Most Overrated Wrestler
- Thread starter The Pitchfork Rebel
- Start date
This thread appears to show the small number of forum members that followed NCAA wrestling before Cael arrived. There were many guys that didnt have near the career that Gullibon had that were top 5 recruits.
PsuPaul... notice the blood rags they had to stuff in their singlets before the match.
Being that cael is older than me I had really no choice
I never wrestled ( other than being rag dolled by Jan Johnson Sr at Saturday morning wrestling....I took up swimming ) but appreciate the terrible toll wrestling can have on one's body. Staying healthy is huge.
One name recently of a guy who never matched the hype was Paddy Gallagher. Super high expectations and the kid is a heck of a good wrestler, but he never aligned with expectation. Of course, few do because the competition is so fierce, kids bodies are still changing and sometimes guys have to take one for the team. Of course the projections around high school athletes is insane.
I am not trying to criticize up the tOSU recruiting hype machine either.
One name recently of a guy who never matched the hype was Paddy Gallagher. Super high expectations and the kid is a heck of a good wrestler, but he never aligned with expectation. Of course, few do because the competition is so fierce, kids bodies are still changing and sometimes guys have to take one for the team. Of course the projections around high school athletes is insane.
I am not trying to criticize up the tOSU recruiting hype machine either.
IMO, AJ “Ford Focus” Ferrari is overrated. He’s won one NCAA title and has been a nonstop distraction at the college level ever since. His finishes have gotten progressively worse as well if memory serves.
Another overrated wrestler IMO is Desanto. Came in with all the hype in the world after knocking off Spencer their senior year, but never made the NCAA finals and hasn’t sniffed a World or Olympic team. He’s more remembered for his antics than anything else. Very good wrestler? Sure. Elite wrestler? No.
Another overrated wrestler IMO is Desanto. Came in with all the hype in the world after knocking off Spencer their senior year, but never made the NCAA finals and hasn’t sniffed a World or Olympic team. He’s more remembered for his antics than anything else. Very good wrestler? Sure. Elite wrestler? No.
According to PA-Wrestling.com, Jimmy had one loss each year in high school. https://www.pa-wrestling.com/hs/teams/derry/athlete_stats.htm?id=51172
I'm already a "bulk job". I wrestled 185/HWT in HS (poorly). In my late 40's I went on a super strict diet and was down to 219, but felt terrible.
Of course, I'm older than the guy that just beat Stage 4 kidney cancer and is planning on playing defensive tackle at a small school in Maryland.
Yeah i was expecting much better than what he showed based on how some fans talked. He is clueless on offense in my opinion.
He has a RS and 3 more years left, but yes, he was very underwhelming this season. He also was favored to win U20 worlds this past year and didn't place.
That's one of few PA 4 timers that suffered some disappointment in college.
Teasdale,Marsteller, were benchmarked by Major programs and came up way short.
Some of them ,such as Crawford had some uncertainty adjusting to the strength of college
Crawford was the 12 seed as a true FR. The next year he got injured and never recovered.
Kolat and Marsteller had good college careers that did not live up to the hype, and I'm not discounting Kolat being a 2x champ.
The bigger correlations are both of them getting kicked off their original teams due to alcohol and/or drug issues, and both succeeding after transferring to Lock Haven.
I think his junior year he lost to Nico and in the Ironman his senior year he got caught sitting under a switch attempt , and pinned.
The Crawford/Tashner Regional match was one of the most exciting high school match I ever saw. I think Crawford lost his first match his freshman year and then won 120 plus in a row. Tashner caught Crawford in 3rd and put him on his back for about a minute.I think Gene Wass was the official and he kept on looking but never slapped the mat. Crawford eventually squirmed out and almost tied the match.
As of late - Brock Hardy. Several head-scratching losses, but rode his win over Mendez to overrated status. Fun style of wrestling, and helps that he is well-liked off the mat, but isn’t quite the wrestler people regard him as.
All-time - probably Steve Mocco
All-time - probably Steve Mocco
IIRC somebody had Gallagher as the #1 overall recruit at some point of his SR year (2021).
OTOH, somebody had to be. Looking back, that was an atrocious class. The only finalists were Hamiti, Figs, Van Ness, and Ayala. And not many more AAs. Far more guys who just disappeared.
If we were to do a re-rank, Facundo might make Top 10. Definitely Top 20.
But the 2021 class redeemed itself the day Mastro showed up in the OKST locker room wearing the Ferrari sister's panties. That alone makes the 2021 class underrated.
Is it really possible to label a 4 time finalist and 2 time champ as overrated?
Yes, it tells me the field was probably terrible. Have to be rated to be overrated. Most underperforming is a different topic - though some seem to be confused.
Maybe we should bring them back and call them A.J. rags.
No. One in each varsity season.
Never use Kolats name in vain again!!!
He did things on the mat I didn’t see for 20 years 
How about Matty from Catty?Never use Kolats name in vain again!!!
Another one that just came to mind was Brock Lesnar. Genetic freak, but not the most interesting wrestler to watch. Wrestled the classic heavyweight style relying heavily on strength to cover his weaknesses. Stephen Neal picked him apart with technique and speed. Even in the UFC he wasn’t very exciting to watch.
@CTStall @El_Jefe Trying to find info on Crawford's college career with little luck. He won the PSAC tourney his first year, don't know how he did in the EWL (he didn't finish 1st), and went 0-1 at NCAAs
According to PA-Wrestling.com, Ty was 146-1 in high school https://www.pa-wrestling.com/hs/teams/northallegheny/athlete_stats.htm?id=103547
His brother Teague had a very successful college career , won championship one year. I think Ty passed relatively young and had some unfortunate issues.
Winning the fourth state title killed his college career - tore something in his knee playing football that fall, but wrestled on it during the winter in his quest to win four. Body was done by the time he hit college.
A little longer ago, Matt Gerhard. 4 timer not sure what he even did in college.
Teague was the only guy to beat 4x PIAA champ and former PSU great Jeremy Hunter in HS. Moore beat Hunter in the district and regional finals, then Hunter got revenge in OT at Hershey in the finals. It was Hunter’s freshman year. He went on to win 4 PIAA titles and finish his career at 171-2 before going to PSU where he went 123-17 won a NCAA title, and was a runner up. 3x AA at PSU. Moore was also a 3x AA at Ok St and won a title as well.