Thoughts on the 2027 World Team Trials Procedures

[D3Demon]

Brand new process for the 2027 world team. Olympic weights will be wrestled at the open and then decided there too. You’ll have to qualify/be qualified to wrestle in it. Non-Olympic weights will be decided at a later date.

 

https://www.themat.com/news/2026/august/10/2027-senior-world-team-procedures-approved-in-olympic-weights

[LJB]

i am not sure i have strong feelings one way or the other...

personally, nothing changes for our family...

i guess it could make our non-olympic weights potentially stronger for those who do not make the olmypic weight team and then can adjust and try for the other weights...

[D3Demon]

I agree I think it could lead to a very strong team at both Olympic and non Olympic weights. I wonder if we still see any of the non Olympic weight guys only compete at there non Olympic weight in 2027. Is Trent/Levi/zain/all the 61kg guys going to go up or down for the open and then go non Olympic weight after? Or will they stay at their spot and push off the gaining or cutting weight for another year. 

[bnwtwg]

Byes for oly weight 2026 medalists to the finals but nothing for non-oly weights (such as bye to semis as was done for the past two OTTs) is a move

[juniorvarsity]

4 hours ago, bnwtwg said:

Byes for oly weight 2026 medalists to the finals but nothing for non-oly weights (such as bye to semis as was done for the past two OTTs) is a move

My initial reaction is that they need to define the 2028 qualification procedures by the end of the year so guys can decide how to approach 2027. With no exceptions for non-Olympic weight medalists entering Olympic weights in 2027, I am curious if that will be the same for 2028. With the staggered timing of Olympic/non-Olympic weights, it might make more guys give the Olympic weights a go in April 2027. 

[bnwtwg]

I don't know how senior guys will make it since the 2027 US Open is off the board. You placed at the Open in 2026 or you don't go to OTT is my first read, which I guess improves the field at Farrel?? NCAA medalists will have a better chance than senior wrestlers, make that make sense.

Edited August 11 by bnwtwg

[LJB]

1 hour ago, bnwtwg said:

I don't know how senior guys will make it since the 2027 US Open is off the board. You placed at the Open in 2026 or you don't go to OTT is my first read, which I guess improves the field at Farrel?? NCAA medalists will have a better chance than senior wrestlers, make that make sense.

I’m trying too make sense if this…

Can not…

need more…

[Tyler Perry]

Can someone explain what is happening to me like I’m 8? I am so genuinely confused 

[juniorvarsity]

41 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

I don't know how senior guys will make it since the 2027 US Open is off the board. You placed at the Open in 2026 or you don't go to OTT is my first read, which I guess improves the field at Farrel?? NCAA medalists will have a better chance than senior wrestlers, make that make sense.

It's definitely a different path for 2027 WTT at Olympic weights. They have to go to UWW/Ranking series events from now through April. Which 2026 ranking series already happened and there's only one prior to April 2027. By my count, there's about 5 UWW sanctioned events from now through April 2027. 

If you're not qualified, you're gonna need to go to Bill Farrell or spend the money to travel to a UWW/ranking series event. 

There are some guys who need to be top 3 at NCAAs or find another route - Valencia, Messenbrink, McEnelly, Vega, Stanich, Minto, Van Ness. 

And then there's some U20 guys that are interesting who will need to medal/top 3 NCAAs/UWW event. 

I think the system will work itself out just fine. There's not going to be a world medalist level guy missing at WTTs.

[juniorvarsity]

4 hours ago, Tyler Perry said:

Can someone explain what is happening to me like I’m 8? I am so genuinely confused 

Youve gotta read the article to the bottom then click the link on freestyle. For Olympic weights, the WTT will take place at the US Open in April. It will be a best of 3 final. The qualification process for the Olympic weights in 2027 is heavily based on 2026 results. Returning medalists still sit to finals at the weight they medaled. No auto-semifinal for weight changes. 

The US Open for the non-olympic weights will occur alongside this WTT for Olympic weights. The WTT for non-Olympic weights will occur later on, possibly May. We don't have the full picture on non-olympic weights yet. 

[D3Demon]

Here's a list of some names who aren't qualified for the 2027 open yet, I probably missed some. With the NCAA guy they can qualify with a top 3 placement, but unless they are going over seas or wrestling freestyle during the seasons that would be their only chance to qualify.  I would think we'd see a lot of RTC guys go to the Ferrell because that's there only shot to qualify without leaving the country.

57kg: Troy Spratley, Eric Barnett

65kg: Brock Hardy, Nick Suriano, Luke Stanich, Aden Valencia

74kg: Mitchell Mesenbrink, Jaxon Joy, Pj Duke, Ian Parker, Michael Caliendo, Terrel Barraclough, Bryce Andonian, Nico Ruiz, Yaya Thomas, Jared Jaccques, Ladarion Lockett

86kg: Mehki Lewis, Chris Minto, Max McEnelly

97kg: Jacob Cardenas, Sonny Sasso

125kg: Koy Hopke, Jim Mullen, Taye Ghadiali, Daniel Kerkvliet

[bnwtwg]

3 hours ago, juniorvarsity said:

It's definitely a different path for 2027 WTT at Olympic weights. They have to go to UWW/Ranking series events from now through April. Which 2026 ranking series already happened and there's only one prior to April 2027. By my count, there's about 5 UWW sanctioned events from now through April 2027. 

If you're not qualified, you're gonna need to go to Bill Farrell or spend the money to travel to a UWW/ranking series event. 

There are some guys who need to be top 3 at NCAAs or find another route - Valencia, Messenbrink, McEnelly, Vega, Stanich, Minto, Van Ness. 

And then there's some U20 guys that are interesting who will need to medal/top 3 NCAAs/UWW event. 

I think the system will work itself out just fine. There's not going to be a world medalist level guy missing at WTTs.

Rankings tournies are already limited to three per country, selected by USAW

Next year that changes to two per country, and USAW is getting ahead of the changes by moving up the selection process. USAW selection changes all but say out loud "WTT finalists are going to the rankings tournaments. We aren't having a Zain Pan Ams moment again."

But that also removes the rest of the ladder from attending rankings tourneys. Guys can still attend non-rankings events (Deglane, Spanish Grand Prix, etc) but this is the downstream effect of the changes.

On the bright side, this means that, in theory, there will be more high-level participants at the senior level and less of the Taylor/Dake go to worlds then don't compete for another 364 days types (again, theoretically).

Edited August 11 by bnwtwg

[bnwtwg]

21 minutes ago, D3Demon said:

ith the NCAA guy they can qualify with a top 3 placement

Call me old school, but I'll take the guy who got 8th at the senior US Open over the guy who got 3rd at NCAAs.

Two good examples if the criteria were in place this year

Would you rather take (forget about the ACL in this hypothetical) DJ Hamiti who was 8th at the 2026 US Open and is NOT qualified or Pat Kennedy who got 3rd at 174 and IS qualified

Would you rather have 8th place Jacob Cardenas with proven rankings tourney medals or NCAA 3rd place Stephen Little?

If the point is the strongest talent pool then the seniors are getting hurt more than the college guys are getting helped.

 

[LJB]

30 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

Rankings tournies are already limited to three per country, selected by USAW

Next year that changes to two per country, and USAW is getting ahead of the changes by moving up the selection process. USAW selection changes all but say out loud "WTT finalists are going to the rankings tournaments. We aren't having a Zain Pan Ams moment again."

But that also removes the rest of the ladder from attending rankings tourneys. Guys can still attend non-rankings events (Deglane, Spanish Grand Prix, etc) but this is the downstream effect of the changes.

On the bright side, this means that, in theory, there will be more high-level participants at the senior level and less of the Taylor/Dake go to worlds then don't compete for another 364 days types (again, theoretically).

you do realize that 2 of the 4 rankings series take place before the Open every year, yes?

[Yankeefan33]

46 minutes ago, D3Demon said:

Here's a list of some names who aren't qualified for the 2027 open yet, I probably missed some. With the NCAA guy they can qualify with a top 3 placement, but unless they are going over seas or wrestling freestyle during the seasons that would be their only chance to qualify.  I would think we'd see a lot of RTC guys go to the Ferrell because that's there only shot to qualify without leaving the country.

57kg: Troy Spratley, Eric Barnett

65kg: Brock Hardy, Nick Suriano, Luke Stanich, Aden Valencia

74kg: Mitchell Mesenbrink, Jaxon Joy, Pj Duke, Ian Parker, Michael Caliendo, Terrel Barraclough, Bryce Andonian, Nico Ruiz, Yaya Thomas, Jared Jaccques, Ladarion Lockett

86kg: Mehki Lewis, Chris Minto, Max McEnelly

97kg: Jacob Cardenas, Sonny Sasso

125kg: Koy Hopke, Jim Mullen, Taye Ghadiali, Daniel Kerkvliet

Pretty sure Duke qualified because he was a 2025 world teamer. Also Mullen/Kerkvliet were top 7 at the Open this year

[bnwtwg]

1 hour ago, LJB said:

you do realize that 2 of the 4 rankings series take place before the Open every year, yes?

You do realize that OTT will be December 2027 and USAW expects the Olympic Team Trials champ and their alternate to attend the 2028 rankings tourneys + champ goes to Pan Am, correct?

 

The expectation is there is skin in the game for those two wrestlers and that expectation will remain until the weight is qualified. Even then, high level guys will continue to go for 1) high level match reps and 2) seeding (the wrestlers don't care about seeds at that level, but I digress)

[LJB]

i will believe OTT trials will be in december when it happens...

regardless, quotas earned are for the country not the athlete, so, it really does not matter who gets sent to the ranking series...

[LJB]

looking at the actual schedule of events for 2028, 5 of the events that count for the ranking series quotas will be held before the end of september 2027...

feels like the cat will be out of the bag before december 2027...

 

[bnwtwg]

27 minutes ago, LJB said:

i will believe OTT trials will be in december when it happens...

regardless, quotas earned are for the country not the athlete, so, it really does not matter who gets sent to the ranking series...

It really does though if you want the best chance to earn an Olympic spot. That's the whole point.

[LJB]

our "best" is always on a sliding scale...

the qualifying process starts Feb 15 next year...

how will we know who to send if we haven't had OTT for 2028 yet???

[bnwtwg]

1 hour ago, LJB said:

our "best" is always on a sliding scale...

the qualifying process starts Feb 15 next year...

how will we know who to send if we haven't had OTT for 2028 yet???

In that case I'm sure you have no problem sending Noble or Grizzle rather than Black with an olympic quota on the line

[LJB]

1 minute ago, bnwtwg said:

In that case I'm sure you have no problem sending Noble or Grizzle rather than Black with an olympic quota on the line

 

[juniorvarsity]

5 hours ago, D3Demon said:

Here's a list of some names who aren't qualified for the 2027 open yet, I probably missed some. With the NCAA guy they can qualify with a top 3 placement, but unless they are going over seas or wrestling freestyle during the seasons that would be their only chance to qualify.  I would think we'd see a lot of RTC guys go to the Ferrell because that's there only shot to qualify without leaving the country.

57kg: Troy Spratley, Eric Barnett

65kg: Brock Hardy, Nick Suriano, Luke Stanich, Aden Valencia

74kg: Mitchell Mesenbrink, Jaxon Joy, Pj Duke, Ian Parker, Michael Caliendo, Terrel Barraclough, Bryce Andonian, Nico Ruiz, Yaya Thomas, Jared Jaccques, Ladarion Lockett

86kg: Mehki Lewis, Chris Minto, Max McEnelly

97kg: Jacob Cardenas, Sonny Sasso

125kg: Koy Hopke, Jim Mullen, Taye Ghadiali, Daniel Kerkvliet

PJ Duke qualifies as a 2025 world team member. Everything else seems right. Kerkvliet is transitioning to MMA.

[juniorvarsity]

4 hours ago, LJB said:

you do realize that 2 of the 4 rankings series take place before the Open every year, yes?

That was 2026. Next year there is only 1

[LJB]

yes...

i actually looked at schedules this morning...

i am not sure i had really given the qualifying process much thought until this particular thread...