The draws were generated for the first four weights of Greco which will kick off the action from Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, the site of the 2019 World Championships.

Day I gives us the four non-Olympic weights in Greco. In action for the U.S. are Max Nowry (55kg), Ryan Mango (63kg), Ray Bunker (72kg) and John Stefanowicz (82kg). Below are the opening round draws for the Stars & Stripes and bracket reactions for the top and bottom side of each weight.

55kg - Max Nowry vs. Fabian Schmitt (GER)

Max has a beautiful draw in the small half of the bracket. He opens with his year's Euro Bronze in Schmitt, who is, like Max, making his first appearance at SR Worlds. Schmitt beat Nowry 6-3 in last year's bronze medal match at the German GP, though Nowry had beaten Schmitt 5-1 earlier in the tournament. He would then have fourth-seeded Abdelkarim Fergat (ALG) in the quarters. Despite earning a seed (mostly by winning his African Continental), Fergat has never medaled at a World Championship at any level and is making just his second appearance at SR Worlds. 

Top Half Analysis: The top seed is returning World Champ Eldaniz Azizli (AZE) who is a monster favorite to reach the finals again with zero other continental medalists (outside of Fergat) in the top half. Azizli has lost just one matchat 55kg since the weight was introduced, but has taken some losses up at 60kg.

Bottom Half Analysis: The #2 seed is Illhom Bakhromov (UZB) who is this year's Asian Champ after placeing 9th at Worlds in 2018. But I see upset city happening in Round 2 with Iran's 2018 Junior World Champ Pouya Naserpour coming through at least to quarters will he'll likely see Norair Hakhoyan (ARM), who was 5th at Seniors last year.

2018 World Bronze medalist Nugzari Tsurtsumia (GEO) is the third seed and opens with a rematch of his medal bout with Cao (CHN) who he teched. His top threat before semifinals is European champ Vitali Kaboloev (RUS), who is making his SR Worlds debut, but who has not failed to make a final of any UWW event he's entered.

Three of the four wrestlers who won Ranking Series events are not entered, leaving only Bakhromov, who won the Hungarian Grand Prix in February, now known as the Polyák Imre Memorial. All of the continental champs are here (including Nowry, who won Pan Ams), except for Oceania, of which there are no entrants from.

Best Early Bout: Round 2 - Naserpour (IRI) vs. Bakhromov (UZB)

63kg - Ryan Mango vs. Julinho Correira (POR)

Mango is in the bottom half and has one of just two pigtails in the bracket. He should cruise vs. Correira who has placed 12th and 13th in the U23 and SR Euro's, respectively. He'll then have #10 Bilici (TUR) who was Bronze at this same weight at Worlds last year. 

Top Half Analysis: Russia's defending World Champ, Stepan Maranyan has lost just three matches this quad and is the top seed, though he opens with a good young prospect in Iran's Meysam Dalkhani. It's part of a very good top half. Also in his quarter is Euro Bronze Levani Kavjardze (GEO).

The next group of four includes the 4th-seeded Slavik Galtyan (ARM), AZE's Elman Mukhtarov, and Ilsomjon Bakhromov who just won an Asian bracket that featured Kenchiro Fumiita (JPN) who beat Maranyan in World semi's in 2017.

Bottom Half Analysis: My pre-draw pick to win the title this year was Shinobu Ota (JPN), the 3-seed and the Rio runner-up. He has a pretty nice draw to the semi's, although there is an interesting guy in his quad in KGZ's Sharshenbekov, who was Cadet Bronze, Junior Silver, and Senior Silver last year to Azizli at 55kg.

At the bottom is #2 seed Erbato Tuo (CHN) who was 5th in this bracket last year and won the Asian championship in his home country back in April. He has a scary opponent in Round 2 with hometown kid Almat Kebispayev (KAZ) who has made his way down from 67kg. Kebispayev has medaled in 13 of his last 16 UWW majors.

Ota won two Ranking Series events this year in the Hungarian GP and Oleg Karavaev. At the latter, he beat Islomjon Bakhramov (UZB) in the finals, who had won the Grand Prix Zagreb Open to start off 2019. Aside from Tuo and Maryanyan, who won Euros, the three other continental champs are not in this field.

Best Early Bout: Round 2 - Almat Kebispayev (KAZ) vs. Erbato Tuo (CHN)

72kg - Raymond Bunker vs. Yogesh (IND)

Fast-learning Bunker opens with a winnable bout vs. Yogesh who hasn't medaled at any UWW major in seven tries. That's the good news. The bad news is that he'll get top seed, Mnatsaksanian (ARM) next. He was Bronze in last year, though (more good news) he's taken several losses since.

Top Half Analysis: With 25 competitors, 72kg is the largest Day 1 bracket with 11 in the top half and 14 down below. The top half is really wide open.

Mnatsaksanian is the top seed with Hujun Zhang (CHN) the four (despite being 6th in points and never medaling at Worlds). I like 2017 World Silver Demeu Zhadrayev (KAZ) to excite the crowd and make the finals. He's flying under the radar after not medaling last year at Worlds, but his two losses were to hammers - Abuyazid Mantsigov (RUS) and champ Frank Staebler (GER).

Bottom Half Analysis: Mantsigov was Bronze last year and the #3 seed here. He should cruise to the quarters where he'll await an opponent from a really young and interesting group in the next foursome. Cengiz Arslan (TUR) lost in the finals to Mantsigov in Euro's and was last year's U23 World Champ. Round 2 should be a great bout with him and last year's Junior World Champ, Malkas Amoyan (ARM).

In the final quad, the 2-seed is Balint Korpasi (HUN), who has wrestled for a medal in 25 of his last 26 UWW majors dating back to 2015.

Yet another Iranian young star is starting, and to go along with Arslan and Amoyan, Iran's Amin Kaviyan makes it three 2018 World Junior/U23 Champs in this bracket.

None of the Ranking Series event winners are in this bracket. Mantsigov was the Euro champ and Jarvis Sadam Blesam Tarkong (PLW) won the Oceania championships, the only two of five continental champions competing here.

Best Early Bout: Round 2 - Arlen Amoyan (ARM) vs. Cengiz Arslan (TUR)

82kg - John Stefanowicz vs. Lasha Gobadze (GEO)

Gobadze has medaled at every level with Bronzes at Cadets (2011), Juniors (2014) and Seniors (2015), and a U23 Silver in 2017. Last year he lost to Abdvali (IRI) in his opening match. Abdvali went on to place 5th.

Stefanowicz, who is making his Worlds' debut, would have top seeded Kus (TUR) in the quarters. Kus was last year's Silver medalist.

Top Half Analysis: The top three finishers from Euro's all reside in the top half. Despite placing 3rd there, Kus is the top seed on the small side of the bracket. He lost in last year's finals to Peter Bacsi (HUN), who is not in the field. But his teammate Zoltan Levai is and could be a force. Kus should win over China in Round 1 before facing the Gobadze-Stefanowicz winner.

Levai should get to fourth-seeded Bisultanov (DEN) to create an excellent quarterfinal. Bisultanov beat Gobadze in this year's Euro finals.

Bottom Half Analysis: Abdvali, who wrestled for a SR World medal five times, is the #3 seed. The man who beat him for Bronze last year, Maksim Manukyan (ARM) looms in the same quarter.

Susanovski (BLR) was the other Bronze last year at Worlds and is the 2 seed. The path looks pretty clear for him to the semifinals. Susanovski is the only Ranking Series event winner in the field, having won the Oleg Karavaev in Minsk.

Bisultanov and Abdvali are the only two continental winners wrestling tomorrow, having won the European and Asian championships, respectively.

Best Early Bout: Round 2 - Zoltan Levai (HUN) vs. Rajbek Bisultanov (DEN)