If you have ever wrestled, you understand what 159-0 means on the COLLEGE level. It is close to impossible to remain UNDEFEATED for FOUR YEARS. The type of conditioning, weight training and technique that must be developed to do that is incredible.
Not to mention an easy win over 2x UFC Champ Daniel Cormier in wrestling also! I wonder what Sanderson could of become in MMA if he ever had a go at it....
AudiowaveformTV he would’ve done big things. Many people don’t like getting hit . I hated getting hit my first few fights man. It’s not that bad after you get with a good boxing coach that will teach you to stay inside the pocket and close/distance. Cael would have been REALLY good trust me brother 🤙🏻
@@murkincl69 Idk man....I've been in a few fights/sparring sessions and I STILL dont like to be hit...or choked out....or put in any submissions. Feels bad....physically and mentally... Feels much better when you are dominating and all you have to watch out is for desperate engages.... Edit: Feels bad to get kick/knees from someone who practices them also. I do BJJ, and when I look at those Muay Thai guys that likes to knee or Flying knees-- I'm just like glad I don't have to deal with those! LOL!
AudiowaveformTV I fight MMA presently and I lost my first 3 mma fights because I was scared to get hit. I came in with a wrestling background. I hold a brown belt in BJJ, been training since 2007. Soon as I got with my boxing coach I learned to close the distance a lot better. Once you absorb punches at close range as opposed to long range it ain’t that bad man . Keep On Training . And again, Cael would’ve been really good trust me
Ref USA wrestling, Sanderson's accomplishment of 159-0 has got to be the greatest of all time. And that is a HUGE statement. The fact he won Gold in Freestyle just verifies his greatness in USA Wrestling history. 17-0 Dolphins were a great team for 1 year. 159-0 was individual 4 year dominance.
I think he was just tryingto explain the situation to people out there who may not know what they were looking at. The closest comparison that came to his mind was the 72 dolphins.I think it was a fir comparison. Would you have rather he used floyd mayweather instead?
9 years of Greco Roman undefeated than finally losing after almost 900 matches from a late rule change and being sick enough they wanted him to go to the er instead of the match. Karelin is the greatest wrestler ever without any competition.
I've trained under the tutelage of both Bobby Douglas and Cael, amongst many other incredible wrestlers/talent at Iowa States summer wrestling camp. One of the days, Cael did an exhibition bout vs every single student from heaviest to lightest, 1 by 1 (there was about 150 of us), and at the time I was in 6th or 7th grade weighing about 100 lbs max. By the time Cael got to me he was quite tired, and I actually got in on his legs with a solid double leg (shoulders in hips), but then he just threw me on my back like the 100 pounder I was, lmfao. Still, I got in deep on that son of a.... and I will remember that experience for the rest of my life. It was like playing Bobby Fischer or Gary Kasparov in chess and obtaining a winning, although brief, position. Regardless, Cael extended his 159-0 record to 309-0 that day (relatively speaking of course.)
thats an awesome story to have forever , I can honestly say when I was in high school I used to throw Jake Varner around like a rag doll 100% true I was a senior at Bakersfield High School and Jakes dad was one of our assistant coaches oh yeah and Jake was only about 5 years old at the time lol but still you could see his potential
Our assistant wrestling coach used to do the same but in no particular order. We lined up and went again and again until the head coach called it. We'd usually go 3 rounds each. Our assistant coach only made it to semi state though.
if you have ever been a wrestler (collegiate or whatever) you have to just be in awe of him staying undefeated with 4 ncaa titles. that is such an amazing feat to accomplish it almost seems scripted or impossible. but to Cael Sanderson apparently it was not impossible. also what Kyle dake did winning 4 titles at 4 different weight classes each year moving up from 141 to 149 to 157 and finally 165 is nothing short of unbelievably amazing. wow.
@idoj654123 Dake didn't redshirt, don't forget that. Sanderson most likely would not have gone undefeated if he only spent four years in college. Then, there wouldn't be much of an argument as to whether Dake was better.
CJ B not even, just think about the fact that when he stepped on the mat for his first match of his freshman year he would never be defeated after that like what the actual fuck
Oh there they go, ever time we talk about Wrestling a Black guy has to pull Bobby Douglas out their ass. Let me tell you something once and for all, Dan Gable was 75 years old when he wrestled Douglas, Gable always lied about his age, he came out of retirement to wrestle Douglas.
kckcmctcrc dan gable was 22 I believe when he lost to Leroy Kemp. A black guy. I really don't understand why Kemp or Douglas being black annoys u. But u got some issued bro...
From what I read on the internet the only worlds he competed in he got silver. And the next year won Olympic gold. So I’m not sure he did face adversity, unless getting silver is a fail.
This is kind of an untold comeback story right here. Sanderson was a phenom on Sportscenter during his collegiate run, and then he just kinda disappeared unless you were deep into wrestling. It's not unusual for a dominant collegiate athlete to lose their taste for the game at the international or professional levels, but Cael fought it off, outgrew it, found his love again just in time to cement himself as a gold medalist. What a legend.
did that announcer really try to put cael's career into perspective by comparing it with the 17-0 miami dolphins???? apparently to that guy 159-0 over 4 years is the same as 17-0 over 1 year
+jill tarkentonshipson I'd say its pretty apt, especially when you are televising a sport that most people aren't familiar with. Nobody had done either of those things, obviously they are both very difficult things to do.
Moon was VERY defensive in that one. You could tell he was playing not to lose instead of going for the win. He obviously had a very high level of respect and fear of Cael's skills.
I love how he abandoned the collar tie far side ankle pick and went for the fake double ankle pick; he abandoned his main move because they were rdy for it and used a move that did not require him to touch the opponent to set up! Thanks for the upload!
I never really liked freestyle..I didnt like the exposing yourself stuff...passive aggressive like basketball... Greco and folkstyle all day...100% aggresion
Some strange rules back then. Under today's rules, Cael would have tech'd him. Pushed him out about 5 times. Took him down twice and Moon did nothing but delay the entire match.
MAN, this is a GREAT sport! One of the first competitions we had as humans, was wrestling! I thank God for being able to be part of it years ago. I wasn't quite good enough to be recruited for college (unlike my brother Khalil😁👍🏾). Guys like Cael are ABSOLUTE legends; right up there with Gable, Kemp, Smith and Uetake. Awesome!😃❤🤼🏿♂️🤼♂️oops! I forgot about Dake..my fault!😳
Dan Gable had only one blemish on his collegiate record, and he wrestled sick. His world's and Olympic runs are legendary, never giving up a point. Hell, he's a legendary superstar in Russia!
Yankees 27 WS titles, Bill Russell's 13 Championships, Dimaggio's 56 game hitting streak, Tom Brady's 7 SB rings, Jordans titles and Bulls run from 91-98, these are all amazing and awe inspiring in their own right, but I'm not sure they or any other achievement in sports can compare to Cael's 159-0 record in NCAA wrestling. It's really mind boggling.
Have you even been invited to an olympic level event? I bet you have not been!! so stop talking a shit about the real top level wrestler who actually got medals at olympics.
@spyu-Cael coaching Penn State to a national championship last year is a start to better than winning a gold medal. Hopefully, one day he'll coach an Olympic champion.
Have never wrestled other than with my brothers. Have always been in awe of his accomplishments. He is “the man of the mat” Wrestlers are tough as nails!
Named my kid after him 5 years ago. My 5 year old son has been wrestling for to years now and has been to 4 Ken Chertow camps and has went to Reno Worlds last year! I will be posting some videos soon!!
I learned that rule the hard way. I had it called against me during a match because I locked my hands before getting my opponent in a cradle, which I had to let go because of the penalty. It was in my third year of wrestling, and I had no idea that rule even existed.
To go undefeated in wrestling is next to impossible it shows how legendary he truly is. Your talking overcroming fatigue from wrestling a match earlier in the same day in some rare cases two. If any of you wrestled the fatigue you get is unreal. He would have to overcome impartial refs for the other guy. He is a legend and probably my top 3 favorite wrestlers ever to
Some of the good old days I really dig the linkon&Brands era back in the 90’s I got to meet all the greats at the NCAAS had a floor pass the benefits of being a kid that was good wrestler and Kenny Monday signature to boot.
Here's some perspective. There are multiple four time champs, multiple undefeated wrestlers, multiple hundred plus win wrestlers. There are ZERO undefeated seasons with a championship except the dolphins.
Going undefeated in an NFL season has only happened once in 80 years. While Sanderson obviously had way more wins than 17, in terms of rarity and difficulty it's comparable.
Also it’s college vs what’s considered the biggest league. To compare it be like going undefeated for a year straight in international and that’s happened more than once anyway.
If I'd pick another to be in the same ball park as Cael it would be Kyle Drake. 4 ncaa championships at 4 different weight classes. (no redshirt year).. pretty amazing. His senior year he jumped up to 165 to challenge David Taylor. He's hasnt yet won the gold at the olympics and hopefully he can do that in a few years.
AJ GK Yeah but none of them won a gold Olympic Medal without having a single point scored on him AND a broken foot. Gable easily had the best tournament in wrestling history
Not a pure wrestling guy here. So where does Angle rank? I know he did WWE , but winning a gold has to place him high I would think especially with a broke neck.
+Jermaine Dickerson even though he disrespected the sport by going into WWE; anyone who wins an Olympic Gold ranks as one of the best wrestlers in U.S. history. Wouldn't put him at top ten, but you could argue he's a top 25 all time wrestler
1:20 "If you had to put Sanderson's collegiate career in perspective, think of the '72 Miami Dolphins going 17-0, a perfect season, nobody has done it since" NO NO NO!!! Imagine doing that 4 times!
Undefeated at Iowa State over 4 years. Olympic Gold Medalist. And like Dan Gable and John Smith, Sanderson has become an excellent coach in building a powerhouse program at Penn State.
"Hi, I'm Cael Sanderson!" "Nice to meet you Cael!" "You too!" "So Cael what are you intereted in?" "Oh my dreams are to be undefeated in College and be a gold medalist with an ankle pick" "We'll see..."
Great martial artist, great win. Im glad he never went the MMA route. As much as I love MMA, its great to also have proper masters in their respective combat disciplines.... freestyle wrestling, muay thai, boxing, BJJ, etc. Look, I am glad that the best in their disciplines do compete in MMA in a ot of cases, but I personally do not think it is necessary for them or their legacies. To me there is something cool about Cael staying in wrestling. Now.... of course..... what will always be a juicy conversation is 'what if he did compete in MMA'..... dang.... who knows!!! hahaha
Wrestlers, and grapplers generally have dominated in MMA. Cormier, Jones, Khabib, Andrade, Rampage Jackson, Tatianna Suarez. GSP, etc. They are very disciplined and determined individuals.
I've heard whispers of people wondering why Cael never went into MMA. Think about it: Undefeated Collegiate career & a Gold Metal, under your Collegiate Coach, in a frickin' place called Athens. What more could a man not concerned with fame ask for?
William Many UFC champs weren't elite wrestlers. Jon Jones, community college level. Jose Aldo, no amateur experience. GSP, no amateur experience. Demetrius Johnson, no amateur experience. Yes it helps, but it's doesn't guarantee anything. Fighting and wrestling are two different things.
Laser Sharp : I think your statement is pretty obvious. I think what William was saying was Sanderson would have been a force in mma. With his work ethic, ability to master techniques, and raw toughness, Cael could have done big things in mma. I think we can all agree that high level wrestling is one of the most grueling and painful sports today, and having the ability to deal with that pain and suffering while keeping focused and disciplined would carry over well for mma....
Folk style is definitely better. It's a much more all around test of skill and endurance. Freestyle is very limited. You've see one freestyle match you've seen them all. It's very boring and limited.
I saw the thumbnail and thought Cael was gonna be wrestling an old black guy. Before you ask if I'm stupid, I'm stoned to the gills right now. And yes I'm also stupid.
Sean Mulholland ok sir wrestling isn’t big amongst black (at the time), just being real and idk how old you are but racism’s was very much alive in America in the early 2000s. I only said it cool because they sent a black man as the teams leader to a Olympic, the biggest sports stage ever.
@@outtlaw324 Actually, there have been quite a few black wrestlers, and very good ones. Bobby Douglas is somewhat of a coaching legend at the collegiate level (since 1975), as well as the international level. He has coached numerous world teams and was the head coach for the 1992 Olympic team that has all 10 wrestlers in the top 10 - a US Olympics first. So this wasn't his first Olympics. In wrestling, all that matters is if you know your stuff, and he did.
Come on man... he was the best coach so they made him the coach for the olympics, I highly doubt they just sat around pondering hmmm ya he’s the best but is it worth it to make a black guy the coach?? Ya there was racism then, and before and ever since the dawn of humanity but seriously. Don’t make it out to be so much worse than it was. Racism did exist but not so much amongst the Olympic wrestlers. Something tells me they didn’t give a flying monkey’s but sack if u were black or not. SMH
