Complete Preview For The Boys Matches At Who's Number One
Complete Preview For The Boys Matches At Who's Number One
Here's everything you need to know about the boys matches at Who's Number One!
The tho high school wrestlers in the country are set to battle for the number one ranking on Sunday, September 29 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. All boys matches will be contested under NCAA folkstyle rules. Here's everything you need to know before the action goes down this weekend.
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2024 Who's Number One Schedule
Sunday, September 29
2:00 pm Eastern - all girls bouts
5:00 pm Eastern - all boys bouts
Complete Who's Number One Bout Order
150: #2 Jayden James, NJ vs #3 Collin Gaj, PA
113: #1 Domenic Munaretto, IL vs #2 Ignacio Villasenor, OK
157: #2 Melvin Miller, PA vs #3 Landon Robideau, MN
285: #1 Nicholas Sahakian, CA vs #1 (215) Jude Correa, NH
138: #1 Sergio Vega, AZ vs #2 Drew Gorman, GA
200: #2 Cade Ziola, NE vs #4 Angelo Posada, CA
126: #1 Anthony Knox, NJ vs #2 Aaron Seidel, PA
132: #2 Jax Forrest, PA vs #3 Seth Mendoza, IL
150: #1 Maddox Shaw, PA vs winner of match 1
175; #1 (165) LaDarion Lockett, OK vs #1 Ryan Burton, NJ
144: #1 Bo Bassett, PA vs #2 Daniel Zepeda, CA
144: #1 Bo Bassett, PA vs #2 Daniel Zepeda, CA
Seconds after winning his first Fargo title, two-time California state champ Daniel Zepeda was already looking forward to his next challenge: a Who's Number One rematch with U20 World teamer Bo Bassett. Zepeda didn't have to wait long for that rematch to be confirmed as Bassett extended an invitation for the bout to Zepeda behind the scenes in the Fargodome.
Bishop McCort rising junior, Bassett, has had in incredible year since he last wrestled Zepeda. In the last ten months, he's racked up titles at Super 32, Ironman, Powerade, PIAAs, the US Open, the U20 World Team Trials, and the U20 Pan Am Championships. He also knocked off NCAA champion Anthony Ashnault at the OTT Last Chance Qualifier. In fact, he hasn't lost a match against high school competition since falling to Zepeda last September.
In order to set up the Bassett rematch, Zepeda needed to navigate a tough Fargo bracket that included Arizona State commit Pierson Manville. When these two met at Junior Duals, Manville stormed out to a massive lead before Zepeda closed the gap and narrowly fell in a 10-8 barn burner. Their rematch in the Fargo semifinals was low scoring but just as exciting. Zepeda held on 3-1 with an impressive defensive display in the closing seconds.
Zepeda vs Manville in the Fargo semifinals
Now Bassett and Zepeda are set for perhaps the most highly anticipated rematch in all of high school wrestling. Their previous meeting was an action-packed thriller that ended with a Zepeda fall. FloWrestling's Who's Number One is set for Sunday, September 29 at the University of Pitt Johnstown.
Bassett and Zepeda's 2023 Who's Number One match
175; #1 (165) LaDarion Lockett, OK vs #1 Ryan Burton, NJ
U17 World champion LaDarion Lockett and Fargo champ Ryan Burton are set to meet for the first time on September 29 at Who's Number One. Lockett holds the top ranking at 165 lbs and Burton is ranked #1 at 175 lbs.
Stillwater, Oklahoma senior LaDarion Lockett comes into Who's Number One after a phenomenal junior season that included a U17 World gold medal and titles at Super 32, the U20 US Open, and the U20 World Team Trials. Over the summer, he built on his resume with a silver medal at the U20 World Championships. Lockett will stay in his home town to attend Oklahoma State next season.
This will be Lockett's second appearance at Who's Number One. Two years ago, he fell 6-3 to Cornell All-American Meyer Shapiro. Since that time, Lockett avenged that loss via 12-1 tech at the 2024 Olympic Trials.
Virginia Tech commit Ryan Burton earned the nation's top spot at 175 lbs after an incredibly consistent junior season. He won Super 32, Beast of the East, and Escape the Rock titles before taking home a New Jersey state title and beat many ranked opponents along the way. This summer, he won a tough Fargo bracket and notched victories over #2 Will Henckel, #4 Adam Waters, and #10 Caleb Dennee.
132: #2 Jax Forrest, PA vs #3 Seth Mendoza, IL
Jax Forrest and Seth Mendoza will meet for the fourth time in less than a year at Who's Number One. Both wrestlers are making their returns to the event. Mendoza battled Bo Bassett in 2021 while Forrest earned victories over Nate Jesuroga in 2022 and Jordyn Raney in 2023.
Forrest and Mendoza traded technical superiority victories during the freestyle season. Mendoza notched at 12-1 win in the U20 US Open quarterfinals this April, then Forrest responded with a 29 second tech in the Fargo finals in July. Their last folkstyle meeting came in December in the finals of the Carnahan Memorial Invitationals. It was a scramble-filled 8-5 victory for Forrest that is probably the best predictor of the kind of match fans can expect at Who's Number One. In that bout, both Forrest and Mendoza fired multiple leg attacks, and both demonstrated high level counter skills. It sets the stage for an ultra-exciting rematch in Johnstown.
Bishop McCort Junior Jax Forrest is one of the most highly coveted recruits in the class of 2026, and his recruiting process is wide open. In the past year, he's won titles at Super 32, Powerade, PIAAs, and Fargo. He also finished 4th at the US Olympic Trials. He has a pile of credentials, but that isn't what makes him a must-watch wrestler. His wide-open style and unconventional arsenal make Forrest one of the most entertaining high school wrestlers on the planet.
Seth Mendoza is a three-time Illinois state champ for Chicago powerhouse program Mt. Carmel. He's been near the top of the rankings for his entire high school career and regularly earns victories over highly ranked opponents. The 2025 Missouri commit is known for a high volume of attacks and a relentless pace.
Both Mendoza and Forrest have seemingly endless gas tanks, and their contrasting styles have led to a wide range of results in the past. Wrestling fans should expect the unexpected when these two collide on September 29 at Who's Number One.
2024 Fargo Final - 132 lbs
2024 U20 US Open Quarterfinal - 57 kg
2023 Carnahan Final - 126 lbs
126: #1 Anthony Knox, NJ vs #2 Aaron Seidel, PA
A pair of potential four-time state champs are set to square off when New Jersey's Anthony Knox and Pennsylvania's Aaron Seidel meet for the top spot at 126 lbs at Who's Number One. The match will be their first meeting in folkstyle and a rematch of the quarterfinal at the U20 World Team Trials this summer. Knox earned the victory in that one.
Knox vs Seidel at the U20 World Team Trials
Anthony Knox is attempting to become the first wrestler in Who's Number One history to win matches in four consecutive years. His three previous opponents were Luke Lilledahl, Christian Castillo, and Leo DeLuca.
Aaron Seidel is fresh off a Fargo title that included six techs in seven matches. He outscored his opponents 70-4 and notched a 10-0 first period tech in the finals. While both Seidel and Knox have outstanding freestyle credentials, they are even better at folkstyle. They both won titles at Super 32 last fall, and are both on pace to become four-time state champs.
Knox and Seidel are at the beginning stages of a rivalry that could continue at the NCAA level. Anthony Knox, the #4 ranked recruit in the class of 2025, is headed to Cornell while Seidel is ranked #7 in the class and plans to wrestle for Virginia Tech.
200: #2 Cade Ziola, NE vs #4 Angelo Posada, CA
Wrestling fans have a surprise Who's Number One matchup to look forward to at 200 lbs when Ironman champ Cade Ziola takes on Fargo champ Angelo Posada. Ziola was originally slated for a rematch with New Jersey's Harvey Ludington, but a last-minute injury has prevented Ludington from competing.
Cade Ziola and Angelo Posada have met twice in the past at Elite 8 Duals with Ziola taking both bouts. Their most recent meeting came a year ago. In that contest, Posada earned the first takedown, but Ziola won by fall when he capitalized on a scramble to put Posada away.
Ziola vs Posada from Elite 8 Duals in 2023
Ziola is entering his senior year at Nebraska powerhouse Skutt Catholic in Omaha. He plans to stay close to home for college to compete for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He's looking for his third state title this year, but perhaps the highlight of his career so far was his dominant Ironman title last December.
Poway, California product Angelo Posada is heading to Stanford in a year. During the high school season, he won titles at Doc Buchanan and the California state tournament. He followed that up with a Fargo title at 215 lbs this summer.
138: #1 Sergio Vega, AZ vs #2 Drew Gorman, GA
Cornell commit #1 Sergio Vega and Virginia Tech commit #2 Drew Gorman are set to square off at Who's Number One on September 29 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Their meeting will be a rematch of the Fargo finals but the first time the two have met in folkstyle.
In July, Gorman earned the first takedown in their Fargo final with an effective dump in the first ten seconds of the match. By the midway point, Vega had taken a 4-2 lead. The second period was all Vega. The Sunnyside, Arizona senior scored six more to earn a 10-2 victory.
Watch Sergio Vega vs Drew Gorman in the Fargo finals
Vega and Gorman's first meeting was a thrilling display of leg attacks and counter-scoring, and it will be fascinating to see how that action translates in an NCAA folkstyle ruleset. This rivalry will certainly continue at Who's Number One, but these two highly-successful wrestlers could do battle for years to come on the college ranks. Vega will move from Sunnyside High School in Arizona to Cornell next year, and Gorman will move from Buford, Georgia to Virginia Tech.
Drew Gorman has been on the national radar throughout his high school career, racking up podium spots (and sometimes earning the top spot) at top high school tournaments like Fargo, Super 32, and NHSCAs.
Sergio Vega has had similar success. In addition to his Fargo title this summer, Vega finished 3rd at the U20 World Team Trials, won titles at NHSCAs and the Reno TOC this year, and reached the Super 32 finals, knocking off Ohio State freshman Ben Davino along the way.
Gorman's explosive attacks and Vega's savvy scrambling make this Who's Number One rematch at 138 lbs particularly intriguing. You won't want to miss this showdown on September 29 in Johnstown, PA.
285: #1 Nicholas Sahakian, CA vs #1 (215) Jude Correa, NH
High School wrestling fans are in for an elite upper-weight matchup on Sunday, September 29 when the nation's top-ranked heavyweight, Nicholas Sahakian, takes on the top-ranked 215-pounder Jude Correa in the country's premiere big man matchup.
Sahakian, a product of California powerhouse St. John Bosco and Ruben Valencia's Monster Garage Wrestling Club, is coming off an impressive spring and summer of freestyle. He earned runner-up finishes at both the U20 US Open and U20 World Team Trials. He was also a Super 32 champ last pre-season.
Wyoming Seminary's Jude Correa has plenty of credentials of his own. In the last year, he's racked up his third title at National Preps, his second at Powerade, and an Ironman crown. He also won Super 32 and NHSCAs in 2022.
The matchup between Sahakian and Correa is interesting enough because each big man is ranked #1 in his weight, but it's even more intriguing because both top-20 recruits will be moving to Ann Arbor next year to compete for the Michigan Wolverines. This Who's Number One showdown could be a glimpse into battles that will go down in the Michigan room for the next several years.
157: #2 Melvin Miller, PA vs #3 Landon Robideau, MN
A pair of Fargo champs are set to square off at 157 lbs on September 29 at Who's Number One. 2025 Oklahoma State commit Landon Robideau and Bishop McCort sophomore Melvin Miller have both performed at an extremely high level over the past year. Now they'll meet for the first time on high school wrestling's biggest stage.
St. Michael Albertville, Minnesota's Landon Robideau has been near the top of the rankings throughout his high school career. In the last year, he was a Super 32 finalist, top four at both the U20 US Open and World Team Trials, and a Fargo champion, beating many other ranked wrestlers throughout the year.
Melvin Miller burst onto the high school scene as a freshman. He won a loaded Super 32 bracket along with titles at PIAAs, the U17 World Team Trials, and Fargo. Now, he's looking to add a win at Who's Number One to his resume.
Robideau and Miller were a weight class apart at both Super 32 and Fargo this year, so they have yet to cross paths. That makes their Who's Number One showdown particularly intriguing for wrestling fans. This bout at 157 lbs is must-watch!
113: #1 Domenic Munaretto, IL vs #2 Ignacio Villasenor, OK
Dominic Munaretto and Ignacio Villasenor are two of the most credentialed lightweights in the country. In Munaretto's first two years of high school, he's already won U17 World gold twice along with titles at Ironman and the Illinois State Championships. Villasenor is a Colorado state champ who earned U17 World bronze a year ago. Now they're set to battle for the nation's top spot on September 29 at Who's Number One.
The last time these two met, neither had wrestled a high school match. In 2022, Munaretto earned an 8-1 decision on the back side of Super 32. The score sounds lopsided, but it was a tight contest until late in the match when Munaretto went feet-to-back to secure the victory. Since that time, both have improved tremendously.
Munaretto and Villasenor's 2022 Super 32 meeting
Illinois star Munaretto is fresh off his second U17 World gold medal. The St. Charles East junior bested Faith Christian PIAA champ Joe Bachmann of Puerto Rico in the finals at 51 kg. Munaretto's victory was an exercise in redemption. After winning a title at 45 kg in 2022, Munaretto finished third at the u17 trials a year ago. This summer, he represented Team USA in both Greco-Roman and freestyle, and while he didn't reach the podium in Greco, he stood on the top step in freestyle.
Villasenor recently moved from Colorado, where he was a state champ as a freshman, to Stillwater, Oklahoma where he'll join the powerhouse Pioneer wrestling program. He was unable to compete at the U17 Trials this spring due to injury, but he earned World bronze at U17s last summer.
Munaretto is currently the #6 ranked recruit in the class of 2026, and his college search process is in its beginning stages. Jon Kozak caught up with him about his recruiting earlier this summer. Villasenor still has a year before his recruiting process will officially begin.
150: #1 Maddox Shaw, #2 Jayden James, NJ, and #3 Collin Gaj, PA
Three wrestlers will toe the line at 150 lbs at Who's Number One this year. A pair of PIAA champs, Maddox Shaw and Collin Gaj will compete in their home state alongside New Jersey's two-time Fargo champ Jayden James.
Both Gaj and James are committed to wrestle at Virginia Tech. Gaj will join the Hokies in 2025 while James won't graduate until 2026. Jayden James' growth trajectory suggests that this may be his one and only match against Collin Gaj. The New Jersey state finalist finished his high school season at 138 lbs but was up to 150 lbs by Fargo. He probably isn't done growing, so by the time he gets to Blacksburg, he and Gaj may not see a whole lot of one another in the practice room.
Collin Gaj has been on the national radar for a while, but perhaps his most exciting high school moment came during his sophomore year at the Pennsylvania State Championships when he faced Waynesburg's Mac Church in the finals. Gaj remained calm during a chaotic match and took home the state title.
Gaj's first round opponent, Jayden James, has had his share of high-profile moments on the mat as well. He's a two-time Fargo champ whose most impressive victory may have come over PIAA champ and Missouri commit Kollin Rath. James' savvy freestyle positional awareness earned him the victory this summer, but he'll need to be even more solid to win two matches at Who's Number One.
James and Gaj will meet in the first match of the night at Who's Number One. The winner will face PIAA champ Maddox Shaw later than night. Shaw has shined on stages at both the state and national level. In addition to his Pennsylvania state title, Shaw also took home a belt from Super 32 last fall. He'll await the winner of James vs Gaj in the third-to-last match of the night.