The 2025 US Open Wrestling Championships are set to go down in Las Vegas, Nevada with the men's freestyle division taking the mats April 25-26. This event will feature many of the country's top wrestlers and the champion for each weight class will automatically qualify for Final X on June 14. You can watch every match of the US Open live on FloWrestling but until then, check out the article below for a full preview with predictions for this event.

57 kg

Seeds

1. Luke Lilledahl (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Daniel Deshazer (Gopher WC)

3. Liam Cronin (Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Brandon Courtney (Atreus WC)

5. Domenic Munaretto (Illinois)

6. Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh Valley RTC)

7. Caleb Smith (Nebraska WTC)

8. Nico Provo (California RTC)

Luke Lilledahl should be considered the favorite in this field. He’s a two-time age-level world champion, winning a U17 world title in 2022 and a U20 world title last year. Beyond that, Lilledahl has head-to-head freestyle wins over Brandon Courtney, Daniel DeShazer, and Liam Cronin. 

Lilledahl's win over Daniel DeShazer at the 2023 Bill Farrell:

Despite Lilledahl’s success, Sheldon Seymour, who notably defeated Lilledahl at the 2025 NCAA Tournament, is in this field and could be a contender to test Lilledahl. Seymour’s freestyle results haven’t matched his folkstyle ones just yet so Lilledahl should be considered the favorite over Seymour if they meet in Vegas.

After Lilledahl, there are several wrestlers who are capable of winning this bracket. Brandon Courtney, Caleb Smith, Liam Cronin, and Daniel DeShazer should all be considered in this tier. It’s worth noting that DeShazer defeated Lilledahl (4-1) at the 2023 Senior Nationals. Liam Cronin only lost to Lilledahl on criteria (2-2) and holds wins over Brandon Courtney and Daniel DeShazer from the 2023 Senior Nationals. Simply put, there are a variety of contenders in this bracket, and no one should be surprised if a wrestler other than Lilledahl comes out on top. 

57 kg Predictions

1. Luke Lilledahl
2. Daniel DeShazer
3. Liam Cronin
4. Brandon Courtney

61 kg

Seeds

1. Marcus Blaze (Titan Mercury WC)

2. Daton Fix (Cowboy RTC)

3. Nahshon Garrett (Lehigh Valley RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Seth Gross (MATPAC WC)

5. Austin DeSanto (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

6. Jax Forrest (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

7. Nico Megaludis (Pitt WC/Titan Mercury WC)

8. Nathan Tomasello (West Coast RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

61 kg is the deepest weight class at this year’s US Open. It’s so good that I’ll still take time to provide a quick preview here, but if you want more detail - see a full, deep dive preview with predictions here.

High school senior and Penn State commit Marcus Blaze should be considered the favorite after his performance at the 2024 World Team Trials. In that tournament, Blaze finished second behind Vito Arujau while defeating Daton Fix, Seth Gross, and Nahshon Garrett. Blaze is also a U17 World Champion (2023) and finished with a bronze medal at the 2024 U20 World Championships. 

Blaze's win over Daton Fix at the 2024 WTT:

After Blaze, Daton Fix, Seth Gross, and Nahshon Garrett should be considered the top contenders in this weight. Fix is the most accomplished as a 2021 world silver medalist, but he’s suffered losses in the last few years to both Gross and Garrett. All three of these wrestlers have different styles, and any one of them is capable of winning if they’re wrestling their best in Vegas. 

The next tier really displays the depth of talent at 61 kg with DeSanto, Forrest, Bouzakis, Davino, Megaludis, and Tomasello. I’d be surprised if any of these wrestlers wins this bracket, or even makes the finals. However, I think any of them has a great chance to pull of an upset or two.

61 kg Predictions

1. Marcus Blaze
2. Daton Fix
3. Seth Gross
4. Jax Forrest

65 kg

Seeds

1. Joey McKenna (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Beau Bartlett (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Real Woods (Cliff Keen WC)

5. Aden Valencia (California RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

6. Joshua Koderhandt (Navy WC)

7. Carter Young (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

8. Vince Cornella (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

The big three at 65 kg are McKenna, Mendez, and Bartlett. Joey McKenna has been around on the senior level the longest and has been on the precipice of making a world team since 2018. McKenna notably finished 3rd at the Olympic Trials, where he defeated both Jesse Mendez (4-4) and Beau Bartlett (3-2). Beyond that, McKenna has been active on the senior level over the past 6 months, placing third at the Kunayev tournament in Kazakhstan and second at the Zagreb Open in Croatia. 

While McKenna might be the slight favorite, Jesse Mendez might be carrying the most momentum coming into the US Open after winning his second NCAA Title. Mendez, an accomplished freestyle wrestler, won a silver medal at the U20 World Championships in 2023 and placed 4th at the Olympic Trials last Spring. Though Mendez lost to McKenna for third place, he defeated McKenna earlier in the tournament (8-2). He also recorded notable wins over Nahshon Garrett (11-0), James Green (6-3), and Yianni Diakomihalis (12-7). Mendez likely hasn’t hit his prime yet, and this could be the time he claims his first signature title on the senior level.

Jesse Mendez's win in the semifinals of the 2023 U20 World Championships:

Beau Bartlett hasn’t been as active in freestyle as Mendez and McKenna have, but Bartlett is still a high-level freestyler. He won a bronze medal at the 2021 U20 World Championships and boasts a win over Joey McKenna in freestyle from the 2023 Senior Nationals Tournament (5-5). Bartlett has a fantastic style for freestyle, and no one should be surprised if he wins the US Open.

Koderhandt, Valencia, and Woods add great depth to this weight, but it’d be surprising to see them take out any of the top 3. Of this bunch, Real Woods is the wrestler to watch. Woods placed third at a recent Ranking Series event in Albania with some dominant wins over established international wrestlers.

65 kg Predictions

1. Jesse Mendez
2. Joey McKenna
3. Beau Bartlett
4. Real Woods

70 kg

Seeds

1. James Green (Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Alec Pantaleo (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Will Lewan (Cliff Keen WC)

5. Yahya Thomas (New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

6. Bryce Andonian (Southeast RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

7. Daniel Cardenas (California RTC)

8. Doug Zapf (Pennsylvania RTC)

70 kg might be the only weight at the US Open that rivals the depth of 61 kg. James Green and Yianni Diakomihalis are the main contenders as past senior world medalists. Though he retired briefly, Green is a 7-time world team member for Team USA and has won two medals at the world championships (silver in 2017 and bronze in 2015). Green is the returning world team member at this weight but failed to medal last year at Worlds after going 1-1. Green has owned this weight class in the United States, but his recent loss to Will Lewan in February might suggest his time as 70 kg king is coming to an end.

Yianni's win over James Green at the 2021 Henri Deglane:

This will be Diakomihalis’ first senior-level event at 70 kg and the first time he’s wrestling many of the competitors in this bracket. It’s worth noting that Yianni is 3-0 in his career against James Green, but all of those matches occurred between December of 2020 and January of 2021. Diakomihalis won a world silver medal at 65 kg in 2022, and if he’s back to that form, he should be considered the favorite to win the US Open and a threat to win Worlds this year. 

The depth after Green and Diakomihalis is absolutely insane. Pantaleo, Lewan, Andonian, Thomas, Lee, and Zapf have all made age-level world teams in the past, with Lewan (U17 world gold in 2017) and Andonian (U20 world bronze in 2021) winning medals. Navigating through this bracket to the finals will be a tall task for any wrestler in the field, and every match in this bracket from the round of 16 on should be fantastic. 

70 kg Predictions

1. Yianni Diakomihalis
2. James Green
3. Alec Pantaleoo
4. Bryce Andonian

74 kg

Seeds

1. David Carr (Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Mitchell Mesenbrink (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Quincy Monday (New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style WC)

5. Peyton Hall (West Virginia RTC)

6. Terrell Barraclough (Brunson UVRTC)

7. Elroy Perkin (Titan Mercury WC)

8. Ed Scott (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC)

David Carr and Mitchell Mesenbrink are the class of the 74 kg field, and both are accomplished freestyle wrestlers. Carr boasts a win over Mesenbrink in the 2024 NCAA finals (9-8) and is a 2019 U20 world champion. Carr also recently defeated Olympic silver medalist Daichi Takatani, and Carr won a silver medal at the 2025 Zagreb Open in February. At the Zagreb Open, Carr defeated senior-level vet Murad Kuramagomedov (12-2) and lost only to two-time world silver medalist Tajmuraz Sakazanov (4-0). Carr’s sole focus on freestyle over the past year is paying off, and he should be considered the front-runner to make the world team at 74 kg.

David Carr's win over Mitchell Mesenbrink in the 2024 NCAA Finals:

Mitchell Mesenbrink's ascension over the past few years has been spectacular to watch. He’s made 3 straight age-level world teams, winning U20 silver in 2022, U20 gold in 2023, and U23 bronze in 2024. He’s fresh off a dominant NCAA title season where he finished 27-0 with a mind-blowing 89% bonus rate. Mesenrbink also placed 3rd at the Olympic Trials, where he defeated Quincy Monday (12-1), Jarrett Jacques (10-0), and Ladarion Lockett (13-3) while only losing to Jordan Burroughs (8-3). I expect Mesenbrink and Carr to meet in the finals in what should be a close match, and it has the potential to be decided by a takedown or less.

Mesenbrink's win in the 2023 U20 World Finals:

74 kg Predictions

1. David Carr
2. Mitchell Mesenbrink
3. Quincy Monday
4. Peyton Hall

79 kg

Seeds

1. Evan Wick (SoCal RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Dean Hamiti (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Kennedy Monday (New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Danny Braunagel (Illinois RTC/Illini WC)

5. Carson Kharchla (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

6. Simon Ruiz (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

7. Mohamed McBryde (New York AC)

8. Clayton Whiting (Minnesota RTC)

79 kg feels like the most wide-open weight at the US Open. All four of these contenders are solid but don’t necessarily have the freestyle accolades of the top contenders in other weights. Hamiti is coming off a phenomenal performance at NCAAs where he defeated both Levi Haines and Keegan O’Toole to win the 174-pound NCAA title. Despite that, Hamiti hasn’t wrestled freestyle since 2021 where he failed to place at U20 Nationals after losing to Alex Facundo and Michael Caliendo. Obviously Hamiti has improved since then, but the lack of freestyle experience gives me pause to pick him as the champ.

Highlights of Hamiti's win over Keegan O'Toole:

Evan Wick has the best freestyle ledger of this bunch and has notable wins over David McFadden, Kennedy Monday, and Max Dean over the past year. Wick also placed bronze at the 2024 Zagreb Open and won the 2024 Bill Farrell last November. While those results are solid, Wick also failed to place in February at the Albanian Ranking Series tournament after losing to Rocco Welsh. Wick has the ability to win this bracket, but some of his inconsistencies make me hesitant to pick him.

Wick's win over Kennedy Monday:

Kennedy Monday has been fantastic returning to wrestling last year after taking a few years off the mats. Monday has been incredibly active over the past year, placing second at the Kolov in Bulgaria, first at the Henri Deglane in France, second at the Bill Farrell, and first at the Grand Prix of Spain. Monday has recorded several notable victories including wins over Zelimkhan Khadjiev (2025 Euro silver), Hunter Garvin, Lennox Wolak, and Joey Lavallee. Monday has lost twice to Evan Wick in the past year, so Monday should be considered an underdog if those two wrestle in Vegas.

Carson Kharchla is the final wrestler who should be considered a contender in the 79 kg bracket. Kharchla hasn’t had the best folkstyle season over the past few years, but he’s a dangerous freestyler. Kharchla finished second at U23 Nationals last year after losing to Dustin Plott in two, wild matches (21-10 and 10-10). Kharchla is fantastic on his feet and has a potent gut if he gets on top. 

79 kg Predictions

1. DJ Hamiti
2. Evan Wick
3. Kennedy Monday
4. Carson Kharchla

86 kg

Seeds

1. Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Zahid Valencia (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Chance Marsteller (New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Parker Keckeisen (Panther WC RTC)

5. Rocco Welsh (KD Training Center)

6. Marcus Coleman (Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

7. Brayden Thompson (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

8. Dylan Fishback (Wolfpack RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Kyle Dake’s move from 74 kg to 86 kg is one of the biggest stories to follow at the US Open. Dake has spent the past five years at the lower weight class but has been vocal about his challenges making 74 kg. So, can Dake still find the same level of success up in weight? The US Open should answer that question, considering the stacked field highlighted by top contender Zahid Valencia. Dake notably defeated Valencia at Final X in 2018 at 79 kg in two relatively close matches - 4-0 and 4-3. Dake has made every world/Olympic team since 2018, and because of that, Dake’s my pick to win this bracket in Vegas. 

Dake's win over Valencia at Final X in 2018:

Though Valencia lost the last time he wrestled Dake, Valencia has made major improvements since 2018. Valencia made the 2023 world team at 92 kg where he would go on to win a bronze medal at those world championships. Beyond that, Valencia boasts a freestyle hitlist that includes wins over Chance Marsteller (10-0), Arash Yoshida, Amirali Azarpira (97 kg Olympic bronze), Rizabek Aitmukhan (92 kg world champ), Myles Amine (world/Olympic bronze medalist), and several other notable wrestlers. Valencia has world-class neutral offense which makes for a fascinating matchup against Dake’s defensive skills. Dake vs Valencia should be considered the most highly anticipated match of the tournament, and Valencia has all the skills to take out Dake. 

Valencia's recent win over Chance Marsteller:

Chance Marsteller, Parker Keckeisen, and Rocco Welsh add incredible depth to this field. I’m not picking any of these wrestlers to beat Dake or Valencia, but I’m especially interested in watching Marsteller and Keckeisen in Vegas. Marsteller is one of the best wrestlers in the world at crafting and executing a plan around defeating a specific wrestler, best illustrated by his win over Jordan Burroughs in 2023. Keckeisen is another wrestler who hasn’t wrestled much freestyle over the past few years, but I believe he has the potential to move up the senior ladder in the coming years.

86 kg Predictions

1. Kyle Dake
2. Zahid Valencia
3. Chance Marsteller
4. Parker Keckeisen

92 kg

Seeds

1. Trent Hidlay (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Michael Macchiavello (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Aeoden Sinclair (Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Eric Schultz (Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC)

5. Dustin Plott (Cowboy RTC)

6. Cameron Caffey (Michigan WC)

7. Seth Shumate (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

8. Gavin Nelson (Minnesota RTC)

With all of the depth at 86 kg, 92 kg is one of the “weaker” weights of the US Open. Trent Hidlay and Mike Macchiavello are the favorites to win this bracket based on past results. Hidlay is a two-time age-level world medalist winning a bronze medal at U20 Worlds in 2019 and a silver medal at U23 Worlds in 2022. Hidlay also finished second at the Olympic Team Trials and 2024 World Team Trials losing only to Chance Marsteller and David Taylor (10-6) while defeating Alex Dieringer (5-4), Mark Hall (9-4), Carter Starocci (6-4), and Jay Aiello (12-2).

Hidlay's full run at the 2024 Budapest Ranking Series Event:

Macchiavello placed third at the 2024 World Team Trials while defeating Eric Schultz (6-5), Marcus Coleman (11-0), and Nick Stemmett (7-0) but losing to David Taylor (10-0). Beyond those results, Macchiavello was the Final X runner-up in 2023 and has placed at several international tournaments with high-level senior-level wins. 

Macchiavello's run at the 2024 Pan-Am Championships:

Eric Schultz, Aeoden Sinclair, and Dustin Plott add some solid depth to this field. Schultz notably defeated Macchiavello at the Olympic Trials last year before finishing in 4th place at 97 kg. After Hidlay and Macchiavelo, Schultz is the next most likely to win this weight class. Sinclair is still eligible for U20s and is registered to compete at 86 kg in the U20 US Open. Sinclair is an underdog to win this tournament, but he’s uber talented and teched NCAA runner-up Josh Barr last year to win the U20 US Open.

92 kg  Predictions

1. Trent Hidlay
2. Mike Macchiavello
3. Eric Schultz
4. Aeoden Sinclair

97 kg

Seeds

1. Kyle Snyder (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Jonathan Aiello (Pennsylvania RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Massoma Endene (Burg Training Center)

4. Gary Traub (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

5. Gavin Hoffman (Pennsylvania)

6. Ethan Laird (DMV RTC)

7. Christian Knop (Wolfpack RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

8. Mahkyi Smith (Sons of Atlas WC)

Kyle Snyder is the biggest favorite to win the US Open in the men’s freestyle division. Snyder will be looking to make his 11th straight world/Olympic team this year, but this is the first time he’s entered the US Open after failing to medal the year prior. Even still, Snyder is a three-time world and Olympic champion with 9 total medals on his ledger. Snyder has been largely unchallenged at 97 kg in the United States, and I don’t expect this year to be any different. 

Kyle Snyder's run at the 2025 Zagreb Open:

Jay Aiello and Massoma Endene are interesting challengers to watch in this weight class. Aiello won a U23 world bronze medal in 2021 and most recently defeated 2023 92 kg world champion Rizabek Aitmukhan to win the 2024 Kunayev tournament in Kazakhstan. Aiello has continually improved since committing to freestyle full-time and he’s the favorite to make the finals opposite Snyder.

Aiello's win for U23 World Bronze:

New Iowa commit Massoma Endene will be another wrestler to watch in the 97 kg bracket. Endene is a three-time Division 3 NCAA Champion and was the 97 kg U23 world team member last year. Endene has a dynamic neutral offense and is sure to leave Vegas with a few viral highlights. Endene is an underdog against Snyder, but he’s absolutely a threat to make the finals. 

97 kg Predictions

1. Kyle Snyder
2. Jay Aiello
3. Massoma Endene
4. Gavin Hoffman

125 kg

Seeds

1. Hayden Zillmer (Gopher WC)

2. Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC/Air Force WCAP)

3. Trent Hillger (Gopher WC)

4. Nick Feldman (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

5. Jordan Wood (New York AC)

6. Christian Lance (Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC)

7. Lucas Stoddard (West Point WC)

8. Demetrius Thomas (Rhode Island)

Hayden Zillmer and Wyatt Hendrickson are the favorites in the 125 kg bracket in Vegas. Zillmer was the surprise world team member in 2022 after he defeated Nick Gwiazdowski in an epic three-match series. That same year, Zillmer defeated Wyatt Hendrickson (8-5) at the US Open. In 2023, Zillmer suffered an unfortunate injury but returned in 2024 to finish second at the Olympic Trials. Zillmer might be overlooked by many, but that doesn't change the fact that he's established himself as one of the best heavyweights in the world over the past few years.

Zillmer's win over Wyatt Hendrickson:

Wyatt Hendrickson might be entering the US Open with the most momentum of any wrestler after defeating Olympic champion Gable Steveson to win the 2025 NCAA heavyweight title. Hendrickson is also a credentialed freestyle wrestler, finishing in fifth place at the 2021 U20 World Championships and winning a world title in 2023 at the U23 World Championships. Hendrickson has incredible point-scoring potential and looks poised to take over as the heavyweight king in the US this year. 

Highlights of Hendrickson's win over Gable Steveson:

125 kg Predictions

1. Wyatt Hendrickson
2. Hayden Zillmer
3. Jordan Wood
4. Nick Feldman