WTT ‘26
- Thread starter HopkinsPoke
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So you think think Jordan Williams deserves the Under 23 world team spot over Landon?
He knew the criteria before. SR level success is what matters.
Now he's gonna backpedal like Deion covering Jerry Rice
It is sort of strange but when I look at the 20 and under team and the 23 and under team, I think that the 20 and Under team would easily beat the older team in a dual. I think Spratley would win for the 23's but they might win only 1 or 2 more matches maybe. Landon wins easily and I think Dreshaun beats Mirasola after losing last year because his shoulder is healthier, he is a little bigger and improved ( beat Merrill who took out several top senior HWT's). 20s big favorites at 61, 65, 70, 74, 86.
Sorry to burst your bubble but I’m nothing if not fair.Now he's gonna backpedal like Deion covering Jerry Rice
That’s usually the case. The stars will usually wrestle in U20 and seniors while U23 caliber is a tier below
You're thinking of the U23 tournament winners, not the actual U23 team (which isn't decided until the U23-eligible guys who finished top 4 at Seniors choose whether or not to opt in).
For instance, Coby Merrill has the U23 spot at 125 if he wants it. Jax/Blaze have the U23 spot at 61, Lilledahl at 57, Haines at 79, and Shumate at 92.
Robideau has both the U20 and U23 spot at 70. Same for Bo at 65, James at 74, and Sinclair at 86. If I have it right, only the 97 spot was truly up for grabs this weekend with Rademacher falling one spot short at the Open. McDanel won the spot today and I'd take him over Boyle.
If all the eligible guys opt in, this will be a very salty team and easily better than U20 team. I only see 125 being won by the U20 team. 57, 61, 79, 92, and 97 would clearly favor the U23 guys and the other four spots are a wash.
I get the senior guys who are under 23 having the spot, but how does Coby Merrill have the U23 spot?
By that same mechanism. He wrestled back for 3rd at Senior World Team Trials.
It's the top 4 placers in the Senior division who can opt in to the U23 team and he is 4th. Wyatt and Mason will be 1 and 2. Trumble is 3, and Coby is 4.
Edit Shumate is still eligible found a Fargo bio he was born April 2003 so he will have choice . UWW born 2003 are eligible
92 will be Walters . Shumate is already 23 was told he was born 2003 but haven't been able to confirm it
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Looks like Joey McKenna, Landon Robideau, and Dustin Plott will wrestle for true 3rd at Final X. Whoever wins will be on the world team as an extra reserve.
That would put them on the US national team which gives you a monthly stipend and gives you opportunities to go overseas and compete
Little late to the show but what matches I got to watch I enjoyed. Overall good representation for Cowboy RTC. Heres a few specific thoughts....
Landon is so solid. I kept thinking how good is this guy gonna look in a couple more years?
Dee looked solid but I thought JJ was in better shape and able to wrestle harder longer. Out of Dee's losses I was bothered by one and the other I didnt mind. The one I didnt like was where it looked like he relaxed in that front head position and got dragged. In the other match he was ahead but still attacked with a good dbl leg attempt that would have scored on most guys but James ended up with a counter score.
The adjustments Ross made between the matches was crazy. Once he jumped out to a 2-3 point lead Merrill was done. He's going to be a lot of fun to watch!
Landon is so solid. I kept thinking how good is this guy gonna look in a couple more years?
Dee looked solid but I thought JJ was in better shape and able to wrestle harder longer. Out of Dee's losses I was bothered by one and the other I didnt mind. The one I didnt like was where it looked like he relaxed in that front head position and got dragged. In the other match he was ahead but still attacked with a good dbl leg attempt that would have scored on most guys but James ended up with a counter score.
The adjustments Ross made between the matches was crazy. Once he jumped out to a 2-3 point lead Merrill was done. He's going to be a lot of fun to watch!
I agree that Dee was in that front headlock position and James moved to the left, pulled his left arm out and over Dee's back and he did not react at all. I was stunned that he gave away his position with no resistance. Also I am now thinking we have another National Championship wrestler in Dreshaun Ross for next year. I think we have Jax, Vega, Robideau, Ross, and probably Merrill as good chance to be a National Champ. Good chances to be high All Americans would be Spratley, Lockett. 141 is a weight class that really clears out this next year so we need someone at that weight that All Americans, Jordyn Raney and Tagen Jamison could do really well and place high. I would have liked to see the Raney's at the WTT. Norman at 174 and Berge or White at 184 could place at their weights or could place very high if they jump a level. I like our potential and capability this next year. I look forward to this season where we look much better than we did at this point last year.
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100% agree on potential for next season! I looked at Wrestlestat today and currently they have us 44.5 points behind psu in the tourney rankings. Now we know WS is a little wonky but theyre giving us zero points at 285 (hes a FR w/ no college data), about 4 points total for Norman AND Berge together. They have Troy ranked/placing 3rd, Jax 1st, Tagen 7th, Vega 1st, Lrob 3rd??, Dee 4th, Norman R16, Berge R12, Merrill 4th???, and Ross not listed.
I dont think you need orange colored glasses to see we can make up a lot of points and make next years race damned interesting!
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149 will be the deepest weight Valencia Vega Henson Van Ness Echemendia Block Wasilewski Frost 8 guys who have been an AA. Plus Joy Buesgens Lemley new guys Mendoza Harer and Larkin is bumping up from 133
It is going to be a brutal weight. I also thought Mendoza was going 57?
If I were him, or anybody that has a tough cut, 57 is where I’d be going haha.
With a meat grinder like 49, a coach would have to do some math if you ask me.
My prediction
Vega
Henson
Van Ness
Valencia
Block
Ech
Wasilewski
Larkin
(Mendoza goes 157, otherwise bump him to 5th)
Jaxon Joy is staying at 149 from what I've heard (even though he's huge and they now have an opening at 157). I know he had a disappointing NCAAs, but he's good enough to win it even with this stacked field
I agree. 149 will be a brutal weight for everyone not named Sergio.
My prediction for Sergio's 25 or so matches goes something like this: shot by opponent, scramble, TD to back or Cradle to back, lots of NF pts or pin, shower and repeat...
Will be interesting to see how Vega does at 149. Sometimes at 2025, Vega cut more than 15 pounds. He will lose some of his length and stregnth advantage at 149, but at the same time he was True freshmen last year. He will improve on other areas this year. More offense etc.
I wonder if his lack of offense at times was due to the weight cut?
I wondered about it too. His scrambles were already at championship tier. I also heard Vega is walking at 160 lbs from someone here. Will be fascinating to watch 149 next year. But I dont think it will be Vega next topic like some other posters claiming here. He will have to work hard, as much as 2025, to get back to championship this year.
That never happened his cut wasn't bad
thats what those who are close to the program that post here were saying. They were just saying what they were told to say
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Don't wonder your eyes weren't lying. Look at his attack rate early in the season compared to the end . Hes also still growing
Well that just speaks more highly of Sergio because usually big weight cutters are inconsistent in their performance but not Vega. He was undefeated and never gave up a takedown. Tremendous discipline to accomplish that season especially for a true freshman. Also, he beat a 2- time champ that likely would have been the favorite at 149 this last year. Sergio's year was likely the most surprising year of any NCAA wrestler. 149 is a super tough weight class but I would pick Sergio to win over any of the other top guys at 149.
I remember watching Jordan Oliver one summer. He weighed in at 167 pounds and cut all the way down to 133 that season. I couldn’t believe a wrestler could cut that much weight. At the time, I was working as a strength and conditioning coach at OSU, primarily with football, but I also worked with some of the wrestlers. When I saw what he was doing, I was amazed. Of course, that ended up being his last season competing at 133!
Agree and he was definitely the biggest surprise ncaa champion. Vega Landon Valencia were the 3 biggest I think. People might say Jax but we knew what he was capable of and had seen it before against the best. Vega we hadn't seen him on that level yet same with Landon. Valencia was talented but wasn't being talked about as a champ in November
Agree and he was definitely the biggest surprise ncaa champion. Vega Landon Valencia were the 3 biggest I think. People might say Jax but we knew what he was capable of and had seen it before. Vega we hadn't seen him on that level yet same with Landon. Valencia was talented but wasn't being talked about as a champ on November
I was saying he was walking around 160+ last spring/summer. I guess you're just taking a jab at Chase, but I think Chase's point was that it wasn't a hard cut from 160. It's not like he was shredded or super dense. The guy had some easy weight to get rid of when he was 160That never happened his cut wasn't bad
It wasn't just him. RAF rumor Vega vs JO that's interesting
Troy Spratley and Bennett Berge will be competing at the U23 Pan-American Championships.