Spladle08

74 kg semis are hot fire Salk vs Kadi and Bayramov vs Chamizo

65kg Skriabin is about the most notable but Aliyev meets Dudaev in the semis.

No discussion? Atli and Lehr lost at 57kg already, I'm diving in now

The Asian qualifier will add some hurdles at both weights as well. Be excited

It's a mystery who we will send. Prime Lee is hard to pick against, as is prime Vito. I think most Americans (as you predicted) favor those 2. But between Lee's time off, and Vito's weight cut, who knows? Suriano, Fix, Gilman, etc.... Our format for determining the possible reps gives everyone a shot and there's a realistic chance neither Lee nor Vito make it to the best of 3 final. I'm hopeful our rep is quality and performs at his best at the qualifier and Olympics, but I can't confidently back anyone as "most likely to win the trials"

Dude is a monster and absolutely can win World and Olympic titles if he decides. DT is likely gone after this year, feels like Snyderman has one more cycle left. Brooks at 86 seems to fit like a glove if he wants to stay trimmed down... yeah 86kg if DT quits, but 92kg if DT wants to go a few more would make for a great team.

*Any wrestler who is clearly a coin-flip with all of the top guys, can get hot in March and win a few coin-flips in a row, even if they lost a head scratcher. Is what I think you meant to type. This thread will fill up but there's been many many many ridiculous "Upsets" just randomly in duals or early season tournaments. (Get excited, I'm hoping some people reference ones I've forgotten)

I was about to post this, glad I checked to see if anyone else did... Geeeeeeez 74 and 86kg are loaded with talent. Some monsters are going to end up at last chance. As far as what we are concerned about 57kg our rep can beat the whole bracket but at least 2 guys that could provide difficult hurdles won't make it. 65kg: Similar at least one of Aliyev/Skriabin/Dudaev wont make it, and then guys like, Arsamerzouev, Arushanian, Dzebisashvili, and even Kizhan (Andre) Clarke, could spring upsets on whoever we send to last chance. I remain more nervous about 65kg than I am about 57kg

He was close to doing the unthinkable, but training to beat one guy tends to be different than training to beat the world (see. Marstellar). I maintain, IMAR was a PHENOMENAL wrestler! Your name says it all, so I won't try to win a debate but..... no buts. Side note: Iranians learn an underhook series designed for freestyle success, like American's learn unnecessary motion. So Yaz = underhook basically applies to any Iranian who wins. But I get where you're going, sometimes being great at 1 thing is enough. Burroughs heck Cael, John Smith. They didn't have a lot but they had something unstoppable

Going to have to agree to disagree on this one. I absolutely believe Mark could've dialed it back and worked his way down to 74kg. Staying at 79kg would've helped. I think he saw the roadblocks that Dake and JB presented and just said, "Why kill myself year round when we have World champions at 3 weights in a row." and just kind of accepted being 2-4th in line at a more comfortable weight. Great wrestler but one of the many that existed when you had to be the best in the world to represent the USA above 70kg

My shoulder has been "tweaked" for years. Every-time I roll with HS kids, its just a matter of time before it goes "Screw you" and I'm useless. Can't imagine having that feeling when you have immense talent and are striving towards something meaningful. Unspectular end of a spectacular rassler

I thought he took 2nd at worlds the year before Richards went.... let me look this up . Yeah 2022 when he lost to Abakarov. Oh then Pan Ams in 23, was there an allowance there? I don't know man, I feel like he is reaching the end of his run and this might be his last rodeo. I just can't see him letting the scale be an issue. Dude is consistently at the top domestically. I don't think anything has changed, but I'm fully aware anyone can be beaten with our stable of 57kg monsters.

The demise of Gilman has been greatly exaggerated. Obviously 57kg is impossible to predict but aside from completely sh*tting the bed against Richards, what are yall basing this on? Dude is a terror vs international opponents, just seems built for the weight. Whoever we send is going to do great but I don't doubt Gilman vs anyone in the bracket.

Not to make this an IMAR thread. But I don't think he would've ever had enough to be consistently effective on the world stage. From gas tank issues, to being kind of one dimensional. His approach gave Americans a lot of issues but I don't think it was going to translate. Just another Nick Marable, better than I'll ever be, but had a ceiling.

Theres 0% chance if Fix continues wrestling he will do it up at 65kg. He's not a dominant force on the world stage as is. (Coming from me, an Oklahoman and Fix fan) He will ABSOLUTELY go 57kg for the Olympics and 61kg for non-olympic worlds. Or if Vito becomes this hurdle he can't overcome , maybe he will go the opposite weight of Vito for the foreseeable..... Going 65kg is just "punting" his career. Similar to Mark Hall at 86kg. "I want to be around the sport but I'm done trying to actually win a world title"

So to understand your point. No consequences for anything on the edge of the mat makes for a superior product? I can see encouraging wrestling in the center of the mat is not entertaining to you, and I will try to adjust my views moving forward.

This seems to be a knock on folkstyle? I'm not following

Other posters: I'd prefer they have to stay on the mat and wrestle instead of run away like cowards. Folkstlye Weirdos: If you can't run away to prevent the attacking wrestler from scoring why even wrestle the match?

Care to elaborate?

Everything related to the Olympics.

For real though. The way DC and JB creamed over the new scoring. I feel like next year its going to be 6pt takedowns 10pt nearfall and 3pt pushout I kid, a bit. 1pt push out would be EVERYTHING. It'd be more of a game-changer than the Heil rule

Feel like this is a yearly debate immediately after NCAA's. (I've always been on the side of the pushout rule for Folk it's real real gross how we play the edge, I complained last night and my wife said "So he's cheating, why would you stand on the side to keep anyone from scoring?"..... I was like its not technically cheating but its another reason we need a pushout point) Also the second yearly debate comes up right after trials. When a "New to Freestyle" fan, has their favorite wrestler get laced or can't roll directly to their back or loses on criteria.... Freestyle is now dumb and the world should conform to folk. Finally at the Olympics (Or worlds) when somebody get crunched round 1, the folkstyle fans tuning in for the Olympics will still complain about the scoring BUT........ now there is a glaring conspiracy to have a USA athlete "Travel so far" and "work so hard" only to get one match! "Forget that, we need full wrestle-backs, because I, as a folkstyle fan, only know that format and we are the greatest country in the world so we must make others conform. Heck Freestyle doesnt even give you time to work. How can a guy get any mat returns when the other guy just lays there. Thats Stalling if you ask me. That guys just holding center if you want to be honest. Our American guy has faked as least 10 shot attempts and that other guy isn't even moving all that much. I know its 6-1 for the other guy but he has literally 0 shot fakes. ITS BULLSH*T!" I Italiansized that fake quote, Im becoming a whiz on this here computer.

Man MitchMes is good. Also, happy for Carr there was confusion on the score. That booger blocking his breathing really slowed him down

Kudiev even has a win over Bajrang. He's tough. But I get it, you will argue to the death.

Yeah so the second match was to Kudiev who is tough. And I dont think James G is an olympic medalist. But I think Mamedov is that quality, and losing to the guy that just teched him, isn't the worst thing. Yes JG isn't remotely close to an Olympic medal. but also Yes JG looked less than helpless in his first event down at 65kg in while. *I expected worse