Who are the top 5 D1 College HWTS of all time?

[NM1965]

How do you guys have them ranked? Here's my top 5:

1. Gable Steveson
2. Kyle Snyder
3. Stephen Neal
4. Jimmy Jackson
5. Chris Taylor

[PortaJohn]

Just now, NM1965 said:

How do you guys have them ranked? Here's my top 5:

1. Gable Steveson
2. Kyle Snyder
3. Stephen Neal
4. Jimmy Jackson
5. Chris Taylor

No Haselrig?  Come on man

[NM1965]

Just now, PortaJohn said:

No Haselrig?  Come on man

That skinny punk? Plus, he was D2, technically.

[PortaJohn]

3 minutes ago, NM1965 said:

That skinny punk? Plus, he was D2, technically.

That skinny punk was a junior gold medalist in Greco and Freestyle.  Set a NCAA record of 122 consecutive wins and has a win over Kurt Angle

[jchapman]

Earl McCready went three for three with three falls in the finals.

Dick Hutton was 3X NC, 4X Finalist.

[Truzzcat]

Haselrig has to be on there, I may slot gwiz in as well top 2 seems locked.

[NM1965]

2 minutes ago, Truzzcat said:

Haselrig has to be on there, I may slot gwiz in as well top 2 seems locked.

Haselrig was D2, actually. 

[GeneYus]

Dude, Haselrig was a 3x D1 champion. 

[MPhillips]

3 minutes ago, NM1965 said:

Haselrig was D2, actually. 

Haselrig wrestled for University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He is the only person to ever win six NCAA titles in wrestling, three times in Division II and three times in Division I...

[boconnell]

I'd put Konrad in there.  Mocco is probably near the top of these lists if Konrad doesn't exist.  Nobody has ever had more usable size in the limited heavyweight era.  It was impossible to hold the center of the mat against him, but it was impossible to attack him.  So you just got walked backwards as inevitability set in. 

[PortaJohn]

2 minutes ago, boconnell said:

I'd put Konrad in there.  Mocco is probably near the top of these lists if Konrad doesn't exist.  Nobody has ever had more usable size in the limited heavyweight era.  It was impossible to hold the center of the mat against him, but it was impossible to attack him.  So you just got walked backwards as inevitability set in. 

That's why these list are hard to do.  On one hand you rank based on who the competitor wrestled during their era.  On the other hand someone like Mocco would wipe the floor against Jimmy Jackson or Chris Taylor.  Classic Babe Ruth problem 

[jchapman]

3 minutes ago, PortaJohn said:

That's why these list are hard to do.  On one hand you rank based on who the competitor wrestled during their era.  On the other hand someone like Mocco would wipe the floor against Jimmy Jackson or Chris Taylor.  Classic Babe Ruth problem 

You really think Mocco would wipe the floor with Jackson and Taylor?  Jackson was an Olympian as a 19 year old, and Taylor was an Olympic Medalist.  Both guys were way bigger than Konrad, and Mocco didn't wipe the floor with Konrad.

[Elevator]

36 minutes ago, jchapman said:

Earl McCready went three for three with three falls in the finals.

Dick Hutton was 3X NC, 4X Finalist.

better to have a top ten list!

[NM1965]

3 minutes ago, Elevator said:

better to have a top ten list!

We can't do that. If we do that we'll end up making the list 20 guys long, then 50, then 200. Eventually I'll be on the list. 

[NM1965]

22 minutes ago, GeneYus said:

Dude, Haselrig was a 3x D1 champion. 

True, but he was a D2 wrestler! 

[NM1965]

20 minutes ago, boconnell said:

I'd put Konrad in there.  Mocco is probably near the top of these lists if Konrad doesn't exist.  Nobody has ever had more usable size in the limited heavyweight era.  It was impossible to hold the center of the mat against him, but it was impossible to attack him.  So you just got walked backwards as inevitability set in. 

I almost put Konrad on my list. I really enjoyed the rivalry between Konrad and Mocco, both were superb heavies. 

[PortaJohn]

11 minutes ago, jchapman said:

You really think Mocco would wipe the floor with Jackson and Taylor?  Jackson was an Olympian as a 19 year old, and Taylor was an Olympic Medalist.  Both guys were way bigger than Konrad, and Mocco didn't wipe the floor with Konrad.

Yes with the skill set Mocco had during his era he would've wiped the floor with them.  Which leads to the next issue and that is if Jackson and Taylor grew up during the same era with Mocco does that statement hold true.given that they could've had the same access to youth programs like Mocco did.  It's why these rankings are always a pain in the arse

[Wrestleknownothing]

12 minutes ago, NM1965 said:

True, but he was a D2 wrestler! 

It is fair to say he was also a D2 wrestler, just as he was also a D1 wrestler, as evidenced by those three D1 titles. Using today's distinctions to quantify the past often does not work.

[mspart]

Howard Harris of Oregon State.   He pinned his way through the NCAA tourney ending with a pin of Big Bruce.   He was on the 1980 Olympic Team.  

mspart

Edited May 30 by mspart

[NM1965]

17 minutes ago, PortaJohn said:

That's why these list are hard to do.  On one hand you rank based on who the competitor wrestled during their era.  On the other hand someone like Mocco would wipe the floor against Jimmy Jackson or Chris Taylor.  Classic Babe Ruth problem 

Not a chance. Chris Taylor or Jackson would turn Mocco into a greasy spot. I remember watching those giants and they did bad things to guys around Mocco's size!

[NM1965]

13 minutes ago, PortaJohn said:

Yes with the skill set Mocco had during his era he would've wiped the floor with them.  Which leads to the next issue and that is if Jackson and Taylor grew up during the same era with Mocco does that statement hold true.given that they could've had the same access to youth programs like Mocco did.  It's why these rankings are always a pain in the arse

In that case neither would've ever wrestled Mocco since they both would've outgrown 285 pounds by the time they graduated HS. 

[NM1965]

3 minutes ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

It is fair to say he was also a D2 wrestler, just as he was also a D1 wrestler, as evidenced by those three D1 titles. Using today's distinctions to quantify the past often does not work.

He was enrolled at D2 school. More importantly, however, is that I forget Haselrig and he wasn't on my list of top D1 wrestlers. So...by technicality he didn't make the list! 

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

1 hour ago, NM1965 said:

How do you guys have them ranked? Here's my top 5:

1. Gable Steveson
2. Kyle Snyder
3. Stephen Neal
4. Jimmy Jackson
5. Chris Taylor

I've "only" been following since '83-'84ish.  I'd say this is a pretty good list, but night put Neal over Snyder.  Snyder has that 3rd NCAA title, but no way can I see prime Snyder beating prime Neal 6 out of 10 times.  I can't see it.

I also have a soft spot for Haselrig (same d2 conference, same era).  There are other worthy additions, but this is pretty good.  It would obviously be different it it were "285."

[Wrestleknownothing]

26 minutes ago, NM1965 said:

He was enrolled at D2 school. More importantly, however, is that I forget Haselrig and he wasn't on my list of top D1 wrestlers. So...by technicality he didn't make the list! 

As I have often used identical criteria, I withdraw my objection, your honor.

[ionel]

Hutton McCready have to be some combination of 1 & 2.