This might be in the wrong time, but this has been kicking around in my head all day. Willie may be the Greatest Mind in Wrestling, but I'd humbly say that I'm the Greatest Mind in Wrestling Not Being Paid To Share It.
I was looking over Super 32 entries and came to a conclusion: It's time for Fargo to go back to vertical pairing. Hear me out...
These super tournaments are based on what? Being the toughest national competitions, with exclusive rewards/privileges tied to them... Super 32 is probably the toughest Folkstyle tournament right now. There are clubs that peak for Super 32, State, and Akron/Fargo (I'll get to Akron in a bit). Super 32 has built itself to these massive brackets and crazy depth in folkstyle. Now, the heavy hitters usually get a round or 2 before things get competitive (from my biased opinion), but obviously there's landmines in every bracket. You get the whole singlet in the finals and you win a belt which is ****ing sick. I've never been, because my club doesn't start training folk that quickly, but it seems awesome. It's probably the toughest folkstyle tournament, as far as depth and strength go.
Akron. Akron is another tournament I need to get to, but I religiously watch. Schools hate you taking time off at the end of the year. Regardless, these brackets get big too, and super damn tough in FS/GR. Now, here's more fire within the hot-take: I think you get a more concentrated strength and less filler in Regional/National FS/GR events because it takes a certain kind of wrestler to compete in late May/early June. Yes, you lose some folk-only guys, but I am of the opinion that there is less fluff on average in these types of brackets, but it also isn't quite as big as S32. The sickest part of Akron is that there's World Team spots on the line, and they do a Best of 3 in the finals. Those are probably the two things that make it stick out. S32 has depth/strength/belts... Akron has WTT/Bo3/Strength. Both tournaments are double-elimination, straight lines.
This is where I think Fargo needs to differentiate itself. Fargo has tough brackets. Fargo has huge brackets. Yes, the 1/4s, Semis, and Finals are dope. Fargo has the stage, spotlight, production, and stop signs (PS, BRING BACK THE INTERVIEWS!) But as far as competition, what sets Fargo apart? Even Flo has asserted that Akron has become the new big thing. We know who wins in separated line-bracketing tournaments. We have 2 that are bonkers. Make Fargo something a little different. It takes a different kind of kid to go through all those vertical matches. It makes every session kinda crazy because you don't know if that one match will be a finals on that side of the bracket. A kid can lose and battle back to win the damn thing. Shit is a GRINDER! That takes a different mental edge.
Maybe I'm way off, but this could be a better way to market Fargo, too. Yes, I get it, it is Fargo. It's a national pastime for me too, but setting itself different in the competitive standpoint would be a cool addition. And yes, I'm aware that it's growing well and maybe I'm fixing something that ain't broken. In fact, I know that's what I'm doing. But that's why this is a Hot Take, and that's why I'm the Greatest Mind in Wrestling Not Being Paid To Share It.
I was looking over Super 32 entries and came to a conclusion: It's time for Fargo to go back to vertical pairing. Hear me out...
These super tournaments are based on what? Being the toughest national competitions, with exclusive rewards/privileges tied to them... Super 32 is probably the toughest Folkstyle tournament right now. There are clubs that peak for Super 32, State, and Akron/Fargo (I'll get to Akron in a bit). Super 32 has built itself to these massive brackets and crazy depth in folkstyle. Now, the heavy hitters usually get a round or 2 before things get competitive (from my biased opinion), but obviously there's landmines in every bracket. You get the whole singlet in the finals and you win a belt which is ****ing sick. I've never been, because my club doesn't start training folk that quickly, but it seems awesome. It's probably the toughest folkstyle tournament, as far as depth and strength go.
Akron. Akron is another tournament I need to get to, but I religiously watch. Schools hate you taking time off at the end of the year. Regardless, these brackets get big too, and super damn tough in FS/GR. Now, here's more fire within the hot-take: I think you get a more concentrated strength and less filler in Regional/National FS/GR events because it takes a certain kind of wrestler to compete in late May/early June. Yes, you lose some folk-only guys, but I am of the opinion that there is less fluff on average in these types of brackets, but it also isn't quite as big as S32. The sickest part of Akron is that there's World Team spots on the line, and they do a Best of 3 in the finals. Those are probably the two things that make it stick out. S32 has depth/strength/belts... Akron has WTT/Bo3/Strength. Both tournaments are double-elimination, straight lines.
This is where I think Fargo needs to differentiate itself. Fargo has tough brackets. Fargo has huge brackets. Yes, the 1/4s, Semis, and Finals are dope. Fargo has the stage, spotlight, production, and stop signs (PS, BRING BACK THE INTERVIEWS!) But as far as competition, what sets Fargo apart? Even Flo has asserted that Akron has become the new big thing. We know who wins in separated line-bracketing tournaments. We have 2 that are bonkers. Make Fargo something a little different. It takes a different kind of kid to go through all those vertical matches. It makes every session kinda crazy because you don't know if that one match will be a finals on that side of the bracket. A kid can lose and battle back to win the damn thing. Shit is a GRINDER! That takes a different mental edge.
Maybe I'm way off, but this could be a better way to market Fargo, too. Yes, I get it, it is Fargo. It's a national pastime for me too, but setting itself different in the competitive standpoint would be a cool addition. And yes, I'm aware that it's growing well and maybe I'm fixing something that ain't broken. In fact, I know that's what I'm doing. But that's why this is a Hot Take, and that's why I'm the Greatest Mind in Wrestling Not Being Paid To Share It.
