[jokerthief]

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agreed completely about cardio. I assumed that the non-wrestler was stronger in every area, quicker, a better overall athlete, and had better cardio. Thats why I thought it'd be closer than others think.

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How you saw it is basically what the OP said: non-wrestler works cardio 2-3x per week, lifts 2-3x per week, is in shape. wrestler was in shape back in the day and has training but does not work out.



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The thing is that doing cardio 2-3 times a week and lifting the same doesn't necessarily mean anything. The functional strength that one needs for wrestling isn't going to be gotten by most strength training routines. Most people weight train slow twitch type lifts (high weight, low rep) and that isn't very useful for combat. A HS wresler for 4 years (that is describes as good) will have developed a lot of explosive muscle strength and muscle endurance. This is why I am willing to bet that the OP is seriously underestimating the strength of his opponent. The fact that he is also 5 inches taller means that his center of gravity is going to be less than his opponent, meaning that he would have to be stronger for all things to be equal anyway. Also, he would need to be significantly stonger than him to make up for the disparity in technique.