Wrestling Legend Jordan Burroughs Returns to the Mat in New Promotion, Dreams of Olympic Comeback at 40

Olympic gold medallist Jordan Burroughs is back on the wrestling mat, competing in the new Real American Freestyle promotion with an eye on a long-shot bid for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics at age 40.

Jordan Burroughs thought he had stepped off the mat for the last time when he retired after the 2024 world championships. But the Olympic gold medallist never lost his desire to compete, and when a new professional promotion came calling, the American knew it was time to dust off the singlet.

"There's an element of national pride that comes alongside with competing at home," the six-time world champion told Reuters. "So yes, there is a part of me that would like to potentially try again. But I'd also be 40-years-old in 2028. I'm up against some Herculean odds. But if there's anyone that can do it, I believe I'm capable of doing something that crazy."

A New Professional Platform

The 38-year-old, who won gold at the 2012 London Olympics, will return to competition in Cleveland on Saturday with Real American Freestyle (RAF), which was launched last year with the aim of giving wrestlers the chance to earn money from the sport. The promotion, which has also launched youth tournaments called "RAF Next Gen," aims to provide a lucrative outlet for wrestlers who were unable to earn compensation under the sport's traditional amateur structure.

"For years, we've been considered 'amateur wrestling'... even at the Olympics and the world championships we've been considered amateur wrestlers and it's just never really sat right with me," Burroughs said. "And now we have an opportunity to call ourselves true professionals."

The Road to Los Angeles 2028

Burroughs' competitive return also serves a dual purpose: it offers him the chance to get in shape for a tilt at making the U.S. team for a home Olympics at Los Angeles in 2028, a dream he acknowledges is a long shot. After facing Sean Brady on Saturday, Burroughs will take on former world champion Magomed Kurbanaliev in Moscow on September 5 in the RAF's second international event.

Burroughs also hopes his competitive return will serve as an example for the students at his youth wrestling club in New Jersey, where he has been training daily for the last two months for two matches in successive RAF events.

"I feel like the best way to create a vision for someone is to show them," he added.

RAF co-founder and CEO Chad Bronstein said the promotion is also in talks to host events in India, the Middle East, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Japan. RAF made its international debut in Tbilisi last month in an event where Kyle Snyder pinned fellow former world and Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev in front of a sold-out crowd.

Here is the question this comeback raises. Jordan Burroughs is returning to competition at 38, with his eyes set on a home Olympics in 2028. When a legend of the sport refuses to accept the finality of retirement, what does it say about the athlete's enduring passion and the evolving landscape of professional wrestling?

As Burroughs steps back onto the mat, The Silicon Review asks a final question. When the dream of competing on home soil is a powerful enough motivator to defy the odds, what will it take for a 40-year-old to make one last Olympic run?

FAQ:

Q: Who is Jordan Burroughs?
A: Jordan Burroughs is an American wrestling legend who won Olympic gold in 2012 and is a six-time world champion, making him the most decorated U.S. wrestler in history .

Q: When and where is Jordan Burroughs wrestling next?
A: Burroughs will return to competition on August 22, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio, at the RAF 12 show .

Q: What is Real American Freestyle?
A: Real American Freestyle (RAF) is a new professional wrestling promotion launched in 2025 that allows wrestlers to earn money from the sport, which was traditionally amateur .

Q: Is Jordan Burroughs trying to make the 2028 Olympics?
A: Yes, Burroughs has expressed a desire to compete for a spot on the U.S. team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, though he acknowledges the odds are long as he would be 40 years old .

Q: Who is Jordan Burroughs' opponent for his return match?
A: Burroughs will face Sean Brady on August 22, followed by a match against former world champion Magomed Kurbanaliev in Moscow on September 5 .