Who's Number One goes down on Saturday, September 2nd at the University of Wisconsin Parkside. The action begins at 5:00 pm est with girls freestyle matches then continues at 7:30 pm est with ten boys folkstyle matches using the new NCAA folkstyle rules. Fans in the area can buy tickets to watch in person while fans online can watch right here on FloWrestling. Here's a breakdown of what to expect from all ten incredible boys matches.

Match 1: 170 lbs - #1 Angelo Ferrari, Texas (senior) vs #2 Ty Eise, Colorado (junior)

Texas senior Angelo Ferrari ran a gauntlet at Who's Number One in a 4-man bracket. He defeated Fargo champ Braeden Scoles in his opening match then earned a major decision over Joe Sealey in the finals. Since that time, Ferrari has been undefeated and has added a second Ironman title to his resume along with a Texas state title. Ferrari, the top recruit in the class of 2024, committed to compete at Iowa at the next level.

Ferrari's impressive victory over Joe Sealey

Ty Eise is the #18 ranked recruit in the class of 2025. The Colorado star has climbed the rankings in the past 12 months with several impressive performances including a Cheesehead title, a 3rd place finish at Super 32, and a 4th place finish at Ironman. Eise is still early in his recruiting process, but he's a top upper-weight prospect in the junior class.

Match 2: 145 lbs - #1 Kollin Rath, Pennsylvania (junior) vs #2 Pierson Manville, Pennsylvania (senior)

If their last three meetings are any indication, this rematch should be high-paced, physical, and incredibly competitive. Manville got the better of Rath when they met a year and a half ago in freestyle at the Ultimate Duals in an exciting 9-5 match. Since then, Rath earned a 3-1 victory in the Escape the Rock finals and a 4-2 win in the PIAA finals. In both of the last two matches, one takedown has separated Rath from Manville.

Kollin Rath vs Pierson Manville in the PIAA finals

Rath's PIAA finals victory over Manville capped one of the more impressive high school seasons of any wrestler in the country. Many high school wrestlers waltz through their scholastic schedules, but Rath beat Manville twice, #5 Eligh Rivera, #6 Omar Ayoub twice, #7 Dalton Perry twice, #9 Hunter Mason twice, #10 Mac Church, and #14 Gabriel Bouyssou. His lone loss came against #1 Kannon Webster at Ironman.

Manville also faced a tough slate of competition, and he's only ramped up his competition since the conclusion of the high school season. During the spring and summer, Manville went a combined 20-0 at Elite 8 Duals, the Journeymen World Classic, and Ultimate Duals. That was just a warmup for his 6th place finish at the U20 US Open, 10-0 showing at NHSCA Duals, 7-0 performance at Junior Duals, and 3rd place finish in Fargo. During that time, Manville added numerous ranked wins to his resume.

After his final year of high school competition, Pierson Manville will head to Tempe to join Zeke Jones's squad at Arizona State. Rath, the #3 ranked recruit in the class of 2025, will have lots of options for college, but he's still in the early stages of his recruiting process.

Match 3: 160 lbs - #1 William Henckel, New Jersey (junior) vs #2 Joe Sealey, Pennsylvania (senior)

This year's Who's Number One match at 160 lbs features Wyoming Seminary's Joe Sealey and Blair Academy's Will Henckel. Sealey and Henckel are from rival high schools, and they have history. For Sealey to take over the top spot in the country, he'll need to flip the script on National Prep rival Henckel.

Henckel and Sealey have competed a weight class apart during the last two high school seasons, but they recently competed at the U20 World Team Trials. That match was a back-and-forth thriller that ended with a Henckel takedown for a 9-7 victory. The two actually have a longer history than that, however, as they met at the 2017 Wildwood duals in their youth wrestling careers. While that match doesn't carry mutch relevance now, it's fun to hop in the time machine and watch them way back in the day.

Sealey vs Henckel at this year's U20 Trials

In addition to this matchup's history and a classic Blair vs Sem rivalry, 160 lbs at WNO will be incredible because of the two highly credentialed competitors. Henckel is a Fargo champ who has also made the finals of Ironman, National Preps, and the U20 World Team Trials mini tournament. Sealey is a U17 World champ with a pair of titles at both Powerade and National Preps.

After his senior year, Joe Sealey plans to compete at Penn State for Cael Sanderson and company. Henckel, who's entering his junior year, is still early in his recruiting process, but as the #12 ranked recruit in the class of 2025, he'll have all kinds of options.

Match 4: 113 lbs - #1 Christian Castillo, Arizona (junior) vs #1 (106) Paul Kenny, New Jersey (freshman)

For the third consecutive year, we'll have a #1 vs #1 matchup at Who's Number One. In 2021 it was Nick Feldman vs Christian Carroll, last year it was Anthony Knox vs Christian Castillo, and this year, Christian Castillo returns to take on U17 World champ Paul Kenny.

Both Kenny and Castillo have had their biggest moments on the U17 World Championship stage. Kenny is just a freshman, but he's already brought home a World title at 48 kg. He's proven himself domestically as well by beating last year's U17 45 kg World champ Dom Munaretto and this year's Fargo champ Grey Burnett at the U17 World Team Trials. Now, he'll move up a weight class to take on Castillo.

Paul Kenny's U17 World gold medal match

Like Kenny, Christian Castillo was a U17 World team member this summer. This was Castillo's second appearance at the event. Last year, the Valiant Prep junior brought a silver medal home from the U17 Worlds at 48 kg. Since that time, Castillo has continued to prove himself. In October, he secured a Super 32 belt, and in April, he ran the U17 World Team Trials gauntlet for the second straight year.

Christian Castillo's Super 32 finals victory

Castillo is currently the #11 ranked prospect in the class of 2025. He projects as a career 125-pounder, and he's considering a wide range of options during the early stages of his recruiting process. Paul Kenny is still two years away from the official start of recruiting conversations. He'll be a freshman this year at Christian Brothers High School in New Jersey.

Match 5: 132 lbs - #1 Ben Davino, Illinois (senior) vs #2 Kyler Larkin, Arizona (senior)

Ben Davino and Kyler Larkin were the last two representatives for the United States at the U17 World Championships. Now they'll meet for the top spot in the country at 132 lbs on September 2nd at Who's Number One.

Despite being staples at the nation's biggest wrestling events, Davino and Larkin's paths haven't crossed in high school. Both have made the U17 World Team and both have won Fargo stopsigns and now they'll battle to see who's the best at the weight.

Davino is already familiar with the top spot in the country. He earned the #1 ranking at 126 lbs a year ago at Who's Number One when he knocked off rising Princeton freshman Marc-Anthony McGowan at Who's Number One. He defended his ranking at Super 32 a month later, won Ironman in December with another victory over McGowan, and then capped off his junior campaign by winning the U17 World Team Spot in Las Vegas in April.

Ben Davino's 2022 Who's Number One victory over Marc-Anthony McGowan

Larkin is plenty credentialed, but this is his first opportunity to take over the #1 ranking. Most recently, he earned his shot by running an ultra-tough gauntlet in Fargo at 132 lbs. Other than a tight 4-3 quarterfinal victory over Matty Lopes, Larkin dominated the field. He was 7-0 with 5 techs and a 70-4 margin against the field. 

After securing his stop sign, Larkin released a video detailing his mindset as he prepared for and competed in Fargo. Larkin explained that when he saw he was sitting in the #2 spot in the bracket, he gave away his red singlet because the only reason he would need it was in the consolation bracket. Larkin's bold move paid off and now adds to his legend.

Kyle Larkin's explanation of how he won Fargo

This matchup showcases a fascinating clash of styles. Davino attacks with a relentless pace, and Larkin is a counter-offense specialist. Wrestling fans can expect plenty of action and high-level wrestling sequences throughout the seven-minute contest.

Match 6: 126 lbs - #1 Jax Forrest, Pennsylvania (sophomore) vs #4 Jordyn Raney, Kentucky (sophomore)

Even though he's only completed one year of high school, Jax Forrest has already earned more ranked wins than just about anyone in the country. The Fargo stop sign he earned in July put a bow on a freshman campaign that included a U17 World silver medal last summer, a Powerade title, and top-3 finishes at Super 32, Ironman, the U17 World Team Trials, and the U20 World Team Trials. Forrest also competed in three college opens and put together a 12-2 record against division 1 competition, even notching a victory over Cornell's Brett Ungar who is currently ranked #7 in the 2023-24 NCAA Rankings.

Forrest's long list of accomplishments is especially impressive given the difficulty of the field at 126 lbs. Normally, World medalists have firm grasps on the #1 spot in the country, but Forrest isn't the only medalist in the weight. Luke Lilledahl is a U17 World champ and 2x finalist who just secured a U20 World silver in Jordan. Marcus Blaze just earned a U17 World gold medal, and Jordyn Raney, Forrest's WNO opponent, also earned U17 gold in July in Greco.

Raney's run to Greco gold was a perfect display of the high-paced, fearless style that has made him a must-watch athlete for high school wrestling fans over the past year. He came on the scene in Fargo last summer by pinning Bo Bassett in what was then a major upset. Raney followed that up by pinning Forrest in their Super 32 quarterfinal, a match Forrest led 14-3 before Raney locked up the match-ending cradle in the second period.

Jax Forrest vs Jordyn Raney in the 2022 Super 32 quarterfinals

Pinning and overcoming deficits are two things Raney does regularly and better than just about anyone in high school wrestling. That combined with Forrest's high attack rate and propensity for putting up points makes 126 lbs a must-watch rematch this year at Who's Number One.

Match 7: 220 lbs - #1 Cody Merrill, California (senior) vs #2 Sawyer Bartelt, Florida (senior)

Merrill and Bartelt competed twice at the 2022 U17 US Open. Their first meeting was a 4-4 criteria victory for Merrill in the Greco semifinals, and their second was a 1-1 criteria victory for Bartelt in the freestyle quarterfinals.

Merrill & Bartelt's U17 freestyle quarterfinal

After their meetings at U17s in 2022, Cody Merrill went on to win a loaded Fargo bracket at 195 lbs, but he was largely inactive due to injury for a year after that other than competing in a handful of California high school tournaments. When Merrill returned to national competition at Fargo this summer, he did not appear rusty. In fact, he put more points on the board than ever and didn't surrender a point. Merrill is the #16 ranked recruit in the class of 2024 and one of the top available recruits left on the big board. His performance in Fargo only raised his already-high stock.

While Merrill won the stop sign at 220 lbs in freestyle, Sawyer Bartelt secured the Greco title in preparation for the U20 Greco World Championships in Amman, Jordan. Bartelt is a 2024 Iowa State commit and the #17 ranked recruit in his class. With top-three performances at the US Open, U20 freestyle World Team Trials, and Fargo, he'll look to make significant contributions as an upper weight in Ames.

Match 8: 138 lbs - #1 Daniel Zepeda, California (junior) vs #2 Bo Bassett, Pennsylvania (sophomore)

Gilroy, California's Daniel Zepeda put together a solid sophomore campaign. He capped his scholastic season with a state title in California's single-class championship at 132 lbs then followed it up with a Fargo finals performance at 138 lbs. He's a highly coveted recruit who currently holds the #23 spot on the class of 2025 big board.

Daniel Zepeda's California state finals victory

Bo Bassett is moving up to 138 lbs after competing at 57 kg at the U20 World Team Trials in June. Bassett's titles at Super 32, Ironman, Powerade, and the U17 World Championships make him one of the most credentialed wrestlers in the weight. This Who's Number One matchup against Zepeda will be Bassett's first test at 138 lbs.

Bo Bassett's Super 32 finals win over Anthony Knox

Match 9: 120 lbs - #1 Anthony Knox, New Jersey (junior) vs #2 Leo DeLuca, New Jersey (junior)

What's tougher than a matchup against one of the top wrestlers in the country? A matchup against an opponent that good who's also your training partner and one of your best friends on the planet. That's the challenge Anthony Knox and Leo DeLuca have signed up for on September 2nd at Who's Number One.

Knox vs DeLuca has incredible interpersonal implications, but it's also a dream matchup for New Jersey wrestling fans. Leo DeLuca is a National Prep champion for Blair Academy while Anthony Knox is a two-time New Jersey state champ in just two attempts. Because of their differing high school journeys, Knox and DeLuca haven't crossed paths in a post-season run or otherwise, so their Who's Number One bout will be the first time they've met in an official match, especially one of this magnitude.

Both Knox and DeLuca are top-ten recruits in the class of 2025, and now they'll meet to settle the top spot at 120 lbs. DeLuca earned his golden ticket to Who's Number One by running through one of the toughest Fargo brackets this summer at 120 lbs. Not only did DeLuca earn the title, he ran up a 72-1 tally against an incredible field of competitors.

Leo DeLuca's dominant 2023 Fargo final

Since winning his second New Jersey state title, Fargo and Super 32 champ Anthony Knox teched his way through a Journeymen World Classic bracket that included U17 World champ Luke Lilledahl then followed that up with a runner-up performance at the U17 World Team Trials, only falling to recent U17 World champ Marcus Blaze in the best of three finals.

Both Knox and Deluca are veterans of Who's Number one. DeLuca competed against Braeden Davis before his freshman season in 2021, and Knox notched two victories in the event against Luke Lilledahl in 2021 and Christian Castillo in 2022.

Anthony Knox's WNO victory over World champ Luke Lilledahl in 2021

Match 10: 195 lbs - #1 Connor Mirasola, Wisconsin (senior) vs #2 Aeoden Sinclair, Wisconsin (senior)

Wisconsin wrestling fans are in for a treat when Aeoden Sinclair and Connor Mirasola, arguably the two best wrestlers in the entire state, meet for the top spot in the country at Who's Number One at Wisconsin-Parkside on September 2nd.

Both Mirasola and Sinclair are products of Askren Wrestling Academy. Sinclair primarily trains at AWA Lake Country/Madison while Mirasola spends most of his time at AWA North Shore. Both also wrestle together as often as twice a week. In late July both athletes were in Mitchell Mesenbrink's photo on Instagram from an AWA training session.

This won't be the first meeting between Mirasola and Sinclair. They met last October at the AWA Duals in a tight one-takedown contest. Sinclair secured the match-winning single leg in the second period.

Mirasola vs Sinclair at AWA Duals in October, 2022

Since Mirasola and Sinclair's showdown last. year, both have elevated themselves on national stages. Sinclair made the finals of Super 32 (where he had to injury default in the finals), was undefeated during his high school season, and took home the title at the always-elite U17 World Team Trials to secure his spot on the US World Team.

Mirasola notched a number of ranked victories throughout the year as well and put together an impressive spring and summer of freestyle that included a 5th place finish at the U20 US Open, a runner-up finish in the mini-tournament at the U20 World Team Trials, and his second consecutive Fargo stop sign. Mirasola's blanked the field in Fargo with seven techs and a 71-0 combined margin of victory.

Connor Mirasola's dominant Fargo final