Olympic Champions Snyder, Burroughs Lead Strong Mens Team Against Japan At Beat The Streets Benefit

NEW YORK - May 4, 2017 - PRLog -- The United States men's freestyle team, which will compete against Japan at the 2017 Beat the Streets Benefit on Wednesday, May 17, has been finalized, with the additions of seven standout wrestlers. They include 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./Titan Mercury WC) at 96 kg/213 lbs.; 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska Wrestling TC) at 74 kg/163 lbs.; Tony Ramos (Chapel Hill, N.C./Sunkist Kids/Tarheel WC) at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., James Green (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska Wrestling TC) at 70 kg/154 lbs.; David Taylor (State College Pa./Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC) at 86 kg/189 lbs.; Nick Gwiazdowski (Raleigh, N.C/Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) at 125 kg/275 lbs.; and Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa./Nittany Lion WC).

They join the previously announced 2016 World champion Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC), at 61 kg/134 lbs.

Snyder was the youngest U.S. wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal, when he claimed his title at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games at age 20. He was also the youngest U.S. wrestler to win a World gold medal, when he captured the title at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. at age 19.

He is a two-time NCAA champion and one-time runner-up for Ohio State, with his senior year with the Buckeyes still ahead of him. Snyder was a 2013 Junior World Champion, as well as a 2014 Junior World bronze medalist.

Snyder has a 1-1 record in previous Beat the Streets Benefits, with a win over World medalist Javier Cortina of Cuba in 2014 and a loss to Olympic and World champion Khadjimurad Gatsalov of Russia in 2013. Snyder will face Katsutoshi Kanazawa of Japan this year.

Burroughs has added three World gold medals to go along with his Olympic gold medal from the 2012 London Olympic Games. He won World titles in 2011, 2013 and 2015, and was also a 2014 World bronze medalist. Burroughs also competed in the 2016 Olympic Games.

Burroughs has won two Pan American Games titles (2011 and 2015), four World Cup titles (2012-15), four U.S. Open titles (2011, 2013-14, 2017) and two Pan American Championships titles (2014, 2016). He won an amazing 69 straight matches to start his international career. Burroughs was named 2015 USOC Male Olympic Athlete of the Year.

He was a two-time NCAA champion for Nebraska, and won the 2011 Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's top college wrestler. A native of Sicklerville, N.J., he was also a 2006 New Jersey high school state champion.

Burroughs, who is a perfect 6-0 in previous Beat the Streets Benefits, will compete in one of the most anticipated showdowns this year against 2014 World silver medalist and two-time Olympian Sohsuke Takatani, the most successful athlete on Japan's roster.

Burroughs is among five 2017 U.S. Open champions who will compete against Japan in the Beat the Streets Benefit, after capturing national titles in Las Vegas on April 29. The other U.S. Open champions in the lineup are Ramos, Green, Taylor and Gwiazdowski.

Green, a 2015 World bronze medalist and 2016 World Team member, was a 2016 World Cup champion. He was a four-time All-American for Nebraska. A native of Willingboro, N.J., he was a New Jersey state high school champion. Competing in his first Beat the Streets Gala, Green's opponent from Japan is Nobuyoshi Takojima, who was fifth in the 2015 World Championships.

Ramos, a two-time World Team member for Team USA, won his second U.S. Open title last week. He was second in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Ramos lost his only previous Beat the Steets Benefit match in 2015 to Yowlys Bonne of Cuba. He was an NCAA champion for Iowa. This year, he faces 2011 Cadet World medalist Rinya Nakamura in Times Square.

Taylor won his second career U.S. Open title this season. He was a 2013 University World bronze medalist, and boasts international gold medals in events in Spain and France. He has a perfect 3-0 record in previous Beat the Streets Benefits, with wins over Livan Lopez of Cuba in 2015, Yabrail Hasanov of Azerbaijan in 2014 and Magomed Kurbanaliev of Russia in 2013. Taylor won two NCAA titles and two Dan Hodge Trophies and was a four-time NCAA finalist for Penn State. His opponent from Japan is Takahiro Murayama.