Pico's World championship tournament did not allow him to cakewalk his way to a gold medal, which makes his performance impressive in its own way. Dominance always wows us, but Pico's triumph, which saw him pushed hard in his last matches, should inspire almost the same level of amazement. Pico's first World championship in wrestling at any level saw him exhibit remarkable grit and composure, and he needed in overcoming stiff challenges from some very good competition. In particular, the Japanese wrestler he faced in the finals was tougher than microwaved spare ribs, and Aaron handled him with a professional level of composure.
If you have followed Pico's career thus far, you have probably heard his accompanying detractors complain about his age. He will turn 17 early in his sophomore year of high school this fall. These complaints would certainly become more audible in a couple of years if he were to win a fourth California state championship at 19 and a half years old. This looks more and more like it will become a non-issue for two reasons. First off, Pico just proved that he is the best 16-year-old wrestler at his weight in the world, not someone who merely takes advantage of superior physical development.
Aaron Pico with his coach Valentin KalikaAfter watching this and last week's wrestling I have come to the conclusion that the Olympic wrestling styles will never be easily understood by a casual audience, no matter how much the rules get tinkered with. In light of this, I've realized that the most important potential person for the future of Olympic wrestling broadcasts could be its color commentator. Olympic freestyle and gymnastics suffer from a similar problem as wrestling-important differences in scoring hinge on highly subtle criteria which the uninitiated would never possibly understand. Luckily, if you have the chance to watch broadcasts of these sports, you will notice their accompaniment by an articulate and knowledgeable analyst who skillfully illuminates much of the sports' murky scoring elements. Wrestling needs someone like this … only better. We need a bona fide genius who understands the ins and outs of Greco and freestyle, and who can impart his knowledge to a mass audience in concise and easy to digest manner, all while succeeding at not boring the viewers to tears.
This person will not be easy to find, but whoever is in charge should start looking now, and if they are smart, they should expand the search beyond wrestlers who stood on an Olympic podium. We need acumen and verbal/mental dexterity, and the person who has this might not have the best wrestling credentials. (For an analogue in another sport, see boxing's Max Kellerman.)
In the absence of this analytical miracle worker, who should be found and groomed ASAP, the Olympic channel flipper will see little more than two guys in spandex rolling around earning points with no sense of rhyme or reason. Also, in cases where officials administer score without rhyme or reason, we need the credible analyst to confirm our suspicions and hold the judges accountable.
I make this recommendation in the full knowledge that the exact opposite outcome will almost assuredly occur. But hey, here's to hoping.
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