Rivera vs Micic on BTN now
- Thread starter Used2BEerie
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What a ridiculous thing to do for NW. Subjecting your #1 wrestler to injury in a meaningless dual.
As a fan, I like it. We are denied plenty of good matches due to guys being held out for whatever reason, so it's nice to get an interesting match-up that I didn't expect.
And Rivera (or any wrestler) could get hurt in any bout. I'm skeptical that Rivera bumping up to face Micic substantially increases his risk of injury.
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Was it an enjoyable match? Rivera looked like a grade schooler. Just a dumb move. Like Jones moving Milhof to wrestle Young. Don't think he has wrestled since.
I think Milhof was hurt a week or two after the PSU match. May have been a tournament.
I like the move. Maybe he and coaching staff agreed he needed to see some better competition in preparation of seeing Lee in March. His schedule lately hasn't exactly given him the stiffest of competition.
Except when Matt Brown does it. Koll has won some matches that way too.
But really, define "fail." If it is strictly winning that weight in that dual, sure. But that probably wasn't the goal today.
Fail means not competitive and when guys move up to face similarly ranked guys at the higher weight they tend to lose baldy. Matt Brown wasn't beating the top guys up a weight.
Could not possibly disagree more with you. Do you know how many times guys wrestle other guys in the rooms that are 8 pounds more than them? This incredible fear of injury all the time is simply ridiculous. I tip my hat to Rivera for wanting a challenge. Everyone's been ducking him anyway. Great move by the kid and the coaching staff.
Maybe the kid wanted the challenge. I see nothing wrong with this.
Didn't Brown have a couple wins up 2 weights, including an R12 type?
Also that's your definition of fail. It probably wasn't Rivera's. His opinion is the one that counts here.
100% on board with this. With descent rules it’s hard for guys to come down so at least we have people willing to move up. And many. Many have been successful doing so.
Matt Brown proved to be a championship caliber wrestler so beating a round of 12 guy at the perpetually weak weight class of 197 and NOT regularly weighing in at 174 since he was backing up Ed Ruth isn't nearly the same as the #1 at 125 bumping up to wrestle #1 at 133 after weighing in 8 pound lighter. These matchups are great for hype but from a competitive standpoint, they usually fail to match the expectation of the fans that apparently don't know any better. I stand by my statement and the result certainly supports it.
Maybe he can take on a bear next time, that would be a real challenge!
How people forget. Prescott was a beast at 118 that went looking for a challenge and got absolutely taken apart by an equally good 126.
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Gross was very competitive with Meredith last year.
Yes but with all due respect, that match was nothing more than a work out for Rivera. To beat a healthy Lee, I just like seeing him get some work in against a guy like Micic.
See Gross vs Meredith last year. That one was certainly competitive.
I don't see how you can do anything but give Rivera credit here. They didn't do it to win the dual, they did it because he wanted to do it.
Yes, Gross vs Meredith was competitive, but there are plenty of examples of when it was not. I know I am in the minority on this one but I just don't see the benefit of a talented guy like Rivera being made to look ordinary because the other guy had a decisive weight advantage. This meant nothing for the dual outcome and with the size disparity it didn't really allow him to improve on anything relative to the guys he will see going forward so I'm just not seeing the value here. If he wanted a challenge he could of faced the ranked wrestler at 125 and tried to work on some of the things that he considered a weakness and held back on the stuff he knows will work.
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To me, whether it was competitive or not is completely beside the point.
Here is the #1 ranked wrestler in the nation at his weight, who wants to continue to push himself to improve through challenging himself by facing the best competition he can find. This is the mindset of a TRUE champion and he should be lauded for it. He's not concerned about going undefeated, rankings or seeds. He wants to pursue excellence through pushing himself to attain the unattainable. Hats off to Mr. Rivera, you truly have my respect.
Here is the #1 ranked wrestler in the nation at his weight, who wants to continue to push himself to improve through challenging himself by facing the best competition he can find. This is the mindset of a TRUE champion and he should be lauded for it. He's not concerned about going undefeated, rankings or seeds. He wants to pursue excellence through pushing himself to attain the unattainable. Hats off to Mr. Rivera, you truly have my respect.
Seabass showed the true spirit of being a Jersey wrestler (shots fired 
at rutgers) haha. Understandable why many of you believe that it is dumb for risk of injury but iron sharpens iron. as much as it was a 10-4 decision i would believe Seabass got better by wrestling Micic then Mattin. Not for nothing look at Nolf last year, he got injured by Van Brill (or whomever it was from Rutgers). Take RBY, he managed to get injured in the Purdue match when in fact he could have been injured in the Lehigh match with the flying squirrel. At the end of the day NW had to know they werent winning with 2 starters already out, if Seabass wants to go after Micic let him
And if he won and then proceeds to beat Lee 2 more times, B1G and NCAA finals then he would put his name in the Hodge running (although unlikely to win)
at rutgers) haha. Understandable why many of you believe that it is dumb for risk of injury but iron sharpens iron. as much as it was a 10-4 decision i would believe Seabass got better by wrestling Micic then Mattin. Not for nothing look at Nolf last year, he got injured by Van Brill (or whomever it was from Rutgers). Take RBY, he managed to get injured in the Purdue match when in fact he could have been injured in the Lehigh match with the flying squirrel. At the end of the day NW had to know they werent winning with 2 starters already out, if Seabass wants to go after Micic let himAnd if he won and then proceeds to beat Lee 2 more times, B1G and NCAA finals then he would put his name in the Hodge running (although unlikely to win)
Yep. And just so we are clear.
Rivera gives up 8 lbs. that’s 14ish lbs for Cassar if he’s 230. But he often gives up more and it will he like 40 more if he wrestles Stoll.
While I like descent rules, I miss those days when a guy went down to meet someone. I crashed weight a handful of times for that very reason. Having guys go up.....I’m all for it and will applaud it every time....just as I did for Milford v RBY
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