Jordan Burroughs and Frank Chamizo (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)NEW YORK -- Two of the greatest wrestlers in the sport, Jordan Burroughs of the United States and Frank Chamizo of Italy, will compete in the headliner super match at the Beat the Streets Annual Benefit May 17 at Pier 17/Seaport District in lower Manhattan.
Burroughs and Chamizo were 2017 World freestyle wrestling champions in different weight classes, with Burroughs winning at 74 kg and Chamizo at 70 kg. Both are multiple World champions, with Burroughs owning four World titles (2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017) and Chamizo claiming two (2015, 2017). Both are Olympic medalists, with Burroughs earning a 2012 Olympic gold medal and Chamizo a 2016 Olympic bronze medal.
These two athletes have been actively challenging each other to a match throughout the 2017-18 season, exchanging pointed messages on social media over the last few months. The most recent challenge came in a video from Chamizo which appeared on FloWrestling's Twitter feed on April 14.
The match, which the wrestling community worldwide has been calling for, will go down on May 17, and will help raise significant funds for youth wrestling in the New York City area. Not only are Burroughs and Chamizo among the most talented and exciting Olympic wrestlers in the world, but they are also among the most popular stars on the international wrestling scene.
It will be a battle of a veteran superstar and the best wrestler of his generation in Burroughs, 29, against an emerging young talent that is considered at the top of his game in Chamizo, 25.
Chamizo moved up to 74 kg this winter, and has already won two major international events at his new weight class, the Ukrainian Memorial International in Kiev, Ukraine and the Nikola Petrov Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria. Burroughs is fresh off his amazing effort at the 2018 Freestyle World Cup in Iowa City, where he extended his undefeated streak over six World Cups to a remarkable 27-0 and led the USA to its first World Cup team title in 15 years.
Burroughs has won six World and Olympic medals during his career, with five gold medals and a World bronze medal in 2014. Chamizo boasts four World and Olympic medals, including two gold medals and two bronze medals. Chamizo won his first World bronze medal in 2010 for his native Cuba, before he emigrated to Italy and began competing for his new nation in 2013.
Both have competed in the Beat the Streets Annual Benefit in the past. Burroughs has a spotless 7-0 record in past Beat the Streets events, defeating athletes from four different nations, including wins over four different Russian opponents. Chamizo competed in the 2017 Beat the Streets event in Times Square, East Meets West, and defeated American star Jordan Oliver in a special challenge match.
This match will be in addition to the star-studded lineup for the Beat the Streets Annual Benefit. A team of U.S. women will battle Nigeria, the first African nation to appear at a Beat the Streets competition. A full team of U.S. men will compete against a nation to be announced. Full lineups for the complete card will be released shortly.
This will be the ninth straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Benefit activities and the first time that Beat the Streets has held its annual event at Pier 17/Seaport District.
In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. Times Square has been the venue for the 2011, 2012 and 2014 through 2017 events. In 2013, the event dubbed "The Rumble on the Rails," was hosted in historic Grand Central Terminal and featured dual meets between Team USA, Russia and Iran. Playing an important role in the international Keep Olympic Wrestling effort, this historic wrestling event gained international media coverage and helped wrestling retain its status on the Olympic Games program.
This year, top Beat the Streets youth wrestlers will take the mat showcasing their skills in exhibition matches beginning at 2:30 p.m. to kick off the Annual Benefit. Additionally, several youth matches will be held featuring athletes from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. For the third straight year, the event will feature the PSAL Girls Freestyle Dual Meet Championships finals, showcasing the two top New York City girl's freestyle wrestling high school teams from the spring girls freestyle season. Finally, the U.S. teams will compete against their international counterparts at 6:00 p.m. with video highlights and special guest appearances. The matches will be followed by the Beat the Streets Annual Benefit Celebration.
The Annual Benefit Celebration at Pier 17 is a unique and electrifying event that helps Beat the Streets raise significant funds to further its mission. Whether it is by providing a safe, constructive outlet for our urban youth, fighting childhood obesity, empowering women, or uniting entire nations, wrestling teaches persistence, dedication, and the value of working hard to achieve one's goals and creates opportunities for personal and universal growth. BTS currently serves over 3,000 student-athletes every year.
Tickets are required for entry and can be purchased by visiting www.btsny.org, calling 212.245.6570 or emailing Kate Linker at klinker@btsny.org.
2018 Beat the Streets Wrestling Schedule
The Seaport District/Pier 17, New York City, May 17, 2018
2:30 p.m. - Beat the Streets Youth Exhibition Matches
4:45 p.m. - New York City Girls Freestyle Dual Meet Championships Finals
6:00 p.m. - World Class Wrestling to include:
• Team USA vs. Nigeria in women's freestyle
• Team USA vs. TBA in men's freestyle
• Super Match - Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Frank Chamizo (ITA)
Followed by Annual Benefit Celebration, Pier 17
About Beat the Streets
The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTS works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to bring the life-changing sport of wrestling to over 3,000 New York City student-athletes to help them achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTS and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life lessons of grit, personal responsibility and teamwork, physical fitness and nutrition, and life-long learning. The goal of fostering strong, well-rounded student-athletes is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, life skills workshops, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org.
About USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 220,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com
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