Wrestling News and UpdatesFeb 19, 2015 by Christian Pyles
Top 10 Matches Of The Weekend!
Top 10 Matches Of The Weekend!
Looking ahead at this weekend I KNOW there will be some incredible matches. Some of them will DEFINITELY go down, some are very dependent on how their particular bracket plays out. Check em out, this is MY top 10. What's yours?
10. Mike Evans v. Logan Storley- This was a borderline includable match since these guys show little to no interest in scoring offensive points in regulation. HOWEVER, it’s a great, long standing rivarly and it will be incredibly impactful as far as who will win the dual between Iowa v. Minnesota. If it goes down, give me Storley by a hair.
9. Brandon Sorensen v. Drake Houdashelt- Another big time test for the Iowa Freshman. This one wouldn’t go down until the later rounds but #1 Sorensen will face one of the best overall athletes at this weight. I think Drake is the guy in this match up. Look for him to attack and potentially present Sorensen some problems on the mat (though Drake will need to be wary of Sorensen’s top skills as well). I think Sorensen is due for a loss here. He’s excellent but not super removed from the field.
8. Brett Pfarr v. Gabe Dean-We all saw the controversy last time these two met at CKLV, look for Dean to shut the door here. I love Pfarr, but this is Deans to lose. I think Dean gets the TD early then avoids the scrambles where Pfarr thrives.
6. Chris Dardanes v. Cory Clark- Good chance we’ll see this one again as well. I want to see Cory Clark’s adjustment from the last time around. The low single didn’t warrant many scoring opportunities for Clark. Chris Dardanes has been GREAT all year. Is he due for a step back match? They happen to the best of em (See Stieber, Ness, etc.). Stay tuned here.
5. Jesse Delgado v. Alan Waters- Pretty crazy that a match between #1 and #2 would be so low. I think it’s been established who these guys are going to be. I don’t think Waters blows him out, but I also am not sure how Delgado can win based on what I’ve seen from him so far this year. However, there’s something to be said for the competitive spirit Delgado has. If I’m Delgado, there’s no way I go under Waters and let him throw those legs in and work the shoulder. But I’m not a coach either.
4. Alan Waters v. Thomas Gilman-Hey another huge match up at 125. Two incredibly clingy and stingy guys this will likely be a one takedown match. I love Gilman’s single leg, but i think Waters will be ready to counter it this time around. This Iowa v. Missouri match is not guaranteed to go down. If it does, this is probably the match of the dual.
3. Nathan Tomasello v. Alan Waters-If you couldn’t tell, Alan Waters could have a very challenging weekend. The field boasts 4 of the top 5 wrestlers in the country, so this is to be expected. Last time these two hit it was Waters jumping out to a big lead early and Nathan Tomasello storming back! Waters hit a 5 point counter early and held on for the win. If Tomasello can avoid mistakes early, it could be upset city!
2. Brian Realbuto v. Dylan Ness-This IS happening early on Saturday! Realbuto has missed a ton of time with injury but has been doing well lately. Both of these guys can scramble for days. I view Ness as a slightly more dangerous scrambler. However, if Realbuto can consistently get in deep on his high crotch, he could find himself in a good situation as he maybe slightly more suited to scramble with Dylan. I think it’s a great match up of two similar, yet still very different wrestlers.
1.J’den Cox v. Kyle Snyder- I mean c’mon. Does it get any bigger? Has there been a match more people have wanted to see? Apart from Port/Stieber I can’t think of one. As soon as J'den beat Kyle at Fargo this became the rematch you couldn’t wait for. Since J’den’s loss at the All Star he’s looked spectacular. However, Kyle has been in the fire week in and week out facing Burak, McIntosh, Schiller and more. I think this is an OT match. It will come down to finishes for Snyder. I think he’ll get in, the question is if he can finish. Snyder has proven to be exceptionally difficult to penetrate on. Not many guys have gotten to his legs all year. If J’den can get to the legs, it’s probably a wrap. Is it Saturday yet!?
10. Mike Evans v. Logan Storley- This was a borderline includable match since these guys show little to no interest in scoring offensive points in regulation. HOWEVER, it’s a great, long standing rivarly and it will be incredibly impactful as far as who will win the dual between Iowa v. Minnesota. If it goes down, give me Storley by a hair.
9. Brandon Sorensen v. Drake Houdashelt- Another big time test for the Iowa Freshman. This one wouldn’t go down until the later rounds but #1 Sorensen will face one of the best overall athletes at this weight. I think Drake is the guy in this match up. Look for him to attack and potentially present Sorensen some problems on the mat (though Drake will need to be wary of Sorensen’s top skills as well). I think Sorensen is due for a loss here. He’s excellent but not super removed from the field.
8. Brett Pfarr v. Gabe Dean-We all saw the controversy last time these two met at CKLV, look for Dean to shut the door here. I love Pfarr, but this is Deans to lose. I think Dean gets the TD early then avoids the scrambles where Pfarr thrives.
7. Dylan Ness v. Mike Kelly-Say huh!? Last time around Kelly nearly pulled the upset of the season. Let’s see if that was Ness on an off day, or if Kelly truly matches up well with Ness. Dylan is one of the most fun guys to watch in the sport, and I think he sends a message here.
6. Chris Dardanes v. Cory Clark- Good chance we’ll see this one again as well. I want to see Cory Clark’s adjustment from the last time around. The low single didn’t warrant many scoring opportunities for Clark. Chris Dardanes has been GREAT all year. Is he due for a step back match? They happen to the best of em (See Stieber, Ness, etc.). Stay tuned here.
5. Jesse Delgado v. Alan Waters- Pretty crazy that a match between #1 and #2 would be so low. I think it’s been established who these guys are going to be. I don’t think Waters blows him out, but I also am not sure how Delgado can win based on what I’ve seen from him so far this year. However, there’s something to be said for the competitive spirit Delgado has. If I’m Delgado, there’s no way I go under Waters and let him throw those legs in and work the shoulder. But I’m not a coach either.
4. Alan Waters v. Thomas Gilman-Hey another huge match up at 125. Two incredibly clingy and stingy guys this will likely be a one takedown match. I love Gilman’s single leg, but i think Waters will be ready to counter it this time around. This Iowa v. Missouri match is not guaranteed to go down. If it does, this is probably the match of the dual.
3. Nathan Tomasello v. Alan Waters-If you couldn’t tell, Alan Waters could have a very challenging weekend. The field boasts 4 of the top 5 wrestlers in the country, so this is to be expected. Last time these two hit it was Waters jumping out to a big lead early and Nathan Tomasello storming back! Waters hit a 5 point counter early and held on for the win. If Tomasello can avoid mistakes early, it could be upset city!
2. Brian Realbuto v. Dylan Ness-This IS happening early on Saturday! Realbuto has missed a ton of time with injury but has been doing well lately. Both of these guys can scramble for days. I view Ness as a slightly more dangerous scrambler. However, if Realbuto can consistently get in deep on his high crotch, he could find himself in a good situation as he maybe slightly more suited to scramble with Dylan. I think it’s a great match up of two similar, yet still very different wrestlers.
1.J’den Cox v. Kyle Snyder- I mean c’mon. Does it get any bigger? Has there been a match more people have wanted to see? Apart from Port/Stieber I can’t think of one. As soon as J'den beat Kyle at Fargo this became the rematch you couldn’t wait for. Since J’den’s loss at the All Star he’s looked spectacular. However, Kyle has been in the fire week in and week out facing Burak, McIntosh, Schiller and more. I think this is an OT match. It will come down to finishes for Snyder. I think he’ll get in, the question is if he can finish. Snyder has proven to be exceptionally difficult to penetrate on. Not many guys have gotten to his legs all year. If J’den can get to the legs, it’s probably a wrap. Is it Saturday yet!?