The last major appearance of Jordan Burroughs saw him defend his Pan American Championship title in 2023 in Buenos Aires. Now one of the most decorated freestyle wrestlers of all time is eyeing more glory at the Paris Olympics. In his recent Instagram post, he had a message for his doubters as he is gearing up for Olympic trials.

With six world championships, one Olympic championship gold, and three Pan American Games gold medals, Jordan Burroughs is often dubbed the greatest freestyle American wrestler of all time. However, the 35-year-old has been away from action for a very long time. So much so, that wrestlers like David Taylor and Kyle Dake, who have just achieved half his glory, have overtaken him in popularity.

Taking to Instagram Burroughs reminded everyone of his imminent return to the mat. He posted a few images of him practicing and sweating on training mats with the caption, “They told me it’s over, I’m finished. But God said just wait and bear witness.’ – Lecrae. I’m laser-focused and getting sharper everyday. 8 weeks til Olympic Trials.”

The bold statement from Jordan Burroughs has now set an ultimatum for his critics as well as himself. The 6x world champ is also moving back to his previous weight class and wrestling in the 74kg category. While Burroughs has toyed with the idea of moving into MMA, he remains focused on his wrestling career especially given how the last year went.

Burroughs missed out on a spot at the 2023 Wrestling World Championships during the Final X, and for the first time in more than a decade and now is eager to make a comeback and prove those wrong who doubted him.

While Burroughs has won more medals in this category, he has also not fought in this weight class for a very long time. Moreover, he will also be meeting a tough rival who has already broken through his offense and defense.

Jordan Burroughs to face the Kyle Dake hurdle once again

Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Dake are eternal rivals. The duo has clashed across several wrestling meets, with Burroughs constantly coming out on top. However, their latest clash resulted in Dake making his first dent, pushing the 7-0 record to 7-1. This defeat came during the U.S. trails for Tokyo Olympics, which meant Burroughs had to sit out the summer extravaganza.

While it may seem that this was just one win out of several attempts, the 74kg weight class hasn’t been the same since. Kyle Dake’s victory resulted in him earning two world championship golds. He also went on to the Tokyo Olympics and clinched the bronze medal. 

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Moreover, he pushed Jordan Burroughs to the 79kg weight class, which was free from Dake, but was also not the Olympic weight. It would be interesting to see if Burroughs would be able to make the comeback he wishes for. Do you think the greatest American wrestler will get to add more golden glories to his name?

ALSO READ – Watch: Young David Taylor Struggle Against the Unrelenting Jordan Burroughs