It’s World Cup weekend! Eight wrestling powers are converging on Iowa City, Iowa, as Carver-Hawkeye Arena plays host to the 2018 UWW World Cup this Saturday and Sunday. 

The lineup of participating federations isn’t quite what we thought it would be after the 2017 World Championships. Typically the top eight countries from the World Championship tournament are invited to the subsequent World Cup. 

Early on, Turkey declined the invite to allow Iran, the ninth-place team at the World Championships, to attend. Iran later pulled out, as did Russia, opening the door for India and Mongolia to enter this year's event.

The list of teams is now as follows:

• USA
• Georgia
• Azerbaijan
• Japan
• Cuba
• Kazakhstan
• India
• Mongolia

Carver-Hawkeye Arena is ready to host the world! @UWWIowaCity pic.twitter.com/3bl81YJ42e

— Charlie Taylor (@CTaylorGoHawks) April 4, 2018

Team USA will be taking advantage of having the home field by bringing a stacked lineup that's two men deep. Check out this collection of worthies:

57 - Thomas Gilman
57 - Frank Perrelli
61 - Kendric Maple
61 - Joe Colon
65 - Logan Stieber
65 - Joey McKenna
70 - James Green
70 - Frank Molinaro
74 - Jordan Burroughs
74 - Isaiah Martinez
79 - Kyle Dake
79 - Alex Dieringer
86 - David Taylor
86 - Bo Nickal
92 - J’den Cox
92 - Hayden Zillmer
97 - Kyle Snyder
97 - Kyven Gadson
125 - Nick Gwiazdowski
125 - Dom Bradley

There will be a cavalcade of international freestyle hammers mixing it up. We’ll break down the matchups and make predictions shortly, but first, the schedule (all times Central):

For rosters of all eight teams (as well as all other info regarding the World Cup), visit here. And click here for the latest men's freestyle international rankings.

And now the matches. 

USA vs. India

India’s A-team will be in Australia for next weekend’s Commonwealth Game, so this first match should be no problem for Team USA. It's possible we see some American backups as well. 

Mongolia vs. Kazakhstan

Both of these squads brought their country’s best so expect some fire matches. The 61kg bout could be interesting between this year’s Asian gold medalist, Nurislam Sanayev, and 2016’s Asian bronze medalist, Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg. This will be a close one but I think Kazakhstan squeaks by. 

Georgia vs. Japan

Georgia did not bring its two world champs, Vladimer Khinchegashvili and Geno Petriashvili, but it did bring eight other ‘vilis, so there’s that. Japan has its top contenders in Iowa, including 2017 world champ Yuki Takahashi. Japan should take this one. 

Azerbaijan vs. Cuba

Cuba heads north with its most talented wrestlers. Azerbaijan has everyone but Torgul Asgarov, but that still should be enough to top Cuba. Keep an eye on 97kg, as two-time world silver medalist Reineris Salas might see 2015 junior world champ Nurmagomed Gadzhiyev.

USA vs. Japan

The marquee matchup will be 74kg, with five-time world champ Jordan Burroughs taking on Yuhi Fujinami. Fujinami has medaled at the cadet, junior, and senior world championships and will be wrestling at 74kg internationally for the first time. Expect Japan to put up a great fight, but this match and dual should be wins for the USA. 

Mongolia vs. Cuba

I wouldn’t count the Mongolians out, but Cuba is packing too much firepower to pull off the upset in my opinion. The 74kg match should be a treat with two savvy veterans and world medalist in Livan Lopez and Mandakhnaran Ganzorig slated to go at it. 

Georgia vs. India

Neither team is at its best, but Georgia has the edge in experience and should prevail. 

Azerbaijan vs. Kazakhstan

Azerbaijan will once again be the favorite but don’t expect Kazakhstan to go down easy. The 65kg bout could see three-time world gold medalist Haji Aliev facing off against 2018 Asian champ and 2011 world bronze medalist Daulet Niyazbebekov. A 79kg match between two experienced studs in Jabrail Hasanov and Galymzhan Usserbayev would also be a highlight. 

USA vs. Georgia

This should be a good old-fashioned red, white, and Blue whoopin' and would be sweet revenge for the defeat the USA suffered at the hands of Georgia back in the third-place match at the 2016 World Cup, which was also the last World Cup match the USA wrestled on home soil. 

Mongolia vs. Azerbaijan

With a victory here Azerbaijan should clinch the top spot in its pool and set up a gold medal match with the U.S. of A. Just don’t expect the Mongolians to make it easy for them. 

Japan vs. India

Japan should roll here no problem.  

Cuba vs. Kazakhstan

This one will very likely decide who wrestles for third and who wrestles for fifth. Yowlys Bonne vs. Nurislam Sanayev at 61 and Alejandro Valdes vs. Daulet Niyazbekov would be fantastic matches. The Cubans have more experience though, especially in the upper weights, so I think they win this, though not by much.

7th-Place Match

I think we’ll see India and Mongolia, with Mongolia overpowering the Indian squad and sending it home with four losses. 

5th-Place Match

I’ve got Georgia from the American pool here taking on Kazakhstan from the Azerbaijani pool. I don’t think Georgia has the muscle this year to hang with the Kazakhstanis, who I think will take home the fifth-place trophy. Great success!

3rd-Place Match

I’m predicting Japan and Cuba to battle for third. I like Japan’s more balanced lineup slightly more than Cuba's, although at this point in the tournament teams tend to be a little banged up and anything is possible.

1st-Place Match

Iran's six-year-long reign as World Cup champion will definitely come to end this year. Team USA hasn’t won a Cup since 2003, but I think that streak also ends in 2018, as I predict the Americans will defeat Azerbaijan in the most anticipated match of the tournament. 

With an easier path to the gold medal match, the USA will be better rested and in better shape to compete. But it will be no easy task, so let’s go match by potential match and break it all down.

57kg: #3 Giorgi Edisherashvili vs. #8 Thomas Gilman

Originally from the country of Georgia, Edisherashvili has been stuck behind Haji Aliyev for most World and Olympic Championships. But with Aliyev up at 65kg, the three-time European champion has an opportunity to shine. Gilman is huge at 57 and I think will wear down the 30-year-old Edisherashvili and get the victory, but this is one of many very tough matches for Team USA. 

61kg: #4 Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov vs. Kendric Maple

Gvarzatilov took third at Worlds at 61kg in 2016, the year Logan Stieber won gold at that weight. Maple is, like Gilman at 57, huge for 61, so he has a chance against the more credentialed Gvarzy. 

65kg: #4 Haji Aliyev vs. #9 Logan Stieber

Stieber is a world champ, but Aliyev is a three-time world champ and an Olympic bronze medalist. Aliyev is the favorite on paper, but Stieber is one of the best turners in America and should have a strength advantage over Aliyev, who is usually down at 61. If Stieber gets his top game going, an upset is definitely possible. 

70kg: Joshgun Azimov vs. #1 James Green

Azimov is a big underdog against Green, a two-time world medalist. It’s also scary to think that Green is now healthier than he’s ever been. He should be fun to watch all weekend long. 

74kg: Gadzhimurad Omarov vs. #1 Jordan Burroughs

As with Azimov at 70kg, Omarov is outmatched at 74kg. Burroughs is prone to close matches with inferior competition (see his 2-2 victory over Jumber Kelashvili in the 2016 World Cup), but Jordan is a massive favorite here nonetheless. 

79kg: #5 Jabrayil Hasanov vs. #2 Kyle Dake

It will be great for American fans to see Dake and Burroughs competing in the same lineup. Hasanov has been around for a while and racked up quite a few credentials, such as his three world bronze medals, but I think Dake has too much in his arsenal for Hasanov, a mainly defensive wrestler, to keep up. Dake has a great gut wrench and is not afraid to throw with a back arch from feet as well. 

86kg: #9 Aleksandr Gostiyev vs. #2 David Taylor

Burroughs, Dake, AND Taylor, back-to-back-to-back? Now we’re talking. Taylor brought his A-game to last year’s World Cup, knocking off not one but two Olympic gold medalists with his destruction of both Sharif Sharifov and Hassan Yazdani. Gadzhiyev is not quite at that level, but he did win a 2015 Junior World Championship and will be a tough out, though I expect Taylor to notch another World Cup win here.

92kg: #2 Aslanbek Alborov vs. #4 J’den Cox

Alborov is dangerous, as evidenced by his 2017 world bronze medal and his upset win over Kyle Snyder at the 2017 World Cup, but J’den Cox is also dangerous and has a couple world medals of his own. This should be one of the most interesting matchups, as Alborov is coming down from 97 and Cox is coming up from 86. This one is a toss-up on paper. 

97kg: #3 Nurmagomed Gadzhiyev vs. #1 Kyle Snyder

Gadzhiyev is no slouch, but there’s only one Kyle Snyder. Snyder wins this one. 

125kg: #10 Jamaladdin Magomedov vs. #6 Nick Gwiazdowski

Magomedov got the best of Gwiz at the 2017 World Cup in Kermanshah, Iran. Nick didn’t get a chance at revenge at the 2017 World Championships, where he won a bronze medal, as Azerbaijan didn’t enter a heavyweight. Magomedov will be the favorite entering the match but don’t count the steadily improving Gwiz out either. 

So maybe I've got red, white, and blue colored glasses but I've got Team America winning in the finals 7-3. Enjoy the World Cup, wrestling fans!