2017 Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic

PWC Matchup Breakdown: Justin Mejia vs. Austin DeSanto

PWC Matchup Breakdown: Justin Mejia vs. Austin DeSanto

No. 3 Justin Mejia versus No. 4 Austin DeSanto is going to be an epic battle at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic.

Mar 24, 2017 by Ryan Holmes
PWC Matchup Breakdown: Justin Mejia vs. Austin DeSanto
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One thing that we all know about Austin DeSanto is that he's the first guy in line to get into the BYOG party. (BYOG = Bring Your Own Guts, courtesy of Dabo Swinney)

DeSanto handed three-time world champion Spencer Lee the only loss of his high school career in the Pennsylvania state finals this season. Now DeSanto will take on another giant in four-time California state champ Justin Mejia at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic on Saturday at Pitt's Fitzgerald Field House.

Mejia is just the second wrestler in California high school wrestling history to win four state titles. But don't let the amount of titles on Mejia side, or the lack there of on DeSanto's side fool you, this is going to be a great match.

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Tale of the Tape

Justin Mejia
Austin DeSanto
State CA PA
FloRanking 3 4
Career Record 168-1 188-7
State Titles 4 1
College Illinois Drexel

1. Pace

DeSanto is annoying and scrappy on his feet. He loves running his opponents into the ground and just pushing them all over the mat. His hand-fighting is always strong, and it is tough to keep up with him. Mejia is more methodical on his feet and has really solid positioning, so it's going to be tough for DeSanto to move him where he wants.

Edge: DeSanto


2. Strength

Mejia is probably one of the strongest guys in the weight class. While DeSanto's power comes mostly from his high motor, Mejia's comes from having a solid base and strong stance. Now, it probably sounds like Mejia is more of a defensive wrestler based off of that, but he's more strategic when it comes to attacking on his feet, which is where his strength comes into play as he can convert most of his attacks into points.

Edge: Mejia


3. Scramble Ability

Like we saw in last year's FloNational finals, Mejia had a bit of a problem with Brian Courtney, who will take on Vito Arujau in the 132-pound bout and is probably one of the best at scrambling. DeSanto isn't on Courtney's level, but he is very stingy and has the ability to create a more high-paced match with his ability to scramble, which is ultimately what he wants. 

Edge: DeSanto


4. Battle-Tested

So I know what you're thinking. How could anyone be more battle-tested than DeSanto, who just wrestled (and beat) the best in the world in Spencer Lee? And if that was the measuring stick I'd say you're right. However, when I look at these guys under this category, I'm looking at their careers more than just one or two matches. Mejia has been in so many close bouts in his career and has come out on top many, many times. He gets his opponents best shot every single time, and being in the single class state of Cali and winning four state titles, you've got to give him the nod because of the meat-grinder he's had to go through to win all four.

Edge: Mejia


5. Defense

This is the X-factor of the match right here. While DeSanto's defense comes from his ability to scramble, Mejia's comes from just being solid on his feet. It's going to come down to who has the better defense. Will Mejia's solid positioning do it for him, or will DeSanto be able to scramble his way to a win?

Edge: Draw


Commentary

DeSanto has proved that he is a giant-killer. And Mejia has proved to be an absolute giant. Like I said before, Don't let the number of titles sway you. This is going to be a battle. DeSanto is annoying to wrestle, because he's so in your face. However, he does open himself up for mistakes sometimes with his desire to be so aggressive. Mejia is going to have to be ready to hand fight hard and capitalize on the possible openings that DeSanto gives him.


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