Jordan Williams Commits To Oklahoma State

Cincinnati is known as the Queen City, and this weekend it will reign supreme over the wrestling world as it plays host to the inaugural RTC Cup presented by Titan Mercury. With six of the nation's best RTC's squaring off for a big payday, we are sure to get fire dual after fire dual, but these six potential matchups stand out from the rest. 

It's hard to beat the thrill of a good dual meet, especially when the stakes go up as the dual unfolds, and the final match decides the winning team. This weekend's RTC Cup will be packed with matches that should come down to the wire, but remember, this is UWW dual meet criteria and not folkstyle dual meet criteria. Before the RTC cup kicks off, bone up on the criteria that will decide which team wins.

Every match at the RTC Cup could be the difference in which team wins these highly competitive duals. This was incentive enough for four of the six RTCs to pick up 57kg wrestlers for their rosters in the weeks leading up to the event.

Bader and Bray talk with Dave Habat of the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club before he takes the mat at the RTC Cup this weekend.

Gable Steveson took two-time world medalist, Nick Gwiazdowski to the brink in their two matches at Final X. So, what does the young phenom need to do to get over the hump this weekend at the RTC Cup? We turned a discerning eye on the things that Gable did well in his set against Gwiz and the things that will need to improve if he hopes to turn the tables against the Wolfpack legend this Friday night.

On episode 580 of FRL, the boys make their predictions for day 1 of the RTC Cup. 

57 kg and 65 kg are phenomenal, but I think most people have 125 kg circled as the weight to watch in Cincinnati. Two-time World medalist and NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski, three-time age level World champion Gable Steveson, and 2019 Junior World champion Mason Parris headline a phenomenal weight; and all in the same pool.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser announced today the addition of Junior World Silver Medalist, Yonger Bastida, to the Iowa State Wrestling program. Bastida comes to Ames by way of Trinidad, Cuba. He projects to wrestle at 197 or heavyweight for the Cyclones and will be eligible this season.

Bader and Bray talk with Mike Macchiavello of the Wolfpack RTC and Matt Kolodzik of the NJRTC before they compete in this weekend's RTC Cup.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club/Michigan RTC will host three-time world medalist Bajrang Punia of India for a month-long training camp in December, the club announced Sunday (Nov. 29). Already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics after his bronze-medal world finish in 2019, Bajrang is currently ranked No. 2 in the world at 65kg."We continue to elevate our training environment at Michigan and are excited to have Bajrang here in Ann Arbor," said Michigan head coach Sean Bormet. "I've closely watched his wrestling over the last several years, and I really respect his fierce competitiveness and work ethic. He is highly regarded around the globe and is a world-class training partner. It's an outstanding opportunity for everyone.""I am excited to train with Michigan's Cliff Keen Wrestling Club," said Bajrang. "This will be my first time going there, so I am looking forward to training with the team. They have some great coaches in Sergei [Beloglazov] and Sean, and I hope to get good partners as well. I know it will be cold there, but I'm prepared. The U.S. has been a great destination for me. There are a lot of wrestling fans there who support me, for which I'm thankful. I'll do my best."Bajrang medaled at 65kg at the last two World Championships, claiming silver in 2018 before his bronze finish in 2019, and previously claimed bronze at 60kg in 2013. He also took 65kg silver at the 2017 U23 World Championships. He is a six-time Asian Championships medalist, capturing gold in 2017 and 2019, and twice reached the finals at the quadrennial Asian Games, with a gold-medal finish in 2018.He placed in the top two at each of his UWW Ranking Series events in 2020, defeating American Jordan Oliver, 4-3, to capture gold at the Matteo Pellicone tournament in January before earning silver at the Asian Championships in February. With those performances, he has assured himself a seeded start at the Olympic Games next summer.Bajrang will arrive in Michigan next week, and while stateside, he will participate in FloWrestling's eight-man 150-pound bracket on Dec. 18 in Austin, Texas.