Sebastian Rivera, who supports David Taylor, predicts the demise of Penn State wrestling: ‘Everyone Is Leaving’
Sebastian Rivera has chosen Columbia University as his next area of focus following his successful Paris Olympics venture. The 26-year-old has had a positive relationship with his previous team, Rutgers’ wrestling coaches. Nonetheless, he chose to end his association with the program and accompany his coach, Donnie Pritzlaff, to the Paris Olympics. Pritzlaff, who formerly worked at Rutgers, relocated to New York City in June to lead the wrestling program. Rivera will now serve as his deputy.
He did, however, make some stunning assertions regarding Penn State Wrestling in a recent podcast episode.”Obviously, Penn State is light years ahead of everyone, but things are going to change very quickly. “Everybody is leaving,” he said on the ‘Champ and The Tramp’ podcast.
His statement was quite shocking considering how good Penn State Wrestling is considered. Penn State has produced a total of six Olympians; Two of them won medals in the Olympics (until the 2021 Tokyo Olympics). David Taylor won the gold medal in Tokyo. Now, he has moved on to coaching and accepted a position as Oklahoma State’s head coach.
But when Rivera spoke about Penn State Wrestling and that everybody was leaving, hosts Frankie and Roger Mathews couldn’t believe his initial words. After all, under Cael Sanderson’s coaching, the wrestling program has almost touched the sky. PSU had the highest number of wrestlers participating in the US Olympic wrestling trials, including names like Aaron Brooks.
However, Rivera stood firm in his answer. He added, “A lot of them are just done. Like, no, are you gonna wrestle anymore? You’re doing a lot of Jiu-Jitsu.” Rivera also disclosed that he had received a call from none other than Bo Nickal, requesting him to join PSU as a wrestler.
The MMA fighter switched sports a long time ago. However, the alum maintains a strong bond with the Penn State wrestling program. It was shown by his assistance in earning glory for Aaron Brooks during and after the trials.
Regardless, Rivera is unsure how long Penn State will stay at the top. According to his admission, they are looking for replacements because the most of their top wrestlers have left.Zain Retherford and Roman Bravo-Young’s absences could also be contributing factors. However, the camp still has a few names that could win the big prize on any given day.
Sebastian Rivera’s wrestling favorite has a replacement in PSU.
Sebastian Rivera defended David Taylor’s appointment as wrestling coach at Oklahoma State University in a podcast with Frankie Edgar. Aaron Brooks, his successor in PSU camp, has taken his place. The 86-kg freestyle wrestler won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
Undoubtedly, PSU coach Cael Sanderson played a significant role in the wrestler’s development. Meanwhile, the PSU coach was also instrumental in his U20 World Championship performance. That nearly matched David Taylor’s wrestling endeavor. The main difference is that Taylor earned Olympic gold. Notably, Brooks has yet to announce his decision to swap camps. Carter Starocci, on the other hand, continues to elude capture.
The four-time national champion is looking forward to his next opportunity, having earned an additional year of eligibility due to COVID-19 interruptions. Rumors suggest he may transfer to a new weight class in the upcoming season. However, his followers feel he is capable of dealing with new problems.
Meanwhile, PSU freshmen Luke Lilledahl and Zack Ryder are one victory away from winning the U20 world championship. In such a case, what are your thoughts on PSU’s downgrading, as Sebastian Rivera mentioned? Let us know.