One of the biggest stories coming out of New York last week didn’t actually take place on the mat and probably flew under the radar for that reason. Jordan Burroughs announced in his post-series victory interview that he will be retiring “no matter what” after 2024.

You can hear Burroughs discuss his retirement in the clip above at the 3:45 and 7:53 marks. As with every JB interview, there are many wise insights and takeaways. Burroughs has discussed retirement before, but to my knowledge, this is the first time he has publicly stated a hard date. 

While not entirely, Burroughs has changed his tone ever so slightly since 2017.

I'll never retire with gas still left in the tank for the sake of preserving legacy. I won't quit while I'm ahead. I'll quit when I'm done.

— Jordan Burroughs (@alliseeisgold) September 27, 2017

Obviously, I’ve always known Burroughs will retire eventually, but for the first time, I’m actually confronted with the thought of a post-Jordan Earnest Burroughs world of USA Wrestling. It hasn’t been that way for over a decade. The one time he failed to make a World/Olympic Team in 2021, he moved up and won a World title the same year. 

Olympic champion, five World titles, eight total World/Olympic medals, 69-match winning streak, different weights, different rule sets, multiple Eastern Bloc athletes per bracket, etc. I could go on and on about JB’s athletic achievements, but I don’t think I need to. Andy Hamilton and Kyle Klingman have got the details covered. 

Sorry John Smith, for the reasons above, Jordan Burroughs is already the greatest American wrestler of all time. And there’s still time left for The King to separate the gap. That’s why this column isn’t a trip down memory lane or a thank you letter, but a call to action for all wrestling fans: enjoy these last two years. Everything good must come to an end. Watch every Jordan Burroughs match - you’ll become a better wrestler/coach/fan, and watch every Jordan Burroughs interview - you’ll become a better and wiser person.

I’m also going to take this time to shamelessly plug the FloWrestling team’s recent film JB VI. It’s an excellent glimpse into his title run last year and everything that makes him so great, both on the mat and off. 

Watch JB VI below.

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Maybe I’ll see you all again in 2024 and then we can take a trip down memory lane and I’ll pen my true Stan letter.