Biggest Upsets??

[RoarLions1]

A couple of the threads on this forum got me thinking about upsets. My question is, "what are your most memorable wrestling upsets?". By memorable, I mean the biggest … where a significant, and highly, highly favored guy lost.

An internet search provided one person's top three, so they'll surely be on some lists (I can provide them later), and I'm sure there will be some PSU emphasis (Conaway & Lynch, for example).

 

[El-Jefe]

English over Maple
Vollrath over Dieringer

 

[clucas]

I'd have to go Zain over Steiber...it's hard to look back now having Zain's entire career behind him and what he accomplished, but at the time, that was a huge upset.

 

[y2jriden]

Zain over Stieber
Conaway over Graff

 

[The Japanese Whizzer]

Nolf over IMar. IMar looked indestructible, Nolf proved otherwise

 

[PSU_Pride_93]

2018 Bath Robe AND National Champion front runner Ohio State vs Penn State....... oh sorry you meant individual matchup

 

[kingslayer_85]

Not college but Garder over Karelin in the Olympics

 

[ClarkstonMark]

Conel over Moore x2

 

[funkisfun12]

I really enjoyed Caldwell taking the wood to Metcalf in the NCAA finals.

 

[matter7172]

I'm good with English (stage was the biggest and it brought a team title along with it) and Conaway. Zain I'll have to force in. Vollrath gets honorable mention.

But, yeah, Gardner's win over Karelin will probably never be topped by anyone, anywhere.

 

[RoarLions1]

All good. None of the top-3 (per one person's opinion in 2017) mentioned yet ...

 

[horraybeer]

Cory Sonnen pinning Cary Kolat.

 

[Dogwelder]

2018 Bath Robe AND National Champion front runner Ohio State vs Penn State....... oh sorry you meant individual matchup

Also, don’t forget the “highly, highly favored” part of the question.

 

[Dogwelder]

It’s painful to remember, but David Taylor was highly favored in our minds over Bubba.

 

[Dogwelder]

... But, yeah, Gardner's win over Karelin will probably never be topped by anyone, anywhere.

The cheater David did upset Goliath ...

 

[ss7]

It wasn't really an upset with the benefit of hindsight, but...

Cassar beating Kolin Moore was incredible in the moment.

 

[Dogwelder]

... Gardner's win over Karelin will probably never be topped by anyone, anywhere.

Vietnam over USA?

 

[RoarLions1]

It’s painful to remember, but David Taylor was highly favored in our minds over Bubba.

A good one, though not a huge upset. Painful? Maybe more so for fans. DT learned a lot from the loss, after initial disappointment.

 

[jrod65]

Owings over Gable and Gardner over the Russian bear are my top two.

 

[csiebott]

I'd have to go Zain over Steiber...it's hard to look back now having Zain's entire career behind him and what he accomplished, but at the time, that was a huge upset.

true but Zain, as we now know, is an all time great. Through that lens, not that much of an upset.

 

[Still in State College]

I think you have to have the first Cenzo win over IMar. That one was pretty big and unexpected especially how it went down.

Jimmy Gulibon over Dean Heil in 2017. Oh wait they never did give him the pin or even the back points.

 

[El-Jefe]

It’s painful to remember, but David Taylor was highly favored in our minds over Bubba.

Only in our minds, which isn't Roar's criterion. Both top 4 seeds at nationals, and Bubba was a returning national finalist.

 

[El-Jefe]

The biggest upset in NCAA history was the ref dinging Tony Nelson for top stalling in the national finals.

 

[El-Jefe]

True freshman Kaid Brock chucking defending national champ Cody Brewer 45 sec into his varsity debut.

 

[McScoreley]

If Carson Kuhn had been in the center of the mat ...

 

[El-Jefe]

If Carson Kuhn had been in the center of the mat ...

If our mat had a bigger apron ...

 

[Dogwelder]

Only in our minds, which isn't Roar's criterion. Both top 4 seeds at nationals, and Bubba was a returning national finalist.

And I suppose PD3’s NCAA titles don’t mean anything either?!??

 

[El-Jefe]

And I suppose PD3’s NCAA titles don’t mean anything either?!??

Not upsets! Destined from birth.

 

[McScoreley]

Nico over PSU Teammate #4 in the room

 

[Brian LB-U]

This doesn't meet Roar's criteria, but I still get goosebumps thinking about Quentin taking out the "Killer". I should have known better, but I didn't think he could do it.

Freshman Nickal knocking off #1 Realbuto in the Scuffle semis was pretty special, too. Sort of a coming out moment.

 

[SpikingWhamos]

Kade Moss over Dean Heil

 

[El-Jefe]

It wasn't really an upset with the benefit of hindsight, but...

Cassar beating Kolin Moore was incredible in the moment.

Cassar twice beating undefeated 4x champ Steveson.

 

[Ja1339]

Bo Nickal over 2 time champ Gabe Dean

 

[matter7172]

Vietnam over USA?

Idk. They had also defeated China and France before the USA.

 

[McScoreley]

Bo Nickal over 2 time champ Gabe Dean

I honestly thought Bo would pin him going into the finals the way Bo was wrestling that tournament. Dean was way too strong, skilled and tactically sound for that to happen.

 

[RoarLions1]

Some mentioned don't quite meet the standard or threshold that was asked for.

Dan Gable was a prohibitive favorite over Larry Owings.
Bo Nickal was #2 seed to Gabe Dean's #1.
DT was #3 seed to Jenkin's #4.
Jordan Conaway was an unranked RSFR, against #3 Tyler Graff.

As examples, two of those are not like the others AND the Gable upset stands out even against the Conaway /Graff example.

 

[El-Jefe]

Idk. They had also defeated China and France before the USA.

Vietnam was favored against France.

 

[TangSoo]

Rohn pinning Lambrecht. He was down 14-3. I don't recall the seedings or if it was a huge upset in that regard.

 

[Dogwelder]

Some mentioned don't quite meet the standard or threshold that was asked for.

Dan Gable was a prohibitive favorite over Larry Owings.
Bo Nickal was #2 seed to Gabe Dean's #1.
DT was #3 seed to Jenkin's #4.
Jordan Conaway was an unranked RSFR, against #3 Tyler Graff.

As examples, two of those are not like the others AND the Gable upset stands out even against the Conaway /Graff example.

Roar, you are cheating!

Owings was the #2 seed to Gable’s #1 seed! If you are going to count the expectations in people’s heads for Gable/Owing, then we should count Bubba/Taylor and Nickal/Dean the same way. (Not to mention Cenzo/IMar.)

The better thing to do is probably to disqualify Gable/Owing also, for being an unfit answer.

See: https://nwhof.org/NCAA-Brackets/PDF/NCAA 1970.pdf

 

[jrod65]

Forgot about this one:

Returning natty champ Greg Jones losing to Ralph Everett in ot, in the 1st round.