Ultimate Who's Number One Women's Preview & Predictions Article
Ultimate Who's Number One Women's Preview & Predictions Article
Get the lowdown on every women's Who's Number One match and see JD's predictions.
This year’s Who’s Number One is different. For the first time in the event’s nine-year history, there will be a complete women’s card! Friday evening 20 of the nation’s best young women will compete for the right to call themselves number one.
Below is a short breakdown of each match in the order they will be wrestled along with author JD Rader’s picks.
127 lbs: Alexis Janiak vs SaVannah Cosme
These two squared off in the Cadet World Team Trials finals with Cosme winning match one by pin and match two by an 8-2 decision. Now, Janiak did go on to handily win a Junior Fargo title after the series. The Illinois native 10-0d every opponent except Skylar Little Soldier in the semifinals, who she beat 8-4.
Watch match 2 of Alexis Janiak and SaVannah Cosme’s Women’s Nationals final below.
Prediction: Cosme
132 lbs: Janida Garcia vs Hanna Errthum
Another rematch from Women’s Nationals here. Errthum won the bout 11-6 and will go into the match as the favorite. Errthum also took 3rd in Junior and made the finals of 16U at Fargo. Garcia decided to cut down to 127 for Fargo, where she also took third. Now she’s back up at 132 and challenging for the top spot in the country.
Watch Hannah Errthum and Janida Garcia’s last match below.
Prediction: Errthum
112 lbs: Jenavi Alejandro vs Cecilia Williams
Cecilia Williams will try to become one of the youngest #1 ranked wrestlers in the country regardless of gender on Friday when she takes on Jenavi Alejandro. Just an eighth-grader, Williams won 16U Fargo this past summer. A senior from Centennial High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, Alejandro will have a handful of years of experience on Williams. Alejandro had a very impressive Fargo herself. Although she took 3rd, she only lost to Sage Mortimer and knocked off the #3, #5, and #7 ranked girls in doing so.
Prediction: Alejandro
117 lbs: Zao Estrada vs Cadence Diduch
Estrada and Diduch are two of the nation’s best sophomores. After making the Fargo finals at 112 lbs, Estrada is bumping up to take on Diduch, who only gave up two points en route to her Fargo title at the weight.
Prediction: Diduch
152 lbs: Destiny Rodriguez vs Jasmine Robinson
One of my personal favorite matches on the card. Jasmine Robinson was the breakout star of Fargo. She dominated her way to both 16U and Junior titles and even earned OW of the entire Junior tournament. However, she’ll have her biggest test yet in Destiny Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a 2X Fargo champ herself and a U15 World champion.
Prediction: Robinson
94 lbs: Valarie Solorio vs Erica Pastoriza
World champ vs Fargo champ at the lightest weight class. Pastoriza destroyed the world in Budapest this summer when she won her Cadet World title at 40 kg. Almost simultaneously, Solorio was going through a tough 16U 94 lbs Fargo bracket. Now, the two finally get to square off and find out who really is number one.
Prediction: Pastoriza
100 lbs: Brianna Gonzalez vs Ava Ward
Back-to-back World medalist vs Fargo champ bouts. This time it’s 2021 Cadet World bronze medalist Ava Ward vs 2021 Fargo champion Brianna Gonzales for the top spot at 100 lbs. Both of these girls have high scoring and pinning capabilities. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one ended early no matter who gets their hand raised.
Prediction: Ward
138 lbs: Savannah Gomez vs Korina Blades
Korina Blades’ toughness was on full display at the Junior World Championships when she battled through a hurt shoulder to bring home a bronze medal. She’ll need to bring that toughness to Dallas when she takes on Savannah Gomez. Gomez ran through her Junior Fargo bracket, securing a fall in the finals.
Listen to Blades discuss her two World Championship performances below.
Predictions: Blades
164 lbs: Lillian Freitas vs Rose Cassioppi
First and foremost, a shoutout to Rose Cassioppi for taking this match on two days notice. Freitas original opponent, Kylie Welker, understandably decided to focus on winning a Senior World title after making the team this past weekend.
Freitas and Cassioppi squared off in the Cadet World Team Trials finals with Freitas shutting Cassioppi out in two-straight matches, 8-0 and 7-0.
Watch Lillian Freitas and Rose Cassioppi’s Cadet Trials final match below.
Prediction: Freitas
106 lbs: Paige Morales vs Audrey Jimenez
Audrey Jimenez wasn’t on my radar until the beginning of 2021, but she’s right in the middle of it now. She dominated her way onto the Cadet World Team before taking home a bronze medal in Budapest this summer. Jimenez’s opponent, Paige Morales, took 3rd in the WTT bracket that she won. However, she bounced back and looked great at Fargo winning both 16U and Juniors. The two didn’t get to hit at Women’s Nationals, but they’ll settle it now.
Prediction: Jimenez
122 lbs: Shelby Moore vs Katie Gomez
The main event of the evening will feature 2021 Cadet World champion Katie Gomez and 2021 Fargo double champ Shelby Moore at 122 lbs. Gomez is coming up from 117 lbs where she won her World title. Gomez has a dynamic offense, but Moore’s defense is some of the best on the card.
Prediction: Gomez
For even more preview articles, interviews, breakdowns, and hype videos; click HERE.
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