The Best Moments In Who's #1 History
The Best Moments In Who's #1 History
Bratke picks out the top Who's #1 year by year.
Over the past seven years, Who's #1 has provided wrestling fans with some of the most exciting moments of the high school wrestling season. From high scoring affairs, matches that last over a half hour, and legendary celebrations, Who's #1 has had a little bit of everything. Before the 2020 version version of the event goes down, I thought it would be fun to take a walk down memory lane and look back at some of the best moments from previous Who's #1 cards.
Watch Who's Number 1 LIVE on FloWrestling
Saturday, October 3, 2020 at 6 PM ET
2013 - Grace Hall, Lehigh University
Fredy Stroker Runs The First Four-Man Bracket Gauntlet
The first Who's #1 also featured the first man bracket which has come to be the events calling card. The bracket featured #1 Seth Gross, #2 Zac Hall, #3 Fredy Stroker, and #4, Michael Kemerer. Stroker would upset the top-ranked Gross in his opening match and then take out Michael Kemerer to earn the nation's top spot.
Watch Stroker take out Kemerer to earn the #1 ranking.
Nolf Storms Past McKenna
This match started with Joey McKenna firing on all cylinders, but Jason Nolf only got better as the match went on and the country got a look at what Nolf could be on the next level.
Watch Nolf come from behind againstJoey McKenna.
Johnny Sebastian Reigns Supreme
At the time, Johnny Sebastian-Michael Pixley was the potential matchup that high school wrestling fans across the country were talking about the most. Who's #1 made it happen and Sebastian left no doubt.
Watch Sebastian win the much anticipated showdown with Pixley.
2014 - Grace Hall, Lehigh University
Nick Suriano and Daton Fix Wrestle For Over A Half Hour
A year before at the inaugural Who's #1, Nathan Boston and Sean Russell wrestled the longest match in high school history when they battled for over 16 minutes. Nick Suriano and Daton Fix would double that in their epic battle which would be an NCAA finals matchup five years later.
Watch Suriano win the marathon match with Fix.
Mark Hall Makes A Statement
Mark Hall came into his showdown with Anthony Valencia as not only the second-ranked 170-pounder in the country but as the second-ranked pound for pound wrestler in America. In both rankings, Hall was behind Valencia. However, Hall left no doubt as he picked up the first bonus-point win in Who's #1 history when he majored Valencia.
Watch Hall dominate Valencia.
2015 - Grace Hall, Lehigh University
Chad Red Scrambles His Way To Top Of Loaded Four-Man
The second four-man in Who's #1 was unbelievably loaded featuring #1 Chad Red, #2 Luke Pletcher, #3 Yianni Diakomihalis, and #4 Taylor LaMont. Red got past LaMont in the opening round and then was part of some of the craziest scrambles we've ever seen against Luke Pletcher in the finals.
Watch the scramble fest between Red and LaMont.
Gable Steveson Silences The Snake Pit
In a battle of Cadet World finalists, with Jordan Wood wrestling in his future home gym, Gable Steveson would edge the future Lehigh standout, and let the Lehigh Valley crowd know about it.
Watch Steveson silence the Snake Pit.
2016 - Grace Hall, Lehigh University
Jordan Decatur Stuns Gavin Teasdale
It was the first match of the card and it was fireworks from start to finish. Jordan Decatur went feet to back early, but Gavin Teasdale would dig himself out of the early hole and nearly complete the comeback.
Watch the 15-point barnburner between Teasdale and Decatur.
Cody Brewer Blanks Tony Ramos
I know this wasn't a high school match, but it was the main event of the evening and pretty shocking. Tony Ramos had been the 57kg world team representative in 2014 and 2015 and had been in the Olympic Trials finals earlier that year. Cody Brewer scored early and often and less than a minute in the match was over
Watch Brewer shock the country and take out Ramos.
2017 - Grace Hall, Lehigh University
McHenry Cashes In At The Buzzer
Rolling start or nah? You decide. Either way, Kurt McHenry found a way to get it done with short time on the clock and then made it rain in the Snake Pit.
Watch McHenry come up clutch at the buzzer.
Hidlay Makes History, Eats A Hoagie On The Mat
Not only did Trent Hidlay earn the first pin in Who's #1 history, but he followed it up with a celebration for the ages when he caught a hoagie from the stands and enjoyed his win by taking a big ole bite on the mat. They call him Hoagie Hidlay for a reason.
Watch the first pin in Who' #1 history.
Sasso Blows The Roof Off The Snake Pit
Anthony Artalona came in ranked #1 thanks to his win over Sammy Sasso in the Fargo semifinals earlier that summer, but this one would go much differently. Sasso locked up his deadly cradle and it was game over. In my opinion, the loudest moment in Who's #1 history.
Watch Sasso bring the Snake Pit crowd to their feet.
2018 - Grace Hall, Lehigh University
JoJo Aragona Rolls To Four Man Title
At 138, #1 JoJo Aragona was tasked with defending his ranking against #2 Keegan O'Toole, #3 Jaden Abas, and #4 Gabe Tagg and he was up to the challenge. Aragona rolled past Tagg 8-4 in his first match and then showed why he came in ranked #1 when he beat O'Toole, 5-2.
Watch Aragona defend his #1 ranking.
2019 - Carver-Hawkeye Arena, University of Iowa
Shayne Van Ness Shows He's #1 In Style
After injuring himself in his first match at the Cadet World Team Trials earlier that summer, Shayne Van Ness saw his dreams of making a Cadet World Team come to an end and was unable to compete at Fargo due to the injury as well. At Who's #1, Van Ness had his chance to beat the Fargo champion Dom Serrano and the Cadet World Team member Jesse Mendez and that's exactly what he did to leave Carver-Hawkeye Arena with the nation's top ranking.
Watch Van Ness win one of the most exciting matches in Who's #1 history.
Patrick Kennedy Wins In Front Of His Future Fans
It was the most anticipated match of the night and future Hawkeye, Patrick Kennedy, didn't disappoint the fans he will one day wrestle in front of in black and gold. Kennedy scored the only two takedowns of the match to roll past the now Penn State commit, Alex Facundo.
Watch Kennedy put on a show in front of the Hawkeye faithful.
What will be the biggest moment of this year's Who's #1 card? I can't wait to find out!
Watch Who's Number 1 LIVE on FloWrestling
Saturday, October 3, 2020 at 6 PM ET
2020 Who's #1 Match Order
138: Jesse Mendez vs Jordan Williams
145: Kylie Welker vs Skylar Hattendorf
182: Lenny Pinto vs Rylan Rogers
126: Jordan Titus vs Dean Peterson
152: Victor Voinovich vs Jagger Condomitti
285: Kyonte Hamilton vs Chase Horne
220: Kyle Haas vs Nick Feldman
145: Cody Chittum vs Wyatt Henson
195: Seth Shumate vs Tate Picklo
112: Sage Mortimer vs Mia Palumbo
160: Paddy Gallagher vs Travis Mastrogiovanni
138: Joel Vandervere vs Williams/Mendez