Ed Ruth is a two-time NCAA champ (going for three this month) and a ridiculous genetic freak. First, check out this highlight video (preferably with the sound off - the music is not good).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4RGk6PrmyI
I'll get this out of the way first. Ruth lost this season to a freshman named Gabe Dean, who he pinned earlier in the year. Dean is a very good wrestler, but I think Ruth will beat him comfortably if they meet again. Besides that, Ruth has only ever lost two other times -- both as a freshman, and one loss was due to an injury.
Back to the topic. Any NCAA champ is a genetic freak. Ruth is no exception. But he even stands out among NCAA champs for being so completely physically superior to his opponents. Not only is he stronger than the elite college wrestlers in his weight class, but he's also better coordinated and quicker. That's a pretty brutal combination.
A good example of how Ruth uses his incredible physical gifts is how he can improvise on single leg takedowns. When he shoots singles, he is able to switch the leg he's shooting on mid-shot with no change in speed, all while retaining his momentum and fluidity of motion. And he's strong enough to finish the takedown with relative ease.
In the article linked below, Ruth says he wants to shoot for the Olympics before possibly going into MMA. The Olympic style he's going for (freestyle) has rules that are less lenient than the college style (folkstyle) about allowing athletes to expose their backs to the mat. That changes a lot about what techniques are effective.
Freestyle rules took a lot of weapons away from Askren when he competed at the Olympics, and I think it might do the same for Ruth. (I should note that Askren and Ruth have different individual styles. Ruth's style is little like Romero's fighting style. He's loose and patient, but then when he sees an opportunity he strikes fast and he strikes hard.) As of now, Ruth has been a totally ridiculous folkstyle wrestler, but hasn't done as well in freestyle.
If he doesn't improve in freestyle, we may see him give MMA a try. His wrestling coach even said he might try MMA. I hope he does.
http://bwi.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1567503
bump