Kyle Dake is the top seed at the Paris Olympics in the 74 kg wrestling category, and this doesn’t seem to sit well with his top international competitors. Missing out on gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the 33-year-old has now climbed to the top of the 74 kg class and has only faced two losses in the last six years.

He has secured two World Championship titles and a silver in the 74 kg category, along with two golds in the 79 kg category, establishing himself in one of wrestling’s most competitive weight classes. His path to Paris appears clear, with major rivals like American Jordan Burroughs and the top wrestlers from Russia and Belarus out of contention. Perhaps that’s why the reigning Olympic champion doesn’t view Kyle Dake as a ‘threat’?

Out of Paris bid, the reigning Olympic champion dismisses Kyle Dake’s dominance

In a post on X, Joe Kania, former New York Giant and Tampa Bay Buccaneer, now a wrestling writer for the Star-Ledger, shared some intriguing insights from his interview with reigning Olympic champion Zaurbek Sidakov. Sidakov, a three-time World Champion in the 74 kg category, had interesting comments when Kania asked him who was the tougher opponent between Burroughs and Dake. Sidakov didn’t hesitate to say, ‘Burroughs.’

Kania mentioned Sidakov also talked about how he used to beat Kyle Dake and shared, “Seemed like there might be some beef w Dake. Showed a couple moves and called out how he hit them all on Dake. Was kind of dismissive on the JB or Dake question, was shaking his head and answered JB right away.” Kania even noted that a little kid asked that question, and Sidakov’s quick answer stood out compared to his other responses. He blurted out, “Oh, Burroughs,” shaking his head.

At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Kyle Dake faced a tough setback, losing in the quarterfinals to Russian-Belarusian wrestler and MMA professional Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov. Dake didn’t score a point and lost by technical fall, marking his first such defeat since 2013. Kadimagomedov went on to win silver, eventually losing to Sidakov, who claimed gold with a 7-0 victory.

Fast forward to the Paris Olympics, and there’s a big twist: both Sidakov and Kadimagomedov are out of the competition, making Dake the top seed. Due to the ongoing war with Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes needed special clearance to compete as neutral athletes, and neither Sidakov nor Kadimagomedov met the requirements. Reflecting on these words, let’s take a look at the American rivalry between Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Dake and how Dake managed to edge him out for a spot in the Paris Olympics.

How Dake flipped the switch on Jordan Burroughs not once but twice!

In the American wrestling scene, the 74 kg category has been dominated for over a decade by two names: Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Dake. Burroughs, a two-time Olympian, secured gold at the 2012 London Olympics. Dake, on the other hand, earned bronze at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. These two have been rivals since 2013, with Burroughs typically emerging victorious. After claiming two NCAA titles in 2009 and 2011, Burroughs extended his dominance with gold in London and a remarkable 70-match winning streak.

Even though his streak ended in 2014, Burroughs continued to accumulate wins, securing world championships at 74 kg in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Dake achieved four NCAA titles for Cornell from 2010 to 2013 but faced repeated losses to Burroughs at 74 kg in the world team and Olympic trials. He eventually transitioned to 79 kg, where he won world championships in 2018 and 2019, although this weight class is not included in the Olympics. However, at the Olympic Trials for Tokyo 2021, Dake finally turned the tables. He defeated Burroughs in a best-of-three series and proceeded to win bronze in Tokyo.

Fast forward to 2024, and at the U.S. Olympic wrestling trials in April, Dake did it again. He easily won his matches, 4-1 and 3-1, over Jason Nolf—the guy who had knocked Jordan Burroughs out of Olympic contention. Though Burroughs and Dake haven’t wrestled since the 2021 trials, Burroughs lost a tight match to Nolf, 3-0, at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials on April 19.

With both Sidakov and Kadimagomedov out of the running for gold at the Paris Olympics, could this be why Zaurbek Sidakov brushed off Kyle Dake’s recent dominance? Who do you think would come out on top if Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Dake went head-to-head again? Let us know what you think in the comments!