commission on human rights!

Link: MatChat with Mike Powell

Q: Are you hearing anything about Little Rock's head coaching search?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I have heard big names! Don't want to drop them here since I haven't been able to check the status of the interviews, but from what I hear it's attracting a good number of candidates who are optimistic about the area and about the idea of building something 100 percent in their image.

Q: A lot of wrestlers have transitioned from college wrestling into successful MMA careers, wrestlers such as Logan Storley, Daniel Cormier, and T.J. Dillashaw. Why do college wrestlers have such success at MMA? Lastly, who do you see as the next five college wrestlers to transition into MMA and be successful?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Wrestlers are successful in MMA for a number of reasons, but the primary reason is the ability to control where the fight goes, knowledge on how to prepare for combat sports, and training histories that allow them a higher starting point than those coming from boxing, jiu-jitsu or other martial arts.

The next five â€¦ What do you guys think? I haven't heard of many seniors who've made it known that they are going to compete.

Q: If we were to have a U.S. Open in folkstyle open to all wrestlers all of ages with a $1 million prize to each winner, who do you think would win in each weight class assuming the current NCAA weight classes?

Assume everyone qualified to enter has to actually enter/is healthy enough to compete in a five- round seeded tournament, including coaches/active competitors who might not otherwise do so (e.g. Cael Sanderson, Donny Pritzlaff, Jordan Burroughs, etc.).

I'm not asking who would win their prime. I'm asking who do you think would win a U.S. Open in folkstyle today?
-- Bryan R.

If there was a U.S. Open in folkstyle, would Tony Ramos win the title at 133 pounds? (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: Ahh, in folkstyle that could be a lot trickier. Assuming all the conditions you made are met, while still accounting for an increase in age, here are my predictions:

125: Jesse Delgado
133: Tony Ramos
141: Logan Stieber
149: Zain Retherford
157: Jason Nolf
165: Jordan Burroughs
174: Kyle Dake
184: David Taylor
197: Cael Sanderson
285: Kyle Snyder

Q: I'm going on vacation with my wife next week and looking for a good, thought-provoking book to read. Any books you can recommend that will get me thinking differently?
-- Mike C.

Foley: My wife doesn't think it's possible to read two books at once, but I'm currently attempting it defy her expectations. For non-fiction I'm reading "Bad Blood" â€¦ the story of health care startup Theranos and the incredible lengths of deception CEO Elizabeth Holmes' went to grow the company. For fiction I'm trying to break through "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara. From what I can tell it's going to be complicated, big and, apparently, pretty sad.

I've had someone recommend "Breathe" to me recently, which a book roughly around surfing. A lot of readers into surfing swear by William Finnegan's autobiography "Barbarian Days."

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 25, 2018

Fri, 25 May 2018 05:12:53 +0000

The wrestling world lost a major figure Wednesday with the passing of French wrestler Daniel Robin.

The only double Olympic silver medalist, Robin placed in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. He later coached, helped run the French Federation and then began involvement as a technical delegate for FILA and later United World Wrestling.

He was the competition manager at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where he was also inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Robin has a number of accomplishments, but in getting to know him over the past few years it was his passion for the sport and its development that seemed to resonate with his coworkers. Being 74 years old and working around wrestling was certain to be tough on Robin, but he was full of life and went wire-to-wire with the young crew.

Like many of you, I've found a few laughs (and possibly frustration) with wrestling's "dinosaurs of the mat" â€¦ but it's always important to remember how much they've served the interest of the sport in the past 40, 50 or 60 years. Continuity of tradition relies on figures like Robin and with his passing the sport mourns the loss of some of those untold stories and traditions.

Link: Daniel Robin Obituary

To your questions â€¦

Isaiah Martinez dominated at the U.S. Open and World Team Trials (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Q: Isaiah Martinez dominated at both the U.S. Open and World Team Trials. Now it's a big step up in class when he faces Jordan Burroughs at Final X. Do you think Imar vs. JB could be competitive at Final X?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Jordan Burroughs just beat Frank Chamizo, and while I think that Imar is a contender, he's facing a major uphill battle in taking on arguably the greatest freestyle wrestler in American history. I hope for tough, competitive matches and for Imar to show the brilliance we've all come to know from his NCAA days.

One positive note is that Imar will have national team funding and be headed on a variety on international trips in 2018, including the World Championships. That type of exposure will mature his game quickly and give him a better representation of where he stands against the best talent in the world.

Q: In two years, a 29-year-old David Taylor and 23-year-old Zahid Valencia could be on a collision course for the 86-kilogram Olympic spot. Will the age difference hurt David, and do you see Zahid potentially taking that spot?
-- @RickMathern

Foley: Man, you guys really smell blood in the water, huh?!

I'm hesitant to get involved with anything Zahid-related after my total whiff on his outlook at the World Team Trials. Guy is a star and within a year or two there is every reason to think he can challenge for the 86-kilogram crown.

Is 29 old? It might be older than the mean for all wrestlers who medaled in freestyle at the Olympic Games (27), but for bigger guys the shelf life seems to be extended. Maybe there are fewer challenges, or there is less twisting and turning to wear down the body? I don't know. Either way, I believe that David Taylor is ready now and will be ready for Zahid in 2020.

But will Zahid be ready? Probably. Which makes this a compelling matchup.

Q: Lots of stoppages this past weekend at the World Team Trials and many complaints that refs were too involved. Do you see that internationally or is that an American ref problem?
-- @alliseeis_

Foley: Though any tournament will have a variety of officiating there did seem to be an uptick in the number of people who noticed the stoppages. There are a few reasons this might be the case.

First, some officials are less experienced with freestyle and are calling the locked fingers with some gusto, along with finding other match-stopping opportunities to warn for passive wrestling. I tend to think this plays a center roll in the complaints lodged by fans this weekend.

However, another reason might be new freestyle fans (or those making the transition from NCAA) who simply aren't familiar with seeing any referee stoppages. Contrast a high-level folkstyle match with the best officials with a massive freestyle tournament with a variety of levels and you are certain to get a difference.

The third reason is that the American wrestlers might themselves have been earning a portion of the stoppages with "negative wrestling" which is now often called when one wrestler is seen as blocking action. The best example is locking fingers in freestyle and keeping your elbows in during Greco tie-ups.

The international scene has also seen an overall uptick in stoppages, but as wrestlers realize interlocking fingers and other match-stalling techniques will result in penalties, there will likely be less.

Q: Frank Molinaro was pretty upset after his World Team Trials final match against Jason Chamberlain. Frank was upset that Jason was just blocking and wasn't creating action at the end of the second period. Does freestyle have a penalty outside the shot clock for under 30 seconds in a match? Should they?
-- @Michaeltendolle

Foley: Negative wrestling should be called as caution and one point.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Sarah Hildebrandt interview

Final X matchups

My picks in bold â€¦

Lincoln, Neb., June 9
57 kg: Thomas Gilman vs. Daton Fix
70 kg: James Green vs. Jason Chamberlain
74 kg: Jordan Burroughs vs. Isaiah Martinez
97 kg: Kyle Snyder vs. Kyven Gadson
55 kg: Becka Leathers vs. Jacarra Winchester
59 kg: Alli Ragan vs. Jenna Burkert
68 kg: Tamyra Stock vs. Randyll Beltz

State College, Pa., June 16
65 kg: Joey McKenna vs. Logan Stieber
79 kg: Kyle Dake vs. Zahid Valencia
86 kg: David Taylor vs. Nick Reenan
62 kg: Kayla Miracle vs. Mallory Velte
72 kg: Erin Clodgo vs. Rachel Watters
76 kg: Adeline Gray vs. Korinahe Bullock

Bethlehem, Pa., June 23
61 kg: Joe Colon vs. Nahshon Garrett
92 kg: J'den Cox vs. Hayden Zillmer
125 kg: Nick Gwiazdowski vs. Adam Coon
50 kg: Whitney Conder vs. Victoria Anthony
53 kg: Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Haley Augello
57 kg: Helen Maroulis vs. Alex Hedrick
65 kg: Julia Salata vs. Forrest Molinari

Jake Varner at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Jake Varner tested the waters this year at heavyweight. Do you think he will continue competing?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Maybe. No reason he shouldn't make another run in 2019. However, I don't see him beating Coon or Gwiz in the coming years.

Q: With Tim Flynn leaving Edinboro for WVU, all Edinboro's top wrestlers transferring and Bruce Baumgartner leaving the Edinboro athletic department, I'm a little concerned about the program's future. Is Edinboro's program at risk of being dropped?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I asked around and nobody told me anything concrete, but with these transfers it's obvious that things are not trending well. Let's see how new head coach Matt Hill faces the adversity and if the PSAC schools like Lock Haven can continue their positive trend.

Q: What's your current mile time?
-- @laughstu

Foley: Best ever was 5:15 in college. Today is unknown, but I'm guessing my over/under is 7 minutes flat. Ask Muir.

Q: What Final X matchup in women's wrestling intrigues you the most?
-- Mike C.

Foley: As you know, I'm a big fan of the women's program. There are a few good matchups, including Victoria Anthony and Whitney Conder. For me the can't-miss match will be at 53 kilograms with Sarah Hildebrandt and Haley Augello.

Hildebrandt won the Ukraine tournament this year as well as the Pan American Championships. She took third at Klippan. Augello was the 2016 Olympian at 48 kilograms as well as the World Team member in 2017.

Hildebrandt won their first matchup, but expect a new look Haley, who has been training in North Carolina with Tony Ramos and Coleman Scott.

Soslan Ramonov celebrates with Russian fans after winning Olympic gold in Rio (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Any word on Soslan Ramonov for this cycle? How have the Belarus women taken such great strides recently?
-- @bloodround

Foley: Ramonov just wrestled 70 kilograms at the World Military Games and came away with a gold medal. When asked about the weight, the Russian Olympic champion said he was looking forward to the weight changes being reversed.

That won't happen, so the question really becomes where he will work to put himself into the Russian lineup. His best bet may be to go up to 74 kilograms since it's only an extra 4 kilograms off his normal weight and would allow him to add strength and stay healthy. Interesting if Ramonov chose to stay down since the same day weigh-in would seem to help him more than almost any wrestler in the world.

As for the Belarussians, they've always been pretty well-coached, but I think that they saw a budget increase during the last Olympic cycle because they are suddenly at every camp and competition. With the 2019 European Games set for Minsk the government is no doubt pouring money into the sports where the host nation is successful.

Let's see if they show up for the China Open and Mongolia Open next month.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 18, 2018

Fri, 18 May 2018 06:05:57 +0000

Beat the Streets wrapped up late Thursday night with a thrilling match between defending 70-kilogram world champion Frank Chamizo and defending 74-kilogram world champion Jordan Burroughs.

Burroughs won 6-5, but not before Chamizo rattled off a quick four points in the first period. That offensive explosion put Burroughs on the back-foot heading into the second. And still, as champions are apt to do, he persevered, finding solid offense and a later double leg to seal up the 6-5 victory.

The match was intense, but in contrast to Kyle Snyder, the Burroughs victory felt rote. Snyder's 9-8 win over Renieras Salas was gutsy, but if you are a fan of the Ohio State big man there was some cause for concern. Salas was able to score a takedown, a turn and a massive four-point throw. Snyder answered with a takedown, six pushouts and a penalty point. A win is a win, but we learned that Salas -- not just Sadualev -- will be a challenge to Snyder's hopes for another world title.

Overall the event was another spectacular event, this time on the East River overlooking downtown Manhattan. Sold-out and filled with energy, the event was another example of how star power can create positive outcomes not just for fans, but for young aspiring wrestlers. Congrats to Brendan Buckley and his team on a rock star caliber event.

To your questions â€¦

Zain Retherford defeated David Habat at the World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Like many, I was disappointed not to see Zain Retherford enter the World Team Trials (or the U.S. Open). I can understand Spencer Lee, Mark Hall, Bo Nickal, etc. taking some time off after NCAAs, and certainly folks like Yianni Diakomihalis and Jason Nolf who ended the season nursing injuries. But what is Retherford taking a break for? This is his future in wrestling. Are there rumors as to why he didn't enter? Also, what do you think about his future in freestyle? Personally, I don't see him having anywhere near the success in freestyle that he had in NCAAs. His last world medal was a Cadet world gold in 2012. His strength is on the mat, the top to be specific, and his turns aren't the 10-second rolls that are common in freestyle. They are slip in the leg, torture and turn, taking 30 or seconds or more. This doesn't work in freestyle. On his feet he faced many opponents in NCAAs who scored takedowns on him. He did make the World Team last year but didn't medal. I see him being a guy who could make Team USA but will struggle to earn world medals. He also could lose to guys like Logan Stieber at 65 kilograms or James Green at 70 kilograms and sit on the sidelines. Your thoughts?
-- Bob D.

Foley: I agree it's exciting to see our best wrestlers compete, but for Zain there was little payoff. He may have won an entry into the Final X, but after a tough NCAA season I think reducing his match count became a factor. Also, with his NCAA title he earned his entry into the World Team Trials.

Still, his not entering the World Team Trials as well seems to be driven by a desire to focus on the 2019 qualifiers and season. There is little way of telling what motivated that choice, but it seems to be well received in Happy Valley.

As for his success? I one-hundred percent think Retherford will be a world and Olympic medalist. I agree with your analysis that his top game takes time to mature, but that's adjustable. Talent-wise, Retherford has the tools. He just needs to apply them in new ways. He will need a year (or two) to accommodate for those new match strategies and to learn more about his opponents. In my heart I'm a Stieber guy, but I still think that Retherford could make the team in 2019 or the Olympic squad in 2020.

As for him not medaling in Paris, it was more a lack of match strategy and a crazy tough draw.

Q: When and why did Frank Chamizo switch citizenship from Cuba to Italy?
Robert G.

Foley: Chamizo began the switch to Italy after missing weight at the 2011 Pan Am Games in Mexico. He'd met an Italian female wrestler a few years earlier and struck up a relationship. After missing weight he was suspended from the team, which meant he had no real source of extra income. Love and the prospect of wrestling on his own terms brought Chamizo to Italy.

He married his girlfriend, but they've since divorced.

Q: Spencer Lee is not competing at the World Team Trials. Tom Brands said, "This is the right move for Spencer Lee." Do you agree? What do you think went into the decision? Does it have anything to do with Thomas Gilman?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I don't think that Spencer Lee would back down from anyone, including Thomas Gilman. I agree with Tom Brands that not wrestling might be beneficial. As the thinking may go with Zain Retherford, the 2018 Worlds might be a huge event, but if I'm Lee and choosing years to compete it's not nearly as vital as 2019, which is a qualifier for the 2020 Olympics.

Trust Brands. Trust Lee.

Q: Who do you think will be the surprise of the World Team Trials this weekend?
-- Mike C.

Foley: 65 kilograms. Whatever happens there will feel like a surprise!

Zahid Valencia is coming off an undefeated season at Arizona State (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: What kind of chance does Zahid Valencia have to beat Alex Dieringer and win the World Team Trials this weekend?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Meh. I tend to think Alex Dieringer is one of the top five 79-kilogram wrestlers in the world. When he travels overseas he tends to win. Losing to Dake is a tough draw, but I think he's shown himself to be somewhat dominant against national competition.

Valencia is a beast! But I'm not sure his style is transitioning as well right now from collegiate to freestyle. Too many back exposures in his game, which opens him up to errant points.

Q: Do you think Daton Fix avenges his U.S. Open loss and beats Tony Ramos to win the World Team Trials? Or are you picking Ramos?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Yes, but I also think it's unwise to underestimate Tony Ramos, which people do with some consistency. Regardless of this year I think Fix and Lee are the future of the 57-kilogram weight class in the USA ... and the world!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 11, 2018

Fri, 11 May 2018 06:28:06 +0000

Beat the Streets New York is hosting its annual event fundraising event next Thursday in New York City, and in keeping with past years the competition will provide some of the year's most intriguing and dramatic freestyle matchups.

Headlining the event is a four-time world champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs versus defending world champion Frank Chamizo. Burroughs has the speed, experience and size while Chamizo has arguably the best hips in all of wrestling. The style matchup has the wrestling world buzzing: Who will win, and how?

I've spent a lot of time watching these two compete and while it would be foolish to predict how things will suss out point for point, I think there are habits we are likely to see next week at the South Street Seaport.

Burroughs tends to start slow, build momentum at the end of the first period and then erupt for points in the second period. It's not uncommon to see him go 2-1 into the break and then spend the first minute of the second period putting together a technique tape on double legs. He also doesn't tend to score a lot from top and when he does it's usually a bundle leg lace coming immediately out of a double leg that naturally ended near his opponent's ankles. Burroughs is solid from bottom par terre and rarely find himself exposed.

In terms of match momentum Chamizo plays ying to Burroughs' yang. The Cuban's defense is so mind-bending that often he allows over-aggressive opponents to shoot early, often turning those attempts into two and four-point moves. However, once Chamizo accumulates a four-point lead the confidence in his defense pushes him to lead protect. There are still foot sweeps and high level single leg snatches, but for the most part he turns off the pressure.

When Chamizo gets less active he finds himself standing upright, backing to the edge and giving up pushout points. Watch his 2016 Olympic semifinal and the 2018 European semifinal to see examples of just what happens when Chamizo gets too defensive. He's adequate on top and near immovable from par terre.

Burroughs will have size on Chamizo -- maybe as much as 10 pounds with the day before weigh-in and three-kilogram weight allowance (as is the norm for Beat the Streets). The size, and tendency to score late against an opponent who often plays the clock, should give Burroughs an edge.

The dual meet isn't just about Burroughs and Chamizo. Jordan Oliver and Toghrul Asgarov are meeting in the night's other "supermatch." The duo, who each found themselves off suspension last month, could create quite the stir for fans interested in seeing wrestling as a form of competitive, interpretive dance.

Oliver is a more traditional styled wrestler albeit with low singles and creative finishes. Meanwhile Asgarov is like an abstractionist painter on mushrooms, contorting his body in ways that other wrestlers simply don't and capitalizing from overhooks unlike any wrestler we've seen. In addition to his creativity he has some of the sharpest match management skills in the sport.

Neither should be in particularly great shape, but one would expect Oliver to be in better shape than Asgarov who took the entire 2013 and most of the 2014 season to eat and chill out. More clearly stated, there is a chance Asgarov comes in a little soft around the belt line.

What few people have mentioned so far is the night's other incredibly interesting matchup between Helen Maroulis and Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria. The two wrestled to a 6-6 matchup at the 2015 Golden Grand Prix in Baku, with Helen winning on criteria. Since then Odunayo has only lost in the world finals and in the Indian Pro League, where Helen also took a loss to the same opponent, Pooja Dhanda.

Odunayo Adekuoroye celebrates after reaching the world finals in 2017 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Odunayo started wrestling late and has emerged in the past two years with more techniques than she showed in her bronze-medal performance in Paris. The outside double has been complimented by crafty short offense that uses far side ankle control to create angles and find reshots. She has a developing leg lace.

Maroulis is an all-around competitor who relies more on creating offense from what's presented to her, than focusing on hitting one single move. As an example of this you can see her foot sweep Marwa Amri of Tunisia through the floor. In addition to creative offense, she loves to sucker opponents into an outside single on her right leg then whizzer hard while sliding out the ankle. This is the position she held at the end of her 2016 Olympic gold-medal performance against Saori Yoshida, and how she scored her second takedown against Amri in Paris.

However good her offense and defense, what makes Maroulis most impressive is her ability to score in bunches. She connects takedowns to gut wrenches well and finds cradles during scrambles like she did in the Olympic semifinals against Sofia Mattson (a la David Taylor).

The rest of the matchups are compelling, especially Kyle Snyder and Renerias Salas. While I don't think Salas will put up much of a fight in the second period, I'm very much looking forward to the first scrambles. He'll win, but the creativity will be a great test for Snyder.

One last thing â€¦ If you are in the NYC area and want to attend be sure to purchase tickets. They are only $25 for standing room only and the money goes to support a great cause. If you can't make it, but want to support the cause, you can also direct yourself to their donate page through the same link.

Here is the link.

To your questions ...

Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Why is Abdulrashid Sadulaev moving up to 97 kg after winning the European Championships at 92 kg? Is it solely to face Kyle Snyder? Or he is struggling with the weight cut?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'm really not sure why he didn't just stay at 97 kilograms. The best answer might be some internal politics and that there was a need for him to maintain 92 kilograms at the Europeans, but I truthfully don't know. One other option might be that he had his taste of a two-day weigh-in and didn't want to do that again knowing full well that he was going to 97 kilograms in 2019 to qualify for the Olympic Games.

We always knew he was going up. I think the bigger surprise was that he even went down to 92 kilograms at all.

Oh, and no it's not solely to face Kyle Snyder, but he has been very vocal that he will beat Snyder in any and all rematches.

Q: I'm hoping you may be able to shed some light on just what the heck is going on with the program at the University of Maryland. As you are probably aware, just a decade ago Pat Santoro had the Terps on a huge upswing, and they seemed poised to break into the national elite. When Kerry McCoy took over after the 2008 season, he inherited a roster featuring six future All-Americans and another half dozen NCAA qualifiers, in addition to a hefty salary and solid support. Since then, however, the Terps have regressed every year. After four Big Ten seasons, their conference record stands at 1-35, and the program is rife with injuries, academic problems, poor development, anemic recruiting, and chaotic roster management. The program looks to be on life support, and we Maryland fans are hoping something changes soon. Any thoughts?
-- Chris S.

Foley: Kerry McCoy is one of America's most accomplished NCAA and international wrestlers. He's also had notable success as a head wrestling coach at Stanford and Maryland. While there is a notable drop off in on-the-mat success I think that his leadership is something Maryland wants to keep in their athletic department. As one of the only minority coaches in NCAA wrestling, I also think it's important for him to have his opinion within the marketplace of ideas.

Winning is winning, and if at some point the successes aren't there then I'd expect Maryland to find a better solution for their program. However, I think the sport would be shortchanged if McCoy weren't on staff or influencing policy at some Division I school.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Classic Burroughs pacing

Classic Chamizo

Foot sweep for days â€¦

Maroulis vs. Odunayo

Q: What do you think?

"If you play sports on a high school team, how likely is it that you'll play at the NCAA level?

Highest: Lacrosse (>12%)
Lowest: Wrestling, Basketball (3-4%)"
-- @frank_smithwick

Foley: There are still a relatively high number of high school wrestlers in the United States compared to a relatively low number of available roster spots at the NCAA level, especially Division I (roughly 2100 total).

Q: It seems like there are more notable transfers this offseason in NCAA Division I wrestling than in recent memory. Any idea why that might be the case?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I think kids are more emboldened to make the decisions they feel are in their best interest. If they aren't starting -- or having trouble with the coaches -- they are learning from their peers that transferring isn't the black mark it was once considered.

Also, I think that the volume of news might also be impacted by the loss of the Eastern Michigan program.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 4, 2018

Fri, 04 May 2018 09:50:50 +0000

The Senior Pan-American and Senior European Championships are running concurrently this weekend in Lima and Kaspiysk. Both streams are available online with results, photos, stories and video content available on the United World Wrestling homepage and all social media.

The weekend has me busy (I'm in Lima), but being here reminds me of the 2014 Senior Pan-American Championships in Santiago.

The event was much different than what you see online today. There was little institutional branding, videos were only being uploaded within the week, and we had one photo/video person and one writer available for the event. Social media output was low. Results were difficult to check. Live streams were iffy depending on Internet â€¦

You get the point.

Today the level of expectation has risen and the wrestling community has more wrestling available for free online. There are more than 50,000 international wrestling matches posted on the United World Wrestling YouTube page and hundreds more highlights and news wraps.

Video is just a part of the larger ecosystem of content created for the wrestling community, and United World Wrestling is just one partner in the process; InterMat, FloWrestling, USA Wrestling and about 100 other news sites and distribution networks are helping our sport reach our diehard fans and those we hope to bring into the fold. We are able to write to each other about our thoughts, read tweets, see training footage and access our favorite athletes with a click of a button.

This is the golden age of wrestling. A sport steeped in history that only needed a modern distribution network to start to reach its potential

I look forward to reading reactions of fans this weekend who get to sit in their house and watch women's and men's freestyle wrestling (non-stop) from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. What a time to be a wrestling fan!

To your questions â€¦

Josh Moore coaching against Kent State at the Thanksgiving Throwdown (Photo/Sam Janicki)

Q: What kind of impact do you see Josh Moore making at Cleveland State? Will he make the program nationally relevant?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Succeeding at any program is always larger than just finding the right person to lead the program. The funding, support and ability to recruit to the institution are also major factors. All things being equal, Josh Moore is as good a hire as any made this offseason.

As an assistant coach Moore was an integral part of Kent State's revival, which included the NCAA championship of Dustin Kilgore. No question he learned more than just mat coaching at Kent State. He saw how to build a program: what works, what doesn't.

Moore will need to rely on those lessons in Cleveland. While the university is surrounded by arguably the best scholastic wrestling programs in the country, there has been an exodus of that talent for many years. To recover Moore will need to bring the community back into the fold, excite that base to send their children to Cleveland State and then convert them on the mat.

Overall, Moore will have to earn the funding he needs to be wildly successful. Investment will come only after success on the mat and in recruiting. I think that it'll happen for Moore. The area is ready to win again, and Moore can be the leader for the job.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

BUY YOUR TICKETS or support Beat the Streets with a small donation. This is the type of media attention we all love to see in the sport!

Q: Thoughts on the Jordan Oliver match with Toghrul Asgarov at Beat the Streets in New York?
-- Sean M.

Foley: I'm bummed for Jordan Oliver. He was only a few days from being able to compete at the U.S. Open. Alas it wasn't to be, but as one door closes â€¦

Wrestling Asgarov should allow Oliver to refocus on his mat needs earlier than he would have given the inopportune reinstatement date. Because Oliver won't be on the ladder he'll need to self-fund any trip overseas this season. Having an Olympic gold and silver medalist come to your nation for a big money opportunity is spectacular luck.

The actual match might be difficult for Oliver to win. Though he'll be two weeks off of the European Championships in Kaspiysk, I think Asgarov is the type of wrestler that gives every first-time wrestler fits. He moves in ways that most opponents don't. Some of it is creativity on the fly, but most his counters, throws and exposures are well-practiced techniques that give first-time opponents a fit.

But in NYC and coming off a year of absence, I like Oliver's chances to keep it close. No better reference point than his 7-6 decision loss to Frank Chamizo at last year's Beat the Streets. Oliver can roll with the best, and with emotion filling his sails he may just find a surprising result.

Q: As I understand it, Daton Fix can get a special wrestle off for the Junior World Team spot (because he placed in the top three), but Gable Steveson cannot (because he placed fourth). Is that correct?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Correct.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: April 27, 2018

Fri, 27 Apr 2018 05:24:32 +0000

Former Secretary of State and noted sports fan Condoleezza Rice concluded her Commission on College Basketball this week by delivering a news conference in which she warned that the "time was ticking" for the sport.

While she only outlined the commission's findings as it related to basketball, she echoed the ideas promulgated by the NCAA, such as HARSHER penalties on any and all violations of amateurism statutes. The former Stanford professor also went so far as to say playing in the NCAA should not be "undervalued or underestimated."

I don't care about basketball, college or professional. The appeal of the same action occurring again and again and again and again for that much time simply doesn't entrance me the way that it does many other people. (I do love to play to basketball.) However, I do care about wrestling and have at least a passing interest in what it means to be part of a sports culture that profits off the amateurism of young, mostly minority, athletes.

Wrestling doesn't have this exact problem at the moment but has seen a variation with the consequences of college student Kyle Snyder winning a world and then Olympic gold medal while still in college.

Due to current NCAA athletic eligibility requirements Snyder was unable to capitalize on what some have estimated to be upwards of $500,000 in potential sponsorship opportunities. Snyder's decision was made (in part) to support his teammates at Ohio State, but also to receive his degree.

Snyder was forced into that decision by the NCAA's rules against athletes accepting money for their image. While there is plenty of talk of what it would mean to directly pay athletes to play NCAA sports -- and while salaried workers should be discussed as the central issue for NCAA schools -- it's allowing players to earn money from sponsors that has the NCAA on edge.

Why?

If college athletes were permitted to sign sponsorship deals, universities would see an immediate and massive decrease in sponsorship dollars for their programs. Starting a few years ago brands realized they got more traction in sponsoring athletes with direct reach to their fans (those who buy stuff) than they did in funding the associations that sponsored their sport.

Professional sports teams suffered a little, but international sports federations like FIFA were quick to see massive reductions in sponsorship dollars since brands were going straight to the cow. Some, like wrestling, are combating that loss with improved social media outreach, but many federations too slow to adapt are losing dollars to their athletes.

The NCAA knows that sponsor loss would reduce the amount of money being pulled in by member institutions. In no way would that affect the play on the field, but it would reduce services to athletes. That's not an altruistic position by the NCAA, those are well-paying, cushy, mostly bureaucratic jobs on college campuses. Should the ASICS money disappear it would be these deep state-like employees first out the door.

Athletes should be paid. Consequences come as they must, restricting the earning potential of an adult based on outdated norms is more akin to indentured servitude than it is to any ideals of a free market.

To your questions ...

Jordan Oliver won a U.S. Open title last year (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Jordan Oliver's suspension is up April 29, which is obviously after the U.S. Open. Can JO get some sort of wild card to compete in the World Team Trials? Should he be able to compete?
-- Mike C.

Foley: As I understand it Oliver's positive test was always more about a paperwork flub than intentional disobedience of the anti-doping regulations. With that in mind I think it would be a little silly to keep him off the mats for the discrepancy of what would be two days. However those are the rules. Uncool, but the rules.

Time off is a strange thing. While it might imply rust, it can also open new perspectives and give wrestlers time to work on new techniques and strategies. I can't wait to see how the time off from competition has affected Oliver.

Q: Do you think that, with the right backing, that college wrestling could get to be as big as college basketball?
-- @ChurroSolider

Foley: No. Too complicated and no team aspect.

Wrestling can be a more popular sport, but American folkstyle can only grow so much. Any popularized version would need to be consumable for the masses.

Q: What potential U.S. Open matchup in men's freestyle are you most excited about?
-- Mike C.

Kyle Dake has multiple wins over Alex Dieringer, including one at last year's Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: Kyle Dake has been exceptional this year. He's healthy, aggressive on his feet and entertaining fans around the globe with monster lifts. His matchup with Alex Dieringer is compelling because unlike the Azerbaijani or Japanese opponents Dake has faced, Dieringer knows Dake's strategy and has competed against him on the stage. I'm favoring Dake, but the matchup intrigues me because I'd love to see where Dieringer is at in his development, but also how Dake adapts to a wrestler who knows some of his core strengths. This will be a real time chess match.

The 61-kilogram and 65-kilogram weight classes will be must watch. I don't think they have Team USA's top talent, but it does include all the best competitors at those weights (save Kendric Maple and Zain Retherford). For the USA to contend for the 2018 World Championship in Budapest they'll need to see more productivity out of these weights.

I'm a believer in what Logan Stieber can do at 65 kilograms, so I'll be keeping an eye on his progress throughout the tournament.

Q: Any rumblings on the head coaching openings in Division I? Edinboro? Cleveland State? Arkansas Little Rock?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Cleveland State would be best served to keep Josh Moore as the head coach. Should they have the right package and support I think that his leadership would translate to an energized program. Also, Moore's already on staff and the startup energy for the administration would be significantly reduced given his knowledge of the institution. That said, David Bolyard is also in search of work and would be a strong candidate.

For Edinboro it could be any number of candidates. Missouri assistant coach Alex Clemsen would be a natural fit given his extensive resume and attachment to the school, but I've heard he's not interested in this move. Alumni A.J. Schopp (Purdue) and Matt Hill (Kent State) are top contenders given their recent stints. Again, Josh Moore would be in the running, but that could make family dinner a little difficult given that Scott is at Lock Haven.

Little Rock â€¦ not a clue, but I think that it'll take an applicant with patience and the type of CEO mindset we know wrestling now needs.

Q: What's your opinion on the NAIA recognizing women's wrestling as an official sport? It also seems like the NAIA in general adds wrestling teams each year in states where wrestling may be growing i.e. Georgia, Florida, and California, how do you see the addition of teams this affecting the growth of wrestling at the high school level in particular the states mentioned?
-- Marcus R.

Foley: If the NAIA can complete the emerging sport status I think that the recent growth could kickstart similar moves by more Division I programs.

The growth at the smaller schools has a lot to do with increasing enrollment and in places with a lot of competition for bodies these niche programs are a good way to draw in paying students.

Q: Coach Kevin Roberts was fired by Oregon State last August after a situation with a former Oregon State wrestler. After reading the Portland Tribune story, it seems to be that Roberts may have gotten a raw deal. Obviously, there are two sides to the story. What are your thoughts?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The article is long, but I think it does a decent job of fleshing out the conflict between athlete and coach. From my reading between the lines (and the actual lines) it would seem that the wrestler had a well-documented temper and was sensitive to ethnic-based jokes that others in his community thought nascent. I'm of a zero tolerance mindset when it comes to teasing ethnic minorities, but that also doesn't excuse any and all retaliatory behavior when slighted.

All that aside, the coach obviously crossed a few lines in the eyes of the athlete. That's not to say he's racist or said racist things, but it's believable that he might have uttered something that was less than culturally correct. Given the tenuous and combustible nature of the relationship with the athlete the normal corrective measures (meeting, course-taking) were outpaced by emotion on all three sides: athlete, coach and athletic department.

The other thing to remember when judging college hires and fires is that the administration almost always falls on the side of least resistance. These are very political jobs and the athletic directors will do whatever is necessary to reduce their risk of exposure to scandal. If the Roberts case was brewing into some type of back-and-forth he-said-he-said cultural complaint, it's easy to see why Oregon State leadership shooed it away as efficiently as possible.

What's the story behind Martin Floreani being forced out of FloSports?
-- Scott M.

Foley: Investor concerns? Ongoing lawsuit? Unclear since there have been no detailed public comments, but this article does bring some of the recent court proceedings into focus.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: April 20, 2018

Fri, 20 Apr 2018 05:23:37 +0000

As I looked at the calendar for USA Wrestling and United World Wrestling, it struck me that this is just about the first non-holiday weekend since October without a major wrestling event to watch.

Glory.

The lull won't last. The U.S. Open kicks off next week with plenty of intrigue around who will enter and win at 57 kilograms, 79 kilograms and 92 kilograms in freestyle. Also, the women have some compelling matchups with Whitney Conder coming down from 53 kilograms to face Victoria Anthony at the new 50-kilogram weight category. Greco-Roman at 72 kilograms is nuts with Pat Smith and RaVaughn Perkins.

Overall, a number of storylines to keep us entertained for the coming week. But for now â€¦ enjoy the spring weather with your loved ones and look forward to spending time away this weekend from rectangular screens, big and small.

To your questions â€¦

Members of the media interview USA wrestlers before the Rio Olympics (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: I read about USA Wrestling's new policies for credentialing media in a Washington Post article. While sex abuse/harassment is horrific, I kind of agree with the president of APSE, who said, "Making journalists qualify for a membership and take a course in how to identify abuse and bullying is misguided. The lack of specificity on background checks, including the extent and areas of the checks, and the disposal of information and indemnification of the media is both alarming and dangerous." Was just curious about what you thought of this?
-- Mike C.

Foley: First, let's set out what the policy does, who it's meant to protect and why wrestling was targeted as a place of need.

The policy would require anyone covering a USA Wrestling event as accredited media to have submitted for a standard background check with major crimes (felonies, sex offenses) being exclusionary. Media will also have to take an online course, which may be bothersome, but is in no way restrictive. Also, please note that this does not affect the Olympic Team Trials since that is an entity of the USOC.

The policy is meant to protect USA Wrestling's youngest and most vulnerable members, namely wrestlers aged 5 to 17 who participate in nationwide events. Now, with more women than ever on the mats, the matter is even more pressing. I can say that as someone who reviews media accreditations, and has worked in wrestling media for some time, there are a number of questionable characters on the floors of events with a media pass around their neck. In the United States it is exceedingly common for fans who are not coaches and who do not want to buy tickets to end up in the media pool.

The media at these events (there are a lot of events each year) have close interactions with these athletes and with media passes are allowed into a number of places that fans are not.

Like any new policy there will be a review process, additional clarity given to stakeholders and maybe even minor tweaks. Overall this is a common-sense solution to help prevent child predators from taking advantage of children.

Oh, and as a final anecdote, there have been a number of incidents of photographers taking advantage of athletes via media access, at home and abroad. I was witness to some in college and again later in my career. Would those incidents have been prevented by this policy? Unclear, but I think it sends the message that USA Wrestling events will be safer now than they were last year.

Q: Have you heard any rumors of Edinboro, Clarion and Bloomsburg dropping wrestling? Would be a big loss.
-- Steve M.

Foley: My first response when reading this question is whether we might have recently spoken to the same people.

While I understand the concern surrounding some of the smaller PSAC schools (dwindling enrollments, high expense, waning success) there is no firm indication that programs are in risk of being dropped.

That said, Tim Flynn has left Edinboro for West Virginia and took his staff with him. While that's not an institutional admission of something amiss, I think that coupled with Bruce Baumgartner's move out of the athletic administration, the school might be perceived as at-risk. Never a good thing when four of your top wrestling minds are no longer involved in the day-to-day of the wrestling program.

Clarion and Bloomsburg each have difficulties to address, but I haven't heard anything drastic is changing. As I've written before, if you are worried about these programs, or an alumnus, it sometimes helps to send an email to coaches and see how things are progressing. Are they in need of anything you might be able to provide?

Q: Should Gable Steveson not redshirt and manage to make the NCAA finals along with Seth Gross and Mark Hall (I understand the percent chance of this happening is low) next year that would put three wrestlers from the same high school into the finals. Should this happen would that be a first?
-- Justin N.

Foley: I scoured past results, asked a few friends and nobody was able to recall three NCAA finalists from the same high school. However, I am not so foolish as to think that is complete enough research. This is where the comments section becomes a valuable asset to the wrestling community.

Does anyone know of a school?

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

You should be subscribed to United World Wrestling's YouTube page

Daton Fix can wrestle

Q: Jordan Burroughs -3.5 vs. Frank Chamizo in NYC. What side would you bet?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I think that you are underestimating how difficult it is to score on Frank Chamizo. While the Cuban-Italian will be undersized, his hips are unlike anything else in wrestling today. Burroughs is typically a slow starter and Chamizo -- given his strong defense -- doesn't tend to get into many shootouts.

The line really should be Burroughs -1.5 since a scored tie in wrestling has a criteria winner. I think Burroughs will win the match

Q: How do you see things playing out at Penn State? As usual, Cael has done a phenomenal job recruiting and maintaining a tremendous level of excellence, but some of the kids he has recruited don't strike me as they type that are going to be willing to wait for their turn. Specifically, the middleweight logjam. I can't envision Mason Manville waiting for two more years to compete as a junior at 165 pounds. Maybe he could wrestle down at 157 pounds after next year, but then what happens with Jarod Verkleeren and Brady Berge? Seems like Verkleeren is the logical fit at 149 pounds. I'm sure it's a problem most programs would love to have, but do you see any of these kids exiting to get a chance to get on the mat sooner?
-- Justin N.

Foley: Penn State's recruiting mentality is to look at the absolute best wrestlers available to them and make offers. Like Iowa in the 1980's the Sanderson approach seems to ask the wrestlers why Penn State should want them in the program -- almost like a job interview more than a champagne and caviar recruiting weekend.

That mentality extends to the room. If you are the best 165-pound wrestler in the country then you will be the starter. If you aren't then one of the other wrestlers will step in to perform.

There are a lot of coaches with limited resources and recruits who need to plan exactly where and when each of their top recruits might see the lineup. Between resources, interest and on-the-mat coaching the Penn State coaching staff isn't required to make that effort.

Gable Steveson (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Is Gable Steveson good enough right now to win the U.S. Open at 125 kilograms? Obviously, Nick Gwiazdowski won't be there, but there is still plenty of talent.
-- Mike C.

Foley: Adam Coon, Zack Rey and Dom Bradley are all heavy hitters for Gable to confront. That said, until he loses a match I'm not confident betting against Gable for any reason. Heavyweight can be tricky -- not a lot of points, which means that a few calls could dictate the Open champ.

ANALYSIS OF THE WEEK

As a long-time reader of your InterMat mailbag column, I thought that I'd share a recent research paper I published examining the coin toss decision in NCAA wrestling. The article appears online here.

This article examines outcomes in the 2014 NCAA wrestling tournament. (The article was initially submitted in September 2016, peer review and revisions are the reason that it's finally appearing now, nearly two years later.)

The question examined here: What is the impact of the defer/don't defer decision made by the coin toss winner at the end of the first period? Now, to be perfectly clear, this research doesn't *prove* anything, we're examining a set of data and conducting statistical tests. That's all.

What was interesting to me is the comparison with other sport situations facing a similar decision. When a tied soccer game goes to penalty kicks, the team winning the coin toss almost always elects to kick first, yet the most-thorough analysis to-date (Kocher et al., 2012) found no statistically significant advantage for the team kicking first.

What we find in the wrestling analysis is quite different. Wrestlers don't exhibit a clear preference for deferring or not deferring (the coin toss winner elected to defer in 47.3 percent of the matches). However, in this set of matches, there appears to be a statistically significant advantage for not deferring, particularly when the match is close (within two points either way), or when the coin toss winner is leading the match by 3-5 points at the end of the first period. From the conclusions section of the paper:

In each of the states, it appears that, having gained the match lead in the first period, the [coin toss winner] should immediately attempt to extend his advantage, and increase his control of the match. In these states, a strategy of retaining the [coin toss winner's] advantage for the latter part of the match by deferring his choice appears to, counterproductively, allow the [coin toss loser] to take control of the match and perhaps wrest momentum away from the [coin toss winner], with the [coin toss winner's] advantage at the start of the third period not compensating for his loss of match control.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: April 13, 2018

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 05:20:54 +0000

The Freestyle World Cup wrapped up Sunday in Iowa City with the United States earning team gold with a 6-4 decision over Azerbaijan.

The win was Team USA's first World Cup gold since 2003 and followed its historic 2017 team championship in Paris. By almost any measure the United States boasts the best freestyle wrestling team in the world.

So after a few decades of relative frustrations, how did Team USA climb to the top of the freestyle wrestling world?

Not one action can account for a programmatic turnaround, but in speaking with coaches and athletes this weekend in Iowa City the majority seemed to indicate that Regional Training Centers and the continued professionalization of USA Wrestling helped the athletes to secure a better, more sustainable training regimen and competition schedule.

For athletes and coaches the money and organizational efforts of the RTC's and USA Wrestling are tangible, which means they are easier to notice as an athlete, certainly more than the influence of video and technology on the technical development of America's Cadet and Junior level wrestlers.

Weight management was also mentioned. Team USA is aware that they are the only wrestling nation in the world with extensive know-how on preparation and peaking for same day weigh-ins at big competitions. That, and the addition of weight classes in spots where Team USA was deepest, is adding substantial strength to the lineup especially when facing bottom-heavy nations like Japan or nations who lack similar depth and patience to develop.

Team USA is on the rise, but to repeat as world champions they'll have a tall order facing them in Budapest. The Russians, though new to this weight management system, will be prepared to wrestle in October. They'll also be bringing a lineup of world champions and fresh faces prepared to wow fans with some on-the-mat artistry. The same can be said for the Georgians, Turks, and Iranians -- who will be motivated to knock off any wrestler they can from the best team in the world.

The next few months will be interesting. Who makes Team USA and how they perform in the summer's tournament will give fans more indication if the Americans can repeat, but for now -- at least for the next week -- American fans should enjoy the feeling of being the greatest freestyle wrestling nation on the planet.

Q: I really like the Damion Hahn hire by South Dakota State. How much is this going to hurt Cornell? Any idea how Cornell's staff might change with the loss of Hahn?
-- Mike C.

Foley: What a hire! I had a quick conversation with Coach Koll at the World Cup and though he'd have preferred to keep Hahn on staff (who wouldn't?) he outlined a future for the program that is nothing short of remarkable. I'll let Cornell release all the plans in due time, but I think Koll and his supporters are going to once again change the landscape of the sport. Big moves.

As for coaching staff, you have to think that Dake can make his way onto the staff as a volunteer assistant. There were a lot of nice words said about Mike Grey and Gabe Dean, so I suspect they won't be going anywhere.

When you look at Cornell's lineup next year it's entirely possible that they could win the NCAA title. Would that be more likely with Hahn? Maybe. But they are in position and as I said things are looking great in Ithaca.

Q: As an Edinboro alum, I'm sad to see Tim Flynn go but I get it; bigger school, bigger conference, more resources. Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't go years ago. Anyway, who are the front-runners for the opening? Any chance Jody Strittmatter leaves Young Guns for it? Both are right in Western Pennsylvania.
-- Ryan P.

Missouri associate head coach Alex Clemsen was an All-American at Edinboro (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)

Foley: If he applies, Alex Clemsen should be the front-runner. Longtime assistant coach at Virginia and Missouri as well as an alumnus of the Edinboro program.

Jody Strittmatter is compelling. He certainly has the chops to be a mat coach, but I'm not sure he's as read-in or practiced on leading from within an educational institution. While we've seen high school coaches make the jump to college, we haven't seen club coaches do the same. In my estimation, highly successful club coaches like Strittmatter probably view college jobs as not worth the executive type stress. Imagine it's equitable to being the editor at a magazine or a successful freelance writer. Why give up being your own boss?

It would be interesting to see if Josh Moore applies. Could make PSAC competition a family affair!

Q: Do you really think Austin DeSanto left Drexel because he needed a tougher room? Or do think he was asked to leave?
-- Matt R.

Foley: I was told this week by a few people that DeSanto was asked to leave the program. And to be clear, I wasn't asking, but he was on a recruiting trip to Iowa so his name was being discussed.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Whoa.

Q: What is a reasonable amount of time to expect results for a new coach coming in? The reality is, it takes time to build a program. Most blue chip seniors are already committed, although there are always a few kids that come out of nowhere that were under the radar. You are also at the mercy of the previous coach as far as what seniors have signed. So you build the foundation by getting juniors, but you won't see them for twp years, then when you do, you might redshirt them.

While developing the talent on the team is important, once again, you are at the mercy of the previous coach. A lot of people were critical of Sammie Henson, but four years is not a full recruiting cycle, so I am not sure he is being judged fairly or maybe expectations were too high. Case in point: Kevin Dresser got a 7-year deal; that is a full recruiting cycle. Unless you are able to land kids that can place as true freshmen, the reality is, it does take some time. I could point to you as an example: All-American. You placed your senior year. You also didn't qualify for NCAAs your freshman year, which again would only add to the timeline I mentioned above. You were developed, which doesn't happen overnight. You also went on to coach after. Your thoughts?
-- Frank C.

Foley: I agree that it takes time to develop a full, healthy collegiate wrestling program. There has never been a more competitive time to be a Division I head wrestling coach. The money and support being put into this number of programs is unprecedented. Look at Damion Hahn, arguably one of the most sought-after coaches in the country, headed to South Dakota State. More programs with more resources and a fair qualifying structure means there is less patience for a lack of productivity.

You mentioned Sammie and Dresser, but I think the causes for their successes and failures weren't related to time in the chair. Dresser had big names in the room when he arrived, recruited a top-five class in his first year, and hired a slew of top-level assistant coaches. He also engaged alumni, motivated the home community to attend Virginia Tech matches (easier since he was local) and made an imprint on the national media. None of that happened at West Virginia.

There might be an argument for Mark Cody not being given enough time at Oklahoma, but overall the recent coaching changes for those in place under five years are well deserved. You don't have to compete for the national title to keep your job as a head wrestling coach. The priority is on fundraising, friendraising and making noticeable gains year-in and year-out.

Remember this conversation when it comes to Tim Flynn and how he impacts the room at West Virginia. Larger institution, more funding and high expectations, but I think the institution is happy with 1-2 All-Americans in 2019-2020 so long as there are no discipline issues, grades are good, recruits are signing and the money is coming in through donors.

Last point, but with the quality of wrestlers coming out of high school over the past few years I think that there is more opportunity for a program to find success within the first four years. There were two true freshman national champs in 2018!

Q: Do you think Spencer Lee is going to compete on the senior level this year? If so, do you think he can beat Thomas Gilman to make the World Team?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Bah! I don't know. I'm sure that half the state of Iowa is thinking about that right now.

Though Gilman went 2-2 on the weekend it's important to remember who he lost to. First was the defending world champion (who is one of the best 57-kilogram wrestlers I've ever seen) and to the 31-year-old defending European champion from Georgia. Not bad losses, but certainly matches he wish he had back.

I was told that Gilman and Lee don't wrestle against each other much anymore, so they may not know who would get the better of the matchup. Bets would probably side Lee since he's the people's champion right now in Iowa, while the smart money would likely favor Gilman who has more recent international experience.

Like almost everyone, I love Spencer Lee. I feel the same way about Lee that I did when I first saw Abdulrashid Sadualev wrestle at the Cadet World Championships in 2013. He draws you in with his on-the-mat skills and leaves real fans wanting to see more and more.

That said, I have to respect Gilman and the technical improvements he's been making and the way he's able to win big matches.

Please don't make me choose.

Q: Will we ever see an NCAA women's wrestling championship?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Yes! Because women wrestlers are due to show the world that they are just as badass as the men.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: April 6, 2018

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 06:25:37 +0000

The Freestyle World Cup takes place Saturday-Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City

The mats are down. The lights are up.

After months of preparation by the local organizing committee, USA Wrestling and United World Wrestling, the Freestyle World Cup will start Saturday at 10 a.m. CT at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

The 2017 world champion United States kicks off its tournament against India, followed in the afternoon by Japan and on Sunday with Georgia. Should the USA win all three group matches (or go 2-1 and win the tiebreaker) they would win Group A and likely face Azerbaijan in the gold-medal match on Sunday.

The World Cup is one of my favorite events to cover. The team aspect provides competitive clarity for viewers who may otherwise not know much about the sport of wrestling. If cruising through the channels on Sunday night a sports fan happens to see "USA 3, Azerbaijan 2" there is a decent chance they'll give the event a few minutes.

Outside of the media opportunity, the format is also easier to follow in-person and gives ample time for discussion of matchups, like Thomas Gilman's matchup with Yuki Takahashi -- a repeat of the 2017 world championship finals. We'll see more of this in 2018 with two-day tournaments, but it's nice to have a week of hype with which to drive interest.

On a personal note, I'm really enjoying Iowa City and Coralville. The people are friendly and helpful in a way I no longer experience as a denizen of NYC. The traffic is more manageable, facilities are top-notch, and there are even two wine bars on the same block as my hotel, serving at prices that in NYC would be considered a fire sale.

In addition to drinking underpriced zinfandels I've spent the majority of my time in Carver-Hawkeye and Iowa's legendary wrestling room. Big, without being needlessly huge and with a weight room, locker room and stands that adds to a cozy-but-useful feel. Nothing is wasted and it's not cramped. Brands and company have been great hosts to all the visitors, including me -- even taking time to tease me for prior rants. Overall, a wrestling experience that I'm sure to remember fondly.

Looking forward to the action on Saturday. You can watch on Trackwrestling.com or check your local listing for time on the Olympic Channel and NBCSN.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Were you surprised that Indiana didn't do a national search after Duane Goldman retired? Thoughts on Angel Escobedo taking over the program?
-- Mike C.

Foley: No. I think Escobedo's on-the-mat resume and his reputation in the coaching community were on par with a lot of big-time assistant coaches. Plus, Escobedo knows the system very well and was likely the benefactor of good relationships with the right alumni.

How will he do? That is to be determined. Not all hires have to be flashy. Sometimes the right choice is the guy who is already in the corner.

Q: If Rocky Balboa, Clubber Lang, Apollo Creed and Ivan Drago were all wrestlers, what NCAA teams would they wrestle for?
-- Eric H.

Foley:

Rocky Balboa, Drexel: Philly underdog.

Clubber Lang, Penn State: Entertainment first.

Apollo Creed, Cal Poly: Apollo was a California, beachy kind of guy.

Ivan Drago, Iowa State (because of the red colors) or more likely American, because they accept transfers. Purdue would be third because Ivan Lopuchanski wrestled there and given the tensions I'd think a young Russian wrestler would attend Purdue for aeronautics education.

Q: Did you catch the NCAA quarterfinal bout between Michael Macchiavello and Shakur Rasheed? The referee put Rasheed on injury time at the start of the match because of his hair. (Why the ref didn't mention this before the match started, since they were waiting on the mat for three or four minutes for a TV break is beyond me.) Anyway, after Rasheed gets his hair covering on, Macchiavello gets to choose the restart position to begin the match. Instead of choosing down, to get the 1-0 lead, Macchiavello chose neutral.

I was really impressed by his sportsmanship, it must have been a real test to be offered an advantage in a match that ensures you an AA finish. It's a credit to Macchiavello (and Coach Pop) that they cared more about competition than about the result.
-- Irv O.

Foley: I didn't see this match, but a lot of readers wrote in to address both the officiating and the response. I'm disappointed that the referee chose to start the match with an injury time, but Pop and Macchiavello's actions give me renewed hope in mankind.

OK, dramatic. But I am pretty thrilled we still have coaches and athletes in our sport who make good ethical decisions even in something as hotly contested as the NCAA quarterfinals. Really great sportsmanship.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Team USA training

Azerbaijan training

Cuba training

Q: How would you rank this year's NCAA champions in terms of their likelihood to win a spot at the World Team Trials in freestyle? Obviously, Kyle Snyder is No. 1 and Zain Retherford is No. 2. Below them, I think Spencer Lee, Yianni Diakomihalis and Jason Nolf each have a realistic chance to win it, but aren't the favorites. Vincenzo Joseph and Zahid Valencia could place high, but will have a hard time unseating Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Dake or David Taylor. Your thoughts?
-- Irv O.

Foley:
1. Kyle Snyder (97 kilograms)
2. Zain Retherford (65 kilograms)
3. Spencer Lee (57 kilograms)
4. Bo Nickal (79 kilograms)
5. Seth Gross (61 kilograms)
6. Vincenzo Joseph (74 kilograms)
7. Zahid Valencia (86 kilograms)
8. Michael Macchiavello (97 kilograms)
9. Jason Nolf (knee)
10. Yianni Diakomihalis (knee)

Q: What do you make of Kyle Snyder signing with RUDIS? Obviously, RUDIS does not make shoes yet. Do you think the company will enter the shoe market? If not, could Snyder still sign a shoe endorsement deal with another company?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Unless the terms are reported, I think that any insight into dollar amounts would be speculation. However, I think that RUDIS is making an effort to center their brand around Snyder and his needs, which you could conclude meant that he was given much more favorable terms than what was given as return for each article sold.

As for shoes, I've heard they've been in development. Not sure where they are in the process, but if he launches a shoe I'm certain that he'll be getting some extra incentives, and cash. It's less likely that a company would be willing to take him for shoes-only, but maybe with a guy like Snyder it would be worth the risk.

Q: Do you expect it to come down to USA vs. Azerbaijan for the title at the World Cup? How do you see it playing out?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Man, this is going to be a close match! Odds are this is the starting lineup. I've put the favored wrestlers in bold.

57: Thomas Gilman vs. Giorgi Edisherashvili (Tossup)
61: Kendric Maple vs. Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov
65: Logan Stieber vs. Haji Aliev
70: James Green vs. Joshgun Azimov
74: Jordan Burroughs vs. Gadzhimurad Omarov
79: Kyle Dake vs. Jabrayil Hasanov (Very tight. Hasanov is huge and rarely gets bullied around)
86: David Taylor vs. Aleksandr Gostiyev (Cox Beat Gostiyev at 2016 World Cup)
92: J'den Cox vs. Aslanbek Alborov
97: Kyle Snyder vs. Nurmagomed Gadzhiyev
125: Nick Gwiazdowski vs. Jamaladdin Magomedov

Foley's Friday Mailbag: March 30, 2018

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 05:11:34 +0000

The coaching carousel was given a sizable push this week when Sammie Henson was ousted as the head wrestling coach at West Virginia University after only four seasons at the helm.

Henson's run at West Virginia started with promise when unheralded freshman Zeke Moisey finished as a runner-up at the 2015 NCAAs. The style of wrestling combined with his successes as an assistant at Mizzou and a variety of other schools gave significant hope to Mountaineer fans that their move to the Big 12 would be filled with hardware.

But the championships never came. Another three years and only Moisey made it back onto the national stage, finishing eighth at the 2018 NCAAs. Henson, as head coach, was ultimately responsible for those lack of results.

There is no question that Henson is a superb, almost peerless wrestling coach, but his lack of wins at West Virginia showed the wrestling community that there is now much more to account for as the head wrestling coach. Gone are the days of middling .500 coaching careers lasting 30-plus years and mediocrity being able to rule a program.

Though Henson very well may have turned around his performance by 2020, there was no guarantee of future wins and the trend wasn't in his favor. One silver lining for the wrestling community is that West Virginia was aggressive in searching for a winning program. West Virginia did what wrestling fans want from athletic programs. They demanded excellence and were proactive in finding solutions.

I hope that this latest setback doesn't deter Henson from his dreams of being a top-flight head coach. While it didn't happen for him at WVU, he no doubt learned lessons from the experience, whether it be wrestler management, alumni relations or some other skill necessary for the modern coach-CEO to succeed.

Schools like West Virginia are starting to treat wrestling like football and basketball -- tough love, but filled with second and third chances. Wrestling, and Sammie, deserve that opportunity.

To your questions â€¦

Joe McFarland talks with Alec Pantaleo (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: I think it's commendable when a coach retires and leaves a program in a great place. That's what Joe McFarland did at Michigan. The Wolverines were a trophy team and the future looks extremely bright. Do you wish more coaches would do that, rather than just hang on?
-- Mike C.

Foley: As I mentioned above, there has been an increase in pressure by athletic departments for top coaches to act more like CEO's. Coach McFarland's last seven years are a testament to his ability to adapt and excel at the CEO-type model for big-time head wrestling coaches.

In October of 2010, I wrote a story for InterMat critiquing college coaches. I listed Joe McFarland as a coach who is 'under a watchful eye' after the Wolverines finished 43rd at the NCAAs the previous season. There is plenty over the past seven-plus years that I may have forgotten, but the unkind response of the Michigan fan base, and cold shoulder from Coach McFarland stuck with me.

A year later I was asked in a mailbag about McFarland's initial changes (coaches, recruiting, facilities) and I mentioned that I was impressed with the recent developments. Now, seven full seasons later, McFarland steps off the mat with a top five program capable of challenging for the NCAA title in 2019, best-ever alumni support, a stand-alone wrestling facility and a coaching staff many consider one of the best in the nation.

Congrats to McFarland on his incredible career and the positive influence he has had on hundreds of his former wrestlers and staff.

Q: With Chris Bono becoming the coach at Wisconsin who do you see becoming the next coach at South Dakota State University?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Sammie Henson? Maybe too soon. I think Ethan Kyle, the associate head wrestling coach at Wyoming, would be a solid option for the job. He's been under Branch's wing for almost a decade, wrestled for John Smith and seems to be a professional member of the coaching community. Maybe he's not the same name identification, but he makes a hell of a lot of sense.

J Jaggers at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Cleveland State is thought to be a potential sleeping giant because of its location, in the heart of wrestling-rich Ohio. When that job recently opened up, I immediately thought J Jaggers might be a good fit since he's from that area and obviously knows a thing or two about winning. CSU scored zero points this season at the NCAAs in their home city! So how much of a risk would it be? Not much of one if you ask me.
-- Mike C.

Foley: Jaggers is a perfect fit for the hometown program. However, I would hope that in negotiating his terms he (or any other coach) would insist on institutional support, including an increased budget and staffing size.

I don't know that there are any location-based super powers looming. There is an incredible amount of competition at the top of college wrestling and the programs that are winning are not always the traditional powers, but they are programs with strong institutional support.

Q: What has changed on the youth development level that has made the U.S. Cadets and Juniors so competitive on the world level in their age groups? It seems a philosophy change happened a while ago and what is the exact philosophy? And outside of some of the more well-known names like Spencer Lee, Daton Fix, Gable Steveson, Mark Hall, Yianni Diakomihalis etc. who else should fans be looking out for?
-- Marcus R.

Foley: I've written about the development of USA youth and I maintain that the largest factor in their development is online access to wrestling technique and matches. When I was in high school I had NEVER seen a college wrestling match.

Maybe my example is extreme, but in 1999 the only way for me to watch big-time college wrestling would've been to catch the NCAA finals on tape delay at 1 a.m., or grab a copy of an Iowa Public Television video of the Hawkeyes. Today, high school wrestlers (and youth wrestlers of all ages) can go onto their phones are watch tens of thousands of hours of matches and technique, largely for free. That is an incredible change in the development of wrestling that has been accelerated by sport specialization and changes by USA Wrestling. The national federation has looked to focus developmental camps on weight classes more than age groups, for example sending Lee to Colorado Springs with the senior-level team to help bolster lightweight rounds, rather than doing a Cadet-only type camp.

As for who's next â€¦ could be anyone. Print out InterMat's top 100 recruits and throw dart. It's that unclear who will emerge in 2020 or 2021.

Q: Do you think Spencer Lee or Yianni Diakamohalis will be a four-time time NCAA champion?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: I do. I think that Spencer Lee will be a four-time NCAA champion. He executes perfect technique, has the ability to funk, is a hammer on top, and is the most mentally tough wrestler I've ever seen. There may be losses, but when the lights come on and medals that matter are on the line I think Lee is among the best we will ever see. Ever.

Yianni is also special, but I think that he's a bit more susceptible given his unique style and the likelihood that he increases weight classes each year and may find his way into a buzzsaw or two. Also, with the ACL tear his funk might be limited. Yes, Lee also had an ACL tear, but he's not as dependent on tricky knees and isn't wrestling against the same horsepower and brute strength Yianni will face as he creeps up in weight.

Both of these guys are going to be legends. I just feel more confident in Lee's ability to close out all four titles!

Q: The Kyle Snyder-Adam Coon rivalry, while exciting, highlighted the oddity of the 88-pound weight gap that exists in NCAA wrestling between the 197-pound and 285-pound weight classes. What are your thoughts about the potential benefits of adding a "light heavyweight" NCAA weight class at around 215 pounds? Both the level below college (high school) and the level above college (senior international) have light heavyweight classes (at 220 pounds and 213 pounds, respectively). Why is the NCAA anomalous in this regard?
-- Avi G.

Foley: While I agree that a 215-225 pound weight class would make for compelling matchups and put the USA in better alignment with international freestyle, I think that any adjustment would have to come from the significant movement of all the weight classes. There is just no room for an 11th weight class at the NCAA level.

The only way you could convince me of an 11th weight would be to make the NCAA tournament a team-based dual meet event with only match scores to determine the winner. Do that and you'd have my vote.

Q: What's the status of Russia and Iran competing in the Freestyle World Cup? Do you expect both will be out?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Iran is 100 percent out of the Freestyle World Cup. From the news reports it looks like the commitment of the Russians is in place, but there are some considerable hurdles to clear if they are to make it to Iowa by next week.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: March 23, 2018

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 13:10:15 +0000

With the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships wrapping last Saturday night in Cleveland, fans of the sport had more than a few favorite moments to take into the summer: the arrival of NC State's shot-happy Tariq Wilson, Bo Nickal's championship-nabbing fall over Myles Martin, Kyle Snyder's third title, and the surprisingly heart-warming weekends of Kyle Conel and Chance Marstellar.

For me, watching from a computer in Takasaki during the Women's World Cup, what most stuck out was the behavior of the wrestlers during and after matches. Yes, Austin DeSanto made a fool of himself with some extracurricular activity, but what's compelling is that his behavior stood alone. Not only did it stand alone it stood in juxtaposition to what was a tournament filled with moments which showcased a more approachable form of the sport.

Spencer Lee and Nick Suriano's fathers wish each other luck before their sons wrestle

There was Iowa Hawkeye freshman Spencer Lee entering to Pokemon. The star of the most intimidating program of the past 50 years didn't enter to AC/DC, Tool, or other metal band. He instead chose the theme song to a popular kids game. Add on to that entry a backstory with him and Nick Suriano that was filled with handshakes and respectful commitments to "give fans a good show."

Impressive respect & sportsmanship for two great individuals. (We as coaches and adults need to note!)
Thank you Spencer and Nick! pic.twitter.com/df5XhcKGBU
ï¿½" Kevin Dresser (@CYWrestle_KD) March 23, 2018

Mark Hall, after a crushing defeat to Zahid Valencia, was the first out of the tunnel to congratulate Bo Nickal for sealing up Penn State's seventh title in eight years.

Adam Coon, on the cusp of going 2-out-of-3 with the Olympic champion, gave a gracious post-match interview.

South Dakota State coach Chris Bono could be seen backstage hugging Terry Brands after his program's first national championship.

Hell, even Cael Sanderson showed some emotions when he lifted Nickal into the air after his finals victory.

All told there were dozens of stories that were filled with genuine moments of sportsmanship. For me, this was the NCAA tournament that proves wrestling can (and should be) fun. The style that wins is the style that allows these student-athletes to wrestle wide-open and express themselves. To manage the stresses of their season through friendship, comradery and a commitment to action rather than simply aggression.

Some rules still need to be altered, but the sport's soul seems intact and healthy. The wrestlers this weekend proved that goodwill towards their competitors strengthens the spirit of our sport and that should give all of us the confidence to continue making bold changes for the betterment of the on-the-mat product.

To your questions â€¦

Spencer Lee after winning the NCAA title at 125 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: I get I'm an Iowan and as such, biased, but how was Spencer Lee not OW of the NCAAs? True Freshman, two techs (fastest of the tournament), two falls (over top six opponents) and a decisive win over an undefeated wrestler who hadn't surrendered a takedown to that point (Lee got two), didn't surrender a single offensive point (only gave up four points on escapes). Bo Nickal had one major, three regular decisions and one fall (albeit in the finals to clinch the team title). He's a returning champ and was favored to win it. As far as dominating the tournament I can't see the argument for Nickal winning it. Is it that Lee has years left to win the award? Is it just the fact that the pin clinched the team title? Is it the easy pick because it's a wrestler for PSU and they're "so hot right now" (Will Ferrell voice from Zoolander)?
-- Confused Hawkeye

Foley: Nickal winning the Outstanding Wrestler had a lot to do with his ability to pin his opponent in the finals. Though he wasn't as dominant across the three days, I think your logic was correct in that they awarded him the OW for the drama of the moment.

Spencer Lee is my wrestler of the year. I'm smitten. He wrestles with determination, purpose and is incredibly active start-to-finish. I've said all season how much I like watching him wrestle, but I was even more taken at the NCAA tournament when he manhandled NATO, who is not only an NCAA champion but a massive 125-pound wrestler. Were I still a coach, Lee is everything I'd want in my wrestler. Heck, I'd be happy if they were 80 percent like him. I'm obsessed with his never-die attitude that blends with a quirky, smiley kid who loves the sport.

I said in a mailbag a few months ago that the decision to pull Lee's redshirt could inspire the Hawkeyes to a team trophy. In the end, it did. I will now predict that the Hawkeyes will win an NCAA team title before Lee graduates. He's as a generational talent and someone who the Hawkeyes can use to build a new-look program.

Also, love the Zoolander reference.

Q: Just wanted to say when the chips are down, Spencer Lee just wins baby.
-- Dustin K.

Foley: High-five emoji.

Q: My question is, who do you forecast moving weights next year? Will Zahid Valencia who looks like a big 174 move up to 184 and challenge Bo Nickal? Will Myles Martin move up to 197? Any other big moves that your crystal ball sees as possibilities?
-- Rick B.

Foley: Tough to forecast too many of the weight class changes since the incoming classes have yet to report. The success of the freshman class over the past several years has meant that even established starters may have to shift in order to make way for new teammates. While that won't be the case for Martin or Valencia, the shift from below may have an effect.

With Martin, I don't see him growing into 197 pounds, but again I don't know where he is in his growth cycle or how large his family members have grown. Kollin Moore also returns for the Buckeyes at 197 pounds. I remember several conversations with wrestling folks regarding David Taylor's bump up to 86 kilograms. The consensus there was that he hadn't finished growing and that if you looked at his family members and his frames he could easily carry the weight. Martin does have a large frame, so maybe it's possible to see him go up.

Q: What are your thoughts on the NWCA? Their mission statement claims to be about promotion and growing the sport, but it seems they are relentless in their narrow-minded picture of things. Cael was not the best coach this year. Last year he had five champs and won by 40 points. All five returned this year, won four titles and PSU won by eight points. How does Cael win the award this year? Pop led NC State to their first-ever top-four finish, Bono led SDSU to three AA and their first ever Division I champ. These are big deals in our sport and show its growth.

Those coaches should have been rewarded and those communities should have been rewarded. One of those coaches should have that award as a recruiting tool to get other wrestlers such as Seth Gross, Nick Gwiazdowski and Michael Macchiavello to look at the non-traditional powers as a place to succeed and win titles. Now that is something that would help the grow the sport. I say come on NWCA stick to your mission statement and see the big picture. What do you say?
-- J.F.

Foley: The NWCA is hard at work and while their name is attached to several awards, I don't know that it's an institutional failure that Cael was awarded the Coach of the Year honors.

That written, I agree that Pat Popolizio was the CLEAR favorite for Coach of the Year and I agree with your premise that the sport should do more to spread around the accolades, especially to programs like NC State since their turnaround story could be bolstered by this type of coach-saves-program type of storyline. Success via leadership is like catnip to athletic directors. Dynamic personalities that draw in fans and donations means one less worry for AD's stretching dollars, and their attention spans.

The same is true of South Dakota State. More attention needs to be paid to the success that coaches in theses non-traditional programs are achieving. However, I would go a step further and say that the "non-traditional" should be amended to something like "emergent power" since that adds some much-needed flare and robustness to the nomenclature around programs going through improvement phases.

Overall, the shift to schools with coaches who draw in talent through inspiration and cult of personality, while also allowing for individual freedoms and a positive atmosphere are CLEARLY winning the day in the sport and the NWCA and all other organizations should embolden more schools to take up the change and find these types of hires.

Q: Are you surprised more wasn't made about two-time national champ Dean Heil not becoming an All-American this year? Heil gets a bad rap (since his match scores this year don't necessarily support that label) as a defensive wrestler and I wonder if that is part of the reason his national tournament didn't surprise anyone.
-- Merris S.

Foley: I'm not surprised, because I think most fans saw this coming and he's so well-liked by those in the wrestling world that there wasn't much incentive to celebrate his failures (though there should never be that incentive, schadenfreude is a real thing).

Overall, I think Heil's 2018 performance comes as a consequence of the new scrambling danger rule. The inability to latch on fundamentally changed Heil's outlook, and once he lost his two-time NCAA champions confidence it was too difficult to get back. What an amazing career and I hope he continues in the sport as a coach and/or athlete. He seems like a well-liked, intelligent young man.

Austin DeSanto and Stevan Micic exchange some words after their match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: What is Austin DeSanto's future? What is going to happen betwen him and Coach Azevedo after the end of the Michigan match and then yelling at his coaches after he lost to Rutgers? Did the Rutgers wrestler jump into the arms of the Drexel staff after he beat DeSanto?
-- Frank S.

Foley: I met DeSanto two years ago in New York and was impressed with his drive. The pressure might have gotten to him a bit and his emotions got a little scrambled. It'd be good for him (like many athletes) to see a sports psychologist and look to optimize his performance mindset. He's a good kid and I think that he'll be back stronger than ever in 2019.

Q: As a high school wrestling coach, lately I have come across more instances of parents holding their kids back (sometimes multiple years) from entering high school. The result, we have kids that enter high school competition as freshmen at 16 years of age (I can recall at least one high profile example of this occurring this year with a nationally ranked middle weight), and graduating high school at age 20. Think about that; we have a possibility of 20-year-old MEN (masquerading as high school seniors) wrestling 14-year-old freshmen. From a sportsmanship, fairness, and safety perspective, this is grossly negligent and shows lack of respect and awareness from parents encouraging it and governing bodies allowing it.

My proposed rule change for state high school wrestling institutions: institute a cutoff date (my proposed date is Aug. 31 as Sept. 1 unofficially marks the first day of school in the U.S.) where wrestlers born before or after that date are required to compete in that "class" regardless of what "grade" they are in. Next, allow junior high wrestlers to compete in senior high state tournaments (some states like New York and Minnesota do this already, but institute exemption rules in states that do not yet allow it, like Pennsylvania). This way, should a child be held back for academic reasons, their high school eligibility can technically start in eighth grade in line with their actual age. Hypothetically, this means that a wrestler's high school eligibility could end during their junior or sophomore season (whenever they turn 18). This would not upset the balance of collegiate sports however; which I view as grown men competing against other grown men. What this rule would do is prevent parents from gaming the system from a competitive standpoint. Thoughts?
-- Coach O

Foley: I might be mistaken, but I feel like the state of Virginia has a 19-year-old cap on high school athletes. Do any readers know the guidelines in your states?

I'm torn on what to do with age "stacking." On a personal level I would have benefited from staying back a year to grow a little more before entering high school. On the first day of class I was 95 pounds, barely pubescent and completely out of my depth on the football field and wrestling mat. My father floated the idea of a year back, but I resisted. In retrospect, I would have gotten better grades, had more opportunities in sports and possibly improved my chances at a scholarship. (I was a walk-on at Virginia.)

However, I do not think it's ever a good idea for a 20-year-old fully developed man to be on the mat and in competition with a 14-year-old. You might be on to something with the addition of some extra parameters by which schools and state athletic organizations must abide. But I'm fearful that the politics of these choices are often punitive against individual programs who have been labeled (rightly or wrongly) as age stackers.

Simply put: How pervasive is the problem, and are any proposed solutions possible to have unintended consequences worse than age stacking?

Q: As a fan, I thought Saturday night's finals matches were the best in recent memory. One of the things that helped was that all of the coaches had already used their allotment of challenges. Challenges slow down the action, award ticky-tacky points, and are misused as lung or momentum-stopping time outs. The finals flowed and had emotion as a result of the absence of these challenges.

The sessions on Thursday seemed to drag on because of all the challenge bricks being thrown. It seemed like Ohio State was throwing them like beads at a Mardi Gras parade and actually benefitted from some of them. But, ironically, Ohio State was out of challenges when they needed them most (end of the McKenna/Meredith semifinal stood out as one instance).

Perhaps the NCAA should reconsider the implementation of coach's challenges as they currently exist. Perhaps a lost challenge should result in the loss of a team point. Or, perhaps they should exist only for a score-keeping errors. What say you?
-- DD

Foley: I think you should get one challenge per match and if you lose the challenge you give up a team point. Why would the NCAA rules allow for opponents to choose positions after an injury time, but not also apply some standard of risk for throwing a challenge brick?

The other thing is that the replays need to be visible to the fans and the athletes! It's crazy to me that nobody gets to see what it being reviewed. Also, making it visible adds to the drama of the moment.

Q: Sean Bormet a lock to get the Michigan job?
Mike C.

Foley: Lock? Almost never a lock in college sports, but with his relationships and credentials I have to imagine he's the first guy being offered the job.

Q: Who would you like to see Wisconsin hire to lead the program? Could they entice Chris Bono from SDSU?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Part of me thinks Bono could bolt for a big name-brand school, but the other part thinks it would be foolish. He's creating a legacy that is now and forever going to be tied to his coaching. There is also less chance of institutional headaches in a place like South Dakota State where he is among that school's top coaches.

At Wisconsin, Bono would be (by default) treated as lesser coach on their internal totem pole, fighting to get guys into school with new admission officers and facing a newer and larger bureaucracy meant to serve the for-profit programs first.

I'd like to see Bono stay put.

Top choices have to be Damion Hahn and Donny Pritzlaff, with some serious consideration as well for Glen Lanham. Casey Cunningham could find a job as he wishes, but so far doesn't seem motivated to leave State College. I also think Mark Perry could be a top choice, but I'm not sure if he's looking to move again.

Q: We always hear about a push to save a wrestling program after it's dropped. That is happening with Eastern Michigan. Do you think there is any chance the program is saved? On a related note, what kind of crowds do they draw for home dual meets?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'd like to see Eastern Michigan save its program, but there are host of complications in their quest to get back on the mats. The primary hurdle facing EMU and other schools is the new law, which has restricted what is and is not considered a tax-deductible gift. For example, premier seating for football games was once an allowable donation, but has since been eliminated as a perk. This along with a bevy of other restrictions has meant that non-revenue sports are being choked out by the need to send support dollars to the larger programs. Without donor money coming through to programs in massive chunks, many middling programs will struggle to meet their fundraising goals -- a major source of cost off-setting in college sports.

I don't want to push my "liberal agenda" on readers every week, but after watching last weekend's Women's World Cup and this week's Women's Development Camp in Tokyo I can tell you that these women need to be part of the collegiate wrestling atmosphere. They are well past the point of "deserving the opportunity." It's a shame that we haven't made room for them in our collegiate programs. Also, as a matter of practicality men's wrestling would be cut a ton less if there were a women's team to offset male roster numbers.

Q: Will we ever see wrestling programs at Florida State, Miami, Clemson (again) or any of the SEC schools again?
-- Jared W.

Foley: Not without women's wrestling.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: March 9, 2018

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 06:16:41 +0000

The hard work is done. Only a week until the start of the NCAA Championships and the 330 qualified wrestlers are busy working on final adjustments in preparation for a 2018 title run. Fans are lining up plans to visit their favorite Cleveland watering holes. Journalists are cracking knuckles. It's the best time of the year.

The 2018 season has been filled with compelling storylines and subplots, but to me the most important was the growth and success of Lock Haven star Chance Marstellar.

It's easy to discuss someone when their failures are headline news, but the courage it's taken Chance to fight back from a near-complete self-destruction is worthy of effusive praise. I spoke with head wrestling coach Scott Moore and he credited Chance with making a series of important lifestyle changes, but more than that he was learning to control his outlook. He's become a good teammate, a leader and someone who accepts setbacks and grows from their experiences.

Next week we will all cheer for our favorite programs and maybe a select wrestler or two we find compelling. But I ask that you also take a moment and watch Chance and think about all that he's overcome to make it to Cleveland. Save a cheer for Chance and lets all celebrate the toughness it's taken for this man to make this series of positive life changes.

Good luck to all the wrestlers and coaches. And to the fans, I hope you enjoy the show and stay out of the drunk tank.

To your questions â€¦

Coach Tony Robie led Virginia Tech to the ACC title (Photo/HokieSports.com)

Q: Great job on the call at the ACC Championships! I enjoyed watching/listening. What was your biggest takeaway from the ACCs?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Thanks! Shawn Kenney is one of the best play-by-play guys in the country, and with wrestling as good as we've seen in the ACC it was an exciting call.

My main takeaway was that NC State and Virginia Tech are ready to challenge for a team trophy in Cleveland. The Wolfpack wrestlers are always improving their position and working towards extra points. They are also rarely out of position and strike fast from short head and counter positions.

As Virginia Tech fans saw, even with a very young team and a coaching change the program is on solid footing. Coach Robie is proving that he has everything necessary to lead this team into the next decade. With five freshmen in the starting lineup and nine qualifiers overall the Hokies are poised to become a dominant force on the national stage for several years to come.

Q: What did you make of the timing of Barry Davis' resignation at Wisconsin? Right before the NCAAs seems a little strange to me because of the potential distraction. On a related note, who do you see as potential candidates to replace Davis at Wisconsin? Donny Pritzlaff? Ben Askren? Chris Bono? Troy Steiner? Ken Chertow?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I thought it was pretty smart. The NCAA tournament is wrestling's biggest job fair. My bet is Barry Alvarez shows up in Cleveland to take introductions with some of the biggest names and get a temperature for who everyone in the community thinks is best suited for the role.

You're joking about Ken Chertow, correct?

Moving on, I think Donny Pritzlaff jumps out to a lot of folks as being someone with knowledge of the school, wrestling pedigree and proven impact as a coach. Being a Division I head wrestling coach is a mixture of automotive executive, three-star general and cabinet salesman. There are big decisions to make about the economics of the program, stoic leadership necessary to inspire young men, and the ability to charm families and coaches into pushing recruits to your school. Pritzlaff seems able to do all these and do them well.

Bono and Steiner will stay put.

Askren, with little Division I or high school program coaching experience, is currently not a viable option to lead a Division I program. But maybe he'll fight GSP one day?

Q: With the news that Kevin Beazley had to withdraw from the NCAAs, should the committee allow teams to take alternates for the tournament?
-- Rocco L.

Foley: They are! The NCAA will allow alternates to replace any wrestler who pulls out late or misses weight. Big move by the NCAA to allow for the most competitive field possible. There is some emotional turmoil for the wrestlers who may travel all that way and not compete, but I think that after all they've done to earn the alternate position, it's a modest risk.

Q: Can you assess the current state of Pennsylvania (PIAA) wrestling? I've noticed a much smaller number of PA guys in InterMat's high school rankings all year. I just did a quick count, and it looks like there are only 22 PIAA wrestlers (ex- Wyoming Sem, Malvern Prep) currently ranked. It wouldn't seem like a stretch most years to have that many wrestlers from AAA schools alone in the rankings.
-- Chris

Foley: I wouldn't be able to give you the specifics about the specific competitiveness of PA wrestlers in 2018 vs. their competitiveness in 2012. However, I think that the democratization of wrestling technique videos has meant that new pockets of wrestling excellence are popping up across the nation. That increase in technical acumen and exposure to the rankings bodies could equal fewer Pennsylvania wrestlers in the rankings.

That said, I think that Young Guns Wrestling Club has proven to be the best in the nation, right? And that's in PA.

Q: Has the conference tournament lost its shine? Does scoring team points in this tournament mean anything? Does winning a team title mean little to nothing anymore?

Here's why I ask. In reviewing the Big Ten tournament, there were a total of 16 times where a wrestler lost via injury default or medical forfeit. Only one of these happened mid-match. In one case, both wrestlers (Jason Nolf and Michael Kemerer) defaulted, meaning no one finished in fifth place at 157 pounds. It seems that once a wrestler with an injury (some worse than others) does the minimum amount to qualify for the national tournament, they default out. Granted, Nolf's injury was pretty bad, but had he wrestled in the semifinals or consolation semifinals, he likely would have won and could have gotten Penn State much closer to the tournament title. Instead, he qualified, then defaulted three times. Nick Suriano defaulted three times once he qualified.

Also, what is the rule for defaulting, which caused a double forfeit, no fifth-place finisher, and two sixth-place finishers at 157? Couldn't one of them have stepped onto the mat to get the forfeit? Or, because they both defaulted in the previous round, were they required to double forfeit in the fifth-place match?
-- Jerry T.

Foley: The way coaches and athletes are utilizing the conference tournament as a qualification step for the NCAA tourney is, in a word, regrettable. There should be a higher standard for these athletes set by both their administration, and internally. Yet, forfeiting at the conference level is a problem born of the current system which only values individual scoring at NCAA tournament.

We've seen dual meets devalued, early-season matchups avoided and a general lack of marquee matchups as coaches try to protect seeds and/or simply get their wrestler to qualify for March.

These forfeits and the impact on the conference tournament all changes with a meaningful dual meet season. Until then we will continue to see gamesmanship within the current system and likely small patches applied by the rules and competition committees.

As for the defaulting question: Yes, once you forfeit you are sent to sixth place. Nolf (or whoever) would have to win another match in order to improve on that placement.

What definitely needs to change is advancement points. Should a wrestler draw a match against a forfeiting wrestler they should get advancement points plus an additional point for major decision.

Q: I saw that SoCon 184 did a true second to determine the second spot allocated to the weight. I didn't think they still did this under these new rules. And not every conference used to do them either. I remember in our day the CAA (doesn't exist anymore) did true second. ACC never did them when you and I were there and still don't to my knowledge. Is this a per conference thing? Or others do them also?
-- Frank C.

Foley: I'm guessing this is the prerogative of the conference. Would make sense if there were only two spots and second and third place lost to the wrestler. The ACC had never done a true second even when they held the wildcards.

Cade Olivas won a California state championship as a freshman (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: I have asked this before and need to ask again. What ever happened to Cade Olivas?
-- Justin Z.

Foley: Cade was forced to retire due to injury.

Q: How are byes scored during the first round of tournaments? Does the individual get any points? Maybe 3 points for a win? So let's say for arguments sake if 4 wrestlers get a first-round bye that's 12 points. But if someone like Zain averages over 5 points per match doesn't this hurt the team. Normally 6 points against a very weak early opponent is the norm for him. Can this affect the outcome of the tournament?
-- Mike Z.

Foley: There are no points for a bye, but there are no first-round byes at the NCAA tournament, only pigtail matchups.

Q: Not much more exciting than watching Mark Hall ride out Bo Jordan at the end of the third period in the PSU-OSU dual. Look at Hall's face as he realizes he's "GOT THIS ONE"â€¦. Listen to the crowd roar as he completes the match RIDING OUT HIS OPPONENT. One of the things that "makes" a wrestler "tough" is the ability to 'get out from the bottom' -- or keeping your opponent there instead -- dominance MATTERS in this sport. No rules changes needed -- just consistent officiating.
-- The Doc

Foley: I like the rodeo, too. Just don't think this is the type of action of excitement that best indicated who is and is not the better wrestler.

Q: What's your favorite round at NCAAs?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Friday night. No discussion. All-American trophies and trips to the NCAA finals all being played out at the same time. Beautiful, inspiring moments everywhere you look.

(Pretty Damn Good) Idea of the Week
By Ken from Idaho

You've gotten many recommendations on how to "fix" top/bottom wrestling that "some" like to call boring or not attractive to the casual fan. Some die-hards love their riding time, some would like to see no point for intentional release, and we all have our own point of view. When I talked about topics like this with wrestling friends and other coaches, I always like to incorporate the "spirit" of the rules. This is why I liked the neutral danger zone change this year. The ref warning a wrestler their back is exposed and if you can adjust off your back, without giving up a takedown, your opponent does not "control" you, if you cannot not adjust from the near fall criteria, your opponent is controlling you. So let's think of this from a top/bottom point of view with escapes. If bottom wrestler stands to the feet and the top wrestler cannot return bottom wrestler to the mat, does the top wrestler truly "control" the bottom wrestler.

So, how is this for an action inducing rule change proposal (that is also easy for a ref to interpret): Bottom wrestler stands to their feet, the top wrestler gets a verbal 5 count to return bottom wrestler to the mat. If after the 5 count, bottom wrestler is not returned to the mat, action is stopped, an escape is awarded for loss of control and wrestle resumes center mat in neutral.

This would make the incentive for the bottom wrestler to get to their feet, top wrestlers would be encouraged to quickly return wrestlers to the mat, less out of bounds "technique" as a return to the mat and riding time in college would be riding time, not hanging on while the other guy is on the feet and we go out of bounds time.

It is also easy for a ref to implement, easy definition, bottom wrestler has only his feet as supporting points and a verbal five count starts.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: March 2, 2018

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 07:08:30 +0000

The conference tournaments are this weekend around the country and important pilgrimages are being made by fans from Fresno to Pittsburgh. More than the NCAA tournament this weekend gets the loyal fan bases, families and friends to engage with wrestling in a community-driven, competitive atmosphere.

Though a lot of attention is paid to who qualifies for the NCAA tournament in Cleveland the conference tournament weekend has several traditions and rivalries for athletes and fans to celebrate.

Regionalism, tribalism and even clannism are at the heart of traditional sports contests. Which tight association of people are better at a certain game or skill has for centuries been the chosen non-violent form of local rivalry. For much of human history it was wrestling that defined which tribe was the strongest, and even which leaders were chosen to take men into combat. Today we see that regional conflict at the conference level more than the national, which helps connect us to the athletes and memories of the sport.

Wrestling always been an important measuring stick for tribes to settle rivalries. Today those tribes are schools and the only real association among the team members is what they create for themselves behind the banner of their school colors. In modern American sport these conference championships are symbolic of that regionalized tradition to compare ourselves to our neighbors. It's special and should be distinguished as much as the more glamorous national tournament.

Whether you're an ACC wrestling fan, Big Ten wrestling follower, or a lifelong MAC enthusiast, I wish you a weekend filled with close friends and compelling competition.

To your questions â€¦

Jason Nolf (Photo/Juan Garcia)

Q: What did you make of Jason Nolf's interview this week? Do you see him winning the Big Ten title this weekend?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The initial question Nolf was asked in that video isn't audible, but it seemed his response was that he hadn't been cleared for competition. That might just be an oversight, or maybe not necessary, but if I were a Penn State die-hard fan it would concern me that this box isn't checked.

I think there is a one percent chance that he wins the Big Ten title, because I don't think he will finish out the tournament. He'll likely make his way to the quarterfinals and default.

Q: Would you rather see a takedown be worth 3 points or allow the top wrestler to choose to go back to neutral during a natural stoppage (out of bounds, stalemate, etc.) without awarding a point since it would not be an "escape." #maketakedownsgreatagain
-- @WallyBach

Foley: I don't know that we need to give points for escapes, but what informs my opinion is likely just an outsized love for the current freestyle rules.

The real root of the problem is riding time. Why would we want to slow down the pace of these matches all for a single point? Of course, if you eliminated riding time then you'd also have to find a new criterion for tied matches that go past double overtime. The current system keeps track of riding time, but more than keep track it places people into a literal "ride out."

Sticking with today's historical opening, I can tell you that ride outs trace back to the Catch-as-Catch-can origins of American wrestling, but in light of new information (the wild successes of freestyle) I wonder if the other great American tradition (adopting new and better things) won't eventually inform a better opinion on how to solve these tied matches.

Certainly, we can all agree that draping your body on an opponent shouldn't be the ultimate determinant of wrestling greatness. But what is the other option? Will American wrestling fans see the power of criteria to drive action and eliminate the need for costly overtime? I'm doubtful, but then again, we are a nation of change so no idea should be left unconsidered.

Q: Riding time/top wrestling. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I don't hate top wrestling and riding time the way others seem to hate it. Maybe my perspective is different, but I find it impressive when someone like Spencer Lee completely dominates a wrestler the caliber of Nathan Tomasello while on top. Not everything has to be so fast paced. I love watching a hammer on top eventually wear a wrestler down while working for turns even if it never ends in a turn; and if he has hammered him for 5 minutes, I'm OK with that wrestler earning a point. Thoughts?
-- Jared W.

Foley: I was a top wrestler, but I can no longer support riding time. While I agree that there is an element of domination with staying on someone's back, I don't think that it's a compelling argument for dominance unless the bottom man has face-to-face attacks, a la jiu-jitsu.

What if we cut the difference and gave 30 seconds to work and then put them back on their feet with one point going to the wrestler who is released from bottom. Add to that that if one wrestler can accumulate 2 minutes of riding time then you can allow for a point. That should disincentive the riding time point while still allowing for a point to be given to the wrestlers who display real top dominance.

Q: What do you make of the decision to move the Beat the Streets event from Times Square to the newly-renovated Pier 17 at South Street Seaport?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Moving an event indoors will allow for a much better fan experience, while maybe sacrificing some of the shock Times Square seemed to generate. Overall, this should allow for better crowd control, seating assignment and fan experience. The venue is supposed to be nice and I'm sure that Brendan Buckley and his staff are prepared to make this into another impact event for the sport of wrestling!

Q: Guessing you get hundreds of emails a day, but it would be greatly appreciated if you could answer a question for me and settle a long standing debate. In your opinion, what are the top 3 toughest weights for NCAA in order? I think 125 is the toughest followed by 174, 141, 165 (has got increasingly better as year went on).
-- Kevin C.

Foley: Dozens. Hundreds would prompt me to set my eyebrows on fire.

I'm prone to conflate "best" with "most intriguing," but either way the weight classes are those with the most compelling storylines: 125, 141 and 165. The number of guys who can win at each of these weights, and the uncertainty behind seeding prompts a lot of healthy fan discussion.

125 storylines: Can Spencer Lee really win this thing in his true freshman year? Can he stop NATO, who is on a quest for his fourth Big Ten title? If Lee wins this weekend, can he do it again in March? Would that upset be enough to generate a surprise Iowa comeback? I'm affirmative on all my own questions, but then again, we haven't event talked about the defending NCAA Champion (Darian Cruz) and the possibility that the top seed Nick Suriano could steamroll everyone.

141 storylines: Bryce Meredith vs. Kevin Jack in the semifinal of all semifinals. Will two-time NCAA champion Dean Heil come back to life in Cleveland, or does he slip away during his senior season? Will Yianni do like many Cornell wrestlers before him and deliver a virtuoso performance on the national stage? Oh, wait â€¦ what about Jaydin Eierman and Joey McKenna?

165 storylines: Imar looks for his third and to get revenge on Cenzo Joseph. "The Bull" Alex Marinelli looks to make Iowa Great Again, while Chance Marstellar lurks in the background, able to knock off any wrestler at any time. Layers on layers here.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Beautiful

Watch, then read ...

I've flown more than half a million miles in the past five years, visiting some 50-plus countries and spending an average of 200 days on the road. You can be certain that I have recommendations for how to pack. However, my real passion is poo-poo'ing obnoxious packing tips provided by 24-year-old listicle creators at Buzzfeed ripoffs.

The above video is terrible. The pioneer of packing stupidity who dreamed up these complicated how-to's was either muling drugs as a previous profession, or was locked away in Brazilian jail and given limited access to toiletries. They say the best part of adventure travel is the panning and the stories told afterward, but spending four days in a workshop in the hopes of MacGyver'ing an empty glue bottle to hold tampons on hundred dollar bills is time poorly spent.

Also, the level of preparation put into packing for a Mexican beach vacation seems to have inspired way too much time watching TAKEN and not enough time looking at actual crime statistics or using the side of your brain with the ability to rationalize danger. I wish that instead of crappy, uplifting, free-to-use jingles there was a narrator explaining where this person was headed. In my experience you don't want to go anywhere that requires you to hide money. I hid money once leaving a country. That was South Sudan and it was during the start of that country's current civil war and it was something like $7,000. I hid it under a bag of chocolate in my backpack and you know what? It worked. The shakedown came (as expected) but once the soldier saw chocolate he was off-task and snatched my bag of Hershey's instead of the seven grand.

Anyway, has this person thought through what would happen if a TSA agent decided to open your zip-tied bag and found hundred-dollar bills stuffed in a variety of heath care products and everyday items. They would be certain to pull you off the plane and ask about the items in your bag. This person drilled a hole in a bar of soap and slipped in a $100! WHAT THE HELL!

Traveling overseas is not a Jason Bourne exercise in preparing to take out a Nigerian leader on his yacht in the middle of the ocean. Traveling overseas is about not being an idiot and how to apply a modicum of discipline and restraint when inundated with new, stimulating inputs. I've been mugged, but it was because I got careless about my location (favela) and time of night (late) -- not a home invasion where I was left for dead but was saved by the $20 in my soap-on-a-rope.

Real travel advice isn't that appealing: Don't drink too much, don't take unnecessary risks and call your bank before you leave. Add in the common sense stuff like trying not to cross dark streets in tourists districts and you're 90 percent of the way to a happy holiday.

Oh, and when packing just do less and carry less. Put your wallet, phone and keys exactly where you do when you are in the states. Why in the good hell -- with everything else going on around you -- would you want to constantly be patting yourself down looking for where you hid your burner cell? The only function that serves is to tip off would-be robbers where to find valuables.

Hiding money is stupid.

A good money tip is to keep small local currency loose in your pocket. This way you don't pull out $900 each time you go to pay a street vendor $1 for a bottle of water.

The other piece of advice is to never (not ever) pack a small plastic bag for each day of the week you are traveling. This little tidbit in the video is deliciously dumb. What if it's cold on a Tuesday? Rains on Wednesday? Will you dip into that rolled-up clothing to find the long sleeve shirt? What chaos will that cause! This person also has about 37 plastic bags. Why? Is it raining in their Eagle Creek?

The only useful tip in this insufferable video is to cover your liquids with Saran Wrap. That's smart. The other stuff, like hiding money in a pack of gum or half-eaten can of Pringles (what the hell, people?!) is a sure way to donate $200 to a Parisian landfill. Delete this video.

The Internet is infuriating.

Rasoul Khadem coaching at the Freestyle World Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Were you surprised that Rasoul Khadem stepped down as head of Iran's wrestling federation?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The body politic in Iran is not my specialty, and I think that even those who report on the nation find it infuriating as it's both idealistic and corrupt (much like our system). What Rasoul seemed to do was take a stand that it wasn't fair to punish athletes or force them to lie, when the government could just state as national policy that it wouldn't compete against Israel.

Rasoul wanted high-level clarity, got none, and as a man of principle he made good on a promise to step aside. Terrible for the sport of international wrestling, but I'm hopeful that this too will get resolved and we'll see Rasoul back in the federation soon.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: February 23, 2018

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 06:46:51 +0000

After a tumultuous season filled with mega-upsets and a hotly contested Big Ten team race, the NCAA regular season limped into its stall with nothing more than a whimper.

Though a weekend (relatively) free of drama was disconcerting to some fans, the Pac-12 Championships sit on the horizon, a promising West Coast appetizer for the following weekend's packed menu of conference action.

I'll be on the call for the ACC Championships, a tournament that allows me to stay connected to my alma mater, conference and the totality of East Coast wrestling. While the Midwest still hosts the sport's most powerful colleges and universities the success of Penn State, NC State, Virginia Tech, Lehigh and Cornell has reinvigorated East Coast wrestling fans. For a local it's been fun to watch (and celebrate) that progression.

The increase in attention for the highly competitive programs on the East Coast certainly helps the growth of the sport, but nothing this season was more powerful than the Fresno State program's immediate success on the mats, and in the stands. The once-shuttered program welcomed an average crowd of more than 4,500 fans for home matches -- testament to how the passion of a community can drive and maintain ANY program, and should be the standard-bearer when it comes to motivating your core population.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Any initial thoughts on the NCAA Division I qualifier allocations?
Mike C.

Foley: The Big Ten is nails, improving from 77 to 80.

The SoCon took a beating, losing 5 of their 17 qualifiers from last year to land at 12.

The EIWA is still more-than-relevant but lost five qualifiers to slump into 42.

The MAC was the worst performer, losing 11 spots to go from 36 to 25. (Much had to do with UNI's departure.)

The ACC captured five more spots and moved to 34, no doubt propelled by a nice depth of teams.

The Pac-12 had some highlights and added a qualifier to close at 22.

The EWL gained a spot with 18 overall.

The Big 12 also had a massive improvement, moving up seven spots from 38 to 45. (The conference added UNI.)

These were all general movements that you might expect year-to-year. The biggest concern is the loss of qualifiers for the SoCon, which is a conference that has schools in need of qualifiers and All-Americans who can propel their programs. Alumni and respective administrations need something to latch onto, and without more qualifiers those opportunities and accomplishments are even more unlikely.

Q: I had to laugh week when Mike C. asked you if Missouri could compete with Penn State. It isn't that difficult for Missouri to be undefeated when they have only wrestled one team ranked in the top 7. Which brings up a bigger point. The Big Ten seems to always be overloaded with most of the best wrestling teams in the country. Too bad the Big Ten couldn't be split into an East and West division. As the Big Ten is extremely tough and the win/loss records can be very deceiving compared to wrestlers in other conferences. Just an observation.
-- Bruce C.

Foley: Bruce bringing the heat this morning!

I disagree that his question was that crazy. Why not let Mizzou take on Penn State in a dual meet? That is classic appointment-level TV drama. Undefeated teams squaring off for â€¦ oh wait, you're right, as of now dual meets don't mean anything.

Assuming our community allows this most basic tribe vs. tribe tradition to pierce the veil of American Exceptionalism I think you'd find the match to be competitive and compelling to fans and outsiders alike. If the national sport can be compelled to make their NCAA Championships into a series, why can't wrestling? Is there a general lack of will? Or are we too scared to POTENTIALLY lose out on one well-attended event a year?

Jared Prince reached the semifinals of the Southern Scuffle (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

Q: I heard the Navy seniors threatened to boycott the EIWA Championships if Coach Sharratt started Jared Prince (15-3 record) over Corey Wilding (23-7 record) at 149 pounds. Both are solid wrestlers, but Prince seems like the better option. However, it sounds like they are going with Wilding and not using a wrestle-off to decide the postseason starter. Is this true? Or just a rumor?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I don't have any way of verifying the selection process at Navy. However, with most rumors there is often more to the story than what appears on social media.

As the son of a Marine I find it highly unlikely that the head wrestling coach at a military institution would succumb to insubordination, or threats made by senior leadership. I have four brothers and at no point did our joint protests yield anything except extra manual labor on the weekend. I've read the post by Prince's father and, as with all things, there are elements that I'm sure are truthful and some that it would be wise to consume with skepticism.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Snyder Sliding into DM's â€¦ kinda

@TheNotoriousMMA if you are ever going to fight Khabib, let me know. We can work on techniques to defend all of his takedown attempts. Best of luck.
ï¿½" Kyle Snyder (@Snyder_man45) February 22, 2018

This is WILD

Link: Russia's doping whistle-blower goes on the lam

Gottta Love Bonne

Q: I know we are in the heart of folkstyle season, but I have been wondering if you can answer this for me. What exactly happened to Espoir Nationals? I was proud to become a two-time Espoir All-American many years ago in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, I even kind of brag about it professionally as I market my wrestling past in a "get to know me" tidbit for my business. But I notice that the Espoir division is long gone, seems that now a days young wrestlers go from Junior level right into University and Senior thereafter. Was there no need for Espoir internationally as Juniors was expanded in age to meet University minimum age? Any explanation you can provide on the history of these changes would be appreciated if you can respond personally or in your mailbag for all to read.
-- Gus V.

Foley: In 1997, FILA changed its age levels. The Espoir level was eliminated and the FILA (now UWW) Junior level was adjusted to include wrestlers 17-20 years old.

You are a two-time UWW Junior Nationals All-American!

United World Wrestling added the U-23 category in 2016 and held the European U-23's, which was then expanded to a U-23 World Championships in 2017.

Q: Will NCAA Division I wrestling still exist 20 years from now? If so, what will it look like?
-- Matt R.

Foley: The NCAA Wrestling Championships will be around in 20 years! My gut tells me that the tournament will be team-based and that women will either have their own NCAA tournament, or will be incorporated into a joint dual team format.

The rules? Well, I think that the rules are gravitating towards something closer to freestyle and I wouldn't be shocked to see that trend accelerate.

Mark Palmer wrote a great feature on the days of a no-limit heavyweight class. Would you like to see that return?
-- Mike C.

Foley: No. Seemed like more of a circus sideshow than something meaningful.

That said, I do LOVE open weight class tournaments as a stand-alone venture, and would gladly pitch the idea to anyone you know interested in funding it.

Q: Iowa weighed in their 197-pounder and forfeited to ISU, giving the Cyclones their only win of the dual meet. Coach Kevin Dresser called it a "chicken-blank move."

Do you think he really believes that? Or do you think he's just trying to build some excitement in a rivalry that has not been competitive in years.
-- Mike C.

Foley: I think that Dresser both believes it and was speaking in a way that he knew would get press. He's a good promoter and has never shied away from the opportunity to speak his truth in front of a camera.

Cornell coach Rob Koll at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: I was listening to a podcast with Cornell coach Rob Koll and he said if he's a recruiting a kid and doesn't like the parents, he won't recruit the kid. I thought that was pretty interesting. Thoughts?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'd agree. There is always an exception, but for the most part these teenagers are either mimicking their parents (not a good thing in this example), or they would rebel from their parents' teachings and be somewhat difficult to discipline.

That's high-minded. The real reason is that no coach wants to take in weekly or daily phone calls with a parent who is less-than-pleasant.

When it comes to coaching philosophies, Koll's theories always pique my interest.