US Olympic Wrestling Trials: Penn State’s Carter Starocci Takes a Direct Shot at MMA’s Patrick Downey

Penn State’s Carter Starocci shot to fame with his staunch 64-match winning streak into the postseason. He recently announced his comeback after recovering from an injury that sidelined him for a while. In a recent surprising turn of events, Starocci, a four-time NCAA champion, has been seeded at 86 kg for the 2024 US Olympic Trials instead of his original plan to compete at 74 kg. Despite the shift in weight category, Starocci’s competitive fire remains unwavering, as is evident from his latest social media post.

At the US Olympic Wrestling Trials, Carter Starocci will compete with Patrick Downey in the first round. Patrick Downey is a former Bellator wrestler who is also the 2019 US Open National champion. Downey’s wrestling background and aggressive style made him a notable figure in MMA, and now both the stars are poised to spark excitement on the Olympic wrestling stage. Ahead of that, Starocci took a cryptic Jab at Downey, showcasing a loss of the latter.

Recently, Carter Starooci shared a video on his X handle that showcases Downey claiming, “I know i’m ready to take over this division”, referring to the 86kg division. Then instantly it shows Patrick Downey getting knocked out by Christian Echols in Round 1 at Bellator’s match. Interestingly, Bellator released Doney two months after the defeat, although they did not provide any reason for it. So what does Starocci mean here?

Apparently, it seems that Starocci is indicating that Downey will have the same feat as that of his fight against Echols. This might also be a mockery of the claim that Downey made about the 86kg category, which also features the likes of defending Olympic champion David Taylor. Apart from that, the 86 kg will have five other Penn State wrestlers, including Aaron Brooks. While Taylor is the favorite in the weight class, Aaron Brooks is the top seed. All will be vying for the opportunity to dethrone David Taylor as the top contender in the weight class.

Now, Jon Kozak’s seed projections suggested that Carter Starocci would likely have been seeded #4 at 74 kg, setting up a potential semi-final clash with seven-time World and Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs. But now, Starocci is seeded #6 in the 86 kg bracket. This weight class shift takes away the possibility of Starocci facing Jordan Burroughs, with whom he has been embroiled in a verbal war for quite some time. But why?

Carter Starocci vs. Jordan Burroughs: the unfinished battle

It all started when Burroughs came as a commentator on ESPN in the NCAA Championship. Burroughs mentioned that it would be a strategic advantage for opponents to go over the injured leg of Carter Starocci. He even said that he himself will go for that if he had to face Starocci. This did not sit well with many, as rejoinders started pouring in soon.

A Former Nittany Lions, Bo Nickal, took to his social media to announce a battle against Burroughs. “Sad that you think that way and even if you do you should keep it to yourself it’s unprofessional. For all your accomplishments I’d expect more,” Nickal had said. Burroughs retorted, saying, “You punch guys in the face for a living. Shut up.” Meanwhile, Starroci entered the battle.

He roared that he would end Burroughs’ career at the Olympic Team Trials. But after his shift to the 86kg, that outcome lies in the hands of the future. But the verbal war seems to be never-ending. “Gonna be hard to end my career up there, champ,” Burroughs responded in the FloWrestling comments after the Olympic Team Trials seeding was released. Starocci once again gave back saying, “Just don’t leave your shoes on the mat this weekend, and we can get it poppin no problem,” referring to the ritual of wrestlers leaving their shoes on the mat when they retire from the sport. It seems as if the fireworks are far from over!