Olympians Jordan Burroughs, Ben Askren To Battle For First Time May 6 At Beat the Streets

NEW YORK - April 10, 2019 - PRLog -- Two of the most decorated and well-known recent Olympic wrestlers will square off for the first time as 2012 Gold Medalist Jordan Burroughs takes on 2008 Olympian Ben Askren as part of the 10th annual "Grapple at the Garden" Beat the Streets (BTS) benefit at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on May 6. Burroughs, who has competed at numerous past BTS events, will battle Askren, who has parlayed his wresting talents into a strong mixed martial arts career in the UFC and other promotions, at 74kg in the highly-anticipated matchup.

"Grapple at the Garden" supports Beat the Streets, the largest grassroots inner city wrestling program in the United States, serving as both a fundraiser for the organization and to celebrate its athletes as they compete on the biggest stage in the center of the world.

Burroughs, a four-time World freestyle champion (2011, 2014, 2015, 2017), has won eight consecutive BTS benefit matches, downing fellow Olympian Frank Chamizo last year in a thrilling, come-from-behind 8-5 verdict in the main event Supermatch. Burroughs was a three-time All-American at Nebraska, winning two NCAA titles. The Sicklerville, N.J., native also competed at the 2016 Olympics in Rio but did not medal.

Burroughs has the most World gold medals in USA history with four, tied with John Smith, Adeline Gray and Tricia Saunders. His five World and Olympic gold medals trails only Smith, who has six. He also has won two World bronze medals, giving him seven World and Olympic medals in his storied career.

Askren, who went 1-1 but didn't medal in his lone Olympic appearance, was a four-time NCAA finalist at Missouri, winning the crowns in 2006 and 2007. His MMA career has included wins in  his first 19 matches, most recently at UFC 235 last month. He has fought for several other promotions, primarily One Championship and Bellator, in amassing his perfect record.

Both Burroughs and Askren competed at 74 kg at the Olympic Games. Combined, they represented the USA at this weight class for the last three Olympic Games.

"Jordan Burroughs is a great champion who has been a great supporter of Beat the Streets for years, and Ben Askren has made a name for himself with his outsize talent and personality to match," said Beat the Streets Executive Director Brendan Buckley. "This is a match that many fans have been hoping for, and we couldn't be more excited to bring them together in a way that will benefit our BTS kids on what is shaping up to be a huge night of wrestling at Hulu Theater."

The news follows last week's first announced main event bout, between New Jersey natives James Green (Willingboro) and Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield). Additional matchups in the Team USA vs. NCAA Champions main events will be announced in the coming weeks. Those will be preceded by several youth matches, with one previously announced: a battle of local State Champions in Jo Jo Aragona (Pope John XXIII HS/New Jersey) vs. Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor HS/New York).

Tickets for the evening's action are available now via TicketMaster, priced starting at $30. A variety of donation packages which include "Grapple in the Garden" tickets are also available at https://www.btsny.org/bts-events or by emailing molalde@btsny.org, beginning at $1000. Doors open on May 6 at 5:30 p.m., with the main event starting at 6 p.m.

For the fifth straight year, FloSports will provide live and on-demand coverage on FloWrestling.com.

About Beat the Streets
The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTS works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to bring the life changing sport of wrestling to over 3,000 New York City student-athletes to help them achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTS and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life lessons of grit, personal responsibility and teamwork, physical fitness and nutrition, and life-long learning. The goal of fostering strong, well-rounded student-athletes is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, life skills workshops, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org.

About USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 230,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com.