The Most Anticipated CKLV Quarterfinals Bouts
The Most Anticipated CKLV Quarterfinals Bouts
Here are the quarterfinal bouts we are most anticipating at the 2018 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
The 2018 edition of the CKLV is living up to the hype. The quarterfinals are absolutely stacked. Nearly every competitor still alive in the championship round is ranked in the top 20, and the guys that aren't very likely knocked off a top 20 opponent to make the quarters.
It's hard to pick favorites when you're spoiled with this many good matchups, but here are the bouts we're looking forward to most.
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BRACKETS
Quarterfinals: November 30, 9:00 PM ET
Semifinals: December 1, 1:00 PM ET
Finals: December 1, 6:00 PM ET
125 Pounds
#2 Sebastian Rivera, Northwestern vs #16 Drew Mattin, Michigan
The first big test of the year for Sea Bass. These two Big Ten rivals have never wrestled each other before in college.
#3 Ronnie Bresser, Oregon State vs #13 Devin Schroder, Purdue
Bresser is one of the most electric wrestlers in the NCAA, but Schroder is not going to make it easy for him.
Watch Rivera demolish two-time NCAA qualifier Christian Moody of Oklahoma earlier today in the round of 32:
133 Pounds
#2 Nick Suriano, Rutgers vs #12 Korbin Myers, Virginia Tech
Nick's first top 20 opponent up at 133-pounds.
#5 Luke Pletcher, Ohio State vs Chas Tucker, Cornell
Tucker isn't ranked, but he soon will be. He'll have last year's 4th place finisher in Pletcher.
Watch Nick go to work in the round of 16 and get the tech against Koleno of Clarion:
141 Pounds
#2 Joey McKenna, Ohio State vs #15 Dom Demas, Oklahoma
Two-time 3rd placer McKenna is the big favorite but the dangerous Dom Demas is a home run hitter from neutral.
#3 Jaydin Eierman, Missouri vs #19 Kanen Storr, Michigan
Eierman has been a man on a mission so far in this tournament. This one has big team point implications.
149 Pounds
#4 Grant Leeth, Missouri vs #8 Brock Zacherl, Clarion
Zacherl is off to another hot start. Will he be checked by the neck brace?
#2 Micah Jordan, Ohio State vs #10 Austin O’Connor
O'Connor pinned his last two opponents. Can the senior Buckeye cool off this red-hot Tar Heel?
Watch O'Connor pin Campbell's Josh Heil in the first period in the round of 16:
157 Pounds
#7 Kennedy Monday, North Carolina vs #20 John Van Brill, Rutgers
The rubber match for these two. Monday dominated in the dual meet last year but Van Brill got revenge at Nationals.
#6 Ryan Deakin, Northwestern vs #17 Hunter Willits, Oregon State
Two talented sophomores battle for the future of the weight class.
Watch until the end of this one as Van Brill sticks his round of 32 opponent with funk to complete the come-from-behind victory with 2 seconds left in the match:
165 Pounds
#6 Branson Ashworth, Wyoming vs #16 Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech
Ashworth has beaten his last two ranked opponents in Isaiah White and Chandler Rogers. Will Virginia tech's junior World Champion be his next victim?
#10 Isaiah White, Nebraska vs #14 Joey Gunther, Illinois
Two Illinois high school wrestlers go at it in Las Vegas.
174 Pounds
#3 Myles Amine, Michigan vs #18 Matthew Finesilver, Duke
The Finsilvers are at 75% today, with three of the four brothers entered in brackets. Two-time All-American Myles Amine will have his hands full with Matthew.
#4 Daniel Lewis, Missouri vs Devin Skatzka, Minnesota
Will Skatzka hand D-Lew his first non-NCAA loss since February 2017?
184 Pounds
#8 Max Dean, Cornell vs #9 Chip Ness, North Carolina
Ness leads the career series against Dean 2-1, including a win in the 7th place match in Cleveland.
#4 Zack Zavatsky, Virginia Tech vs #10 Drew Foster, Northern Iowa
ZZ Top was an All-American last year. Foster climbed the podium in 2017.
197 Pounds
#1 Kollin Moore, Ohio State vs Ben Honis, Cornell
Moore is the heavy favorite but Honis is a tough out.
#18 Eric Schultz, Nebraska vs Jay Aiello, Virginia
Schultz took out Jackson Striggow of Michigan to make the quarters. Aiello upset #8 Nathan Traxler of Stanford.
285 Pounds
#3 Gable Steveson, Minnesota vs #17 AJ Nevills
Steveson is appointment viewing no matter who, where and when he wrestles.
#13 Matt Stencel, Central Michigan vs Chase Singletary, Ohio State
Singletary upset #9 Conan Jennings of Northwestern. Can he produce a similar result against the highly regarded Stencel?