Askren to ATT

[MetsFan]

Agreed, the future is not bright for USA Wrestling.
Top wrestlers are now going striaght to MMA (Rosholt, Hendricks, Phil Davis) or leaving international wrestling when they are in their prime (Lawal and now Askren). The old model seemed to be wrestlers went to MMA at the end of their wrestling careers (Couture, Henderson).

Hope they do well in MMA, but I am sad to see Lawal and Askren give up being full time wrestlers. I think they among the few US wrestlers who could have been competitive every year, but it si clear that they will not be able to be world class wrestlers training MMA and doing wrestling on the side.

There never really was an "old model" though. Back then, MMA was not nearly what it is now and wasn't really viewed as a career option until recently.

[DH]

Askren is very flexible and I could see him doing well with rubber guard and omoplatas.

I know that former Mizzou wrestler Tyrone Woodley is a member of ATT. Perhaps that is what brought about the connection.

[Gantry]

Best of luck to Askren, hopefully he still shows up at Nationals and WTT every year...