UPDATED USA CAREER RANKINGS

[Flying_Tiger]

For those of you that don't make it over to TheMat International Board, here is a career ranking list I have been updating over there for the past several years.


Another World Championships has come and gone and it's time to update the rankings!

Welcome to the list David Taylor, Kyle Dake and Joe Colon!

I tweaked the scoring to give Olympic Gold a little more value.

As always, if missing someone, let me know and give their credentials if possible.

Remember, this a career ranking and not who was best at their peak.



Olympic Champion = 8.5 points

World Champion = 6.5 points

Olympic Silver/Bronze = 5 points

World Silver/Bronze = 4 points

NCAA National Title = 2 points

NCAA Finalist = 1 point

NCAA All-American = 0.5 point


Bruce Baumgartner (74.5) 2 Olympic Gold/3 World Gold/1 Olympic Silver/3 World Silver/1 Olympic Bronze/3 World Bronze/1 NCAA Title/2 NCAA Finals

John Smith (48) 2 Olympic Gold/4 World Gold/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final

Jordan Burroughs (47) 1 Olympic Gold/4 World Gold/2 World Bronze/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA AA

Dave Schultz (38.5) 1 Olympic Gold/1 World Gold/3 World Silver/2 World Bronze/1 NCAA Title/1 NCAA Final/1 NCAA AA

Kyle Snyder (31.5) 1 Olympic Gold/2 World Gold/1 World Silver/3 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final

Lee Kemp (30.5) 3 World Gold/1 World Bronze/3 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final

Rick Sanders (29.5) 1 World Gold/2 Olympic Silver/1 World Silver/1 World Bronze/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final

Mark Schultz (27.5) 1 Olympic Gold/2 World Gold/3 NCAA Titles

Kenny Monday (24) 1 Olympic Gold/1 World Gold/1 Olympic Silver/1 NCAA Title/ 2 NCAA Finals

Kevin Jackson (24) 1 Olympic Gold/2 World Gold/1 NCAA Final/3 NCAA AA

Terry Brands (23) 2 World Gold/1 Olympic Bronze/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final

Wayne Wells (22) 1 Olympic Gold/1 World Gold/1 World Silver/1 NCAA Title/ 1 NCAA Final

J'Den Cox (22) 1 World Gold/1 Olympic Bronze/1 World Bronze/3 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA AA

Ben Peterson (21.5) 1 Olympic Gold/1 Olympic Silver/1 World Bronze/2 NCAA Titles

John Peterson (21.5) 1 Olympic Gold/1 Olympic Silver/1 World Silver/1 World Bronze

Tom Brands (21.5) 1 Olympic Gold/1 World Gold/3 NCAA Titles/ 1 NCAA AA

Cael Sanderson (21) 1 Olympic Gold/1 World Silver/4 NCAA Titles

Chris Campbell (20.5) 1 Olympic Bronze/ 1 World Gold/1 World Silver/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final

Lincoln Mcllravy (20) 1 Olympic Bronze/1 World Silver/1 World Bronze/3 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final

Sammie Henson (20) 1 Olympic Silver/1 World Gold/1 World Bronze/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA AA

Dan Gable (20) 1 Olympic Gold/1 World Gold/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final

Kurt Angle (20) 1 Olympic Gold/1 World Gold/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final

Barry Davis (19.5) 1 Olympic Silver/1 World Silver/1 World Bronze/3 NCAA Titles/ 1 NCAA AA

Greg Gibson (19) 2 World Silver/1 World Silver (Greco)/1 World Bronze/2 NCAA Finals

Melvin Douglas (18.5) 1 World Gold/1 World Silver/1 World Bronze/2 NCAA Titles

Jake Varner (18.5) 1 Olympic Gold/1 World Bronze/2 NCAA Titles/2 NCAA Finals

Ed Banach (15.5) 1 Olympic Gold/3 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Finals

Cary Kolat (14.5) 1 World Silver/1 World Bronze/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final/1 NCAA AA

Joe Williams (14.5) 2 World Bronze/3 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA AA

Logan Stieber (14.5) 1 World Gold/ 4 NCAA Titles

Kyle Dake (14.5) 1 World Gold/ 4 NCAA Titles

Randy Lewis (14) 1 Olympic Gold/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final/1 NCAA AA

Zeke Jones (13.5) 1 Olympic Silver/1 World Gold/1 NCAA Final/2 NCAA AA

Nick Gwiazdowski (13.5) 2 World Bronze/ 2 NCAA Titles/ 1 NCAA Final/ 1 NCAA AA

Bobby Weaver (13) 1 Olympic Gold/1 World Silver/1 NCAA AA

David Taylor (12.5) 1 World Gold/2 NCAA Titles/2 NCAA Finals

Lou Banach (12.5) 1 Olympic Gold/2 NCAA Titles

Bill Smith (12.5) 1 Olympic Gold/2 NCAA Titles

Stephen Neal (12) 1 World Gold/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final/1 NCAA AA

Doug Blubaugh (11.5) 1 Olympic Gold/1 NCAA Title/2 NCAA AA

Kendall Cross (11.5) 1 Olympic Gold/1 NCAA Title/2 NCAA AA

Nate Carr (11) 1 Olympic Bronze/3 NCAA Titles

Stephen Abas (11) 1 Olympic Silver/3 NCAA Titles

Brandon Slay (10.5) 1 Olympic Gold/2 NCAA Finals

James Green (10)1 World Silver/ 1 World Bronze/ 4 NCAA AA

Jake Herbert (9.5) 1 World Silver/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA Final/1 NCAA AA

Russ Hellickson (9) 1 Olympic Silver/1 World Bronze

Don Pritzlaff (9) 1 World Bronze/2 NCAA Titles/ 2 NCAA AA

Coleman Scott (9) 1 Olympic Bronze/1 NCAA Title/1 NCAA Final/2 NCAA AA

Bill Zadick (9) 1 World Gold/1 NCAA Title/ 1 NCAA AA

Kerry McCoy (8.5) 1 World Silver/2 NCAA Titles/ 1 NCAA AA

Royce Alger (8.5) 1 World Silver/2 NCAA Titles/1 NCAA AA

Henry Cejuda (8.5) 1 Olympic Gold

Tervel Dlagnev(8) 2 World Bronze

Thomas Gilman (6) 1 World Silver/ 1 NCAA Final/ 2 NCAA AA

Mike Zadick (5.5) 1 World Silver/ 3 NCAA AA

Joe Colon (4.5)1 World Bronze/1 NCAA AA



*Honorable Mention: Yojiro Uetake-Obata (23) 2 Olympic Gold (Japan)/3 NCAA Titles

 

[Ranger Dan]

Interesting that the Brands boys are ranked higher than both Cael and Dan Gable...

 

[Chickenman Testa]

Interesting that the Brands boys are ranked higher than both Cael and Dan Gable...

Only in that both of the latter quit international competition very early. You have Cael compete from 2005 to, say, 2011 when he made a brief comeback to pay off a bet with his team and he’s racking up some more medals.

Cael with the current rules would be lethal.

 

[Ranger Dan]

Only in that both of the latter quit international competition very early. You have Cael compete from 2005 to, say, 2011 when he made a brief comeback to pay off a bet with his team and he’s racking up some more medals.

Cael with the current rules would be lethal.

Yes, I get it... it’s just that as I read down the list and I didn’t see Cael, I thought it was a typo. Then I saw him and Gable below the Brands and it seemed off.

 

[LorenzoFan]

I would think making the world team and/or winning the U.S. Open should count as much or more than putting on a good show at the NCAAs

 

[Pennstate1985]

I would think making the world team and/or winning the U.S. Open should count as much or more than putting on a good show at the NCAAs

Attempting to marry freestyle and folkstyle results into one ranking seems dubious to me. One is post-collegiate and world-wide, while the other is collegiate and USA only. Then there is the styles and rules, which for freestyle have changed significantly over the years to the point where comparing wrestlers from different freestyle eras can be difficult.

 

[Flying_Tiger]

If you look carefully at the list you will see that the vast majority of points come from international competition. NCAA results are usually nothing more then a tie breaker. Beyond that, the wrestling community values college wrestling and folk so it's my opinion it should be represented in a list like this.

I thought about adding winning the US Open or WTTS, but I think you need to win a world level medal to make a list of "all time." Furthermore, adding that criteria wouldn't change the rankings much and would be a lot more work.

 

[RoarLions1]

Thanks FT. I appreciate the effort, and the list. Tough to do given all the variables...

 

[Gebmo]

As a person who loves stats, I think the list is great because it gives me a quick look at what a lot of guys did in both college and after, bringing back a lot of good memories, and reminding me of some things my failing memory forgot. I also appreciate the effort.

 

[a_mshaffer]

If you look carefully at the list you will see that the vast majority of points come from international competition. NCAA results are usually nothing more then a tie breaker. Beyond that, the wrestling community values college wrestling and folk so it's my opinion it should be represented in a list like this.

I thought about adding winning the US Open or WTTS, but I think you need to win a world level medal to make a list of "all time." Furthermore, adding that criteria wouldn't change the rankings much and would be a lot more work.

I agree, we're talking the best us wrestler so one could account for college credentials.

 

[WildTurk]

Only in that both of the latter quit international competition very early. You have Cael compete from 2005 to, say, 2011 when he made a brief comeback to pay off a bet with his team and he’s racking up some more medals.

Cael with the current rules would be lethal.

In fairness to Tom and Terry they would have been a lot more lethal aswell with the new rules. I also think Tom gave it up a bit early since he got his gold and focused on coaching. Gable retiring at 48 from coaching was pretty early aswell. His body was wore out unfortunately