The wrestling community, after years battering ourselves for not doing enough and wallowing in the recesses of the sports kingdom, has matured into a sport worthy of mainstream media and events complete with the high pageantry normally reserved for revenue sports.
Kyle Dake earned a 3-2 decision over David Taylor in the finals of the Southern Scuffle (Photo/Bob Mayeri)We shouldn't heap all the praise on these two men, but we should be thankful. What they are giving us this season is without comparison. Each hi-crotch, funky scramble and controversial reversal brings us one step closer to becoming a self-sustainable and mainstream sport.
Thanks to Dake and Taylor for their courage on the mat, and for giving fans the best product we've ever had the pleasure to enjoy.
Dake vs. Taylor III: Keys to victory
Kyle Dake
1. Maintain offensive posture in neutral
That opening double leg was a bold pre-match decision. According to Kid Dynamite his nearly off-the-whistle double was a reaction to several fans' critique of the first match. More action is what the fans wanted and that's exactly what Dake gave them. Dake was able to get in so deep because he kept his head up when wrestling from his knees against the lankier Taylor.
To win in March Dake will have to keep his knees bent and his butt down to prevent Taylor's front head attacks including his Cael-inspired ankle picks. Dake could also force Taylor into a Russian, and if Taylor's hips float out of position it should create an opportunity for the Cornell wrestler to score from his feet.
It'll be important for Dake to keep his butt to the center. As he noted after the match, one step out of bounds and fans will be calling for a stall warning, a call that could hurt later in the match.
2. Improve conditioning
Kyle Dake is wrestling in his fourth weight class in four seasons (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Halfway through the third period Dake developed headgear issues that not only seemed unimportant, but possibly self-prescribed. The issue going forward isn't whether or not the headgear was broken, it was that Dake seemed to break concentration and chased that brief distraction as a reprieve from the action and an opportunity to catch his breath. (Dake also looked slightly winded in his quarterfinal match against North Carolina State's Nigel Jones, who was testing him with a series of cowcatchers and other throws before getting stuck in the second period.)
Cornell head wrestling coach Rob Koll conditions his athletes better than most, so it's entirely possible that Dake is just not getting tested in the room as much as a normal wrestler. Think about the conditioning of every star wrestler you've ever known. Now think about that second-string 141 who fought off his back for four years in college. The most effective conditioning comes from experiencing frustration, when a wrestler is struggling to compete and win. When you win by unique ability and on-the-mat intelligence it can be difficult to mimic in the room the type of stress the body feels in a match with Taylor. (It's easier for Taylor who is surrounded by Ed Ruth, Matt Brown, Quentin Wright, Altons, Cael and Casey Cunningham.)
3. Keep Taylor from riding legs
Allowing Taylor's arachnid legs in during his baby standup didn't work. Though he was able to earn a reversal, he had given up more than 90 seconds of ride time and were the controversial reversal NOT called, it might have been game over for Dake.
Taylor has now seen how Dake will respond to a leg ride on the right side and will work with Casey Cunningham (a leg wizard) to find says to flatten Dake. If Taylor can grind out a full period on top he'll gain a two-point advantage in their finals match. It's an edge that seems difficult to overcome.
Taylor's length makes it difficult for opponents to explode to their feet without being gripped and sucked back down, but if one athlete can find a way to his feet in a hiccup, it's Dake. Should he get to his feet he is free to open up more of the scrambles he's found to be successful against Taylor when stuck on bottom.
From an explosive standup, or looking for reversal on the mat, to win in March Dake will need to keep improving from bottom.
David Taylor
1. Create more offense, score in the middle of the mat
Taylor can be a slow starter. Against tougher opponents it's only after Taylor notches his first takedown that he's able to find his ankle picks and extend a lead. Against Dake he only attempted three ankle picks, none of which came within a galaxy of being finished. Dake's low positioning has made it difficult to find opportunities, but to win Taylor needs to have a go-to shot late in the match, and better head control to set up those attempts.
When Taylor has shot against Dake it's tended to be near the edge of the mat, and never with success. Dake has used the edge of the mat to run the energy out of Taylor's shots. To correct this distance disadvantage, Taylor needs to launch his shots no more than a foot outside the ten-foot circle. Dake isn't falling to his hips after a single shot, and Taylor will be forced to take two or three shots to finish which will require much more Resilite. Opening up with his own back to the closest edge would allow Taylor to work with more mat space and finish his offensive attacks.
2. Own the mat
Taylor is one of the best scramblers in college wrestling, but much of the advantage is eliminated when he faces Dake. Taylor needs to make the mat his home and find a position from which he can score back points on Dake, even if it's in transition.
David Taylor nearly secured a riding time point against Kyle Dake at the Southern Scuffle (Photo/Bob Mayeri)It'll take a combination of techniques and drills, but Cunningham and Cael should be able to ready Taylor enough in his mat game to give him a large advantage. However, Dake has now seen the best of Taylor's game, meaning the Penn State maestro will need to revamp his attacks and add in new control positions.
3. Wrestle with a clear head
After Taylor gave up the reversal at the end of their last match the Penn State junior looked to coach Cody Sanderson with a face of befuddlement -- partially wondering if the right call was made, but part signaling frustration from bottom. (Dake was riding loose making it difficult to earn a final escape.) Taylor's look was desperation and stress mixing together at the right time, but without the right outcome.
Taylor wrestles best when he's relaxed, engaging with fans and wrestling in the moment. He wrestles his worst when he's thinking about legacy, personal grudges, or gets frustrated by the referee.
The most important pre-NCAAs exercise for Taylor will be clearing his head of distractions and feeling comfortable in playing the part of the spoiler to Dake's dreams of becoming a four-time NCAA champion. Dake is the one with a legacy to preserve, while Taylor is still building his heading into his final season. By removing the drama and focusing on his goals, Taylor should be able to relax and find the form he used to dominate the 2012 NCAA tournament.
How to do that in a wrestling world obsessed with your every action on and off the mat?
I haven't the slightest ...
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