Yoel Romero Still Good Enough To Win Olympic Medals In Wrestling?

[dsdoubled]

I thought this was an interesting little tidbit I stumbled across. I would've thought the answer to this question would easily be no. However, Yoel was just on Joe Rogan's Podcast and revealed that he has been training with Yasmany Lugo and trades wins and losses with him in live go's. Lugo is a Junior World Champ, took silver in Rio at 98 kilos in Greco roman, is at least 12 years younger than Yoel, and also competes at 286 pounds!!!! Assuming he is telling the truth, this is pretty amazing. Especially considering Yoel has no significant experience in Greco and is over 10 years removed from world level wrestling competition.

Anyone know of any other guys his age, so far removed from top level competition, still able to go at the highest levels?

 

[tec87]

Granted he wasn’t as old as Romero now when he did this but Cael Sanderson won Olympic gold in 04, retired and started coaching. Enters a last chance qualifier for the world team trials in 2011, wins easily and goes to the trials. Destroys former world silver medalist Jake Herbert to make the team and Cael then takes 5th at worlds that year having been 7yrs removed from international competition. Romero is two years older than Cael. 7 yrs later I’m not quite sure how much wrestling Cael is still doing with his team as he was primarily working with 2012 Olympic champ Jake Varner during his 2011 run but Romero was Cael’s primary rival along with Sajidov of Russia during his career so I would think Romero could have done pretty similar to what Cael did in 2011 had he continued competing.

 

[dsdoubled]

Granted he wasn’t as old as Romero now when he did this but Cael Sanderson won Olympic gold in 04, retired and started coaching. Enters a last chance qualifier for the world team trials in 2011, wins easily and goes to the trials. Destroys former world silver medalist Jake Herbert to make the team and Cael then takes 5th at worlds that year having been 7yrs removed from international competition. Romero is two years older than Cael. 7 yrs later I’m not quite sure how much wrestling Cael is still doing with his team as he was primarily working with 2012 Olympic champ Jake Varner during his 2011 run but Romero was Cael’s primary rival along with Sajidov of Russia during his career so I would think Romero could have done pretty similar to what Cael did in 2011 had he continued competing.

This is a good example. I was thinking Cael too. Especially when the word in the wrestling community around the London Games was that Cael had gotten way too big for 84 kilos and obviously had a conflict up at 96. Supposedly at that point Cael was able to handle Varner enough to win the spot had he been able to. He also had coaching obligations to consider to.

 

[dsdoubled]

Granted he wasn’t as old as Romero now when he did this but Cael Sanderson won Olympic gold in 04, retired and started coaching. Enters a last chance qualifier for the world team trials in 2011, wins easily and goes to the trials. Destroys former world silver medalist Jake Herbert to make the team and Cael then takes 5th at worlds that year having been 7yrs removed from international competition. Romero is two years older than Cael. 7 yrs later I’m not quite sure how much wrestling Cael is still doing with his team as he was primarily working with 2012 Olympic champ Jake Varner during his 2011 run but Romero was Cael’s primary rival along with Sajidov of Russia during his career so I would think Romero could have done pretty similar to what Cael did in 2011 had he continued competing.

There was also Kendall Cross and Cary Kolat who made comebacks right around 40 and did well, Kolat had a decent chance at the 2012 Olympic spot. Andre Metzger returned at 51-52 to Greco and scored a few good wins. Not all of them work out so well though. I remember Stephen Abas came back for Senior Nationals late in 2015 and was teched by someone with way less credentials and he was about 37-38.

 

[mcbjj]

I thought this was an interesting little tidbit I stumbled across. I would've thought the answer to this question would easily be no. However, Yoel was just on Joe Rogan's Podcast and revealed that he has been training with Yasmany Lugo and trades wins and losses with him in live go's. Lugo is a Junior World Champ, took silver in Rio at 98 kilos in Greco roman, is at least 12 years younger than Yoel, and also competes at 286 pounds!!!! Assuming he is telling the truth, this is pretty amazing. Especially considering Yoel has no significant experience in Greco and is over 10 years removed from world level wrestling competition.

Anyone know of any other guys his age, so far removed from top level competition, still able to go at the highest levels?

I just finished listening to the podcast last night and that also caught my attention. However, he stated that they're 1-1 in Greco, however, he implied he would get destroyed in freestyle.

 

[dsdoubled]

I just finished listening to the podcast last night and that also caught my attention. However, he stated that they're 1-1 in Greco, however, he implied he would get destroyed in freestyle.

Yeah like I said they traded wins and losses. Its pretty crazy that he does better in Greco than in freestyle considering he was one of the best freestylers of his era. This is relatively common though, older guys comeback and try Greco bc their knees are shot, No sprawling, no singles, etc. Its just very uncommon for an older guy to comeback and do good enough in Greco to hang with a current Olympic finalist. Pretty amazing.

 

[imarayda]

On another part of the podcast he mentioned that he cant hang with the young wrestlers anymore.

Sidenote: was it this a hard podcast to get through for non-spanish speakers?

 

[dsdoubled]

On another part of the podcast he mentioned that he cant hang with the young wrestlers anymore.

Sidenote: was it this a hard podcast to get through for non-spanish speakers?

Yeah I heard that part too. I think he was referring to the freestyle guys. As for the podcast itself, it was pretty good, Joey Diaz did a great job, Yoel spoke a little English, Joe asked good questions. It was solid but a tiiiiiiiny bit frustrating.

 

[kpoz12]

 

[JustOnce]

I thought this was an interesting little tidbit I stumbled across. I would've thought the answer to this question would easily be no. However, Yoel was just on Joe Rogan's Podcast and revealed that he has been training with Yasmany Lugo and trades wins and losses with him in live go's. Lugo is a Junior World Champ, took silver in Rio at 98 kilos in Greco roman, is at least 12 years younger than Yoel, and also competes at 286 pounds!!!! Assuming he is telling the truth, this is pretty amazing. Especially considering Yoel has no significant experience in Greco and is over 10 years removed from world level wrestling competition.

Anyone know of any other guys his age, so far removed from top level competition, still able to go at the highest levels?

Obviously not

 

[MRT]

nah.

in the same podcast with Rogan, Yoel says he prob could no longer compete with the top guys in the gym where he trained for 15yrs.

 

[PolishHeadlock]

This is a good example. I was thinking Cael too. Especially when the word in the wrestling community around the London Games was that Cael had gotten way too big for 84 kilos and obviously had a conflict up at 96. Supposedly at that point Cael was able to handle Varner enough to win the spot had he been able to. He also had coaching obligations to consider to.

I remember reading rumors that Cael and Varner were pretty even in the room around that time with both beating Les Sigmund.

Also Cael made 84 in 2011 and had a nice run taking 5th. 96 was thought of as the deepest weight in the world at the time

 

[ArtemV]

I would sure like to see him wrestle these days, it would be fun. Maybe he could go into some of the senior/veteran tournaments. I doubt he would beat some of the younger guys, I would assume he moves up a weight to 92kg/97kg. But it would be really interesting. I doubt he lasts in physical prime for 2020, but he could surprise us.

 

[dsdoubled]

I would sure like to see him wrestle these days, it would be fun. Maybe he could go into some of the senior/veteran tournaments. I doubt he would beat some of the younger guys, I would assume he moves up a weight to 92kg/97kg. But it would be really interesting. I doubt he lasts in physical prime for 2020, but he could surprise us.

The American Top Team Kendall location should send a team to the US Open. They basically have a full team consisting of Cuban National team members.
Alexis Vila
Gustavo Ballart
Hector Lombard
Yoel Romero
Michel Bautista

Granted they're old and Lombard is a judo guy, but between Lombard's judo, bjj, and MMA Wrestling training id bet on him winning a few matches.

 

[mattemate]

No opinion on how he would do competitively wrestling at this point.

But I listened to that podcast and DAMN. Yoel is one cool dude. Instant fan.