The Contenders

#1 Jordan Burroughs (USA)
#2 Ainuar Geduev (RUS)
#3 Hassan Yazdani Charati (IRI)

Jordan Burroughs is the reigning world champion and Olympic gold medalist, but he is not the same wrestler he was four years ago. Additionally, this is not the same field. With a different group of opponents operating under a different set of rules, it will be a tremendous challenge to Burroughs' greatness

Mike Mal did an excellent job breaking down Geduev as you will see later today.

Last year in Vegas, I was explaining that Hassan Yazdani Charati scared me because he might give Burroughs a tough match. Fast forward to August 19th and we are liable to find out.

Yazdani Charati does a great job of moving his foe around, maybe even better than Burroughs, He will immediately push pressure on them from an underhook and seems to be able to get pushouts at will. He can't attack legs like Burroughs, but when you are able to wrestle your opponents in a phone booth, you often don't have to shoot.

Yazdani avenges loss to Tsabolov

Dark Horses

#9 Narsingh Yadav
#10 Bekzod Abdurakhmonob (UZB)
#11 Zelimkhan Khadjiev (FRA)

No wrestler has had a crazier road to Rio than Narsingh Yadav. The Indian star was sabotaged by multiple time world and Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar. Yadav was originally ruled out after his positive test, but was later cleared by India's National Anti-Doping Agency because of sabotage on the part of Kumar. Someone in Kumar's camp tainted Yadav's food with PEDs.

This weight has more than one American to watch as former Clarion star Bekzod Abdurakhmonov makes his Olympic debut. His folkstyle background and unorthodox style make him one of the most unpredictable athletes in the weight class.

Abdurakhmonov wins world bronze


Khadjiev is a wild card. He was the guy up big on Yadav when the lefty headlock came screaming around. Khadjiev had Burroughs in a 3-0 hole before getting teched. He can't get through Geduev or Burroughs, but Khadjiev can scrap with anyone. Combine Russian training with a purposeful attacking approach and you have a terrifying presence good enough of being the third best wrestler in this weight.

How Burroughs Can Medal

The double leg is not the only shot in Burrough's arsenal. He is now more patient with it and will score a pushout if he has to so as to keep the points coming and the pressure on his opponent. But in the tournaments leading up to Rio, Burroughs was working on a low ankle attack a la John Smith.

The leglace he has developed the past two years is turning in wrestling's worst kept secret. Part of why Burroughs is more accepting to take stepouts is because he knows how much his par terre has improved. Being able to turn any takedown into the end of match is very intimidating.

Burroughs' preternatural confidence carries him to victory. He is the hardest working wrestler on Team USA, and it shows when he needs a takedown late in a match. It shows when he knee blocks to prevent a takedown. It shows when he clears an underhook.



Every year that Burroughs has won a world or Olympic title, he has gone through an Iranian to do it. I see no reason for that to change at the the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Predictions

GOLD: Jordan Burroughs, USA
SILVER: Hassan Yazdani Charati, IRI
BRONZE: Ainuar Geduev, Russia
BRONZE: Soner Demirtas, Turkey
FIFTH: Bekzod Abdurakhmonov, Uzbekistan
FIFTH: Zelimkhan Khadjiev, France

Bracket Reactions Update:

Top Matches Of Olympians:

Men's Frestyle: Daniel Dennis | Frank Molinaro | Jordan Burroughs
J'den Cox | Kyle Snyder | Tervel Dlagnev

Greco Roman: Jesse Thielke | Andy Bisek | Robby Smith | Ben Provisor (Coming 8/14)
Women's Freestyle: Haley Augello | Helen Maroulis | Elena Pirozhkova | Adeline Gray

Know A Foreign Hammer:

Toghrul Asgarov | Roman Vlasov | Taha Akgul
Saori Yoshida | Anzor Boltakaev | Abdulrashid Sadulaev
Anuiar Gedeuv | Erica Wiebe | Soronzonbold Battsetsegg
Hamid Soryan | Vladimir Khinchegashvili

2016 Olympic Wrestling Schedule