Sr Worlds results/discussion

Jun 25, 2025
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Didn't Spencer Lee wrestle in the Olympic Finals just last year with his multiple injuries? That doesn't scream "ruined" to me, but uuummmm.

Lincoln Mcllravy was a generational talent too, apparently "ruined" by Dan Gable. So we know it happens. šŸ˜‚

Disappointed for Spencer, but I'm gonna wake up and see the sun shine again tomorrow, probably will for you too if you let it............
Stop with injury talk. Flu knee pink eye my god! Enough
 

hawknut

All-Conference
Jan 12, 2003
624
1,226
63
Absolutely gutted for Spencer. Thought this bracket was a great one for him to come away with gold. Just serves as a great reminder though that winning world medal (let alone a world gold) is extremely hard, and every opponent out there is trying hard too and nothing is a gimme
That being said, if he wants to continue, he needs to
Two things.

1. That’s the worst Spencer has looked on the world stage. He got abused. I’m disappointed for him because I thought he had a strong shot to dominate the field.

2. Zahid’s results are strong recruiting material for DT and Okie State.
Agree did not look good. I think he gassed and either wasn’t prepared or wasn’t as good as the other guy or both. Obviously all those are issues/problem, but he was definitely gassed. If he is going to continue, he needs to train elsewhere if for no other reason than to try something else.
 

InTheCircle

All-Conference
Apr 3, 2018
350
1,033
93
If you cant see the difference between what Cael and DT are doing vs TnT, you have your head stuck in the ground...or firmly up their rear end.
Then you also concur we should break rules? Also, HWC having an unlimited amount of money have absolutely no bearing on results and recruitment of the top p4p guys? Classy.
This has nothing to do with Spencer’s beatdown today. I’ll attribute it to what was going on between his ears. If you’ve ever wrestled and been successful, you know there were rare instances when you walked on the mat, you didn’t think you had IT. Sometimes, it happens at the worst possible time. It did today.
There is nothing any coach, parent or teammate can say to get you in the right head space.
It happened to me, and it haunts you for decades. I’ll give Spencer a break today and hope he finds his hunger to win again.
 

Murr55

Redshirt
Jul 9, 2025
10
36
13
Then you also concur we should break rules? Also, HWC having an unlimited amount of money have absolutely no bearing on results and recruitment of the top p4p guys? Classy.
This has nothing to do with Spencer’s beatdown today. I’ll attribute it to what was going on between his ears. If you’ve ever wrestled and been successful, you know there were rare instances when you walked on the mat, you didn’t think you had IT. Sometimes, it happens at the worst possible time. It did today.
There is nothing any coach, parent or teammate can say to get you in the right head space.
It happened to me, and it haunts you for decades. I’ll give Spencer a break today and hope he finds his hunger to win again.
You don't think having real training partners, guys who are also working to win world medals, instead of Desanto, Ayala, and Sorenson would lead to greater confidence when you step on the mat?
 

el dub

All-Conference
Nov 2, 2005
539
1,386
93
Then you also concur we should break rules? Also, HWC having an unlimited amount of money have absolutely no bearing on results and recruitment of the top p4p guys? Classy.
This has nothing to do with Spencer’s beatdown today. I’ll attribute it to what was going on between his ears. If you’ve ever wrestled and been successful, you know there were rare instances when you walked on the mat, you didn’t think you had IT. Sometimes, it happens at the worst possible time. It did today.
There is nothing any coach, parent or teammate can say to get you in the right head space.
It happened to me, and it haunts you for decades. I’ll give Spencer a break today and hope he finds his hunger to win again.
I agree. Hope he finds that hunger as well and wouldn’t be surprised to see him make a move for a different perspective.
 
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93hawkeye

Senior
Sep 19, 2004
285
442
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Very sad about Spencer's match. I"m just gonna say it...I partially blame US folkstyle for some things. On the double-over scramble, and other predicaments SL gets into, he is willing to expose his back to eventually end up with control. That gets you points in folk, a la SL's sick tilts, but you can lose quickly in free doing that.
I think that, aside from his world-class gutwrench, SL's instincts might still be calibrated to folkstyle.
I know there's more to this loss, i'm just wishing our guys always had the advantage of thinking freestyle every year of their careers, like the restof the world.
 
Jun 25, 2025
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Very sad about Spencer's match. I"m just gonna say it...I partially blame US folkstyle for some things. On the double-over scramble, and other predicaments SL gets into, he is willing to expose his back to eventually end up with control. That gets you points in folk, a la SL's sick tilts, but you can lose quickly in free doing that.
I think that, aside from his world-class gutwrench, SL's instincts might still be calibrated to folkstyle.
I know there's more to this loss, i'm just wishing our guys always had the advantage of thinking freestyle every year of their careers, like the restof the world.
SL has wrestled much more FS than levi, jax, hidlay, valencia in their careers. Didnt bother them! Its HWC! Hes nuts not to go elsewhere to train
 

HawkAlum2002

Senior
Oct 18, 2017
313
669
93
Very sad about Spencer's match. I"m just gonna say it...I partially blame US folkstyle for some things. On the double-over scramble, and other predicaments SL gets into, he is willing to expose his back to eventually end up with control. That gets you points in folk, a la SL's sick tilts, but you can lose quickly in free doing that.
I think that, aside from his world-class gutwrench, SL's instincts might still be calibrated to folkstyle.
I know there's more to this loss, i'm just wishing our guys always had the advantage of thinking freestyle every year of their careers, like the restof the world.
I think Spencer has always thought freestyle first, he just incorporated it into his folkstyle and not the other way around. That said, he gave away a two point exposure and the four pointer by being aggressive and he said he wanted to score more, just didn't end up working out on this occasion. If he gets the pin on his reversal, he probably wins the whole thing. Upsets happen. He also could've finished the very first takedown and probably a different story also, might've been over in 70 seconds like the first match.
 
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azchief32

Senior
Dec 20, 2012
9,978
923
113
Heart broken for Spencer. As somebody said though, "you get what you earn." No one in here or out on the internets will be as hard on Spencer as he is on himself and maybe that's his issue, I don't know.

The way to beat Spencer is to wrestle like you have nothing to lose...we have seen it before. Guy looks like a world beater than wrestles like Clark Kent in the next match: The Armenian guy, Ramos, Seabass. The only guy that I thought was just a little bit better than him was Higuchi. Spencer wasn't drained or stiff-legged and had energy to spare. Just wasn't as aggressive.

Happy for the other guys...especially Zahid and Hidlay. It goes to show how deep we are when guys who finally get their shot after wrestling behind others can make good. Remember, Zahid medaled up at 92KG despite weighing in with pounds to spare.
 

mcpat

All-American
Mar 12, 2021
1,603
6,098
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Very sad about Spencer's match. I"m just gonna say it...I partially blame US folkstyle for some things. On the double-over scramble, and other predicaments SL gets into, he is willing to expose his back to eventually end up with control. That gets you points in folk, a la SL's sick tilts, but you can lose quickly in free doing that.
I think that, aside from his world-class gutwrench, SL's instincts might still be calibrated to folkstyle.
I know there's more to this loss, i'm just wishing our guys always had the advantage of thinking freestyle every year of their careers, like the restof the world.
U17 gold in 2014
U20 gold in 2015 and 2016
Bill Farrell champ in 2023
Olympic Silver in 2024
Zagreb champ in 2025

Don’t think today’s loss was because of the disadvantage of wrestling folkstyle in school.
 

azchief32

Senior
Dec 20, 2012
9,978
923
113
This is the standard line every time he loses whether it was in college or now is coaching or an indictment on the program itself. Imagine having to ruck that kind of weight on your back: It's not bad enough that you lose, but also knowing that your fan base (and the wrestling world because Iowa) will blame the coaches and the program you have come to think of as family. No one else has that kind of pressure. Tom can handle it but we all know the narrative that's out there...so does Spencer. No wonder some guys would rather choose to wrestle in front of a high school size crowd in college.

I agree with many that a more robust HWC would help recruiting. But having better partners in the room? David Carr and Trent Hidlay don't. At PSU or OSU, you're training with your competition.
 

Steevo36

Sophomore
Jan 5, 2018
47
148
33
This is the standard line every time he loses whether it was in college or now is coaching or an indictment on the program itself. Imagine having to ruck that kind of weight on your back: It's not bad enough that you lose, but also knowing that your fan base (and the wrestling world because Iowa) will blame the coaches and the program you have come to think of as family. No one else has that kind of pressure. Tom can handle it but we all know the narrative that's out there...so does Spencer. No wonder some guys would rather choose to wrestle in front of a high school size crowd in college.

I agree with many that a more robust HWC would help recruiting. But having better partners in the room? David Carr and Trent Hidlay don't. At PSU or OSU, you're training with your competition.
Chief, it does no good to try to speak reason and logic to these people. They prefer to be old men shaking their fist and yelling at the sky.
 

Bogiyev

Redshirt
May 18, 2025
6
20
3
SL has wrestled much more FS than levi, jax, hidlay, valencia in their careers. Didnt bother them! Its HWC! Hes nuts not to go elsewhere to train
Just throwing this out there, but is it at all possible that Tom, Terry and company have given Spencer, coming to Iowa with a couple significant surgery type health issues, a platform to perform to his best ability... maybe more than he may have had elsewhere? 3 x NCAA champ, Olympic Silver... and not done. Just asking.
 

bman546

Freshman
Nov 16, 2008
30
54
18
A lot to process in replying specifically to the Spencer Lee comments. First the sky is not falling.. Spencer will be fine. The bar may be unrealistically high or expectations unfairly inflated.. Spencer has essentially competed in three Senior level international events.. Olympics - Silver, Zagreb in February UWW ranking series - Gold.. and the 2025 World championships DNP.. Harutunyan is no slouch.. three time World Bronze Medalist, and I think two time U23 Champion. This is the world Championships at 57kg and the bracket is crazy deep, and one great moment in a match or one bad moment in a match can make or break the tournament for you. Spencer is not going anywhere.. I have no way of knowing this but it is a guess. Spencer is (only) 27, and still wants the Olympic Gold Medal and a World Championship. Besides, domestically, nobody at 57kg can come anywhere near Spencer.. I do agree with the sentiment that HWC has lost its luster. Who competed at the US Open (Spencer did not need to because he was already waiting at final X). DeSanto and Ayala? I don't think Spencer is lacking good partners if he has DeSanto and Ayala to train with, but a mix of good partners is never a bad thing. Maybe what is lacking is wrestling more top level guys that aren'r named DeSanto and Ayala, in order to get put in other ties, other positions, different scrambles.. etc. places where where you need development. And with HWC in general, you can look at your RTC as a way to keep graduated good wrestlers in town training with your college guys.. To help your college program.. Or, you can build your RTC with the goal of getting guys on World Teams and win World and Olympic medals.. (that also gives your college guys great partners to help develop them and is a major plus for recruiting). There is a reason Kerkvliet left Ohio State for PSU immediately after Snyder left for PSU. Your top recruits have their eyes set on the World Level.. they are far more likely to go to a room with an RTC that has World Level guys.. Iowa has one.. Spencer..
 

Hawkfan1986

Senior
Mar 26, 2019
111
467
63
When you base your senior level presence on one guy, in an era where senior level success is the driver of recruiting success, you cannot afford for that guy to lay an egg.

This is not a critique of Spencer. This is a critique of Tom’s inability to understand the modern wrestling landscape. Spencer shouldn’t be carrying the HWC on his shoulders.
Well said. Sr level success and recruiting go hand in hand. We’re not getting it done at any level.
 
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azchief32

Senior
Dec 20, 2012
9,978
923
113
I also think its the opponent mindset. I was telling a buddy that there is a certain freedom in wrestling a guy like Spencer Lee. Go out there let it all out and hit him with the kitchen sink. If you get teched, welp, **** happens. If you catch him on a bad day, it just might work. Seabass, Ramos, Picc, Desanto and today of course. I am also reminded of Gilman vs Zeke Moisey. Zeke didn't have a care in the world...he was already gambling with house $$. Too bad those guys didn't use that mindset in their subsequent matches including that dude today.

My buddy also reminded me that nobody really jumped on the two Cornell guys for losing to high school guys. Should they leave? Hendrickson wrestled a very sloppy match against Kurbanov losing 14-4 who he pinned (and was beating 17-9) at U23s in 2023.

Wrestling is a tough sport at this level and there is someone out there always ready to punch you in the jaw if you're not ready to roll.
 

jrod65

Senior
Jan 21, 2019
181
871
93
Morning session recap:

Woods went 1-1. Needs Amouzad to win semis for a chance at bronze

Snyder advanced to semis

Carr won and will wrestle Sidakov for bronze

Taz was in a barnburner against Sadulaev's replacement
 

vhsalum1

Senior
Jul 8, 2025
387
994
93
Snyder wins and will wrestle for gold.

Woods is pulled back in.

Taz loses. Social media is now abuzz with proclamations of him needing to find a new training situation immediately as his coaches clearly failed him.......
LOL. Taz didn't get teched.

Also. Taz didn't deserve to win. He's going to have to change some things up. He was killing everyone when they went head outside and finishing his double the wrong way.

That got scouted by both the ruskie and Iran.
 
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HawkAlum2002

Senior
Oct 18, 2017
313
669
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Armenian beats RBY for the bronze. Last second review by RBY on a takedown to tie it, but refs (correctly) ruled it wasn't in time. Never got our Spencer-RBY rematch unfortunately and neither medaled. North Korean kid comes back from 7-0 down to win 12-9. Kyrgystan guy needed to pop his head out and escape instead of fighting and giving up three turns. A little folkstyle would've helped him.
 

HerkHawl

Sophomore
May 11, 2007
86
173
33
Armenian beats RBY for the bronze. Last second review by RBY on a takedown to tie it, but refs (correctly) ruled it wasn't in time. Never got our Spencer-RBY rematch unfortunately and neither medaled. North Korean kid comes back from 7-0 down to win 12-9. Kyrgystan guy needed to pop his head out and escape instead of fighting and giving up three turns. A little folkstyle would've helped him.
 

azchief32

Senior
Dec 20, 2012
9,978
923
113
Armenian beats RBY for the bronze. Last second review by RBY on a takedown to tie it, but refs (correctly) ruled it wasn't in time. Never got our Spencer-RBY rematch unfortunately and neither medaled. North Korean kid comes back from 7-0 down to win 12-9. Kyrgystan guy needed to pop his head out and escape instead of fighting and giving up three turns. A little folkstyle would've helped him.

Good for the NK guy. He will be celebrated with banquets in honor of Kim Jong Un and his family given extra rations of rice plus brand new bikes.
 

jrod65

Senior
Jan 21, 2019
181
871
93
Carr lost a very close one to Sidakov, finishes 5th.

Haines lost 3-2, takes silver.

Wasn't sure what to expect from either of them heading in. Levi had little/no international experience and Carr's weight was a meatgrinder. Impressive performance from both.
 

InTheCircle

All-Conference
Apr 3, 2018
350
1,033
93
Good for the NK guy. He will be celebrated with banquets in honor of Kim Jong Un and his family given extra rations of rice plus brand new bikes.
It would be a good time to defect to the to Iowa and HWC. He wouldn’t cost us much.
Perhaps USA Wrestling would give him the money he would have earned for winning gold in the USA, to make a good start?
 

The-Dude-Abides

All-Conference
Jan 1, 2023
845
2,154
93
I saw it posted that USA has to win out and Iran has to lose every match for us to catch them in the team race. I think that happened at U20s this year, so fingers crossed. Impressive performance by Iran this tournament.
 

azchief32

Senior
Dec 20, 2012
9,978
923
113
Carr lost a very close one to Sidakov, finishes 5th.

Haines lost 3-2, takes silver.

Wasn't sure what to expect from either of them heading in. Levi had little/no international experience and Carr's weight was a meatgrinder. Impressive performance from both.

Yea....I f-ing hate Sidakov :ROFLMAO: