2023 Final X - Newark

Tyler Berger Is Competing At Final X Wrestling 2023: What You Should Know

Tyler Berger Is Competing At Final X Wrestling 2023: What You Should Know

Tyler Berger qualified for Final X Wrestling 2023 as the 70kg champion at the 2023 US Open Wrestling Championships in April. Here’s what to know about him.

Jun 2, 2023 by Matt Cannizzaro
null

In his first three matches at this year’s U.S. Open, Tyler Berger outscored his opponents 34-3, prior to the semifinals, where he edged Hayden Hidlay 11-10 to advance to the final. 

The championship match was another close one, as Berger topped Sammy Sasso, 10-9, to earn the title and a trip to Final X 2023 presented by Tezos.

His Final X opponent will be Zain Retherford, who was the 70kg silver medalist at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

This year’s edition of Final X will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on June 10. The event will feature the top two wrestlers at every weight class in a best-of-three series, with the winners making the 2023 United States World Team. 

Subscribe to FloWrestling and the FloSports app to watch Final X Wrestling 

Gable Steveson Could Join The Most Exclusive Club In Wrestling

2023 Final X Wrestling Matchups

The world team will travel to Belgrade, Serbia, to compete at the 2023 Senior World Championships from Sept. 16-24. 

Check below for the current matchups for Final X and a brief explanation of how each wrestler qualified for the 2023 event.

Here’s what to know about Tyler Berger:

Tyler Berger Was A Standout For Nebraska Wrestling 

During his time with the Big Red, through 2019, Berger picked up three All-America nods. He wrestled at 157 pounds.

During his senior season, he finished second at the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Championships. His overall record in college was 116-32.

Prior to college, Berger won four high school state titles in Oregon and was named the Oregon Athlete of the Year in 2013. His record in high school was 198-3.

Tyler Berger Was A standout Off The Wrestling Mat, Too

Beyond his on-mat success with Nebraska, Berger was a two-time member of the NWCA All-Academic team, a four-time Academic All-Big Ten and won the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award during his senior season. 

He also was a three-time member of the school’s Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. Osborne enjoyed a long and successful career as Nebraska’s head football coach.

Tyler Berger Paid It Forward

After a successful wrestling career at the University of Nebraska, Berger paid it forward by remaining with the program as a volunteer assistant, working with all weight classes and helping with the school’s training center and summer camps. 

He left Nebraska in late 2022 to become a full-time resident athlete at the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center.

Tyler Berger Wrestling Ranking 

In the most recent Domestic Men’s Freestyle rankings on FloWrestling, Berger ranked second in the 70kg weight class. 

Here are the top 5: 

  1. Zain Retherford 
  2. Tyler Berger
  3. Sammy Sasso
  4. Alec Pantaleo
  5. Hayden Hidlay

Here are the complete rankings. 

How Wrestlers Qualify For Final X Wrestling 2023

A wrestler can qualify for Final X in one of three ways.

First, all 2022 senior world medalists automatically qualified for Final X. There were seven wrestlers in men’s freestyle, six in women’s freestyle and zero in Greco-Roman who met this criterion.

Next, all champions from the 2023 US Open (held April 26-30) automatically qualified for Final X.

Finally, for the weights that didn’t have a returning world medalist, the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament (May 20-21) champion will earn a spot in Final X. 

Men’s Freestyle Matchups At Final X Wrestling 2023

  • 57 kg: *Thomas Gilman vs Zane Richards
  • 61 kg: Vito Arujau vs Nahshon Garrett
  • 65 kg: *Yianni Diakomihalis vs Nick Lee
  • 70 kg: *Zain Retherford vs Tyler Berger
  • 74 kg: *Kyle Dake vs Jason Nolf
  • 79 kg: *Jordan Burroughs vs Chance Marsteller
  • 86 kg: *David Taylor vs Aaron Brooks
  • 92 kg: Michael Macchiavello vs Zahid Valencia
  • 97kg: *Kyle Snyder vs J’den Cox
  • 125 kg: Gable Steveson vs Mason Parris

*Denotes 2022 World Medalist

Women’s Freestyle Matchups At Final X Wrestling 2023

  • 50 kg: *Sarah Hildebrandt vs Audrey Jimenez
  • 53 kg: *Dominique Parrish vs Katie Gomez
  • 55 kg: Alisha Howk vs Jacarra Winchester
  • 57 kg: *Helen Maroulis vs Xochitl Mota-Pettis 
  • 59 kg: Michaela Beck vs Jennifer Page
  • 62 kg: *Kayla Miracle vs Adaugo Nwachukwu
  • 65 kg: Mallory Velte vs Macey Kilty
  • 68 kg: Forrest Molinari vs Emma Bruntil
  • 72 kg: *Amit Elor vs Joye Levendusky
  • 76 kg: Kennedy Blades vs Adeline Gray

*Denotes 2022 World Medalist

Men’s Greco-Roman Matchups At Final X Wrestling 2023

  • 55 kg: Brady Koontz vs Dalton Duffield
  • 60 kg: Dalton Roberts vs Ildar Hafizov
  • 63 kg: Hayden Tuma vs Xavier Johnson
  • 67 kg: Robert Perez III vs Alejandro Sancho
  • 72 kg: Justus Scott vs Patrick Smith
  • 77 kg: Kamal Bey vs Aliaksandr Kikiniou
  • 82 kg: Spencer Woods vs Ryan Epps
  • 87 kg: Alan Vera vs Zachary Braunagel
  • 97 kg: Josef Rau vs Christian Dulaney
  • 130 kg: Cohlton Schultz vs Adam Coon

How To Watch Final X Wrestling 2023 

Final X will stream live on FloWrestling and the FloSports app. 

FloWresting will also serve as home of match archives and provide the latest news from Final X.