The 2016 UWW World Cup personified what's great about wrestling, and international wrestling in particular. Hosted in Los Angeles, it was one of the most entertaining events I've ever attended. 

Here are some of the best bouts Team USA had this weekend!

10) 74kg: Alex Dieringer, USA, vs. Rana Parveen, India
The red, white and blue took an "L" here, but it wasn't due to a lack of effort from Dieringer. Trailing late after giving up some points in the second, Dieringer fired off a double leg that could have won him the bout. Check Parveen's knee, did it hit?  



9) 70kg: James Green, USA, vs. Mostafa Hosseinkhani, Iran
I thought Green could be an underdog in this bout, but he got it done with his bread and butter: A double leg and a beautiful late re-attack that iced the match.  Watch how well James controls ties, and holds position and center—this was something he struggled with the last time he faced an Iranian.



8) 61kg: Tony Ramos, USA, vs. Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov, Azerbaijan
Ramos' counter here was awesome and caught everyone, including Junior World Champ, Gvarzatilov, off guard!  



7) 57kg: Daniel Dennis, USA, vs. Vladimir Khinchegashvili, Georgia
You couldn't possibly pack more exciting wrestling in 2:32 seconds if you tried. Dennis scores six early, then Khinchegashvili brings this match to a screeching halt!



6) 97kg Final: Elizbar Odikadze, Georgia, vs. Kyle Snyder, United States
It was a textbook gameplan from Odikadze, who played it close. He got his takedown late, and just needed to hang on for 20 seconds. Snyder got it done in the closing seconds once again. 



5) 86kg: J’den Cox, USA, vs. Dato Marsagishvili, Georgia
Watching Cox give up a whopping seven points was entertaining enough—not many guys can do that. But I was also surprised by how easily he got to Cox's legs. Seeing Cox nearly mount the comeback made for some incredible late drama.



4) 125kg: Jake Varner, USA, vs. Parviz Haddi, Iran
Giving up an unreal 47 pounds, Jake Varner battled in an unbelievable way against Haddi. These two got very physical and chippy in their match. Watch Varner scratch and claw with the dual on the line.



3) 65kg: Magomed Muslimov, Azerbaijan, vs. Frank Molinaro, USA
This one was just ridiculous—multiple headbutts, penalty points and some of the most physical wrestling I've ever seen made this match unreal. These two nearly came to blows a few times, but it Frank ended up wearing a big smile when all was said and done. 



2) 86kg: J’den Cox, USA, vs. Alireza Karimi, Iran
Don’t let the 6-2 score deceive you—this one was almost a loss for Cox. Up 4-2 with a few minutes to go, Karimi put Cox to the test and caused him to use some crazy defense—including splits, a step out, and an unreal single counter in the closing seconds.



1) 65kg: Frank Molinaro, USA, vs. Sayed Mohammadi, Iran
Down three after Frank gave one of his patented "love taps," Molinaro had to find a way against a two-time world medalist. The venue's atmosphere was impressive, and you can feel the crowd reach a fever pitch as the bout's intensity increases.