We're just two months away from the 2017 world championships, and it's about time to start looking ahead to it. This is the first year that United World Wrestling has instituted seeding for the world championships, so we're trying to project the seeds for each weight.

It is a rather simple process: points were awarded at the Olympics, world championships and various continental championships based on placement and the size of the bracket. The four people with the most points at each weight in Paris will be separated in their bracket.

Projected Seeds: 57kg | 61kg | 70kg

We already know Olympic silver medalist Toghrul Asgarov won't be competing in Paris due to his one year suspension, and to cross off Frank Molinaro from the list of 65kg guys who placed highly in Rio that we will see this August. But just how difficult could it be to project the top four?
 

Weight	Rank	Name	Country	Points
65kg	1	Boris Novachkov	BUL	56
65kg	2	Zurabi Iakobishvili	GEO	50
65kg	3	Franklin Gomez	PUR	45
65kg	4	Frank Chamizo	ITA	36
65kg	4	Iktiyor Navruzov	UZB	36
65kg	6	Ilyas Bekbulatov	RUS	31
65kg	7	Alejandro Valdes Tobier	CUB	29
65kg	8	David Habat	SLO	27

Commentary: American fans will be very familiar with the top seed: Boris Novachkov (BUL). The three-time All American for Cal Poly SLO is training in America, specifically at Stanford with the California RTC.
 
Coming in behind Novachkov is Zurabi Iakobishvili (GEO). The 25-year-old has a ton of experience on the senior level, wrestling in the Olympics, three World Cups and two European championships. He won U23 Euros back in 2016.
 
With Soslan Ramonov moving up to 70kg, the third seed should go to former Michigan State star Franklin Gomez (PUR). The 2009 national champ was involved in the biggest controversy of last year's Olympics when he lost to Ikhtiyor Navruzov (UZB), and might not even be able to get revenge, as it appears Navruzov may be headed up to 70kg.
 
Like a lot of weights, it seems the top three seeds are the easiest to identify, and then problems arise in the four slot. I already mentioned Navruzov could be moving up, as could 2015 world champ Frank Chamizo.
 
We know for sure Ganzorig (MGL) is heading up to 70, but are unsure about the status of Ilyas Bekbulatov (RUS) or Alejandro Valdes Tobier (CUB). The three-time Yarygin champ Bekbulatov did not compete at Russian Nationals, but it appears he will get an opportunity to win the spot. As for Tobier, the three-time Pan Am champ could be ready to compete in his first world championships since 2013, but Cuba is near impossible to predict.

If we don't see either of them in Paris, that would mean three of the four seeds all train in America. David Habat (SLO) has been training with the Cliff Keen WC in Michigan since ending his career at Edinboro with a runner-up finish at NCAAs.

It is important to remember that the point of these seeds is not to "protect" the top four, as is moreso the case in American folkstyle. It is to reward athletes for participating in key UWW events and separate them in the bracket, as well as to encourage countries to set their teams earlier. While it is possible Molinaro may have been seeded, there is no guarantee that would give him any easier a road than what we will see for Zain Retherford.

My projected seeds are below, and all wrestlers who have earned points can be found here.

Projected 65kg Seeds

1. ​Boris Novachkov (BUL), 65 points
   
2. Zurabi Iakobishvili (GEO), 50 points
   
3. Franklin Gomez (PUR), 45 points
   
4. David Habat (SLO), 27 points