Out for Revenge: Justice for James Green
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Welcome to Out for Revenge, a new series looking at athletes avenging previous losses. In this installment, we’ll break down freestyle wrestler James Green’s arduous journey to claim his spot on the 2015 US World team. Green had to overcome bureaucratic challenges, his own weaknesses as a wrestler, and tough style matchups to win the spot, capped with a dramatic wrestle-off against Nick Marable.
Note: This article is heavy on background and context, because I think it’s important to understand both wrestlers’ trajectories and place in the larger wrestling landscape to appreciate what Green accomplished.
Setting the Stage
After the IOC cut wrestling’s quota of Olympic athletes for 2016, the sport was down to six weight classes per discipline, an absurdly compact lineup that meant some of the best wrestlers in the world would not even qualify. To alleviate the cramping of opportunities in the sport, United World Wrestling, recently rebranded from FILA, decided to add two additional non-Olympic weight classes beginning in 2014.
This was a boon for wrestlers who would otherwise be stuck between weights, or stuck behind titans of the sport at existing weights. The new 70 kg weight class was great for NCAA 157 lb wrestlers, undersized at 74 kg (163 lbs) on day-before weigh-ins but too large for 65 kg (143.5 lbs), such as Northwestern’s Jason Welch and Nebraska’s James Green. However, one of the first wrestlers to make it down was Nick Marable. Marable was the first man to beat Jordan Burroughs on the senior level after a 69-0 run, but understood that he was unlikely to make a World team ahead of the three-time World and Olympic champion. Marable was not a small 74 kg, having wrestled at 165 lbs in his college days at Missouri, but he decided to make the cut to give himself a chance to represent the United States and contend for a world title.
Nick Marable
Marable had much better credentials than most of the initial crop at 70 kg, most of whom were former 66 kg wrestlers coming up. Although his ability to make weight and recover effectively was a question mark, the descent in weight suited his style very well. Coached by former World champion Sammie Henson, Marable was a very positional wrestler, dedicating large amounts of practice time to stance and motion work. He was extremely difficult to move out of his stance, and his massive legs and hips crushed shot attempts.
Though he was not very aggressive in pushing forward, his strength made him very difficult to push out of the center, and more often than not he got his opponent put on the shot clock. Working from a right leg lead, he usually made first contact with his left hand, making sure his right hand was able to protect against quick single leg attempts. His main attack was a snatch single leg where he clubbed the opponent’s head with his left hand, then stepped in and grabbed their right leg. Aaron Pico (at the time a blossoming young wrestler who was still years away from the tumultuous start to his MMA career) did something similar, but Pico dropped his level lower and usually put his head to the outside, whereas Marable nearly always went head inside. Marable also had a high double that often looked more like a football tackle, grabbing his opponent’s hamstrings and driving through. Wrestling from behind against Marable could be a nightmare, as trailing opponents were forced to commit to shots, which Marable could simply block, or sprawl and circle behind. The Tennessee native’s plodding style also controlled the pace of the match, mitigating the cardio issues often associated with big weight cuts.
His biggest weaknesses were a lack of offense and only mediocre scrambling ability. Marable seemed like a good athlete, but not a great one, and his lack of speed sometimes cost him in chaotic positions where other wrestlers could react more quickly.
While his style was nearly impregnable when he was wrestling with the lead, he struggled to chase, and seemed unable or unwilling to adapt once he got in a hole. He rarely scored more than 1 or 2 points in single exchange, and his main attacks often relied on a few minutes of wearing on an opponent’s neck before they would open up. Opponents who sat on leads didn’t usually have much trouble fending him off; see his 1-0 loss to Iran’s Mostafa Hosseinkhani.
After a solid performance at the World Cup (a dual meet tournament of international teams; catch our commentary on the 2018 World Cup final here) in March of 2014, Marable was a clear favorite to make the World team. He won the US Open handily, with no opponent able to crack his defense (including James Green, who fell 5-1 in the semifinal round). This gave Marable a bye into the best-of-three final for the World team spot. The other wrestlers qualified for World Team Trials would all be placed in a challenger tournament wrestled on the first day of the Trials, and the winner would earn the right to wrestle a series against Marable to decide the spot.
James Green
James Green was an All-American as a true freshman at Nebraska, finishing 7th at 157 lbs. His sophomore year he earned the 4 seed but was upset in the first round, finishing 7th again. The next year he put together a great season, beating returning national champion Derek St. John in the Big Ten final to earn the top seed for the 2014 NCAA Championships.
There, he suffered an upset to Minnesota’s Dylan Ness in the quarterfinals, ending his national title hopes. He responded by tearing through the consolation rounds, claiming third place with major decisions and technical falls in each of his remaining 4 matches.
As middleweight wrestling for Nebraska (and as an African American), Green frequently drew comparisons to the highly decorated Jordan Burroughs. Like Burroughs, Green’s primary attack was a blast double, and he had good defense and reattacks. However, Green was not as big or strong for his weight, and so he was less able than Burroughs to move his opponents in the tie ups, making setups like heavy head clubs less viable. He also didn’t have Burroughs’ trick of stringing multiple shots together, forcing the opponent to sprawl and then attacking again as they returned to their stance. Instead, Green mainly scored from clearing ties, such as snapping or posting an opponent’s arm to open up his double leg. Green also shot more single legs and high crotches than Burroughs did, especially at that point in his career. During his time in college Green also developed a very good top game, using wrist control and forward pressure to hold down very good opponents and score back points with his cross-wrist tilt.
As a college wrestler, Green dabbled in freestyle, competing at the FILA Junior nationals and University Nationals. In the spring of 2013, he dropped down to 66 kg (145.5 lbs), suggesting he was undersized for a college 157. In some ways he was well suited to freestyle, with quick-hitting double legs that could take an opponent directly to their back. He was also great from the quad-pod position, where a wrestler defending a takedown balances on their hands and feet to prevent their knees from touching the mat, showing incredible strength, balance, and awareness of his opponent’s next move.
However, he clearly lacked freestyle experience and acumen, and struggled in a lot of the areas that made freestyle different from collegiate folkstyle (quad-pod notwithstanding). His par terre defense was suspect; even in matches he won, he sometimes had to come from behind because he gave up easy turns. His upper-body wrestler was not very good, a serious problem in the international styles because the rules punish backing out of underhooks or over-under positions and reward throw attempts. He was also liable to giving up exposure points off of his own shots, partly because he shot from so far away.
With his strong handfighting, solid positioning, and heavy hips, Marable was almost tailor-made to beat quick, explosive wrestlers who take straight-on shots, which was James Green to a T. Much of Green’s offense came from a blast double; he would post and create distance, then shoot as his opponent tried to step in to cover that distance. While slow-footed wrestlers are often easy prey for this attack, Marable didn’t feel the need to be in his opponent’s face all the time, more content to advance slowly and work his tie ups when the opportunity was available. He usually kept his lead hand low when he did advance, making it even harder to take him down from space. Green was also effective with reattacks, circling to an angle after defending an opponent’s shot and attacking the near leg. Marable was almost never vulnerable to this tactic because he hardly ever shot in the first place, preferring safer high-level attacks when he did go for his opponents’ legs.
2014: Marable Makes It Look Easy
The 2014 World Team Trials were held in Fargo, ND, alongside the high school national championships. There, Green made his way through the challenge bracket for the right to take on Marable, taking out experienced competitors like Kevin Levalley and Moza Fay. In the finals, though, he just didn’t have enough for Nick Marable.
In the first match, Green actually took an early lead, getting Marable put on the shot clock in the first period. In the second period, he responded to a Marable shot attempt with a duck-under motion on a reattack. However, he tried to finish too quickly, reaching his arm around Marable rather than driving through with his legs, allowing his opponent to circle away. Green tried to continue the flurry by dropping to a leg, but Marable was already in good position and Green overextended, allowing an easy go behind for 2 points. The rest of the match, Green was unable to get to Marable’s legs. Marable’s strength and size made him almost impossible to move, and his confidence in his leg defense meant he didn’t have to overreact when Green changed levels from space.
The second match was even more one sided. In the first thirty seconds, Marable hit his signature head club to level change, and got in just far enough on a high double to drive Green off the mat for 1. Green tried to be more offensive in this match, but without much of a setup, his double legs attempts were easily stuffed. Only a well-timed sitout to knock Marable out of bounds saved the Cornhusker from giving up a go-behind and falling even further behind. Late in the first, he cleared Marable’s collar tie and took a lefty knee-pull shot (a head-outside attack with a head-inside finish). Green did well at the start of the sequence to bring his hips in, adjust his position, and elevate Marable. However, after Marable stabilized himself and caught Green’s far ankle, James seemed to stop wrestling, and Marable was able to free his leg and go behind for 2. The former Missouri Tiger then locked up a gut wrench and rolled it through twice, though Green did recover his position and pick the knee of his opponent’s bottom driving leg on the third time, scoring a reversal. This made the score 7-2 at the break.
The second period was the familiar dynamic of Green trying and failing to create an opening for his leg attacks. Marable added another stepout for good measure, catching an offensive-minded Green off guard late in the match with a double leg. Marable had earned his first World team spot by scores of 2-1 and 8-2, winning in convincing if not dominant fashion.
Marable was solid but unspectacular on the international scene over the next year, reaching the quarterfinals in the World Championships before losing to Ali Shabanau of Belarus. In April he repeated as US Open champion, earning the right to sit out until the finals of the Trials in Madison. Getting to sit out until the afternoon of the second day can be a major benefit for a wrestler cutting as much weight as Nick Marable was, and it would be a tall order to unseat him.
Green’s Development
Heading into the 2014-15 college season, Green’s expectations were high. Things didn’t go according to plan, though, as he lost a few close matches early in the season. Freshman Isaiah Martinez of Illinois established himself as the top wrestler in the country at 157 lbs, beating Green 2-0 by riding him out the entire third period. Green entered the national tournament as the 4 seed and met Martinez in the semifinals. Martinez had a clear size and strength advantage, and Green never came close to taking him down. Although Green did well to avoid Martinez’ signature underhooks and didn’t get taken down himself, mat wrestling was once again his undoing, as he fell 3-2 on a riding time point. Martinez praised Green in his post-match interview, calling him his toughest and stingiest opponent; the next night Martinez was able to showcase his prolific offense with a 10-2 major decision in the final. After torching the backside of the bracket to finish 3rd once again, Green expressed only disappointment, saying he wanted to put collegiate wrestling out of his mind and focus on the upcoming freestyle season.
Green’s biggest weaknesses were that he couldn’t open guys up. If they stayed solid and kept good position, there wasn’t as much he could do to pull them out. This may have been related to his lack of size and strength. When he couldn’t open up his shots, he sometimes forced things and took shots that weren’t there. After his shots he seemed more vulnerable to go behinds than other wrestlers, again probably because he was undersized.
In freestyle, he wasn’t fully aware of the full range of ways he (and his opponents) could score, and didn’t do things like use a control tie to drive the opponent back, clear ties and reset without moving away from his opponent (which makes it easy for the ref to look at you for passivity).
At the US Open in April, Green was upset by Kevin Levalley on a late takedown, but won four straight on the backside of the bracket to qualify for the World Team Trials. In the third place bout, he got a rematch with Levalley and corrected his mistake, winning by technical fall.
At World Team Trials, Green impressed with wins over Nazar Kulchytsky and Levalley again to make the best-of-three with Dustin Schlatter. He was relentlessly offensive, and showed a greater sense of urgency than he had in 2014. While he still mainly worked from collar ties, he was less likely to hang on to a tie, instead moving on to something else if he couldn’t create any offense. He used more lateral motion and level changes to get his opponents reacting to him, which helped him create tie ups on his own terms. His leg defense seemed better, as his sprawls were more likely to leave his opponents extended, and he was quicker to create angles for his go-behinds and reattacks. He also seemed more comfortable catching an underhook when the situation presented itself, using a deep right hand underhook to push his opponent to the edge and limit offense, using it to set up a leg attack if the opportunity was there (though Kulchytsky was able to counter this with a fireman’s carry for an early lead in challenge tournament quarterfinal). Against Dustin Schlatter, who had two very competitive matches with Marable earlier in the year, Green seemed the superior wrestler, controlling the mat and shutting down his opponent’s offense.
The Injustice
USA Wrestling has strict procedures surrounding its World team selection process. The rules made an allowance for a delayed wrestle-off for wrestlers who had earned a bye to the final wrestle-off, provided that they had certification from a medical doctor that they were unable to compete due to injury. The request also had to be made more than 18 hours before the weigh-ins (held the afternoon before the first competition day); or, if the request was made within 18 hours, the wrestler would have to make competition weight in order to receive a delayed wrestle-off.
In Madison, site of the 2015 freestyle World Team Trials, the rumors swirled. “Marable is way over”. “Marable might not make weight”. The day of the weigh-ins, after the 18-hour window for requesting a delayed wrestle-off expired, it was revealed that Nick Marable was out with an undisclosed injury. Brackets were redrawn so that the finalists of the Friday challenge tournament would wrestle in the Saturday best-of-three final to determine the World team spot. James Green defeated Dustin Schlatter by scores of 5-0 and 4-2 and was presented his USAW plaque as the World team representative for 2015.
Marable’s team appealed, arguing that he was entitled to an injury exemption due to a concussion and should get to wrestle Green for the spot. He had submitted documentation signed by a D.O. rather than an M.D., which they argued was still in compliance with the spirit and intent of the rule. The reason he had not submitted it on time was that he had only suffered the injury after the 18-hour deadline had passed. The injury, he said, made it unsafe for him to cut weight, which excused his absence from the official weigh-ins. However, USAW’s procedures were clear and had been laid out well in advance. Moreover, knowing his weight situation, most were highly skeptical; more likely, Marable realized he was going to miss weight and shopped around for someone willing to diagnose him with an invisible but debilitating injury. USAW stood firm: James Green was their man.
After losing his appeal with the USAW Freestyle Sport Committee, Marable took up the issue with the US Olympic Committee, arguing that USAW’s procedures did not comply with the USOC’s requirements of fairness and due process. He was granted an arbitration hearing, and USAW would have the opportunity to defend their position. From USA Wrestling’s standpoint, their rules were fair, and those rules clearly required them to send James Green to Worlds.
The catch was that USAW didn’t really want this outcome. Marable was a legitimate medal contender, while Green was untested on the international stage. Plus, Marable was 3-0 against Green head-to-head. While fairness and due process committed them to sticking with James Green, it would be convenient if Marable got a chance to win the spot back. USAW’s solution to this dilemma was to make very little effort to win the appeal. They made their case over a conference call–during which their representative was driving through the mountains of Colorado, causing him to lose connection repeatedly. The USOC, unimpressed, ordered a special wrestle-off between Green and Marable.
The wrestle-off was held alongside the high school national championships in Fargo, ND. Most observers felt that Green had gotten a raw deal, but that Marable would probably win. He had proven to be a difficult matchup for Green and was a much more accomplished freestyle wrestler. In a sport that prides itself on competitive fairness, fans were uncertain whether we would really be getting the most fair result.
2015: Payback
Going into another series, Marable seemed to have the edge, because across Green had been almost completely shut out. Even when Green didn’t make any mistakes and give up easy stepouts or exposures, he didn’t have the tools to make Marable uncomfortable or control the pace and position of the match.
However, the adjustments and improvements he could make were clear. For one thing, Marable took the same attack over and over, the lefty snatch single. Green could try to recognize that a hard head club, especially without a tie established, was a sign the single was coming and lower his level to defend. While Marable’s attacks are extremely difficult to counter, it is doable if you know when they’re coming.
Green also had to show more awareness and urgency with his positioning in the circle. When neither wrestler commits to a shot, one way officials determine passivity is by who takes ground and holds the center of the mat. While Green has never been a passive wrestler who tries to milk the clock, he often conceded the small circle and engaged with opponents a few steps away from the center, which made a poor impression on referees. He also didn’t seem to recognize the attacking opportunity of an opponent close to the boundary, whereas Marable pounced whenever his opponent got within a few steps of the edge. Green had been able to focus on freestyle after his college career had ended, and though it was less than four months, it might be enough to make him competitive in the stepout battle.
If and when Green did get to a leg, he had to keep good position and make a point of finishing quickly. The longer a scramble continued, the higher the risk he would get extended and allow a go behind for Marable.
Marable’s realistic avenues for improvement were more limited; a wrestler so far into his career was unlikely to make dramatic changes. While more fakes and low-level shots would round out his arsenal, he clearly didn’t have the physical and/or mental ability to implement them into his game. One serious option would be to work from underhooks more, which would take advantage of his strength, patience, and persistence. Underhooks would be a good setup to his snatch single, allow him to drive his opponent out of bounds more easily, and give him more ways to score when trailing in a match. Control ties (including underhooks) are also a good defensive tool, forcing the opponent to clear out and reset to try and set up an attack.
The Special Wrestle-Off
At one of the most anticipated weigh-ins in recent memory, the scale in the Fargodome read 69.9 kg for both wrestlers, and so the following day’s matches were on. Predictably, the first match began very slow paced, as neither wrestler tried to force any action. Green did a better job of being the one to step into his opponent to initiate the tie up, and the first passivity went against Marable. Midway through the period, Marable went to the well again, clubbing the head with his left and dropping for a snatch single. This time, Green was prepared, and caught an underhook as Marable reached for the leg. He pushed in and circled hard, looking for a better angle to turn it into a single leg. Marable squared up, but had to step backwards toward the edge of the mat. Green committed to driving forward and was rewarded with a stepout point. Pushing and the battle for stepout points had always been an area of advantage for Marable; Green scoring here was a clear sign that things would be different this time around.
For the rest of the first period and beginning of the second, the two traded collar ties and never came close to creating any offense. Marable’s best hope seemed to be getting Green on the shot clock, but the wrestlers were so evenly matched that it was very difficult to say who the officials might call for passivity next. When it went against Marable, the odds seemed clearly in his favor. After holding on the 30-second period and scoring the penalty point to pull ahead 2-0, Green started to wrestle more defensively, clearing ties and taking some backward steps. With just under 40 seconds Marable finally tried to change things up, utilizing a righty stance and shooting for Green’s back (right) leg; however, Green was able to get his hips down and circle out. Marable went for a slideby and got Green a bit off-balance, but the Nebraska wrestler was able to latch onto a leg and started to build up. He shifted his head from inside to outside and then used Marable’s hip pressure against him by shifting his head to the far side and bringing his hips toward the center, a technique sometimes known as a head wheel. Green got Marable’s legs in the air and finished cleanly, sealing the match 4-0.
Between matches, Marable and his team seemed to draw one conclusion: he couldn’t afford to fall behind. He committed hard to a high single, and fought to keep his hands locked even when Green stepped back and used a whizzer to pull Marable’s arms up. This put Marable in a position with his hands locked basically in the crotch without much of an angle, a very difficult position to finish from. Still, he showed off his strength and determination in improving his position and getting his hips in close enough to lift Green. Green did well to stay balanced in the air and was able to land in the quad-pod position, where he’s very difficult to break down. Marable went to work with the most obvious scoring attempt, driving forward and chopping the arms. He also hooked Green’s foot with his own and pulled it back, stretching his opponent’s body out further to bring his knees closer to the mat. Still, Green stayed up, preventing the takedown. Marable, running out of time before the referee called a stalemate, stepped around for a gutwrench. However, he let his leg drift across the front of Green’s body, allowing Green to grab the knee with his far arm and push in as Marable tried to roll Green over. Green then kept his hips high and floated over the top, scoring two points for himself.
The rest of the match was Green putting on his best Nick Marable impression, holding collar ties and staying within the center circle. Marable was completely unable to create an angle on Green, pull him out of position, or get underneath him. Green was less offensive than Marable and drew two passivity warnings over the next few minutes, forcing him onto the shot clock. Green was completely unfazed and continued to prioritize position solidity, conceding the caution point. Green’s two-point move meant that he would hold the lead on criteria even if he gave up another point, and he stayed disciplined with his handfighting. Marable was clearly out of ideas, and when the clock ran out, the close score belied how thoroughly Green had controlled the series.
Aftermath
James Green carried the momentum from his triumph in Fargo to the international stage. He won the Grand Prix of Spain with a win over Frank Chamizo, who went on to win the World championship down at 65 kg that year. In his first appearance at the World Championships, he torched his first three opponents to reach the semifinals. There, he lost to future World and Olympic champion Hassan Yazdanicharati from Iran, but recovered to dominate Miroslav Kirov to win bronze. He caught everyone off guard with his double legs, and showed a knack for finishing his takedowns straight into a leg lace. Green has now been the US representative at 70 kg for the last five years.
Marable returned to 74 kg for the Olympic Trials in 2016 but lost in the challenge tournament final to Andrew Howe 2-1. After the tournament he retired from competition and began coaching at the college level.
Despite his obvious talent, James Green was continually set back by frustrating losses on his way up. At some point, a wrestler stops changing and his limitations become permanent. After his comprehensive losses to Marable and then inability to crack the upstart Isaiah Martinez, he seemed to be nearing that territory. Instead, he learned from his losses to become the wrestler he needed to be to win at the highest levels. He figured out how to handfight and hold center, and improved leg defense to boot. Green had always been seen as a wrestler with potential, but here he finally became a legitimately world class competitor. Most importantly, he got the spot that he had earned for himself.