The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1364233
MAY/JUNE 2021 ■ 39 "Being able to wrestle at NCAAs with COVID and all the protocols, it just felt good to be out there." The Entertainer Wilson is a unique wrestler with a rare style. He's incredibly quick and long, even after moving up from 133 to 141, but still has plenty of strength. The Steubenville, Ohio, native also likes to put on a show with big moves and lots of points. His unexpected run and high-scoring matches were the talk of Cleveland at the 2018 NCAA Championships. World and Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs — one of the greatest wrestlers in American history — tweeted that Wilson should be named the event's most outstanding wrestler and was "the GOAT," the commonly used acronym for the Greatest Of All Time often bestowed on Burroughs. After electrifying the crowd with his wrestling, Wilson was found by the in-arena dance cam during a break, and he continued to entertain fans with his moves in the stands. His performance, on and off the mat, led to FloWrestling employees dubbing him "The Mayor of Cleveland" for the week- end, a title they give out at tournaments to a wrestler who may not have won his bracket but everybody in attendance was still talk- ing about. Wilson's loose and entertaining style is another of his trademarks, according to Popolizio, who thinks the former helps him on the biggest stages. "He's just always laid back, no matter what workout we're doing, what setting we're in, I never see the kid stressed out," the coach marveled. "I think he's a per- former and he lives to perform. … He brings a swagger and adds confidence to the team when he's around. "He is fun to watch. He lives for it. And the lack of stress and pressure he puts on Wilson is just the fourth wrestler in NC State history to post a pair of top-three finishes at the NCAA Championships, and he's also the program's seventh three-time All-American. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS