What current wrestler stalls the most?

[jmoney]

9 hours ago, MoveCountermove said:

MAM championship match was one of the worst I’ve watched in a long time. I’d rather watch someone get smoked 16-1 or something. I cannot speak to his entire match history, tho.

Idk nearly enough to pick a single guy out for this, but I would love to see some manner in which stalling hits sooner, and we can turn up the intensity with stall calls or points in the waning seconds of a match. 

I’ll also say, even when I watch a Michigan guy go up like 3-2 with no stall calls, I still dislike watching them flee the circle and endure that free stalling warning just to chew up the final 10-20 seconds. 

One of the most glaring issues with this problem and stalling calls in general is the lack of legitimate concrete criteria. It’s essentially at the discretion of the referees. Yes, there are some guidelines to help define it, but it should be more clear cut.

I would also like to see a shot clock implemented in some fair fashion of some form or another. I like that it encourages offense and tries to help move the match along. I get that it may be a detriment to many guys who use the first period to measure their opponents and download data, but on the whole I’d prefer to see it vs. not; I’d rather watch less matches that are tied 1-1 at the end of 3 periods.

Along these lines, I like that takedowns have been upgraded to 3 points to try to force more action.

I forget where I was reading it or watching it (Flo maybe), but this (stalling) was discussed elsewhere and I saw some decent ideas. One was to get rid of the warning; start giving points on the first call, and stop making it like 5 calls for DQ - 1 pt, 1 pt., 2 pts., maybe one more “points” call or else DQ on #4. I’m sorry for anyone that screws over, but by stalling call number 2, if you aren’t changing what you are doing, then it’s on you. 

Some kind of push out rule could be helpful, I guess, as well. Not a huge fan of that, but if you just consider fleeing the mat another form of stalling and wrap them all into the same punishment, now I think we are cooking with gas. 

Also, while we are on this topic, I think team scoring needs an overhaul as well. Not to thread-jack, but winning by 1-1 with riding time point to make it 2-1 shouldn’t be scored the same as winning 8-1, where you generated offense and, on the scoreboard, dominated the match (either a few takedowns or some turns). In one case, maybe you wasted the first and traded escapes then won with RT or a stall call or in OT or whatever. In the other, you generated offense and got after your opponent, and you didn’t Tech or Major them, but you still won soundly. I think changes to team scoring in some capacity could change the way kids wrestle to the whistle.

I know it’s a substantially more dangerous position to be in, but I’d at least prefer kids to get in on the legs and try to hold on to burn time, and let that be the stalling calls…it forces continued action and gives the other guy a chance instead of chasing him around the circle for 22 seconds while he gets one stall warning about 15 seconds into the chase.

TL;DR: stalling sucks and I want to see it used more aggressively to rein in the fleeing of the mat, and eliminate the warning and start costing points immediately. Whatever we do, the point is to get 3 FULL periods of action, whistle to whistle. The current landscape doesn’t have this

Would be cool if they kept takedown attempted counts like they do riding time. Guy with more shots gets one point. Would need concrete criteria. The knee would need to def hit the mat. 

[Le duke]

6 hours ago, ScarletKnight said:

Yes little.  

Are we watching the same Marcus Blaze? 

You can complain he's boring and doesn't attack enough but he's incredibly good at keeping his ass to center. 

 

 

[cl415]

Rocco Welsh

[timmcnaughton3294]

Just make takedowns worth more.  That will surely incentivize people to take more risks 
or so I was told 

Just the opposite. Two elite wrestlers will go on the defense right away so they don't give up 3, or when one elite wrestler gets a takedown, he will slow the match down. I'm not a fan of the 3 pt takedown. I'm sure I'm in the minority.

Sent from my SM-A516V using Tapatalk

[Caveira]

Just now, timmcnaughton3294 said:

Just the opposite. Two elite wrestlers will go on the defense right away so they don't give up 3, or when one elite wrestler gets a takedown, he will slow the match down. I'm not a fan of the 3 pt takedown. I'm sure I'm in the minority.

Sent from my SM-A516V using Tapatalk
 

I was joking.  For the record  

i’m tired of changing rules to make “more action / offense” it’s not going to work.  Ever.    
 

d1 wrestlers are good   It’s tough   Taking a lot of shit shots is not a good idea to please us fans as they will get taken down…   They train till they almost die… other than generational outliers like mm or or ironside brands Mcilravy nolf Zain and a few others there is no more gas tank you are going to get out of these guys  

I’m tired of rule changes approaching freestyle which is an inferior version of wrestling for both fans and competitors (imo)

[Yugdab]

9 hours ago, Caveira said:

There is more scoring on average in folkstyle than freestyle at the elite levels. 

Well yes strictly by numbers 

matches are a minute longer 

tech falls are 10 points only 

folkstyle had to go to a 3 pt takedown 

they also give a point for an escape 

 

I would bet top 5 guys vs top 5 guys this isn’t the case 

[Yugdab]

Angelo Ferrari and him kneeling on 1 knee for 6 minutes 

[Caveira]

1 minute ago, Yugdab said:

Well yes strictly by numbers 

matches are a minute longer 

tech falls are 10 points only 

folkstyle had to go to a 3 pt takedown 

they also give a point for an escape 

 

I would bet top 5 guys vs top 5 guys this isn’t the case 

Saw this argument when I wrote it.   If yall impose a dumb 10 point td rule you don’t get oncoming about less action or scoring.  That’s in y’all’s dumb times 

[Caveira]

4 minutes ago, Yugdab said:

Angelo Ferrari and him kneeling on 1 knee for 6 minutes 

There are freestyle matches where there are only push out scoring ending 2-1 with no real offensive points scored. Cherry picking a match here or there where two less then offensive wrestlers isn’t a solid reason to change the rules.  As a whole there is a ton more action in folkstyle.  

Edited April 17 by Caveira

[Yugdab]

1 hour ago, Caveira said:

I was joking.  For the record  

i’m tired of changing rules to make “more action / offense” it’s not going to work.  Ever.    
 

d1 wrestlers are good   It’s tough   Taking a lot of shit shots is not a good idea to please us fans as they will get taken down…   They train till they almost die… other than generational outliers like mm or or ironside brands Mcilravy nolf Zain and a few others there is no more gas tank you are going to get out of these guys  

I’m tired of rule changes approaching freestyle which is an inferior version of wrestling for both fans and competitors (imo)

Rule changes are part of the evolution of wrestling due to the style and evolution of the wrestler how they defend and incorporate counters in there defense 

 

happens in every sport

[Yugdab]

3 minutes ago, Caveira said:

There are freestyle matches where there are only push out scoring ending 2-1 with no offense. Cherry picking a match here or there where two less then offensive wrestlers isn’t a solid reason to change the rules.  As a whole there is a ton more action in folkstyle.  

I don’t prefer freestyle by any means just making a point 

[Yugdab]

I think if you get a stall call the push out rule then goes into affect 

 

at that time you shouldn’t be moving backwards to the edge and outside the cylinder 

[Caveira]

1 minute ago, Yugdab said:

I think if you get a stall call the push out rule then goes into affect 

 

at that time you shouldn’t be moving backwards to the edge and outside the cylinder 

The referee nonsense they will have put in the rule book to implement a push out in folkstyle will require a Venn diagram and a PhD in ref nonsense.   Grounding etc.  it’s a diff sport.  It’s a bad rule for folkstyle period and again.   Just like the messed up the out of bounds rules changes   

just call stalling why is this a hard concept!

folkstyle is far more exciting than freestyle both from a viewer perspective and a competitor perspective. 

[2001Hokie]

Much as I love the guy, Eddie Ventresca is definitely up there.  Like Marcus Blaze, he's excellent at the active stalling.  BUT, it's still stalling.  Just because you're holding center doesn't mean you're doing anything...

[scourge165]

1 hour ago, Caveira said:

I was joking.  For the record  

i’m tired of changing rules to make “more action / offense” it’s not going to work.  Ever.    
 

d1 wrestlers are good   It’s tough   Taking a lot of shit shots is not a good idea to please us fans as they will get taken down…   They train till they almost die… other than generational outliers like mm or or ironside brands Mcilravy nolf Zain and a few others there is no more gas tank you are going to get out of these guys  

I’m tired of rule changes approaching freestyle which is an inferior version of wrestling for both fans and competitors (imo)

I don't necessarily agree it's inferior... but Folkstyle is about control. If you can't finish a single leg, you shouldn't get points...IMO. 

I don't want to see an NCAA Title decided by who gets in on a single and walks their opponent out the most. You also eliminate a lot of that Wrestling on the edge. There are a lot of great exchanges on the edge. 
 

[Caveira]

Just now, scourge165 said:

I don't necessarily agree it's inferior... but Folkstyle is about control. If you can't finish a single leg, you shouldn't get points...IMO. 

I don't want to see an NCAA Title decided by who gets in on a single and walks their opponent out the most. You also eliminate a lot of that Wrestling on the edge. There are a lot of great exchanges on the edge. 
 

I can live with the not inferior title.  Your comment is fair. I loved competing in it (free).   Obv it was before the silly push out and ball grab and the the other nonsense.   It just is not as popular with fans or participants.  I don’t like the constant rule changes getting folkstyle closer to free.   Also free was “BETTER” before the barrage of rule changes too!!
 

do free.  Keep free.  You have a season.  You have nationals.  You have worlds.  No need to morph folkstyle into it. 

[Ricketycricket]

20 hours ago, nhs67 said:

Angelo Ferrari, Dee Lockett, and anyone else who deliberately drops to a knee more than once in a match to play patty cake.

Dee Lockett was my choice. He doesn't just drop to a knee but takes to all 4s. He also takes forever to get back to the center. 

AJ Ferrari takes forever to get back to the center and to get back on top on restarts. 

[Truzzcat]

Brett ungar 

[meZYNbrink]

I can't stand watching the Ferrarris. Marcus Blaze either techs his opponent or goes to TBs. Joey Blaze used to be extremely fun to watch but became almost unwatchable this year, to the point I was convinced he was injured. I guess that's dispelled by his RAF scheduling.

[wrestlingfan05]

16 hours ago, jmoney said:

Would be cool if they kept takedown attempted counts like they do riding time. Guy with more shots gets one point. Would need concrete criteria. The knee would need to def hit the mat. 

 

something in the same vein was suggested in the Cael wants a pushout rule thread:

  

On 4/13/2026 at 11:00 AM, alex1fly said:

I hesitate to lay it out because I'm not a rules expert, so I'll be inviting all kinds "well your suggestion won't work so let's dismiss the whole idea" thinking. But here are some ideas to reduce subjectivity for stall calls in neutral, making it easier for the wrestlers and the refs to understand the expectations. Mat wrestling stall calls aren't nearly as egregiously subjective so I think for rule changes to be effective long term the focus should stay simple.

Consistency - Automatic stall calls if you don't land a shot in a period. Fakes don't count, you need to actually advance your offense by getting a TD or creating a scramble.

 

[PUWrestler]

Fun fact: MAM outscored Lilledahl in the NCAA tourney. If you count the cumulative # of points scored by each wrestler over the course of the tourney, here's what you get:

Lilledahl: 11 + 4 + 2 + 8 + 2 = 27

MAM: 17 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 1 = 28   (if you watch the first match, there were 16 points on the scoreboard at the time of the pin and MAM had over 1 minute of riding time)

[Ricketycricket]

4 hours ago, meZYNbrink said:

I can't stand watching the Ferrarris. Marcus Blaze either techs his opponent or goes to TBs. Joey Blaze used to be extremely fun to watch but became almost unwatchable this year, to the point I was convinced he was injured. I guess that's dispelled by his RAF scheduling.

Marcus Blaze is especially frustrating because he has the offense he just chooses not to shoot against top guys. 

[MoveCountermove]

17 hours ago, Caveira said:

folkstyle is far more exciting than freestyle both from a viewer perspective and a competitor perspective. 

Is this a hot take or do others agree with this sentiment? I tend to agree but I spent a lot less time around freestyle and dislike a few of their rules/scoring structure

[1032004]

On 4/16/2026 at 11:03 PM, 2001Hokie said:

Much as I love the guy, Eddie Ventresca is definitely up there.  Like Marcus Blaze, he's excellent at the active stalling.  BUT, it's still stalling.  Just because you're holding center doesn't mean you're doing anything...

Agree

[1032004]

On 4/16/2026 at 11:52 AM, Gus said:

Yes

I don’t actually think Angelo is that bad.  AJ is up there for me though, his top wrestling is especially infuriating.  Let guy stand up, either drop to a leg or go out of bounds, rinse, repeat.