Who's #1 has brought us the premier matchups in high school wrestling each year. By definition, the wrestlers are contending to be named the best at their weight in the country. Who's #1 competitors have gone on to win NCAA Championships, All American Honors and World titles and medals. In fact, WNO alumni have made 42 World Teams, winning 24 medals, 14 of which were gold.

However, in reflecting on the first five years of the event, not all my fondest memories are of the individuals who went on to the best careers. At least not yet, anyway. 

Ryan listed his Top 7 matches last year, and there are some gems in there that don't appear here. But I go in a different direction with some of them.

Below are my favorite matchups/results, and why.

7. 2016 - Mikey Labriola (PA) vs. Travis Wittkake (OR)

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Why: Wittlake had made two Cadet World teams and was the undisputed #1. Labriola was a very good local kid who hadn't wrestled in a lot of national events. I had known him since he was in elementary school and as the card's finale, a gang of high school classmates crowded the mat. It was a fantastic ending to the night when he won.

6. 2013 - Michael Pixley (MO) vs. Johnny Sebastian (NJ)

Why: The match that started it all. Sebastian was a two-time state champ in one of the toughest states in the country and had won FloNationals in a deep field. He was ranked #1 and Missouri fans didn't like that too much. Pixley had ran through Fargo two years in a row. So we settled it on the mat, and Who's #1 was born. It will always hold a special place in my heart.

5. 2014 - Zahid Valencia (CA) vs. Myles Martin (NJ)

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Why: Prior to this, I took a lot of heat for never picking Zahid when he moved up in weight. But yet he kept winning. When setting up the card for 2014, I reached out to all the wrestlers to see what weight they were going for the next season. To say I was surprised when Zahid said '182' would be an understatement. He had wrestled the California State tournament at 132. 

Would Zahid, moving up 50 pounds, still in #1/#2 territory? 

I was done doubting him. 'Give the kid a shot,' I thought. All he did, every time he moved up in weight, was become #1 at that weight.

The fans didn't like it too much. They told me it was a ploy, a spectacle. Secretly I was praying that the match would be competitive. It was much more than that. 

4. Macey Kilty (WI) vs. Gracie Figueroa (CA)

Why: I had tried to get the most compelling girls matchup at WNO for a few years. Whether the two best P4P girls were either too far apart in weight, or they were traveling to other World events/camps, something prevented it from happening the first few years. But when we were finally able to land it, it was certainly the right one. Gracie and Macey proved to be fine match and their level of ability was a good showcase in a premier event that had fans asking for more. Hopefully we have a women's match (or several) every year.

3. Chad Red (IN) vs. Luke Pletcher (PA)

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Why: Red and Pletcher had wrestled in FloNationals finals with Red getting the pin. But 132 offered an intriguing four-man group that year. Red beat #4-Taylor LaMont (UT) and Pletcher took out #3-Yianni (NY) just to meet again. Full of 'almost takedowns' and scrambles that elicited gaping mouths, I believe it was the single greatest match in WNO history. 

2. Sammy Sasso (PA) vs. Anthony Artalona (FL)

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Why: The backstory was amazing and the atmosphere rocked. Artalona had beat Sasso in Fargo as part of a nearly unheard of 3-year undefeated streak in the dome. But he was venturing in to Sasso's backyard and in front of a rabid Dark Knights fan base that crowded the mat. The determination with which Sasso finished off the match (and the event), and the subsequent crowd reaction was probably the best ending ever at WNO.

1.Daton Fix (OK) vs. Nick Suriano (NJ)

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Why: In a sea of high school stars, Daton Fix and Nick Suriano still managed to shine brighter in terms of their lore. Not only was a premier match up, but it delivered, and it delivered the longest match in the history of high school wrestling. 

There was so much going on during the bout. On the mat, Suriano and Fix somehow eluded several close calls without scoring takedowns. It wasn't a long match filled with inactivity or boringness; it was, with the clock turned off in overtime, a 35-minute war. 

Off the mat I was nervous and scrambling. There were many looks of confusion from me to their parents and coaches. Should we keep going? Is this ok?

All's well that ends well. But we've changed the rules since. And wrestling is unlikely to ever see anything like it again.