BTS and WTT Schedule
- Thread starter Wrassler17
- Start date
He went 1-2 at the wrestling World Cup and didnt look great in any of those matches. He then took another loss at the Pan Ams.
Struggling isn't a poor description for what has occurred in his return to the mat.
Agreed. While it's hard to bet against Dake who is a senior level guy in his prime being paid to wrestle but Zahid is the future at that weight and will come in with some physical advantages. Should be fun to watch.
I was also surprised by Alex's matches. Besides being unable to score, it looked like he wasn't prepared for the sweep single and the double leg - Zahid's two main moves.
I think future matches between Alex and Zahid will look a lot like his matches against Dake. Dake dominated him at first, but he's been closing the gap ever since. Alex has some things working for him and some things against him. He's very strong and holds position very well. That's why you sometimes see him dominate a top 10 guy in the world. But if he can't out horse you, then he has problems because his offense is somewhat limited. And while he's a good athlete, he's not a great one like Dake & Zahid. He just doesn't have that quick twitch reaction speed or elite scrambling ability. But besides strength, he has an incredible drive and work ethic. I hope he uses this loss as motivation to develop a couple of more offensive attacks. He needs something else besides that fireman's dump and post single.
Some guys are ready for the freestyle scene right away and some guys need a few years to figure it all out. The young guns, Zahid and Hall, are very talented but I wouldn't write off Alex just yet.
I think future matches between Alex and Zahid will look a lot like his matches against Dake. Dake dominated him at first, but he's been closing the gap ever since. Alex has some things working for him and some things against him. He's very strong and holds position very well. That's why you sometimes see him dominate a top 10 guy in the world. But if he can't out horse you, then he has problems because his offense is somewhat limited. And while he's a good athlete, he's not a great one like Dake & Zahid. He just doesn't have that quick twitch reaction speed or elite scrambling ability. But besides strength, he has an incredible drive and work ethic. I hope he uses this loss as motivation to develop a couple of more offensive attacks. He needs something else besides that fireman's dump and post single.
Some guys are ready for the freestyle scene right away and some guys need a few years to figure it all out. The young guns, Zahid and Hall, are very talented but I wouldn't write off Alex just yet.
No disrespect, but he is an elite athlete. He's just more elite at some things more than others. I do agree that he needs more ammo! I'd bet on him getting it done too!
Agreed, definitely not counting him out. Weights will be interesting in the next couple of years.
No, I understand what you're saying and I probably didn't word that very well. I didn't mean to imply that Alex is not athletic. He definitely is. You don't become a top 10 wrestler in the world just because you are strong. But to me, it's all relative when you are talking about the absolute highest levels of the sport.
I think Dan Gable once said that the great Randy Lewis could stop 99 out of a 100 top wrestlers from getting to his legs. But that 100th guy could. That's the margin Alex is dealing with here. He's trying to go from top 10 in the world to best in the world. I don't think he will "out athlete" Dake or Zahid, he needs to "out technique" them. Flo has a video from a few years ago and Coach Smith refers to it as technique speed.
On a side note, can you imagine the hype fix and lee match will get next year? We should sell out GIA next year just for that match alone.
Alex has a lot of class. Glad he's a Cowboy.
Yeah, those matches are going to be HUUUUGE! Get ready for 4 years of fun for you guys watching Fix. He is going to make Smith look like an even greater coach.
This is the video I referred to earlier. Man, watching it again, coach Smith is just fantastic. Who wouldn't want to tap into that knowledge and learn from him?
https://www.flowrestling.org/video/5429205-john-smith-the-key-is-technique-speed
I'm not sure if it's only viewable to FloPro subscribers or not. If you can't watch it, coach Smith basically talks about improving quickness & explosion by perfecting your technique and then drilling your attacks.
https://www.flowrestling.org/video/5429205-john-smith-the-key-is-technique-speed
I'm not sure if it's only viewable to FloPro subscribers or not. If you can't watch it, coach Smith basically talks about improving quickness & explosion by perfecting your technique and then drilling your attacks.
Alex is SO good. Elite. Top 5-10 in the world at his weight. Class act. And one of my all-time favorite Cowboys. But after what I saw this weekend how could I bet on him beating Valencia in the future? Of course Ringer will get better - but so will Valencia. The athleticism and LENGTH are a deadly combo for Zahid.
Maybe he moves back to 74 next year. Burroughs is the king of the weight but may only be around for another year or 2
Keep the faith, Alex & the coaches will make adjustments. Dake tech'd Alex (easily) in their first meeting and each match since has gotten tighter. Below is Zahid's interview after the finals. He talks about some of his tactics - hand position to block the high c, staying low, high number of shots, and maybe most interesting, practicing against Nick Marable. Hopefully, Alex and our coaches can make some changes.