The Jordan Burroughs/Frank Chamizo Plot Thickens

[dsdoubled]

I know some of us here have been following the situation regarding Frank Chamizo becoming a part of the New York City based regional Olympic Training Center. Most of us see positives and negatives to the arrangement while also feeling that the whole thing is disrespectful to Jordan Burroughs. There also seems to be some curiosity regarding what the end game is with this arrangement. Is Frank going to start repping USA? Could he? Would the red tape be too much a pain in the ass? Well, I have stumbled across a pretty interesting plot twist.

How many people here knew that Chamizo actually has family ties to the USA? How deep? How about his mother and father have been American citizens living in the States for over 20 years!!! His parents came to Miami in 1994 for political asylum and eventually settled down in Georgia where they have been for most of the 2+ decades. Now I don't know much about immigration law, and despite having looked it up before Im pretty ignorant to UWW's rules on changing the flag you compete under, but I cant help but feel this fact makes a Chamizo move to USA Wrestling all the more likely.

https://www.coca-colacompany.com/st...-and-sons-olympic-success-are-a-fathers-dream

 

[ChainFlow]

Whoa. If he were to fully move over, what would happen with him and Burroughs? Would one move up/down a weight class?

 

[dsdoubled]

Whoa. If he were to fully move over, what would happen with him and Burroughs? Would one move up/down a weight class?

It wouldn't surprise me if they just battled it out for the #1 spot at 74 kilos. Im sure Chamizo could still make 70 kilos (though he looks a healthy size 74) but he seems to be doing his best wrestling ever nowadays as a 74 kilo wrestler.

Its a strange situation because at 70, 74, and 79 we already have a wrestler in the top 2 in the world. Green has proven he is world champ material and a consistent medal threat, and Dake at 79 is looking like he will be a perennial medalist as well. So not to say we don't need Chamizo, however, he happens to be at a weight we are already very strong.

 

[Daniel Fox]

It was a very good article, however I do not recall them saying that the parents were US Citizens. Chamizo's parents plead for political asylum and have been in the US for many years. I am guessing they are Alien Resident Card Holders. It takes a long time for a Lawful Permanent Resident to petition for their relative, as opposed to a US citizen who can do it pretty quickly. With that said ,up until 2016 when Obama opened up relations with Cuba, the US had a "Wet foot, dry foot" policy. If a Cuban citizen made it to land in the United States he could plead political asylum, and he would not be sent back to Cuba. If they found the Cuban in the water than they would be sent back. I don't know much about Chamizo's travel history, but I would imagine that he has been to the US for various wrestling competitions prior to 2016, at any time he could have defected and requested political asylum. From what I understand, he defected to Italy not for political reasons, rather it was because he did not get along with the Cuban coach. You have to be a US Citizen to wrestle for the United States, it takes a minimum of five years from receiving the permanent resident card to become a citizen, by that time Chamizo will be too old. So I doubt it will happen.

 

[dsdoubled]

It was a very good article, however I do not recall them saying that the parents were US Citizens. Chamizo's parents plead for political asylum and have been in the US for many years. I am guessing they are Alien Resident Card Holders. It takes a long time for a Lawful Permanent Resident to petition for their relative, as opposed to a US citizen who can do it pretty quickly. With that said ,up until 2016 when Obama opened up relations with Cuba, the US had a "Wet foot, dry foot" policy. If a Cuban citizen made it to land in the United States he could plead political asylum, and he would not be sent back to Cuba. If they found the Cuban in the water than they would be sent back. I don't know much about Chamizo's travel history, but I would imagine that he has been to the US for various wrestling competitions prior to 2016, at any time he could have defected and requested political asylum. From what I understand, he defected to Italy not for political reasons, rather it was because he did not get along with the Cuban coach. You have to be a US Citizen to wrestle for the United States, it takes a minimum of five years from receiving the permanent resident card to become a citizen, by that time Chamizo will be too old. So I doubt it will happen.

True it did not say his parents are citizens, I just assumed after 24 years they would be. Chamizo apparently went to Italy bc he married a woman from there. I know the whole situation of foreign wrestlers wrestling for their new home country can be real sticky, but in some cases it seems so simple. I can think of quite a few foreign wrestlers going for and/or earning spots on US world teams.

 

[Daniel Fox]

True it did not say his parents are citizens, I just assumed after 24 years they would be. Chamizo apparently went to Italy bc he married a woman from there. I know the whole situation of foreign wrestlers wrestling for their new home country can be real sticky, but in some cases it seems so simple. I can think of quite a few foreign wrestlers going for and/or earning spots on US world teams.

Non US Citizens?

 

[dsdoubled]

Non US Citizens?

I guess I cant assume they were actual citizens, but what I am actually referring to is a few examples that stick out in my mind.
-Bekzod Abdurakhmanov was wrestling for Team USA not even 2 years after wrestling for Uzbekistan.
-Ildar Hafizov was actually wrestling for an Olympic team spot for the USA not even 1 year after he last wrestled for Uzbekistan.
-Martin Berberyan went for an Olympic qualification in the USA in 2011-2012 despite wrestling for Armenia 2 years prior.

I guess I should check USAW - UWW rules on this sort of thing.

 

[Daniel Fox]

I guess I cant assume they were actual citizens, but what I am actually referring to is a few examples that stick out in my mind.
-Bekzod Abdurakhmanov was wrestling for Team USA not even 2 years after wrestling for Uzbekistan.
-Ildar Hafizov was actually wrestling for an Olympic team spot for the USA not even 1 year after he last wrestled for Uzbekistan.
-Martin Berberyan went for an Olympic qualification in the USA in 2011-2012 despite wrestling for Armenia 2 years prior.

I guess I should check USAW - UWW rules on this sort of thing.

I don't know about Bekzod, but I am pretty sure Hafizov and Berberyan are US citizens. Maybe there is a way to expedite the citizenship process. Other countries do have it.

 

[dsdoubled]

I don't know about Bekzod, but I am pretty sure Hafizov and Berberyan are US citizens. Maybe there is a way to expedite the citizenship process. Other countries do have it.

Hafizov must be as he's technically a member of the US Army. Bekzod may be too. His brother was already here wrestling when the incident that led to him leaving Uzbekistan occurred (suspended by the national wrestling body). I'm assuming that helps.

 

[wufabufa]

I guess I cant assume they were actual citizens, but what I am actually referring to is a few examples that stick out in my mind.
-Bekzod Abdurakhmanov was wrestling for Team USA not even 2 years after wrestling for Uzbekistan.
-Ildar Hafizov was actually wrestling for an Olympic team spot for the USA not even 1 year after he last wrestled for Uzbekistan.
-Martin Berberyan went for an Olympic qualification in the USA in 2011-2012 despite wrestling for Armenia 2 years prior.

I guess I should check USAW - UWW rules on this sort of thing.

I can't find anything regarding Bekzod repping the US in any sort of competition. He's never been in the US military either. He moved to the US and attended Jr College where he eventually earned a spot on the team at Clarion.

Last I heard from one of his former teammates at Clarion is that after taking gold at the Asian Games(under the Uzbek flag) he signed on to workout with team at Penn State.

 

[dsdoubled]

I can't find anything regarding Bekzod repping the US in any sort of competition. He's never been in the US military either. He moved to the US and attended Jr College where he eventually earned a spot on the team at Clarion.

Last I heard from one of his former teammates at Clarion is that after taking gold at the Asian Games(under the Uzbek flag) he signed on to workout with team at Penn State.

Im a big fan of Bekzod. He wrestled for the US at the 2010 Sunkist International and the 2012 NYAC International. I know he was able to come to the USA bc his older brother was already here competing and coaching at a very high level. He started a promising MMA career too but apparently once he won a medal at worlds he decided to focus on wrestling. As for the military, I mentioned Hafizov being in the US Army, not Bekzod. I had no idea about the PSU connection though. That is really interesting. I would've guess if he was going to move around and train at a US Freestyle club or training center it would've either been the NYC RTC or Finger Lakes WC with Dake, Garret, etc.

 

[Dirty Holt]

Im a big fan of Bekzod. He wrestled for the US at the 2010 Sunkist International and the 2012 NYAC International.

This isnt really true. Although he didnt represent Uzbekistan at domestic US competitions, he didnt represent USA either. In fact, no one represents USA in domestic competition if that makes sense. They only represent their club, which can have anyone.

Sunkist and NYAC dont even require you buy a UWW international card; As long as you are just present in the USA, all you have to do is buy a USA Card. Foreigners buy the UWW card because they have to for other competition, it works in place of a USA card, and its impractical for them to buy one. For a foreigner going to college in the USA, it makes sense and is way cheaper. So yes, he was a member of USA wrestling, but he was far from representing the USA in any competition.

 

[dsdoubled]

This isnt really true. Although he didnt represent Uzbekistan at domestic US competitions, he didnt represent USA either. In fact, no one represents USA in domestic competition if that makes sense. They only represent their club, which can have anyone.

Sunkist and NYAC dont even require you buy a UWW international card; As long as you are just present in the USA, all you have to do is buy a USA Card. Foreigners buy the UWW card because they have to for other competition, it works in place of a USA card, and its impractical for them to buy one. For a foreigner going to college in the USA, it makes sense and is way cheaper. So yes, he was a member of USA wrestling, but he was far from representing the USA in any competition.

" In fact, no one represents USA in domestic competition if that makes sense. They only represent their club, which can have anyone."
So even if the tournaments have the word "International" in their name, wrestlers from the USA represent their club and not the USA? I understand what your saying with regards to tournaments like US Open, trials, senior nationals, regional tourneys, etc. When looking through the brackets for these tourneys I have seen guys like Martin Berberyan (SK Golden Boys), Alexis Vila (Maybe Spartan WC?), Jesus Wilson, etc have their club names next to their own, But the Schultz, Sunkist, NYAC/Farrell, are/were legit International tournaments. Please clarify.

The second part of your post, is this what allowed guys like Rustam Chsiev to wrestle at the NYAC Int. as individuals? And going back to Bekzod for a moment, his brother did in fact wrestle for Team USA, correct?

 

[Dirty Holt]

" In fact, no one represents USA in domestic competition if that makes sense. They only represent their club, which can have anyone."
So even if the tournaments have the word "International" in their name, wrestlers from the USA represent their club and not the USA? I understand what your saying with regards to tournaments like US Open, trials, senior nationals, regional tourneys, etc. When looking through the brackets for these tourneys I have seen guys like Martin Berberyan (SK Golden Boys), Alexis Vila (Maybe Spartan WC?), Jesus Wilson, etc have their club names next to their own, But the Schultz, Sunkist, NYAC/Farrell, are/were legit International tournaments. Please clarify.

The second part of your post, is this what allowed guys like Rustam Chsiev to wrestle at the NYAC Int. as individuals? And going back to Bekzod for a moment, his brother did in fact wrestle for Team USA, correct?

International tournaments, anyone here can just buy a USA card and walk up and get their ass kicked if they want. USA does not designate anyone to represent us at these. How do I know this? Because I have wrestled in 20 of them. You represent your club, then the other countries represent themselves however they want. This is why random guys with visas have no problem coming in and wrestling in an international tournament in the USA without having to go through any avenues in their own country.

Bekzod's brother did not wrestle for USA. Muzaffar wrestled for Uzbekistan as well, he actually took 2nd in the junior worlds for them.

One thing that may be messing you up, if you see USA besides someones name in an international tournament that takes place in America, all that means is that they bought a USA card and was not wrestling affiliated with a UWW card for another country at the time of the tournament. Someone like Franklin Gomez will not have a USA next to his name in a tournament in the USA because his UWW card is affiliated with Puerto Rico, even though he lives and trains in the USA.

 

[dsdoubled]

International tournaments, anyone here can just buy a USA card and walk up and get their ass kicked if they want. USA does not designate anyone to represent us at these. How do I know this? Because I have wrestled in 20 of them. You represent your club, then the other countries represent themselves however they want. This is why random guys with visas have no problem coming in and wrestling in an international tournament in the USA without having to go through any avenues in their own country.

Bekzod's brother did not wrestle for USA. Muzaffar wrestled for Uzbekistan as well, he actually took 2nd in the junior worlds for them.

One thing that may be messing you up, if you see USA besides someones name in an international tournament that takes place in America, all that means is that they bought a USA card and was not wrestling affiliated with a UWW card for another country at the time of the tournament. Someone like Franklin Gomez will not have a USA next to his name in a tournament in the USA because his UWW card is affiliated with Puerto Rico, even though he lives and trains in the USA.

So this is the case for any international tournaments held in the USA? How does USAW work it out for foreign tournaments?

 

[Dirty Holt]

So this is the case for any international tournaments held in the USA? How does USAW work it out for foreign tournaments?

USA doesnt have any hand in foreign tournaments. I can tell you how those work though because its much easier.

There is nothing like a regional or national card for foreign tournaments. Its either the wild west where there is nothing, or you have the UWW card. Almost anywhere we are going to go as Americans, require the UWW card.

When doing an international tournament, they require your country send the roster before hand. It is also mandatory that you stay at the host hotel for an insane rate. Its something like 2-4 to a room in a shitty hotel for $150 each a night. I have stayed at places where it was mandatory $150 for 4 in a room, and you could rent the room yourself for $30.

If you come as a delegation, they list you as your country. However, Europe is so small with country to country travel, individuals who are close can come and they represent their team.