Jordan Burroughs (USA) won five matches over the weekend and punched his ticket to an eighth World Championships. Photo: Sam Janicki/ SJanickiPhoto.
The 2021 U.S. World Team Trials in Lincoln, Nebraska, inside Pinnacle Bank Arena are in the books, and our three Senior-level World Teams are selected.
As expected, World Team Trials has delivered numerous star-studded bouts, particularly in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.
These few hundred matches wrestled over the weekend were a testament to the strength of USA Wrestling as a whole. With the 30 athletes who have earned respective World Team slots, you have to like Team USA's odds to contend for a plethora of individual medals and even some team titles, especially on the freestyle side.
https://twitter.com/theopenmat/status/1437200548936179713
Here are six things that stood out from the Men's Freestyle Best-of-Three Championship Series.
61 Kilograms
Daton looked excellent, both physically and in terms of on-mat performance, up at 61, and was the best competitor in a loaded field. Moving from 57-kg to 61-kg gave Daton an extra burst and pop to his offensive arsenal. And, his already wicked gut wrenches were all the stronger without having to worry about cutting weight.
Over the weekend, he showed he could put up points in a hurry and win the narrow 2-0 defensive slugfest of a match. If you are lucky enough to get in on a leg against Daton, good luck finishing.
At just 23 years old, Fix is an experienced international competitor. A 2019 World Team member, Daton also has 2019 Pan Am Games gold on his resume to go along with gold at the 2019 U.S. Open and silver at the 2018 U.S. Open.
Looking and feeling as strong as he has in quite some time, look for the Oklahoma State Cowboy to medal in Oslo.
https://twitter.com/C_Miller_atTOM/status/1437169509404643335
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03pvllkUjGI&t=13s
65 Kilograms
It feels odd to say, given that Yianni is only 22 years old, but he finally made the World Team at the Senior level. The Rochester, New York native has won basically everything in his path throughout his career, including five NYSPHSAA state titles, two EIWA and NCAA titles in as many attempts, plus multiple other gold medals in international freestyle events at the age-group level and the Senior-level. So, maybe it's harsh to say he "finally" made a World Team, but expectations are high when you're that good.
The berth on the 2021 World Team comes after narrowly missing the opportunity to rep 65-kg for the USA at the Senior World Championships in 2019 after a controversial showdown with Zain Rutherford.
Well, in 2021, Yianni battled adversity after a head-pinch at the buzzer by a red-hot Joey McKenna left the two-time NCAA champ stunned and down one match to zero in the best-of-three finals. Yianni was able to put that tight 8-7 loss behind him, winning the next two bouts 5-2 and 12-2 to punch his ticket to Oslo.
https://twitter.com/theopenmat/status/1437144979462295558
While both Joey and Yanni would have been excellent reps for Team USA in Oslo next month, both would have been in for a tall task. The 65-kg class, one of the deepest in the world, has been a problem area for the Red, White, and Blue since its addition to the World Championship weight classes in 2014.
With this in mind, in three short weeks, Yianni looks to become the first American to earn a medal at 65-kg since current men's freestyle head coach Bill Zadick, who did so in 2007 (at 66-kg).
Will Yianni end the 65-kg slump for Team USA? Let's hope so! If he wrestles like he did this weekend in Lincoln, he has a chance.
70 Kilograms
Many projected Alec Pantaleo to battle James Green in the best-of-three finals, but Northwestern Wildcat Ryan Deakin faced the savvy veteran James Green after Pantaleo went down with a nasty rib injury. The former Nebraska Cornhusker wrestler has held down the 70-kg World Team spot since 2015.
Deakin proved he was up to the task and battled hard. But, as the saying goes, "It's isn't how you start the match, but it's about how you finish it." Well, James finished strong twice. Trailing in with less than 30 seconds remaining in both finals bouts, Green showed he had ice water running through his veins. In both matches, he got the necessary points in the final seconds to make his sixth World Team, and in his college home, Lincoln, Nebraska, no less.
https://twitter.com/KozakJon/status/1437446833102598145
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu4mcVhuYuU&t=1s
79 Kilograms
New weight, still the same Jordan Burroughs. I'm not sure how this is possible, but Jordan looked even better up at 79-kg than he has in recent years down at 74 kilos. At 79, J.B.'s blast double was back, and it looked more powerful than ever.
https://twitter.com/theopenmat/status/1437144323452198923
The path to making his 10th World/Olympic Team (Yes, you read that correctly) went through Hayden Hidlay, 7-3; Chance Marsteller, 4-1; and Jason Nolf, 5-3, and Alex Dieringer twice in the finals. Top-seeded Burroughs prevailed 10-5 in match one and 4-3 in match number two over the No.2 seed Alex Dieringer.
https://twitter.com/KozakJon/status/1437454766859333632
Burroughs, now 33 years old, seems to get better with age. While I hopped (selfishly) that this finals series would require a third bout, it's probably better that it didn't. J.B. may have suffered a leg injury of some kind in match two. Hopefully, whatever hampers the eight-time World/Olympic medalist isn't severe.
Either way, J.B. will be a force to be reckoned with in Oslo, because as he said himself in a post-match interview, "I'm a phenomenal wrestler, I'm still a great athlete. This doesn't surprise me at all."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vws2avtrHtQ
92 Kilograms
J'den Cox looked like a baaaad man in Lincoln. The four-time World/Olympic medalist was a perfect 4-0 on the weekend and did not surrender a point en route to his 2021 World Team berth. He outscored his three opponents by a combined 28-0.
In all four matches, J'den used the first period to feel out his opponents. Then in the second, Cox found his offense. Cox admitted post-match that his slow starts were things that needed to change before Olso. Still, you have to love what you saw from Cox this weekend, even if he didn't particularly enjoy his performances himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK8C_MS-XTY
125 Kilograms
Nick Gwiazdowski is back on top at HWT, and it's great to see. After a rough showing at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials finals against the eventual Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, Gwizz is back to his winning ways.
https://twitter.com/GableSteveson/status/1437157427011596293
Some thought the 2021 WTT could be the "changing of the guard" at heavyweight and that young Michigan Man Mason Parris was ready to announce his presence at heavyweight for the USA, Gwizz proved why he is now a four-time World Team member himself.
The two-time World bronze medalist breezed to the best-of-three finals with a 10-0 tech of Demetrius Thomas and a 9-0 decision in the semifinals against Jordan Wood. In the finals, Gwizz beat Parris in 6-0 and then 10-3 to clinch his World Team spot.
https://twitter.com/theopenmat/status/1437156447054450688
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC7LezVYlYg
Team USA is sending an immensely credentialed men's freestyle squad to Oslo for the World Championships. While I don't like to over-hype things, it's hard to image a scenario where the USA and Russia are not vying for the team title.
https://twitter.com/theopenmat/status/1437185606283677700
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