2016 Northern Iowa Open

Daniel Lewis Could Pose A Big Problem For Imar At The UNI Open

Daniel Lewis Could Pose A Big Problem For Imar At The UNI Open

Missouri's No. 3 Daniel Lewis could pose a big problem for Isaiah Martinez at the 2016 Northern Iowa Open.

Nov 29, 2016 by Michael Malinconico
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The UNI Open is this weekend, and the West Gym is going to be rocking Cedar Falls, Iowa! The action gets started at 9 AM CST on Saturday, December 3. WATCH LIVE

Out of all the potential matchups this weekend there's one that jumps off the roster sheet -- No. 1 Isaiah Martinez from Illinois and No. 3 Daniel Lewis from Missouri are both registered at 165.


Imar had plans of not wrestling on a collegiate mat until January in hopes of winning a world title at 70kgs this December in Budapest, Hungary. Those hopes were taken away by Jimmy Kennedy in the semifinals of the Bill Farrell International Open earlier this month, which served as the non-Olympic weight world team trials.

What's more interesting about Imar's loss to Kennedy is not that he simply went to a new level and came up short -- that happens. It's the way that it happened. First off, Kennedy was not afraid of Martinez. That's not to say that everyone in the NCAA who has stood in front of Imar has been trembling in fear (although I'm sure some have), but there is a certain level of physical respect that is given to someone who wins a national title as a freshman, whether athletes like to admit it or not.

The most intriguing takeaway from that matchup is that Kennedy didn't just match Imar's size and physicality but also his athleticism. Imar is a freak of nature. I've seen him cartwheel on his head.

ON HIS HEAD


Lewis finished fourth at the NCAA tournament this past season -- his only losses in the tournament coming to Alex Dieringer and Bo Jordan. He is a very good-sized 165lbs. He too has the ability match Imar's athleticism. Folkstyle rules pose a few interesting questions as well. Lewis is beast on top, and if you combine that with his size it could really frustrate a guy like Martinez.


If Imar vs. Lewis does happen this weekend in Cedar Falls, the result doesn't matter. It's a win for the wrestling community that we get to see it happen live. Don't miss one match this weekend from UNI, CKLV, or the Iowa at South Dakota State dual.

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