2018 Who's Number 1 Duals presented by ASICS

7 Must-See Potential Matches Of WNO Duals

7 Must-See Potential Matches Of WNO Duals

Mixed in the dual meet madness at the 2018 Who’s Number 1 Duals presented by ASICS are a few matches that we definitely need and want to see.

Jan 10, 2018 by Ryan Holmes
7 Must-See Potential Matches Of WNO Duals

Mixed in the dual meet madness at the 2018 Who’s Number 1 Duals presented by ASICS are a few matches that we definitely need and want to see at Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, NJ, this Saturday.

A year ago, Joey Silva of Lake Highland Prep (FL) faced off against Blair Academy (NJ) standout Zach Sherman, who is currently UNC’s 133-pounder, and the match didn’t disappoint. This year we’ve got plenty more star power that will be on hand.

Of all the incredible matches that will take place, these are the seven that you absolutely won’t want to miss if they happen to go down at Bergen Catholic.

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106: #5 Nick Kayal, Bergen Catholic (NJ) vs. #7 Ryan Miller, Blair (NJ)

Both are coming off high finishes from last weekend. Miller claimed the title at the Geary Invitational, while Kayal was a runner-up at Doc Buchanan.

113: #2 Trevor Mastrogiovanni, Blair (NJ) vs. Maximo Renteria, Buchanan (CA)

Renteria is going to be staying at 113 after starting the season down at 106. He took a wild loss in the semifinals at Doc B but proved to be a serious competitor as he bounced back to place third. Mastrogiovanni has been on a high level, with his only loss coming to top-ranked Kurt McHenry. This will be an incredibly huge test for Renteria.

120: #1 Michael Colaiocco, Blair (NJ) vs. #7 Robert Howard, Bergen Catholic (NJ)

This might be the #1 match to watch. The top-ranked Colaiocco will take on the former #1 in Howard. Both guys claimed titles last weekend, with Colaiocco coasting by the competition at the Geary Invitational. Howard had a tougher time winning his title at Doc Buchanan, but he was still very impressive. This match will have a lot of action, and I can see it coming down to one takedown.

138: No. 18 Matthew Olguin, Buchanan (CA) vs. Malcolm Robinson, Blair (NJ)

This has not been a very good season for Robinson. He's had some losses that have left us scratching our heads a bit wondering if he's fully recovered from an injury he suffered this summer. Olguin is still trying to get his bearings after moving up a few weight classes and coming off an injury himself from a little over a month ago. Olguin did just place third at Doc B, while Robinson was a runner-up at Geary. It's a bit of a bounce-back weekend for a pair who have battled injuries and losses.

160: #4 Andrew Merola, Blair (NJ) vs. #5 Shane Griffith, Bergen Catholic (NJ)

Behind Howard vs. Colaiocco, this match is a can't-miss. Merola is coming off a loss in finals of Geary, and Griffith just put on an incredible performance in California, where he claimed his 100th win the semifinals. The last time they met, which was just a few weeks ago in the Beast of the East semifinals, Merola edged Griffith in ultimate tiebreaker, so I'm expecting a conservative match.

170: #4 Julian Ramirez, Blair (NJ) vs. #6 Chris Foca, Bergen Catholic (NJ)

It's been a little up and down for both guys this year. Ramirez is on the upswing coming off a title, while Foca took a loss to eventual Doc B champ Cole Moody in the semis before placing third.

182: #7 Anthony Montalvo, Buchanan (CA) vs. #9 Jacob Cardenas, Bergen Catholic (NJ)

Using the fireworks we saw during their match in the Doc B finals as an indicator, a rematch this weekend would be on another level. Expect more of what we saw the first time around.