Some of the best college wrestling programs from across the nation will be featuring their top talent in the Sears Centre Arena for the Midlands Championships.

Watch the 2018 Midlands Championships Live On Flo

Dec. 29-30 | 9:30 a.m. ET

What makes the Midlands so special is not only does it have the best college wrestlers in the country, but also some of the best wrestlers in the country outside of college wrestling, which always makes for some crazy matchups. Take a look here to see some of the savage matchups we can get this weekend.

Sebastian Rivera, Northwestern vs. Spencer Lee, Iowa

So a lot of people are saying that 125 this season is Spencer Lee’s world and everyone else is racing for second place, but if that’s the case, someone needs to tell Sebastian Rivera, cause the Sea Bass is ready for battle. Rivera is coming off a scrappy tournament win in Vegas, where he made is presence very known both on and off the mat. In his post-match interview, Rivera had plenty to say about the opponents he just got done with, and the wrestler he’s looking forward to meeting next… Spencer Lee.

Austin Desanto, Iowa vs. Nathan Tomasello

133 definitely had some firepower coming into Midlands but when it came out that Nathan Tomasello was joining the field, things got kicked up a notch. Austin DeSanto has been looking solid in the black and gold for Iowa, not great, but not bad either. I don’t think DeSanto has what it takes to beat NaTo but it certainly will be a good measuring stick of sorts to get a clearer view of where Desanto stands. Tomasello will be looking to become the first non-college wrestler to win Midlands since David Taylor won it in 2015.

Matthew Kolodzik, Princeton vs. Pat Lugo, Iowa

Coming into this year, this was looking like a potential NCAA finals match, and when they met it didn’t let down. We weren’t sure what to expect from Lugo after his redshirt but everyone knew what he was capable of, and Kolodzik came into the season ranked No. 1 in the nation after a great NCAA Tournament last year. In the Princeton and Iowa dual, their match was back and forth with both guys scoring takedowns, but it was Kolodzik who was able to get the clutch points at the end of the match to get the win. Can Lugo make the adjustments to knock off the top-ranked 149 pounder in maybe the deepest weight at Midlands?

Jacori Teemer vs. Brayton Lee vs. Sammy Sasso

These match-ups may lack the in-season implications that the other matches have, but they definitely don’t lack any fireworks or storylines. All three of these wrestlers were top-of-the-line, blue chip recruits coming out of high school, and they all have some history with each other.

Arizona State’s Jacori Teemer kind of shocked the world when he came out and dominated Sammy Sasso in two straight matches to take the world team spot on his way to a world bronze. Jacori and Minnesota’s Brayton Lee had one of the most controversial and talked about all-star matches in recent memory, and Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso and Lee both have wins over each other in Fargo. All three of these guys are redshirting so it’ll be a lot of fun to get a peep at what we can expect to see for years to come.

Ryan Deakin, Northwestern vs. Larry  Early, ODU

Old Dominion’s Larry Early was riding high after grabbing a big win over NCAA finalist Hayden Hidlay, but Ryan Deakin brought him back to reality pretty quickly. In Early’s first match after beating Hidlay, he was beaten decisively by Deakin, who had just won a CKLV title. Both these guys are ranked in the top five of the weight and the rematch would help clear the smoke behind Jason Nolf. Can Ryan Deakin get another win over a top guy and solidify his spot at No. 2, or can Larry Early change the tides and prove himself to be a real finals contender?

Evan Wick, Wisconsin vs. Alex Marinelli, Iowa

These two met in the wrestle backs last year when they came away with all American honors. The Bull will be in Chicago looking for revenge since it was Wick coming away with a dominant win over Marinelli. Mike Mal broke down how Wick was able to use his length to score from the top position and how Marinelli can turn the tables this time around with one of the best conversion times in the country. Watch here to get the whole match break down, and watch this weekend to see if the Bull can get revenge over Wick this weekend.

Zahid Valencia, ASU vs. Aaron Brooks, Unattached

Zahid is fresh off of his loss to Mark Hall, which could have exposed a chink in the armor of Valencia, which previously seemed impenetrable. Aaron Brooks is one of the top redshirts in the nation and one of the most eagerly awaited wrestlers in the nation. Now I don’t think anyone is predicting the upset here, but the potential match up between Valencia and Brooks is certainly something to get the Penn State fans excited about, and maybe even something for the Sun Devil fans to worry about.