In a humor-laden tirade ahead of his upcoming match with Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson at CJI 2, jiu-jitsu standout Craig Jones didn’t hold back his thoughts on the sport of wrestling.
Jones, known for his irreverent style both on and off the mats, made the controversial comparison suggesting that wrestling matches feature “a ton of foreplay but there’s really no meaningful finish” where “no one taps out” and “time simply expires.”
He went on to compare it to two women having an intercourse.
The Australian grappler’s comments come as part of the ongoing rivalry between wrestling and jiu-jitsu practitioners, with Jones positioning himself as a defender of submission-based grappling against what he characterizes as wrestling’s lack of decisive endings.
“What’s better, wrestling or jiu-jitsu? What’s gay? What’s more dominant? What is a better grappling art?” Jones asked rhetorically, setting the tone for his critique of wrestling as what he calls “the weakest and the most feminine of all the combat sports.”
Among his more colorful criticisms was the observation that wrestling “can literally be defeated by sitting down,” noting that when a jiu-jitsu practitioner sits to guard, wrestlers often seem at a loss. “Every technique they have disappears the second someone’s butt touches the floor,” Jones claimed.
The B-Team leader also took aim at wrestling’s scoring system, particularly the concept of a technical fall, and made several jokes about the sport’s attire and traditions.
Despite his scathing remarks, Jones concluded by acknowledging some positive aspects of wrestling, calling it “incredibly inclusionary” and even “progressive,” though these compliments were similarly wrapped in his characteristic satirical delivery.
The Craig Jones Invitational 2 appears set to continue the age-old debate between these grappling disciplines, with Jones clearly positioning himself as jiu-jitsu’s provocateur-in-chief ahead of his clash with the decorated wrestler Steveson.
Craig Jones Invitational happens August 31st in Las Vegas.
