Few competitors have faced the level of American talent that Wilson Reis has encountered throughout his illustrious career. Before his transition to mixed martial arts prominence, Reis tested his skills against some of the most technical American grapplers in the sport.
In a recent interview, the Brazilian grappling sensation ranked four elite American practitioners he’s faced on the competition mats, offering unique insights into what made each opponent formidable.
Topping Reis’s list was Ryan Hall, a competitor known for his technical precision and dangerous leg lock game.
“Ryan Hall, he’s the one that I knew that I couldn’t make a mistake,”
Reis explained.
“He had the footlock game really well.”
Reis revealed that he competed against Hall multiple times, managing to secure victories in three of their encounters, though the matches were closely contested on points. His respect for Hall’s technical abilities was evident as he described the vigilance required when facing the American.
When discussing current rankings, Reis gave special recognition to JT Torres, acknowledging his remarkable development as a grappler over the years.
“Nowadays, I’ll just say JT, because JT, he became what he became,”
Reis noted.
“He’s a pretty well-rounded grappler.”
This acknowledgment highlights Torres’s evolution into one of the most complete American grapplers in the sport, earning him the second position in Reis’s ranking.
Taking the third spot in Reis’s ranking was Jeff Glover, a practitioner known for his creative and unorthodox approach to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. While Reis didn’t elaborate extensively on his matches with Glover, the American’s placement on this elite list speaks to his significance in the grappling community.
Rounding out Reis’s ranking was Garry Tonon, who was placed fourth among these American grappling standouts. Tonon, now also a successful MMA competitor, has long been recognized for his submission-hunting style and aggressive approach to grappling.
Interestingly, Reis clarified that his ranking reflected a specific period in these competitors’ careers, stating,
“This was back then. If I was going to go today, it would be a different story.”
This qualification acknowledges the constantly evolving nature of grappling and the ongoing development of these elite practitioners.
As both a championship-level grappler and mixed martial artist, Wilson Reis‘s perspective offers a valuable window into the technical abilities of these four American grappling icons, each of whom has left an indelible mark on the submission grappling world.
