Gantry

Gomez goes down to Armenia 6-4

We're back, LL was down 6-2 later in the second but got an exposure then TD with 10ish seconds left. Clutch!

Looks like action is over, not sure when it's resuming. Streaming page has no info on schedule

There's about 12 people in the stands

Haines was getting countered pretty well, needs to shore up his attacks and pick his spots more often.

Haines goes down to Greece 7-3. Although a native Greek (based on his name) I think he's pretty solid and trains in Dagestan on occasion and the like.

Demetrius Thomas hits a big throw with 20 seconds left to beat Bulgaria 9-2 after the challenge.

Lilledahl taken down with 5 seconds left by Germany to go down on criteria 2-2 but gets a pushout on the restart with 1 second left on the restart. Was super close but LL wins the challenge and takes it 4-2

It's streaming now https://www.flowrestling.org/live/149395

OK, well I could certainly be wrong about how he uses his left arm - maybe that's his normal stance, like I said I don't know technique well. Seems really weird though, like he was avoiding to use it.

I have to disagree, he seemed very reluctant to scramble and didn't fight the first counter TD much that Jax got in the opening match. Plus this is hard for me to explain as I'm not a technique expert, but look at his left arm the entire time in neutral - he barely wants to use it or engage with it. He only does when Jax forced him to lock up - it's just always bent at his side. I feel like everything was precipitated from his right arm and right side. Sure he was still quick and maybe I'm seeing what I want to see, but it was pretty clear to me that Vito was avoiding certain positions and scrambles the entire time. He was not letting the fur fly as he normally does, I don't think he just hard gassed out.

Yanni did look amazing until he hit the wall and gassed out, I don't think anyone is going to crush Duke at World's like Yanni did in match #1 and the beginning of match #2. Vito was definitely off from jump street.

It really was

I think Vito is more likely to get teched or injury default out than win the next match. Would love to be wrong though as I'm a real negative Nancy in this here thread.

I'll repost what I said in the Final X predictions thread, sadly match #1 makes me fear I was right about his health: "I don't know of any specifics, but he talked recently about having nerve and stinger issues. Plus he had surgery late last year for his hand/fingers I believe. Now maybe he's fully healed and I sure hope so, but it just seems like he hasn't been right since he won Worlds. Couple all that with the time off and I just don't feel like we'll see peak Vito at Final X. "

Vito just doesn't look right, as I suspected. Just isn't healthy, that exchange in the first where Jax got two he didn't fight it much. Plus no tank, it's not happening.

I agree that Strick will be much better at 133 this year compared to last, whole different ball game when you are not descending. He was legit one of the biggest 125s I've ever seen, so I don't think adding size will be an issue at all.

He is a u23 world champ, that's certainly trumps any Pan Am accomplishments.

That's fair, and I think we are mostly in agreement. It's using "impossible" that I really only disagree with

He could get a medal without facing any of them. Certainly not counting him out, let alone calling it impossible.

There was some talk about Lockett at 157, not sure if that has any legs though.

Yaz won his first senior world medal at 70kg, if he can do it at 97kg that would be SIXTY POUNDS heavier. Pretty incredible

There's definitely something off with how WS ranked greyshirts from Cornell. Joy is #218 and Cerchio is #188, basically near dead last, despite good seasons where they beat a bunch of top 100 D1 guys. I think it's because they don't get "credit" for last years D1 wins as they were competing for the non-D1 Spartan Combat RTC. It shows Joy as 29-1 but only 3-0 in "real" matches against people in his division. Basically he only gets "credit", and I think therefore ranking credit, for those 3 matches against unattached people who were in high school or not on any team. Cerchio was 0-0 Don't know how it works deep down but it seems like they'd be ranked a ton higher based on last years matches if they "redshirted" for Cornell instead of Spartan Combat.

Cael had Eggum 2x, Cormier and Trenge. Don't remember all their seeds but they were all top guys so there's a chance. Or was it Eggum, Vertus Jones, Cormier Trenge? Think the former, but either way I'll keep it.

Total guesses but I'll try: Quentin Wright J. Jaggers