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Could Jon Jones have wrestled in the Olympics?

Hard to tell his ceiling although it may have been really high

He chose mma and getting paid (and getting high all he wants) instead of beginning at the D-1 level most likely his very next college year.

He’s easily a D-1 All-American level wrestler.
 
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No.
Medal potential as a gymnast, though.
 
According to DC, yes. He said if Jones didn't drop out he would have wrestled in the Olympics. Not that it's a guarantee, but DC most have thought he was good enough to try out at least
 
you mean "pulse"

Surge was a soda that would also be a banned substance if it existed today
Funny you mention that stuff. Was like the predecessor to modern energy drinks if I remember their advertising correctly.

When i was a senor in high school, '99, that stuff was just starting to come around. I went to a private school and a distributor brought CASES of that shit to the school, who gave them to the seniors. I literally had a trunk full of cans of that crap.

By mid winter I still had about half a trunk full and I kinda didn't think about what that would do in the winter. What a mess.

School didn't love all of us jacked to the gills on Surge, either. Terrible decision on their part lol
 
Mma wrestling and Greco/free style wrestling are different.
 
It looks like the 77kg division was held by Donny Pritzlaff about then. I'll wait for a real wrestling expert come in and discuss that fantasy matchup (Jones v Pritzlaff).

Pritzlaff was a 3x state champion in wrestling tough New Jersey in high school. Nationwide, his main competitor was Joe Hesket, multiple state champ in Ohio..another super tough state. In college, Pritzlaff was a 4x all American and 2x National Champion , Hesket 3x AA, 1x nat champ and head coach at Army for a few years. Pritzlaff took a 3rd at the 2005(around that time) at the Wirld Championships. He is now coaching at Rutgers. Pritzlaff in wrestling was on a different level from Jones.
 
you mean "pulse"

Surge was a soda that would also be a banned substance if it existed today

Totally right, 2005 and the 2 for 1 dollar Surges were on my mind.

Was that like "Jolt" which was basically Coke/Pepsi with a shit ton of added caffeine?

I partook in that garbage on occasion in college when I didn't have any adderol.
 
I'm leaning towards no.

He outwrestled DC in a MMA match, and he was a JuCo champion, but never division 1, although I think he had offers.

This might give some perspective. Sounds like he was competitive, but perhaps not top rank elite...

https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/9/...ling-jake-varner-same-tournament-olympic-gold
High school is a predictor of potential.

There's no way to know how good he would've been.

But he was competitive against guys who ended up winning national titles and even a gold medal.

DC said he had a lot of potential and could've done a lot in wrestling so I think that says more than any of us could.
 
Maybe. Jones was a blue chip wrestling prospect but his grades prevented him from doing anything but going the JUCO route.
 
Funny you mention that stuff. Was like the predecessor to modern energy drinks if I remember their advertising correctly.

When i was a senor in high school, '99, that stuff was just starting to come around. I went to a private school and a distributor brought CASES of that shit to the school, who gave them to the seniors. I literally had a trunk full of cans of that crap.

By mid winter I still had about half a trunk full and I kinda didn't think about what that would do in the winter. What a mess.

School didn't love all of us jacked to the gills on Surge, either. Terrible decision on their part lol
I had a friend who got a job for Red Bull in around 2001, while it was new and still gaining popularity.

His job was to drive around in a Red Bull vehicle and give out free Red Bull to get people to try it and spread the word. He was paid hourly and given several cases per shift, which he was expected to take to malls or college campuses, any crowded public place, and give them out while talking it up.

He would come to my house, leave us a few cases and we would get high and play video games. Eventually he lost his job when someone from Red Bull saw the Red Bull vehicle in a bar parking lot and found my buddy in the bar wasted with all the Red Bull still in his trunk.

By the time he was fired we had a stack in my kitchen that was about three cases wide and 5-6 feet tall. It lasted us a good 3 years or so.
 
No. His constant cheating wouldn't have been tolerated
 
High school is a predictor of potential.

There's no way to know how good he would've been.

But he was competitive against guys who ended up winning national titles and even a gold medal.

DC said he had a lot of potential and could've done a lot in wrestling so I think that says more than any of us could.
I'm not necessarily discounting him, I'm just saying idk that he was Olympic level, elite of elite, when the chance was there. Competitive with those guys, perhaps. I don't think he has the frame for it, tbh.

You're right though, it's a guess, no way to ever know.

On the other hand, he was what, 20-21 when he debuted in MMA, 21-22 in UFC, prob wasn't the agenda, left college for MMA. Collegiate, Nationals, Worlds, Olympics come before pro-MMA if they're the the plan. Doesn't matter though, champ at 23, MMA was clearly the calling.
 
He was able to outwrestle DC, and Olympic medalist. So considering he’s better than him at wrestling he might have won a gold medal
MMA has wrestling in it. Wrestling doesn't have MMA in it. You should have your ability to create threads timed out for a week or two.
 
He would have had to dedicate his life to it from basically birth
 
Can you eyepoke in the Olympics and get away with it? If so, then yes...
 
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