Zain Retherford (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The new American Wrestling League bills itself as "The Greatest Wrestling Show on Earth!"
That remains to be seen, but the new AWL does provide another opportunity for international wrestlers in the U.S. to gain exposure.
Along with winning a little bit of cash.
Each of the AWL participants will collect $2,500 to wrestle in the freestyle wrestling event, which will be streamed live on Trackwrestling.com. The winners will pick up an additional $5,000.
The inaugural AWL event is scheduled to be held on Friday (Nov. 30) at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.
Newly crowned world champions David Taylor and Kyle Dake drafted the athletes that will compete in the AWL.
Unfortunately for the fans, neither Taylor nor Dake will be competing in the first AWL event. None of the seven freestyle medalists from last month's World Championships are competing.
Even with the lack of star power, there are a number of top wrestlers who will be competing.
Adam Coon, who won a world silver medal last month in Greco-Roman wrestling, is scheduled to compete at heavyweight. He will face veteran Dom Bradley.
One of the best matchups will involve a bout between past NCAA champions Jordan Oliver and Zain Retherford.
Past Iowa Hawkeye national champions Tony Ramos and Cory Clark also are expected to square off.
Another intriguing battle will feature two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez and three-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer.
It's too bad Dake and Taylor won't be competing. It is understandable with the event coming just a few weeks after they won world titles, but if you want "The Greatest Wrestling Show on Earth!" you should put the best wrestlers on the card.
A Dake-Taylor match alone would be worth the price of admission. As a wrestling fan, it would be awesome to see.
I applaud the initiative for trying to put a professional league together and I think it could succeed in this country with the right formula. But you need your best wrestlers to be a part of it.
The AWL event should still be a good show with some high-level wrestling, but it could offer so much more.
Here are my predictions for the AWL I event:
57 kilograms: Frank Perrelli (Team Dake) vs. Nico Megaludis (Team Taylor)
Perrelli is a tough, hard-nosed veteran with a ton of experience and Megaludis is a strong competitor who could definitely contend for a world team spot. This has the makings of an entertaining match with two little guys who know how to scrap and get after it.
My pick: Megaludis
61 kilograms: Tony Ramos (Dake) vs. Cory Clark (Taylor)
This is the match that many of the Iowa fans will be most intrigued about. Ramos is a past NCAA champion for the Hawkeyes who has made two U.S. world teams. Ramos left Iowa City for the University of North Carolina after losing to former Hawkeye Daniel Dennis at the 2016 Olympic Trials. A year later, Ramos lost to former Hawkeye Thomas Gilman at the World Team Trials. Now Ramos will face Clark, a 2017 NCAA champion for Iowa that he knows well. This is the match I am looking forward to most in this dual. It should be interesting to watch.
My pick: Clark
65 kilograms: Jordan Oliver (Dake) vs. Zain Retherford (Taylor)
This is expected to be another match between two wrestlers with legitimate chances to make the world and Olympic team the next two years. Oliver has been as high as second on the U.S. ladder and Retherford made the 2017 world team. These are two highly skilled wrestlers who have the potential to medal on the world stage. This is a match you won't want to miss.
My pick: Retherford
70 kilograms: James Green (Dake) vs. Brandon Sorensen (Taylor)
Green is a two-time world medalist who is coming off a disappointing performance at the World Championships. It's good to see Green competing in this event. This could be an interesting match with Sorensen wrestling just up the road from where he competed at the University of Iowa. Sorensen is a good prospect who can be lethal when he opens up. Green is an explosive athlete who also is tough to score on.
My pick: Green
74 kilograms: Richie Lewis (Dake) vs. Tommy Gantt (Taylor)
Lewis proved his mettle by becoming a surprise gold medalist at the U23 World Championships. He will be the favorite here against Gantt, who has experienced some success on the freestyle circuit. It will be interesting to see how Lewis progresses and fares on the Senior level.
My pick: Lewis.
Isaiah Martinez (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)79 kilograms: Isaiah Martinez (Dake) vs. Alex Dieringer (Taylor)
If both wrestlers open up and let it fly, this could be the best match on the card. Martinez is a very dynamic and athletic wrestler. Dieringer is a wrestler with an impressive skill set and a huge upside. Martinez is coming up a weight class after being second on the ladder behind Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg. Dieringer may have a size advantage over Martinez and that may be the difference in this bout.
My pick: Dieringer
86 kilograms: Nick Heflin (Dake) vs. Sam Brooks (Taylor)
Heflin is a wrestler who has held his own internationally and Brooks is another top prospect who has made two age-group world teams. Both of these wrestlers have big moves in their arsenals and could put on a heck of a show for the fans. Brooks is a fan favorite who has wrestled well in Iowa.
My pick: Heflin.
92 kilograms: Deron Winn (Dake) vs. Mike Macchiavello (Taylor)
Winn has been a solid freestyle wrestler for a number of years, but he has competed only part-time in wrestling while he pursues a career in mixed martial arts. Macchiavello was a surprise winner at the NCAA Championships. He's a very physical wrestler who is tough to match up against.
My pick: Winn
97 kilograms: Jacob Kasper (Dake) vs. Kyven Gadson (Taylor)
Kasper looks like he could excel internationally. Gadson is a potential world medalist, but with Olympic and world champion Kyle Snyder in the same weight class it will be difficult for him to even make a U.S. team. This is a homecoming of sorts for Gadson, an Iowa native who won an NCAA title for Iowa State. Look for Gadson to try and put on a show for his fans.
My pick: Gadson
125 kilograms: Dom Bradley (Dake) vs. Adam Coon (Taylor)
This also has the makings of another interesting and compelling match. Bradley is a veteran who is still a very good wrestler. Coon is coming off an outstanding performance at the World Championships where he pinned four straight opponents en route to the finals. Coon is on a roll right now and look for that trend to continue.
My pick: Coon
Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.
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