Olympic Wrestling 2012: Amateurs with Best Chances at Becoming Stars

Wrestling is one of the sports where the Olympics are king. Only once every four years do the top athletes in the sport get to enjoy the bright lights of a marquee event, which means there's plenty of pressure on the biggest stars to perform.

With that in mind, let's take a look at a couple of wrestlers who have a great chance to steal the spotlight by winning their respective events. There should be some hotly-contested battles in London, but these two have what it takes to rise above the rest.

Besik Kudukhov

Kudukhov has been on a roll ever since winning a bronze medal in Beijing. He has won gold at the World Championships in each of the past three years, and he's favored to continue that streak of dominance at the Olympics.

For awhile it looked like nobody had a chance to challenge the Russian sensation, but he was upset by Franklin Gomez during a warm-up event. Now the two freestyle wrestlers appear to be on a collision course in the 132-pound division.

The loss may actually turn in to a positive for Kudukhov, though. He had been on top for so long, it will serve as a wake-up call before the Games get underway. It should ultimately get him refocused and back on track to stardom.

Jordan Burroughs

Anytime an American Olympian has a chance at gold, they automatically receive a lot of attention. It simply comes down to whether or not they can capitalize on it. Burroughs finds himself in that situation right now.

He's the 163-pound favorite after taking home gold at both the World Championships and Pan American Games last year. Since there aren't many other major contenders on the American team, he even has a little extra pressure on his shoulders.

Burroughs did win two NCAA championships and was named an All-American three times. This will undoubtedly be the biggest test of his life, however. If he lives up to expectations and wins gold, it would be huge for himself and the team.