Ono - Oh Yes?

[Ricketycricket]

1 hour ago, Spladle08 said:

OK so love the enthusiasm but different situations.  (Sorry I typed a novel day dreaming) 

Echemendia came over as a HS senior in like 2018, won a Folkstyle state title in the overall weak wrestling state of Arizona, and then dominated everyone in Freestyle, leading us all to speculate about his age. He then bounced around the freestyle scene and attended Ohio State gaining 0 momentum, I think he even lost the wrestle-off to Jordan Decatur (who simply wasn't made for college wrestling) before transferring to ISU. I should look this up so my numbers are correct, but I'll just spout it out and if I'm off a year or 2 I'm off. Let's say, he won HS state in 2019, did Ohio State 19/20 (covid is messing with my numbers) so probably 21/22 as well,  let's guess  he transferred to ISU 22/23 ? I think that was the first year I remember Paniro being their guy because that was the Yianni 149 year right? So the next year 23/24 he probably took 5th or so but he must've been at 41 (remember how big he looked/felt initially?) .... I feel like he wrestled Mendez to the wire in the semis or quarters. 24/25 season he was injured, 25//26 he took 6th. 
Low AA After 6-7 years of folkstyle exposure. And getting a ton of matches/chances to develop a feel for Folk

Bastida would be a more accurate comparison. Impactful Freestyle wrestler on the world stage, turned Folkstyle late. 
Didn't place his first year, AA as a 2nd year, DNP 3rd year, Injury 4th year, 5-6 years after he began his Folkstyle Journey NCAA finalist!
Only problem with Bastida, it was all 197 or above where mat wrestling isn't as much of a thing, and his best result was at HWT where he couldn't get over the hump in the finals because the guy could mat-wrestle. 

Ono is a 33/41 and I have no doubt he will be more than prepared on his feet, but the tilts/pins/scrambles he will face from EVERYONE IN THE TOP 12 is too much to expect anything more than a 5th or below finish. Do not get me wrong, 5th place at NCAAs is wildly impressive, but nobody gets all that excited, especially on a team of champions, about a guy that "If everything goes right he could potentially be top 5" (just glanced at 141 it isn't a wildly deep weight, but there are a lot of "solid" guys) 

Sorry this was so long 
 

Ono is a World Champion and destroyed everyone in his bracket. A college kid is not going to turn him, particularly after a year training in Penn State. He beat Davino and Spencer Lee after the Worlds. 

If you can't take him down, how will you get on top other than choosing top? 

 

[Spladle08]

21 minutes ago, Ricketycricket said:

Ono is a World Champion and destroyed everyone in his bracket. A college kid is not going to turn him, particularly after a year training in Penn State. He beat Davino and Spencer Lee after the Worlds. 

If you can't take him down, how will you get on top other than choosing top? 

 

Are you trolling? 
Yes he crushed worlds during an olympic year... who did he beat?  Vito? Congrats so did Julian Farber. 
(YES winning a world title is awesome, but take a beat and look at the bracket he "destroyed" as you put it)
Who participated?

Yes, he beat 125lb Spencer (I think all step out points), yes he beat 133lb Davino at RAF (with no takedowns), IN FREESTYLE. How does that translate to 141 Folkstyle?
Are you telling me he can't be taken down by small guys or he can't take down small guys?

They aren't going to be trying to gut him, just tilts...... 
Ankle/leg passing (funk), isn't a thing in Freestyle because it exposes your back. It's everything in Folkstyle currently, I don't understand the assumption that somebody who has caused Davino and Lee to step out of bounds 3x each in the last 2 years is now a master at a different kind of wrestling. Maybe he will also win the Olympics in Greco in 2028 (he's got 2 years, he could learn) 





 

Edited 23 hours ago by Spladle08

[Mr. PeanutButter]

24 minutes ago, Ricketycricket said:

Ono is a World Champion and destroyed everyone in his bracket. A college kid is not going to turn him, particularly after a year training in Penn State. He beat Davino and Spencer Lee after the Worlds. 

If you can't take him down, how will you get on top other than choosing top? 

 

BΩ is a world champion and destroyed (practically) everyone in his bracket as well. However, unlike Ono he isn't 5'2" but is perfectly built for the weight AND has been wrestling folk style his entire career

[Gene Mills Fan]

13 minutes ago, Spladle08 said:

 who did he beat?  

 

Uguev 10-2

[LJB]

13 minutes ago, Spladle08 said:

Who participated?

he beat Uguev off jump...

[Spladle08]

21 minutes ago, Gene Mills Fan said:

Uguev 10-2

 

20 minutes ago, LJB said:

he beat Uguev off jump...

OK ok you nerds I forgot Russia got banned and Uguev couldn't compete under ROC so he bumped up to 61kg for the non-olympic worlds.....
"Hey brother, you can't compete at 57kg in the Olympics this year sorry, here's a hungry Japanese kid up a weight match #1".... I think, well LJB for sure (Gene I'm unsure).... yall have seen weight changes enough in FS to know, it takes a minute to adjust to new weights (PICK ANYONE) .... anyways.... I stand by it.... 

Edited 23 hours ago by Spladle08

[LJB]

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

29 minutes ago, Mr. PeanutButter said:

BΩ is a world champion and destroyed (practically) everyone in his bracket as well. However, unlike Ono he isn't 5'2" but is perfectly built for the weight AND has been wrestling folk style his entire career

I heard Medlin on a podcast talking about Ono a few months after his victory.  It sounds like Ono is pretty well-scouted at this point.  Has it resulted in wins for Davino or Lee?  No, but he also didn't blow them out like he was doing to studs at Worlds.  Also, I think a really tricky/brutal  cradler or leg-rider could present some issues.

[Gene Mills Fan]

15 minutes ago, Spladle08 said:

 

OK ok you nerds I forgot Russia got banned and Uguev couldn't compete under ROC so he bumped up to 61kg for the non-olympic worlds.....
"Hey brother, you can't compete this year sorry, here's a hungry Japanese kid up a weight match #1".... I think, well LJB for sure (Gene I'm unsure).... yall have seen weight changes enough in FS to know, it takes a minute to adjust to new weights (PICK ANYONE) .... anyways.... I stand by it.... 

You asked who he beat. I didn't know some wrestling doesn't count.

[Spladle08]

10 minutes ago, Gene Mills Fan said:

You asked who he beat. I didn't know some wrestling doesn't count.

Oh shut up Gene!  Preparing for the Olympics at 57kg, and getting ousted by politics, then having to bump for your first foray into 61kg and you get this kid. 

Yes, he beat Uguev, yes it's a fine name to throw out there without context, but while it's a fun win, it's just as misleading as some headline will surely read when Bassett techs Ono: "True freshman techs world champion in under 2 minutes"... Yes it's true, and yes to the average reader it's like "HOLY SMOKES" .... but I assume we're a little more refined here on the boards  
We all understand 141 isn't Ono's weight, we all understand Ono isn't a life long folkstyle wrestler, we all understand Bo B is also a World Champ,  etc etc.... 

But sure "you got me".... he did beat non-medalist Zaur Uguev that year. 

Edited 22 hours ago by Spladle08

[LJB]

5 minutes ago, Spladle08 said:

but I assume we're a little more refined here on the boards

[Gene Mills Fan]

55 minutes ago, Spladle08 said:

Oh shut up Gene!  Preparing for the Olympics at 57kg, and getting ousted by politics, then having to bump for your first foray into 61kg and you get this kid. 

Yes, he beat Uguev, yes it's a fine name to throw out there without context, but while it's a fun win, it's just as misleading as some headline will surely read when Bassett techs Ono: "True freshman techs world champion in under 2 minutes"... Yes it's true, and yes to the average reader it's like "HOLY SMOKES" .... but I assume we're a little more refined here on the boards  
We all understand 141 isn't Ono's weight, we all understand Ono isn't a life long folkstyle wrestler, we all understand Bo B is also a World Champ,  etc etc.... 

But sure "you got me".... he did beat non-medalist Zaur Uguev that year. 

You got me. PSU has a dud, who earned a start if eligible. I Missed all the signs.

[Ragu]

On 11/8/2026 at 9:54 AM, Spladle08 said:

I genuinely don't get the Ono hype (pertaining to folkstyle wrestling)

The hype is the best wrestler on the planet (for a time) is transitioning to a new style. That is exciting. He torched two world gold medalists in one tournament and now he wants to win an NCAA title and he's in the best wrestling room on planet earth. If you cannot get hyped up for that idk what to tell you

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

He was very hyped up as the greatest wrestler on the planet- a few months after getting teched in Japanese trials.  He was never the best wrestler on Earth, but he did have an amazing week.

He is certainly great. I do not deny that.

If he won nationals this year, I wouldn't be super surprised.  I still wouldn't bet on it.  He has great coaches but he also has a ton to learn.  That will not happen overnight.  Mat wrestling will never be a strength.  He will struggle in scrambles, and he will never match the folkstyle conditioning of a Bassett or Stanich.  He was exhausted against Davino in a freestyle match in which he didn't attack.

He could win nationals 1-3x depending on the Penn State lawyers; but he isn't going to make it look as easy as winning non-Olympic 61 in 2024.

Edited 19 hours ago by Interviewed_at_Weehawken

[juniorvarsity]

2 hours ago, Spladle08 said:

Oh shut up Gene!  Preparing for the Olympics at 57kg, and getting ousted by politics, then having to bump for your first foray into 61kg and you get this kid. 

Yes, he beat Uguev, yes it's a fine name to throw out there without context, but while it's a fun win, it's just as misleading as some headline will surely read when Bassett techs Ono: "True freshman techs world champion in under 2 minutes"... Yes it's true, and yes to the average reader it's like "HOLY SMOKES" .... but I assume we're a little more refined here on the boards  
We all understand 141 isn't Ono's weight, we all understand Ono isn't a life long folkstyle wrestler, we all understand Bo B is also a World Champ,  etc etc.... 

But sure "you got me".... he did beat non-medalist Zaur Uguev that year. 

You're seriously going to tell us that Vito from 2023 through 2024 was not very good at 61kg? He got hurt, bumped up, and hasnt been the same. Vito beat Uguev for bronze in 2024. Ono smashed returning good medalist Vito that year. Vito beat AbasghadI Magomedov for gold in 2023. Bo Bassett just had a come from behind win against that guy a week ago.

You also mean to tell us that winning a senior world gold in a non Olympic year by absolutely annihilating the field is not impressive? Very few Americans can do that. Let alone Americans with college eligibility. 

How can you diminish his freestyle accolades? I understand waiting to see it to believe for him in folkstyle. I've said the same thing. I didn't think he'd beat Desmond. I have been saying Ono will never start. I was wrong. The folkstyle criticisms are valid since it's unknown, but crafting a criticism of Ono by criticizing his freestyle results makes no sense. 

[Caveira]

2 minutes ago, juniorvarsity said:

beat Desmond

What was the score of the wrestle off 

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

4 minutes ago, Caveira said:

What was the score of the wrestle off 

4-3?

Desmond's mom is disappointed he did not take top (Not a mom joke; she publicly posted it)

Edited 19 hours ago by Interviewed_at_Weehawken

[Caveira]

1 minute ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

4-3?

His mother reported a reversal and a ride out for Desmond.   Likely neutral for one period for Ono.   
 

Nate’s mother apparently said Nate took neutral instead of top  And lost 6-4.  So two TDs only for Ono against a 125 lber.  

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

1 minute ago, Caveira said:

His mother reported a reversal and a ride out for Desmond.   Likely neutral for one period for Ono.   
 

Nate’s mother apparently said Nate took neutral instead of top  And lost 6-4.  So two TDs only for Ono against a 125 lber.  

125 freshman! But I can see Desmond as being a 133 now.  

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

2 minutes ago, Caveira said:

His mother reported a reversal and a ride out for Desmond.   Likely neutral for one period for Ono.   
 

Nate’s mother apparently said Nate took neutral instead of top  And lost 6-4.  So two TDs only for Ono against a 125 lber.  

BTW Cael must love the parental wrestle-off reports leaking out of Happy Valley! 

[Caveira]

14 minutes ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

BTW Cael must love the parental wrestle-off reports leaking out of Happy Valley! 

Can’t take the internet away from someone’s mom but I get it.     Find it amusing psu fans didn’t re publish the leaked score / match summary in this thread… weird right?

you would think Ono could muster far more than two TDs vs an undersized 141.   I am Assuming he is a world beater.   if another wrestle off occurs one would think he takes top.   Good case for a wrestle off in the future.  

[Caveira]

33 minutes ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

125 freshman! But I can see Desmond as being a 133 now.  

He competed at 125 less than a hear ago 

[Ragu]

13 minutes ago, Caveira said:

Can’t take the internet away from someone’s mom but I get it.     Find it amusing psu fans didn’t re publish the leaked score / match summary in this thread… weird right?

you would think Ono could muster far more than two TDs vs an undersized 141.   I am Assuming he is a world beater.   if another wrestle off occurs one would think he takes top.   Good case for a wrestle off in the future.  

As good as I think Desmond is, even with a second wrestle-off and potential win for him. I’d still go with Ono at nationals. His ceiling is higher

[mattramosjr]

Desmond need transfer and need exhaust his eligibility 

[Spladle08]

Thank you guys for letting me know about the BEST WRESTLER EVER IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM. 

1.) Ono
2.) Satiev
3.) Medved 
4.) Uetake 
5.) Saduleav? 
...... etc... 

I've been convinced.... dudes going to tech everyone. Thank you again, I'll revisit this post at subsequent World and NCAA Championships to wallow in my shame.