The beef between Bo and DT - RAF match?

[BloodRound]

It just is damn near impossible to take anything BoJob Nickal says seriously anymore.  Can he just take the inevitable turn to Skip Bayless-level troll commentator already?

[MPhillips]

9 minutes ago, BloodRound said:

It just is damn near impossible to take anything BoJob Nickal says seriously anymore.

He's always been a dummy...

[Caveira]

1 hour ago, MPhillips said:

He's always been a dummy...

Google says his major was:

 

 Kinesiology and Exercise Science

[fishbane]

1 hour ago, The Kid said:

How couldn't he know his teammate was injured? If you think you're the best in the world, you're dropping regardless of what Taylor is doing.

I dunno, guys try and fit around teammates sometimes to their detriment.  You saw it with Starocci and Brooks in 2024 though Starocci ultimately failed to make 74kg and Taylor has said he regrets not moving up sooner.  Presumably he stayed at 165 because it was best for the lineup.  If Nickal thought he was the best in the world he might have also thought he could win at 97kg.  

Back in 2019-2021 I thought the Taylor-Nickal beef was manufactured by fans and pundits.  I thought Nickal was going up to 97kg regardless and there was nothing wrong with Taylor taking the wrestle-off extension.  This is the first I've seen Nickal seemingly acknowledge having a problem with it the wrestle-off extension.  Could be more regret for his own decision projected at Taylor.

[The Kid]

4 hours ago, fishbane said:

I dunno, guys try and fit around teammates sometimes to their detriment.  You saw it with Starocci and Brooks in 2024 though Starocci ultimately failed to make 74kg and Taylor has said he regrets not moving up sooner.  Presumably he stayed at 165 because it was best for the lineup.  If Nickal thought he was the best in the world he might have also thought he could win at 97kg.  

Back in 2019-2021 I thought the Taylor-Nickal beef was manufactured by fans and pundits.  I thought Nickal was going up to 97kg regardless and there was nothing wrong with Taylor taking the wrestle-off extension.  This is the first I've seen Nickal seemingly acknowledge having a problem with it the wrestle-off extension.  Could be more regret for his own decision projected at Taylor.

If you really think you're the best, you know you have to beat the best.  Whether it's a teammate or some guy from Cuba.  If you're afraid to wrestle a guy because of team commitments,  you're in the wrong sport.

Nickal was never a truly elite freestyle, even with his Richie Lewis gold medal.

[bnwtwg]

6 hours ago, MPhillips said:

He's always been a dummy...

But he will always lend a helping hand to his opponents

[Caveira]

12 minutes ago, The Kid said:

If you really think you're the best, you know you have to beat the best.  Whether it's a teammate or some guy from Cuba.  If you're afraid to wrestle a guy because of team commitments,  you're in the wrong sport.

Nickal was never a truly elite freestyle, even with his Richie Lewis gold medal.

He’ll get some heart one day and win a belt in the ufc for sure  lol.    Jk 

[jackwebster]

14 hours ago, Caveira said:

Google says his major was:

 

 Kinesiology and Exercise Science

ahhhhh ... the traditional springboard for the Masters in Leisure.

[Jammanex]

Wish Bo would just focus on getting better at fighting. He doesn’t seem fully committed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dogbone]

19 hours ago, fishbane said:

I dunno, guys try and fit around teammates sometimes to their detriment.  You saw it with Starocci and Brooks in 2024 though Starocci ultimately failed to make 74kg and Taylor has said he regrets not moving up sooner.  Presumably he stayed at 165 because it was best for the lineup.  If Nickal thought he was the best in the world he might have also thought he could win at 97kg.  

Back in 2019-2021 I thought the Taylor-Nickal beef was manufactured by fans and pundits.  I thought Nickal was going up to 97kg regardless and there was nothing wrong with Taylor taking the wrestle-off extension.  This is the first I've seen Nickal seemingly acknowledge having a problem with it the wrestle-off extension.  Could be more regret for his own decision projected at Taylor.

World Teams is different than doing whats best for the team lineup.  Carter didn't try and go 74KG out of respect for Brooks.   Just like Nickal wasn't avoiding all NLWC guys, just Taylor it seems. 

If Nickal didn't go his best weight then that's on him.   He was probably just scared of a healthy DT and is mad that DT wasn't healthy but doesn't have the ability to be accountable for his own decision so he is lashing out at DT. 

[fishbane]

41 minutes ago, Dogbone said:

World Teams is different than doing whats best for the team lineup.  Carter didn't try and go 74KG out of respect for Brooks.   Just like Nickal wasn't avoiding all NLWC guys, just Taylor it seems. 

If Nickal didn't go his best weight then that's on him.   He was probably just scared of a healthy DT and is mad that DT wasn't healthy but doesn't have the ability to be accountable for his own decision so he is lashing out at DT. 

I don't think Nickal was scared of Taylor in 2019.  Nickal was coming off a season at 197lbs and he weighed 92kg. Whether he picked 86, 92, or 97kg the path wasn't going to be easy.  The options were 86kg/David Taylor, 92kg/J'den Cox, and 97kg/Kyle Snyder.  Nickal was scared of Taylor so he went 92Kg where he'd have to beat Cox?  Cox had beaten DT for the 86kg spot in 2017 and won the world title at 92kg in 2018.  Making that choice out of fear of Taylor doesn't make much sense. 

NLWC didn't really have anyone at 92kg or 97kg that freestyle season.  Kyle Snyder was still at Ohio RTC.  Their only 92kg was Riley Lefever who wasn't a PSU alum and wasn't among the favorites to contend for the spot.  Nickal had some kind of training relationship with Taylor, but maybe less so with Lefever.  Taylor took him to Budapest as his training partner in 2018. Going 86kg means you have to beat the world champ and Taylor isn't going to be practicing with you or helping you anymore.  Staying at 92kg you still have to beat a world champ that is just as good, but you get to practice with David Taylor everyday.

The idea that Taylor had definitely decided he wasn't wrestling at Final X between his injury at BTS (May 6) and the start of the WTT (May 17) and intentionally withheld that information so that Nickal wouldn't give up his bye at 92kg and cut down always seemed really cynical to me.  Taylor barely had time to get some opinions and assess what he was capable of doing.   If Taylor actually did that and told Nickal that's what he did then Nickal has the right to be upset about it.

[Dogbone]

1 hour ago, fishbane said:

 

The idea that Taylor had definitely decided he wasn't wrestling at Final X between his injury at BTS (May 6) and the start of the WTT (May 17) and intentionally withheld that information so that Nickal wouldn't give up his bye at 92kg and cut down always seemed really cynical to me.  Taylor barely had time to get some opinions and assess what he was capable of doing.   If Taylor actually did that and told Nickal that's what he did then Nickal has the right to be upset about it.

So you are really cynical of the only expiation that would give rise to Bo hating DT.    And yet, there is no way that Bo chose 92 that year because he thought he a had a better chance of beating Cox, who had only lost to once before as opposed to DT who had probably handed him numerous defeats in the room?   That boy knew what a healthy DT would do to him.  If he thought 86 was his best weight then he would of went there.  He was scared.  Otherwise he has no reason to be mad at DT about it. 

Edited Wednesday at 06:31 PM by Dogbone

[fishbane]

1 hour ago, Dogbone said:

So you are really cynical of the only expiation that would give rise to Bo hating DT.    And yet, there is no way that Bo chose 92 that year because he thought he a had a better chance of beating Cox, who had only lost to once before as opposed to DT who had probably handed him numerous defeats in the room?   That boy knew what a healthy DT would do to him.  If he thought 86 was his best weight then he would of went there.  He was scared.  Otherwise he has no reason to be mad at DT about it. 

That's not the only explanation that results in Nickal hating Taylor.  It is just the only reasonable one tied to Taylor's injury and Final X 2019.  Nickal could primarily hate him for other reasons or it could be unreasonable hate. Taylor could have actually been getting second opinions and waiting to see how well he could wrestle in that condition.  He could have given no thought whatsoever to keeping Nickal at 92kg.  Nickal meanwhile had an unreasonable expectation that Taylor should have decided to go under the knife within 10 days of the injury so as to give him enough time to cut weight and change his registration for the WTT.  Spencer Lee had two torn ACLs and he took like 9-10 months to decide to have surgery.  Taylor was supposed to make this decision in 9-10 days because it would better suit Nickal?  That's unreasonable.

It's possible Nickal thought he had a better chance at beating Cox.  I wouldn't expect it to be his primary motivation for going 92kg vs 86kg or 97kg. I don't know that your conjecture about what happens in the room really matters.  Yianni Diakomihalis had said the first time he had ever beaten Jordan Oliver in a wrestling competition of any kind even 1 min situations in the room was in the semifinals of the US Open in 2019.  I would guess that Nickal primarily was interested in maintaining his training situation in 2019 and thought that the ability to train with Taylor for another year would give him the best shot at making the Olympic team.

[ionel]

On 7/15/2025 at 12:42 PM, MPhillips said:

He's always been a dummy...

Is that your two cents or are you giving us the full nickal? 

[MPhillips]

5 minutes ago, ionel said:

Is that your two cents or are you giving us the full nickal? 

My nickal isn't even worth a nickal...

[MidniteToka]

Maybe the reason BN seems to dislike DT is more of a personal one.

DT has a family with kids, was the coach picked to take over one of the top college programs in the country, is (was?) a successful businessman, and is pretty much universally liked and respected.

BN gets his azz kicked for a living and has a podcast with a couple of head nodders. 

[The Kid]

12 minutes ago, MidniteToka said:

Maybe the reason BN seems to dislike DT is more of a personal one.

DT has a family with kids, was the coach picked to take over one of the top college programs in the country, is (was?) a successful businessman, and is pretty much universally liked and respected.

BN gets his azz kicked for a living and has a podcast with a couple 

 

David Taylor's gone away
Said he coaching at oak state 
There's not a soul I know around
Even Starrocci's leavin' town

Some caught a freight, some caught a plane
Find the sunshine leave the rain
They said, "This town'll waste your time"
I guess they're right, it's wastin' mine

Some gotta win, some gotta lose
Good time Bo Nickal got the blues
Good time Bo Nickal got the blues

You know my heart keeps telling me
You're not a kid at twenty nine
You play around, you lose your wife
You play too long, you lose your life

I got my pills to ease the pain
Can't find a thing to ease the rain
I'd love to try and settle down
But  David Taylor is leavin' town

Some gotta win, some gotta lose
Good time Bo Nickal got the blues
Good time Bo Nickall got the blues

song credits to Danny Okeefe

Edited Thursday at 01:39 AM by The Kid

[alex1fly]

15 hours ago, MidniteToka said:

Maybe the reason BN seems to dislike DT is more of a personal one.

DT has a family with kids, was the coach picked to take over one of the top college programs in the country, is (was?) a successful businessman, and is pretty much universally liked and respected.

BN gets his azz kicked for a living and has a podcast with a couple of head nodders. 

Yeah. Jealousy for sure.
 

It’s very un-wrestling to whine and complain and air out years-old beefs with the most famous guy in the sport (who has no interest in you)

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

I believe Brooks alluded to issues with DT/Nickal in 2019 in a Basch interview.