Top 7 Upsets Of World Team Trials 2018
Top 7 Upsets Of World Team Trials 2018
The seven best upsets from the 2018 world team trials challenge tournament.
Upsets are one of the greatest aspects of wrestling. Seeing an underdog become the favorite, or the young buck take the torch from a veteran, it never gets old.
This year's World Team Trials were a bit smaller than those in recent memory, but the challenge tournament still provided a number of excellent matches. Here are seven of the best upsets to come out of Rochester this past weekend.
Daton Fix over Tony Ramos (twice)
In my weight class previews, I bet against the youngsters. Good thing I didn't write the betting lines article, because people would have taken a bath at my behest. Almost to a T, the up and comers took out the established stars, in Fix's case avenging a loss to Ramos in the U.S. Open finals. It's pretty clear by now that the developmental program USA Wrestling has spent the past 10 years implementing is working. Teenagers level up quicker than guys in their mid-20s, and Fix is still junior eligible.
Zahid Valencia over Alex Dieringer (Twice)
There was much consternation when Zahid didn't show up for the Open, including from those of us within the Flo office. However, after seeing the way he handled Ringer in Rochester, it seemed to be the right call. Valencia gave up just one point in 12 minutes, and it was a shot clock point. The Arizona State sophomore still has two more years to equal the national title of Ringer, but that age difference didn't matter in Minnesota.
Gable Steveson 5-4 over Dom Bradley
A rematch of the third place match from Vegas, the 17-year-old got the better of last year's WTT runner-up this time around. The three-time age level world champ did not get a takedown in their first match, and wound up giving up a stepout to Bradley in the dying seconds. This time, Steveson got a takedown in each period, and was able to hold off a last minute barrage by Bradley.
Tony Nelson 3-2 over Jake Varner
Mere minutes before Steveson closed out the match with Bradley, Nelson avenged a 5-1 loss from the Open quarterfinals to Varner. Wrestling in his home state, Nelson got a takedown with 40 seconds left to knock off the 2012 Olmypic gold medalist.
Nick Reenan over Richard Perry (Twice)
Back to that story of young bucks leveling up quickly. Reenan took approximately 250 shots in a first round loss to Perry at the Open, and was countered several times in the 6-2 defeat. Just a few short weeks later, the NC State coaching staff helped Reenan institute necessary tweaks to beat Perry 4-0 and 6-3 in straight matches.
Andrew Alirez 10-0 over Nick Lee
Talk about the breakout performer of UWW Juniors. Alirez beat four college freshmen, including this 36-second tech of the All-American from Penn State. Alirez, still a high school junior but committed to Northern Colorado, could very well find himself as the favorite walking into next year's Junior trials.
Hayden Hastings 13-8 over Kaleb Romero
As Class of 2017 recruits, no one in their right mind would have put Hastings over Romero on a Big Board. Which of course does not mean Hastings isn't tough or can't develop into someone who can beat Romero, just that Romero had a stronger high school resume. Romero beat Hastings 6-5 in a tight first round match at the Open, but Hastings would fight back to get eighth. His revenge came in the consi semis Friday night in Rochester.