On a card with an Olympic champion, the main event was actually two-time NCAA champion Bo Nickal facing off against Oklahoma State alumnus and three-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer. Both wrestlers have created dazzling performances in recent past and the matchup had the hallmark of an instant classic. However, the back-and-forth affair was short on offensive exchanges, but instead a handing off of passive behavior.
The match ended in a highly unusual 1-1 tie. According to Jon Kozak, who compiles stats on freestyle wrestling online, the 1-1 match happens roughly 1/1000 matches, or roughly four world championships in the one style. The 1-1 match is an extremely rare occurrence because the vast majority of referees will force a third activity period if there has been zero action. This will push the match towards better short-term action.
Despite the non-call the match showcased that neither Nickal or Dieringer had a game plan to win the match, but rather not to lose. If the two had wrestled each other for years we could expect a familiarity that might slow down their offensive attacks. As that wasn't the case, the sluggish performance was likely borne from the "Don't lose" mentality that has sometimes plagued our top international wrestlers.
After the match Nickal announced he'd be cutting to 86 kilograms to face David Taylor for the Olympic spot -- a matchup, as previously mentioned, of two wrestlers with incredible familiarity with each other. However, if Nickal does make it into the semifinals or finals to face Taylor he'll need to bring a far more offensive mindset to the match. There had been a number of whispers that when Taylor was injured last year that Nickal was upset Taylor hadn't mentioned the severity, the premise being that Nickal would have gone down and beat up Pat Downey. The stinky tail end of the rumor was often something about Nickal having the upper hand in practice.
I can't say if that's true, but even if it were, there is something very different about wrestling under practice lights and competing for a spot on the Olympic team. That Nickal sees his best chance for Olympic glory at 86 kilograms is fairly apparent when balanced against the tall task of going up to take on J'den Cox -- who defeated him last year in the 92-kilogram finals of the World Team Trials -- and defending Olympic champion Kyle Snyder.
The United States can benefit from Nickal and Dieringer competing at 86 kilograms, but they'll need t bring more energy and offense to their next competition, whether that's at the Olympic Team Trials, or sometime before.
Gable Steveson battling Wisconsin's Trent Hillger (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Q: Gable Steveson looks much bigger and stronger. Do you think he has a real shot to knock off Nick Gwiazdowski and make the Olympic team?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Yes. 100x yes. He's much, much bigger and stronger than he was last year and has improved his mat awareness. With Gable there is no limit to his potential based on his physical talents. His biggest failure to date was his underwhelming performance at the 2019 Junior World Championships. He was outwardly confident but was out of sorts on the mats.
There is no room for a hiccup in 2021. The schedule is narrower than years past and will provide limited opportunities for Gable to grab extra matches (part of the reason he's been active now) and any adjustments will need to be in real time. I hope we see him take an overseas tournament prior to the Trials.
I really believe he can hang with the second tier of international heavyweight talent. Geno and Taha are at a different level right now, but the rest of the field is beatable, including Zheng of China who has beaten Gwiz in the past.
No predictions, but excited to see the rest of Gable's development.
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
Dan Gable winning the 1969 NCAA Championship
Video Link: Mitch Finesilver and King Vlad getting in some down blocks
Q: Sacred Heart became the second Division I school to add a women's wrestling program. Which Division I school do you think will be the next to add a women's wrestling program?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Stanford.
It will all come down to whether or not they are able to secure the funding, but if they can get the checks and have the administration agree to reinstatement I feel confident that women's wrestling will be a vital component to that formula.
I'd like to see some of the Ivy League schools move to form a league, but can also understand that for a limited pool of talent it can be extra difficult to apply obscenely high academic requirements to the growing sport.
The ACC is also a great candidate conference with schools who could benefit from the Title IX offsets.
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