TKDWN

Jssse Smith

Who The Hell Even Am I &
Why Wrestling Media

I didn’t grow up in the sport. I’m not a lifer by any means. I first stepped on a wrestling mat at 14 on a dare. My ego couldn’t handle being doubted, as if I couldn’t wrestle, man that looked easy as hell. And boy was I wrong.

The most humbling experience of my life convinced me to forgo years on the HS basketball team in exchange for years grinding through the hardest sport known to mankind. Even then, I didn’t ever see myself as a wrestler nor wrestling as a thing I would care about post-school.

But life is funny that way and here I am. Hoping to provide the community with a platform of quality content and continuing to do my part in helping drive growth of the world’s best sport.

- Jesse

About TKDWN

The TKDWN mission is to deliver the best content covering high school wrestling in the country. As part of that mission, we offer a ranking series of content that includes the TKDWN TOP 50, TOP 25 TEAMS, and more. We conduct best-in-class interviews with athletes and coaches. We publish the best event previews, especially for high profile duals, that include weight by weight breakdowns, predictions, and more! We are also excited to start building the TKDWN MEDIA community on Discord where we hope to facilitate lively discussion while keeping everyone informed and entertained along the way. Our number one promise is to continue being the most transparent and accessible media outlet in the sport and to continue discovering new ways to deliver even more content the wrestling community finds valuable.

The Approach

To provide the best possible wrestling content free from bias, outside influence, or drama. I believe I bring a fresh perspective to the sport via storytelling, in-depth articles, and visual content. The athletes and coaches in this sport sacrifice a lot to pursue greatness and it’s my goal to provide quality content that reflects the grind and respects the process.

New Rankings

There are already a few outlets doing rankings. We're another one. But we emphasize the "we" as we expect to build a nationwide committee of invested members of the wrestling community to mitigate biases.

New Stories

I've been telling stories for years, since I was a kid. I enjoy coming up with creative tales and now I enjoy learning about the athletes in this sport and creating some unique content pieces to keep the audience entertained and coming back.

News

I don't claim to be a journalist, and it's not my intention to prioritize breaking news, but for any news that I do share will be done on a reporting only basis. Sharing news without becoming the news.

TKDWN TEAM

Content Contributors And More

It’s my goal to continue adding creators and experts who would like to become contributors to help cover the sport nationwide but from a local view. As we continue to add people to the team, they will be added here. Also on the look out for graphic designers, business development superstars, and others who would be interested in joining the movement.

Jesse Smith

Jesse Smith

TKDWN Founder
Keystone Caliber Wrestling

Keystone Caliber Wrestling

PIAA Ranking Partner
Based in PA, Keystone Caliber Wrestling provides state rankings. Both AA and AAA individuals and dual teams. You'll find their ranking updates as part of the TKDWN Rokfin channel.

Tom Elmer

Tom Elmer

Content Contributor
Facebook Instagram

Official To The Bone Gristle

© 2023 TKDWN, LLC

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Meet Todd Wightman

Based in Western PA. Right in the heart of WPIAL country, Todd brings an insider’s view from the country’s epicenter  of wrestling. He’s excited to build on the TKDWN tradition of starting with the story first. The athletes, the coaches, their families and supporters, there is no shortage of stories to tell. And Todd will bring his unique perspective to help us continue to deliver top notch content for the world’s greatest sport!

Todd's Corner
State of PA