With the Virginia Duals set to begin Friday, I wanted to take a closer look at all the potential matchups that we’d see on day 1.  This dual tournament will last two days.  Day 1 will be pool play.  Based on the day 1 results in pools the various brackets will be set to determine a champion, 3rd place and so on.  For a full rundown of the brackets, schedule and teams click here.

The action begins on 10 mats all of which can be viewed LIVE ON FLOWRESTLING.

Here are a few individual match ups that I can’t wait to see on day 1 of Virginia Duals.  Things only get more tough as the tournament goes on.

125 - #3 Joey Dance, VT vs #8 Paul Petrov, Bucknell

We haven’t seen these two wrestle since NCAA’s 2 years ago where Dance (who was absolutely on fire) was the victor.  Both guys have been very solid.  Petrov has beaten some monsters before including Zeke Moisey, Darian Cruz, Connor Youtsey (who beat Dance last year) to name a few.  They should hit in round 3 action!  

184 - #2 Blake Stauffer, Arizona State vs #7 Jack Dechow, ODU

A week ago these two were #2 and #3 in the ASICS FloRankings.  Dechow had a rough Midlands but could be ready to jump back on the horse here.  This one will be tight for sure and could have major seeding ramifications down the line.

285 - #2 Ty Walz, VT vs Joe Stolfi, Bucknell

Stolfi is finally back for Bucknell.  He’s a wild man out there, known for his scrambling and vicious top game.  Ty Walz is also a very active heavyweight.  I’m expecting a fun one here.  Remember Walz historically struggled with smaller scramblers like Blaize Cabell. Upset potential?

133 - #10 Earl Hall, Iowa State vs #11 Mack McGuire, Kent State

Could be a great one here.  Hall fell back after a rough Midlands.  Mack has been steadily climbing the ranks all year.  Hall is a threat to end a match at anytime, but is also prone to upset losses.  McGuire is solid across the board and has really found his stride this season.

133 - #13 Emilio Saavedra, ODU vs Nathan Kraisser, Campbell

Upset potential here as Kraisser is extremely dangerous on top.  Saavedra won Midlands but did so with limited offensive scores.  He’ll need them against Kraisser.

Not every hammer will have a ranked opponent in day one.  However, there are still a ton of ranked guys who you can watch do their thing.  Here’s a few of my favorites below.

Must Watch Monsters

157 Ian Miller - Kent State
149 BJ Clagon - Rider
285 Tanner Hall - Arizona State
165 Tanner Weatherman - Iowa State
165 David McFadden - Virginia Tech
174 Zach Epperly - Virginia Tech
157 Kamaal Shakur - UTC

Tune in or miss out on some show-stoppers: