How Penn State wrestling’s Roman Bravo-Young is moving forward after his 1st loss of the season
Penn State wrestling’s Roman Bravo-Young used an interesting word to describe himself Tuesday, following his first loss of the season over the weekend.
Confident.
“I’m a lot more confident than I was last year,” Bravo-Young (16-1) said in the hallway of the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex. “I think I’m getting better, and everyone can see I’m jumping levels. I know I am.”
The 133-pound sophomore put on a show Friday against Wisconsin’s Seth Gross, the nation’s top-ranked wrestler in his weight class. Bravo-Young fell in a 6-5 decision where he was moments away from what appeared to be the decisive takedown.
But the Arizona native wasn’t down on himself at practice Tuesday. Instead, the smiling sophomore bounced around while talking to reporters and didn’t shy away from discussing the match. He told reporters he was confident, and his body language agreed.
“It’s just one-on-one, so I think I can beat anyone. That’s just my confidence,” RBY said. “It’s a fight, me against anyone. I don’t care if you’re the best; I’ll still pick myself.”
Added coach Cael Sanderson: “You can see he’s competing with some fire and some confidence. ... I think he knows he can compete with anybody, and he’s a candidate to win the national title.”
Bravo-Young, an All-American last season, is currently ranked as the nation’s No. 2 wrestler at 133 pounds. And he’s been on a tear recently, controlling the early match against No. 3 Austin DeSanto of Iowa before an injury default and edging out No. 8 Sammy Alvarez of Rutgers in sudden victory. RBY also boasted a bonus-point win over Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett, who’s ranked No. 14.
All those matches have come in the last four weeks. So, despite his loss, RBY had a message for fans Friday — one that he made clear Tuesday.
On Friday, after the road bout but while still on the mat, Bravo-Young stuck his thumb and index finger an inch apart as if to say, “This close.” That message, he said, was for the crowd watching on the Big Ten Network.
“That’s who we do it for,” RBY said, referring to the fans. “Be tuned in for Round 2, right? So it just makes it more exciting for the next matchup.”
The two should meet again at Big Tens and could very well see each other at nationals. But RBY said, no matter whom he faces or what challenges lie ahead, he’s not backing down. And he’s looking to entertain fans while he does it.
In his last five bouts, he’s recorded bonus points in all but the match against Gross. And his reactionary style is hard even for experts to describe.
Bravo-Young flashed a grin while recalling how he rewatched the BTN telecast and one of the announcers asked aloud, “What’s this guy doing?” Bravo-Young’s response? Simple. “I just move my feet and just have fun out there,” he said.
If he does that, he’s confident he’ll find success — and that fans will enjoy the ride. In fact, when asked to define Friday’s match in one word, he chose “entertaining.”
“A lot of people watched that match, and I’m an entertainer,” he added. “And I think a lot of people have been entertained by me the last few weeks, so I just have to keep doing what I do.”
Bravo-Young said he was still getting a feel for college wrestling as a freshman last season. But standing on the national podium last year, finishing in eighth place, he said something changed inside him.
If he made it that far, he asked himself, why not further? There are no more unknowns for RBY, just a clear goal and an obvious path.
So, despite his loss Friday, if he can almost beat the best, why not go further in the rematch and beat the best? Bravo-Young wants a shot at the national title — and he wants to entertain people while he does it.
“I don’t know about you guys but if I’m wrestling a wrestling match and there’s nothing going on, I’m not going to watch it anymore,” he said. “Everyone wants to watch the action. ... I want people to be like, ‘Oh dang, look at this.’”
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 5:38 PM.
