Jordan Burroughs is an icon in the world of wrestling. He holds the US record for the most Olympic and world wrestling titles won.
Recently, he lost 3-0 to Jason Nolf in the freestyle 74kg class at Penn State University on Friday, thereby ending his participation in the U.S. Olympic trials.
However, the significance of this moment was tarnished by the disgraceful conduct of a single fan. As he departed the mat, a disrespectful remark from a spectator pierced the air. The individual brazenly shouted, “career is over.”
This prompted Burroughs to turn around. He then confronted the fan briefly before leaving the scene.
The incident did not go unnoticed, eliciting strong reactions from prominent figures within the wrestling and combat sports community. Wrestler and UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier expressed his anger on social media in response to the video. He also compared it to another incident at UFC 300 earlier this month that included a rowdy spectator.
Cormier wrote on X: “What a piece of trash this guy is. To yell go home to a guy who’s represented our country the right way for 13 years/ 7 world or Olympic titles is insane. This is why Arman punched that fan. People behave with no consequence. This dude possibly wrestled last match of his career and this is what you give him?”
“I love how manning jumped to his guys defense. Sometimes I am so lost in the way people act. It’s mind boggling. JB you’re still the man. Time gets us all. Also Jason Nolf is a dog!”
Veteran UFC referee Marc Goddard also voiced his disapproval of the offensive remark on social media.
“Absolutely despicable. For someone as accomplished & revered as JB to hear this POS say that. Same as online anonymity, this is what certain people think they can get away with in a world of no consequence. Would they do the same in less public setting? We all know the answer.”
With his career as a wrestler now in the past, it is unclear whether Jordan Burroughs will pursue a career in mixed martial arts. Burroughs said that he was “not really interested in doing” MMA in an interview from 2021. But in more recent times, he has had a shift of attitude.
Alternatively, he might follow in the footsteps of Kurt Angle. He is another Olympic gold medallist from the Olympics who transitioned into sports entertainment. During WWE’s WrestleMania XL event at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Burroughs was introduced by veteran play-by-play voice Michael Cole in front of the audience.