Vito Arujau v. Ryan Crookham: 2024 NCAA wrestling semifinal (133 pounds)

No. 6 Vito Arujau (Cornell) is back in the finals against No. 1 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) at 133 pounds. No. 6 Vito Arujau, the 2023 NCAA champion at this weight, beat No. 2 Ryan Crookham 13-3 in the 2024 NCAA wrestling championship semfinal.
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[@thomashusted]

Don’t forget Vito is not just a national champion but a world champion.

[@Joeblow-ms3cv]

Indubidubly 🙂

[@Joeblow-ms3cv]

And a HUMBLE guy!

[@dgwear69]

Both of these kids are phenomenal but Vito seriously did some homework and found what he needed to get through

[@ChaosForLunch]

pretty sure vito was injuried both times he wrestling crookham prior or ncaa finals

[@dgwear69]

@@ChaosForLunch hard to imagine he’s fully recovered but certainly know how to peak that the right time.

[@orlandolastname8868]

Motivation is the key there, can’t imagine that he’s as excited for a Journeymen Classic Open Championships or a conference title. Not rocket science.

[@adamtheman9273]

This time it looks like he was able to re shoot instead of trying to back out after a shot n sprawl, and getting caught by Crookhams heavy hands. Wasn't able to do this with his spine injury the way it was previously.... My assessment anyways.

[@keithlippai3558]

Anyone else notice at 5:36 Vito points to the center of the mat, basically saying to Crookham, “let’s go, let’s wrestle!” ….. Vito always turns it up when winning matters most. I’m also very impressed with how tough and resilient Crookham is as a very young, collegiate wrestler. He will be a force the next couple of years!

[@rick379]

absolutely loved that i had to replay it a few times

[@johnsmith42688]

Yep, I loved that

[@robertmcdevitt9032]

Vito’s pace is insane

[@pertjacanape]

One heck of a beat-down this; the Cornell guy sent the Lehigh guy a message stating: "your two previous wins over me do not matter." Gave him a tune-up he will remember

[@user-iu8os2ml6l]

What a clinic he put on, unstoppable!

[@abdujk]

so satisfying that vito came back on top after 2 losses

[@WrestlingVideoWatch]

Vito was a madman this year at NCAAs!

[@TheGainsGoblin]

Glad to see Vito win

[@steinervision7643]

Crookham is good, but Vito is next level.

[@Joeblow-ms3cv]

Loser was a good sport. Refreshing.

[@MrSilus2000]

Vito knows the game plan against him is to avoid wrestling so he just went after him

[@dgwear69]

Seems like he waited for everytime he extended his right arm. Which he even looked hesitant to do but when he instinctively did Vito was right on it!

[@joseruiz2605]

Vito not messsing around pointing to the center of the mat lol

[@SyracuseIsOranges]

Wow this is awesome to watch without commentators. Thanks for posting

[@nbbm10]

I said the same thing! Sometimes people don’t give a damn about a story you want to tell talk about the match

[@WrestlingVideoWatch]

podcast in the background and watching some of the matches i missed. Such a good day at work!

[@toddblaze]

I also liked that you could hear the crowd!

[@learning.isnt.linear]

I knew he could do it. Fix ... well ... will be an easy fix.

[@Basichomelife]

I think fix xould beat crokham. When vito is locked in no body can beat him.

[@LakeNonaFan]

crookham would work fix, especially if they met in this tournament@@Basichomelife

[@VoodooChild2000]

@@Basichomelife Can't wait for him and Spencer to go at trials

[@sudipgurung1064]

@@VoodooChild2000ahh shittt that’s gonna be a good one! Big Spencer fan but Vito man he’s good and also big fan is his too!

[@C.A.D.]

Fix hates participating in wrestling sequences lol

[@johnsmith42688]

Man, vito really peaked at the right time just like last year

[@analuisaperezperez1375]

Vito should tank Crookham for inspiring him to get back to world class wrestling.

[@C.A.D.]

Vito is too good when it matters. He's gonna be great for a long time. Hope he makes the Olympic team! (There are probably people I love as well in his weight lol but I'm saying this for now)

[@Joeblow-ms3cv]

How can anyone effectively compete against this guy Vito. Credit to his opponent.

[@briancorliss]

Weird where a loss makes me like the wrestler I didn’t previously like too much crookham handled that with so much class big respect to both guys

[@Shane.Wrestlers]

vito locked in now

[@qwerty9091000]

and last year too. Beat fix in the semis and RBY in the finals both in dominant fashion

[@danielferreira2655]

Crazy to see both of them cross their feet. Makes you wonder if it’s actually wrong or not. Kno what I mean?

[@chasedaugherty1834]

vito is so goodddd

[@smoore8]

Crookham is the worst staller in college right now

[@MrSilus2000]

Pound 4 pound

[@newjackcity2054]

Absolutely correct took 1 shot all match

[@gregorydryden7865]

a fantasy Vito vs John Smith would have been an epic matchup of speed

[@ZetaRitiulus-xy3hb]

Seeding a world champ 6 is crazy.

[@ianshue2890]

I kept telling people that Vito was in that sub par part of his life again when he wrestled Ryan the first two times. Not that Vito is sub par, but look at his performances with Pat Glory and Daton Fix. Vito almost tech fall’d Pat Glory weeks before the NCAA’s, and then Vito gets beaten badly by him there. Vito comes in great against Fix, and destroys him, only person to major him. There’s two Vito’s. One that is not as sharp and makes some mistakes. The other is a world champion, capable of scoring on anybody and making them look like a fool. I knew if he came in committed like he did last year, he would beat Crookham. But what’s even scarier, this is still not the Vito we saw last year. I can’t imagine what Ryan was in for if a true peak Vito showed up

[@ahernandez9621]

Vito has talked about his growth and a change of attitude and perspective that helped him overcome situations like that semi with Glory. Not that he wrestles much differently, instead he sees things differently. He's not the same Vito that lost to Glory. That Vito was always on the cusp of winning but not understanding how to get over the hump. He broke through last year. His losses to Crookham are easily understood if you know he was injured and admittedly didn't know Crookham and didn't take him seriously. Neither of his losses to Crookham mean that Vito is back to his old ways. They say more about how good Crookham is and how awesome he will be moving forward. Love Vito, but props to Crookham as well. Hopefully next year we'll stop calling him Crookham and refer to him simply as Ryan because everyone will know who Ryan is.

[@nowhereman8656]

I see it exactly as you do. His first match against Crookham was right after a bad injury in his back (likely scapula levator, sub-scap or lower traps-- looked similar to what some of us get when we're not completely contracting on a leg and get sprawled on...). Then the next time you could see Vito wanted to turn it up but a blend of the injury not quite healed yet (you see him re-injured against a mid-season "comeback") and likely a bit of mental frustration/dented confidence helped him lose the second time. the third time you could see Crookham was almost expecting it. That is one tough freshman, but he never did face the 2023 Vito.

[@martinmiller8275]

Vito too shots and was on fire and Crookham couldnt hang this time.

[@jordanjmdjmd74]

He finally figured out at 6:16 that Crookham has basically only one shot he tries

[@Tdinh79]

Vito is a man who thrives off of pressure, Ridge Lovett…😫

[@luiscruz5556]

Vito and Parker did great jobs showcasing an offensive style that every one can get behind. Guys wonder why X or Y wrestler get so much hate: it's because so many are in their 5th, 6th year etc and are stall machines. I get that at the elite level it can be a game of inches, but you can't expect to be a fan favorite having a consistent pattern of squeaking out 2 point victories and then getting to championships without securing a takedown.

[@professorxaviour3649]

Wrestlers are not robots! There are many types of ways to win matches! Stop complaining about defensive and counter wrestlers! The irony of fans who complain about wrestlers who back up and defend against singles and doubles! Is that most fans who complain would wrestle the same way! There are only a few wrestlers who are constantly on the attack all 3 periods! Most top wrestlers are looking and waiting for their opponent to make a mistake!

[@alexanderhorvat4836]

OK, I'll buy that using legs more is not his style. Just shows me how someone with a complete package of leg skills and upper body moves would be a more lethal weapon if they are quick and continue a combination of moves. The lack of making a combination of moves to escape when on the bottom position is baffling to me too. Doing one move after another always allowed me to escape. However, those days 50+ years ago are just memories now. Just saying

[@Nogi520]

Poor Crookham didn't know what hit him. But he did beat him twice. So I can't take anything away from him. Both are amazing athlete's.

[@gunthur696]

Vito was sick or hurt most of the season so you gotta consider that for those 2 loses. But crookham is very good, I bet he makes it to the finals next year

[@Nogi520]

@gunthur696 yes I just found that out. My buddy told me that Vito wasn't 100% when he lost to crookham. Which means a lot.

[@nofavors.7368]

why did he walk the young man in front of his coaches though...mind games

[@alexanderhorvat4836]

Vito may be a world champion and he even took the NCAA, but he and many other wrestlers show a distinct weakness in using their legs to lock down their opponents and keep them from getting to their feet. Seems they work more like this is Greco-Roman style than college wrestling. Yes, I wrestled in high school and college, injuries kept me out of major achievements. Found ways to use my legs to keep them down and give me more opportunities to put them on their back.

[@edwinking5372]

Wouldn’t say a weakness per say just not his style of wrestling that style is called leg riding it’s not for everyone me personally I love leg riding I won almost all my matches that way

[@tylernicholson1155]

Vito is all about freestyle, and in freestyle you don't hold your opponent down, so it makes sense he wouldn't practice this. Especially now that takedowns are worth 3 points, it makes even less sense to ride hard.

[@ahernandez9621]

He's a world champion precisely because he focuses on takedown technique and not leg riding. There's no leg riding in freestyle.

[@nowhereman8656]

Yes I would have liked to see more of that from takedown machines like Vito as much as I like his wrestling and his character is great. Others as well seem can be a bit light on top the I know they are educated. He won't need it after this year, but it would have been cool to see Vito practice a top game similar to Gene Mills, and add breakdowns off the whistle like Nick Lee or Zain Retherford.

[@adamwells1740]

Smart wrestler , he used his head!!!🙄

[@CarolinaSportz]

Vito us the man, but Crookham is the real deal! Should be a 2x'er *AT LEAST.*

[@lawsonransom8318]

The ref was holding up two fingers to signify a takedown . He needs a reeducation camp.

[@poopy_fingers3324]

da fug was vito pointing at 5:36

[@joenu7s]

telling crookham to go to the center and actually wrestle instead of backing up

[@kopus7565]

He was like: "get over here!"

[@DlFl-ww6xj]

Mind games

[@abdujk]

😂

[@nowhereman8656]

@@DlFl-ww6xj Crookham was hanging back... his own mind game Vito called him on it.