5 Can't Miss Weights At The Farrell
5 Can't Miss Weights At The Farrell
A breakdown of some of the top weights to watch at the 2022 Bill Farrell Memorial International Open.
With a world team trial spot on the line at every weight, the Bill Farrell International Memorial will go down on Friday and Saturday - April 1-2. Take a look below at the top weights to watch this weekend.
Pantaleo-Berger-Ashanault Headline 70kg
Of any weight at the Bill Farrell, 70kg is likely the deepest with Alec Pantaleo, Tyler Berger, and Anthony Ashnault at the top. History shows that Pantaleo is the man to beat here as he has past wins in freestyle over both Berger and Ashnault. On top of that, he has had the most international success with gold medal performances at the 2021 Pan-Ams, the 2021 Matteo Pellicone, and the 2020 Cerro Pelado. However, Berger is often underrated and did defeat Pantaleo last March, 6-6 at the Last Chance Olympic Trials qualifier. After those three, look for Brock Mauller to make some noise in this bracket. The two-time All-American has some freestyle chops as well and represented Team USA at the U23 World Championships last November.
Pantaleo’s win over Berger at the 2021 Senior Nationals:
Graff And Gross Showdown Imminent At 61kg
61kg is another weight to watch in men’s freestyle at the Farrell with Tyler Graff and Seth Gross headlining the entries. Graff was Team USA’s 2019 world team member and made it all the way to the bronze medal match finishing just short for 5th place. If seeds hold, Graff should face 2019 NCAA Champion Seth Gross in the finals in what would be a true clash of styles. Gross loves to scramble and isn’t afraid to give up points. Graff, on the other hand, is far more fundamental with strong defensive positioning and the ability to win low-scoring matches. On top of being a great match, their potential bout will likely tell us who could be ready to challenge Daton Fix at Final X.
Seth Gross and Joe Colon’s 36 point match in 2020:
Expect Fireworks At 59kg
Ronna Gross and Xochitl Mota-Pettis highlight the entries at 59kg and have the potential to produce the match of the tournament on the women’s side. Gross is coming off a fantastic 2021 where she finished second at both the Olympic and World team trails down at 53kg. Mota-Pettis had a breakout performance at the 2020 Senior Nationals where she pinned two-time world medalist Alli Ragan. Mota-Pettis has big-move potential and can end any match in the blink of an eye. While these competitors likely won't end up at the same weight at world team trials, this match should be high scoring and highly entertaining.
Mota-Pettis' win over Ali Ragan:
Bey Is Back
Kamal Bey has been one of Team USA’s brightest Greco prospects but tragically missed out on the Olympic Trials last year due to a suspension from USADA. The 2017 junior world champion is back and will be tested in the 77kg bracket this weekend. Look for Jesse Porter and RaVaughn Perkins to present the biggest challenges to Bey and spoil his return. Porter won both the Olympic and world team trials last year and looks to be wrestling as good as ever. Perkins has been at the top of the ladder for Team USA for several years making a world team in 2018 and winning the Olympic Trials in 2016. Should Bey come out of this bracket on top, expect him to be a favorite to win Final X and represent Team USA at the world championships this year.
Bey and Porter's match from 2018:
Hafizov - Roberts Rivalry Continues
For the past 5 years, the top spot at 59/60kg for Team USA has been shared by two wrestlers - Dalton Roberts and Ildar Hafizov. Hafizov was the rep for Team USA at the Olympics last Summer and at the world championships in 2017 and 2019. However, Roberts defeated Hafizov in both 2018 and 2021 to earn the world team spot those years. Expect to see them meet up again in the finals at the Farrell in what should be a battle.
Hafizov and Roberts' match from the 2021 World Team Trials:
Though the above are the key weights to watch, you can view every wrestler currently entered at every weight here.