The best competitors in the country gather in one of the best cities in the world, Las Vegas, for a great weekend of wrestling.
This year was no exception with an outstanding field of wrestlers taking part in Vegas.
Eight U.S. Open freestyle champions were crowned Saturday night, setting the stage for June's U.S. World Team Trials in Lincoln, Neb.
Virtually all of the big names were on the mat in Vegas with the exception of Olympic medalists Kyle Snyder and J'den Cox, along with world champion Logan Stieber. Those three have already clinched spots in the Trials finals by virtue of medaling in 2016.
Plenty can change when the stakes become higher at the Trials in June. No doubt, we will see some great wrestling in Nebraska.
Champions in Lincoln will qualify for August's World Championships in Paris, France. That's a nice reward for an event that used to be in not-so-glamorous locales like Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in recent years.
Here are 10 takeaways from the freestyle competition in Las Vegas:
Tony Ramos gets in on a shot against Nahshon Garrett (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Tony Ramos is never boring
Tony Ramos has developed a penchant for winning close matches, and that's why he made back-to-back world teams in 2014 and 2015 at 125.5 pounds. He's fun to watch wrestle, but his interviews are in some respects better than his matches now. After winning Saturday's U.S. Open title, where he staged yet another rally in the finals, Ramos was asked if he was the comeback kid: "I'm just clutch. Winner's win. Winner's find ways to win." Ramos is determined to bounce back after falling in the finals of the 2016 Olympic Trials. He knows how to win in the U.S. Now he needs find ways to win at the World Championships.
Let everyone watch
The entire NCAA tournament is now on television, and you can watch every session on ESPN. So why isn't the U.S. Open, which features better quality wrestling and a higher skill level than collegiate wrestling, on TV? This is Olympic-level wrestling. It's great that you can watch a live stream of all the matches at the Open, but it is something you have to pay for and many people simply refuse to do it. Having it on television allows more wrestling fans to watch, not to mention giving non-wrestling people an opportunity to become interested if they see it on television. The quality of these streams are typically very good now, although there were reportedly some problems and issues this past weekend, but you really aren't growing the sport a whole lot with live streaming. Your audience is primarily wrestling folks. Elite level international-style wrestling needs to be on TV. That legitimizes the sport more as well, and in my opinion is your best chance to grow wrestling.
Nick Gwiazdowski came through to win the U.S. Open title at 125 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Gwiz kid is rising star
It is no secret that two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski is considered the heir apparent to retired two-time Olympian Tervel Dlagnev at heavyweight. Gwiz wrestles a style similar to Tervel, as he's also a mobile, athletic heavyweight who has a strong offensive arsenal with lethal leg attacks. Gwiz still has work to do at the Trials, but he's the type of heavyweight who can give defensive-minded foreign wrestlers fits with his attacking style.
Don't forget about Kyven
It wasn't really that long ago when Kyven Gadson pinned Kyle Snyder in the NCAA finals. It was just over two years ago. Of course, Snyder has gone on to win Olympic and world gold medals along with two NCAA titles since then. But it's not like Gadson has just been sitting around binging on the ice cream he craved after his dramatic NCAA win in 2015. With Snyder sitting out, Gadson won the U.S. Open on Saturday at 213 pounds. Not saying Gadson wins, but might be interesting to see a Snyder-Gadson finals matchup at the World Team Trials.
Will Green be golden?
James Green burst onto the international scene two years ago by winning a world bronze medal in Vegas. Green looks ready to make a run at gold this year at 154 pounds. He's very composed and confident, and now he has gained even more experience internationally. And he continues to train alongside Olympic and world champion Jordan Burroughs. The explosive Green hasn't reached his peak yet, but that day may be coming very soon. Green has a great offense, but he also is stingy defensively. He has learned how to maximize his immense athletic talents.
Get rid of criteria and add overtime
One of the best parts of the 2013 fight to save Olympic wrestling was that the rules were changed in freestyle wrestling. It's opened up matches and made them much more entertaining to watch. United World Wrestling, for some reason, doesn't want to add overtime. One of the fears is it would make tournaments longer. Have a one-minute OT and make someone score a legitimate point. No athletic event should end in a tie and an athlete's hand should not be raised if he doesn't outscore his opponent. Overtime is the way to go. Put the wrestlers on their feet and let the fur fly. Nobody should call criteria wins thrilling. Nobody. Especially when the only points are scored via step outs and shot clock points. Two of Saturday night's finals bouts ended with the score tied. Not good.
Jordan Oliver with his coaches Eric Guerrero and Zeke Jones (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)JO still has potential
Jordan Oliver is an outstanding wrestler. He's beaten Olympic and world medalists. He's gifted and talented. But he's still never made a world-level team on the Senior level. This could be the year after Oliver beat Olympian Frank Molinaro to win the Open at 143 pounds. It would be a shame if we never got to see what Oliver could do on the world stage. That could change this year in Paris. He's a matchup nightmare for foreign wrestlers with his size, skill and athleticism. It's time for JO to cash in.
Missing Snyder
USA Wrestling has rules and guidelines in place built to reward wrestlers who win Olympic and world medals by allowing them to land spots directly in the finals of the Trials the following year. Those rules have paid off with athletes like Jordan Burroughs, but the only bad part is missing out on seeing a great wrestler like Kyle Snyder perform at the U.S. Open, which the national governing body for wrestling calls its national tournament. It's a treat anytime we get to see an amazing wrestler like Snyder compete. I get some of the reasons why elite athletes like Snyder don't have to wrestle in the Open. But it's unfortunate for fans who want to see an American Olympic and world champion in action at a major domestic freestyle event. Those guys don't compete much on U.S. soil to begin with as a number of the top international competitions are held overseas.
David Taylor cruised to his second U.S. Open title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Magic Man is a gold medal waiting to happen
David Taylor is one of my all-time favorite athletes I've been fortunate enough to cover in my career. Not only is he a great young man who handles himself extremely well, Taylor is one of the most entertaining wrestlers I've ever seen. And he keeps getting better. Unable to break through against studs like Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Dake in the last Olympic cycle, Taylor was phenomenal at the Freestyle World Cup this year. He may still have to beat J'den Cox to make his first world team on the senior level. Taylor has grown into the 86 kg weight class, and with his technique, tactics and gas tank he is poised to win his first medal this year. I'm excited to see the Magic Man continue to improve, progress and develop.
Burroughs vs. Dake didn't quite live up to the hype
Jordan Burroughs is one of the best American wrestlers of all-time. And one of the best competitors we've ever seen. But going into the U.S. Open, the trendy pick by many was that Kyle Dake would finally break through and beat the Olympic champion and three-time world gold medalist. It wasn't a bad match, but it wasn't a great match either. Plus, their finals bout ended with the score tied 2-2 at 163 pounds. Nobody scored a takedown. As mentioned earlier, have an overtime. Make someone score to win. That would clearly add more drama and excitement. Burroughs now has the inside track on landing a coveted trip to Paris. He will compete at the World Team Trials in his home-away-from-home in Lincoln, a place where he has lived and trained since arriving on Nebraska's campus in 2006. And it's an odd-numbered year. Burroughs won his world titles in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Will he add a fourth title in 2017?
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