blueandgold

Mendez/Boarman in the semifinals. Probably the final nail in the coffin for Mater Dei's chances at a team title. Ouch.

Mendez/Boarman in the semifinals. Probably the final nail in the coffin for Mater Dei's chances at a team title. Ouch.

Mendez/Boarman in the semifinals. Probably the final nail in the coffin for Mater Dei's chances at a team title. Ouch.

Mendez/Boarman in the semifinals. Probably the final nail in the coffin for Mater Dei's chances at a team title. Ouch.

Mendez/Boarman in the semifinals. Probably the final nail in the coffin for Mater Dei's chances at a team title. Ouch.

Mendez/Boarman in the semifinals. Probably the final nail in the coffin for Mater Dei's chances at a team title. Ouch.

Semi-State is a tough week. It's where many dreams are realized and others are crushed. Every year, we see quality matches take place in the ticket round that would've been better suited the next weekend at Bankers Life, but unfortunately in our system, we only get to see them once. What are some of the best ticket matches you have ever seen?
 
Off the top of my head
2015
#5 Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg) vs. #12 Ben Stewart (Cathedral)
- A brawl for the ages that saw Mason Parris was not to be played with. The freshman came out swinging and beat Stewart 3-1.
 
2016
#4 Zach Melloh (Cathedral) vs. #13 D.J. Brookbank (Perry Meridian)
- Fireworks... First word that comes to mind when I think about this match. Melloh was a returning state medalist up from 126 and had beaten Brookbank in two prior meetings, including a senior night thriller at Perry Meridian, and was heavily favored in their third match-up. Brookbank, however, became a man possessed and put Melloh to his back in the opening moments of the match and upended him 13-11 to punch his ticket to state in his first trip to New Castle as a senior.
 
2020
Riley Rust (Center Grove) vs. Justice Cash (Bloomington North)
- An emotional match-up that saw the Center Grove stud beat probably one of the best to never qualify for state.

Semi-State is a tough week. It's where many dreams are realized and others are crushed. Every year, we see quality matches take place in the ticket round that would've been better suited the next weekend at Bankers Life, but unfortunately in our system, we only get to see them once. What are some of the best ticket matches you have ever seen?
 
Off the top of my head
2015
#5 Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg) vs. #12 Ben Stewart (Cathedral)
- A brawl for the ages that saw Mason Parris was not to be played with. The freshman came out swinging and beat Stewart 3-1.
 
2016
#4 Zach Melloh (Cathedral) vs. #13 D.J. Brookbank (Perry Meridian)
- Fireworks... First word that comes to mind when I think about this match. Melloh was a returning state medalist up from 126 and had beaten Brookbank in two prior meetings, including a senior night thriller at Perry Meridian, and was heavily favored in their third match-up. Brookbank, however, became a man possessed and put Melloh to his back in the opening moments of the match and upended him 13-11 to punch his ticket to state in his first trip to New Castle as a senior.
 
2020
Riley Rust (Center Grove) vs. Justice Cash (Bloomington North)
- An emotional match-up that saw the Center Grove stud beat probably one of the best to never qualify for state.

Branching off of my last topic, I've thought about a variety of ways we could continue to grow the sport of wrestling, and I noticed the youth in our state have an Indiana Wrestling League. It led me to wonder if this could happen for adults, and I concluded that it surely could. Indianapolis has a variety of rec leagues through CCA Sports, and there's no reason wrestling can't be one of them. It would be a good way to keep athletes in the sport post-high school or college who don't have Olympic ambitions, and it could also set the stage for dream match-ups from the state's past to now. It could operate as a spring or summer league and completely be entertaining with a good championship series. I don't have any concrete format or rules, but there's so many ways this could go. We could have a Greco league, a Freestyle league, and a Folkstyle league. Let's just say it's folkstyle for right now, though. Here's an idea of what I would do.
 
Format
$960.00 Per Team ($80 Per Starting Individual)
Allowed up to 24 athletes per roster
12 Weight Classes (116, 126, 132, 140, 148, 155, 167, 174, 184, 197, 235, 285)
16 teams separated into two divisions (eight each)
12-Week Regular Season competition (March-May; one dual meet per week)
4-Week Team Championship Tournament Series (June; Top six teams in each division qualify, #1 and #2 teams receive first week bye)
Individual Weight Class Championship (June; Top four wrestlers in each division at the conclusion of the regular season earn automatic berth for individual championship; non-qualifying wrestlers will be allowed to wrestle-in at qualifying tournament where top four placers will advance to individual championship tournament)
 
Individuals earn ranking points based on record, type of win, and win streak. Point totals are as follows:
Every match won (1 point) Win by fall (6 points), technical fall (5 points), major decision (4 points), decision (3 points) Win streak (1 point) Example: Wrestler A concludes the regular season 11-1 (11 points), won four matches by fall (24 points), three by technical fall (15 points), a major decision (4 points), and three decisions (9 points) and had an eight match win streak (8 points). He finishes the season with 71 points and secures the top spot in the rankings.
 
Layout and Match Scoring
Three periods (3-2-2) Overtime periods (1 minute sudden victory; two 30-second tiebreaker periods; 30-second ultimate tiebreaker) Takedown (2 points), Reversal (2 points), Escape (1 Point), Near Fall (2 Points/2 seconds; 4 Points/4 Seconds), Riding Time (1 Point), 2nd Stalling (1 Point), 3rd Stalling (2 Points), Penalty (1 Point) Eligibility
Must be at least 18 years old Must have proper physical Must have a valid USA Wrestling membership  
If this were to be a thing, I wonder if we could conduct the tournament the way IHSAA used to do Team State at Center Grove under the spotlight and this could even give us a chance to experiment with wrestling outside on the fields or in the downtown areas of smaller cities such as Brownsburg, Carmel, Franklin, etc. This idea has a lot of potential and could serve as a great tune up for guys preparing for college sports, a great comeback for those who ultimately lost their careers to unforeseen circumstances, a potential launching pad for careers, and most of all, a way for people to stay in shape and have fun with the sport of wrestling. I could see so many matches come from this. Imagine a high school senior state champion facing off in the summer league against a collegiate national qualifier/All-American, or even something like a senior Jesse Mendez versus a past four-time state champion like Jason Tsirtsis. The potential is there.
 
 

I spoke to a good friend of mine yesterday night. We were discussing his upcoming return to the mat on the Division I level and if we would see a season at all this year. Amidst all of that, we briefly discussed a subject that's been mentioned and thrown around time and again, and it had to do with the lack of quality training for the next level in Indiana. Our conversation led me back to a thought I've had over the years while observing the sport on a state and national level:
 
Wrestling will ALWAYS miss out on the top dollar in comparison to boxing, mixed martial arts, and other combat sports because there are too many gatekeepers in the sport with elitist mindsets.
 
Why? There's just a general lack of resources throughout the state for those who wish to compete to truly get better, and while many clubs are geared towards youth wrestling, there isn't enough focus for those beyond high school. This isn't just an Indiana problem, though. From what I've learned, this is common across the nation. Too often, clubs close off their services to those after high school or college who don't have certain credentials. The USA Wrestling website even has a set criteria for an athlete to participate in a Regional Training Center (ex: You must place this high at this tournament to participate; You must have done this in high school to participate). It's actually kind of silly because you have so many young men and women who are avid fans of the art of wrestling with extensive knowledge along with some kind of talent, but because they didn't enjoy the same success as another wrestler, they have to potentially miss out on becoming better and no longer continue on in the sport. Most want to simply participate because it's fun. Notice how excited many wrestlers get for the spring and summer seasons because there are countless opportunities to compete in two new styles (Freestyle/Greco) or hybrid styles (Ironman) with wrestlers all over the state and country that they don't usually see. I remember my friends and I would be so excited for the spring and summer because we got to work on a variety of new moves and take on new challenges, but more importantly because there was no pressure. We didn't really worry about scholarships or team state titles, we just went out and did the sport we loved and had fun trying to make the travel teams, and that's the beauty of it all. Clubs miss out on so much money and numbers because they're too focused on the Division I prospects, and I'm not saying they shouldn't focus on them, but if the goal is to have our participation numbers up, we should be opening our doors to more than just the wrestlers who are top-ranked recruits and shift our focus to the entire wrestling community and be mindful of those who want to continue on in the sport, as well as those who want to learn it for self-defense, to get in shape, or to pick it up for the first time because they might have an interest in mixed martial arts, they saw the NCAA tournament on TV, or they happened to come across some sick Greco-Roman highlights.
 
And let me clarify, I’m not saying every person who enters a wrestling room is an Olympic-caliber grappler, and to be quite honest with you, I’m not sure many want to be, but that shouldn’t be any reason they have to stop competing. You look in mixed martial arts, boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, taekwondo, etc., and you will see people of all ages in studios training (sometimes with people half or twice their age) to either stay in shape, learn self-defense, or compete in local tournaments for fun and continue to excel because they’re in a SPORT. It is for SPORT. Gatekeepers in wrestling have some of the worst attitudes though and will discourage people from entering. I’ve heard reasons being from how hard it is to wrestle to that toxic elite mentality, but you never hear boxing trainers or fighters discourage people from entering the gym to work on their craft, especially those willing to pay any amount.
 
Here’s a testimony for y’all, though: Hassan Assad (better known as MVP in WWE) had left professional wrestling for a year. During his time off, he came across a gym in Houston known as Gracie Barra. He went inside and asked for information, and quickly signed up. By 2019, he’d been training for seven years and in that time been promoted to a purple belt, won several opens around the state of Texas, and qualified for the world championships twice all after the age of 30. That happens in so many other sports except wrestling. You don’t hear about guys picking up the sport in their 20s or 30s and excelling because, at least over here, it’s frowned upon. Not everyone is going to be Jordan Burroughs, and not many want to be, and that’s okay.
 
With that, I’m not saying you don’t see folks from the United States competing in the Masters/Veterans tournaments because you absolutely do. Nick Hull won the U.S. Open in the Masters Division last year. The problem is that they don’t get the same or proper training from top-tier coaches that cadets, juniors, and seniors get, and we can’t blame it on age or body shape because there are plenty of 40-somethings in phenomenal shape with great health, and are in better shape than their younger counterparts, some compete in the UFC.
 
All I’m saying is… Picture this: You have an 18-year-old fresh out of high school. He went to a smaller school in Indiana where he was a semi-state qualifier, ranked in the top eight all year and beat multiple Division I recruits, but because he didn’t make it past the ticket round, he didn’t receive many college offers, and would rather stay close to home for school. The closest school he can afford doesn’t have wrestling, and he feels at a loss when he hasn’t even hit his ceiling yet. With the proper coaching and development, though, he knows he could still be a quality guy. Most write him off and say, “Yeah, right. He didn’t make it to state or do anything nationally, he has no credentials. How does he expect to do anything?” Oh, resources, you say? Well, there’s a training center up the road from him filled with multiple Division I recruits and Fargo All-Americans, but you don’t believe he can wrestle there because he didn’t do what they did in high school? Let him practice with them, let them help him get better over time, and then let’s see what he becomes. Allow him to travel and compete in tournaments so he can really deepen his knowledge of the sport. Due to him being older, he’s less likely to develop bad habits and he’ll have a better understanding of what it is he’s doing, and who knows where he’ll be a year from now. Him being able to practice with top level guys could help mold him into a top level guy and maybe put together a few wins at an open tournament to allow him to be noticed by a quality school.
 
And this applies to club wrestling only. I can understand Division I schools not opening their doors for many obvious reasons, but the most prominent being that they don’t want anyone who isn’t their own to become a liability and also because they’re trying to win a championship in the NCAA, so they need the absolute best they can get at that moment in time. However, with proper training and letting go of the mindset that only those of certain level can participate, if clubs open their doors to anyone willing to listen and learn, I could see a huge increase in participation across the board among all age groups. We get too caught up in letting rankings, placements, and past credentials determine the value of someone when guys like Joe Rau (who only qualified for state once in Illinois and went 0-2) make the world team and our very own Deondre Wilson beat an NCAA Finalist in Dan Vallimont at Senior Nationals back in December and he also took down Jordan Oliver at the Open a few years ago. Imagine what he could do with a quality club or RTC behind him that he doesn’t have to move out of state for. If we don’t break the gatekeeping, elitism, or create more resources and opportunities for our wrestlers statewide and nationally, we’ll kill our sport. I’d like to see more opportunities for women, older wrestlers, and a positive view on Greco-Roman, and regular promotion of them in Indiana. Maybe the ISWA could sanction more local tournaments with a bigger feel (The Indianapolis Open, The Evansville Open, etc.; just some ideas)
 
 

There’s no reason it can’t, but I do think maybe for a rec league periods should probably be 2-1-1 or something.

Branching off of my last topic, I've thought about a variety of ways we could continue to grow the sport of wrestling, and I noticed the youth in our state have an Indiana Wrestling League. It led me to wonder if this could happen for adults, and I concluded that it surely could. Indianapolis has a variety of rec leagues through CCA Sports, and there's no reason wrestling can't be one of them. It would be a good way to keep athletes in the sport post-high school or college who don't have Olympic ambitions, and it could also set the stage for dream match-ups from the state's past to now. It could operate as a spring or summer league and completely be entertaining with a good championship series. I don't have any concrete format or rules, but there's so many ways this could go. We could have a Greco league, a Freestyle league, and a Folkstyle league. Let's just say it's folkstyle for right now, though. Here's an idea of what I would do.
 
Format
$960.00 Per Team ($80 Per Starting Individual)
Allowed up to 24 athletes per roster
12 Weight Classes (116, 126, 132, 140, 148, 155, 167, 174, 184, 197, 235, 285)
16 teams separated into two divisions (eight each)
12-Week Regular Season competition (March-May; one dual meet per week)
4-Week Team Championship Tournament Series (June; Top six teams in each division qualify, #1 and #2 teams receive first week bye)
Individual Weight Class Championship (June; Top four wrestlers in each division at the conclusion of the regular season earn automatic berth for individual championship; non-qualifying wrestlers will be allowed to wrestle-in at qualifying tournament where top four placers will advance to individual championship tournament)
 
Individuals earn ranking points based on record, type of win, and win streak. Point totals are as follows:
Every match won (1 point) Win by fall (6 points), technical fall (5 points), major decision (4 points), decision (3 points) Win streak (1 point) Example: Wrestler A concludes the regular season 11-1 (11 points), won four matches by fall (24 points), three by technical fall (15 points), a major decision (4 points), and three decisions (9 points) and had an eight match win streak (8 points). He finishes the season with 71 points and secures the top spot in the rankings.
 
Layout and Match Scoring
Three periods (3-2-2) Overtime periods (1 minute sudden victory; two 30-second tiebreaker periods; 30-second ultimate tiebreaker) Takedown (2 points), Reversal (2 points), Escape (1 Point), Near Fall (2 Points/2 seconds; 4 Points/4 Seconds), Riding Time (1 Point), 2nd Stalling (1 Point), 3rd Stalling (2 Points), Penalty (1 Point) Eligibility
Must be at least 18 years old Must have proper physical Must have a valid USA Wrestling membership  
If this were to be a thing, I wonder if we could conduct the tournament the way IHSAA used to do Team State at Center Grove under the spotlight and this could even give us a chance to experiment with wrestling outside on the fields or in the downtown areas of smaller cities such as Brownsburg, Carmel, Franklin, etc. This idea has a lot of potential and could serve as a great tune up for guys preparing for college sports, a great comeback for those who ultimately lost their careers to unforeseen circumstances, a potential launching pad for careers, and most of all, a way for people to stay in shape and have fun with the sport of wrestling. I could see so many matches come from this. Imagine a high school senior state champion facing off in the summer league against a collegiate national qualifier/All-American, or even something like a senior Jesse Mendez versus a past four-time state champion like Jason Tsirtsis. The potential is there.
 
 

I spoke to a good friend of mine yesterday night. We were discussing his upcoming return to the mat on the Division I level and if we would see a season at all this year. Amidst all of that, we briefly discussed a subject that's been mentioned and thrown around time and again, and it had to do with the lack of quality training for the next level in Indiana. Our conversation led me back to a thought I've had over the years while observing the sport on a state and national level:
 
Wrestling will ALWAYS miss out on the top dollar in comparison to boxing, mixed martial arts, and other combat sports because there are too many gatekeepers in the sport with elitist mindsets.
 
Why? There's just a general lack of resources throughout the state for those who wish to compete to truly get better, and while many clubs are geared towards youth wrestling, there isn't enough focus for those beyond high school. This isn't just an Indiana problem, though. From what I've learned, this is common across the nation. Too often, clubs close off their services to those after high school or college who don't have certain credentials. The USA Wrestling website even has a set criteria for an athlete to participate in a Regional Training Center (ex: You must place this high at this tournament to participate; You must have done this in high school to participate). It's actually kind of silly because you have so many young men and women who are avid fans of the art of wrestling with extensive knowledge along with some kind of talent, but because they didn't enjoy the same success as another wrestler, they have to potentially miss out on becoming better and no longer continue on in the sport. Most want to simply participate because it's fun. Notice how excited many wrestlers get for the spring and summer seasons because there are countless opportunities to compete in two new styles (Freestyle/Greco) or hybrid styles (Ironman) with wrestlers all over the state and country that they don't usually see. I remember my friends and I would be so excited for the spring and summer because we got to work on a variety of new moves and take on new challenges, but more importantly because there was no pressure. We didn't really worry about scholarships or team state titles, we just went out and did the sport we loved and had fun trying to make the travel teams, and that's the beauty of it all. Clubs miss out on so much money and numbers because they're too focused on the Division I prospects, and I'm not saying they shouldn't focus on them, but if the goal is to have our participation numbers up, we should be opening our doors to more than just the wrestlers who are top-ranked recruits and shift our focus to the entire wrestling community and be mindful of those who want to continue on in the sport, as well as those who want to learn it for self-defense, to get in shape, or to pick it up for the first time because they might have an interest in mixed martial arts, they saw the NCAA tournament on TV, or they happened to come across some sick Greco-Roman highlights.
 
And let me clarify, I’m not saying every person who enters a wrestling room is an Olympic-caliber grappler, and to be quite honest with you, I’m not sure many want to be, but that shouldn’t be any reason they have to stop competing. You look in mixed martial arts, boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, taekwondo, etc., and you will see people of all ages in studios training (sometimes with people half or twice their age) to either stay in shape, learn self-defense, or compete in local tournaments for fun and continue to excel because they’re in a SPORT. It is for SPORT. Gatekeepers in wrestling have some of the worst attitudes though and will discourage people from entering. I’ve heard reasons being from how hard it is to wrestle to that toxic elite mentality, but you never hear boxing trainers or fighters discourage people from entering the gym to work on their craft, especially those willing to pay any amount.
 
Here’s a testimony for y’all, though: Hassan Assad (better known as MVP in WWE) had left professional wrestling for a year. During his time off, he came across a gym in Houston known as Gracie Barra. He went inside and asked for information, and quickly signed up. By 2019, he’d been training for seven years and in that time been promoted to a purple belt, won several opens around the state of Texas, and qualified for the world championships twice all after the age of 30. That happens in so many other sports except wrestling. You don’t hear about guys picking up the sport in their 20s or 30s and excelling because, at least over here, it’s frowned upon. Not everyone is going to be Jordan Burroughs, and not many want to be, and that’s okay.
 
With that, I’m not saying you don’t see folks from the United States competing in the Masters/Veterans tournaments because you absolutely do. Nick Hull won the U.S. Open in the Masters Division last year. The problem is that they don’t get the same or proper training from top-tier coaches that cadets, juniors, and seniors get, and we can’t blame it on age or body shape because there are plenty of 40-somethings in phenomenal shape with great health, and are in better shape than their younger counterparts, some compete in the UFC.
 
All I’m saying is… Picture this: You have an 18-year-old fresh out of high school. He went to a smaller school in Indiana where he was a semi-state qualifier, ranked in the top eight all year and beat multiple Division I recruits, but because he didn’t make it past the ticket round, he didn’t receive many college offers, and would rather stay close to home for school. The closest school he can afford doesn’t have wrestling, and he feels at a loss when he hasn’t even hit his ceiling yet. With the proper coaching and development, though, he knows he could still be a quality guy. Most write him off and say, “Yeah, right. He didn’t make it to state or do anything nationally, he has no credentials. How does he expect to do anything?” Oh, resources, you say? Well, there’s a training center up the road from him filled with multiple Division I recruits and Fargo All-Americans, but you don’t believe he can wrestle there because he didn’t do what they did in high school? Let him practice with them, let them help him get better over time, and then let’s see what he becomes. Allow him to travel and compete in tournaments so he can really deepen his knowledge of the sport. Due to him being older, he’s less likely to develop bad habits and he’ll have a better understanding of what it is he’s doing, and who knows where he’ll be a year from now. Him being able to practice with top level guys could help mold him into a top level guy and maybe put together a few wins at an open tournament to allow him to be noticed by a quality school.
 
And this applies to club wrestling only. I can understand Division I schools not opening their doors for many obvious reasons, but the most prominent being that they don’t want anyone who isn’t their own to become a liability and also because they’re trying to win a championship in the NCAA, so they need the absolute best they can get at that moment in time. However, with proper training and letting go of the mindset that only those of certain level can participate, if clubs open their doors to anyone willing to listen and learn, I could see a huge increase in participation across the board among all age groups. We get too caught up in letting rankings, placements, and past credentials determine the value of someone when guys like Joe Rau (who only qualified for state once in Illinois and went 0-2) make the world team and our very own Deondre Wilson beat an NCAA Finalist in Dan Vallimont at Senior Nationals back in December and he also took down Jordan Oliver at the Open a few years ago. Imagine what he could do with a quality club or RTC behind him that he doesn’t have to move out of state for. If we don’t break the gatekeeping, elitism, or create more resources and opportunities for our wrestlers statewide and nationally, we’ll kill our sport. I’d like to see more opportunities for women, older wrestlers, and a positive view on Greco-Roman, and regular promotion of them in Indiana. Maybe the ISWA could sanction more local tournaments with a bigger feel (The Indianapolis Open, The Evansville Open, etc.; just some ideas)
 
 

In the wake of world events and the recent internal struggles of USA wrestling (via Pat Downey’s tweets), I’d been thinking of how to further grow the sport, I mean we have a lot of time right now anyway. Seeing FloWrestling produce this upcoming card for fans makes me wonder how often we could witness something like this, with wrestling being a dominant component of mixed martial arts, many fans are already familiar with it and try to emulate it as they see fit. It made me wonder about my idea for a professional wrestling league. Originally, I had made a thread that would professional league that would operate with a preseason, regular season, and postseason schedule, but then I said that these matches have to mean something bigger than before.
 
The Best Wrestler in the World
 
Every year, Franklin Community High School hosts their Grizzly Ironman Series tournament which sees wrestlers compete in matches that incorporate all three styles in a 6-minute match. One period Greco, one period Freestyle, one period Folkstyle... What if FloWrestling or any host at that decided to sanction professional matches with three 3-minute periods that incorporated all three styles? It would give fans a chance to become familiar with every style of wrestling there is and it would also give the argument of who “the best in the world” is more weight/value. At the end of the day, wrestling is wrestling. In mixed martial arts, the majority of fighters wrestle 15 minutes or 25 minutes for a championship, so the time limit shouldn’t be a factor, especially since most professional athletes set themselves apart from their amateur, collegiate, and high school counterparts (NBA vs. NCAA vs. FIBA). Add in title belts and weight classes and you could have wrestling on a bigger stage than it’s been before. Imagine Zhan Beleniuk vs. David Taylor for the Ironman World Middleweight Championship... Taylor has the advantage in Folkstyle being a two-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner, Beleniuk the two-time Greco-Roman world champion, and while Taylor is a Freestyle world champion, there is a lot to be worried about when squaring off against Beleniuk. Who’s the best in all styles? Who’s truly the best in the world?
 
Just a thought.

Rules
• Three 3-minute periods: One Greco, one Freestyle, and one Folkstyle period each.
• Wrestler who wins pre-match coin flip gets to choose which style starts the match; opponent chooses the period that follows. In the case of championship matches, Champion’s Advantage will be in effect in which no pre-match coin flip will be required and he/she chooses what style starts the match.
• Headgear is optional.
The Match (SAMPLE)
First Period
• Wrestler A wins the coin flip and chooses the first period to be conducted under Greco-Roman rules. Wrestler B chooses the following period to be Folkstyle, which means the final period will be conducted under Freestyle rules. In this first period, the push-out rule is in effect, as are four-point moves, and the shot clock.
Second Period
• In the second period, traditional Folkstyle rules are adopted and the push-out rule is not in effect. However, riding time and the four point near-fall are now in effect. The riding time point, if there is one scored, will be added on to the scoring wrestler’s point total at the end of the match.
Third Period
• In the third and final period, amended Freestyle rules will be adopted. The only change is that step-outs will not be penalized. Push-outs will only be scored if a wrestler is actually pushed out by his/her opponent on some kind of offensive attack. If the two wrestlers scramble out of bounds, no point will be rewarded. Four point moves will be back in effect and so will the shot clock.
Overtime
• Should the match go to overtime, a coin flip will happen and the winner will determine the style for the next 90 seconds. If the match still doesn’t have a winner after the 90-second overtime period, a second coin flip will happen and the winning wrestler will get to determine whether they go into par terre or the Folkstyle ride out for 30 seconds. If the top wrestler fails to turn or successfully ride out his opponent, he/she loses the match. If the bottom wrestler fails to defend the turn or escape, he/she loses the match.
 
Match Scoring
• Takedown (all styles): 2 Points
• Reversal (all styles): 2 Points
• Turn/Exposure (GR/Freestyle): 2 Points
• Near-Fall (Folkstyle): 2 Points (2-3 second count), 4 Points (4 second count)
• Feet to Back (GR/Freestyle): 4 Points
• Belly-to-Back Grand Amplitude Throw or “Suplex” (GR/Freestyle): 5 Points
• Push-Out (GR/Freestyle): 1 Point
 

In the wake of world events and the recent internal struggles of USA wrestling (via Pat Downey’s tweets), I’d been thinking of how to further grow the sport, I mean we have a lot of time right now anyway. Seeing FloWrestling produce this upcoming card for fans makes me wonder how often we could witness something like this, with wrestling being a dominant component of mixed martial arts, many fans are already familiar with it and try to emulate it as they see fit. It made me wonder about my idea for a professional wrestling league. Originally, I had made a thread that would professional league that would operate with a preseason, regular season, and postseason schedule, but then I said that these matches have to mean something bigger than before.
 
The Best Wrestler in the World
 
Every year, Franklin Community High School hosts their Grizzly Ironman Series tournament which sees wrestlers compete in matches that incorporate all three styles in a 6-minute match. One period Greco, one period Freestyle, one period Folkstyle... What if FloWrestling or any host at that decided to sanction professional matches with three 3-minute periods that incorporated all three styles? It would give fans a chance to become familiar with every style of wrestling there is and it would also give the argument of who “the best in the world” is more weight/value. At the end of the day, wrestling is wrestling. In mixed martial arts, the majority of fighters wrestle 15 minutes or 25 minutes for a championship, so the time limit shouldn’t be a factor, especially since most professional athletes set themselves apart from their amateur, collegiate, and high school counterparts (NBA vs. NCAA vs. FIBA). Add in title belts and weight classes and you could have wrestling on a bigger stage than it’s been before. Imagine Zhan Beleniuk vs. David Taylor for the Ironman World Middleweight Championship... Taylor has the advantage in Folkstyle being a two-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner, Beleniuk the two-time Greco-Roman world champion, and while Taylor is a Freestyle world champion, there is a lot to be worried about when squaring off against Beleniuk. Who’s the best in all styles? Who’s truly the best in the world?
 
Just a thought.

Nick Crume vs. Luke Welch in 2013 was also an incredible finals match.

Nick Crume vs. Luke Welch in 2013 was also an incredible finals match.

Nick Crume vs. Luke Welch in 2013 was also an incredible finals match.

My other thread of the Indiana Wrestling Awards has gotten some favorable responses on here as well as my social media accounts, with particular aim at my star ratings and Match of the Year picks and candidates from over the years. It's led me to ask, what matches in our state's history are some of the greatest of all-time?
 
I have four matches that I've given five stars, three of which I saw live, and one via YouTube.
Blake Maurer vs. Alex Dolly, 2003 IHSAA Individual State Championships - Finals at 171 LBS Paul Petrov vs. Brenden Campbell, 2012 IHSAA Individual State Championships - Finals at 120 LBS Cody LeCount vs. Tommy Forte, 2014 Bellmont Main Event - 145 LBS Chad Red vs. Nick Lee, 2016 IHSAA State Championships - 132 LBS  
What matches can you guys think of that were five stars or near so that were match of the year candidates that will go down in history?

I want to say though, some of the best matches I’ve ever seen that deserve mention among some of the greatest of all-time happened inside that fieldhouse at New Castle, many of them in the ticket round. Off the top of my head:
• Robert Samuels vs. Jasion Brogan (2016)
• DJ Brookbank vs. Zach Melloh (2016)
• Breyden Bailey vs. Cornelious Elliott (2015)
• Jordan Vaughn vs. Jack Chastain (2015)
• Nathon Trawick vs. Chris Ridle (2015)
• Deondre Wilson vs. Brandon James (2014)
• Jacob Cottey vs. Preston Mantel (2014)
• Riley McClurg vs. Austin McCloskey (2013)
• Wes Bernard vs. Georgio Blades (2013)
• Brian Harvey vs. Kirk Johnson (2012)
• Jared McKinley vs. Josh Kieffer (2011)
 
A lot of representation from Perry Meridian and their regional. Always incredible atmosphere in New Castle.

All of these matches were awesome and so much fun to watch but I think Red vs Lee has to top the list. Red going for a 4x undefeated HS career and Lee coming off a season long injury. Red wrestled with a flare and had a persona all his own. Lee was the blue collared Wildcat from the south.  So much anticipation that people all of over the state were waiting to click open the brackets to see if Nick actually entered the sectional at 132. Then the anticipation to see if Red/Lee would happen in the semis or under the lights. It was the first time I had heard so much buzz about making that match the last of the night. Then the roar of the crowd before the match only to have to wait on a tv commercial break and then another roar to get it going.  Both wrestlers had the other on their back after takedowns and the match decided by Red’s ability to ride tough. 
 
And not to take anything away from the other wrestlers but just not sure how you top that. 

It could be my favorite finals match ever.  At least it the one I always recall.  Loved the late match confidence Pertov had to cut Campbell and go down 1 point knowing he could get the takedown to win it.  Most guys would have tried to ride it out at that point and win in OT rather than purposely give up the lead against a top level wrestler.   
 
 
Also a big fan of the Eppert vs Wright State series rivalry.   It’s not to often do you see that long of a series play out.  

Slick Rick vs Robert Samuels, change my mind. 

Mauer vs Hobbs,Newport and Brownlee were all unreal..
Jaggers vs Sheets 02' 
Quiroga vs Lil Tshirts at state
Todd vs Brooks title match
Black vs Moreno 2018 qtrs ws a wild barn burner with 32 points combined put up on the board.