2018 Senior Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge

92kg World Team Trials Preview: Health Is Crucial

92kg World Team Trials Preview: Health Is Crucial

Nick Heflin's health is a crucial question mark at this weekend's World Team Trials in Rochester, MN.

May 15, 2018 by Nomad Lobdell
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The presence of two new weights and same day weigh-ins has created a layer of intrigue this entire freestyle season that will reach its penultimate point in Rochester, MN this weekend. New this year is 92kg, a weight with a ton of potential for the tweeners too big for 86kg and too small for 97kg.

Chief among those tweeners is J'den Cox, who is sitting in the Final X at Lehigh after winning his first U.S. Open title. Along the way, he had to defeat Deron Winn and Hayden Zillmer, both of whom are possible winners of the World Team Trials.

WATCH 2018 WORLD TEAM TRIALS LIVE ON FLO

WHEN: May 19-20 | WHERE: Rochester, MN

Starting with the challenge tournament on Friday, May 19 and ending with the best-of-three finals on Saturday, May 20, a cast of 92kg wrestlers will battle for the right to wrestle Cox in Bethlehem. If he's healthy, Nick Heflin is the favorite to come through the field that features Winn and Zillmer.

In Final X: J'den Cox

Weight

Name

RTC

Club

Qualifier

92kg

Nick Heflin

Oklahoma RTC

Titan Mercury

Dave Schultz Champ

92kg

Michael Macchiavello

Wolfpack WC


NCAA Champ

92kg

Kenny Courts

Terrapin WC

Titan Mercury

Bill Farrell Runner-up

92kg

Hayden Zillmer


Minnesota Storm

US Open Runner-up

92kg

Enock Francois

NYRTC

NYAC

US Open 3rd place

92kg

Deron Winn


Titan Mercury

US Open 4th place

92kg

Nikko Reyes

Valley RTC


US Open 5th place

92kg

Timmy McCall

Wolfpack WC

Titan Mercury

US Open 6th place

92kg

Cody Walters

Bulldog RTC

Titan Mercury

US Open 7th place

WTT Previews: 57kg | 61kg | 65kg | 70kg | 74kg | 79kg86kg

Commentary: It was easy to see which 86kg guys would move up when the 92kg weight class was introduced, but rather surprising to see someone like Hayden Zillmer drop down from 97kg.

Zillmer made the national team in both styles last year, but did not wrestle Greco at the U.S. Open. After wrestling 97 at both the Dave Schultz and Cerro Pelado, he dropped down for Vegas, making the finals opposite Cox. With Nick Heflin's health still in question, Zillmer could be the favorite heading into this weekend.

Heflin was the clubhouse leader to face Cox in Final X prior to his injury in Ukraine, and all wrestling fans should be rooting for a fully healthy Heflin to go to battle with Winn and Zillmer this weekend. His chest wrap is one of the most devastating moves in the sport right now, and he has also begun to develop a leg lace.

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Winn is coming off a knockout victory at Bellator 199 and was able to get fourth at the Open with relatively minimal training. He lost 3-0 to Cox in the semis and then was pinned by Enock Francois. Winn's frame and positioning make him extremely difficult to score on, and Francois is not yet registered, making Winn one of the contenders to be in the finals.

After making it to the consi semis at the Open, Nikko Reyes defaulted out of the tournament. He was 6-2 at last year's Open after joining the Valley RTC up at 97kg, and will be among the toughest outs of the Trials. Timmy McCall is coming up from 86kg and beat fellow qualifier Cody Walters at the Open.

Nomad's Picks

Finals: Zillmer over Heflin two matches to none

Third: Winn over Reyes