Wrestling has changes, Hollywood star to grab attention

Kelly Whiteside | USA TODAY Sports

BUENOS AIRES -- One after the other, officials representing the three sports vying for a spot in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics took their seats and cleared their throats.

In a dress rehearsal before Sunday's presentations, teams for wrestling, baseball/softball and squash met with members of the international news media to state their case.

The wrestling group showed up nattily attired – the men in blue ties and dark jackets, the women in matching suits and scarves. Its gregarious president Nenad Lalovic kept the mood light.

The baseball/softball group was as diverse as the sport itself with its Italian and American co-presidents, its Australian former major leaguer, Venezuelan softballer, a Japanese pro commissioner and a Cuban of influence.

The squash gang came to play. In his opening comments, president N Ramachandran threw it down: "Squash is a sport that represents the future and not the past," he said. Take that wrestling!

A look at the contenders:

Wrestling

Why it wins: Wrestling got the message. After it was unexpectedly axed from the program by the IOC's executive board, the international governing body for wrestling (FILA) made significant changes. It elected a new president, included more women in decision-making roles and adopted rule changes to make the sport easier to understand. Before the 2016 Games, its makeover will include a few tricks borrowed from the MMA world (perhaps no more singlets, the addition of music, lighting, visual effects) to make the sport more entertaining. President Nenad Lalovic also said on Friday the sport will bid adios to its red mat because network execs say it doesn't look good on TV. FILA will stream its major international matches on its website and is working on a TV package. And then there's history, of course. Squash and baseball/softball have unsuccessfully been through the bid process before. "We have less experience in bidding. It's the first time in our 3,000-year history that we do it," Lalovic said.

Why it doesn't: It's the IOC and anything can happen. Some IOC members may assume wrestling is in, so they cast their votes elsewhere. Since the aim of the process is to add a new sport to the program, some may do just that.

Pre-vote drama: Lalovic said he self-reported a minor violation last week when he learned that the Japanese wrestling federation sent a letter to IOC members soliciting their support. IOC rules prohibit the sports from sending such material in the three weeks before Sunday's vote. "We were informed that the issue is closed and that we reacted in the right way," Lalovic said.

Star turn: Actor Billy Baldwin, a former college wrestler, stood off to the side during Friday's news conference. If wrestling's drama was made into a movie, who would play the role of burly president Lalovic? "My brother, Alec, has the gravitas," said Baldwin, motioning to an ample midsection.

Baldwin said he's raised about $150,000 for the sport's well-orchestrated campaign through an Ebay auction that included items such as a walk-on role on Boardwalk Empire plus a meet and greet with Steve Buscemi and a training session with Randy "The Natural" Couture.

Squash

Why it makes the cut: Squash's global reach is significant. It's played in 185 countries and most of the world's best players hail from countries that rarely medal in the Olympics. Though Americans may think of squash as a stuffy Ivy League sport, the group's presentation punched holes in that perception. A teenager from the Bronx, Andreina Benedith, the USA's Under 19 urban squash champion, will help make squash's case on Sunday.

Squash is the beach volleyball of racquet sports (minus the bikinis). At pro events, high volume music blasts at breaks during the matches. Its glass court can be placed just about anywhere indoors or outdoors and tournaments have been held in front of the pyramids in Egypt, along the Hong Kong harbor and in New York's Grand Central Terminal. It also has introduced viewer-friendly replay and other TV camera techniques to improve its broadcast appeal.

Why it doesn't: The sentiment to keep wrestling is too strong.

Pre-vote drama: The curious timing of the leak about the Japanese wrestling federation led to a conspiracy theory conjecture. Did a competitor leak the news to harm the bid? "Everything is possible, I don't know, I don't know," Lalovic said, brushing aside the suggestion.

Star turn: World champ Ramy Ashour from Egypt, his sport's biggest star, is part of the squash presentation. "In many ways I feel like I'm preparing for the biggest match of my career," he said Friday. "So much is at stake, not just for me, but for young players right across the world."

Baseball/Softball

Why it makes the cut: The IOC aims for gender equity. The inclusion of softball, which was eliminated after the 2008 Games, provides equal spots for women. The formation of a single sport federation is expected to improve the bid's chances. The federation is also pitching ways to shorten the competition, including seven-inning baseball games.

Why it doesn't: Though MLB commissioner Bud Selig and the players association have pledged their support and a condensed eight team, six day tournament has been proposed to allow major leaguers to compete without missing too much of their season, many details still need to be worked out. The delegation was asked repeatedly about MLB's involvement Friday. There are no officials from MLB at the IOC session.

Pre-vote drama: Antonio Castro, the son of the former Cuban leader and a vice president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, will help deliver the federation's presentation. In a non-softball question at the baseball/softball press conference, a reporter asked why someone whose father was a "dictator" helps the bid's chances. "We think Tony is a great representative of the sport," said WBSC co-president Don Porter. "I don't want to get into the politics of it."

Star turn: Japan came up big for the bid. Home run king Sadaharu Oh has gone to bat for the bid and called on all countries to send their best players. Though Oh isn't part of the delegation, he recently called out MLB. "I believe every major league around the world should find a way to make its best players available for the Olympic Games," he said.