I posted this on the Iowa board detailing what’s still to come and what’s ahead for Final X at he end of their World Trial thread when a poster was asking about Desanto’s chances still at 61kg considering that weight didn’t have someone accept a Final X bid as a returning World medalist at that particular weight.
Hope this helps, and it actually ends with a compliment to you guys too btw that some of the immature posters over there had a hard time accepting …
“Vito may be the best 61 kg wrestler in the world right now… he’s literally that good.
Gross, DeSanto, Tomasello, potentially Fix…..and whoever else that finished top 7 at trials and or medaled at Sr Worlds or Jr Worlds (there are specific years and criteria relative) qualify for the WTT challenge coming up here the 3rd week of May in Colorado.
That winner will also just like the Trials these past few days need to wrestle and win just 1 match in the finals to earn the right to face off against Arujao for the 61kg World Team spot in a best of 3.
There are only 3 weights out of the 10 total where someone can still earn a Final X spot at the WTT’s coming up, as the rest all have returning World medalists who have already accepted their invites to Final X at their relative weight divisions. Their opponents are now officially the winners of the World Trials at the same weight divisions.
Those 3 are 61 kg, 92kg, and 125kg.
61kg is really the only weight that is truly wide open from last year’s results, and not worthy of a Final X person already waiting to wrestle. World trials winner Vito A will wrestle the 61kg WTT winner at Final X for the 61kg World Team spot.
92kg is only open because J’Den Cox didn’t accept his invite to Final X at 92 kg, and instead opted to move up to 97 kg where he would have to earn the right to wrestle for its spot by winning either the Trials or WTT… which he obviously just did the Trials today at 97kg.
So although Cox will now wrestle Kyle Snyder at 97kg at Final X, 92kg is now open because of Cox bumping up, and Trials 92kg champ Michael Maccaviaello will have to wait and see who his Final X opponent is, which will end up being decided by whoever wins the WTT later this month.
Kollin Moore lucked out big time with Cox’s moving up by both not having to wrestle him at all at 92kg, and by now especially getting a second crack at Maccaviavello if he can get back on track and win WTT’s. But 92kg did have a Final X returning world medalist worthy, he just didn’t accept the invite.
At 125kg, the only reason Gable Steveson isn’t waiting at Final X for his opponent from the Trials winner today is simply because he took the year off from competition..,,essentially forfeiting his eligibility in doing so. So by winning trials today he solidified his Final X spot, and will await his opponent too by whoever wins 125kg at WTT’s.
Here are the Final X matchups at all the other weights: All will be the best of 3 for a World Team Spot.
57KG: Thomas Gilman vs Zane Richards
61KG: Vito Arujao vs WTT winner
65KG: Yianni Diakomihalis vs Nick Lee
70KG: Zain Retherford vs Tyler Berger
74KG: Kyle Dake vs Jason Nolf
79KG: Jordan Burrows vs Chance Marstellar
86KG: David Taylor vs Aaron Brooks
92KG: Michael Maccaviaello vs WTT winner
97KG: Kyle Snyder vs J’Den Cox
125KG: Gable Steveson vs WTT winner
****Out of the 10 world team weight classes, Penn State will have a wrestler competing at Final X in 6 of the 10 weights, and will be favorites to land a team member in 5 of those 6 weights out of the 10 total. The only weight they will have the underdog in will be 65KG with Yianni favored over Nick Lee for that spot. They will also have a total of 8 wrestlers competing at Final X, with both 74KG (Dake/Nolf) and 86KG (Taylor/Brooks) having teammates squaring off against each other for that particular World Team spot.*****”” “
