It's the most anticipated US World Team Trials weight/bracket of the year.  Heck, it might be the most anticipated and hyped WTT bracket of the decade -maybe ALL TIME.  This year's 74kg weight class not only hosts a slew of dynamic wrestlers whose possession of high-octane technique is uberly eye-pleasing to the wrestling crowd, but it also features the presence of six elite, highly-credentialed freestyle wrestlers.  

STATS

74kg at 2013 World Team Trials hosts:

• The Defending World and Olympic Champion
• 4 Wrestlers Who've Won International Tournaments at the Senior Level 
• 9 NCAA Championships b/t 5 wrestlers
  
• 4 NCAA Champions Who Finished a Season Undefeated
• The last 3 Dan Hodge Trophy Winners (award given to best collegiate wrestler/year)
• 6+ Competitors Under 30 Years Old, At or Entering Their Prime  

I've yet to see the seeds, but considering USA Wrestling's seeding criteria, I've a hunch WTT2013 will go as follows: 1. Jordan Burroughs (1st at US Open) 2. David Taylor (2nd at US Open) 3. Nick Marable (3rd at US Open) 4. Andrew Howe (1st at University Nationals) 5. Trent Paulson (2nd at Cerro Pelado, recent head-to-head over Dake) 6. Kyle Dake (3rd in Olympic Trials Challenge Tournament).  I could easily see Paulson and Dake swapping seeds, but it doesn't really matter as both wrestlers are destined to face each other in the challenge bracket quarterfinals (granted each still possesses a 4 and 5 seed in Friday's challenge bracket).  Burroughs will obviously be given the one seed so he is allocated the honor of sitting in the finals, waiting to see which competitor he has to best in two-out-of-three matches.            


THE COMPETITORS

6. Kyle Dake
Collegiate wrestling's biggest superstar, and considered by many to be folkstyle's "GOAT," Kyle Dake comes into World Team Trials with little senior level experience but with some solid freestyle victories.  He has notable victories over the wrestlers I presume to have the challenge tournament's two and three seeds, David Taylor and Nick Marable (2x). Dake also possesses a notable loss to Trent Paulson.  Regardless, I see Dake as an impact player in this year's challenge bracket, and I anticipate he uses his freakish athleticism and salty defense to win close victories against nearly every one of his competitors.

5. Trent Paulson
The arrival of Trent Paulson into this year's bracket really stirs the pot.  Considered by many a "dark horse" at this year's tournament, Paulson continues to be successful -something his "fly under the radar" reputation may not suggest.  Remember this is the same man who made a world team in 2009 with finals victories over Jared Frayer; he is a former Pan Am champion, he has won the Sunkist Kids International, the NYAC International, the Dave Schultz International, and he has placed top three in more senior level tournaments than Jordan Burroughs.  This is the same man who beat Kyle Dake at this time last year.  Do not count out Trent Paulson.  

4. Andrew Howe  
The man many consider to be Burroughs' stiffest competition, Andrew Howe enters this year's WTT a big 163lbs.  Howe recently won University Nationals at 79kg, and he did so with ease. Rivaled by only Paulson in strength, he possesses an elite level toolkit of high % moves (starting with his handfighting and head inside single and culminating with the most impressive front-headlock series in the US) that only an athlete like Burroughs could stop.  He has wins over Kyle Dake, Trent Paulson, Nick Marable and David Taylor...and he's one of only a few men in the world to have taken a period from the great Burroughs in multiple matches.  Howe/Burroughs WTT2011 and last year's Trials match, in particular, provide viewers with a brief glimpse showing that Burroughs is actually beatable. 

3. Nick Marable
A savvy competitor, Marable comes into the tournament with half the collegiate wrestling resume of the other five wrestlers but with twice the international resume of Dake and Taylor. One of the few men to have ever taken a period from Jordan Burroughs, Marable has victories over Kyle Dake and Trent Paulson.  He's also having a good year: Marable won the Dan Kilov - Nikola Petrov international tournament, he took 3rd at Pan Ams, he took 3rd at the US Open.  I did find his loss to David Taylor to be a bit eye-opening, but I wouldn't put it pass Marable to get his revenge.  I'm always pulling for this guy!

2. David Taylor
Perhaps the biggest surprise of freestyle wrestling thus far in 2013, David Taylor comes into the Trials with all types of momentum and a number one seed in the challenge tournament to boot!  Overshadowed by his rival and 74kg counterpart, Kyle Dake, from September through March, the Magic Man has been as impressive as anyone this spring and summer.  He got the ball rolling with an amazing US Open finish -one where he smoked Nick Marable in the semi finals and then tested Jordan Burroughs for two straight periods in the finals.  He then pinned Russian Nationals champion, Mogomed Kurbanaliev, at Rumble on the Rails.  Most recently, he destroyed his competition at University Nationals.  Will Taylor finally rise to the occasion and beat Dake?  Can he do one better and beat Howe or even Burroughs?  Some believe.  Taylor Gang, have fun.

1. Jordan Burroughs
He's the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the world.  He's defending Olympic champion, he's got a World title on top of that, he hasn't lost a freestyle match since entering the senior circuit, and while on his tear, he rarely ever lost a period.  He's a super talent, he's an inspiration, he's a crowd pleaser, he's a humble and charismatic champion who has electrified the freestyle world more than anyone else in recent years, and he's the only wrestler since John Smith whom US wrestling fans believe can win a World/Olympic title everytime he shows up.  He has also beaten every single one of his WTT competitors...outisde of Kyle Dake, of course.  He's the favorite.  


THE TOURNAMENT

Jordan Burroughs is given the one seed so he will sit until 6pm Friday night to face the challenge tournament winner in a best of three series of matches.  

Granted I project the correct seeds, the challenge tourny should look like this:



DAKE V PAULSON
The first match up to keep an eye on is the quarterfinal that pits Kyle Dake v. Trent Paulson. 
Though Paulson got the best of Dake at last year's Trials, I'm taking Dake here.  The Kid impressed me with his performance at BTS, he's looked great the last two times he beat Marable, and for goodness sake's, I'm a dreamer: I WANT TO SEE DAKE/TAYLOR...AGAIN!

HOWE V MARABLE
These two have wrestled before, I believe the last time being at WTT2011, with Howe winning in three periods (0-2,1-0, 1-1).  While I like Marable's upside a TON, I don't see how he gets by Howe this week.  Granted Howe comes into Trials 100% healthy, he will enter his match v Marable the bigger and slightly stronger competitor, and he will find ways to score on the stocky Marable with either his front headlock or his head inside single.  I do expect Marable to get a takedown or two, and I even expect the Memphis Missile (Marable) to slow Howe down some in the first period, but Howe's got a HUGE gas tank, and he will find ways to score in the 2nd FTW.

DAKE V TAYLOR 5 
The first "Big One" of the challenge bracket, this match up will be insane.  I'd love to pick Taylor here given his recent FS success so far this year, but I still can't get over the fact that I picked Taylor in 2 out of 3 matches against Dake last year, which makes me 1-2 in calling 'em right.  I lost money, and I'm slighly embarassed.  I'll take the athletic Dake here, but I must admit that I fear how the shot clock may come into play if Dake's using strategy instead of his leg attacks to out-maneuver the Magic Man.  

DAKE V HOWE
The second "Big One" of the challenge bracket, this is perhaps the match that will have the most implications moving forward.  If Dake wins, then the wrestling world gets a dream match that will go down in US freestyle history.  Ratings will be out of control as these two will surely keep our community on the edge of its seat heading into this hyped final: the 4x NCAA champion/Hodge Trophy winner v. the Olympic/World champion -the future (Dake) v. the present (Burroughs).  However, if Howe wins, something many wrestling fans believe to be more realistic, then we get to see if Andrew Howe can top his super impressive Olympic Trials 2012 performance by handing the great Burroughs his first senior level freestyle loss ever. I'm split on this one.  I really want to choose Dake, but I'm afraid he's going to have to wait a year or two to get past the manchild that is Andrew Howe.  I'm taking Howe in a very very close one.  He's just too strong for Kid Dynamite at this point in time.  

HOWE V BURROUGHS
The big(est) one.  If one man has given Burroughs fits, it has been Andrew Howe.  He's been doing it since college.  Outside of 2x World champion, Denis Tsargush, he may be the only person to have taken a period from Burroughs in multiple matches.  He gave Burroughs his closest match of 2012, and his heavy-handed in-your-face/I've got a gas tank style poses more problems for Burroughs than any others.  Do I think he can do it? Yes, I do...once.  I think he's good enough to hand Burroughs his first international loss, but I don't see him beating Burroughs two out of three times.  Burroughs is way too competitive to let that happen, and if Howe isn't 100% going into the finals (for whatever reason: knee injury, wt. cut, brutal challenge tournament), then he won't even win one match.  And to be honest, the new freestyle rules benefit Jordan Burroughs more than almost any other wrestler in the sport.  I'm taking Burroughs in the first and third match, but I wouldn't be suprised to see him sweep Howe just to vex me.  


IMPLICATIONS IF BURROUGHS LOSES 

BURROUGHS LOSES TO KYLE DAKE
If Kyle Dake beats Jordan Burroughs, then WTT2013 will serve as a ceremonious changing of the guard at 74kg.  The future will become the present in Dake, and USA Wrestling will wish him off to the World Championships.  If Dake does makes the team, then he will do so with a world of expectations on his shoulders going into Budapest, Hungary.  He will surely be riding high on confidence and momentum going into Worlds, and if he can beat Paulson, Taylor, Howe and Burroughs in one day, then he can certainly win a World Championships...but if he doesn't then we will all be second guessing whether or not we should send Burroughs to Worlds until he loses to someone outside of the US.

BURROUGHS LOSES TO PAULSON
If Trent Paulson beats Jordan Burroughs, I'll be shocked, and so (I think) will everyone else.  If he beats Burroughs, then everyone needs to start sending some big time love his way.  It's not that he can't beat Burroughs.  It's just that the last time they wrestled, Burroughs blanked him.  That being said, Paulson is as experienced as any wrestler in the field, and if he can beat JB, then it shows he's entering his prime and ready to win his first World medal.  I like Paulson's track record against international competition, and if he makes it there, I expect Paulson to top many of the world's best 74kg wrestlers.  

BURROUGHS LOSES TO HOWE
I'll admit this seems to be more likely than any other "Burroughs loses" scenarios.  If Andrew Howe can do it, then he will most definitely be in the hunt for a World title.  Howe did wrestle at Worlds once, as a Junior, where he took 3rd.  Howe does have a solid international resume, with his highest placings coming at the Ukranian International (2nd) and the Sunkist Kids International (1st).  I'm sure his time at the Olympic Training Center hasn't hurt either.  If he makes the team, US fans will expect him to win. If he doesn't, then he may be dismissed as quickly as many of our 66kg wrestlers have post their World Championship performances.  

BURROUGHS LOSES TO MARABLE
Also not very likely.  Marable may be strong, have a great duck under and snatch single, but I don't see how he'll be able to shut down Burroughs' double for six minutes straight.  If he somehow does, then this definitely adds disparity to 74kg for years to come.  Marable is healthy as a horse, and I anticipate he'll make a run at the next 3 or 4 World Trials.  He's placed top three in 5 out of the 6 international tournaments he's entered.  If he heads to Hungary, he will place top 3 again.



BURROUGHS LOSES TO TAYLOR
He's definitly going to need some "magic" to do it, but if David Taylor can make it happen, then special special things will happen.  Everything I mentioned for Dake goes for Taylor, but there's more: by beating Burroughs he will have ipso facto beaten either Howe or Marable, and more importantly, he would've beaten Kyle Dake for the first time in his career...which means: rivalry reignited, advantage Taylor.  It also means that we're expecting a wrestler who is still in college to win a World championship, and we're expecting David Taylor to be the trail blazer Burroughs has been in the past few years.  Neither may be realistic, but it's sure fun to believe in the Magic Man.  He's a real treat to watch compete.


DROOLING OVER 74KG AT WORLD TEAM TRIALS 2013? 

Yea, me too.  I can't remember the last time I was so excited for a WTT bracket.  This year's tournament hosts the last 3 Hodge Trophy winners! And all three winners, Dake/Taylor/Burroughs, stand out as the most popular wrestlers of our time: Dake and Taylor in folkstyle, Burroughs in freestyle.  Furthermore, all three wrestlers are EXTREMELY fun to watch -yes, even Dake!  Then you've got the return of Howe -the man we've seen push Burroughs the hardest. Everything Howe does is intimidating.  Finally, we have Paulson and Marable -two highly experienced 74kg wrestlers who are young and able to enter their prime at any moment.  I could go on and on, but bottom line: if you miss this event LIVE on Flo, you'd better be at a funeral or a wedding...otherwise you're not a wrestling fan. This is as good as it gets, and you should be ashamed of yourself if you miss it (we've been hyping Trials for weeks).  

CLICK HERE TO WATCH WORLD TEAM TRIALS 2013 LIVE | JUNE 21st - 23rd

And now a moment of zen, a highlight from last year's Trials:

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Hit me up with questions/corrections at: nick@flocasts.com and follow me on twitter @NickVelliquette

See you in Stillwatter.