Sounds like his 3-0 performance was the least-challengED!
Quite a juxtaposition from the pre-tourney takery!
2025 U20 Worlds breakdown and predictions
- Thread starter zzs006
- Start date
Quite a juxtaposition from the pre-tourney takery!
So I did pretty good but not great on my predictions. I got 6 of the USA guys correct and was a perfect 5 for 5 on the PSU guys. I also picked McEnelly to win gold. Initially I had Henckel winning bronze but when the draws came out I said he would bring home silver. I was too high on Knox (3rd) and Lockett (gold) and too low on Stanich (5th) and Rademacher(5th).
I think the lesson I’m taking away is that time in a college room is a massive plus. This should be obvious and it is but I think it’s even more important than I thought. With a year or more in a college room comes technique, elite coaching, and superior training partners but also a college strength program. Stanich and Rademacher were in such great shape and physically stronger than their opponents and it showed as they imposed their will especially late in matches. One of the biggest changes from high school to college is in the handfight and it was so very clear seeing that difference when watching Knox and Lockett compared to Stanich and Rademacher. Both Knox and Lockett need to work from space to be effective and when forced to work from ties are very beatable. Lockett said in one of his interviews that handfighting is the area he had been working on the most so he knows this is where he has to improve. This also shows just how ******* good Blaze, Duke, and Henckel are!
My OW for the tournament is Marcus Blaze. A few of his opponents were extremely high level and his finals opponent, Khateri, is truly elite. Blaze made them look like JV kids. You are not supposed to beat past world champions by tech without breaking a sweat in the world finals but that’s exactly what Blaze did. There were a bunch of really great performances but for me Marcus was the best wrestler in the tournament hands down.
Hopefully my breakdown was a helpful guide for everyone. I find that for me, all the foreign names blend together as the tournament goes deeper so I’ve always liked having a reference that I could look at and give me some information.
I think the lesson I’m taking away is that time in a college room is a massive plus. This should be obvious and it is but I think it’s even more important than I thought. With a year or more in a college room comes technique, elite coaching, and superior training partners but also a college strength program. Stanich and Rademacher were in such great shape and physically stronger than their opponents and it showed as they imposed their will especially late in matches. One of the biggest changes from high school to college is in the handfight and it was so very clear seeing that difference when watching Knox and Lockett compared to Stanich and Rademacher. Both Knox and Lockett need to work from space to be effective and when forced to work from ties are very beatable. Lockett said in one of his interviews that handfighting is the area he had been working on the most so he knows this is where he has to improve. This also shows just how ******* good Blaze, Duke, and Henckel are!
My OW for the tournament is Marcus Blaze. A few of his opponents were extremely high level and his finals opponent, Khateri, is truly elite. Blaze made them look like JV kids. You are not supposed to beat past world champions by tech without breaking a sweat in the world finals but that’s exactly what Blaze did. There were a bunch of really great performances but for me Marcus was the best wrestler in the tournament hands down.
Hopefully my breakdown was a helpful guide for everyone. I find that for me, all the foreign names blend together as the tournament goes deeper so I’ve always liked having a reference that I could look at and give me some information.
Thanks again for all the hard work you put into your breakdowns and predictions. I couldn't agree more about the benefit of having a college season under your belt. I think your take on hand fighting is also spot on. It is so impressive that Marcus and PJ are so good in that area so early in their careers. Marcus, in particular, hand fights like a seasoned veteran. Henckel is good also, but is raw in freestyle. Had Henckel had that year of college experience under his belt I think that would have propelled him to gold. His gold medal match was definitely winnable, but a few mistakes cost him.
On a side note, mat IQ and situational awareness/tactics are also so important. For example, in Marcus' gold medal match he didn't try to force a TD when he had Khateri's leg in the air. He instead methodically pushed toward the edge and safely got his one point. Contrast that to when Connor had Kurugliyev's leg in the air in their 1/8 match. He took the opposite approach and Kurugliyev launched him for a 4. PJ and Marcus both have great mat IQ, especially at their age. Luke Lilledahl is also excellent in this regard. I do think mat IQ is one of the harder things to teach. This is probably because mat IQ is so affected by how one performs under stress. The best athletes have that innate ability to stay calm under pressure.
Last edited:
Great point! I’m sure it can be taught to an extent but I really feel like mat IQ/situational awareness is just something you either have or you don’t. The best guys just innately understand what needs to happen at any given point during a match. PSU guys always excel in this area and I wonder if it’s something that Cael and Co seek out when recruiting kids.
I keep going back and forth on whether PJ or Marcus is the best high school wrestler I’ve ever seen. More recently I was leaning PJ after he beat Yianni and made the world team but after U20’s I think it might be Marcus. Not that it matters but it’s fun to think about. I have been watching wrestling for a long time and I’ve always said Kolat was the best but I really do think that PJ, Marcus, and Jax are quite possibly even better. It’s pretty cool that 30+ years after Kolat these 3 kids come along at the exact same time.
Fantastic summary! I dig the review of the predictions w/data, and with the narrative you put together on said data. Totally agree on the fitness gaps between US and opponents of both Rademacher & Stanich. Some of the still pics even showcase it! I'm still hearing Rademacher saying "these guys are kids; I'm a man." Sounds so much better than Ole Mullet Gundy.
Super fun to read, before and after the tourney, thanks!
I appreciate the time, energy and care you put into your pre tourny review. It let's me have a much better understanding of who our guys are competing against. If you ever stop, it will negatively impact my enjoyment of watching these competitions.
Again, greatly appreciated and thank you.
Nit
Last edited:
I wouldn't be at all surprised if the coaches pay a great deal of attention to the mental side of those they recruit. In general, I would agree that performance under stress/mental fortitude is primarily innate. That being said, I believe the coaches' focus on enjoyment of the sport and getting better rather than focusing on results is really beneficial for the Penn State wrestlers. It allows them to wrestle with less nerves, which frees up your mind to make better decisions during a match.