2023 US Open Wrestling Championships: Men's Freestyle Preview & Predictions
2023 US Open Wrestling Championships: Men's Freestyle Preview & Predictions
A full preview with predictions for the Men's Freestyle division at the 2023 US Open Wrestling Championships.
The 2023 US Open is set to go down April 26-30 in Las Vegas, Nevada featuring many of the United States’ top wrestlers. The men’s freestyle portion of the tournament will take place April 27-28 with the winning wrestling at each weight automatically qualifying for Final X. Every bracket will be incredibly deep with numerous storylines headlining every weight. Check out the below article for a complete breakdown and predictions for all 10 weights.
57kg
Favorites
- Spencer Lee
- Nick Suriano
Spencer Lee is set to make his return to freestyle and is instantly the favorite to win 57kg. As a cadet world champ and 2-time junior world champ, Lee had all of the freestyle credentials entering college but hasn’t wrestled a freestyle match since November 2020 when he pinned Zach Sanders at the Hawkeye Showdown Open. Prior to that, Lee won the 2019 Senior Nationals where he defeated the likes of Vito Arujau, Nathan Tomasello, and Darian Cruz. It’s also worth noting that Spencer holds the last win in his rivalry over Nick Suriano - a 5-1 decision in the NCAA finals.
Spencer Lee’s last freestyle match:
While Nick Suriano lost to Spencer Lee and doesn’t have the same accolades on the freestyle scene, he should still be considered a favorite to win the US Open. Suriano recently won the 2023 Henri Deglane and has past wins over Zane Richards (twice), Joe Colon, Darian Cruz, Nahshon Garrett, and Zach Sanders on the freestyle scene.
Suriano’s win over Zane Richards from December 2019:
Contenders
- Zane Richards
- Pat Glory
Zane Richards had a great year last year making the national team with wins over Matt Ramos, Jakob Camacho, and Anthony Molton. Beyond those wins, Richards also defeated 2022 World Bronze medalist Zanabazar Zandanbud, 10-0 at the World Cup in December proving he's a world-class wrestler at 57kg.
Pat Glory is coming off a historic performance at the NCAA tournament where he became Princeton’s first NCAA champion since 1951. Glory notably defeated Matt Ramos in the finals after Ramos took out Spencer Lee in the semis. Glory doesn’t have the same freestyle accolades as Lee, Richards, or Suriano, but Glory did make the U23 world team in 2021 when he beat Taylor LaMont in 2 straight matches in the U23 national finals.
Sleepers & Landmines
- Jakob Camacho
- Stevo Poulin
- Caleb Smith
Camacho, Poulin, and Smith are all wrestlers who could make some noise in this bracket at the US Open. Last year, Jakob Camacho placed 3rd at the US Open and 2nd at the World Team Trials while recording wins over Matt Ramos, Anthony Molton, Caleb Smith, and Greg Diakomihalis. Smith and Poulin were the #5 and #6 seeds respectively at the NCAA tournament this year and have the potential to make a deep run at 57kg.
57kg Predictions: 1) Spencer Lee, 2) Patrick Glory, 3) Nick Suriano, 4) Zane Richards
61kg
Favorites
- Seth Gross
- Vito Arujau
61kg is going to be incredible at the US Open! There’s no doubt that it’s the deepest weight with 6 past NCAA champs and 3 past senior world team members. With so much depth, we dove deep into the weight in this article but we’ll give another brief overview here.
Gross and Arujau are the slight favorites coming into this year’s Open. Gross was the surprise world team member last year when he took out 2021 world silver medalist Daton Fix in an epic 3-match series at Final X. Gross then went on to make the bronze medal match at the world championships but fell just short of a medal placing 5th. On top of those results, Gross also defeated Daniel DeShazer, Nico Megaludis, and Jesse Mendez to win the world team trials last year.
Gross' win over Daton Fix to make the 2022 World Team:
Then there’s Vito Arujau. He’s been 2nd on the ladder each of the last 2 years at 57kg behind Thomas Gilman. Now up in weight, Arujau looks like one of the best wrestlers in the world after winning the NCAA Tournament at 133 pounds where he defeated Roman Bravo-Young and Daton Fix. It’s also worth mentioning that Arujau has experience on the international level as a world silver medalist at both the 2016 Cadet World Championships and the 2019 Junior World Championships.
Arujau's win over RBY in the 2023 NCAA finals:
While not yet entered, it’s also worth bringing up Daton Fix. As mentioned, he won a world silver medal in 2021 and should be considered a favorite if he enters. However, with 2 spots in Final X up for grabs at 61kg, Fix could go straight to the World Team Trials in May and attempt to qualify for Final X there.
Contenders
- Joe Colon
- Austin DeSanto
- Nahshon Garrett
- Nico Megaludis
- Nathan Tomasello
- Daniel DeShazer
The above list makes it easy to see why 61kg should be considered the deepest weight at the US Open. We’re going to get incredible matches all throughout the early round with past NCAA champions meeting as early as the quarter-finals or round of 16.
There’s a legitimate case for each one of the above to make a run to the finals. Joe Colon is the only world medalist of any wrestler entered at 61kg and is undefeated against Seth Gross. Nahshon Garrett defeated Joe Colon in 2018 to make the world team before going down with injury. Austin DeSanto is making huge strides in freestyle and beat Nahshon Garrett just three months ago. Nico Megaludis defeated Seth Gross on his way to winning last year’s US Open. Daniel DeShazer made the national team last year after taking second at the world team trials. And Nathan Tomasello has past freestyle wins over both Daniel DeShazer and Nahshon Garrett. We could go round and round with this logic but it’s clear the parity in this weight is outstanding and should create a highly entertaining tournament in Vegas.
Joe Colon and Seth Gross put up 36 points in there match at the 2020 Beat The Streets Event:
Sleepers & Landmines
- Cody Brewer
- Nico Provo
If Cody Brewer is wrestling his best, he can defeat anyone entered at 61kg. What makes him a “Sleeper/Landmine” is that he’s been devoting most of his time to coaching at Virginia Tech. Because of that, we haven’t seen him compete much making it very challenging to predict how he’ll wrestle in Vegas. Despite those uncertainties, none of the top wrestlers will want to draw Brewer in the early rounds.
Though he came up short at the NCAA tournament this year, Nico Provo is a tough freestyle wrestler and shouldn’t be taken lightly at the Open. In 2022, Provo spent a lot of time focusing on freestyle and even traveled to Bulgaria to compete at the Dan Kolov tournament. There he recorded 2 wins and finished 5th in a very tough bracket. Provo could surprise a lot of people in Vegas.
61kg Predictions: 1) Vito Arujau, 2) Seth Gross, 3) Austin DeSanto, 4) Joe Colon
65kg
Favorites
- Joey McKenna
- Nick Lee
- Evan Henderson
Like 61kg, 65kg has a number of favorites and some incredible parity throughout. I limited the “Favorites” to Lee, McKenna, and Henderson because they have a slightly more proven track record than the others in the field. Nick Lee has incredible freestyle wins over Yianni Diakomihalis and Zain Retherford. However, Lee also lost to Evan Henderson last year in the World Team Trials.
Joey McKenna also has some impressive freestyle wins. Over the past few years McKenna has accumulated a hit list that includes Yianni Diakomihalis, Nick Lee, Evan Henderson, Jaydin Eierman, and the current #3 ranked wrestler in the world Tulga Tumur-Ochir. However, McKenna came up short last year at the World Team Trials when he was upset by early by Ian Parker.
Joey McKenna's win over Nick Lee at the 2022 World Team Trials:
Then there’s Evan Henderson who surprised everyone by winning the world team trials last year with wins over Kendric Maple, Nick Lee, and Pat Lugo. Henderson then went on to have a very competitive first match with Yianni Diakomihalis at Final X NYC but ultimately lost both matches to finish runner-up at 65kg last year.
Henderson going "Zombie Mode" against Nick Lee:
Contenders
- Beau Bartlett
- Matt Kolodzik
- Pat Lugo
- Anthony Ashnault
The contenders at 65kg are all dangerous and could take out any of the top 3 in this weight. Beau Bartlett made significant jumps this year displayed in his college season and even recorded a win last freestyle season over Matt Kolodzik. Matt Kolodzik teched both Ian Parker and Evan Henderson at last year’s US Open to make the finals before coming in second to Kendric Maple. Pat Lugo won the Henri Deglane 3 months ago in a tournament where Evan Henderson placed 5th. Ashnault has impressive freestyle wins over Evan Henderson and Hayden Hidlay while also making the world team trial finals back in 2019. If there’s any wrestler that can keep Henderson, Lee, or McKenna from making Final X, my pick is Bartlett, Kolodzik, Lugo, or Ashnault.
Sleepers & Landmines
- Ridge Lovett
- Ian Parker
A number of wrestlers in this weight could be highlighted but I feel that Lovett and Parker best represent the “Sleeper and Landmine” category. As mentioned, Ian Parker upset Joey McKenna at last year’s World Team Trials while also defeating Kendric Maple and Beau Bartlett. Ridge Lovett hasn’t wrestled much freestyle but he did win bronze at the Henri Delgane in January and his folkstyle results show he’s a force to be reckoned with on the mat.
Ian Parker's win over Joey McKenna at last year's World Team Trials:
65kg Predictions: 1) Joey McKenna, 2) Nick Lee, 3) Pat Lugo, 4) Evan Henderson
70kg
The Favorite
- Alec Pantaleo
While there are a number of worthy contenders, Alec Pantaleo has established himself as the clear #2 in the US at 70kg behind Zain Retherford. Pantaleo is currently ranked #6 in the world after defeating 3-time world champion Haji Aliyev at the Zagreb Open (February 2023) and world silver medalist Amir Yazdani at the World Cup (December 2022). Beyond those incredible results, Pantaleo was the 2022 US Open champion where he beat the likes of Doug Zapf, Ed Scott, and Jordan Oliver. With all of that in mind, it’s clear Pantaleo is the odds-on favorite to win again in Vegas.
Pantaleo's recent win over 3-time world champion Haji Aliyev:
Contenders
- Hayden Hidlay
- Tyler Berger
- Sammy Sasso
Though Pantaleo has established himself as the favorite there are three wrestlers in the above 3 wrestlers all have past wins over Pantaleo. Sasso took out Pantaleo at in the consolation rounds of last year’s world team trials before falling to Berger in the 3rd place match. Berger’s win over Pantaleo dates back to 2021 while Hidlay defeated Pantaleo all the way back at the 2018 US Open. If there’s any wrestler who can win the Open at 70kg aside from Pantaleo, we should expect it to be one of these three.
Sasso's win over Pantaleo at the 2022 World Team Trials:
Sleepers & Landmines
- Doug Zapf
- Michael Blockhus
- Caleb Henson
This group of sleepers is dangerous and could blow up the bracket in a big way depending on how soon one of them hits one of the favorites. Obviously, there are more credentialed guys in the field (like Yahya Thomas), but this group represents a level of chaos to the field that could produce some early round upsets. Caleb Henson took out Sammy Sasso early in his true freshman campaign. Michael Blockhus made the Big 10 finals falling just short to Sasso in overtime but then went on to place 8th at the NCAA tournament. Doug Zapf made the semi-finals of the 2022 US Open by defeating Anthony Ashnault and Michael Blockhus before falling just short against Alec Pantaleo in a 3-2 match. However, then Zapf went on to beat Sasso and Blockhus (again) in the consolation bracket to take third.
Doug Zapf's win over Sammy Sasso at the 2022 US Open:
70kg Predictions: 1) Alec Pantaleo, 2) Hayden Hidlay, 3) Sammy Sasso, 4) Tyler Berger
74kg
The Favorite
- Jason Nolf
Jason Nolf has steadily improved in his freestyle game over the past few years and has established himself as one of the top guys in the world at the weight. He’s currently ranked #8 in the world at 74kg and has wins over world medalists Younes Emami and Timur Bizhoev. Along with those international wins, Nolf won the world team trials last year by teching Joey Lavallee in two straight bouts along with a pin over David Carr. There’s no doubt - the US Open title will almost assuredly go through Jason Nolf.
Nolf's win over David Carr at the 2022 World Team Trials:
Contenders
- Keegan O’Toole
- Vincenzo Joseph
- Joey Lavallee
Though Nolf is a big favorite, there are some interesting challengers at 74kg. For most fans, Keegan O’Toole is the most interesting of this bunch. The 2-time NCAA champion took the freestyle season off last year in order to recover from injury. However, in 2021 O’Toole made the U20 world team and put together a fantastic run at U20 Worlds to bring home gold. At that tournament, O’Toole pinned Turan Bayramov (AZE) who has been ranked in the top 20 in the world, was a Tokyo Olympian, and placed 5th at the 2021 senior world championships. O’Toole can compete with the best guys in the world and the US Open will tell us how close he is to the top 10.
O'Toole's win over Bayramov at the 2021 Junior World Championships:
Then there’s Vincenzo Joseph and Joey Lavallee. Joseph made the world team trials finals last year at 79kg before coming up just short against Chance Marsteller. However, between the Open and Trials, Cenzo recorded notable wins over Alex Dieringer (twice) and Taylor Lujan (twice). While Joseph is known by many because of his college success, Lavallee “flies under the radar.” In fact, Lavallee defeated Cenzo in January this year to win the Henri Deglane. He also made the world team trials finals last season by defeating Tommy Gantt and Josh Shields.
Sleepers & Landmines
- Bryce Hepner
- Julian Ramirez
The top 3-4 at 74kg are established and it would be surprising if any wrestlers break into that bunch. With that in mind, Bryce Hepner and Julian Ramirez present an element of surprise to this bracket that make them worth mentioning. Ramirez was the #4 seed at the NCAA tournament because of an outstanding college season where he defeated Quincy Monday twice. Bryce Hepner was in redshirt this past year for Ohio State but he notably defeated Carson Kharchla in their wrestle-off and then went on to take out 3-time All-American Cam Amine at the Cleveland State Open. Both are interesting freestyle prospects to watch at the Open.
74kg Predictions: 1) Jason Nolf, 2) Vincenzo Joseph, 3) Keegan O’Toole, 4) Joey Lavallee
79kg
Favorite
- Chance Marsteller
Chance Marsteller had the best year of his freestyle career last season when he won the world team trials, made Final X, and defeated Jordan Burroughs in 1 match of the best of 3 series. Along with those finishes, Masteller recorded wins over Carter Starocci, David McFadden, Vincenzo Joseph, and Isaiah White. Those performances make Marsteller a slight favorite over a deep field.
Chance Marsteller's win over Carter Starocci at the 2022 World Team Trials:
Contenders
- Carter Starocci
- David McFadden
- Alex Dieringer
After Marsteller, Starocci, McFadden, and Dieringer all should be considered serious threats to come away with a US Open title. David McFadden won the US Open last year after defeating Vincenzo Joseph, Chance Marsteller, and Isaiah Martinez. However, McFadden dropped matches to Marsteller and Starocci to take 4th place at the 2022 world team trials.
Carter Starocci only entered the world team trials last year and came in third place after losing to Chance Marsteller but defeating David McFadden and Alex Dieringer. This year, Starocci put together a dominant college season winning his third straight NCAA title while going 24-0 and finishing second in the Hodge voting.
Starocci's win over Dieringer at the 2022 World Team Trials:
Prior to his performance last season, Alex Dieringer was the 2nd best 79kg wrestler in the country and one of the top 5-10 wrestlers in the world. Dieringer finished second to Kyle Dake and Jordan Burroughs from 2019 and 2021 but failed to place at last year’s world team trials after losing to Carter Starocci and Vincenzo Joseph. If Dieringer is back to wrestling his best, he’s capable of defeating anyone in this field.
Sleepers & Landmines
- Carson Kharchla
- Alex Marinelli
- Devin Skatzka
- Taylor Lujan
The above four wrestlers create a very interesting list of sleepers and landmines. Carson Kharchla and Alex Marinelli might be the most interesting because we haven’t seen them on the freestyle scene much over the past few years. Marinelli has quietly put together a great freestyle season placing third at the Bill Farrell with wins over David McFadden and Isaiah White. Marinelli also won silver at the Henri Delgane in January where he only lost to Evan Wick (in a close, 6-5 bout).
Marinelli's win over McFadden at the 2022 Bill Farrell:
Freestyle has always been Carson Kharchla’s preferred style and he’s capable of ending any match with his gut wrench once he gets on top. This top work was on display when Kharchla teched Mekhi Lewis a few years back at the RTC Cup.
Kharchla’s win over Mekhi Lewis:
Then there’s Devin Skatzka and Taylor Lujan. Both are “lesser known” contenders by the common fan but have some dangerous skills that can challenge anyone in this bracket. Lujan placed 4th at last year’s US Open where he pinned Evan Wick. Skatzka had a great performance at the Kolov this March where he won silver by defeating a number of talented international wrestlers while only losing to #16 Mostafa Ghiyasi (IRI).
79kg Predictions: 1) Carter Starocci, 2) Chance Marsteller, 3) Alex Dieringer 4) Carson Kharchla
Spey went into why 79kg will be WILD at the US Open:
86kg
Favorite
- Zahid Valencia
Zahid Valencia is the clear favorite at 86kg. He made Final X last year after defeating Mark Hall in two straight matches - 6-0 and 10-0. Valencia is currently ranked #7 in our international rankings at 86kg and has a recent win over world medalist Alireza Karimi and Olympic medalist Myles Amine. It would be a huge surprise if any wrestler other than Valencia comes out on top in Vegas at 86kg.
Zahid Valencia's win over Mark Hall in match 2 at the 2022 World Team Trials:
Zahid Valencia's win over Aaron Brooks at the 2019 Senior Nationals:
Contenders
- Mark Hall
- Aaron Brooks
- Trent Hidlay
Mark Hall and Aaron Brooks make the 86kg field interesting for a variety of reasons. First, we didn’t get to see Brooks wrestle freestyle last year leaving some mystery around where he stacks up in this field against both Hall and Valencia. We can assume Brooks and Hall are familiar with one another being past teammates but we’ve never seen them wrestle in competition. Also, Brooks is 0-2 in his career against Valencia but the two haven’t wrestled since Valencia won 6-3 at the Olympic Trials in April of 2021. Has Brooks closed the gap enough to come out on top this time? That’s the biggest question heading into Vegas at 86kg!
Despite the intrigue around Zahid Valencia and Aaron Brooks, Mark Hall should not be underestimated. He’s a 2-time junior world champion (2016-17) and is recently coming off a bronze medal at the Ranking Series tournament in February where he defeated world medalist Boris Makoev (SVK).
Trent Hidlay is an accomplished freestyle wrestler taking bronze at the junior world championship in 2019 and winning silver at U23 worlds in 2022.
Hall's win over world medalist Boris Makoev:
Sleepers & Landmines
- Dustin Plott
- Dylan Fishback
The 86kg field might lack the depth of some of the other weights but Dustin Plott and Dylan Fishback’s presence is worth mentioning. Plott is a two-time All-American at 174 pounds - does his competing at 86kg (189 pounds) mean he intends to move up to 184 next season? If so, how will he fare up in weight? Dylan Fishback was a top recruit for NC State and put together a solid redshirt year for the Wolfpack. How Fishback fares in this field could tell us a lot about what we should expect from him next year.
86kg Predictions: 1) Zahid Valencia, 2) Aaron Brooks, 3) Mark Hall, 4) Trent Hidlay
92kg
Favorites
- Kollin Moore
- Nate Jackson
With J’den Cox up at 97kg, Nate Jackson and Kollin Moore are left to battle it out as the favorites at 92kg. Nate Jackson had an incredible run last year making Final X and taking a match from J’den Cox in Stillwater. Despite that performance, Kollin Moore has 2 past wins over Nate Jackson (12-6 at the 2021 world team trials and 4-4 a the Rudis Supermatch in March of 2022). Moore and Jackson are currently ranked #3 and #4 respectively in our international rankings and look destined to meet in the finals in what could be the match of the tournament!
Moore's win over Jackson at the 2021 World Team Trials:
Nate Jackson's win over J'den Cox at Final X Stillwater:
Contenders
- Mike Macchiavello
Mike Macchiavello and Trent Hidlay will present unique challenges to Jackson and Moore. Macchiavello defeated Kollin Moore back at the RTC Cup in December of 2022 in a wild come-from-behind 6-6 win. While it would be a surprise if Macchiavello came away with gold, we should not underestimate him against either Moore or Jackson.
Macchiavello's win over Moore at the 2020 RTC Cup:
Sleepers & Landmines
- Jacob Cardenas
- Jay Aiello
- Rocky Elam
- Morgan McIntosh
- Eric Schultz
This group of “Sleepers & Landmines” might be the most interesting of any weight at the US Open. Rocky Elam, Jacob Cardenas, and Jay Aiello all have age-level world medals to their name but don’t have many notable results on the senior level. 2016 NCAA Champion Morgan McIntosh made his return to wrestling this year after taking 6 years off the mat after serving in the Special Forces as a Green Beret. Then there’s 2022 All-American Eric Schultz who won the Bill Farrell last November by defeating both McIntosh and Aiello. The depth at 92kg is special and that means we’ll see some incredible matches in the quarter-finals or earlier.
Eric Schultz's win over Morgan McIntosh to win the 2022 Bill Farrell:
92kg Predictions: 1) Nate Jackson, 2) Kollin Moore, 3) Mike Macchiavello, 4) Morgan McIntosh
97kg
Favorite
- J’den Cox
J’den Cox has officially made the move up to 97kg after having incredible success at 86kg and 92kg since 2016. Cox is a two-time world champion (2018 and 2019) and has another 3 world medals (2 bronze and 1 silver) along with an Olympic bronze from 2016. Those accolades and accomplishments, combined with the lack of challengers at 97kg, make Cox the biggest favorite of any wrestler at the US Open.
Cox's win over Nate Jackson last year to make his 6th world/Olympic team:
Contenders
- Ben Kueter
- Timothy Dudley
Iowa commit Ben Keuter has yet to graduate from high school but is the next most accomplished wrestler in this field after Cox. Keuter made the U20 world team last year at 97kg and then traveled to Sofia, Bulgaria where he won gold at the U20 World Championships. His performance in Bulgaria was especially impressive considering that bracket included current #11 ranked Amirali Azarpira. After that tournament, Azarpira has been outstanding and defeated 2022 world silver medalist Batyrbek Tsakulov 10-0 at the World Cup in December. Azarpira also defeated Tanner Sloan 5-3 to win U23 worlds last year. Obviously, we can’t give Kueter all of Azarpira’s wins, but it does help prove Kueter is ready for the senior level and is the most interesting prospect to watch at the US Open.
Ben Kueter's win in the finals of the 2022 U20 World Championships:
Sleepers & Landmines
- Sam Mitchell
When comparing 97kg to the rest of the weights at the US Open, there is a clear lack of depth in this bracket. At the time of writing this article, there are only 16 wrestlers entered in the weight (the next closest is 92kg with 30 wrestlers entered). With that in mind, Mitchell is a notable wrestler to watch in this bracket. Mitchell placed 5th at last year’s US Open where he defeated All-American Ethan Laird.
97kg Predictions: 1) J’den Cox, 2) Timothy Dudley, 3) Ben Keuter, 3) Sam Mitchell,
125kg
Favorite
- Gable Steveson
When Gable took his shoes off in March of 2022, he said, “I’m done…for now.” Now Gable Steveson is back with intention of reclaiming his crown as the world’s best heavyweight. Steveson famously won Tokyo Olympic gold with a last-second takedown against 3-time world champion Geno Petriashvili. Also at the Olympics, Gable impressively defeated 3-time world and Olympic champion Taha Akgul 8-0 and 2022 world silver medalist Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur 5-0. There are obviously questions surrounding how Gable will look after taking so much time off the mat but until he loses, Steveson is the favorite in every tournament.
Hear from Gable Steveson on his expectations for the US Open:
Contenders
- Mason Parris
- Nick Gwiazdowski
With 2022 world team member Hayden Zillmer out recovering from injury, Parris and Gwiazdowski are the two biggest challengers to Gable Steveson. Gwiazdowski defeated Mason Parris in two-straight matches to make the 2021 world team but lost to Steveson in two-straight matches back at the Olympic trials in April 2021.
Though Mason Parris lost to Gwiz two years ago and Steveson last year, Parris has made notable gains and displayed that in his national title run this season. Not only did Parris win the NCAA tournament, but he also finished undefeated at 33-0 while winning the Hodge trophy. Beyond that, Parris is an accomplished freestyle wrestler as the 2019 junior world champ where he pinned eventual 2021 world champion Amir Zare in the finals. Parris has earned the #4 seed meaning a potential semi-final with Steveson looms large!
Gwiazdowski's win over Mason Parris in the 2021 World Team Trials Finals:
Mason Parris talks about a potential rematch with Gable Steveson:
Sleepers & Landmines
- Wyatt Hendrickson
There are a number of heavyweights worth mentioning in this field - Dom Bradley, Ty Walz, Jordan Wood, Christian Lance, Zach Elam, and Ceron Francisco to name a few. However, none of those wrestlers bring the same “landmine energy” as Wyatt Hendrickson. With Gable and Parris in the field, Hendrickson is a long shot to win the US Open but that doesn’t mean he won’t put on a show in Vegas. Hendrickson had a phenomenal college wrestling season where he placed 3rd at the NCAA tournament with pins over Lucas Davison and Anthony Cassioppi while only losing to Greg Kerkvliet (4-2). Hendrickson is a “can’t miss” type of wrestler and is sure to produce some big highlights in Vegas!
125kg Predictions: 1) Gable Steveson, 2) Nick Gwiazdowski, 3) Mason Parris, 4) Wyatt Hendrickson