Iowa wrestlers who actually wrestle "Iowa style"?

[alex1fly]

Iowa Style to me has always been push-heavy and stingy defense. Been watching them since the 90s.

[Nak21]

What is “Iowa Style”?

Would it be more appropriate to refer to it as “Gable Style”?? Because lately Iowa Style is 9 guys combining for 3 TDs and 7 stall calls (against). Gable Style hasn’t existed for 30 years…

When wrestling was invented in 2010, attacking, aggressive, scoring wrestling has been known as Penn State Style.

Iowa Style is pushing, shoving, hanging out on the edge, not scoring, while 2 midgets jump around and lead a few thousand fans in cheers of “he’s stalling!”…have we ever established which wrestler they were referring too? Could this be a moment of self reflection and a critique of their wrestler out there…kudos for calling it how they see it.

Ancient arguments from the pre-Cael era (commonly referred to as BCE - Before Cael Era) are best left for history and archeology message boards…

I kid…kinda…

[Fred]

Psychologists should do a study on the minds of psu bandwagon “wrestling fans” and find out why they are like this and how to help them

[bnwtwg]

Messenbrink is the first person I think of. Always moving forward, never runs out of gas, talking during the match, polarizing dirty tactics after the whistle such as the Burroughs match, doesn't lose very often but when he does it's The Biggest Upset Of All Time. He's as modern-day Iowa style as it gets.

[Pinnacle]

We have to first define Iowa style. Its either what we saw with Gable's teams or its what we see today. It cant be both because those two styles are not the same thing. 

Current style, I go with guys like Marinelli, Warner, Sorenson. 

[CHROMEBIRD]

MM reminds me more of college-era Taylor than one of Gable's guys. Off the top of my head, Retherford kind of reminded me of an old Iowa Style wrestler. Mesenbrink throttles his opponents with his constant attacks, but with Zain it just looked so much more painful, like a real punishment for anyone who stepped on the mat with him.

[11986]

18 minutes ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

MM reminds me more of college-era Taylor than one of Gable's guys. Off the top of my head, Retherford kind of reminded me of an old Iowa Style wrestler. Mesenbrink throttles his opponents with his constant attacks, but with Zain it just looked so much more painful, like a real punishment for anyone who stepped on the mat with him.

MM reminds me a little of Lincoln M, with pace and versatile attacks, but Taylor is a good call too. 

[NM1965]

22 hours ago, Winners Circle said:

Interestingly enough, in the loss to Lockett, Caliendo actually took no shots and was actually actively asking the ref for stall calls. 

That wasn't a good look for him. I thought he was acting like a little bitch. 

[bnwtwg]

17 hours ago, Pinnacle said:

We have to first define Iowa style. Its either what we saw with Gable's teams or its what we see today. It cant be both because those two styles are not the same thing. 

Current style, I go with guys like Marinelli, Warner, Sorenson. 

Jacob Warner was as anti-Iowa Style as it gets. He won't even take a shot at a pub on St. Patrick's Day.

Edited December 6, 2025 by bnwtwg

[Alces Alces Gigas]

Gable was coach for 20 seasons.   Its been 28 seasons since he was at the helm.  Gable was coach for 17% of Iowa's wrestling history.    Calling a style IOWA STYLE after a methodology that Gable perfected such a long time ago and for such a limited time is kinda crazy 

[Pinnacle]

59 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

Jacob Warner was as anti-Iowa Style as it gets. He won't even take a shot at a pub on St. Patrick's Day.

Anti Iowa who started 4 years at Iowa. This is the point, today's Iowa is not Gable's Iowa just as 4th place is not 1rst place.

[Husker_Du]

i actually think PK wrestles a Gable style (his last match notwithstanding) 

[bnwtwg]

4 hours ago, Pinnacle said:

Anti Iowa who started 4 years at Iowa. This is the point, today's Iowa is not Gable's Iowa just as 4th place is not 1rst place.

Are you saying modern Iowa isn't Gable style it's slowed down to

 

Gabe-L style?

[Pinnacle]

24 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

Are you saying modern Iowa isn't Gable style it's slowed down to

 

Gabe-L style?

 

+

[SocraTease]

On 12/5/2025 at 2:49 PM, 11986 said:

MM reminds me a little of Lincoln M, with pace and versatile attacks, but Taylor is a good call too. 

Taylor was slicker, smoother, and had a great top game (tilts, cradles, arm bars from crab rides, etc.) than MM.  MM techs guys but mostly from his feet.  He tries turning, but it usually doesn't score points, especially with better wrestlers.

As another point of comparison, Nolf had great pace (like MM) and also (arguably) a more vast and creative armament for attacks and scoring from both his feet and top position.  He was peers with DT in terms of technique but with greater force and fierceness (including fearlessness) as opposed to DT's relative "savoir faire"

[Hammerlock3]

On 12/5/2025 at 9:04 AM, headshuck said:

Nah, those days will never return. Most schools have equal conditioning. Any aggression is met with sharp technique.

your worst take ever

[DeadHead11]

Do you actually have to be good on the mat, or is that a PA thing?

[Maxwell Smart]

Hard to say PSU fans need a phycologist for band wagon jumping when they've dominated the last 15 years. Pretty sure band wagon jumping happens when an unexpected team starts winning. Look in the mirror, Fred, you need to make an appointment. You don't seem to have a grip on reality.

[Pinnacle]

1 hour ago, Maxwell Smart said:

Hard to say PSU fans need a phycologist for band wagon jumping when they've dominated the last 15 years. Pretty sure band wagon jumping happens when an unexpected team starts winning. Look in the mirror, Fred, you need to make an appointment. You don't seem to have a grip on reality.

 

Penn State fans and PA wrestling were always there, they just didn't have the hugely successful college program to match the statewide popularity of the sport. Now they do and its no wonder wrestling fans and families in the state are huge supporters of what Cael Sanderson has built. Its a dynasty. The detractors would be just as enthusiastic about their own program if they had this kind of success. 

[TexRef]

On 12/5/2025 at 12:47 PM, OMW said:

"it aint just seedy, its like a dumpster married a pigsty, had a fight with a busted neon sign, set the whole mess on fire. one joint smelled like fried regret and cheap cologne, another like a motel bed after a tornado of poor decisions, neon flickerin like a drunk possum on meth."

Is that Tulsa or Fresno?

It is BOTH!

[Caveira]

2 hours ago, Pinnacle said:

 

Penn State fans and PA wrestling were always there, they just didn't have the hugely successful college program to match the statewide popularity of the sport. Now they do and its no wonder wrestling fans and families in the state are huge supporters of what Cael Sanderson has built. Its a dynasty. The detractors would be just as enthusiastic about their own program if they had this kind of success. 

Sounds like pa fans needed a top tier team to support.   Seems pretty band wagon ish to me.   When this is over a huge chunk of the fan base will melt back into the eagles or Phillies fan base or wherever they came from.   

[Pinnacle]

2 hours ago, Caveira said:

Sounds like pa fans needed a top tier team to support.   Seems pretty band wagon ish to me.   When this is over a huge chunk of the fan base will melt back into the eagles or Phillies fan base or wherever they came from.   

Amateur take. 

PA fans have long supported the myriad programs in PA. If more support Penn State today than in years gone by, credit to Sanderson for "Growing the Sport". 

[Caveira]

2 minutes ago, Pinnacle said:

Amateur take. 

PA fans have long supported the myriad programs in PA. If more support Penn State today than in years gone by, credit to Sanderson for "Growing the Sport". 

That or the band wagon fans.   One or the other right ?

[Pinnacle]

7 minutes ago, Caveira said:

That or the band wagon fans.   One or the other right ?

In the minds of the Caveiras of the wrestling world. 

[Greenwave]

Remember when this was Iowa style?