How Bo Bassett (HS) Teched Anthony Ashnault (NCAA Champ)

So, high school sophomore Bo Bassett just tech-falled Anthony Ashnault today, who was an NCAA champion just a few years ago.

About 10 seconds in, the two were handfighing but broke from it, and so then Bassett took a fairly random double from space. Taking shots like this, after a hand-fight breaks, is a good idea, cause often times people relax when the tie-ups break, and relax Ashnault does. He just wasn’t in a position at all to meet this double head on. You want your elevation to be at the same level or lower than your opponent, and Ashnault clearly did not match Bo’s level, let alone down block.

Ashnault gets a body lock and goes for a bit of a dake bomb, where you lock your hands up around the body and throw your opponent backwards and over top of your shoulder, trying to get 4 points, but Bo does a good job circling and stabilizing, so he’s able to maintain an alright position and not give up any points. Because Ashnault was feet to back here, he went from his feet and exposed his back, but Bo wasn’t able to get around behind, it gives Bo 2 points for the back exposure, but nothing for a takedown, and then there’s 1 for the caution when Ashnault heads out of bounds because he didn’t try hard enough to stay in. This is a rule I would like in folkstyle. It’s not a step out, it’s a, you didn’t try to defend the position, you tried to use the edge to get free, so you give up a point. Score is 3-0 Bo.

15 seconds in, Ashnault goes for a low single with his right hand to the left ankle. Bo reacts well and steps out of it, finding his way into a front headlock. This is another reason why low leg shots from space, without a tie-up, can be dangerous, there’s no exit strategy. David Taylor and the like do a low leg but mostly from tie–ups, and if your opponent steps out of the shot you can just go back to hand-fighting, so you’re safe and can attack again. Here however, there’s no way out, you get stuck.

Bo has the front headlock, circles around, gets a piece of that far ankle with his left hand to keep his angle, but wouldn’t get the takedown unless the arm is released. Ashnault uses that arm to throw Bo to his back a little, giving him 2 points, and then Bo is able to get his arm free, giving him the quote unquote reversal. Score is now 4-2 Bo. Challenges happen which confirm that series of points. Not much to talk about here, Ashnault just did not do a good enough job facing Bo.

Bo starts back on top in partare, because the situation was stopped while he was on top. Bo drops to the legs, locks just below the hips, forcing Ashnault to his side a little. It does look like Ashnault gives up position and sits up prematurely. Bo jumps over a tad, which you can do to help get yourself some back exposure, and so Ashnault comes up, which gives Bo another set of 2 points. Bo rolls him back the other way, then plants him on his back more decisively, but I don’t think they gave another set of points because Ashnault wasn’t able to get back to a defendable position in between. Score is 6-2 Bo.

Minute 50 left, you can see Ashnault start to reach up with both hands, and so Bo lowers his elevation and takes another double from space. So, you could say this is another random double, but taking advantage of the reach from Ashnault is important. This is why you don’t want to reach if you can help it, especially with both arms, because people can just drop under your arms and they’ll have a clear path to a shot. Usually you keep at least one hand down as you stalk forward, then use the tie-ups.

Bo loses the legs, but circles his way to a single as Ashnault again goes for a body lock to throw Bo backwards. This fails again, Bo comes up, limps his arm out to get around the back, Ashnault kicks a leg free, tries to turn away and reaches for the chest, but is way too far forward in this position to get much. Here you need to apply a lot more hip pressure so you can start to get your leg free, as you keep your opponent away from you a little, and then you want to spin like a top. Ashnault just doesn’t have enough weight on Bo, isn’t able to get enough pressure, and so Bo drives forward and keeps the single, comes up, tries to run the pike a little, then does a front trip to get his takedown. The pace Bo is able to keep is rather insane, and going from one move to another, to another like this is what wins these kind of battles. Bo, like Mitch Mesenbrink, just doesn’t stop, and finds his way to good positions time and time again. So that pace, coupled with the change of direction of running the pike and then tripping, is super difficult to do much about. Score is 8-2 Bo.

Almost a minute left, Bo is caught reaching this time, and so Ashnault drops to his own random double, except he honestly looks tired at this point, isn’t able to get too far with it. Bo is starting to slow down, sure, but Ashnault looks like he’s dragging through mud. Bo snaps, his right arm disappears and hooks behind Ashnault’s left, and scoots around behind for the easy takedown, 10-2. Ashnault needed to get control of that arm like he did before, but he just didn’t have a grip on it.

Ashnault stays on his base which is weird, usually in freestyle you go flat to not get turned as easily, this also makes it super easy for Bo to get locked hands around the arm for a trapped arm gut. Bo pulls to the left, which exposes Ashnault’s hips, and allows Bo to hook his right leg under and in, Bo then pulls to the right and rolls Ashnault across his back for the 12-2 tech fall. Pulling pressure to one side, and then jumping for the other side, is a good way of getting a gut wrench, you use your opponent’s pressure against them to either get the gut outright or get the leg in to make it easier.

So, 12-2 tech fall for Bo Bassett, a high school sophomore, super impressive, regardless of how he does in the finals.