Final X Preview: Jordan Burroughs vs. Isaiah Martinez, 74 kg men’s freestyle

Who: Jordan Burroughs vs. Isaiah Martinez
What: Final X
Where: Lincoln, Neb.
When: June 9
Why: Men’s freestyle World Team spot at 74 kg
Tickets: FinalX.tv

Jordan Burroughs
How he got to Final X:
Since he is a returning World medalist at the weight, Burroughs earned an automatic bid to Final X, which will be held on Burroughs’ turf in Lincoln, Neb.

Background:
Jordan Burroughs has cemented himself as the world’s best at 74 kg time and time again. Next week, he seeks his eighth-consecutive spot on a U.S. World or Olympic Team.

In his seven appearances on the World and Olympic stage, Burroughs owns six medals, including four World championships, a 2012 Olympic gold and a 2014 World bronze. His World titles came in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.

After not medaling at the 2016 Olympic Games, many questioned if Burroughs still had it in him. Burroughs answered them, winning a spot on the 2017 World Team against a very tough Kyle Dake and working his way to a World gold in Paris, France, and helping Team USA to its first World team title since 1995.

This season, Burroughs has continued his impressive performances, going 4-0 at the World Cup in Iowa City, which was his first competition since Worlds. Most recently, Burroughs was put to the test against 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2017 World champion at 70 kg, Frank Chamizo of Italy, who made the move up to 74 kg this year. The two met at the Beat the Streets Benefit in New York City in a super match after Burroughs challenged Chamizo to the bout over Twitter.

Burroughs fell behind early to Chamizo by a 4-0 deficit; however, the American superstar stormed back to win a 6-5 match and stake his claim as the King at 74 kg.

Prior to his success on the international level, Burroughs was a two-time undefeated NCAA champion and three-time All-American for Nebraska. He also won the Dan Hodge Trophy his senior year with the Huskers.

Burroughs’ World Championship experience:
2008 Junior World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey – TENTH
2011 Senior World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey – GOLD
2012 Olympic Games in London, England – GOLD
2013 Senior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary – GOLD
2014 Senior World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan – BRONZE
2015 Senior World Championships in Las Vegas, USA – GOLD
2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – NINTH
2017 Senior World Championships in Paris, France – GOLD

Isaiah Martinez
How he got to Final X:
Martinez won the World Team Trials Qualifier in Rochester, Minn., in May to advance to Final X.

Background:
Having just wrapped up his collegiate career as a two-time NCAA champion and two-time runner-up for Illinois, Isaiah Martinez is proving himself to be a threat on the Senior freestyle level. The question is, is it his time yet?

Last fall prior to his senior college season, Martinez earned a spot on the U23 World Team despite limited freestyle experiences while competing at Illinois. . In 2014, he was second in both the UWW Junior Nationals and UWW World Team Trials behind Anthony Valencia.

At the U23 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, Martinez took fifth in the world, after falling short in his first match and battling back to the bronze-medal bout.

Since completing the NCAA season, Martinez has signed to the Illinois RTC and has turned his focus to freestyle.

He competed at the 2018 USMC Senior U.S. Open, sailing to a gold-medal finish, thanks to five impressive wins, none of which made it out of the first period. Martinez did not surrender a single point throughout the event, outscoring his competition 41-0 in four tech falls and scoring a first-round pin. The championship gave Martinez a bid to the best-of-three finals at the World Team Trials Qualifier in Rochester, Minn., last month.

There, he was pitted against Nazar Kulchytskyy, who came through the challenge bracket. Martinez powered through the best-of-three series, ending it in two matches with a pair of 13-2 tech falls.

Martinez’s World Championship experience
2017 U23 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland - FIFTH

Notes

• Burroughs and Martinez are separated by six years in age. Burroughs is 29 and Martinez is 23.
• Martinez opened his college career with back-to-back NCAA titles, while Burroughs closed out his college career with a pair of national championships.
• Both wrestlers went to and continue to train at Big 10 schools—Burroughs at Nebraska and Martinez at Illinois.
• This is the second year in a row that Burroughs has had the opportunity to make a World Team in front of a home crowd.
• Follow Burroughs on Twitter and Instagram @alliseeisgold
• Follow Martinez on Twitter and Instagram @Imar165

74 kg/163 lbs. MEN

Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
College: Nebraska       High School: Atco, N.J. (Winslow Township)           Born: July 8, 1988                  

• 2012 Olympic Champion (2012)
• Four-time World champion (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017)
• Third in 2014 World Championships
• Two-time U.S. Olympic Team member (2012, 2016)
• Two-time Pan American Games champion (2011, 2015)
• Five-time World Cup champion (2012-2015, 2017, 2018)
• Three-time U.S. Open champion (2011, 2013, 2014)
• Two-time Pan American Championships champion (2014, 2016)
• Two-time NCAA champion for Nebraska (2009, 2011)
• 2011 Dan Hodge Trophy winner, as nation’s top college wrestler (2011)

Isaiah Martinez, Champaign, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC)
College: Illinois                       High School: Leemore, Calif. Born: September 2, 1994

• 2018 U.S. Open champion
• 2018 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion
• Fourth in 2017 World Team Trials
• 2017 U23 World Team Trials champion

• 2016 University Nationals champion
• 2017 Last Chance World Team Trials Qualifier champion
• Second in 2014 UWW Junior World Team Trials
• 2015 and 2016 NCAA champion for Illinois
• Four-time NCAA finalist