Frank Chamizo congratulates Jordan Burroughs after their bout on Friday.
Comebacks and Jordan Burroughs are synonymous. A Burroughs bout follows a script: he will make a stunning comeback, there will be shock on the faces of the spectators and a dejected opponent will be lying on the mat.
On Friday, it was a similar story when Burroughs, down 0-4 at the end of the first period, bounced back and won 8-5 against Frank Chamizo of Italy in an exhibition bout at Beat the Streets competition in New York.
The bout was termed as a “Super Match” and there was no denying that a hype was created around the world. At the venue, an open setup which had the Brooklyn River Bridge in the backdrop, pro-wrestling legend Ric Flair and other Olympic medallists occupied the front rows. And it did not fail to live up to the hype. Even Burroughs feels it was a ‘mad bout’ that tested him.
“It was tough because his attacks are tricky. I was 0-4 and the turning point of the bout was me getting out of the single attack. You could feel it that he needs his point. So I fought and fought. And on a slippery mat all he to do was come charging at me and it would have been difficult. But I am happy that I am still the king,” Burroughs told USA Wrestling after the bout.
Burroughs, a five-time World Champion and an Olympic gold medallist, had trouble keeping his balance on a slippery mat and some sleek defence from Chamizo troubled him. But his trademark double in the second period gave Burroughs the win.
India’s top wrestler in the 74kg category Sushil Kumar, however, feels Chamizo dominated his American opponent and believes Burroughs is close to getting beaten. “It was a great bout but see how close this was. Burroughs was always on the edge and it was like one mistake and he would lose. Chamizo wrestled great and has improved,” Sushil says.
Chamizo got the opening takedown just 20 seconds into the bout and he the second on a reversal on Burroughs’ attack. Chamizo had another go at Burroughs and almost had the takedown when Burroughs scrambled out. Chamizo, after the bout, said that the conditions weren’t ideal because of the slippery mat. “The slippery mat is equal for both but it may be because it was in the open and new mats are slippery. But this was very close bout, which you need to see again,” Sushil says.
A rematch may not happen before October’s World Championships in Budapest. Burroughs is already gearing up for it. With the win over Chamizo, he has added a new chapter to his legacy, that of beating the new generation of wrestlers, with a similar storyline and one which makes him the most dominant at 74kg.