Gold-medal wrestler Jordan Burroughs, 38, nonetheless in search of thrill in Real American Freestyle

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Jordan Burroughs has embraced teaching, however the 38-year-old Olympic gold medalist feels he can nonetheless educate his greatest wrestling classes as a competitor.

More than 100 children from his All I See Is Gold Academy will take the nine-hour journey from southern New Jersey to Cleveland to witness his return to motion after a two-year hiatus Saturday, when Burroughs will compete within the co-main occasion of Real American Freestyle’s RAF 12 towards Sean Brady.

“There’s an element of telling people how to do something, and then there’s an element of just showing them the way, right?” he mentioned. “So it’s like, all right, enough talking, just watch me. And I think they get excited too, because what happens is it reinforces all of the things that I teach them.”

Burroughs is probably the most completed Black American wrestler of all time and broadly thought of one of many biggest freestyle wrestlers in historical past. He gained his Olympic gold medal in 2012 at 74 kilograms. He is a six-time world champion who gained two nationwide championships at Nebraska and claimed the Dan Hodge Trophy for the NCAA’s high faculty wrestler in 2011.

But none of that issues to children who weren’t born when most of that occurred. He mentioned his college students are excited to see their leader “get in the trenches” in Olympic-style skilled wrestling.

“I hope that they can see this and be like, ‘Damn, my coach was crazy enough that he’s almost 40 years old and he’s going to go out and compete with guys younger than him to see what he’s got,’” Burroughs mentioned. “Like, that’s pretty special.”

2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs will compete within the co-main occasion of Real American Freestyle’s RAF 12 on Saturday.Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times by way of Getty Images

RAF pursued Burroughs for the chance to be a part of the group’s one-year anniversary occasion.

“Jordan Burroughs is an American wrestling legend who, from day one, our fans have been dying to see,” RAF CEO and co-founder Chad Bronstein mentioned. “He’s the exact wrestler we had in mind when creating RAF, and having him return to the mat for our anniversary event is amazing.”

Burroughs gained his most up-to-date world title in 2022. His final main accomplishment was profitable a gold medal on the 2023 Pan American Championships. His final world championships look was in 2024.

He felt good on the mat in observe conditions, so returning wasn’t a stretch. His killer intuition by no means went away, and he discovered an outlet in RAF.

“I’m a competitor naturally,” Burroughs mentioned. “And I think when you’ve spent such a significant amount of your life competing and sharpening your mind and your body and trying to go out there and compete at the highest level and seeking challenges, it’s just in you. It’s in your DNA. And so my mind is always geared toward competition, looking for ways to win, self-improvement, self-mastery.”

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He’ll want that aggressive drive towards Brady, a blended martial arts performer who is greater, stronger and 5 years youthful. Burroughs desires to see if he can “solve the puzzle and crack the code” and mentioned his return will not be about making a degree to exterior observers.

“I feel like I have nothing to prove anymore at this point,” he mentioned. “It’s less me wanting to show and me wanting to feel like — I just want to feel the thrill of being on the stage. I want to feel the excitement of sharpening my mind and body to go do something challenging.”

How far this return goes is unclear. Burroughs’ longtime rival, Kyle Dake, is the RAF cruiserweight champion and has a 5-0 document in RAF matches. Dake beat Burroughs within the closing stage of the Olympic trials in 2021 after years of shedding to him.

Burroughs doesn’t know if he’ll pursue Dake’s belt or even perhaps attempt to qualify for the 2028 Olympics in two years at age 40. At this stage, he measures his targets in moments, not years.

“I’m trying to feel good, get back into competition and really see where the wind takes me,” Burroughs mentioned. “I’m training deliberately and intentionally now. I’m getting my body healthy and in shape. I want to make sure that my fitness is operating at a high level, and if I can do that, then the sky’s the limit.”

RAF co-founder and longtime leader Izzy Martinez mentioned he expects a high-level effort from Burroughs, partly as a result of he has remained concerned with the game.

“Wrestling still runs in his blood,” Martinez mentioned. “[He’s been] away from competition, but not away from the mat. His mentality and skill will always give him a leg up on any opponent, and he’s going to give the crowd a show.”

Burroughs (proper) on his wrestling future: “I’m training deliberately and intentionally now. … I want to make sure that my fitness is operating at a high level, and if I can do that, then the sky’s the limit.”Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Stepping again onto the mat doesn’t imply Burroughs is dissatisfied with teaching. The variety of the youngsters enrolled at his academy means he’s bringing the game to kids who may not in any other case be uncovered to it, one thing he loves. He mentioned his option to wrestle made him uncommon rising up within the predominantly Black a part of Winslow Township, New Jersey, and he desires to normalize it.

“All my buddies played football and basketball. No one wrestled,” he mentioned. “And so I wanted to be the hero that brown boys could look at and say, ‘Man, I want to be like him. … I can be an extraordinary athlete in more than just two avenues. I don’t have to be a basketball player. I don’t have to be a football player.’”

Burroughs mentioned a lot of his college students are first-generation wrestlers, and he hopes they finally educate their children the game. He mentioned there are alternatives in wrestling in the event that they keep it up.

“I got a college degree,” he mentioned. “I went to school for free. I met some of my best friends through the sport of wrestling. I got to travel the world and carve out a great life for myself. And I want other Black kids to have that opportunity as well.”

Wrestling continues to be offering Burroughs with alternatives, together with this sudden likelihood to as soon as once more study the place he stands.

“This is why LeBron [James] still plays,” he mentioned. “This is why Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Tom Brady and Serena [Williams] and Tiger [Woods] and all the legends of the sports stay for a long time. Because they love their craft, but they also love the thrill, right? There’s a thrill in the challenge and the achievement of something daring.”

Cliff Brunt has been a sportswriter for the reason that ’90s, together with a run of greater than 20 years with The Associated Press. He is an Omaha North High Viking of Distinction who obtained Creighton University’s Alumni Merit Award in 2025.