ILLINIWrestlingBlog

5 hours ago, wrestle87 said:

What happens in every other front head and every headlock in the sport?

What's funny is that you use the words "front head" and "headlock" but completely ignore the meaning of those words. These are pretty simple words. Let's think about them. The hold is a lock around the head (and the chin is part of the head). Significantly, the neck is not part of the head. If the rules allowed strangulation, they would've called it a necklock. That's why you see refs bending down to see what the lock is around. If it's around the head = legal. If it's around the neck = illegal. 

But, you know, that's a pretty funny new word. Necklock. So, maybe we call him "Aaron Necklock Nagao" or just good ol' "Necklock."  

It is my theory that Nagao fled Minnesota because of the nickname that I gave him: The Gopher Choker. Although Rhyme Zone doesn't include "Choker," I believe that it belongs there just as much as "Clover," which is there and a 92 on their scale. 

But Nagao can't escape the internet, so I am proposing a new nickname: "Aaron Nagarrotte." 

@jajensen09 is a  poster. Be a fan. Root for your team. Root against other teams. 

29 minutes ago, CHICAGOSUMO said:

The top 70 guys get around 8k-12k USD a month, and the lower rankers get maybe 600-800 a month, an allowance basically. But the stables provide room and board for the lower guys, although the higher ranked guys like to get their own apartments and girlfriends and such. There are a bunch of other ways they get money too, incentives for attending the tournaments, money for wins, big time businessmen take them out and buy them gifts, plus money for ads and events.

I came across this forum when doing a search for sumo. I don't know if I am allowed to promote it here, but there a bunch of clubs in the US where one can do sumo now. We even have Yama, a former pro, coaching us sometimes.

Wow! This is so cool! I hope you continue to post here. I've been busy with American high school and college folkstyle, so I haven't posted about the current basho. You could tell us your thoughts about that, any national or international tournaments you and your teammates are wrestling, your practices, etc. 

It would be great to have another American in the upper divisions of the Japanese Sumo Association. Another person or persons to cheer for. Good luck!

Another reason I haven't posted about the current basho is because my favorite wrestlers are getting CRUSHED. The giant Yokozuna Terunofuji is 2-4, Sumo Elvis Kirishima is also 2-4, and Hokutofuji is 1-5. Another favorite Takarafuji was bounced down to a lower division, and even there, he's 3-3. Hakkeyoi!

Let's say you have a bank vault with a timed-lock that won't open until March 21 at 11:35 am. Inside the bank vault--if you could see inside the bank vault--is Carter Starocci and Shane Griffith. But you can't see inside the vault because it's made of good Pennsylvania steel. 

Can we tell the wrestling condition of the wrestlers?

No. Not until that bank vault is opened. Their condition could range anywhere from "A" (perfect wrestling condition) to "Z" (on crutches). There's no way of knowing. 

6 hours ago, BAC said:

  He ran the table three times in a row and he's going to do it again.  Its everyone else.  

Wrestlers are awesome! We live in a culture that prizes toughness. Expects it. Our motto is not "Chop Suey, Carry the One" for a reason. We expect our champions to have almost super-human powers and abilities. Other sports fans see it differently. 

MMA fights get canceled all the time for less serious injuries. If a two-year old pulled a tendon two weeks before the starting gate at the Derby, that animal would be a scratch and would not be allowed to race. Would not be allowed to race. 

We expect our wrestlers to fight through pain and injury. That's why so many folks believe in Spencer Lee, even though he stands on two Jenga towers. One Austin Powers Judo Chop in the right place, and he would have to injury default. 

I 100% get it. 

Back in 2015, Jesse Delgado was a returning three-time All American and two-time NCAA Champion. Yet, he had an injury that year. That injury caused him to be unseeded in the 2015 NCAA tournament. It especially sucked for the #8 seed Tyler Cox of Wyoming, his first round opponent. 

As a Delgado fan, I wanted to believe that he would win. I'm sure he believed he could win. 

And he did in the first round. Poor Tyler Cox lost a close 2-3 decision to the two-time NCAA Champion. Then, in the next round, Jesse lost 2-4. In the wrestlebacks--something the ILLINI hadn't seen since his redshirt freshman year--he was forced to injury default at the 2:52 mark to a 17-9 wrestler. 

Not only are Starocci and Griffith a risk to default their first match, but they are at heightened risk every match after that as they face increasingly better opponents. It is a shame. Injuries suck. The NCAA should not allow them to happen, but somehow injuries still happen. 

What I see in the top portion of the 174 bracket are a lot of "ifs." 

If Starocci and Griffith have sufficiently recovered from their injuries. If they have had the ability to get into match shape in time for the tournament. If their timing isn't off. If they don't injury default before, during or after their first-, second-, third- or fourth-round matches. The big "What If" in my mind, though, is this: What if the top bracket just got two injury defaults? 

I will be in the Main Concourse of the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City to sign my book Chop Suey and Carry the One. 

In my impartial opinion based upon years as a respected wrestling journalist, I've got Edmond Ruth for the win here. Before I change my mind, I want to see proof of life videos from Stall Rocky and Griffith. Earlier today, somebody posted a video on social media of Starocci giving an interview in front of a window showing PSU wrestlers practicing in the background. Not proof. 

I demand a video of both of them practicing, then walking over to the camera while picking up that day's newspaper. This is nonnegotiable.

Just wait until folks figure out NIL and product placement. I don't know why they haven't yet. But when they do, you'll wish they were thanking a higher being and not a beverage.  

Quote

"Excuse me while I take a sip of my Monster Energy Drink. **GULP** Ahhhh! It's cool and refreshing, and it will 'unleash the beast' in you. Shane, did you know that drinking a Monster Energy drink 10 to 60 minutes before you exercise improves overall athletic performance, including focus, alertness and endurance? **TURNS FROM SHANE TO CAMERA MAKING SURE LABEL FACES AUDIENCE** Thank you, Monster Energy Drink!"

What about seeds? I haven't done a deep dive, but I'm a respected and impartial wrestling journalist, so let me give it a go, keeping in mind the respected part and the impartial part:

1.  Mekhi Lewis (undefeated; won conference)

2. Cade DeVos (should be lower for putting a capital letter in the middle of name; only one loss, one less than Ruth)

3. Edmond Ruth (DeVos won his conference and Cliff Keen; Edmond won conference and Midlands)

4. Danny Braunagel (4-0 on the year, won Lindenwood, will be wrestling unattached at NCAAs)

5. Carter Stall Rocky (last place in conference; two losses)

6. Shane Griffith (second in conference; three losses)

7-33. Nobody cares 

3 hours ago, flyingcement said:

Edmund was first to Illinois and Ed shortly thereafter.  The timing was so close to make you wonder if the conversations were being had as a packaged deal

Not a package deal, but a lot of great things coming together in about six months:

ED RUTH -- Coaching announcement in July 2021.

ILLINOIS MATMAN OPEN -- in December 2021. ILLINI wrestled there, as did Edmond Ruth unattached. He won. 

EDMOND RUTH -- Recruiting announcement in January 2022. 

They were saying "Ruuuuuthhh" when his name was announced. 

At the third quarter board meeting at Cliff Keen and NLWC, Inc., how do you think they will judge ROI for their respective products, the North Michigan Trees and the Cal Penn Gophers? 

Just had my annual pilgrimage (visited the site) to Mecca (the police blotter). The ILLINI wrestlers are either really in the NCAA tournament or really, really out, but this was still fun. Great service to the community! It's also funny that it's called the police blotter. 

14 minutes ago, Antitroll2828 said:

Ok that’s already been addressed by me in a post before yours , and it’s not slandering someone by bringing up something they did lol 

But what you wrote was a malicious lie. 

10 minutes ago, hawkguy said:

You talking about the Kennedy who almost teched braunagle last year?

No, I'm talking about both the Brawlnagels, who were Covid-year All Americans. Are you talking about the Kennedy who made Round of 16 one time, and who is best known for losing wrestle-offs?

9 minutes ago, Pinnacle said:

Kennedy is like a Braunagle but maybe 10 to 15 percent more talented.

Are you talking about the Kennedy running for president, the dead Kennedy, or the Kennedy who earned an Olympic red shirt and wrestled at Final X? 

Ohio State's Rocco Welsh is seriously tatted up. Not IMAR level, but he's making a statement protected by his First Amendment Free Speech rights! He's also beaten by Braxton Brown who has a full sleeve. 

Patrick Adams of Northwestern needs a tattoo really, really bad. He looks way too un-menacing otherwise. If not a tattoo, then I'd suggest a mohawk. As it stands, it looks like he just left Science Lab. Or, he wrestles for Duke. Brody Teske and Nick Bouzakis wrestled an all-tat match, but they both look like they asked for Lilac ink. Touch-ups are necessary, boys! 

As an impartial and professional independent wrestling journalist, I'm going to award best-ever tattoo in the Big Ten wrestling tournament to four-time B1G champ Isaiah Martinez:

1 hour ago, GreatWhiteNorth said:

In your view, what would be the advisable way for this, theoretical, person to follow up in this thread?

You can praise IMAR for not advising anybody to get a tattoo, as he does in the full-length video, or maybe both Coaches for providing the hard facts about tats in the podcast: They hurt like ****! 

I don't have a tattoo myself, but I think a good tat is pretty cool. I think a great tat is awesome! In fact, I'm going to give JOMBO™ a tattoo (totally my idea) in his next strip. 

And when I do give JOMBO™ a tat (an idea that is totally mine), it will be backwards, of course, because he did it himself using the mirror at the jail in the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, and that mirror is made of polished metal, and, moreover, he doesn't understand the concept of lateral inversion.

You don't want to know how he got the black and yellow colors. Just try not to think about it. 

1 hour ago, ionel said:

Can you do one on Jombo's tats?  

I should have thought of this first! I blame you for thinking of it first. 

Brian Swaw and I did an interview with Isaiah Martinez yesterday, and the talk eventually made its way to his tattoos. I personally think his arm tat is mankind's greatest achievement. Coach Poeta favors his ankle tattoo. So far, we know that Coaches Poeta and Imar have ILLINI Wrestling tattoos, and so do AAs Jordan Blanton, Jimmy Kennedy and John Wise. 

We want to do a future podcast on wrestling tattoos, so if you know of any, drop me a line. The tats must be specifically related to wrestling, although a wrestler with a cool prison face tattoo might be considered. Anyway, this is the short trailer for the podcast, which can be found here:

Zach Glazier by far. There should be one face on this Mount Rushmore. But, you can put a plaque of Garrett Joles down in the park somewhere along the trails. I had considered both of them to be kind of stiff, meat-and-potato-type wrestlers but they showed out this year, especially Glazier. If not for a knee injury and surgery, I'd have the ILLINI's Isiah Pettigrew on this list. He could still surprise! 

I think this says something about 197 this year in college wrestling. I don't know what it says about it, but something. 

This is going to take a while, so you might want to go grab a beer. We'll need a legend to keep track of everything. So here's the legend:

LEGEND

OLYMPIC RED SHIRT

MEDICAL RED SHIRT

INJURY

SURGERY 

REGULAR RED SHIRT

125. CARDANI. He missed last season because of an INJURY that required SURGERY. He has worn a large shoulder brace all this season. 

133.  BYRD/MADRIGAL.  This was a double-whammy. Over the Summer Lucas Byrd was going to qualify for the Olympics in Greco. He was signed up to do so, and he's made age-group teams in the past. My money would've been on him, but he suffered an INJURY to his hand/wrist. I don't know if it required SURGERY but suspect that it did. He's had either padding or a brace on his hand/wrist for months. He had to take a MEDICAL RED SHIRT. Luckily, Tony Madrigal wanted to finish up his eligibility at the U of I. Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring INJURY pretty early in the season and missed duals. He came back and suffered a re-INJURY of the hamstring. Good news is that he's back and looks great. 

141.  PUCINO. Unknown INJURY or illness kept him out of a couple duals this season. 

149.  WEBSTER. The question was whether he would take his true Freshman redshirt. In the end, the decision was made to take a REGULAR RED SHIRT. The good news is that Kannon and Braeden Scoles showed up at the Zingo Nationals and cradled everybody from the ticket-taker to the referees. 

157.  ROBERTS. A lot happened here. Austin O'Connor became an assistant coach, and wrestled with Joe. He said Joe has what it takes to challenge for the podium. But, Joe had some concussion issues. He had a re-INJURY during the season. On top of that, he suffered an INJURY to his hand, which caused him to miss duals and eventually wear a wrap that looked like an oven mitt. 

165.  LITTLE BRAWNY. He is training for his shot at the Olympics and is wearing an OLYMPIC RED SHIRT. The good news here is that he has apparently become even better at hand-fighting because, hey, you know, hand-fighting is what Greco dudes do. 

184.  CONNELL. Dylan had an INJURY to his foot/ankle early in the season. He then had a re-INJURY to the same foot/ankle at Midlands. The good news: He should now be healthy and have his gas tank back. Only 8 auto-bids at this weight at the Big Ten tournament, so he'll need to kick butt. 

197.  THICC BRAWNY/PETTIGREW. OMG. Where do we even start? The Brawlnagel is on an OLYMPIC RED SHIRT. Isiah Pettigrew was doing well in the lineup and then suffered a knee INJURY. He had SURGERY and came back about a month later. What a BAMF!

285.  LUFFMAN. Big Luuuke had an INJURY that required SURGERY. He will hopefully have a MEDICAL RED SHIRT for this season. If not, he still has eligibility remaining. 

CORRECTION OR QUESTION

I wrote in a post above that Purdue's Hayden Copass would be wrestling in the BTT, and that would be his first match of the season. That information came from FloWrestling here. On themat.com that is not the case. This is what they have at heavyweight: "14. Hayden Filipovich (PUR)." Another site has Filipovich as well. 

So? Is this another Teske situation or is FloWrestling out to lunch? 

QUESTION

How do you get "Wrathgee" out of "Rathjen." That just pisses me off. 

I usually post my "They terk ar seeds" meme on this day, but I can actually live with the ILLINI seeds. Edmond Ruth and Tony Madrigal are your two Big Champs from ILLINOIS. The only question is whether Rocco Welsh chooses bottom.

Choose your poison carefully, young Buckeye! 

Madrigal is the old vet who was hampered by injury all season. He's been on fire since coming back and has the talent to win. Danny Pucino with the nice bump will not have to see Jesse Mendez for an extra match. He gets Real Woods instead, and word is that Real is gassed and lying on a mat belly down somewhere right now. 

They did my boy Jake Harrier wrong, but Dylan D'Emilio is 2-2 against ILLINI in the past. So, that's a push. 

Interesting for Purdue fans--who we all hate--Hayden Copass is wrestling his first match of the season at the Big Ten Tournament. Anyway, here's that meme for any seed sufferers out there: 

Cruz has had a freestyle career that has included wrestling in as many tournaments as possible. He had a smart strategy in this match: Back up for six minutes. He knew it would probably cost him a couple of points, but he banked on his ability to reattack. That ability was increased because Zane had to dive full-length to even touch his legs. 

I'm sure Zane would trade his three wins over Cruz for this one loss. 

My one question for rule geeks is this: Once Zane was grounded and pushed out of bounds, shouldn't the ref have blown his whistle? I believe the point awarded to Cruz came from them going out of bounds, then Cruz lifting Zane up.

For the millions of Zaniacs out there, you can bet he'll be back. Every match at OTT will be tough, so everybody has to be in top condition and have managed their cut. 

Nobody beats Darian Cruz four times in a row.