2025 NCAA Wrestling Thread

UltimateGround
3795

the other thing i forgot concerning RAF…

in the pre-event presser the company brass (can’t remember dudes name… he is the one next to izzy who actually can string coherent sentences together) mentioned they are “close” to a weekly show that would showcase some of the lesser name wrestlers and give many others the opportunity to start building a bigger brand that would spill over into the “big” monthly shows…

if RAF is able to sustain that for any real length of time this org might be viable for the long haul…

3796

Finally watched this last night.

This is not the same Hawkeyes from years past.

The coaches may not have lost their passion, but maybe they aren’t getting through to their athletes the same way.

Between the transfer portal and lackluster performances from their homegrown wrestlers, it was hard to watch as an Iowa fan.

1 Like
3797

i was not able to watch the dual live, but, was paying attention to match updates and had a buddy texting as well…

and of course there have been all sorts of forum nerds on another forum (shockingly i am not allowed to participate) who mostly are iowa haters and have all sorts of opinions that are some of the worst takes ever…

regardless of nerds talking shit, the fact remains that 40% of Iowa’s offensive points were scored by one guy… caliendo…

that is shameful…

i have watched so many of those kids through HS and into college and it never ceases to amaze me how none of them are able to pull the trigger anymore unless they are wrestling scrubs…

what happened?

i am well known for being anti-folk because the rule set rewards not wrestling… wrestlers have gotten so good defensively that it is very hard to score on with the rules as they are…

i really think this is endemic of the sport at the collegiate level as a whole… so many kids who used to put up big points and very active attacking throughout HS get to college where winning is the only thing that matters and it seems as if there is too much risk to attack and most are content just getting a lead however and working to protect that lead and hopefully winning 3-2…

it makes it unbearable for me to watch at times…

and this is not just an Iowa thing… i could point to examples at every of the big schools…

when otto was at iows he really liked it there… loved the training schedule… in the 6(ish) months he was there he was never sore after training… i only mention this because of the constant narrative by those who have never stepped foot in that room that iowa over trains and beats down their wrestlers after a few years…

otto loved terry… he has been traveling the world being around the absolute best coaches here and abroad and he confirmed that the brands can coach…

but what he did not like about being there is absolutely no one was trying to be a world champ… they were just trying to pull out wins at duals that have no real value anymore and that is just something he could not get behind…

i do not have any real answers…

but, i have mentioned many times while chatting with friends who were wrestlers, coaches, and currently have kids wrestling collegiately that i am so glad that neither of the boys decided to go that route for a variety of reasons…

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3798

I was at the dual great atmosphere at Hilton.

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3799

I’m friends with a couple of guys from the Iowa teams in the 80’s. One of them explained that Gable got top recruits who were expected to win. But the guys who pulled through and helped Iowa win were guys who weren’t stars in high school or were overlooked for one reason or another. But they went to Iowa because they were pissed off. And when his top guys sometimes wouldn’t pan out, they had a guy with a chip on his shoulder and wanted to prove a point by going out and fucking somebody up on the mat. Gable got more out of those guys and channeling that anger than any other coach could have. Iowa now doesn’t have that, and instead of guys who wrestle as if they have nothing to lose and come after you for 7 minutes, it’s just push, hold, stall and wait for overtime.

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3800

clearly Gable was different and coaching in an entirely different time with an entirely different kind of athlete…

Gable quit coaching when he was still in his late 40s… he was just mentally drained and exhausted…

it is a different world now…

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3801

The due is an Olympic silver medalist. He’s a multiple NCAA Champ. I don’t think saying he chokes is even remotely reasonable. People at that level are separated by a hair in terms of ability. On any given day, almost anyone in the top 8-10 guys could be the Champion.

2 Likes
3802

to be 100% honest, every time i hear a Lee interview he seems so down on himself and all his recent performances appear to be reinforcing that psychosis…

even in the pre-event press conference he made some comment about how shitty his results have been…

it does not give me a ton of confidence for him going forward…

3803

hes for sure a very hard critic of himself But Im sure he is a very dilagent and hard worker,He was on one of Cadens videos and they worked out together ..I was amazed how fit Lee was ..Caden was pretty fit but Lee destroyed him in every excersize as well as a hand stand race.Still my favorite.

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3804

there is no doubt he is a hard worker…

but…

most issues with cardio or being able to “pull the trigger” in a match are mental issues…

either way, somebody domestically has to beat him before anyone can say he should be put out to pasture…

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3805

She got Henry

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3806

I JUST CAN’T…

3807

I don’t know why people give her money.

3808

everyone loses except sanderson and john smith who ive never seen lose but even they have lost..No doubt Lee fades in matches This match was at 135 hes way too small for..He lost but id bet on him in a rematch Even if he retired today hes had an amazing career 3 ncass title Olympic Silver a few free national titles ..

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3809

i do not disagree with you…

and i do not get hung up on losses per se…

but, he was not outsized against yatsenko at RAF… yatsenko has been a 57kg since 2017 and not a particularly successful one…

lee does not move his feet at all… never really has and it is worse now… he has relied on just being way more stronger than erveryone he wrestles since he was a child… Fix showed the formula to beat him when they were still in Cadets… just make it past the first period and you have a chance…

and i do like Lee… i have never met him, but, i like his attitude for the most part… he exemplifies no excuses and that is very hard in wrestling… reasons are not excuses but he does not even give reasons… i can respect that…

and he has both the boys seal of approval which means something to me…

to have excelled as he has throughout his career while being under the constant scrutiny of everyone involved in wrestling could not have been easy…

in a lot of ways i feel sorry for lee… he should have been wrestling internationally than wasting his body in folk…

3810

anyway…

CKLV starts today… Okie State has decided not to attend this year… DT pulling a page out of the Carl playbook and not wrestling… OSU listed as going to Cougar Clash on sunday but is not expected to wrestle their starters…

i have watched more college wrestling already this season than in the past 5 seasons combined…

i don’t feel any better about it…

the “regular” season truly does not matter at all…

seems like there could be a way for the NCAA to put more emphasis on what happens beofre march…

Big Brother Shrug GIF by Big Brother After Dark

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3811

im not familiar with other guys weight BUt Lee is very small at 135 He lost hes lost before and will lose again Still a tremendous career.He still probly the favorite to make next Olympic team but with his injuries im not sure he can hold up

3812

i do not see lee making the team in 3 years…

but, i also thought Lilledahl had a better than average chance at dropping him at trials this year and he had nothing for Lee…

3813

Lee still is young but very banged up.Id like to see him make 1 more run at it He has the drive but not sure his body will hold up..Ill be rooting for him..

3814

he is contracted to HWC through this quad, so, he is at least planning on it…

1 Like