Paris 2024 Olympic Freestyle Team

[nhs67]

Just now, bnwtwg said:

Let the court records show that I called both my shots same as I picked Zane, Lee, and Chance 2023 and won the 2019 Final X confidence pool. 

Nolf has wrestled JB tough each time.  Unlike with Dake, where somehow Dake can establish a clear line that Nolf cannot cross...

[bnwtwg]

Just now, nhs67 said:

Nolf has wrestled JB tough each time.  Unlike with Dake, where somehow Dake can establish a clear line that Nolf cannot cross...

That line is Dake's twitter profile picture but I think he added the Dark Brandon eyes for dramatic effect. Personally I would have gone something of the Shang Tsung soul-snatching variety.

[Wrestleknownothing]

5 hours ago, nhs67 said:

I also expect Johnny D to challenge Lee for the right to win at Pan Ams, although I think Lee wins that one again.

I think Diakomihalis has already posted on social media that he will challenge. Does Retherford then extract his revenge for being forced to hire a lawyer, by then entering the challenger tourney so he gets first shot at Diakomihalis and either eliminates him before resigning the best of three to Lee, or soften him up for Lee?

Channeling my inner Jimmy C there. From what I hear Retherford does not have a vengeful bone in his body.

[1032004]

7 hours ago, nhs67 said:

Without actually diving in to it to see who will get what seed... I think the topside of will be Richards (1) vs either Fix or Lee (4/5) in the semi-finals.  I have Fix or Lee winning that one.  It is possible NATO gets seeded over Lee, which pushes Lee to 6th.  Not sure there.  I don't think Colon gets a good seed.  Could be 8/9 and play spoiler to Richards.  I think Garrett probably tries to go up again?  Not sure.  Gross is definitely in there too for a 5/6 seed (maybe ahead of Lee as well?).

Richards should be the 1 either way.  I think Gilman gets the 2, Suriano the 3, Fix/Lee/Gross some combo of 4/5/6 with NATO possibly being 5 ahead of Gross/Lee.

So for 57 KG I have this... and it's just... bonkers...

Not sure on Desanto and Garrett as far as weights...

1 - Richards

2 - Gilman

3 - Suriano

4 - Fix

5 - Desanto

6 - NATO

7 - Gross

8 - Lee

9 - Colon

10 - Comacho

That is bonkers right?

So I have Lee (Sorry @ILLINIWrestlingBlog) VS Fix in the topside Semifinals.

I have Gilman-Suriano in the bottom QF for the right to meet Arujau.  I think Arujau beats Suriano but not Gilman and I think Gilman-Suriano is a toss-up, but Gilman-Gross is also a toss-up as is Suriano-NATO.  Styles make matches.  Gilman destroys NATO but not Suriano and Gross is a bad matchup for Suriano, but Gilman isn't.  Add in that Arujau is going to be at least a couple/few hours after weigh-ins and fresh.

Either way I have Arujau VS a healthy Lee in the finals.  I still have faith in Lee.

If Garrett goes down then he goes in above Fix at the 4 seed.  If Desanto goes up, move everyone up.  My guess is Desanto goes down and Garrett goes up.

Arujau, weighed in and in a best of three up against Lee?  I think Arujau is just too fast and takes it.  Recency bias aside... if he makes that decent well... his toughest test will be Gilman who has already had at least two (2) tough matches before he meets him.

57 KG - Arujau

Yes I know he’s downstairs drilling, but is Suriano still wrestling?

[nhs67]

59 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

Yes I know he’s downstairs drilling, but is Suriano still wrestling?

I wouldn't be surprised to see him pop up at some tourney in Europe with Chamizo in his corner.

[billyhoyle]

9 hours ago, nhs67 said:

125 KG I hope we don't see Steveson... although I wouldn't be surprised to see him.  If we do he beats Parris in two straight.  If we don't, I am hoping we see the next generation at HWT do damage.  Hendrickson, Kerkvliet, Cassioppi, and Davison, that is.

I want a Hendrickson - Gwiazdowski matchup.  We all know that Zillmer and Bradley will play spoiler to someone somewhere unless Zillmer goes back down... which maybe he does something surprising on Cox?  I doubt it.

I have Parris over... pick a random name out of the hat of the four 'new' gents... Cassioppi... since he will be focusing on Freestyle (haha?)... two straight.

If Gable comes back and keeps competing, there is no next generation of HWT. He'll be the guy for the next 3 cycles. 

[Pa in Taiwan]

42 minutes ago, billyhoyle said:

If Gable comes back and keeps competing, there is no next generation of HWT. He'll be the guy for the next 3 cycles. 

Because he's been such a stable competitor in Senior Men's Freestyle for the US, right? Let's give him a new nickname "Stable Gable." It doesn't seem to fit. 

[stealyphil223]

James Green in there at 65KG

[headshuck]

Because he's been such a stable competitor in Senior Men's Freestyle for the US, right? Let's give him a new nickname "Stable Gable." It doesn't seem to fit. 

So how does Gable at this age compare with Taylor and Dake? Were all 3 “stable” and producing the results you’re expecting at the age?

[nhs67]

2 hours ago, stealyphil223 said:

James Green in there at 65KG

He has never been effective below 70 KG.

[bnwtwg]

3 hours ago, billyhoyle said:

If Gable comes back and keeps competing, there is no next generation of HWT. He'll be the guy for the next 3 cycles. 

Hot take that I will get roasted into eternity for:

His domestic superiority means nothing because he gets a fat ass and gets SMOKED at Olympics.

[bnwtwg]

Just now, bnwtwg said:

Hot take that I will get roasted into eternity for:

His domestic superiority means nothing because he gets a fat ass and gets SMOKED at Olympics.

Play WWE games, get WWE prizes.

[Pa in Taiwan]

On 9/21/2023 at 10:52 AM, headshuck said:

So how does Gable at this age compare with Taylor and Dake? Were all 3 “stable” and producing the results you’re expecting at the age?

Taylor and Dake were committed to continuing their amateur wrestling careers. They kept at it, even when JB was beating them. They had firm goals that they single-mindedly pursued.  This is what cultivates greatness. You are too focused on early results. Dake and Taylor didn't get the results in their early freestyle years after finishing the NCAA careers, but can you argue that they haven't done well? Gable Steveson won the Olympics the same year he won NCAAs. He missed Worlds that year, and then, after demolishing the domestic field at hwt. and taking the spot in 2023, he dropped out of Worlds again. This is a pronounced lack of stability. I don't know what's going on in the young man's life, so I will not go so far as to say it's a lack of integrity. There may be issues that I am unaware of. One thing is for sure. He's not stable, as he qualified for Worlds and dropped out. Dake and Taylor have NEVER done that, and they never would. 

[headshuck]

Yeah I see your point. You’d think the contracts he’s under would come forward with what will be allowed. Too much of a mystery.

[CHROMEBIRD]

It's the WWE. Those terms could be limited by an NDA.

Edited September 23, 2023 by CHROMEBIRD

[Wrestleknownothing]

57kg: Arujau - Arujau is just too fast and too technically sound for the field, even a helathy S. Lee

65kg: Lee - Lee has Diakomihalis' number, and now he has shown he can figure McKenna out. He may have been 7th at Worlds, but he was the third best 65 wrestler there.

74kg: Dake - this one worries me a bit. Something looked a tad off to me at Worlds. Is that what it was? Just a tad off. Or is time starting to move in the same direction for Dake as it is the rest of us?

86kg: Taylor - Too big, too strong, too fast for anyone in the world right now, and I do not see that changing in the next year.

97kg: Snyder - I do not see anyone domestically close to Snyder.

125kg: Parris - Parris showed his chops in Belgrade. The real deal internationally and a clear number one domestically. Rumor has it that there is a minor league, pretend wrestler who can challenge him, but for that to happen he would need to get a permission slip signed by his boss.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

22 hours ago, Pa in Taiwan said:

Taylor and Dake were committed to continuing their amateur wrestling careers. They kept at it, even when JB was beating them. They had firm goals that they single-mindedly pursued.  This is what cultivates greatness. You are too focused on early results. Dake and Taylor didn't get the results in their early freestyle years after finishing the NCAA careers, but can you argue that they haven't done well? Gable Steveson won the Olympics the same year he won NCAAs. He missed Worlds that year, and then, after demolishing the domestic field at hwt. and taking the spot in 2023, he dropped out of Worlds again. This is a pronounced lack of stability. I don't know what's going on in the young man's life, so I will not go so far as to say it's a lack of integrity. There may be issues that I am unaware of. One thing is for sure. He's not stable, as he qualified for Worlds and dropped out. Dake and Taylor have NEVER done that, and they never would. 

He has a job that pays him a lot of money.  That is his priority.

[lu1979]

57 kg - Vito A

65 Kg - Yianni

74 kg - Dake

86 Kg - DT

97 kg Snyder

125 kg - Gable 

If USAW is still offering the same award from the Living the Dream fund that they offered to JB in 2016 (and I think for Snyder in 2020) then a Gold in Paris could earn Gable $500K - the same would apply to Taylor - That is 10 Xs the amount Gable could have earned at this years WC.  I think he is going.

 

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

What if ...

[nhs67]

4 hours ago, ILLINIWrestlingBlog said:

What if ...

I thought the rumor was Byrd was heading up to 141?  That is the opposite direction from 57 KG.

[AnklePicker]

15 hours ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

57kg: Arujau - Arujau is just too fast and too technically sound for the field, even a helathy S. Lee

65kg: Lee - Lee has Diakomihalis' number, and now he has shown he can figure McKenna out. He may have been 7th at Worlds, but he was the third best 65 wrestler there.

74kg: Dake - this one worries me a bit. Something looked a tad off to me at Worlds. Is that what it was? Just a tad off. Or is time starting to move in the same direction for Dake as it is the rest of us?

86kg: Taylor - Too big, too strong, too fast for anyone in the world right now, and I do not see that changing in the next year.

97kg: Snyder - I do not see anyone domestically close to Snyder.

125kg: Parris - Parris showed his chops in Belgrade. The real deal internationally and a clear number one domestically. Rumor has it that there is a minor league, pretend wrestler who can challenge him, but for that to happen he would need to get a permission slip signed by his boss.

I think the weight cut has a big impact on Dake. Not quite a James Green at 65 level impact, but it def takes something out of him. Sidakov seems to be perfectly suited for 74kg. 

[11986]

On 9/23/2023 at 6:06 PM, Wrestleknownothing said:

57kg: Arujau - Arujau is just too fast and too technically sound for the field, even a helathy S. Lee

65kg: Lee - Lee has Diakomihalis' number, and now he has shown he can figure McKenna out. He may have been 7th at Worlds, but he was the third best 65 wrestler there.

74kg: Dake - this one worries me a bit. Something looked a tad off to me at Worlds. Is that what it was? Just a tad off. Or is time starting to move in the same direction for Dake as it is the rest of us?

86kg: Taylor - Too big, too strong, too fast for anyone in the world right now, and I do not see that changing in the next year.

97kg: Snyder - I do not see anyone domestically close to Snyder.

125kg: Parris - Parris showed his chops in Belgrade. The real deal internationally and a clear number one domestically. Rumor has it that there is a minor league, pretend wrestler who can challenge him, but for that to happen he would need to get a permission slip signed by his boss.

I really have not reasons to argue any of these on an individual basis. That said, other than Arujau dropping to get a spot it's exactly the same as this year's team. Just feel like there's a surprise or two coming. Taylor to me is the closest to a lock. Parris - Gable return? Gwiz maybe?. Snyder - J'Den?. Dake and maybe even Taylor -young blood hitting their peak?. Lee - Is this the class we have most change routinely? Yianni, Zain drops, McKenna, Alirez?. Vito - the cut. 

Look forward to seeing it play out and to the USA having a great showing in Paris. 

[peanut]

57 is interesting. Is there any chance a healed-up Spencer Lee competes for the spot? Can be Vito be effective at this weight? How will Suriano, Gilman, and Richards look? What are Ramos's chances?

[Wrestleknownothing]

36 minutes ago, peanut said:

57 is interesting. Is there any chance a healed-up Spencer Lee competes for the spot? Can be Vito be effective at this weight? How will Suriano, Gilman, and Richards look? What are Ramos's chances?

My single biggest question, too. We get our first data point in November with the Farrell. Does he sign up? If he signs up, does he compete?

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

1 minute ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

My single biggest question, too. We get our first data point in November with the Farrell. Does he sign up? If he signs up, does he compete?

You left something out: If he competes, does he finish the tourney?